Oleksandr Lipenko's column. The splendid Dynamo defenceman became the director of the trust of the capital's canteens

I continue to tell you about FC Dynamo (Kyiv) players of different generations. This time Vladimir Shchegolkov, Honoured Master of Sports, three-time USSR champion (1961, 1966, 1967), silver medallist (1964, 1966) is in the spotlight.

Football talents were transferred to Dynamo Kyiv from many Ukrainian cities. A special place was occupied by Odessa, which in different years delegated a whole constellation of excellent performers to the main club of the republic: Mykola Trusevych, Anatoliy Zubrytskyi, Oleg Makarov, Leonid Buryak, Stefan Reshko, Yuriy Romenskyi, Valeriy Porkuyan, Igor Belanov, Georgiy Buschan and many others.

Vladimir Shchegolkov, the right centre-back, who moved from Chornomorets to Dynamo, was in this great list.

He started football a little late, at the age of 12. Earlier he was not taken because of his small stature. But he might not have gone down the football path at all. He was seriously into aeromodelling. And his mentors assumed that their mentee is quite capable of growing into an aircraft designer.

Schoolboy Shchegolkov won all-Ukrainian competitions. But the love for football won.

He started in Odessa teams: first in "Pischevik", then in "Metallurg" and "Chernomorets". The 23-year-old captain of the Sailors was noticed by specialists. Odessa was offered a place in the base of "Spartak" and a flat in Moscow.

But Shchegolkov preferred the white and blue uniform of Dynamo Kyiv. Already in the first season in Kiev (1961), he played 22 matches in the main squad and became the champion of the USSR.

Vladimir's partners were: Makarov, Voynov, Kanevsky, Lobanovsky, Bazilevich, Turyanchik, Troyanovsky, Suchkov, Sabo, Biba, Serebryanikov, Anufrienko, Koltsov, Zaitsev, Kashtanov, Shcherbakov, Klyuev, Proskuryakov, Verigin, Sorokin....

Dinamo's right defenceman was distinguished by excellent physical fitness, leaping ability, tenacity, unyielding in one-on-one battles, high fighting qualities. He never avoided forceful clashes....

For a long time Shchegolkov rightfully considered the strongest right defenceman of the country. He successfully coped with very strong forwards of leading clubs: Meskhi, Krasnitsky, Khusainov, Bubukin. And this especially pleased Dynamo goalkeepers.

Invitation to stay in England

In autumn 1961, the country's champion Dynamo Kiev on tour to England. In matches with "Aston Villa" (Birmingham), "Everton" (Liverpool), "Arsenal" (London) Vladimir Shchegolkov acted reliably in the defence of the guests. And specialists paid attention to him. Dynamo player was offered to stay in England and continue his career there. But how could he do it? At that time even to think about it was considered a great "sin".

Six seasons Shchegolkov played for Dynamo almost without substitutions. He managed to play in the first games of Kyiv in European cups.

He did not want to sit on the bench

But in 1967, the then coach of the champion team Viktor Maslov started to give preference to younger Ferenc Medved on the right centre-back spot.

And Shchegolkov was not going to "warm" the bench at all. Valeriy Lobanovskiy and Oleg Bazilevich, who were already playing for Shakhtar at the time, persistently called for his mate to join the Pitmen's team. They had a great desire to prove to Maslov that he wrote them off the Dynamo ship early. And Shchegolkov went to Donetsk to join the team of his former teammates.

However, there everything went on a different scenario. Bazilevych got a serious injury and left for a long time to get treatment. Lobanovskiy, surprisingly, did not find common ground with the Pitmen's coach Oleh Oshenkov. In short, Dynamo's plans to "rub Maslov's nose in it" did not materialise.

After that, Shchegolkov "quit" football. And for a whole 25 years went to... catering. Having the corresponding higher education, he became the director of the association of Kyiv cafes, and then headed tres capital canteens.

In 2008, having lived 71 years, Vladimir Nikolaevich Shchegolkov left this world.

Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua