Starts Broceni
Encyclopedia
Starts Brocēni is a Latvia
n football
club. Currently it plays in the 2nd Latvian league under the name Saldus FK/Brocēni . It was one of the leading Latvian clubs in 1960s-1970s.
as CSK Brocēni. In its first year the club won the Latvian Cup and finished 4th in the league. The following years were less successful for the club, in 1965-1967 it got three 10th place finishes in a row.
by a single point. A.Andrejevs from Brocēni was the best goalscorer in the league.
The next few years after the excellent 1968 season were less impressive, as the positions in the league changed in a dropping chain - 1-5-8-9-11, but in 1973 Starts was on the rise again with the rise of the star of Mihails Smorodins
- a 21 year old local striker who scored 18 goals in 22 matches of the season, becoming the best goalscorer in the league and bringing Starts silver medals of the league and a Latvian Cup final (in which it lost to Pilots Rīga). Although Smorodins continued scoring in nearly every game (in 1974 he scored 23 goals in 22 matches) and was the league's best goalscorer for three more seasons in a row, the club had a rather weak defense and it could repeat the successes of 1968 and 1973. In 1977 Smorodins left for Daugava Rīga which played on a much higher level than Starts.
In 1980 Starts finished last in the Latvian league and were relegated. In 1982 they were back but faced another relegation as they earned 11 points over 24 matches. The 1980s were a bad decade for the club from Brocēni which played in lower Latvian leagues. Only in 1991 Starts again played in the top Latvian league and after finishing 9th from 20 clubs it earned a place in the first season of the newly independent Virslīga
.
The first Virslīga season wasn't a big success for Brocēni - only 11th place from 12th teams and relegation to 1. liga
. In 1994 Starts finished second in the first league and together with Kvadrāts Rīga returned to Virslīga. The returned proved quite successful as Starts finished in 4th place, in 1996 they were 6th (as FC Starts Brocēni) but the club couldn't fulfill the financial requirements for the 1997 Virslīga season, so it was relegated to 1. liga.
and changed the club name to FK Saldus. From 1997 to 2000 Saldus played in the first league but before the 2001 it withdrew from the league and moved to the 2nd league, where the club plays until now.
As of January 2008 Saldus/Brocēni is a 2nd league club with no clear future perspectives.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club. Currently it plays in the 2nd Latvian league under the name Saldus FK/Brocēni . It was one of the leading Latvian clubs in 1960s-1970s.
CSK Brocēni
The club was founded in 1961 in the small Latvian town of BrocēniBroceni
Brocēni is a town in southern Latvia along the river Ciecere in the Brocēni municipality. The town is near lake Ciecere, which contains a large deposit of limestone, which is used in the manufacture of cement. During the Second World War, a cement and slate factory was built in the town. It is...
as CSK Brocēni. In its first year the club won the Latvian Cup and finished 4th in the league. The following years were less successful for the club, in 1965-1967 it got three 10th place finishes in a row.
Starts Brocēni
In 1968 the club changed its name in what was to prove the most successful season in its history. In addition to the second win in the Latvian Cup, Starts also won its only Latvian league championship by beating Elektrons RīgaElektrons Riga
Elektrons Rīga was a Latvian football club from Riga that was one of the leading clubs in the Latvian league in 1970s and 1980s.-History:...
by a single point. A.Andrejevs from Brocēni was the best goalscorer in the league.
The next few years after the excellent 1968 season were less impressive, as the positions in the league changed in a dropping chain - 1-5-8-9-11, but in 1973 Starts was on the rise again with the rise of the star of Mihails Smorodins
Mihails Smorodins
Mihails Smorodins is a former Latvian football striker, one of the best goalscorers in the history of the Latvian league.-Playing career:...
- a 21 year old local striker who scored 18 goals in 22 matches of the season, becoming the best goalscorer in the league and bringing Starts silver medals of the league and a Latvian Cup final (in which it lost to Pilots Rīga). Although Smorodins continued scoring in nearly every game (in 1974 he scored 23 goals in 22 matches) and was the league's best goalscorer for three more seasons in a row, the club had a rather weak defense and it could repeat the successes of 1968 and 1973. In 1977 Smorodins left for Daugava Rīga which played on a much higher level than Starts.
In 1980 Starts finished last in the Latvian league and were relegated. In 1982 they were back but faced another relegation as they earned 11 points over 24 matches. The 1980s were a bad decade for the club from Brocēni which played in lower Latvian leagues. Only in 1991 Starts again played in the top Latvian league and after finishing 9th from 20 clubs it earned a place in the first season of the newly independent Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
.
The first Virslīga season wasn't a big success for Brocēni - only 11th place from 12th teams and relegation to 1. liga
1. Liga
1. Liga is the third-highest ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind Nationalliga A and Nationalliga B. Thirty-six teams compete in three divisions – East Switzerland, Central Switzerland and West Switzerland.-East Switzerland:*EHC Arosa*GDT Bellinzona...
. In 1994 Starts finished second in the first league and together with Kvadrāts Rīga returned to Virslīga. The returned proved quite successful as Starts finished in 4th place, in 1996 they were 6th (as FC Starts Brocēni) but the club couldn't fulfill the financial requirements for the 1997 Virslīga season, so it was relegated to 1. liga.
FK Saldus
In 1997 when Brocēni had lost its place in Virslīga it relocated to the nearby city of SaldusSaldus
Saldus is a Latvian town located in Courland and is main town in Saldus District. As of 2005, the town has a population of 12,707.The year 1856 is considered as foundation of Saldus town when the board of Domens' decided to establish a trade center...
and changed the club name to FK Saldus. From 1997 to 2000 Saldus played in the first league but before the 2001 it withdrew from the league and moved to the 2nd league, where the club plays until now.
FK Saldus/Brocēni
In 2004 the club changed the name again by adding Brocēni to its name, thus proving the connection with the formerly popular name of Starts Brocēni. In 2005 the club earned a promotion to 1. liga but refused because of its financial limitations.As of January 2008 Saldus/Brocēni is a 2nd league club with no clear future perspectives.
Honours
Honours- Latvian top league:
- Winners: 1 (1968)
- Runners-up: 1 (1973)
- Latvian Cup:
- Winners: 2 (1961, 1968)
- Runners-up: 1 (1973)