The problem of self-sufficiency of Soviet Masters football teams (1950s – 1970s)

This article examines the problem of compliance with the principle of self-sufficiency by the masters football teams that competed in the USSR championship. The author notes that this issue was regularly on the agenda in the documents of party, state, and public bodies, which emphasizes the relevance of this problem for several decades of Soviet history. The reasons for non-compliance with the principle of self-sufficiency are determined. The approaches of the authorities in solving this problem are being analyzed: changing the regulatory framework, taking measures to increase the profitability of teams and reduce their costs, strengthening educational work among athletes, excluding teams from competitions or preventing them from drawing, applying sanctions (up to criminal prosecution) against persons involved in financial violations, changes in the USSR championship draw system. The analysis of statistical materials allows you to work with quantitative data, for example, financial reports of teams. The author continues the scientific tradition of researching state and party institutions. The analysis of the state structure of physical culture and sports management, its legislative base, the hierarchy of state, party and public bodies, and their interaction is carried out. The scientific novelty of the research lies in an attempt to conduct a comprehensive analysis of one of the most important economic and social problems of Soviet sports – non-compliance with the principle of self-sufficiency. A special contribution of the author to the research of the topic is the wide use of published and unpublished sources from the funds of the Russian State Educational Institution and the GA of the Russian Federation in the context of the stated topic. The reasons for non-compliance with the principle of self-sufficiency by Soviet football teams were an ill-conceived system of allocating funds from competitions, problems with the availability of a developed sports infrastructure, excessive spending by teams, "patronage" by party and Soviet functionaries. The situation was aggravated by financial fraud in the clubs. Attempts by the authorities to solve this problem through the exclusion and non-admission of teams, bringing perpetrators to material and criminal responsibility, and calls for strengthening educational work have not yielded significant results. The problem of self-sufficiency of Soviet masters football teams was acute throughout the 1950s – 1970s, but it never found a practical solution.

Soviet sport, Soviet football, USSR Sports Committee, CPSU Central Committee, self-repayment principle, financial irregularities, master teams, S.P. Pavlov, Football Federation of the USSR, N.N. Romanov