Enerģija Rīga

Enerģija Rīga (also known as ESR Rīga and FK Apgaismes tehnika) was a Soviet Latvian football club from Riga, a four time winner of the Latvian league. It went bankrupt together with the factory that supported it in early 1990s.

History

ESR Rīga made its debut in the Latvian league in 1966 and already in the first season won it. One of the clubs leaders Nikolajs Jermakovs after the season was signed by Soviet first league club Daugava Rīga. Still the club managed by E.Tantiba won the second league title in 1967. In 1968 the club was renamed as Enerģija Rīga. In the years that followed Enerģija was always among the top teams in the Latvian league but the next title was won only in 1976. The Enerģija was coached by Boriss Reinholds who later with good success worked with Zvejnieks Liepāja. In 1977 Enerģija won its fourth and final title, as the clubs forward former Daugava Rīga player Anatoli Kondratenko was the best goalscorer in the Latvian league. Another former Daugava player Ronalds Žagars was the clubs goalkeeper in 1977.

After 1977 Enerģija failed to win any more league titles but in 1982 it won its first and final Latvian Cup by beating Torpedo Rīga 2:1 in the final match. In 1987 the club was renamed to FK Apgaismes tehnika [ [http://www.foot.dk/Letklubres.asp?Klubid=119 Club history in the Latvian league] ] . The last relatively successful season for the club came in 1990 as it finished fourth in the Latvian league and reached the Latvian Cup final. After the 1991 season the club went bankrupt, some of its players played with Decemviri II in 1. liga in 1992 but the history of one of the best Riga clubs of the 1970s was finished. In 1992 Decemviri II also became defunct.

Honours

* Latvian league winners: 4 (1966, 1967, 1976, 1977)
*Latvian Cup winners (1982)

Notable past players

* Nikolajs Jermakovs
* Anatoli Kondratenko
* Ronalds Žagars
* Jānis Dreimanis
* Jurijs Andrejevs

References