PFC Sokol is a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n association football club based in Saratov

Saratov

-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...

. In 2001 and 2002, Sokol played in the Russian Premier League

Russian Premier League

The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...

. Currently the club plays in the Russian Second Division

Russian Second Division

The Russian Second Division is the third level of Russian professional football.In 1998–2010, it was run by the Professional Football League....

.

History

The club was founded as Dynamo. It was known by this name until 1937 and in 1946-1953. Other club's names include Lokomotiv (1956–1960), Energiya (1954–1955), Sokol (1961–1994 and 1998–2005), and Sokol-PZD (1995–1997). "Sokol" is Russian for "falcon

Falcon

A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....

".

Dynamo did not enter the Soviet league until 1946, when they debuted in the Third Group and were promoted to the Second Group at the first time of asking. Dynamo played in the Second Group until 1949. After a period of absence in the league, the club entered Class B in 1954 under new name, Energia. After a considerable time spent in Class B, Sokol were eventually promoted to Class A, Group 2

Soviet First League

The Soviet First League was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.-Overview:...

 in 1965. Sokol played there until 1970. In 1971-1991, they played in the Second League.

In 1992 Sokol entered the newly formed Russian First Division. They played in this division until 2000, never finishing lower than 10th, and eventually won it. The 2001 season was the best in club's history. Sokol were leading in mid-season, but could not keep up and finished 8th in the Top Division

Russian Premier League

The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...

. Andrey Fedkov, Sokol's striker, was capped for Russia national team

Russia national football team

The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...

. The next year Sokol were relegated after finishing last in the league.

The club continued playing in the First Division since 2003. In 2005 Sokol finished last thanks to a points deduction for failing to pay for player transfer. Instead of starting in the Second Division

Russian Second Division

The Russian Second Division is the third level of Russian professional football.In 1998–2010, it was run by the Professional Football League....

 in 2006, Sokol chose to play in the Amateur League. In addiiton, the club was renamed Sokol-Saratov.

Sokol reached the semifinals of the Soviet Cup

Soviet Cup

The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....

 in 1966/67 and of the Russian Cup in 2000/01.

Current squad

As of August 31, 2011, according to the RFS website.

In

Out

Reserve squad

Sokol's reserve squad played professionally as FC Sokol-d Saratov in the Russian Third League in 1994.

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Sokol.
USSR/Russia Viktor Samokhin

Viktor Samokhin

Viktor Sergeyevich Samokhin is a retired Soviet and Russian football player and a current coach.-International career:Samokhin played his only game for USSR on November 21, 1979 in a friendly against West Germany....

     Dmitri Kuznetsov

Dmitri Kuznetsov

Dmitri Viktorovich Kuznetsov is an association football coach and a former player.During his club career he played for CSKA Moscow, RCD Espanyol, UE Lleida, Deportivo Alavés and CA Osasuna. He earned 28 caps and scored 2 goals for USSR, CIS and Russia from 1990 to 1994, and played in the 1992 UEFA...

   Vladimir Tatarchuk

Vladimir Tatarchuk

Vladimir Iosifovich Tatarchuk is a retired Soviet and Ukrainian/Russian football player. His son Vladimir Tatarchuk Jr. is also a professional footballer.-Honours:* Olympic champion: 1988.* Soviet Top League winner: 1991* Soviet Cup winner: 1991....

   Dmitri Khlestov

Dmitri Khlestov

Dmitri Alekseyevich Khlestov is a retired Russian football player.He played for FC Spartak Moscow, Beşiktaş J.K. , FC Torpedo-Metallurg Moscow and Sokol Saratov....

   Andrei Piatnitski Albert Borzenkov

Albert Borzenkov

Albert Valentinovich Borzenkov is a Russian football player currently playing for FC Dynamo Kostroma.-Honours:* Russian Premier League runner-up: 1997.* Russian Premier League bronze: 1996....

 Andrei Fedkov

Andrei Fedkov

Andrei Yuryevich Fedkov is a retired Russian football player. As of June 2009, he works as a deputy general director with FC Terek Grozny.-Honours:* Russian Cup winner: 2004....

Aleksei Kosolapov

Aleksei Kosolapov

Aleksei Viktorovich Kosolapov is an association football player who has recently played in Kazakhstan for FC Aktobe.-Honours:* Russian Premier League runner-up: 1995.* Russian Premier League bronze: 1994, 1998....

 Vladimir Lebed

Vladimir Lebed

Vladimir Anatolyevich Lebed is a retired Russian football player.-International career:Lebed played in one game for Russia on 6 May 1995 in UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier against the Faroe Islands.-External links:*...

 Aleksandr Sheshukov

Aleksandr Sheshukov

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Sheshukov is an association footballer currently playing for FC Spartak Moscow.-International career:...

 Oleg Teryokhin

Oleg Teryokhin

Oleg Ivanovich Teryokhin is a retired Russian football player. He last worked as a scout for FC Kuban Krasnodar.-Honours:* Russian Premier League runner-up: 2000.* Russian Premier League bronze: 1997....

 Oleg Veretennikov

Oleg Veretennikov

Oleg Veretennikov is a professional association football coach and a former international footballer. He is the top goalscorer in the history of Russian Premier League, and holds several other goalscoring records...

Former USSR countries Karapet Mikaelyan

Karapet Mikaelyan

Karapet Mikaelyan is a former Russia born Armenian football striker. Karapet was also a member of Armenia national team, participated in 20 international matches and scored 2 goals since his debut on 5 October 1996, in away match against Northern Ireland....

Deni Gaisumov

Deni Gaisumov

Deni Khasanovich Gaisumov is a Chechen retired footballer.- Career :He was the captain of FC Terek Grozny one of only four Chechens and was named the division's best defender last season 2003 .- Honours :...

Gennadi Bliznyuk

Gennadi Bliznyuk

Gennadiy Petrovich Bliznyuk is a Belarusian footballer . As of 2011 he plays for Belshina Bobruisk .- Career :...

Artem Chelyadinsky

Artem Chelyadinsky

Artsyom Viktaravich Chelyadzinski is a Belarusian defender currently playing for Shakhtyor Soligorsk.-External links:* *...

Alyaksandr Hrapkowski

Alyaksandr Hrapkowski

Alyaksandr Hrapkowski is a retired Belarusian professional footballer.-External links:*...

Petr Katchouro

Petr Katchouro

Pyotr Pyatrovich Kachura is a former Belarusian footballer. Starting off with his home town club Dynamo Minsk he went on to have spells at Sheffield United in England and Chengdu Wuniu in China before returning to his homeland, playing for Minsk for a second spell and finishing his career at...

Vladimir Sheleg Vital Valadzyankow

Vital Valadzyankow

Vital Valadzyankow is a Belarusian professional footballer. As of 2011, he plays for Gorodeya.-Honours:* Belarusian Premier League champion: 1994/95, 1995, 2004.* Belarusian Cup winner: 2003.-External links:* *...

Zviad Jeladze

Zviad Jeladze

Zviad Jeladze is a Georgian footballer who plays for FC Vostok.He is the brother of Gizo Jeladze, his teammate.-Career:...

 Mikheil Jishkariani

Mikheil Jishkariani

Mikheil Dzhishkariani is a Georgian footballer who is currently a free agent. He has played mostly in Georgia and Russia, except for a spell at FC Dynamo Kyiv in 1993–1995 and a recent spell in Germany with Wormatia Worms...

 Ruslan Baltiev

Ruslan Baltiev

Ruslan Tahirovich Baltiev is a Kazakh football midfielder who currently plays for Kazakhstani club FC Kairat. He is a former Kazakh international whom is the most capped player and the top goalscorer of all-time for.-Club career:...

Vitaliy Kafanov

Vitaliy Kafanov

Vitaliy Kafanov is a retired Kazakhstani-Turkmenistani football player.He began his career with Kolkozchi Ashkhabad, before spending one season with Uralmash Yekaterinburg in the Soviet First League and finishing his career with FC Kairat....

 Dmitriy Lyapkin

Dmitriy Lyapkin

Dmitriy Vladimirovich Lyapkin is a former Kazakh football defender. He last played for the Russian club FC Lokomotiv-2 Moscow.Lyapkin has made 15 appearances for the Kazakhstan national football team since 2004.-External links:...

 Oleg Musin

Oleg Musin

Oleg Vladimirovich Musin is a Kazakhstani professional footballer. In 2010, he played for FC Mostovik-Primorye Ussuriysk. He made his debut in the Russian Premier League in 2001 for FC Sokol Saratov. He also holds Russian citizenship.-External links:...

Maksim Nizovtsev

Maksim Nizovtsev

Maksim Nizovtsev is a Kazakhstani professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Vostok. Nizovtsev has also played for the Kazakhstan national football team in 16 games scoring 2 goals from 1994 to 2005....

 Yevgeni Tarasov

Yevgeni Tarasov

Yevgeni Aleksandrovich Tarasov is a retired Kazakhstani professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Kazakhstan Premier League in 1997 for FC Kairat. He played 3 games and scored 2 goals in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2000 for FC Zenit St. Petersburg.-Honours:* Russian Premier League...

Sergey Timofeev

Sergey Timofeev

Sergey Anatolyevich Timofeev is a former Kazakh professional football player. Currently, he manages FC Mostovik-Primorye Ussuriysk.He played for Kairat Almaty in the Soviet Top League as well as FC Dynamo Moscow and FC Alania Vladikavkaz in the Russian Premier League.Timofeev made five appearances...

Raimondas Vainoras

Raimondas Vainoras

Raimondas Vainoras is a retired Lithuanian football defender, who last played for Auda Riga in Latvia during his professional career. He obtained a total number of 44 caps for the Lithuania national football team, scoring no goals...

Serghei Epureanu

Serghei Epureanu

Serghei Epureanu is a Moldovan footballer. He last played for FC Neman Grodno.-International career:Epureanu has made 46 appearances and has scored 3 goals for the Moldova national football team.-External links:***...

Yuri Baturenko

Yuri Baturenko

Yuri Mikhailovich Baturenko is a Tajikistani professional football coach and a former player. Currently, he is an assistant of FC Lokomotiv-2 Moscow...

 Andriy Annenkov

Andriy Annenkov

Andriy Mykhaylovych Annenkov is a Ukrainian professional football former international player.-External links:*...

 Yuriy Hrytsyna

Yuriy Hrytsyna

Yuriy Vasylyovych Hritsyna is a Ukrainian professional footballer. As of 2009, he plays for FC Dnipro Cherkasy. He made his professional debut in the Soviet First League in 1988 for FC Zarya Voroshilovgrad.-Honours:...

 Oleksandr Koval Hennadiy Orbu

Hennadiy Orbu

Hennadiy Hryhorovych Orbu is a retired Ukrainian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Ukrainian Premier League in 1991 for FC Shakhtar Donetsk...

 Vladyslav Prudius

Vladyslav Prudius

Vladyslav Mykolayovych Prudius is a retired Ukrainian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League B in 1991 for FC Mayak Kharkiv. He played 2 games in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 1999 for FC Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don....

 Dmytro Tiapushkin Victor Karpenko

Victor Karpenko

Victor Aleksandrovich Karpenko is an Uzbekistani professional football midfielder who currently plays for FC Bunyodkor in the Uzbek League...

Maksim Shatskikh

Maksim Shatskikh

Maksim Aleksandrovich Shatskikh , is an Uzbek professional footballer who plays for Arsenal Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League....

Europe Senad Repuh

Senad Repuh

Senad Repuh is a Bosnian professional football player. As of 2008, he played for NK SAŠK Napredak.-External links:*...

 Edin Šaranović

Edin Šaranovic

Edin Šaranović is a Bosnian professional football forward who plays for FK Olimpik Sarajevo in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Club career:...

External links

• Official website
• Sokol Saratov at KLISF