‘Torpedo Kutaisi’ was founded in 1946 and in just three years the club became the winner of the Football Championship of that time. As the well-known football observer O. Sergeev wrote: ‘If there had been a prize for the most sensational results, it would have definitely been reached by Torpedo Kutaisi football players’.
On 1957 a football team
“Lokomotivi” was formed in Kutaisi. The coach of the team was Andro Zhordania.
Because of the fact that Republican Council could not manage to supervise the
team, by the resolution of a sport committee, it was given to Kutaisi
Automobile Factory on May 3, 1959 and was renamed “Torpedo”. The main coach
became G.Antadze.
On April 21, 1959 “Torpedo”
played an international friendly match against Swedish team, (“Sunsvali”) in
Kutaisi. It ended with the hosts victory. 3:0
On July 3, 1959 Kutaisi
played against the second foreign team (Denmark “Aliansen”). Torpedo couldn’t
manage to defeat the opponent. (3:3)
On November 4, 1959 at the
third international friendly game, Kutaisi won with Finnish team “Palloseura”
(3:0)
On 1959 Torpedo took the 6th
place at Republic Championship.
On 1960 Torpedo was taken to
the second zone of a class “B” at Republic plays. They did a season well. They took
47 points in 30 games. It was went forward and opposed Tbilisi “Lokomotivi”. While
matching two games, Torpedo had won (3:1) and
took the first place in league “B”.
On August 23, 1960, “Torpedo”
held the first outdoor friendly match at
Kabul, Afghanistan with a team “Arian”. The competition ended with Torpedo’s
victory 6:4. The second play at Afghanistan was held with “Moarep”, which ended
with the score 6:2 and the third match held against “Pokhantum” ended with
Torpedo’s victory 6:1.
On 1961 “Torpedo” became a
winnig team in class “B” among the second zone teams and earned the right to
play in class “A”. They defeated “Kalev” Talini and “Lokomotivi” Tbilisi
in Chisinau and went to class “A”.
On May 2, 1962 at Kutaisi
central stadium Kutaisi “Torpedo” opposed
Moscow ‘‘Torpedo”. At previous
days Kutaisi second team won Moscow
second team with the score 5:1. It was somehow transmissible for Torpedo and
they won the game 4:2. It was a good debut for “Torpedo”, but they couldn’t
continue the competition same way and took the 15th place. Torpedo
received a prize from a newspaper “Soviet Sport” for “a fair game”.
On July 6, 1962 Romania
“Progressive” visited Kutaisi for friendly game which was defeated by “Torpedo”
2:0
On 1962 after football season
Kutaisi went to Iran, where they held three friendly games with “Tadji” 3:0,
“Shahin” 1:0 and “Darai” 1:2.
On 1963 “Torpedo” played many interesting games: On April 15 they
hosted Tbilisi “Dinamo”. 40 000 people attended the match. This number is
considered as a record nowadays too..This interesting match ended with a score
0:0. As a guest Kutaisi defeated Moscow “Lokomotivi” and ended with a draw with
Kiev 1:1. Torpedo was awarded with great applauses because of a good technical
game. “Torpedo” affirmed the idea that
Kutaisi is a strong competitor for Moscow teams…
1962 year season ended with
the 12th place for Kutaisi and they gained a recognition at
international arenas..At the end of the season Football Union Federation
published a list of the best 33 USSR
footballers and among them, after L.Iashin was a goalkeeper of “Torpedo”
Revaz Urushadze. On 1963 “Torpedo” went to Bulgaria, where played against three
teams: “Lokomotivi” Plovdiv 4:1, the team of Gorna Oryahovitsa 3:1 and “Arda” Kirdjal
0:1.
On March, 1964 Kutaisi
“Torpedo” hosted USSR Olympic Team, the match ended with the hosts defeat 3:2
On 1964 Torpedo looked
unconvincingly. On August 25 a winning team against Leningrad “Zeniti” made a
chance to “Torpedo” to maintain its place in Major League. On October 6 Moscow
and Kutaisi “Torpedo” played against each other, they both needed 2 points. The
guests would affirm the position of a leader and the hosts would manage to
maintain a place in Major League. A goal made by Jumber Khazhalia brought two
points to “Torpedo”. It was a great victory for them. After that, Kutaisi team
defeated “Rostovi”, “Volga” and “Dinamo”
On 1964 Soviet Union Federation published a list of the
strongest footballers. Among them were Ramaz Urushadze, I. Losaberidze, S.
Kutivadze, J.Kherkhadze and V.Chkhartishvili.
On 1965 Torpedo hosted a leader team “Dinamo” Kiev and won the match with
the score 1:0. The author of the goal was Losaberidze. “Dinamo” which was
really a strong team, played weakly with the team, which was an outsider. After
The Union Championship “Torpedo” went to Africa. They defeated a team of Guinea
5:1, played with a draw 0:0 with a team of Mali, defeated a team of Nigeria 7:0
and finally won with a team of Mali 1:0
On 1965 the team took the 15th
place at football season. It outpaced the teams such were: “Lokomotivi“ Moscow
and “Zeniti”. After the championship, Polish “Rukhi” visited Kutaisi. Torpedo
lost this game for a weak playing.1:2. By the initiative of “Soviet Sport” they
arranged “Endzela” cup playing, where 24 teams took part. Torpedo played
wonderfully and went to final game but they were defeated by Moscow “Dinamo”.
1967 year championship
Torpedo ended with the 13th place, That was really a good result,
for such a small town as Kutaisi is. R.Dzodzuashvili was invited to Tbilisi
“Dinamo” and then he took place in Soviet team.
On 1968 they outpaced
Kirovabadi “Dinamo” with 9 points and took the 14th place in that
year.
On 1970 “Torpedo” left a Major League.
From
1971 Kutaisi tried to take place in the highest league again and finally they
took the second place in the first league and went into the highest league.
On 1982 they decreased but on 1984 they
went forward again. Three winning matches one after another made Torpedo to
take the 11th place. It was the most honorable victory in their
playing history.
On 1986 Torpedo could not manage to play
well and it reflected on results. They
took a last place.
On 1988 Torpedo separated from Soviet
Championship and joined National Championship. Ramaz Shengelia was recognized
as the first footballer in USSR. Brothers Givi and Levan Nodia are Euro
champions in juniors. Jemal Kherkhadze made 16 goals and became a real
candidate of a newspaper “Trudi’s” prize.
Torpedo’s staff at that period were: R.Urushadze,
G.Tskhovrebovi, S.Kutivadze, Givi and Lvena Nodia, R.Dzodzuashvili,
J.Kherkhadze, Sh. Okropirashvili, S.Shvetsovi, R.Shengelia, T.Kostava,R.Siradze,
M.Asitashvili, B.Parulava, R.Burkadze, A.Kvernadze, M. Kvernadze, N. Tchelidze,
T.Sulakvelidze, G.Ketashvili…
After regaining independence Torpedo Kutaisi became one of the most successful clubs of Georgia. It was Torpedo Kutaisi that beat Dinamo Tbilisi in 1999 and in 1999-2001 became the Champion of Georgian National Football Championship three times having the legendary football player Davit Kipiani as a coach.Torpedo Kutaisi is the two times winner of the Georgian Cup.
Honours
Georgian SSR Championship:
Champion: 1949
Georgian Premier League:
Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002
Silver prize winner: 1999, 2003, 2005
Bronze prize winner: 1991, 1994, 2012
Georgian Cup:
Champion: 1999, 2001
Finalist: 2000, 2002, 2004, 2011
Turkmenistan President's Cup:
Champion: 2002
Silver prize winner: 2004
Important Fact:
All-time victory: 8-0 (20.02. 99 - Gorda,Cup);
Record loss: 2-7 (06-12-94 - Kolkheti 1913), 0-5 (05.08 96 - Odishi);
The largest number of matches in A league: Kakha Kvenetadze - 206;
The highest number of goals in A league: David Janashia - 85;
The author of the 100th goal by the club: David Janashia (16.09.91);
The author of the 200th goal: Mamuka Khundadze (10.05.93);
The author of the 300th goal: Mamuka Khundadze (19.11.94);
The author of the 400th goal: Mikheil Ashvetia: (13.05.96);
The author of the 500th goal: Giorgi Megrelidze: (04.09.97);
The author of the 600th goal: Gia Imedadze: (19.05.99);
The author of the 700th goal: David Janashia: (03.12.00);
The author of the 800th goal: Shota Babunashvili (15.09.02);
The author of the 900th goal: Giorgi Megreladze (14.08.04);
The author of the 1000th goal: Nikoloz Nadiradze (20.05.07);
The author of the 1100th goal: Merab Gigauri (15.09.12).
