Boris Ivanovich Gulyaev, chairman of the Company’s trade union in the 1960s, loved football. Accordingly, establishing a football team and involving local youth in this fascinating game became a major area of his activities.

A lot of energy and time was spent on organizational matters — selecting the players, ensuring their motivation, purchasing uniforms and sports equipment, providing transport, etc.

Boris Ivanovich was not alone. He had enthusiastic assistants such as F.N.Vaganov, currently the mine manager, and A. N. Filatov, currently chief economist at Purchasing.

The team’s first football field was organized by the players themselves on a forest opening near the river bank. This field became the site of many gratifying games which warmed the hearts of the team’s fans.

In the mid 1970s, the football team ceased to exist due to an overall decline of sports activities at the Company.

When  F. Vaganov returned home after military service a few years later, he joined the football team of Krasny Bor (Shatkovsky district). However, Feodor Nikolaevich never gave up his dream to create a football team at his own company. In this matter, he was supported by Peshelansky Gypsum Works management. When the team was recruited, he began looking for the uniform. The team’s first uniform was supplied to Feodor Nikolaevich by a player of the Moscow Spartacus football club. Naturally, this uniform bore the white and red colors of Spartacus.

At a later stage, the team was joined by A.N.Filatov.

The currently existing Shaktior football club was actually born in 1998, when the team, consisting of Peshelansky Gypsum Works employees, took part in the Arzamas district football championship.

Due to high workload of the mine manager, F. N. Vaganov was soon relieved from the chief coach duties at his own request. However, Feodor Nikolaevich continued to do his best to help the football club. The chief coach duties were delegated to A.A.Plaksin.

On July 3, 2006, Décor-1 stadium hosted the opening match of the 2006 district football championship in which 13 teams from the district’s rural administrations and 13 junior teams competed. The competition was conducted in two rounds using a rotation system. Two teams, representing Beriozovo and Bebyaevo rural administrations, as winners of the previous District Football Cup, fought their way to the regional championship. As for Shaktior, the team took part in the regional championship, Division  I. In May 2008, Shaktior began a series of matches within the framework of the National Championship for League III (amateur teams in the Volga region). In a tough struggle with serious adversaries, the Décor-1 Peshelansky Gypsum Works team came third with 25 victories in 36 matches.

A regular prize-winner, Shaktior is improving its performance from year to year.