80 years ago, the match between "Chelsea" and "Dynamo" kicked off the soviet footballers' triumphant tour of Great Britain. Six months after our victory over Germany, and two months after our victory over Japan. In front of 85,000 Londoners...
“The game attracted unprecedented interest,” recalled Dynamo coach Mikhail Yakushin. "Fearing a stampede, "Chelsea's" administration gave instructions to let spectators into the stadium from nine in the morning. That day set a record for attendance at english stadiums hosting club matches. It remains unbroken to this day.
During the game, the police cordons buckled under the pressure of ticketless spectators, who rushed from the stands and aisles onto the football field and spread out around it...
The game was evenly matched, but by the 30th minute, "Chelsea" was leading 2-0. And then came the key moment. Tommy Lawton, an outstanding center forward, struck an extraordinarily powerful shot into the top right corner of Alexei Khomich's goal without entering the penalty area. At that moment, all I could think was: that's it, it's a sure goal. I still can't explain how Khomich managed to save the ball. I have never seen a goalkeeper with such reflexes.
I think it was primarily because of this save that Khomich earned the nickname “Tiger” in England...
In the second half, our team turned the game around. The final whistle blew with the score tied at 3:3.
“What a scene! Cheers and applause rang out from the stands and the roofs of nearby buildings, where enterprising fans had also gathered. A crowd of spectators flooded onto the field and surrounded our players. Everyone tried to shake hands with the "Dynamo" players...”
"Dinamo" crushed "Cardiff" 10-1, drew 2-2 with "Glasgow Rangers", and beat the famous "Arsenal" 4-3. And that was before substitute Vladimir Savdunin even took the field. The commander of the reconnaissance unit, awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd class, and two Orders of the Red Star...
The last handshakes between allies. Four months before Churchill's Fulton speech, in which he declared us enemies. He managed to mess up even the green turf of"Stamford Bridge"...