Forward Alexander Sivkov can rightfully be attributed to the legends of Russian hockey. He was the first Soviet hockey player to score 10 goals in one match. True connoisseurs of bendy remember him as a well-aimed sniper, a master of a daring and sweeping attack.
Biography
Alexander Sivkov was born in December 1952 in Pervouralsk. In this city, hockey matches have always been the main winter pastime for children and adults. Then the Pervouralians were especially fond of ball hockey, and young Alexander was no exception. From early childhood, he practically lived at the rink. Because of this, academic performance in an ordinary school often suffered, which upset my mother (he did not have a father).
Mom Lidia Pavlovna was on the staff of the Novotrubny plant, where she organized food for the workers. She tried all the methods of raising her son known to her, but this did not bring much results. According to Alexander's recollections, one day her patience finally ran out, and she forbade her son to go to training. For reliability, Lydia Pavlovna even hid her son's shoes and locked them in an apartment on the fourth floor. But the boy had character - he went down the balconies, grabbing his mother's boots. In this form, he came to training, causing laughter from his teammates.
The first mentor for Sivkov was I. Yagovitin, whom he calls the head coach in his career. The youth team of the Ural Trubnik gave the young hockey player not only sports, but also life lessons.
Alexander almost immediately became one of the best - he was always distinguished by the "thirst for a goal". Sivkov's mood after the fight very often depended on the number of goals he scored. Already in 1970, at the Junior World Championships, Alexander played for the national team of Arkhangelsk. They then beat the Swedes, became the winners, and Sivkov received the title of the best player in the tournament. He still puts this gold medal on a par with his adult awards.
Career at SKA (Sverdlovsk)
The promising hockey player was noticed and invited to Dynamo in Moscow. Sivkov was inclined to agree. But a little later it was visited by a whole delegation from the Sverdlovsk SKA. As a result, Alexander stayed in the Urals and was included in this team.
For SKA he will play 14 seasons. The talented scorer will set several new records. For example, in 1977, he scored 10 goals in one match - an all-union record. For two seasons in a row he received the title of the best scorer of the championship of the Soviet Union. And in the history of the SKA Ural team, he is marked in second place in terms of the number of goals (the first is N. Durakov).
For a long time, V. Eichwald was Sivkov's best partner. Hockey players understood each other instantly, which allowed Alexander to show a brilliant game.
With all his excellent characteristics, Sivkov rarely got into the national team. That did not prevent him from becoming the winner of two World Championships (1975 and 1979).
In total, in the playing career of Alexander Sivkov, 343 games and 405 goals scored.
Coaching work
Sivkov stopped playing by sports standards quite early, at 33. Everyone knows that hockey is a very traumatic sport, and Sivkov received more than 10 concussions during the games. Plus numerous fractures, knocked out teeth, sleep disturbances …
For three seasons he worked in his native team as a mentor, and almost always relied on the younger generation. But the team then was not in the best position, and the club's management did not appreciate Sivkov's undertakings.
Gradually, Alexander Evgenievich went into business, but did not renounce sports at all. He was the founder of the Sport and Leisure cooperative (together with V. Kutergin). He served as director of the Central Stadium. In the 90s he became a member of the Board of Directors of Uralnefteprodukt and served as chairman.
In 1995, the foundation "Our Children - the Future of Russia" appeared, which was created by Sivkov.
From 2000 to 2003 A. Sivkov was the president of SKA.
Using his own funds, he built an Ice Palace in one of the villages, then a water park.
In 2001, Sivkov survived an attempt on his life while in a medical institution for an acupuncture session. Two men attacked him in the room and tried to shoot him. However, Sivkov managed to knock out the weapon from one of the attackers, the other managed to stab him with a knife. The hockey player tried to catch up with the unknown in the hospital corridor, but could not because of the loss of strength. Later, Alexander was operated on, the wound was not dangerous. The assassination attempt was associated with the active growth in the oil market. Sivkov at that time was the chairman of the board of directors of Uralnefteprodukt.
A family
Alexander Sivkov was married, but in 2009 his wife Larisa passed away. The eldest daughter Olga received an economic education. Son Stanislav studied at the sports faculty of the Ural Polytechnic. There is a grandson Seva and a granddaughter Alisa.
Sivkov tries to live actively. He has no bad habits, he is still passionate about hockey - now for the most part with the puck. He took part in the World Veteran Ice Hockey Championship, and his team received gold twice.
Interesting fact
An international bandy tournament in felt boots is being held in Yekaterinburg. Alesander Sivkov took part in it on a par with masters, amateurs and ordinary spectators. He recalls that as a child it was a regular entertainment, and then the game was forgotten. In such hockey there is no defense, there is only a hockey stick, a ball and felt boots. And the skill of the athlete himself.
