In 1972 «Rubin» has been participating in the 5th zone of the Second League, which included mainly clubs of Povolzhye and Middle Asia. During the whole season the kazanners experienced serious problems in the attack. Frankly speaking, after the 21nd matchday the team had only 14 goals scored (5 of them were annulled because 2 teams has left the tournament). Just to the end of the season a ray of hope has appeared. Newcomers of the team – a goalkeeper Alexander Ivanov, a midfielder Alexander Mashin and a forward Anatoly Yashin – has fit in the game successfully. In the last game of the year «Rubin» has beat «Torpedo» from Togliatii 1:0 and took the 7th place and left the opponent on the 8th one.

The season of 1973 was to be more successful. After a year’s interval Murad Zadikashvili has returned from Kutaisi. Three clubs has started to change each other in the top of the league in the struggle for the only ticket to the Semifinal tournament. В команду после годичного перерыва вернулся из Кутаиси Мурад Задикашвили. These teams were «Uralmash» (Sverdlovsk), «Rubin» and «Kord» from Balakovo. Kazanners were the second ones at the final lap. «Uralmash» had just 3 points more. In RSFSR Cup, which was held as an alternative to USSR Cup, «Rubin» reached Semifinal (the club’s best result in this tournament), where lost 0:1 to «Vulkan» (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) in an outdoor game.

Year of 1974

That year (1973) on May,1 a 24-years-old masseur Eugeny Golov started to work in «Rubin». From that moment «Rubin» has become an integral part of his life. He had passed all steps of a club hierarchy: masseur – doctor – administrator – first president (since 1990) – director (1995-1999 and since 2005).

Before the season of 1974 «Rubin» has practically lost no players of a senior squad. It has even strengthened: experienced Alexey Semenov and Vladimir Sergeev came from Dnepropetrovsk, from Baku Renat Kamaletdinov has returned. The start turned out to be sick, «Rubin» was 11th after the first half. In June a change of a «steersman» has happened. Instead of Vladlen Reshitko ex-forward of «Iskra» Yuri Markov took the post of a senior coach. In the final table «Rubin» was the 2nd. In a stubborn struggle kazanners could stand up for this position in a semifinal pellet in Frunze and in a final in Sochi. As a result – an overall second place in the Second League and a pass to the First League.

Year of 1976. «Rubin» in Africa

In 1975 the team was headed by Boris Batanov from «Torpedo» (Moscow), a specialist with a name, indeed, he had a success only as a footballer. After the first half of the year «Rubin» was 17th, and Batanov has left a captain’s bridge, which was occupied by Yuri Markov again. Kazanners has took 13 poimts in last 8 games and finished on the 11th position.

The beginning of 1976 has encouraged. In the second matchday «Rubin» has beat «Pakhtakor» (Tashkent). The defense with a goalkeeper Alexander Ivanov could stay the whole 90 minutes, and in the middle of the second time Oleg Usov has finished one of «Rubin’s» counter-attacks with an accurate shot. However, after that 21 matches without any win followed. Thanks God, that anti record has been never repeated. As a result – the 17th place and a difficultly saved registration in the First League.

Year of 1977

In 1977 an attempt to renew a team was undertook. The changes touched mainly the defensive line. The coaches refused services of age-specific footballers – Klimanov, Faizullin, Sukharev, Antikhovich. Their positions were taken by talented but not experienced yet Usenko, Martynov, Sibgatullin and Schavelev. Dzagnidze from «Kuzbass» debuted in the attack. The youth wasn’t ready to play on a serious level, which was needed for the First Division. Result was the last 20th place.