text:
Aspasia Manos

Aspasia Manou (Ασπασία Μάνου; 4 September 1896 – 7 August 1972) was a Greek aristocrat who became the wife of Alexander I, King of Greece. Due to the controversy over her marriage, she was styled Madame Manou instead of "Queen Aspasia", until recognized as Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark after Alexander's death and the restoration of King Constantine I, on 10 September 1922. Through her marriage, she and her descendants were the only ethnically Greek members of the Greek royal family, which originated in Denmark.

Daughter of Colonel Petros Manos, aide-de-camp to King Constantine I of Greece, and Maria Argyropoulos (Petros Manos and Maria Argyropoulos were both descendants of most prominent Greek Phanariote families of Constantinople and descendants of ruling Princes of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia), Aspasia grew up close to the royal family. After the divorce of her parents, she was sent to study in France and Switzerland. She returned to Greece in 1915 and met Prince Alexander, to whom she became secretly engaged due to the expected refusal of the royal family to recognize the relationship of Alexander I with a woman who did not belong to one of the European ruling dynasties.

Meanwhile, the domestic situation in Greece was complicated by World War I. King Constantine I abdicated in 1917 and Alexander was chosen as sovereign. Separated from his family and subjected to the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, the new ruler found comfort in Aspasia. Despite the opposition of his parents (exiled in Switzerland) and Venizelists (who wanted the king to marry a British princess), King Alexander I secretly married Aspasia on 17 November 1919. The public revelation of the wedding shortly after caused a huge scandal, and Aspasia temporarily left Greece. However, she was reunited with her husband after a few months of separation and was then allowed to return to Greece without receiving the title of Queen of the Hellenes. She became pregnant, but Alexander died on 25 October 1920, less than a year after their marriage.

At the same time, the situation in Greece was deteriorating again: the country was in the middle of a bloody conflict with the Ottoman Empire, Constantine I was restored (19 December 1920) only to be deposed again (27 September 1922), this time in favor of Diadochos (Crown Prince) George. Initially excluded from the royal family, Aspasia was gradually integrated after the birth of her daughter Alexandra on 25 March 1921 and was later recognized with the title of Princess Alexander of Greece and Denmark after a decree issued by her father-in-law. Nevertheless, her situation remained precarious due to the dislike of her sister-in-law Elisabeth of Romania and the political instability of the country. As the only members of the royal family to be allowed to stay in Greece after the proclamation of the Republic on 25 March 1924, Aspasia and her daughter chose to settle in Florence, with Queen Sophia. They remained there until 1927 then divided their time between the United Kingdom and Venice.

The restoration of the Greek monarchy in 1935 did not change Aspasia's life. Sheltered by her in-laws, she made the Venetian villa Garden of Eden her main residence, until the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in 1940. After a brief return to her country, where she worked for the Red Cross, the princess spent World War II in England. In 1944, her daughter married the exiled King Peter II of Yugoslavia, and Aspasia became a grandmother with the birth of Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia in 1945. Once peace was restored, Aspasia returned to live in Venice. Her last days were marked by economic hardship, illness and especially worry for her daughter, who made several suicide attempts. Aspasia died in 1972, but it wasn't until 1993 that her remains were transferred to the royal necropolis of Tatoi.

Family
Aspasia was born in Tatoi, Athens on 4 September 1896 as the eldest daughter of Petros Manos, a Colonel in the Hellenic Army, and his first wife, Maria Argyropoulos. Petros Manos and Maria Argyropoulos were second cousins, both descendants of most prominent Greek Phanariote families of Constantinople and descendants of the ruling Princes of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia (commonly known as Danubian Principalities). Named after her maternal grandmother, Aspasia Anargyrou Petrakis, daughter of Anargyros Petrakis (1793-1876), first modern Mayor of Athens, she had one younger full-sister, Roxane (born 28 February 1898), later wife of an athlete and industrialist Christos Zalokostas. From her father's second marriage with Sophie Tombazis (daughter of Alexandros Tombazis and Princess Maria Mavrocordato), she had one half-sister, Rallou (1915–1988), a choreographer, modern dancer and dance teacher, who was married to a prominent Greek architect Pavlos Mylonas.

Early years
After the divorce of her parents, Aspasia left Athens to complete her studies in France and Switzerland. Having returned to Greece in 1915, she came to live with her mother. Shortly after, she met her childhood friend, Prince Alexander of Greece, at a party given by the Palace Stable master, Theodoros Ypsilantis. Described by many of her contemporaries as a very beautiful woman, Aspasia immediately caught the attention of the prince who then had no other wish than to conquer her.

Secret engagement
Initially, Aspasia was very reluctant to accept the romantic advances of the prince. Renowned for his many female conquests, Alexander seemed to her untrustworthy, also because their social differences impeded any serious relationship. However, the perseverance of the Greek prince, who travelled to Spetses in the summer of 1915 for the sole purpose of seeing Aspasia, finally overcame her misgivings.

Deeply in love with each other, they became engaged but their marital project remained secret. Alexander's parents, especially Queen Sophia (born a Prussian princess of the House of Hohenzollern), were very attached to social conventions, making it unthinkable that their children could marry persons not belonging to European royalty.

Accession to the throne of Alexander I
During World War I, King Constantine I (who ascended to the throne in 1913 following the assassination of his father, King George I) kept Greece in a policy of neutrality towards the German Empire and the other powers of the Triple Alliance. Brother-in-law of Emperor William II, the Greek sovereign was accused by the Allies of being pro-German because he spent part of his military training in Prussia. This situation led to a rupture between the sovereign and his Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, who was convinced of the need to support the countries of the Triple Entente to link the Greek minorities of the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans to the Hellenic Kingdom. In the end, King Constantine was deposed in 1917 and replaced by his second son Prince Alexander, considered more malleable than his elder brother Diadochos George by the Triple Entente.

On the day of his accession to the throne, 10 June 1917, Alexander I revealed to his father his relationship with Aspasia and asked him for permission to marry her. Very reluctant to approve what he considered a mésalliance, Constantine asked his son to wait until the end of the war to marry. In return, the deposed King promised to be his son's witness at his wedding day. In these circumstances, Alexander agreed to postpone his projected marriage until the restoration of peace. Two days later, Constantine and his relatives arrived at the small port of Oropos and went into exile; it was the last time that Alexander was in contact with his family.

A bond considered unequal
Once his family went into exile, Alexander I found himself completely isolated by Eleftherios Venizelos and his supporters. The entire staff of the crown was gradually replaced by the enemies of Constantine I, and his son was forced to dismiss his friends when they were not simply arrested. Even the portraits of the dynasty were removed from the palaces, and sometimes the new ministers called him, in his presence, "son of the traitor".

Prisoner in his own kingdom, the young monarch took very badly the separation from his family. He regularly wrote letters to his parents, but they were intercepted by the government and his family didn't receive them. Under these conditions, the only comfort of Alexander was Aspasia and he decided to marry her despite the recommendations of his father and the opposition of the Prime Minister. Indeed, Eleftherios Venizelos, despite being previously a friend of Petros Manos (Aspasia's father), feared that she used her family connections to mediate between Alexander I and his parents. Above all, the Prime Minister would have preferred that the monarch should marry Princess Mary of the United Kingdom to strengthen the ties between Greece and the Triple Entente.

However, the relationship of Alexander I and Aspasia did not only have enemies. The Greek royal dynasty was indeed of German origin and to find Byzantine ancestors to them they had to go back to the Middle Ages. In these circumstances, the union of the monarch and his fiancée would effectively Hellenize the dynasty, which would not displease all the Greeks. Finally, in the same foreign powers, particularly the British Embassy, the assumption of this marriage was seen favorably. Indeed, the influence of Aspasia on the sovereign was found to be positive, because she gave to him the strength to remain in the throne. The official visit of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, to Athens in March 1918 also confirmed the support of the United Kingdom to the marriage project. The son of Queen Victoria in fact requested to meet Aspasia and then told Alexander I that if he had been younger, he too would have sought to marry her.

Secret wedding
Faced with the complete opposition of both the government and royal family, Alexander I and Aspasia decided to marry secretly. With the help of Aspasia's brother-in-law, Christos Zalokostas, and after three attempts, the couple managed to be wedded by the Archimandrite Zacharistas in the evening of 17 November 1919. After the ceremony (which also included a civil wedding ), the archimandrite swore to keep silent about it, but he quickly broke his promise and confessed the whole affair to the Metropolitan Meletius III of Athens. Through her marriage, she and her descendants would become the only ethnically Greek members of the Greek royal family, which originated in Denmark.

According to the Greek constitution, members of the royal family are not only obliged to obtain the permission of the sovereign to marry but also of the head of the Church of Greece. By marrying Aspasia without the consent of the Metropolitan, Alexander I had not complied with the law, causing a huge scandal in the country. Although the marriage of the young couple was retroactively recognized as legal (but non-dynastic) following Alexander's death, Aspasia was never entitled to be known as "Queen of the Hellenes"; she was instead styled "Madame Manos".

Unequal marriage
Despite his anger at the wedding, Eleftherios Venizelos permitted, initially, that Aspasia and her mother move to the Royal Palace with the condition that the marriage not be made public. However, the secret was soon discovered and Aspasia was forced to leave Greece to escape the scandal. Exiled, she settled first in Rome and then in Paris. Alexander I was allowed to join her in the French capital six months later. Officially, the monarch made a state visit to the Allies' heads of state gathered at the Peace Conference. In reality, the stay was something of a honeymoon for the couple.

Finally, Aspasia and her husband received permission from the government to get back together in Greece during summer 1920. In the Hellenic capital, "Madame Manos" was firstly in her sister's house before moving to Tatoi Palace. It was during this period that she became pregnant, an event that caused great joy to the couple.

Death of Alexander I
On 2 October 1920, King Alexander I had an accident when he took a walk on the lands of the domain of Tatoi. A macaque who belonged to the manager of the vineyards of the palace attacked Fritz, the German shepherd dog of the sovereign, and he attempted to separate the two animals. As he did so, another monkey attacked Alexander and bit him deeply on the leg and torso. Eventually, servants arrived and chased away the monkeys (which were later destroyed), and the King's wounds were promptly cleaned and dressed but not cauterized. He didn't consider the incident serious and asked that it not be publicized.

Beginning on the night of the event, Alexander I developed a high fever: his wound had become infected and soon developed into septicaemia. With the rapid evolution of his illness, doctors planned to amputate his leg but no one wanted to take responsibility for such an act. Operated on seven times, he was cared for only by Aspasia during the four weeks of his illness. Under the effect of the blood poisoning, the young King suffered terribly and his cries of pain were heard in the entire Royal Palace. On 19 October, he became delirious and called out for his mother. However, the Greek government refused to allow Queen Sophia to re-enter the country. In St. Moritz, where she was exiled with the rest of the royal family, the Queen begged the Hellenic authorities to let her take care of her son but Venizelos remained adamant. Finally, Dowager Queen Olga, widow of George I, was allowed to travel alone to Athens to be with her grandson. Delayed by rough seas, however, she arrived twelve hours after the King's death, on 25 October 1920. Informed by telegram that night, other members of the royal family learned of the death with sadness.

Two days after the death of the monarch, his funeral service was held in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. Once again, the royal family was refused permission to enter Greece; in consequence, apart from Aspasia, only Dowager Queen Olga was present at the funeral. The body of Alexander I was buried in the royal burial ground at Tatoi Palace.

Kingdom without a King
Four months pregnant at the time of her husband's death, Aspasia withdrew to the Diadochos Palace at Athens. In Greece, the unexpected death of Alexander I had much more serious consequences: it raised the question of succession and even the survival of the monarchy. Because the King had married without his father's or the head of Orthodox Church's permission, it was technically illegal, the marriage void, and the couple's posthumous child illegitimate according to law. Maintaining the monarchy therefore involved finding another sovereign and, as the Venizelists still opposed Constantine I and Diadochos George, the government decided to offer the crown to another member of the royal family, the young Prince Paul. However, he refused to ascend the throne, which remained resolutely vacant.

With Aspasia's pregnancy approaching its end, some plotted to put her child on the throne and rumours even assured that she was a supporter of this solution. The victory of the monarchists in the elections of 1 November 1920 changed everything. Dimitrios Rallis replaced Eleftherios Venizelos as Prime Minister and Constantine I was soon restored.

Gradual integration into the royal family

The restoration of Constantine I at first did not bring any change to Aspasia's situation. Considered intriguing by part of the royal family, especially by her sister-in-law Princess Elisabeth of Romania who hated her, she was under the suspicion that she wanted to put her unborn child on the throne. The royal family feared the birth of a male child, which could further complicate the political situation at a time when Greece was already at war against the Ottoman Empire. However, not all members of the royal family, shared this distrust: Princess Alice of Battenberg, aunt of the deceased Alexander I, chose to spend Christmas of 1920 in the company of Aspasia. For her part, Queen Sophia, who previously strongly opposed her son's relationship with Aspasia, approached her daughter-in-law and awaited the birth of her first grandchild.

The birth of Alexandra on 25 March 1921 caused a great relief to the royal family: under the terms of the Salic law (which prevailed in Greece), the newborn could not claim the crown and she was unlikely to be used to undermine the dynasty. King Constantine I and Dowager Queen Olga therefore accepted easily that they become the godparents of the child. Still, neither the child nor her mother received more official recognition; only in July 1922, and at the behest of Queen Sophia, a law was passed which allowed the King to retroactively recognize marriages of members of the royal family, although on a non-dynastic basis. With this legal subterfuge, Alexandra obtained the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Greece and Denmark. Aspasia's status, however, was not changed with the law and she remained a simple commoner to the eyes of protocol.

Humiliated by this difference in treatment, Aspasia approached Prince Christopher of Greece (who also married a commoner), and begged him to intercede on her behalf. Moved by the arguments of his niece-in-law, the Prince talked to Queen Sophia, who eventually changed her opinion. Under pressure from his wife, King Constantine I issued a decree, gazetted 10 September 1922 under which Aspasia received the title "Princess of Greece and Denmark" and the style of Royal Highness.

From Athens to Florence
Despite these positive developments, the situation of Aspasia and her daughter did not improve. Indeed, Greece experienced a serious military defeat against Turkey and a coup d'état soon forced Constantine I to abdicate in favor of Diadochos George, on 27 September 1922. Things went from bad to worse for the country, and a failed monarchist coup d'état forced the new King George II and his family into exile in December 1923. Four months later, on 25 March 1924, the Second Hellenic Republic was proclaimed and both Aspasia and Alexandra were then the only members of the dynasty allowed to stay in Greece.

Penniless, Aspasia, with her daughter, chose to follow her in-laws to the exile in early 1924. They found refuge with Queen Sophia, who moved to the Villa Bobolina in Fiesole near Florence shortly after the death of her husband in December 1923. The now Dowager Queen, who adored Alexandra, was delighted, even if her financial situation was also precarious.

From London to Venice

In 1927, Aspasia and her daughter moved to Ascot, Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. They were greeted by Sir James Horlick, 4th Baronet and his Horlick family, who harbored them in their ancestral seat Cowley Manor. With her personal savings and the financial support of Horlick, Aspasia bought a small property on the Island of Giudecca in Venice. Former home of Caroline and Frederic Eden, the villa and its 3.6 hectares of landscaped grounds are nicknamed the Garden of Eden, which delighted the Greek princesses.

Possible second marriage
Widow for many years, in 1933 Aspasia had a romantic relationship with the Sicilian Prince Starrabba di Giardinelli, who asked her to marry him. She was about to accept the proposal, when he suddenly fell ill and died of typhoid fever.

Restoration of the monarchy and outbreak of World War II
In 1935, the Second Hellenic Republic was abolished and George II was restored to the throne after a referendum organized by General Georgios Kondylis. While several members of the royal family decided to return to Greece, Aspasia chose to remain in Italy, but claimed, in the name of her daughter, her rightful share of the inheritance of Alexander I. Unlike Princess Alexandra, Aspasia was subsequently not invited to the ceremonies which marked the return of the remains of King Constantine I, Queen Sophia and Dowager Queen Olga to the Kingdom (1936), or the wedding of her brother-in-law, the Diadochos Paul, with Princess Frederica of Hanover (1938). Even worse, Aspasia did not have a plot in the royal cemetery of Tatoi, because the grave of her husband was placed next to that of his parents in order to keep him away from his wife even in death.

The outbreak of the Greco-Italian War on 28 October 1940 forced Aspasia and Alexandra to suddenly leave fascist Italy. They settled with the rest of the royal family in Athens. Eager to serve her country in this difficult moment, Aspasia helped with the Red Cross. However, after several months of victorious battles against the Italian forces, Greece was invaded by the army of Nazi Germany and the majority of the members of the royal family left the country on 22 April 1941. After a brief stay in Crete, where they survived a German bombing raid, Aspasia and her family departed for Egypt and South Africa.

Settling in England and Alexandra's marriage

While several members of the royal family were forced to spend World War II in South Africa, Aspasia obtained the permission of King George II of Greece and the British government to move to the United Kingdom with her daughter. Arrived at Liverpool in the fall of 1941, they settled in Mayfair, London. In the English capital, the Greek princesses resumed their activities with the Red Cross. Better accepted than in their own country, they were regularly received by their cousin Marina, Duchess of Kent (born Princess of Greece and Denmark) and, while he was on leave from the Royal Navy, met the future Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece), who for some time was looked on as a suitable husband for Alexandra.

However, Alexandra soon met and was attracted to another royal figure. In 1942, the Greek princess met King Peter II of Yugoslavia at an officers gala at Grosvenor House. The 19-year-old sovereign had lived in exile in London since the invasion of his country by the Axis powers in April 1941. They quickly fell in love with each other and eventually were married on 20 March 1944, despite the opposition of the Queen Mother Maria of Yugoslavia (born Princess Maria of Romania). The ceremony was very modest, because of financial difficulties related to the war, but Aspasia, who always wanted to see her daughter marry well, was delighted.

Shortly after the end of the war, on 17 July 1945, Queen Alexandra gave birth to her only child, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, in Suite 212 of Claridge's Hotel in Brook Street, London, which according to some reports was transformed for the occasion into Yugoslav territory by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. However, the arrival of the heir to the throne was quickly followed by the deposition of the Karađorđević dynasty and the proclamation of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by Marshal Tito on 29 November 1945. This was the beginning of a long period of difficulties, marked by financial instability, the pursuit of vain political projects and the deterioration of relations between Alexandra and Peter II.

Return to Venice and financial difficulties
After the end of World War II, Aspasia decided not to go back to Greece and she returned to Venice, to live once more on the Island of Giudecca. Back in the Garden of Eden, she found her house partially destroyed by the conflict and began to rebuild. Still without sufficient financial resources and concerned about the situation of her daughter (who granted her at one point the guardianship of her grandson Crown Prince Alexander, ), Aspasia led a quiet life, punctuated by a few public appearances during cultural events. Over the years, her financial situation deteriorated even further, and during the winter of 1959–1960, the Princess was no longer able to pay the heating bills. She temporarily left the Garden of Eden and stayed in the hotels Europa and Britannia in Venice. Shortly after, she was forced to sell some furniture and other valuables to pay off her debts.

Alexandra's depression and health problems
Demoralised by exile and financial difficulties, the former King Peter II of Yugoslavia gradually became an alcoholic and relieved his boredom by multiplying his affairs with other women. Worn down by the behavior of her husband, with whom she was still in love, Alexandra developed behaviours increasingly dangerous to her health. Probably prone to anorexia, in 1950 the former queen undertook a first suicide attempt, while staying with her mother. After several years of wandering between Italy, the United States and France, Alexandra finally moved permanently to the Garden of Eden after the death of Peter II in 1970.

Aspasia's health and death
Heartbroken by the fate of her daughter, Aspasia saw her own health gradually deteriorate over the years. Seriously ill, she could not attend the wedding of her grandson with Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza on 1 July 1972. One month later, on 7 August 1972, Princess Aspasia died in the Ospedale al Mare in Venice. At the time, Greece was ruled by the Regime of the Colonels and so Alexandra chose to bury her mother in the Orthodox section of the cemetery of San Michele island near Venice. Only after the death of Alexandra, in January 1993, were the remains of Aspasia and her daughter transferred to the Royal Cemetery Plot in the park of Tatoi near Dekeleia, at the request of Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia.

title: Aspasia Manos


text:
GKS Bełchatów

GKS Bełchatów is a Polish professional football club based in Bełchatów. The club currently competes in group I of the III liga.

History
GKS Bełchatów entered Poland's Klasa A in 1977 under the name of Węgiel Brunatny Bełchatów, and gained promotion to the III liga in the 1981–82 season. It took the club another seven years to rise to the II liga (1986/1987 season), before winning a place in the top-tier I liga in 1992. After another spell in II liga, the club again won promotion to the I liga at the end of the 2004–05 season. The club finished the 2005–06 season in 10th place, with 37 points. The following season they challenged for the league title. After spending much of the latter part of the 2006–07 season in first place, they were ultimately overtaken by Zagłębie Lubin and had to settle for second place.

On 11 March 2022, the club, then playing in the II liga, withdrew from the league and did not start playing in the spring round. As a consequence, they were moved to the last place in the 2021–22 season standings and their remaining matches being declared 0–3 forfeits for their opponents. They declared liquidation on 20 April 2022. On 31 May 2022, the Łódź Football Association admitted its academy (Akademia GKS Bełchatów) as its continuator to the Łódź group of the fifth division for the 2022–23 season.

Achievements

 * Ekstraklasa:
 * Runners-up: 2006–07
 * Polish Cup:
 * Runners-up: 1995–96, 1998–99
 * Ekstraklasa Cup:
 * Runners-up: 2006–07
 * Polish Super Cup:
 * Runners-up: 2007

Fans and rivalries
The fans are called Torfiorze (the "Turfers" in translation). They have friendly relations with fans of Wisła Sandomierz. Their biggest rivals are neighbours RKS Radomsko, and as Bełchatów is located in the Łódź Province, they also have rivalries with the two traditional well-established Łódź teams, ŁKS and Widzew.

Managers

 * 🇵🇱 Wlodzimierz Tylak (March 7, 1992 – June 20, 1993)
 * 🇵🇱 Wladyslaw Lach (July 1, 1993 – Aug 31, 1995)
 * 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Pawlak (Sept 1, 1995 – June 30, 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Janusz Bialek (July 27, 1996 – Sept 21, 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Pochopień (Sept 28, 1996 – Dec 31, 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Kaczmarek (March 5, 1997 – May 14, 1997)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Wyrobek (May 17, 1997 – June 30, 1998)
 * 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Pawlak (July 1, 1998 – May 9, 1999)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Pochopień (May 10, 1999 – June 30, 1999)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (1999)
 * 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Wolak (1999–2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Polak (2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Złomańczuk, 🇵🇱 Piotr Szarpak & 🇵🇱 Adam Mażysz (May 9, 2000 – April 22, 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Dankowski (2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Tochel (Oct 2001 – May 2, 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Jacek Zieliński (June 11, 2002 – Sept 10, 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Kuras (Sept 11, 2002 – Oct 6, 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (Oct 10, 2005 – March 21, 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Złomańczuk (interim) (March 21, 2008 – May 21, 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Janas (May 21, 2008 – Jan 3, 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Ulatowski (2009 – May 24, 2010)
 * 🇵🇱 Maciej Bartoszek (June 2, 2010 – June 30, 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Janas (June 17, 2011 – Aug 31, 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Kamil Kiereś (Sept 1, 2011 – Sept 25, 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Złomańczuk (Sept 25, 2012 – Nov 14, 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Michal Probierz (Nov 14, 2012 – Dec 21, 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Kamil Kiereś (Jan 9, 2013 – March 23, 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Zub (2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Kamil Kiereś (May 21, 2015 – June 22, 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Ulatowski (2015–2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Krystian Kierach (interim) (2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Konwiński (2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Pawlak (2017–2018)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Derbin (2018–2020)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Węglewski (2020–2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Patryk Rachwał (June 25, 2021 – Nov 15, 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Kamil Socha (2021–2022)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogdan Jóźwiak (June 22, 2022 – April 27, 2024)
 * 🇵🇱 Patryk Rachwał (interim) (April 29, 2024 – June 13, 2024)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Derbin (June 13, 2024 – present)

Notable players
Players who have been capped and/or have over 80 appearances for the club
 * 🇭🇳 Carlo Costly
 * 🇱🇹 Dainius Suliauskas
 * 🇵🇱 Łukasz Garguła
 * 🇵🇱 Jacek Krzynówek
 * 🇵🇱 Radosław Matusiak
 * 🇵🇱 Grzegorz Rasiak
 * 🇵🇱 Łukasz Sapela

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: GKS Bełchatów


text:
Pogoń Szczecin

Pogoń Szczecin Spółka Akcyjna, commonly referred to as Pogoń Szczecin, is a Polish professional football club based in Szczecin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, which plays in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the national football league system.

History
The club was founded by Poles from Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), who had been transferred west after the Soviet annexation of Poland's eastern territories in 1945. The founders of Pogoń Szczecin had previously been supporters of Pogoń Lwów and the colors of their new club reflect their old club. Polonia Bytom and Odra Opole were likewise founded or revived by the former inhabitants of Lwów.

The most popular sports organization in Szczecin was founded on 21 April 1948 as Klub Sportowy Sztorm. Its first departments were football and boxing, and the football team began playing in the local C-Klasa. In March 1949, several sports clubs in Szczecin (KS Sztorm, KS Cukrownik, KS Drukarz, Pocztowy KS) were merged into a large organization called Klub Sportowy Zwiazkowiec. The team of Zwiazkowiec joined local A-Class league, replacing Pocztowy KS. In November 1950, Zwiazkowiec was dissolved, and a new organization, Klub Sportowy Kolejarz Szczecin was formed. Its football team, supported by the Port of Szczecin, in 1953 was promoted to the newly created Interregional League (Liga Międzywojewódzka), which covered the provinces of Szczecin, Zielona Góra and Poznań.

In autumn 1955, Kolejarz was renamed into Pogoń Szczecin. The name and the hues of the club are a continuation of Pogoń Lwów. In 1957, Pogoń was runner up of the Interregional League, qualifying to the second division playoffs. After beating Flota Gdynia, Kujawiak Włocławek and Warta Gorzów, Pogoń for the first time won promotion to the second level of Polish football system. In 1958, Pogoń was the winner of Group North of the Second Division (37 points, goals 54–22, not a single game lost), winning promotion to the Ekstraklasa.

In its top level debut, Pogoń lost at home to Gwardia Warszawa 0–1. In 1960, Pogoń was relegated from the Ekstraklasa, to return there in 1962.

For most of the 1960s and 1970s, Pogoń remained in the top Polish league, but remained an average team, without any successes. This changed in the early 1980s: in 1981, Pogoń advanced to the final of the Polish Cup, to lose 0–1 to Legia Warsaw. In 1982, Pogoń again made it to the Polish Cup final, to lose 0–1 to Lech Poznań.

In 1984 Pogoń, managed by Eugeniusz Ksol, for the first time in history was among top three teams in the Ekstraklasa, which meant that the team qualified for the UEFA Cup. In its European debut, Pogoń faced 1. FC Köln, with such stars as Harald Schumacher, Pierre Littbarski and Klaus Allofs. In the first leg (September 19, 1984 in Cologne), Pogoń lost 1–2. In the second leg (October 3), Polish team lost 0–1, after its players failed to score on two penalty kicks.

In 1987, Pogoń was Polish runner-up. Managed by Leszek Jezierski, the team played offensively, scoring plenty of goals. With such players as Mariusz Kuras, Marek Ostrowski and Marek Leśniak, Pogoń was only behind Górnik Zabrze. In the first round of UEFA Cup, Pogon faced Hellas Verona, with Thomas Berthold and Preben Elkjær. In the first leg (September 16, 1987), Pogoń tied at home 1–1. Two weeks later, Polish team lost in Italy 1–3. Pogoń in 2002 was on the brink of bankruptcy. As a result, fans created a new team on the basis of the reserves in the fourth division. However owner of Piotrcovia Piotrków Trybunalski Antoni Ptak decided to move the team and renamed the club MKS Pogoń Szczecin. The initial distrust was lost when the team performed well and used local players, however halfway through the 2005–06 season the team started underperforming and Ptak decided to replace almost the entire squad with only Brazilian nationals, making it the "most Brazilian team outside Brazil". Antoni Ptak also built a small training facility in Gutów Mały, meaning the home games were played almost 500 km away from Szczecin. The experiment failed and in 2007 Antoni Ptak moved away from football, leaving the club to be rebuilt on the basis of the 4th division counterpart set up originally by the fans, which acted as the reserve team in the meantime. The club was promoted to the Zachodnia (Western) group of the new II Liga (formerly the Third League) for the 2007–08 season. The club earned promotion to the Polish First League after finishing 2nd in Western Group of Polish Second League in 2008–09 season. Despite playing on the second tier, Pogoń performed well in the 2009–10 Polish Cup, defeating top division teams Polonia Warsaw, Piast Gliwice and Ruch Chorzów to reach the final, to lose 0–1 to Jagiellonia Białystok. Finally Pogoń returned to the top division after finishing the First League as runner-up in the 2011–12 season.

Since then, Pogoń has promoted a number of players to the Poland national team and transferred several players to stronger leagues, including Sebastian Walukiewicz to Serie A side Cagliari Calcio and Kacper Kozłowski to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. While still a Pogoń player, Kozłowski, aged 17 years and 246 days, became the youngest-ever player to play at the European Championship, when he capped for Poland against Spain in June 2021. From 2020, Pogoń re-established itself as one of the top teams in the country, finishing third in the league twice in a row (2020–21, 2021–22), and then fourth twice in a row (2022–23, 2023–24).

Crest and colours
The club's colours are navy blue and maroon. Incorporated into the club's crest, they are derived from Pogoń Lwów, from which Pogoń Szczecin also took its name. The crowned griffin in the crest comes from the coat of arms of the city of Szczecin. Additionally, the crest contains the name "Pogoń" and the year of the club's foundation, i.e. 1948.

The club mascot Gryfus is a red crowned griffin, also derived from the coat of arms of Szczecin.

Domestic

 * Ekstraklasa
 * Runners-up: 1986–87, 2000–01
 * Third place: 1983–84, 2020–21, 2021–22
 * Polish Cup
 * Runners-up: 1980-81, 1981-82, 2009–10, 2023–24

International

 * UEFA Cup
 * First round: 1984–85, 1987–88
 * Qualifying round: 2001–02
 * UEFA Intertoto Cup
 * Second round: 2005

Youth teams

 * Polish U-19 Championship:
 * Champions: 1986, 2021
 * Runners-up: 1965, 2016, 2017
 * Third place: 1960, 2008, 2012, 2014
 * Polish U-17 Championship:
 * Third place: 2002

Former notable players
• 🇦🇹 Srđan Spiridonović

• 🇧🇦 Zvonimir Kožulj

• 🇧🇦 Edin Šaranović

• 🇧🇬 Spas Delev

• 🇨🇲 Hervé Tchami

• Morten Rasmussen

• 🇪🇪 Sergei Mošnikov

• 🇫🇮 Santeri Hostikka

•  Lasha Dvali

•  Vladimir Dvalishvili

•  Mate Tsintsadze

•  Michalis Manias

• 🇭🇺 Ádám Gyurcsó

•  Omar Jarun

• 🇵🇱 Dariusz Adamczuk

• 🇵🇱 Czesław Boguszewicz

• 🇵🇱 Adam Buksa

• 🇵🇱 Piotr Celeban

• 🇵🇱 Paweł Drumlak

• 🇵🇱 Waldemar Folbrycht

• 🇵🇱 Wojciech Golla

• 🇵🇱 Zenon Kasztelan

• 🇵🇱 Przemysław Kaźmierczak

• 🇵🇱 Adam Kensy

• 🇵🇱 Marian Kielec

• 🇵🇱 Kacper Kozłowski

• 🇵🇱 Michał Kucharczyk

• 🇵🇱 Waldemar Jaskulski

• 🇵🇱 Marek Leśniak

• 🇵🇱 Radosław Majdan

• 🇵🇱 Radosław Majewski

• 🇵🇱 Patryk Małecki

• 🇵🇱 Ryszard Mańko

• 🇵🇱 Rafał Murawski

• 🇵🇱 Marek Ostrowski

• 🇵🇱 Jakub Piotrowski

• 🇵🇱 Marcin Robak

• 🇵🇱 Jakub Słowik

• 🇵🇱 Kazimierz Sokołowski

• 🇵🇱 Maciej Stolarczyk

• 🇵🇱 Marek Szczech

• 🇵🇱 Dariusz Szubert

• 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Urbanowicz

• 🇵🇱 Sebastian Walukiewicz

• 🇵🇱 Henryk Wawrowski

• 🇵🇱 Kazimierz Węgrzyn

• 🇵🇱 Łukasz Załuska

• 🇷🇴 Cornel Râpă

• 🇷🇺 Oleg Salenko

• 🇸🇰 Dušan Perniš

• 🇸🇪 Stefan Jansson

•  Mekeil Williams

•  Dickson Choto

•  Dzikamai Gwaze

Managers

 * 🇵🇱 Jan Dixa (1950)
 * 🇵🇱 Kazimierz Chrostek (1951–1952)
 * 🇵🇱 Zygmunt Czyżewski (1953)
 * 🇵🇱 Henryk Wielga (1954)
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Matyas (1955–1956)
 * 🇵🇱 Florian Krygier (1956–1958)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Brzozowski (1959)
 * 🇵🇱 Florian Krygier (1960)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Brzozowski (1960–1961)
 * 🇵🇱 Zygmunt Czyżewski (1962–1963)
 * 🇵🇱 Marian Suchogórski (1963–1965)
 * 🇵🇱 Stefan Żywotko (1965–1970)
 * 🇵🇱 Eugeniusz Ksol (1970)
 * Karel Kosarz (1970–1972)
 * 🇵🇱 Edmund Zientara (1972–1975)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Hajdas (1975–1977)
 * 🇵🇱 Aleksander Mandziara (1977–1978)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Fiałkowski (1978)
 * 🇵🇱 Konstanty Pawlikaniec (1979)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Kopa (Oct 20, 1979 – June 30, 1982)
 * 🇵🇱 Eugeniusz Ksol (1982–1985)
 * 🇵🇱 Maciej Hejn (1985)
 * 🇵🇱 Leszek Jezierski (1985–1987)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Jucha (1987–1988)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Jatczak (1988)
 * 🇵🇱 Lesław Ćmikiewicz (July 1, 1988 – April 10, 1989)
 * 🇵🇱 Eugeniusz Ksol (1989)
 * 🇵🇱 Włodzimierz Obst (1989–1990)
 * 🇵🇱 Aleksander Brożyniak (1990)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Jatczak (1990)
 * 🇵🇱 Eugeniusz Różański (1991–1992)
 * 🇵🇱 Leszek Jezierski (1992)
 * 🇵🇱 Roman Szukiełowicz (1992–1993)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Kasalik (Dec 22, 1993 – Dec 31, 1994)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (Jan 1, 1995 – July 1, 1995)
 * 🇵🇱 Janusz Pekowski (1995–1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Roman Szukiełowicz (1996–1997)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Baniak (July 1, 1997 – April 7, 1999)
 * 🇵🇱 Albin Mikulski (July 1, 1999 – April 16, 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Kuras (April 17, 2000 – June 30, 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Lorens (July 20, 2000 – April 29, 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Kuras (April 29, 2001 – June 14, 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Albin Mikulski (June 14, 2002 – Sept 3, 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Wyrobek (Sept 4, 2002 – July 1, 2003)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Baniak (July 1, 2003 – July 1, 2004)
 * 🇨🇿 Pavel Malura (July 1, 2004 – Aug 9, 2004)
 * 🇨🇿 Bohumil Páník (Oct 8, 2004 – April 18, 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Pietrzak (May 11, 2005 – Aug 23, 2005)
 * 🇨🇿 Bohumil Páník (Aug 2005 – Feb 1906)
 * 🇧🇷 José Carlos Serrão (Dec 15, 2005 – March 1, 2006)
 * 🇨🇿 Bohumil Páník (March 2006 – April 6)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Kuras (April 18, 2006 – Dec 11, 2006)
 * 🇨🇿 Libor Pala (Dec 21, 2006 – March 21, 2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogusław Baniak (March 21, 2007 – June 30, 2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Kaczmarek (July 2007 – Dec 2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Kuras (Dec 30, 2007 – Sept 15, 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Mandrysz (Sept 15, 2008 – Aug 17, 2010)
 * 🇵🇱 Maciej Stolarczyk (Aug 17, 2010 – Nov 9, 2010)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Płatek (Nov 10, 2010 – June 30, 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Sasal (May 30, 2011 – April 10, 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Tarasiewicz (April 10, 2012 – June 30, 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Skowronek (July 1, 2012 – March 19, 2013)
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Wdowczyk (March 20, 2013 – Oct 21, 2014)
 * 🇸🇰 Ján Kocian (Oct 22, 2014 – April 8, 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Czesław Michniewicz (April 9, 2015 – June 30, 2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Kazimierz Moskal (May 24, 2016 – June 30, 2017)
 * 🇵🇱 Maciej Skorża (July 1, 2017 – October 30, 2017)
 * 🇩🇪 Kosta Runjaić (Nov 30, 2017 – May 23, 2022 )
 * 🇸🇪 Jens Gustafsson (July 1, 2022 – )

title: Pogoń Szczecin


text:
Third rail (model rail)

The use of a third rail in rail transport modelling is a technique that was once applied, in order to facilitate easier wiring.

Early train sets
Pre-war train sets from makers such as Hornby were almost entirely O gauge, either clockwork or electric, with the electric sets using a three rail system. Both the track and rolling stock were made from pressed, lithographed tinplate, with a few pieces of die-cast zinc or turned brass. The third rail was insulated from the tinplate sleepers by insulating fibre washers.

Post-war, there was a shift from O gauge to half-size scales of HO and OO. Improved technology at this time, particularly for moulded plastic components, made two-rail electrification practical. Many of the new generation of scenic railway modellers scratch-built their new locomotives for two-rail, although this was far from universally accepted. Most of the commercial train set makers continued with three-rail systems for some time.

Difficulties of two-rail
Using a two-rail electrification system for a model railway has a number of difficulties, for both track and rolling stock.

Track
Track obviously requires the two rails to be insulated from each other, and from the trackbed, if that is made of metal. If the track pieces are reversible, both rails must be insulated. Reliable running also requires accurate control of the track's gauge, all of which needed accurately injection-moulded plastic fittings, rather than the flexible fibre.

Pointwork was a further problem, as the frog and moving blades are connected to opposite rails, according to which direction in which the points are set. This requires either an insulated two-part frog, with the risk of poor contact to locomotives crossing it; or else an all-metal 'live' frog which must be insulated from the rails beyond the pointwork, and which usually requires an additional switch to give a reliable connection. In comparison, the three-rail system is simply isolated from the running lines.

Some layouts, such as a balloon loop, also create problems for two-rail, as they connect the opposing rails together around the loop and could require isolation.

Rolling stock
Carriages and wagons can use moulded plastic wheelsets, which are compatible with both three- and two-rail systems. Hornby Dublo introduced these in 1959, during their transition to two rail, when most users were still using three-rail layouts.

Locomotives
A two-rail locomotive must both avoid shorting the two running rails, and must also collect current from both sides independently. For a three-rail locomotive the wheels and axles are typically metal and the metal chassis may be used as a ground connection. This has the advantage that all wheels, including bogies, act as pickups. This gives a long collection length, reducing the problem of crossing supply gaps.

For two-rail, current collection is typically done by phosphor bronze spring strip collectors on the back of the wheel rims. If the wheels are insulated by using plastic wheels in metal rims, only the rim is available to a collector. Only those wheels, often two, with collector springs can collect current from the track. This can give problems for crossing gaps in pointwork. An alternative system is 'split frame' construction, which had some popularity for the early narrow gauges, such as N gauge and the modelling of narrow gauge prototypes. This uses conductive metal wheels and axles, where the axles are split in half as two sides, insulated from each other. The locomotive frames are split likewise. Rather than separate pickup springs, the axle bearings are used as the collectors. This technique is somewhat complicated for making the axles, but adapts more easily to narrower gauges. It can also easily collect current from all of the driving wheels, or even pony truck wheels too.

Two-rail versus three-rail system
Early toy trains used two metal rail tracks like most real trains. However, manufacturers quickly found that using a center rail for electric power and the two outer rails for common or ground made electrical contact much more reliable and less prone to short circuits. Three rail contact also negates the need for insulated wheels, an important consideration before plastics became widely available. Most scales and gauges that predate H0 scale used three rails for electric operation.

Direction
Three-rail DC locomotives will move in the same direction, 'forwards', whenever the third rail has the same polarity, no matter which way round they are placed on the track. Two identical locomotives can move in different directions on the track, depending on which orientation they are placed on it.

In contrast, two-rail locos will move in the same direction relative to the track. If the loco is reversed, it will still move in the same (track-relative) direction. By convention, all locos are wired and geared to move consistently, so that double-heading trains is possible.

The Marklin stud contact system uses AC motors. These are independent of the supply polarity and instead use an internal switch, controlled by a higher-voltage pulse to reverse direction.

Three-rail system
A key advantage for three-rail track is balloon loops, where a train enters a loop through a turnout and then exits through the same turnout in order to change the train's direction. With two-rail track, when the track reverses on itself, this causes a short circuit. With three-rail track, because the center rail remains constant and the outer rails are electrically identical, this causes no problems.

The third rail has also been used to automate and animate layouts. An accessory, such as a railway signal, can be wired to a section of track that has had one of its outer rails insulated (not grounded), either at the factory or by a hobbyist. A passing train then grounds the insulated rail, completing the circuit and causing the accessory to operate.

Insulated rails (or rail sections) can also be used to control turnouts, causing the turnout to switch to the position needed by an oncoming train.

Because of this feature, railroad cars intended for three-rail operation will not work on two-rail track unless their wheels are first insulated from each other. Cars intended for two-rail track will operate on three-rail track, but they will not activate controls wired to an insulated rail. Conversion of three-rail cars for two-rail operation, or vice versa, is thus a common practice among hobbyists. It requires either replacing the bogies (wheel assemblies) on the car, or replacing metal axles with axles made of a non-conductive material.

The main disadvantage of three-rail track is its lack of realism. While some real-world trains do use a third rail, the prototypes for the majority of model railroad operations do not. Lionel tried to improve this situation in the late 1950s with its Super O track, which blackened the middle rail and made it thinner to reduce its visibility. Other O scale manufacturers use similar techniques today.

Stud contact
Märklin uses a "phantom" third rail, where the middle rail is concealed in the track ballast or ties, with only studs protruding, giving the advantages of three-rail operation without seriously detracting from its realism. This is stud contact electrification for model railways and is often used on garden railway systems. Garden railways often have a mixture of electrical and real steam locomotives, and while it is possible, insulating model steam locomotives to run on two rail electrification systems is problematic. In practice the stud system outdoors has been found to be more resistant to continuity problems caused by the outdoor environment.

Trix twin
Although most three-rail systems ties the two outer rails together electrically, some manufacturers wire all three rails independently. GarGraves is a North American manufacturer of O gauge three-rail track with all of its rails insulated. Trix Express is a European manufacturer of three-rail track who insulates all three rails.

On a simple, non-computerised layout only one train can run independently on either a two or three-rail system (two trains if combined with overhead lines). On the insulated three-rail type, two trains can run independently (three trains if combined with overhead lines).

Outside third rail
In the early days of railway modeling, some O scale modelers (the dominant scale at the time), made use of an outside third rail and a shoe pickup system for power. This system had the benefit of being more realistic by removing the central third rail common to O scale track, while retaining an effective power source. As technology progressed, later developments in locomotive and track design would allow for two rail operation, and ultimately rendered the practice obsolete.

title: Third rail (model rail)


text:
KS Cracovia

Cracovia is a Polish professional football club based in Kraków. The club is five-time and also the first Polish champion, winner of the Polish Cup and the Polish Super Cup in 2020. Founded in 1906, Cracovia is the oldest Polish club still in existence. They play in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the national football league system.

Beginning
The early years of football in the city of Kraków are associated with professor Henryk Jordan. He was a Polish physician who had spent some time in Britain and after coming back to his native city introduced football to its youth. Jordan was a huge supporter of all sports and gymnastics. On 12 March 1889, he founded The Park of Games and Plays in Kraków, which was commonly called Jordan's Park. Places like this later spread all across Austrian Galicia, and apart from gymnastics, the youth there became acquainted with football.

However, it was not Kraków where the first football game with Polish participation took place. This happened in Lwów on 14 July 1894, with a six-minute match between the teams of Lwów and Kraków. The home team proved better, winning 1–0 through a goal by Włodzimierz Chomicki.

Within the next few years, football slowly emerged as a rising sport. It was especially popular among high school students and in the fall of 1903, a group of them created the team of Sława Lwów (the name was later changed to Czarni Lwów), the first Polish football club. In 1904, a group of Lwów's students, together with professor Eugeniusz Piasecki, came to Kraków to play an exhibition match. The match ended in Lwów's 0–4 defeat, and its far-reaching implications among Kraków's youth were enormous.

13 June 1906 is regarded as a crucial date in the history of football in Kraków. On that day, two matches of high school teams took place. These matches had been announced in Kraków's newspapers. Czarni Lwów beat the team of White-reds (Biało-czerwoni) and the IV Gymnasium beat Akademicy. The matches were warmly welcomed by Kraków's fans, who were surprised to see for the first time real football gear, brought by players from Lwów. 13 June is also regarded as the day of Cracovia's creation.

In the fall of 1906, another tournament took place, in which as many as 16 teams participated. Immediately prior to the matches, Jerzy Lustgarten from the team of Akademicy came up with the new name – Cracovia, which is a Latin name for Kraków. This was accepted and henceforth the new team's full name was Akademicki Klub Footballowy, Cracovia.

On 21 October 1906, the teams of Cracovia and "Biało-czerwoni" played each other, drawing 1–1. The next year, facing difficulties, those two teams decided to join forces, thus creating a stronger club, which took over the name Cracovia and white-red jerseys. The combined team went to Lwów on 1 July 1907, where they lost a game against Czarni, 1–4.

In 1908, an Englishman named William Calder came to Kraków. He was a teacher of English and a huge fan of football. It was in his apartment that the first club IDs and pinup badges were handed out. In May of that year, Cracovia for the first time ever faced a team from abroad. This was an ethnic German side, Troppauer Sportverein, from the Czech city of Opava.

In 1910, Cracovia's statutes were officially recognised by the Austrian government in Lwów and in the same year the club joined the Austrian Football Association, where it gained the proud title of the 1st class team. Kraków's side was very active internationally, often playing Czech, German and Austrian teams. However, it did not forget its roots, and it was due to Cracovia's initiative that the Polish Football Association (PZPN) was formed.

On 31 March 1912, after two years' efforts, Cracovia finally received its own pitch. The same year brought the debut of Józef Kałuża, one of Cracovia's most popular players, who at first had to use the nickname "Kowalski". The next year, Cracovia won the Championship of Austrian Galicia. However, in 1914, the matches were cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I.

Interwar period
In spite of the war, Cracovia's football team did not cease its activities, playing several games with such renowned teams as Admira Wacker Wien, Vasas and Wiener Sport-Club. In those years, new players emerged, such as defender Ludwik Gintel, midfielder Stanislaw Cikowski and forward Leon Sperling. All these footballers would become members of the Poland national team in the next few years, after Poland regained independence. Also, Cracovia's great play in games against some elite teams of Hungarian football (such as FTC Budapest and MTK Budapest) helped convince the Hungarians to invite Poland for an international friendly in 1921 (it should be mentioned that in this first historical match of Poland, there were seven Cracovia players in the starting lineup). In 1920, the budding PZPN was unable to carry out the championships of the whole country. The situation was insecure, Polish borders were not determined and Poland was waging several wars with its neighbours. Under the circumstances, the Kraków department of the PZPN organized its own matches; the tournament was won by Cracovia, ahead of Wisła Kraków. The next year, in the 1921 matches, Cracovia became the first, historic champion of Poland.

During the following years, the team often traveled across Europe, playing in Scandinavia, France and Spain. The most memorable is the trip to Spain, which occurred in the fall of 1923. Cracovia showed itself as a good side, drawing 1–1 with Barcelona, winning 3–2 against Sevilla and losing to the renowned teams of Real Madrid and Valencia

In 1928, Cracovia joined the Polish Football League, which had been created a year earlier. Two years later, Kraków's side for the second time in its history became the Champion of Poland. This was repeated in 1932. At the end of the season, Cracovia placed ahead of such famous teams as Pogoń Lwów, Warta Poznań, Wisła Kraków and ŁKS Łódź. In 1934, the team was the vicechampion. However, next year, Cracovia was demoted from Ekstraklasa.

Cracovia's absence from the League lasted only one season. After beating Śmigły Wilno, AKS Chorzów and Brygada Częstochowa, the team returned. And the return was so successful that in their first season back (1937) Cracovia won the League, becoming the Champion for the fourth time.

World War II
During World War II, the German occupiers of Poland banned the Poles from officially playing any sports games. However, Cracovia, just like other teams from Kraków, participated in secret championships of the city, which were organised every year from 1940 to 1944. "Pasy" won only once – in 1943.

One of Cracovia's most famous players, Jozef Kałuża, who in the 1930s was the coach of the Poland national team, refused to take the post of manager of Nazi German-sponsored football events. Kałuża did not survive the war, as he died in 1944. Pre-war player of Cracovia Adam Kogut was among Poles murdered by the Russians in the large Katyn massacre in April–May 1940. On 28 January 1945, soon after liberation, the first official game between Wisła and Cracovia took place. Numerous spectators started by singing the Polish National Anthem. Later, on the snowy pitch, Wisła turned out to be the better side, winning 2–0.

Post-war period
In the years 1946 and 1947, Cracovia played numerous friendly internationals, as well as qualifiers for the Polish Championship. The team finished second in their group, thus not getting promoted to central playoffs.

However, in the Polish League's first postwar season (1948), Cracovia, together with Wisła Kraków, were the leading teams. After a fierce competition, both sides were level at first place. Under the circumstances, a third, decisive game was necessary. There, Cracovia proved its quality, winning 3–1, with the game taking place in December 1948. This was their fifth, and most recent, championship.

The following years were marked by Cracovia's slow decline. The last success – vice-championship of Poland (1949) – was then followed by the team's worsening position, which culminated in 1954, when Cracovia was demoted to the second division. An ill-considered policy of Cracovia's decision-makers should be blamed for the failures. The club was tied to Kraków's Transit Authority, which turned out to be a very bad solution, as it did not bring sufficient funds to make running the club feasible.

Between 1947 and 1954, ten of Cracovia's players were members of the Poland national team. These were: Władysław Gędłek, Tadeusz Parpan, Henryk Bobula, Tadeusz Glimas, Edward Jabłoński and Czesław Rataj.

Communist era
These years were full of ups and downs for Cracovia. Most of the time the team played in the Second Division, winning promotion on several occasions, only to be demoted after a year or two (promotions took place in 1961, 1966 and 1969). In 1959, the junior team won the Championships of Poland. Some of Cracovia's players got the chance to represent Poland (Andrzej Rewilak, Krzysztof Hausner), but glory years were over. Sometimes, the side achieved some good scores in friendly games (1–1 against Partizan in 1966 or 3–2 against Dinamo Minsk in 1963). In 1963, a sad incident occurred. Cracovia's wooden stands burned down, so the team had to play its home games on either Wawel Kraków's or Wisła's turf.

The years described were by far the worst period in the history of Cracovia's football department. In 1969, the team again was promoted to the First League, and demoted after one year. Then, demotions came one after the other – to the Second, Third and finally – to the Fourth, regional league. It was a shock, as never before had Cracovia been so low.

The team quickly scrambled itself out of the regional league, however, anchoring in the Third Division. This level was not satisfying for the five-time champions of Poland, so Cracovia tried hard to get higher, but it was not easy. In 1975, 20,000 fans watched a lost game against Lublinianka. In 1976, they were second (after Hutnik Kraków). In 1977, at home, Cracovia had to beat Resovia to win promotion. The match ended in a tie and thus Resovia got promoted.

Finally, Kraków's team placed first in 1978 and returned to the Second Division. Then, on 30 May 1982, all Cracovia's fans were overcome with joy. After 13 long years, their side returned to the First Division. However, the happiness did not last long – only two years. After this interval, Cracovia was demoted firstly to the Second, then to the Third Division. While in the First Division, Kraków's side won some important games (3–1 with Legia Warsaw and 1–0 with the champion – Lech Poznań), but this was not enough.

The second half of the 1980s was marked by a total decline. Cracovia was in the Third Division; its team never qualified higher. Because there were no sponsors, all the good players were en masse leaving the organisation to different, richer clubs. Celebrations of Cracovia's 80th anniversary (1986) were sad and prospects for the future were dim.

Changing times
The years 1986–1990 were stagnant, with Cracovia having been unable to get itself out of the 3rd Division, group VIII. The team was most of the time in the upper part of the table, but never won the league. In 1990 and 1991 Cracovia's junior team twice became the Champion of Poland and with a group of young, talented players (such as Tomasz Rząsa and Lukasz Kubik) supporters hoped for better times.

In June 1991, after beating Radomiak Radom in the playoffs, Cracovia finally won promotion, only to be demoted back to the 3rd Division after one year. Another promotion took place in the summer of 1995. Then, Cracovia for the first time in years faced its main rival, Wisła Kraków, beating it 1–0 in an away game (September 1995), on a goal by Krzysztof Duda. This time, Cracovia survived three seasons in the 2nd Division, but in June 1998 it was again relegated back to the 3rd League.

In mid-2002, due to the efforts of numerous, faithful supporters, Cracovia attracted a rich sponsor, Comarch, owned by professor Janusz Filipiak. This meant that finally there was money for development. Several players were purchased, such as Piotr Giza, Arkadiusz Baran, Łukasz Skrzyński and Paweł Nowak. Under new head coach Wojciech Stawowy, promotion came fast – in the fall of 2003, Cracovia returned to the Second Division.

Today
After promotion, Cracovia spent only one year in the Second Division. The team, with Kazimierz Węgrzyn, Piotr Giza and Marcin Bojarski, finished the 2003–04 season in third position, but after routing Górnik Polkowice in the playoffs, Cracovia returned to the top flight.

The newly promoted side had a successful 2004–05 season, being in contention for a UEFA Cup place until finally finishing in fifth place. A ninth-place finish followed in 2005–06. The 2006–07 season was their best since the early 1950s. Cracovia, under coach Stefan Majewski, finished fourth overall, behind Zagłębie Lubin, GKS Bełchatów and Legia Warsaw.

Cracovia finished the 2007–08 Ekstraklasa season in seventh place, but due to a match-fixing scandal resulting in relegation of such teams as Zagłębie Lubin and Korona Kielce, the team unexpectedly was offered a spot in the Intertoto Cup. However, Cracovia were quickly defeated in the first round by Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk, 5–1 on aggregate.

At the end of 2008–09 Ekstraklasa season, Cracovia was 15th (out of 16 clubs) in the league table, which normally would result in its relegation to I liga. However, ŁKS Łódź, who finished 7th, were not granted the licence to play in the Ekstraklasa for the following season; Cracovia eventually took the 14th place in the table and remained in the Ekstraklasa. They also narrowly avoided relegation after the 2010–11 season, but finished last in the 2011–12 season and was relegated to the 2012–13 I liga. They earned promotion back to the Ekstraklasa in 2013 after defeating Miedź Legnica 3–1 on 8 June 2013.

Since December 2009, Cracovia cooperates with 1860 Munich. On 24 July 2020, Cracovia lifted the Polish Cup for the first time, their first national honour in 73 years. On 9 October 2020, Cracovia was victorious in the 2020 Polish Super Cup.

League

 * Polish Football Championship/Ekstraklasa
 * Champions: 1921, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1948
 * Runners-up: 1934, 1949

 * Galician Football Championship
 * Champions: 1913

Cup

 * Polish Cup
 * Winners: 2019–20
 * Polish Super Cup
 * Winners: 2020

Youth teams

 * Polish U-19 Championship
 *  Champions: 1959, 1990, 1991
 * Runners-up: 1966, 2014, 2018
 * Polish U-17 Championship
 * Champions: 2006

Supporters and rivalries

Cracovia has traditionally one of the largest fan-bases in the country, and draws most of its support from Kraków and the Lesser Poland region.

Groups
The fans have 19 official fan clubs outside the city: Wieliczka, Niepołomice, Muszyna, Proszowice, Skawina, Przemyśl, Jarosław, Miechów, Sucha Beskidzka, Krzeszowice, Trzebinia, Andrychów, Niedźwiedź, Oświęcim, Zakopane, Libiąż, Biała Podlaska, Radom, Rzeszów.

The fans have one ultras group, Opravcy; and two hooligan groups, Anti-Wisła and Jude Gang.

Friendships
Cracovia fans have friendships with Arka Gdynia and Lech Poznań, the three commonly known as Wielka Triada ("The Great Triad"). They also have friendships with fans of Sandecja Nowy Sącz, GKS Tychy, Tarnovia Tarnów and Ajax Amsterdam.

In the past the fans had friendships with fans of ŁKS Łódź, Polonia Bytom and Wisłoka Dębica (until 1990). In 2008 the fans announced the end of friendships with Korona Kielce, Czarni Jasło and Stal Mielec (all 3 maintain one between each other though to this day). In 2017 one of the oldest fan friendships ended, with fans of Polonia Warsaw, which had begun as far back as 1968, meaning it lasted 49 years.

Rivalries

Cracovia's biggest rival is Wisła Kraków. When they play, it is known as the "Holy War", it is the oldest and in the past, frequently also the most violent derby in Poland, with notable riots and stabbings having taken place during matchdays, as well as continually around the housing estates of the city.

Apart from derby rivals Wisła, Cracovia also has a fierce rivalry with the third club in the city, Hutnik Nowa Huta. Other rivals include Legia Warsaw, Śląsk Wrocław, Ruch Chorzów, Zagłębie Sosnowiec, Pogoń Szczecin, Motor Lublin and Lechia Gdańsk.

Notable supporters
Across the years, Cracovia attracted several renowned names, who attended the games and publicly declared their support. Unquestionably, the most famous fan of the team was Karol Józef Wojtyła, who, even after having been named Pope John Paul II, would often ask visitors from Poland about Cracovia. As a continuing tribute, an image of the late pope hangs on a wall inside the Cracovia change room beneath a crucifix. Also, among other personalities who support the club, there are/were such persons, as Józef Piłsudski, Gustaw Holoubek, Jerzy Pilch, Kazimierz Wyka, Grzegorz Miecugow, Leszek Mazan, Jerzy Harasymowicz, Maciej Maleńczuk, Stefan Friedmann and Nigel Kennedy.

Retired numbers

 * 1 – 🇵🇱 Pope John Paul II. Number retired on 4 January 2005 during Pope's private audience with the players and staff of Cracovia in Vatican City.

Notable head coaches

 * 🇭🇺 Imre Pozsonyi ''(1921-ca. 1923)
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Matyas (1959–61), (1968–69), (1972–73)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Bahr (interim) (14 September 1991), (1 July 1993 – 30 June 1994), (19 June 2000 – 6 August 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Mirosław Hajdo (20 May 2002 – 30 June 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Wojciech Stawowy (1 July 2002 – 15 February 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Albin Mikulski (1 January 2006 – 9 May 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Stefan Białas (10 May 2006 – 2 October 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Stefan Majewski (2 October 2006 – 26 October 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Płatek (27 October 2008 – 12 August 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (12 August 2009 – 24 May 2010)
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Ulatowski (28 May 2010 – 27 October 2010)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Sadko (interim) (28 October 2010 – 31 October 2010)
 * 🇷🇺🇺🇦🇵🇱 Yuriy Shatalov (31 October 2010 – 22 September 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Pasieka (22 September 2011 – 5 March 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Tomasz Kafarski (6 March 2012 – 11 June 2012)
 * 🇵🇱 Wojciech Stawowy (11 June 2012 – 12 May 2014)
 * 🇵🇱 Mirosław Hajdo (13 May 2014 – 30 June 2014)
 * 🇵🇱 Robert Podoliński (30 June 2014 – 19 April 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Jacek Zieliński (20 April 2015 – 19 June 2017)
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Probierz (21 June 2017 – 9 November 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Jacek Zieliński (10 November 2021 – 5 April 2024)
 * 🇵🇱 Dawid Kroczek (5 April 2024 – present)

Other managers

 * 🇭🇺 Jesza Poszony (1921–23)
 * 🏴 Sid Kimpton (1923)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Kałuża (1927–28)
 * 🇦🇹 Viktor Hierländer (1929–31)
 * 🇵🇱 Karol Kossok (1936)
 * 🇭🇺 Franz Platko (1938)
 * 🇵🇱 Tadeusz Parpan (1954)
 * Karel Finek (1956–57), (1961)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Jabłoński (1958)
 * 🇵🇱 Artur Woźniak (1971–72)
 * 🇵🇱 Antoni Szymanowski (1985–86)
 * 🇵🇱 Zdzisław Podedworny (1991)
 * 🇵🇱 Alojzy Łysko (1996–97)

Cracovia II
Cracovia II is a Polish football team, which serves as the reserve side of Cracovia. They play in the IV liga Lesser Poland in the 2024–25 season, after a one-year break from competing. They achieved 5th place in the 2003–04 IV liga season.

title: KS Cracovia


text:
Zagłębie Lubin

Zagłębie Lubin S.A. is a Polish professional football club based in Lubin. Founded in 1945 as OMTUR Lubin, the club competes in the Ekstraklasa.

History
The football team was founded in 1945 as OMTUR Lubin by local members of the Youth Organization of the Association of Workers’ Universities (Organizacja Młodzieży Towarzystwa Uniwersytetów Robotniczych, OMTUR). The team played matches on a pitch at Kościuszko Street. The games of OMTUR Lubin were very popular, attracting crowds of people. Among the opponents, was the team of the local Red Army garrison, which faced the Poles in the autumn of 1945.

In March 1946, Klub Sportowy Zawisza, based on OMTUR Lubin, was formed (the name comes after a medieval knight, Zawisza Czarny). Among its players was Emil Czyżowski of Pogoń Lwów, Tadeusz Rela of Tarnovia Tarnów, and Stanisław Leśniewski, who had briefly played for Dynamo Kyiv. In 1946, Zawisza played in the Group IV, winning promotion to the newly formed A-Klasa. On May 5, 1946 Zawisza Lubin played its first ever league game against MKS Zgorzelec. In 1947, Zawisza won the Cup of Lower Silesia, and in the same year, the team from Lubin faced the team of the Northern Group of Forces, headquartered in nearby Legnica. The game, which Poles won 1–0, was attended by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky.

In 1949, Zawisza Lubin changed name into Gwardia, and in 1951, to Spojnia. In 1953, the team returned to its original name, Zawisza.

In 1957, rich deposits of copper were discovered in the area of Lubin. With the construction of the Lubin mine, the team gained a rich sponsor (see also KGHM Polska Miedz). In 1961, its name was changed to Górnik ("Miner"). In 1963, Górnik won promotion from the C-Klasa to the B-Klasa. Finally, in 1966, its name was changed to MKS Zagłębie Lubin, with MKS standing for Międzyzakładowy Klub Sportowy (Inter-Enterprise Sports Club). In 1968, Zagłębie won promotion to the third division. In the 1970s Zagłębie had nine departments: football, volleyball, basketball, boxing, handball, track and field, weight lifting, table tennis and contract bridge. In 1974, Alojzy Sitko became the team's new manager. Zagłębie was a sensation in the 1975–76 Polish Cup, beating the reigning Polish champions Ruch Chorzów, however, they eventually lost to Górnik Zabrze.

In 1975, Zagłębie won a promotion to the second division, only to be relegated after one year. In 1978, it again was promoted and relegated after one year. The team was a sensation in the 1978–79 Polish Cup, beating GKS Katowice, Legia Warsaw and Górnik Zabrze, and reaching the semi-final, where they lost 0–3 to Wisła Kraków.

In 1982, under manager Stanisław Świerk, Zagłębie again won promotion to the second division. In 1985, it was finally promoted to the Ekstraklasa. With a new manager, Eugeniusz Rozanski, and a new stadium, Zagłębie was at that time one of the most powerful sports organization in Poland. On 27 July 1985, Zagłębie played its first Ekstraklasa home game, beating GKS Katowice 1–0, with Eugeniusz Ptak scoring the sole goal. In the 1985–86 season, Zagłębie finished 12th, in 1986–87 they placed 8th, and in 1987–88 - 11th. To avoid relegation, the team from Lubin had to participate in the play-offs, and lost to Górnik Wałbrzych (1–2, 2–2).

After one year in the second division, Zagłębie returned to the Ekstraklasa in June 1989. Managed by Stanisław Świerk, they were the 1989–90 Ekstraklasa runners-up and won a spot in the 1990–91 UEFA Cup. In the first round, Zagłębie faced the Italian side Bologna, losing both games 0–1, 0–1.

In June 1991, managed by Marian Putyra, Zagłębie won the Polish championship, earning a spot in the 1991–92 European Cup, where it faced Brøndby. The Polish champions lost 0–3 in the first leg, and won 2–1 at home, to be eliminated. Among Zagłębie’s top players at that time were Romuald Kujawa and Adam Zejer, both top scorers of the Ekstraklasa in 1990 and 1991.

In 1995 Zagłębie finished 4th, winning a spot in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup, where they lost to the European powerhouse, AC Milan (with Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Roberto Donadoni, Marcel Desailly, Zvonimir Boban, and manager Fabio Capello).

In June 2003, after 13 years, Zagłębie was relegated from the Ekstraklasa. Before that, Zagłębie played 20 games in the Intertoto Cup, with 7 victories, 5 ties and 8 losses. Furthermore, in 2001, it was the fifth team in Poland, also reaching the semi-final of the Polish Cup.

After one year, Zagłębie returned to the Ekstraklasa in June 2004, and in spring 2005, it again reached the final of the Polish Cup, losing 0–2 to Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski. In 2005–06, under Franciszek Smuda, Zagłębie, with its top scorer Michał Chałbiński, finished third in the league, winning a spot in the European competitions. Furthermore, the team again reached the final of the Polish Cup, losing 2–3 and 1–3 to Wisła Płock. In the UEFA Cup, Zagłębie was eliminated by Dinamo Minsk, following 1–1 and 0–0 draws, losing on away goals.

In the 2006–07 season, Zagłębie won the Polish championship for the second time, and at the beginning of the 2007–08 campaign they lifted the Polish Super Cup.

In the 2013–14 season, Zagłębie reached the Polish Cup final for the third time, this time losing 5–6 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time to Zawisza Bydgoszcz. In the 2015–16 season, Zagłębie finished third in the Ekstraklasa, earning a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League qualifications, where they managed to defeat Bulgarian team Slavia Sofia and Serbian powerhouse Partizan, before being eliminated by Danish side SønderjyskE.

League

 * Ekstraklasa
 * Champions: 1990–91, 2006–07
 * Runners-up: 1989–90
 * Third place: 2005–06, 2015–16
 * I liga
 * Champions: 1984–85, 1988–89, 2014–15
 * Runners-up: 2003–04, 2008–09
 * II liga
 * Champions: 1974–75, 1977–78
 * Runners-up: 1979–80, 1981–82

Cup

 * Polish Cup
 * Runners-up: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2013–14
 * Semi-finalists: 1978–79, 2000–01
 * Polish Super Cup
 * Winners: 2007
 * Runners-up: 1991
 * Polish League Cup:
 * Runners-up: 2000–01

Youth teams

 * Młoda Ekstraklasa
 * Champions: 2009–10, 2010–11
 * Runners-up: 2011–12
 * Polish U-19 championship:
 * Champions: 2009, 2010
 * Runners-up: 1990

Coaching staff
{| class="wikitable" !Position !Staff
 * Manager|| Waldemar Fornalik
 * Assistant coaches|| Tomasz Fornalik Marcin Kardela  Krzysztof Sierocki
 * Goalkeeping coach|| Paweł Primel
 * Assistant goalkeeping coach|| Tomasz Król
 * Fitness coach|| Leszek Dyja
 * Head physiotherapist|| Dariusz Puchalski
 * Physiotherapists|| Jakub Banasik Sławomir Kardasz
 * Team manager|| Karol Sitarski
 * Sport psychologist|| Paweł Habrat
 * Match analyst|| Norbert Onuoha
 * Head of equipment department|| Mariola Waszkowska
 * Team doctors|| Grzeogrz Kozak Jacek Worobiec
 * Dietician|| Mateusz Gawełczyk
 * Cook|| Paweł Ryckiewicz
 * Team manager|| Karol Sitarski
 * Sport psychologist|| Paweł Habrat
 * Match analyst|| Norbert Onuoha
 * Head of equipment department|| Mariola Waszkowska
 * Team doctors|| Grzeogrz Kozak Jacek Worobiec
 * Dietician|| Mateusz Gawełczyk
 * Cook|| Paweł Ryckiewicz
 * Head of equipment department|| Mariola Waszkowska
 * Team doctors|| Grzeogrz Kozak Jacek Worobiec
 * Dietician|| Mateusz Gawełczyk
 * Cook|| Paweł Ryckiewicz
 * Dietician|| Mateusz Gawełczyk
 * Cook|| Paweł Ryckiewicz
 * Cook|| Paweł Ryckiewicz

Notable former players

 * 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Piątek
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Zieliński
 * 🇵🇱 Łukasz Piszczek
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Lewandowski
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Marciniak
 * 🇷🇸 Bojan Isailović
 * 🇵🇱 Arkadiusz Woźniak
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Matuszczyk
 * 🇵🇱 Maciej Iwański
 * 🇨🇴 Manuel Arboleda
 * 🇵🇱 Zbigniew Szewczyk
 * 🇷🇺 Vadim Rogovskoy
 * 🇵🇱 Jakub Świerczok
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Zejer
 * 🇵🇱 Jarosław Jach
 * 🇿🇼 Costa Nhamoinesu
 * 🇧🇬 Iliyan Mitsanski
 * 🇸🇳 Mouhamadou Traoré
 * 🇱🇹 Darvydas Šernas
 * 🇸🇰 Ľubomír Guldan
 * 🇸🇰 Róbert Jež
 * 🇸🇰 Samuel Mráz
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Czachowski
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Lewandowski
 * 🇵🇱 Wojciech Łobodziński
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Jackiewicz
 * 🇵🇱 Filip Jagiełło
 * 🇵🇱 Bartosz Białek
 * 🇵🇱 Łukasz Łakomy

Managers

 * 🇵🇱 Zdzisław Wolsza (1976)
 * 🇵🇱 Alojzy Łysko (1987–88)
 * 🇵🇱 Stanisław Świerk (1988–90)
 * 🇵🇱 Marian Putyra (25 October 1990 – 30 June 1992)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Fiutowski (1993–94)
 * 🇵🇱 Mirosław Dragan (21 April 1994 – 25 October 1994)
 * 🇵🇱 Wiesław Wojno (26 October 1994 – 10 September 1995)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Strejlau (24 October 1995 – 15 June 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Mirosław Dragan (15 June 1996 – 28 October 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Topolski (29 October 1996 – 1 October 1997)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Szarmach (1997–98)
 * 🇵🇱 Mirosław Jabłoński (1 July 1998 – 30 June 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Stefan Majewski (28 June 2001 – 17 November 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Wyrobek (17 November 2001 – 18 June 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Nawalka (18 June 2002 – 6 October 2002)
 * 🇵🇱 Wiesław Wojno (7 October 2002 – 5 May 2003)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Topolski (5 May 2003 – 29 July 2003)
 * 🇷🇸 Žarko Olarević (July 2003 – 3 Dec)
 * 🇭🇷 Dražen Besek (23 December 2003 – 6 September 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Franciszek Smuda (6 September 2005 – 30 June 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Kusto (interim) (13 December 2005 – 18 December 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Klejndinst (1 July 2006 – 3 October 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Czesław Michniewicz (3 October 2006 – 22 October 2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Ulatowski (22 October 2007 – 11 July 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Fornalak (11 July 2008 – 17 November 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Robert Jończyk (17 November 2008 – 12 April 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (16 April 2009 – 30 June 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Lesiak (17 June 2009 – 27 August 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Franciszek Smuda (28 August 2009 – 18 December 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Bajor (18 December 2009 – 7 March 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Broniszewski (interim) ( 7–10 March 2011)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Urban (10 March 2011 – 31 October 2011)
 * 🇨🇿 Pavel Hapal (31 October 2011 – 30 July 2013)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Buczek (interim) (30 July 2013 – 27 September 2013)
 * 🇵🇱 Orest Lenczyk (27 September 2013 – 12 May 2014)
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Stokowiec (12 May 2014 – 28 November 2017)
 * 🇵🇱 Mariusz Lewandowski (28 November 2017 – 29 October 2018)
 * 🇳🇱 Ben van Dael (29 October 2018 – 31 August 2019)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Karmelita (interim) (31 August 2019 – 16 September 2019)
 * 🇸🇰 Martin Ševela (16 September 2019 – 1 July 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Karmelita (interim) (1 July 2021 – 16 July 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Żuraw (16 July 2021 – 16 December 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Karmelita (interim) (16 December 2021 – 21 December 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Stokowiec (21 December 2021 – 8 November 2022)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Karmelita (interim) (8 November 2022 – 29 November 2022)
 * 🇵🇱 Waldemar Fornalik (29 November 2022 – present)

title: Zagłębie Lubin


text:
Szczakowianka Jaworzno

Garbarnia Szczakowianka Jaworzno is a Polish football club based in Szczakowa, Jaworzno, Poland. The club is currently playing in the V liga Silesia.

History
The club was founded on 9 July 1923 as fusion of three local clubs: Kartagina, Rewia' and Sparta, under the name KS Szczakowianka. With the exception of the years 1948–1951, and brief few-day spell in 2007 (where it was met with widespread fan protests) the club has kept its Szczakowianka name throughout its existence, despite numerous minor name changes. They have spent the majority of their history in the 4th tier of Polish football, until the year 2000 they slowly started to make their way up the league pyramid.

In the 2001–02 season, they gained promotion to the second division after a double play-off match against RKS Radomsko. However, the game was shrouded in controversy, with Branko Rašić becoming the centre of attention with Radomsko claiming he was ineligible to play, as he was on loan from Victoria Jaworzno before the transfer window at the time. The case took several years to resolve, with numerous court proceedings, Polish FA involvement and even appeals to UEFA, Polish Olympic Committee, and debates in the Polish parliament. The case had widespread consequences, with many officials punished and removed from office as a result, and changes in law to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In the 2002–03 season, they played in the Ekstraklasa and were relegated after one year in the top-flight. Whilst it looked like they were about to win promotion immediately, they were convicted of match-fixing, along with several other clubs in widespread enquiry that shook Polish football.

After the two scandals, the club was heavily hit by sanctions with lack of confidence from supporters and sponsors alike in the management which led to the club being bankrupt by 2007. The team carried on relying on its reserve team in the fourth division, whilst the first team was dissolved and the disgraced management made redundant.

Match-fixing scandal
After a play-off scandal where Szczakowianka were convicted of match-fixing in the 2003–04 season, Szczakowianka played in secnd league starting with a ten-point deduction at the start of the season: Several matches were annulled as result.

Autumn 2003 round:
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Cracovia Kraków 2–1 (1–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Arka Gdynia 4–0 (2–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Błękitni Stargard 2–0 (1–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Ruch Chorzów 1–0 (0–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – ŁKS Łódź 2–1 (2–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Polar Wrocław 1–1 (0–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 5–2 (3–0)
 * Piast Gliwice – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–2 (0–1)
 * Jagiellonia Białystok – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 0–2 (0–1)
 * RKS Radomsko – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 2–1 (0–0)
 * KS Stasiak Opoczno – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–3 (1–2)
 * Zagłębie Lubin – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 0–0 (0–0)
 * Tłoki Gorzyce – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 3–2 (0–1)
 * Aluminium Konin – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–3 (0–2)
 * GKS Bełchatów – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–2 (1–1)
 * KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–1 (1–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – MKS Pogoń Szczecin 0–0 (0–0)

Spring 2004 round:
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Jagiellonia Białystok 4–0 (2–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Tłoki Gorzyce 4–2 (1–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Zagłębie Lubin 4–1 (1–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – GKS Bełchatów 1–2 (0–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Piast Gliwice 1–1 (1–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – RKS Radomsko 2–0 (1–0)
 * Polar Wrocław – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 0–2 (0–1)
 * MKS Pogoń Szczecin – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 3–2 (2–0)
 * Arka Gdynia – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 0–1 (0–0)
 * Cracovia Kraków – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 8–1 (5–0)
 * Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 2–0 (2–0)
 * ŁKS Łódź – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 0–1 (0–0)
 * Ruch Chorzów – Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1–1 (0–1)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – KS Stasiak Opoczno 1–0 (1–0)
 * Szczakowianka Jaworzno – Aluminium Konin 1–0 (0–0)

Famous players

 * Players who have played in the top division

 * Ryszard Czerwiec
 * Maciej Iwański
 * Akanni-Sunday Wasiu
 * Andrzej Bledzewski

Fans
Due to the number of large teams in close proximity, the club has a small but fanatical support. They used have a strong friendship with fans of Szombierki Bytom. The major rivals are cross-town neighbours Victoria Jaworzno, with whom they contest the Jaworzno derby. They also have rivalry with nearby Ruch Radzionków fans.

title: Szczakowianka Jaworzno


text:
RKS Radomsko

RKS Radomsko is an association football club based in the city of Radomsko, in the south of Poland. Their home stadium is Stadion RKS. Currently, they compete in the IV liga Łódź.

History
Established in 1979, the club has played most of it history in the Polish fourth league, though in 1993, the club advanced to the third tier, and to the second division in 1995.

RKS Radomsko's most notable achievements is reaching the top division in the 2001–02 season, where they played considerably well in the first half of the season. In 2003, the club made it to the semi-finals of the Polish Cup, although the club has since hit harder times and, in 2005, experienced relegation from the second tier.

Notable players
The club is known for the establishment of the Polish former international Jacek Krzynówek.

Rivalries
Their biggest rivals are GKS Bełchatów, mostly due to the close proximity of the two clubs and many years spent in the same divisions.

title: RKS Radomsko


text:
XCF (file format)

XCF, short for eXperimental Computing Facility, is the native image format of the GIMP image-editing program. It saves all of the data the program handles related to the image, including, among others, each layer, the current selection, channels, transparency, paths and guides.

Prior to version 4 (GIMP 2.10.0, released on 2018-04-27), the saved image data are compressed only by a simple RLE algorithm, but GIMP supports compressed files, using gzip, bzip2, or xz. The compressed files can be opened as normal image files. Since version 4, the image data can be compressed by zlib instead.

The XCF file format is backward compatible (all versions of GIMP can open earlier versions' files) and in some cases, forward compatible. For example, GIMP 2.0 can save text in text layers while GIMP 1.2 cannot. Text layers saved in GIMP 2.0 will open as ordinary image layers in GIMP 1.2. However, XCF files containing layer groups, a feature introduced in GIMP 2.7, cannot be opened with GIMP 2.6.

Despite some use in other programs    (see §software support), the use of XCF as a data interchange format is not recommended by the developers of GIMP, since the format reflects GIMP's internal data structures and there may be minor format changes in future versions. Instead, a collaborative effort between the developers of GIMP and Krita is underway to design a standardised raster file format called OpenRaster (modelled on the OpenDocument format) for future use in both applications, and likely in others also.

GIMP's Save dialog saves in the XCF format: starting with version 2.8, other formats with import/export support were moved to an Export dialog.

Software support
A partial list of image viewers and conversion software.

title: XCF (file format)


text:
Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center

The Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC SC), formerly the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, is a military research complex and installation in Natick, Massachusetts, charged by the U.S. Department of Defense with the research and development (including fielding and sustainment) of food, clothing, shelters, airdrop systems, and other servicemember support items for the U.S. military. It is a component unit of the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and is a tenant unit of the United States Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (SSC). The installation includes facilities from all the military services, not just the Army, and is so configured to allow cross-service cooperation and collaboration both within the facility and with the many academic, industrial and governmental institutions in the Greater Boston Area.

The CCDC is subordinate to United States Army Futures Command (AFC) headquartered in Austin, Texas, which was activated in July 2018. Futures Command was formerly U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The SSC is sometimes called the Natick Army Labs, although this designation more properly refers to one of its tenant units, the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center.

The installation
The SSC occupies 78 acre at its main Natick campus and has an additional 46 acre in neighboring communities. The main campus is located to the northwest of Natick center and abuts upon Lake Cochituate.

Employee/tenant numbers total 1,957 (159 military personnel, 1,048 civilians and 750 contractors).

The SSC public relations office reports that the installation’s FY2006 funding totaled approximately $1 billion and that the facilities infuse more than $135 million annually into the local economy through installation salaries, utilities and local contracts.

The installation commander is a U.S. Army Brigadier General, currently BG Vincent Malone, who also serves as the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command.

Mission
The SSC includes facilities designed to research and test both materials (textiles, combat rations), advanced technologies and human performance (human research volunteers) under simulated environmental extremes (altitude, heat, cold, wind, etc.). The requirement for improved combat rations has led to groundbreaking developments in the field of food irradiation and freeze-drying techniques. Improved body armor, new military parachuting technology, and enhanced military garments designed for a variety of environments are all ongoing efforts.

History
Construction of the Quartermaster Research Facility at Natick, authorized by Congress in October 1949, began in November 1952. A year later, the QRF was redesignated as the Quartermaster Research and Development Center and four years later as the Quartermaster Research and Engineering Command.

July 1961 saw the activation of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine at Natick and a year later the QREC was placed under the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC). In November 1962, the QREC was redesignated as Natick Laboratories and the following year the Food and Container Institute moved to Natick. July 1967 saw the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility relocate to Natick.

Natick Laboratories became a subordinate element to the Troop Support Command in July 1973 and was redesignated two years later as the U.S. Army Natick Development Center and reassigned to the AMC. The NDC was redesignated the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Command in January 1976 and assigned to the U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command. (The same month, AMC was redesignated the U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM).)

In September 1980, the NRDC was redesignated as the U.S. Army Natick Research & Development Laboratories and three years later as the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Center, a subordinate element of the U.S. Army Troop Support Command in St. Louis, Missouri. (DARCOM and TSC merged in July 1992 forging the U.S. Army Aviation & Troop Command, St. Louis, Mo.)

In 1982, Natick Labs surrendered control of 3,100 acres in the Massachusetts towns of Hudson, Maynard, Stow and Sudbury to Fort Devens to become a field training facility. The land had been an ordnance supply depot during World War II. After being an Environmental Protection Agency "superfund" cleanup site in the 1990s it became the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

In October 1992, the NRDC was redesignated the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, still a subordinate element of the ATC. A U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command (SSC) was activated at Natick in November 1994. Elements subsequently established at the SSC included the Sustainment & Readiness Directorate (February 1995) and Product Manager-Soldier Support (October 1995); elements subsequently relocated to Natick included the Clothing and Services Office (October 1996; from Ft. Lee, Virginia) and Product Manager-Force Provider (June 1997). The Sustainment & Readiness Directorate became the Integrated Material Management Center in October 1997. SSC merged with the Chemical Biological Defense Command to become the Soldier and Biological Chemical Command in October 1998. At this time the installation was renamed the United States Army Soldier Systems Center. At some time prior to January 2017 the installation was renamed Soldier Systems Center Natick.

Tenant units and facilities
The SSC hosts several tenant units and facilities at its Natick installation:

 * The United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC SC), formerly known as United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), or as the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC), or as The Natick Army Labs, an element of the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC), formerly U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
 * The United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), a subordinate lab of the U. S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC), headquartered at Fort Detrick, MD, USA.
 * The United States Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM)
 * The United States Army Integrated Logistics and Support Center (ILSC)
 * The United States Coast Guard Clothing Design and Technical Office (CDTO)
 * The United States Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility
 * The Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier
 * The United States Army Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM FSS)
 * The United States Army RDECOM Acquisition Center - Natick, the Natick Contracting Division of RDECOM AC, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
 * An office of the General Services Administration (GSA)
 * An office of the Hanscom Federal Credit Union
 * An office of the United States Health Services Command
 * An office of the Defense Automated Printing Service
 * An office of the United States Army Audit Agency
 * The Doriot Climatic Chamber Complex
 * Combat Rations Production and Packaging Facility
 * 3-D Anthropometrics Laboratory
 * Camouflage Evaluation Facility
 * Rain Court
 * Hydro-Environmental Chamber
 * Shade Room
 * Fiber Plant
 * Thermal and Flame Laboratory
 * Military Operations in Urban Environment (MOUT) Lab/Facility

Products and systems
Natick Labs has developed or is developing the following items or systems:
 * Meal, Ready-to-Eat
 * Unitized Group Ration
 * Irradiated food
 * The "instant chapel"
 * Bulletproof clothing
 * MOLLE Load-carriage Equipment
 * Land Warrior
 * Future Soldier
 * Future Force Warrior
 * Collective Protection Shelters
 * Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops
 * Interceptor Body Armor
 * Quarpel, a water-repellent, water and stain resistant textile treatment