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Amica Wronki

Amica Wronki was a Polish football club based in Wronki, Poland.

The club was invariably linked to Amica, a manufacturer of white goods, predominantly stoves, which gave the club its nickname. The company's increasing profits gave the new team tremendous financial clout in the Polish leagues. The club was formed when two clubs were joined, Błękitni Wronki and LZS Czarni Wromet Wróblewo. The new club was named FK Amica Wronki and in just 4 years, the club won promotion from the Fourth Division to the Orange Ekstraklasa.

They have been in the top division in Poland since 1995. In May 2006, they merged with fellow Ekstraklasa team Lech Poznań. The reserve team then became its first team but only lasted one season before it was finally disbanded. In 2007, one of the clubs that was merged that created Amica, Błękitni Wronki was re-founded and is considered to be a phoenix club.

Foundation and rise
The history of SSA Amica Sport goes back to 1992 when the "Amica company" (a white goods manufacturer) wanted to sponsor a football team in the town of Wronki where their factory was located. The Amica company's increasing profits gave the new team financial clout in the Polish leagues. The club was formed when two clubs were joined, Błękitni Wronki and LZS Czarni Wromet Wróblewo.

In the 1993–1994 season Amica Wronki were promoted to the third division. The next season the team, led by Jarosław Szuby, won promotion to the second tier. Amica didn't stay in the second division for long, because the following season they again won promotion, this time to the Ekstraklasa under Marian Kurowski who took over the job started by former coaches Bogusław Baniak and Horst Panic.

Golden era of Ryszard Forbrich
The team finished 5th, 5th and 7th in successive seasons to cement themselves as an Ekstraklasa side.

On 13 June 1998, Amica Wronki beat Aluminium Konin 5–3 to win their first Polish Cup and first trophy in their history. Despite the team from Konin being by far the better team, Amica Wronki won in controversial circumstances, with the help of the referee Marek Kowalczyk so obvious that he was given a three-month ban, but the PZPN match observer Alojzy Jarguz inexplicably gave the referee a high note. Impartial observers, such the manager of Lech Poznań Adam Topolski, chairman of Olimpia Poznań (a top flight club at the time) Bolesław Krzyżostaniak, the chief of Zawisza Bydgoszcz Edward Potok and former Górnik Konin manager Janusz Białek were all highly critical of the match they have witnessed. The director of Amica Wronki at the time, Ryszard Forbrich, known as "Fryzjer", was later revealed to be the leader of an organised crime group, fixing matches all around the country, instrumental to a huge corruption scandal in Polish football. He later admitted to fixing the match in his autobiography. The 1998 cup final however was never investigated, with trophy still belonging to Amica, and remains a sore point for Górnik fans to this day.

On 18 July 1998, Amica Wronki won the Polish Super Cup, contested by the previous season's league and cup champions, by beating ŁKS Łódź after a goal by Radosław Biliński.

Amica qualified for the last edition of the now defunct European Cup Winners Cup in the 1998–99 season, playing for the first time against European opposition. They beat Hibernians FC 5–0 in the qualifying round before losing to SC Heerenveen 4–1 on aggregate in the first round. After a disappointing 1998–99 league campaign where they finished in 12th place, they managed to end the season well by winning their second Polish Cup by beating GKS Bełchatów on 13 June 1999. Once more they had the opportunity of playing in Europe through the UEFA Cup, and surprisingly beat Brøndby IF of Denmark 5–4 on aggregate in the first round. They followed up that success by beating league champions Wisła Kraków to win their second Polish Super Cup on 22 September 1999. They were drawn against Spanish team Atlético Madrid in the second round of the Uefa Cup and lost 5–1 on aggregate, before ending the 1999–2000 season in sixth place. Amica won their third Polish Cup on 9 June 2000 in a rematch of the Super Cup game against Wisła Kraków. They appeared in a European competition for the third season in a row and made it to the second round beating FC Vaduz 6–3, FC Alania Vladikavkaz 5–0 and finally losing to Hertha 2–4 and finished the 2000–01 season in 7th place.

In the 2001–02 season, a reshuffle of the Ekstraklasa occurred to lower the number of teams from 18 to 16. Two groups of nine teams were created for the fall season. The spring season consisted of a Championship group consisting of the top five teams in both fall season groups, and a relegation group consisting of the bottom four teams from both fall season groups. Amica finished in fifth place in their group during the fall season with 12 points to qualify for the Championship group and ended the spring season in third. Amica made it to the Polish Cup final for the fourth time but were beaten by Wisła Kraków 8–2 on aggregate. Qualification for the 2002–03 UEFA Cup was accomplished as Polish Cup runners-up because Wisła had won the league title and therefore qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Amica beat Servette FC on the away goals rule after a 4–4 aggregate tie in the first round, before extending their streak of never having qualified past the second round by losing to Málaga CF 4–2 on aggregate and finishing the season in sixth place.

The following campaign fared much better, as a good run of games propelled them to third place in the league and therefore UEFA Cup qualification, the only downside being their elimination from the Polish Cup in the quarter finals. A penalty shoot-out was needed for Amica to beat Hungarians Budapest Honvéd FC 5–4 after a 1–1 aggregate tie in the second qualifying round of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. A 2–1 victory in the first round against Latvians FK Ventspils was followed by their first appearance in the revamped UEFA Cup group stage. They lost all 4 group games to finish bottom of Group F. They finished in sixth place in the league, thus failing to get into European competition the following season.

Merger and disbandment
The season was their last as Amica Wronki announced that they would merge with Lech Poznań to form a new team called KKS Lech Poznań for the 2006–2007 season. They played their last game in the Ekstraklasa on 13 May 2006 with a 2–1 win over GKS Bełchatów and finished in 4th place in the final league standings.

Amica would still function as a lower-league team for the 2006–07 season but the bulk of players and staff had either joined new clubs or transferred to Lech Poznań which represented the newly merged team in the Ekstraklasa. The roster consisted mostly of youth players; the oldest player in the new squad being 22 years old. This would have gave them an opportunity to showcase their talents before they are transferred either to Lech Poznań, who have the right of first refusal, or to other clubs.

Allegedly, one of the main reasons that the merger was finalised was the Amica company wanting to invest in a team with a larger fanbase. At the time, Wronki has a population of 12,000 while Poznań has over 578,900 inhabitants.. Another reason was that Lech Poznań were looking for a new sponsor to inject funds into the team and Amica fit the bill perfectly since they were so close. Both cities are in the Greater Poland province of Poland and are barely 50 km apart.

The 2006–07 season didn't start well for the new-look Lech Poznań as they lost their chance to get into Europe, a benefit that Amica Wronki fought for last season by finishing fourth while Lech Poznań was placed sixth. They lost 4–1 on aggregate against Moldovan team FC Tiraspol in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and had to contend with a season without European football in Poznań.

The reserve team then became its first team but only lasted one season before it was finally disbanded. In 2007, one of the clubs that was merged that created Amica, Błękitni Wronki, was re-founded and is considered to be a phoenix club.

Stadium
The Wronki Stadium is small and modern with undersoil heating. The ground holds just over 5,000 spectators – a third of the town's population – and has floodlighting. The stadium staged three games during the 2006 UEFA U-19 European Championships held in Poland. The stadium is currently used by the Lech Poznań's reserve team, whilst Błękitni Wronki Amica's phoenix club play in Popów, hoping to return to their spiritual home in Wronki in the future.

Fans
Amica and Błękitni fans have the same core group of supporters, as they see themselves as a continuation of one another, and therefore the rivalries are the same regardless which club the fans went to see throughout history.

As the club is from Greater Poland, as many smaller clubs in the region, the fans originally sympathised with the regional powerhouse Lech Poznań; however, Amica's controversial absorption into (/merger with) Lech has caused bad blood.

Even before Amica's existence, the fans from Wronki had a fierce rivalry with Sparta Szamotuły, with whom they contest the Szamotuły County Derby, however since 30 May 1976 when Sparta beat Błękitni 10–0 away from home the teams met only sporadically, since Amica went on to play in the Ekstraklasa. Since Amica's disbandment and Błękitni's re-founding the rivalry has been renewed in the lower leagues.

The club also developed a strong rivalry with Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski during the Amica years, but since Dyskobolia's similar fate to that of Amica (taken over by Polonia Warsaw) both Błękitni and Dyskobolia have renewed their rivalry in the lower leagues.

In its heyday, when Amica played in continental competitions, their fans had good relations with Servette Geneva and a close friendship with fans of NEC Nijmegen after meeting them in a UEFA Cup game.

Honours

 * Polish Cup
 * Winners: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
 * Finalists: 2001–02
 * Polish Super Cup
 * Winners: 1998, 1999
 * Finalists: 2000

 * Polish Under-19 Championship
 * Champions: 2002, 2007
 * Runners-up: 2003
 * Polish Under-17 Championship
 * Champions: 1998, 2003
 * Runners-up: 2002

Participation in European competitions

 * UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998-99 – First round
 * UEFA Cup 1999-00 – Second round
 * UEFA Cup 2000-01 – Second round
 * UEFA Cup 2002-03 – Second round
 * UEFA Cup 2004-05 – Group stage

Notable players
Over 100 league appearances

 * Remigiusz Sobociński

International players
 * Marek Bajor
 * Mateusz Bartczak
 * Arkadiusz Bąk
 * Jarosław Bieniuk
 * Bartosz Bosacki
 * Marcin Burkhardt
 * Tomasz Dawidowski
 * Jacek Dembiński
 * Dariusz Dudka
 * Dariusz Gęsior
 * Paweł Kryszałowicz
 * Mariusz Kukiełka
 * Ilijan Micanski
 * Grzegorz Mielcarski
 * Rafał Murawski
 * Jerzy Podbrożny
 * Piotr Reiss
 * Paweł Skrzypek
 * Māris Smirnovs, a Latvia national team member
 * Grzegorz Szamotulski
 * Marcin Wasilewski
 * Grzegorz Wojtkowiak
 * Marek Zieńczuk
 * Jacek Ziober

title: Amica Wronki


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Western Qin

The Western Qin (385–400, 409–431) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Qifu clan of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Western Qin declared themselves "wang", translatable as either "king" or "prince." They ruled an area corresponding to modern-day southwestern Gansu in Northwest China.

Background
The Qifu tribe was a western branch of Xianbei that resettled around the Longxi and Hexi regions during the beginning of the Western Jin dynasty around 265. Initially residing along the Gaoping River (高平川; in modern Guyuan, Ningxia), the Qifu lived a nomadic lifestyle within the Chinese interior, frequently shifting their base before finally settling at Mount Dujian (度堅山; in modern Jingyuan County, Gansu) under Qifu Sifan. In 371, Sifan submitted to the Di-led Former Qin dynasty, and he was given control over the Yongshi River (勇士川; in modern Lanzhou, Gansu) after helping them defeat a Xianbei revolt in 373.

After Sifan died in 376, his son, Qifu Guoren succeeded him. In 383, Guoren was meant to serve in Former Qin’s campaign against the Eastern Jin, but when his uncle, Qifu Butui (乞伏步頹) rebelled in the Longxi, he was sent to quell the rebellion instead. However, believing that Qin’s fall was eminent, Guoren joined Butui and declared his intention of creating his own state. Surely enough, Qin suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Fei River later that year, sending the state into a rapid decline. Guoren then mustered the local tribes and raised an army of around 100,000.

Early rule
After the Former Qin ruler, Fu Jian was killed in 385, Guoren claimed the title of Grand Chanyu, introduced a new reign era and built his capital city around Yongshi. This is often seen as the beginning of the Western Qin dynasty, but at this point, the Qifu had not yet named their state "Qin", and in 387, they became a vassal to Former Qin after Guoren accepted their title of Prince of Yuanchuan. Guoren spent his reign subjugating neighbouring tribes before dying in 388. As Guoren's son, Qifu Gongfu (乞伏公府), was too young, his brother, Qifu Gangui was acclaimed the new leader.

After ascending, Gangui shifted his capital to Jincheng (金城; in modern Yuzhong County, Gansu). He expanded his power by continuing to campaign against the tribes and receiving tributes from the Tuyuhun, but in 391, he first came into conflict with the Later Liang in the Hexi. In 394, Former Qin was decisively defeated by the Later Qin, and their ruler, Fu Deng was captured in battle. Although his son, Fu Chong succeeded him, Gangui took the opportunity to seize Former Qin's remaining territory. The Qifu occupied the whole of Longxi after killing Fu Chong and the Chouchi ruler, Yang Ding in battle, bringing a formal end to Former Qin.

In 395, Gangui claimed the title of King of Qin. Historiographers refer to his state as the Western Qin to distinguish it with the Former Qin and Later Qin. While he still kept the Grand Chanyu title and its auxiliary offices, he established a governmental structure that was similar to the Eastern Han and Cao Wei dynasties. Conflict with the Later Liang continued, which led to Gangui moving the capital to Xicheng (西城, in modern Baiyin, Gansu) and briefly submitting to Liang. The threat dissipated after Western Qin repelled a Later Liang invasion in 397, leading to rebellions in Liang by the Tufa and Juqu tribes, who founded the Southern Liang and Northern Liang respectively.

In 400, Gangui moved the capital to Yuanchuan (苑川, in modern Baiyin, Gansu), but shortly after, he faced a major invasion from Later Qin. He was heavily defeated and so decided to surrender to Southern Liang, ending Western Qin for a time. However, he later fled to Later Qin, where he was made a general and allowed him to hold his former territory.

Restoration and final defeat
By 409, the Later Qin was facing mounting defeats on the battlefield along with the Helian Xia and Southern Liang breaking away. That year, Qifu Gangui restored the Western Qin at Mount Dujian, once again calling himself the King of Qin. He soon returned the capital to Yuanchuan in 410 and captured several Later Qin commanderies. Due to pressure from the Xia and Eastern Jin, Later Qin could only convince Gangui to remain as a nominal vassal by appointing him the King of Henan. Gangui then campaigned against Southern Liang and the Tuyuhun. In 412, he shifted the capital to Tanjiao (譚郊, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu) before he was assassinated by Qifu Gongfu.

Gangui's son, Qifu Chipan quickly defeated Gongfu and took the throne. Chipan moved the capital to Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia, Gansu), where it would remain for many years. Evident from his reign was the Western Qin's endorsement of Buddhism, as the Bingling Temple was first built under him. In 414, he conquered the Southern Liang and restored the King of Qin title, but Western Qin was now in contact with Northern Liang, and the two sides fought with each other on multiple occasions. He also launched several campaigns against the Tuyuhun and other tribes to broaden his state's influence. When the Eastern Jin commander, Liu Yu conquered Later Qin in 417, Chipan submitted to Jin as a vassal. Liu Yu appointed him Duke of Henan and left his territory unscathed, but in 418, the Helian Xia conquered the Guanzhong region from Jin, and Western Qin had a new threat from the east.

The situation worsened for Western Qin in 421 as the Northern Liang vanquished the Western Liang, freeing up their western frontiers and allowing them to focus on Qin. Chipan allied himself with the Northern Wei and tried to get them to attack the Xia, but he continued to suffer losses to Xia and Liang, with his worst defeat coming in 426. Internally, Western Qin was also struggling with rebellions by their Tuyuhun and Qiang subjects. Chipan died in 428, leaving behind his son and successor, Qifu Mumo and inherently dire situation.

In 429, due to pressure from Liang, Mumo was forced to move his capital to Dinglian (定連; in modern Linxia, Gansu). In 430, Mumo offered his surrender to Northern Wei, but on his way to join Wei at Shanggui, the Xia emperor, Helian Ding intercepted him and forced him to stop at Nan'an (南安; southeast of modern Longxi County, Gansu). Meanwhile, the rest of Qin's territory was conquered by the Tuyuhun, leaving Mumo with only a lone city. In 431, Helian Ding, in a last-ditch effort to expand westward, attacked Nan'an and forced Mumo to surrender, thus ending the Western Qin dynasty. Mumo and 500 of his clan members were all executed by Xia.

Language
Shimunek classifies Qifu as a "Serbi" (i.e., para-Mongolic) language. Shimunek's "Serbi" linguistic branch also includes Taghbach, Tuyuhun, and Khitan.

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

title: Western Qin


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The Leasowes

The Leasowes is a 57-hectare (around 141 acre) estate in Halesowen, historically in the county of Shropshire, later (from 1844) Worcestershire, England, comprising house and gardens. The parkland is now listed Grade I on English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens and the home of the Halesowen Golf Club. The name means "rough pasture land".

Shenstone (1743 to 1763)
Developed between 1743 and 1763 by poet William Shenstone as a ferme ornée, the garden is one of the most admired early examples of the English garden. Its importance lies in its simplicity and the uncompromisingly rural appearance. Thomas Whately praises it in chapter LII of his Observations on Modern Gardening of 1770:

"The ideas of pastoral poetry seem now to be the standard of that simplicity; and a place conformable to them is deemed a farm in its utmost purity. An allusion to them evidently enters into the design of the Leasowes, where they appear so lovely as to endear the memory of their author; and justify the reputation of Mr. Shenstone … every part is rural and natural. It is literally a grazing farm lying round the house; and a walk as unaffected and as unadorned as a common field path, is conducted through the several enclosures. [After this passage, Whately goes on to describe every detail]."

Horne (1763 to 1789)
Shenstone died in 1763. The house and grounds were purchased by Edward Horne, who demolished Shenstone's house and built a new one on the same site completing it around 1776. He also built a walled garden and a hothouse.

Visit of Adams and Jefferson
With Whately's treatise guiding him every step of the way, in April 1786, polymath Thomas Jefferson, the future third President of the United States, visited the Leasowes (then owned by Edward Horne) on his tour of English gardens in the company of his close friend and future second President of the US, John Adams.

Adams wrote in his diary:

"Stowe, Hagley, and Blenheim, are superb; Woburn, Caversham, and the Leasowes are beautiful. Wotton is both great and elegant, though neglected ... Shenstone's Leasowes is the simplest and plainest, but the most rural of all. I saw no spot so small that exhibited such a variety of beauties."

Jefferson's more purposeful and inquisitive account in his Notes of a Tour of English Gardens delivers some additional background:

"Leasowes. In Shropshire. Now the property of Mr. Horne by purchase. 150. as. within the walk. The waters small. This is not even an ornamented farm. It is only a grazing farm with a path round it. Here and there a seat of board, rarely any thing better. Architecture has contributed nothing. The obelisk is of brick. Shenstone had but 300£ a year, and ruined himself by what he did to this farm. It is said that he died of the heartaches which his debts occasioned him. The part next the road is of red earth, that on the further part grey. The 1st. and 2d. cascades are beautiful. The landscape at No. 18. and prospect at 32. are fine. The Walk through the wood is umbrageous and pleasing. The whole arch of prospect may be of 90°. Many of the inscriptions are lost."

Later ownership and developments
In 1789 Edward Horne sold the property to Major Francis Halliday who made considerable additions to the house and parkland. He added a stone portico at the entrance of the house and a folly hermitage in the high wood, which was decorated with "stained glass windows, furnace cinders, cowheel bones, horses' teeth, etc." (this was not in keeping with Shenstone's park improvements).

Halliday died in 1794, at the age of 45. In June 1795, Edward Butler Hartopp became the owner of the estate, and held possession till July 1800, when it was transferred to Charles Hamilton, and when he became insolvent in 1807, it passed into the hands of Matthias Attwood, who unlike the previous owners did not take any action to preserve William Shenstone's park features, and by the 1820s the park grounds had sunk into a "state of ruin and desolation". An extended description of the landscapes of Hagley Park and of the Leasowes in 1845, with reflections on Shenstone, is given by the Scottish geologist Hugh Miller.

The house, despite being not architecturally outstanding, is Grade I listed in view of its association with Shenstone and its importance in the history of landscape gardening. Between 1897 and 1907, it housed the Anstey College of Physical Education. Part of the site was purchased by the Halesowen Golf Club in 1906. Halesowen Council (later to become Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council) purchased The Leasowes in 1934 and since then the site has been managed as a public park with part of the site leased to Halesowen Golf Club. Neglected since Shenstone's death, restoration of the 18th century landscape began in May 2008 and was completed by January 2009 (several months ahead of schedule). The restoration included the creation of a linear lake in the disused Lapal canal which runs across an earth filled embankbent 60 feet above Breaches pool to the south of the park.

title: The Leasowes


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Mário Zagallo

Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (9 August 1931 – 5 January 2024) was a Brazilian professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward.

Zagallo holds the record for World Cup titles in general with four titles in total. He also holds the record for World Cup finals with six participations. He was the first person to win the FIFA World Cup as both a manager and as a player, winning the competition in 1958 and 1962 as a player and in 1970 as manager. In addition, he won the 1994 FIFA World Cup as assistant manager. Zagallo also coached Brazil in 1974 (finishing fourth) and in 1998 (finishing as runners-up) and was a technical assistant in 2006. He was the first of three men, along with Germany's Franz Beckenbauer (who coincidentially died two days after Zagallo) and France's Didier Deschamps to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager, and the only one who had done each more than once.

In 1992, Zagallo received the FIFA Order of Merit, the highest honour awarded by FIFA, for his contributions to football. He was named the 9th Greatest Manager of All Time by World Soccer Magazine in 2013. On 5 January 2024, Zagallo died at the age of 92. He was the last surviving Brazilian player who participated in the 1958 World Cup final.

Early life
Zagallo was born in Atalaia, in the northeastern state of Alagoas, and later moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family when he was still eight months old. As a young man, he committed to complete his military service in the Brazilian Army; he was notably deployed at the Maracanã Stadium when Uruguay defeated Brazil in the 1950 World Cup final.

Playing career
Zagallo started his football career in the youth sector of América, before joining Flamengo in 1950; having turned professional and established himself within the Mengão 's first team, he helped the club win three consecutive titles in the Campeonato Carioca between 1953 and 1955.

In 1958, Zagallo joined Botafogo, and eventually became a part of a team that included several other regular starters of the Brazilian national team, such as Garrincha, Nilton Santos and Didi. He went on to help the side win two titles in the Torneio Rio–São Paulo, as well as two in the Campeonato Carioca, and represented O Fogo until his retirement in 1965.

Zagallo won a total of 33 caps for the Brazil senior national team between 1958 and 1964, scoring five goals.

In 1958, he was included by manager Vicente Feola in the Brazilian squad for the FIFA World Cup in Sweden: following an injury to Pepe, he was promoted to the starting XI, and eventually scored a goal in the final as Brazil claimed their first world title.

He was also a part of the squad that won the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, where he started in all of Brazil's matches.

Player
Zagallo was a diminutive left winger with a small physique, who was known for his technical skills and his high defensive work-rate, as well as his ability to make attacking runs from deeper areas of the pitch. He was also capable of playing as a forward, either as a main striker, or as an inside forward.

Due to his characteristics and his skills, he received the nickname Formiguinha ("Little Ant" in Portuguese).

Manager
During his stint as Brazil's head coach, Zagallo mainly adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation; he was considered to be one of the first managers to focus on the physical preparation of his players before long-lasting tournaments, including the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

He was nicknamed The Professor by his players throughout his coaching career, due to his tactical awareness and commanding presence on the bench, as well as Velho Lobo ("Old Wolf") due to his surname "Lobo", which means "wolf" in Portuguese.

Managerial career
In 1966, Zagallo started his managerial career at Botafogo, the club he had finished his playing career with. He was then appointed as the manager of the Brazil national team shortly before the start of the 1970 FIFA World Cup, and eventually led the Seleção to their third title. In the process, he became the first person to win the World Cup both as a player and as a manager; at the age of 38, he also became the second youngest coach to win the aforementioned title, behind only Alberto Suppici.

At the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, Zagallo was disadvantaged by the international retirement of Pelé four years earlier, as well as injuries to Tostão and Carlos Alberto Torres, meaning that only two starting players from the 1970 final were in the squad. Additionally, the team had a lack of competitive practice due to the shelving of the Copa América between 1967 and 1975. In response to Brazil being eliminated by overly physical European sides in 1954 and 1966, Zagallo chose to play in an equally aggressive way. Brazil narrowly made it through the first group stage by one goal in goal difference over Scotland, and missed out on the final after a 2–0 loss to the Netherlands, in which Luís Pereira was sent off for a foul on Johan Neeskens. Poland then defeated Brazil in the third-place playoff.

In 1989, Zagallo was hired by the United Arab Emirates for their qualification campaign for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He led the amateurs to an unexpected first qualification to the tournament, but left for Vasco da Gama days before the World Cup began and was replaced by Carlos Alberto Parreira.

He then returned to the Brazilian national team as a coordinator and assistant coach, and helped the side win the 1994 FIFA World Cup while serving in those roles.

Once again, he was given to manage the Brazilian national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Brazil reached the final but due to Ronaldo's sudden injury, they lost to the host nation France 3-0.

In November 2002, Zagallo came out of retirement to coach Brazil again, following Luiz Felipe Scolari's exit after winning that year's World Cup. On 20 November, in his only game, the team won 3–2 in a friendly away to South Korea.

Personal life
Zagallo married Alcina de Castro on 13 January 1955 at the Church of Capuchins in Rio de Janeiro. They remained together until de Castro's death on 5 November 2012. Mário and Alcina had four children. He was a practicing Catholic.

Zagallo's surname was spelled Zagalo for most of his career, including by himself, until he told a reporter in the 1990s that his surname on his birth certificate was Zagallo. He was also the only Brazilian World Cup-winning forward to be known by his surname.

In July 2022, Zagallo was admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection. In August 2023, he was hospitalized for 22 days due to a urinary infection. Following a brief hospitalization in Rio de Janeiro, he died on 5 January 2024 due to multiple organ failure, resulting from the exacerbation of various pre-existing comorbidities. Zagallo was aged 92.

Player
Flamengo
 * Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1953, 1954, 1955

Botafogo
 * Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 1962, 1964
 * Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1961, 1962

Brazil
 * FIFA World Cup: 1958, 1962

Manager
Botafogo
 * Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1968
 * Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1967, 1968

Fluminense
 * Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1971

Flamengo
 * Copa dos Campeões: 2001
 * Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1972, 2001

Al-Hilal
 * Saudi Premier League: 1978–79

Brazil
 * FIFA World Cup: 1970
 * Copa América: 1997
 * FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997

Kuwait
 * Arabian Gulf Cup: 1976

Coordinator
Brazil
 * FIFA World Cup: 1994

Individual
 * IFFHS World's Best National Coach: 1997
 * World Soccer Magazine 9th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
 * FourFourTwo 27th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2020

title: Mário Zagallo


text:
Wisła Płock

Wisła Płock Spółka Akcyjna (Wisła Płock S.A.), commonly referred to as Wisła Płock, is a Polish professional football club, based in Płock, Masovian Voivodeship, which plays in I liga, the second tier of the national football league system.

Previous names

 * 1947: Elektryczność Płock
 * 1950: ZS Ogniwo Płock (Elektryczność + ZS Ogniwo)
 * spring 1955: ZS Sparta Płock (ZS Ogniwo + ZS Sparta)
 * autumn 1955: PKS [Płocki KS] Wisła Płock
 * 1963: ZKS Wisła Płock
 * 1 January 1992: ZKS Petrochemia Płock
 * 1 July 1999: KS Petro Płock
 * 27 June 2000: Orlen Płock
 * 7 June 2002: ZKS Wisła Płock

Domestic

 * Ekstraklasa
 * 4th place: 2004–05
 * 5th place: 2003–04, 2017–18
 * Polish Cup
 * Winners: 2005–06
 * Runners-up: 2002–03
 * Polish Super Cup
 * Winners: 2006

Europe

 * UEFA Cup
 * Qualifying round: 2003–04
 * Second qualifying round: 2005–06, 2006–07

Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego (Orlen Stadion)

 * Address: 34 Ignacy Łukasiewicz Street, 09–400 Płock
 * Patron: Kazimierz Górski
 * Commercial name: Orlen Stadion
 * Opened: 10 June 1973
 * Renovation: 2020–2023
 * Capacity: 15,004
 * Surface: 105 x 68 metres

Coaching staff
{| class="wikitable" !Position !Staff
 * Manager|| Mariusz Misiura
 * Assistant coaches|| Daniel Kokosiński Krystian Skłodowski
 * Assistant Analyst coach|| Karol Cegłowski
 * Goalkeeping coach|| Mariusz Liberda
 * Fitness coach|| Zbigniew Dąbek
 * Physiotherapists|| Katarzyna Grzybowska Paweł Krysiak
 * Masseur|| Krzysztof Mysera
 * Team manager|| Piotr Soczewka
 * Technical manager|| Magdalena Pawlak
 * Fitness coach|| Zbigniew Dąbek
 * Physiotherapists|| Katarzyna Grzybowska Paweł Krysiak
 * Masseur|| Krzysztof Mysera
 * Team manager|| Piotr Soczewka
 * Technical manager|| Magdalena Pawlak
 * Team manager|| Piotr Soczewka
 * Technical manager|| Magdalena Pawlak
 * Technical manager|| Magdalena Pawlak
 * Technical manager|| Magdalena Pawlak

Notable players
Player who have been capped and/or players which have won honours with the club • 🇲🇪 Žarko Belada

• 🇧🇾 Mikalay Branfilaw

• 🇲🇪 Marko Čolaković

• 🇨🇿 Tomáš Došek

• Mamia Jikia, member of the Georgia national football team

• 🇳🇬 Emmanuel Ekwueme

• 🇨🇿 Patrik Gedeon

• 🇵🇱 Vahan Gevorgyan, forward, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇵🇱 Dariusz Gęsior, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team at the 1992 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal

• 🇵🇱 Bartłomiej Grzelak, forward, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇵🇱 Robert Gubiec

• 🇧🇬 Dimitar Iliev

• 🇺🇦 Lubomir Ivansky

• 🇵🇱 Ireneusz Jeleń, forward, member of the Poland national football team; played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

• 🇬🇳 José Kanté

• 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kazimierczak

• 🇵🇱 Arkadiusz Klimek

• 🇵🇱 Andrzej Kobylański

• 🇧🇬 Boris Kondev

• 🇵🇱 Sebastian Krakowiak, goalkeeper, member of the U-21 Poland national football team

• 🇸🇰 Peter Lérant

• 🇵🇱 Wojciech Łobodziński, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team; played at UEFA EURO 2008

• 🇵🇱 Adam Majewski

• 🇵🇱 Radosław Matusiak, forward, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇨🇿 Tomáš Michálek

• 🇱🇹 Gražvydas Mikulėnas

• 🇨🇿 Josef Obajdin

• 🇷🇸 Mitar Peković

• 🇵🇱 Sławomir Peszko, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇱🇹 Aidas Preikšaitis

• 🇵🇱 Patryk Rachwał, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇵🇱 Arkadiusz Reca, defender, member of the Poland national football team

• 🇵🇱 Marek Saganowski, forward, member of the Poland national football team; played at UEFA EURO 2008

• 🇨🇿 Lumír Sedláček

• 🇵🇱 Pawel Sobczak

• 🇵🇱 Radosław Sobolewski, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team; played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

• 🇧🇦 Nenad Studen

• 🇵🇱 Damian Szymański, midfielder, member of the Poland national football team played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

• 🇧🇬 Stefan Todorov

• 🇱🇹 Raimondas Vilėniškis

• 🇷🇸 Predrag Vujović

• 🇵🇱 Marcin Wasilewski, defender, member of the Poland national football team; played at UEFA EURO 2008

• 🇵🇱 Jakub Wierzchowski

• 🇵🇱 Jerzy Wojnecki

• 🇵🇱 Klaudiusz Ząbecki, member of the U-21 Poland national football team

• 🇷🇸 Marjan Jugović

title: Wisła Płock


text:
Munter

Munter or Münter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

 * Alex Munter (born 1968), Canadian politician and journalist, CEO of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
 * Cameron Munter (born 1954), US Ambassador to Pakistan
 * Friedrich Münter (1761-1830), Danish bishop and scholar
 * Gabriele Münter (1887-1962) German Expressionist artist
 * Leilani Münter (born 1976), American race car driver and environmental activist
 * Rosanna Munter (born 1987), Swedish singer
 * Scott Munter (born 1980), American baseball pitcher
 * Werner Munter (born 1941), Swiss mountain guide, author, and safety expert

title: Munter


text:
Odra Wodzisław Śląski

Odra Wodzisław Śląski, is a Polish football club based in Wodzisław Śląski, Poland.

The club played in the top flight between 1996 and 2010, appearing in the Intertoto Cup thrice and UEFA Cup once They currently compete in the IV liga Silesia, the fifth level of the national football league system.

History
The club was established in 1922 as Odra Wodzisław, then changed its name several times. After World War II, and until 1963, the club was linked closely to the Polish State Railways (PKP), so the club bore the nickname Kolejarz, which means The Railwaymen. From 1963 until 1974, the club took the name Górnik (miner), as the club is based in Upper Silesia, known for its coal-mining industry. Then, the club reverted to its traditional name, Odra, after the Oder River).

After several decades in the second and third tiers of the league system, Odra were promoted to the Polish Ekstraklasa for the first time in 1996. The team continued to develop over the following years, achieving 3rd place in their first season at this level before settling into mid-table placings over the following decade. From 2007, however, league positions worsened until the club was finally relegated to the I liga in 2010. In spite of this, Odra did manage to reach the final of the Ekstraklasa Cup in 2009, losing to regional rivals Śląsk Wrocław. During the 2010–11 season, Odra underwent severe financial difficulties, often struggling to raise enough money to travel to away fixtures. This affected on-field performance and a second successive relegation followed. The summer of 2011 saw the Odra board declare themselves bankrupt and dissolve the club, with fans reforming as Klub Piłkarski Odra 1922 Wodzisław. This new club joined the lowest rung of the Polish league ladder for the 2011–12 season.

Stadium

Odra hosts their games at a multi-purpose MOSiR Stadium, with a capacity of 7,400 people.

Honours

 * Ekstraklasa
 * Third place: 1996–97
 * Polish Cup
 * Semi-finalist: 1996–97
 * Ekstraklasa Cup
 * Runners-up: 2008–09
 * Semi-finalist: 1999–2000

Notable coaches

 * Waldemar Fornalik
 * Stanisław Oślizło
 * Franciszek Smuda
 * Ryszard Wieczorek
 * Jerzy Wyrobek
 * Jacek Zieliński

title: Odra Wodzisław Śląski


text:
Górnik Zabrze

Górnik Zabrze Spółka Akcyjna, commonly referred to as Górnik Zabrze S.A. or simply Górnik Zabrze, is a Polish football club from Zabrze. Górnik is one of the most successful Polish football clubs in history, winning the second-most Polish Championship titles together with Ruch Chorzów. The club was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. Górnik holds the record for winning the most consecutive Polish Championship titles (5) and Polish Cup titles (5). In addition, the club was 1969–70 Cup Winners' Cup runners-up.

They currently compete in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the national football league system. The club plays in a white or dark blue-red kit, and is based at the Arena Zabrze. Their main local rival is Ruch Chorzów.

First years
The club was founded in 1948 after several smaller sports associations – KS Zjednoczenie, KS Pogoń, KS Skra, and KS Concordia – were merged into a single organization, which took the name "Górnik", the Polish word for "Miner", reflecting the fact that Zabrze was an important coal-mining centre.

In 1950 Górnik joined the Opole Silesia regional league. In 1952 the club was promoted to the Polish Second Division. Their first game in the second tier was against Skra Częstochowa, and was witnessed by 20,000 fans, with Górnik winning 5–1. The whole season was very successful and Górnik finished second overall, behind Górnik Wałbrzych.

The club was promoted to the top division in 1955. In their first game in the top flight Górnik beat local rivals Ruch Chorzów 3–1, with 25,000 in attendance; the club finished the season in sixth place.

First successes
In 1957, just a year after promotion, Górnik won its first championship of Poland. The team, with star, Ernest Pohl, was third in 1958, to regain the crown in 1959 and 1961, together with such players as Stanisław Oślizło and Hubert Kostka. In 1961 Górnik for the first time appeared in European Cups, losing in the first round to Tottenham Hotspur.

Golden years
The next championship, won in 1963, marked the beginning of an unusual streak of five consecutive titles (1963, 64, 65, 66 and 67), which is a Polish record.

Górnik's biggest success in European football took place in 1970 (even though in Poland the team was second, after Legia Warsaw). In the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, Gornik beat all their opponents – Olympiacos, Rangers, Levski Sofia and AS Roma, reaching the final, which took place in Vienna. There, Manchester City turned out to be the better team, winning 2–1. The following season Górnik would once again play Manchester City, with the 1970 final being repeated this time in the quarter-final.

Late 1970s and early 1980s
During the mid-1970s Górnik form deteriorated and in late spring of 1978, the team was relegated to the Second Division. However, it returned after one year and in games of 1979–80, Zabrze's side finished sixth. In 1984, after purchasing of a group of talented players (Ryszard Komornicki, Waldemar Matysik, Eugeniusz Cebrat, Andrzej Zgutczyński, Tadeusz Dolny, Andrzej Pałasz), Górnik finished fourth, which was a sign of better times.

Late 1980s until now
Between 1985 and 1988 Górnik again marked a magnificent streak, with four consecutive championships. Zabrze's side also played versus renowned European powerhouses, such as Bayern Munich, Anderlecht, Hamburger SV, Juventus and Real Madrid. In 1994 Górnik competed again for the title and with players as Jerzy Brzęczek, Grzegorz Mielcarski, Tomasz Wałdoch, hopes were high. Before the last round of the league the standings at the top were: Legia 47 points and Górnik 45 points. Since the two teams were to face each other in Warsaw, Górnik still had a chance to win the title. However the game ended in a 1–1 tie which gave Legia the crown. Before Legia scored the goal which gave her the title (the score 0–1 would mean the title for Górnik), the referee of the match – Mr Redzinski – sent off one by one 3 players from Górnik's squad, and Górnik had to finished match with only 8 players against 11 players of Legia. It was the last match in Mr Redzinski's career.

In the same year, Górnik played its last so far game in European Cups, losing to Admira Wacker Vienna.

In the spring of 2007 Górnik got a new sponsor – German insurance company Allianz. However, after finishing 16th in the Ekstraklasa in 2008–09, the club was relegated to the Polish First League, the second level of Polish football, during the 2009–10 season. In June 2010, the club earned promotion back to the Ekstraklasa for the 2010–11 season. Since then, Górnik has promoted a number of players to the Poland national team and transferred several players to stronger leagues, including Arkadiusz Milik, Łukasz Skorupski, Szymon Żurkowski and Paweł Bochniewicz.

League

 * Ekstraklasa
 * Champions: 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88
 * Runners-up: 1962, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1990–91

Cup

 * Polish Cup
 * Winners: 1964–65, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72
 * Runners-up: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1985–86, 1991–92, 2000–01
 * Polish League Cup
 * Winners: 1978
 * Polish Super Cup
 * Winners: 1988

Europe

 * European Cup
 * Quarter-finalists: 1967–68
 * UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
 * Runners-up: 1969–70

Youth teams

 * Polish U-19 Championship
 * Champions: 1967, 1989
 * Runners-up: 1985, 2001, 2011
 * Third place: 2015
 * Polish U-19 Championship
 * Champions: 1992, 1996, 2023
 * Runners-up: 2014

Notable former players

 * 🇵🇱 Jan Banaś
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Bęben
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Bochniewicz
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Brożek
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Brzęczek
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Cyroń
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Gorgoń
 * 🇵🇱 Tomasz Hajto
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Iwan
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Jegor
 * 🇵🇱 Ireneusz Jeleń
 * 🇵🇱 Damian Kądzior
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Komornicki
 * 🇵🇱 Dariusz Koseła
 * 🇵🇱 Kamil Kosowski
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Kostka
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Koźmiński
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Kraus
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Kurzawa
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Kuźba
 * 🇵🇱 Włodzimierz Lubański
 * 🇵🇱 Arkadiusz Milik
 * 🇵🇱 Kazimierz Moskal
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Niedzielan
 * 🇵🇱 Stanisław Oślizło
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Pazdan
 * 🇵🇱 Rafał Pietrzak
 * 🇵🇱 Ernest Pohl
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Probierz
 * 🇵🇱 Grzegorz Sandomierski
 * 🇵🇱 Łukasz Skorupski
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Staniek
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Szarmach
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Szemoński
 * 🇵🇱 Zygfryd Szołtysik
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Urban
 * 🇵🇱 Tomasz Wałdoch
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Wandzik
 * 🇵🇱 Robert Warzycha
 * 🇵🇱 Mateusz Wieteska
 * 🇵🇱 Przemysław Wiśniewski
 * 🇵🇱 Tomasz Zahorski
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Zgutczyński
 * 🇵🇱 Szymon Żurkowski
 * 🇦🇱 Enkeleid Dobi
 * 🇧🇦 Ensar Arifović
 * 🇧🇦 Armin Ćerimagić
 * 🇧🇦 Boris Pandža
 * 🇧🇦 Vladimir Sladojević
 * 🇧🇬 Dimitar Makriev
 * 🇧🇫 Prejuce Nakoulma
 * 🇭🇷 Ivica Križanac
 * Anthony van den Hurk
 * 🇪🇪 Sergei Mošnikov
 * 🇫🇮 Richard Jensen
 * Valerian Gvilia
 * 🇩🇪 Michał Bemben
 * 🇬🇭 Richmond Boakye
 * 🇬🇷 Giorgos Giakoumakis
 * 🇬🇳 José Kanté
 * 🇮🇸 Adam Örn Arnarson
 * 🇯🇵 Kanji Okunuki
 * 🇱🇻 Mārcis Ošs
 * 🇱🇻 Andrejs Prohorenkovs
 * 🇱🇻 Māris Smirnovs
 * Aco Stojkov
 * 🇸🇰 Róbert Jež
 * 🇸🇰 Erik Jirka
 * 🇸🇰 Roman Procházka
 * 🇸🇮 Blaž Vrhovec
 * 🇪🇸 Igor Angulo
 * 🇸🇪 Emil Bergström
 * 🇿🇼 Dickson Choto
 * 🇿🇼 Shingayi Kaondera

Managers

 * 🇵🇱 Ginter Pawelczyk (1948–49)
 * 🇵🇱 Teodor Meiser (1949)
 * 🇵🇱 Karol Luks (1949–50)
 * 🇵🇱 Gerard Wodarz (1950–54)
 * 🇵🇱 Augustyn Dziwisz (1954–56)
 * 🇵🇱 Paweł Mościński (1956)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Skolik (1957)
 * 🇭🇺 Zoltán Opata (1957–58)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Skolik (1958–59)
 * 🇭🇺 Janos Steiner (1959)
 * 🇵🇱 Feliks Karolek (1960)
 * Vilém Lugr (1960)
 * 🇵🇱 Augustyn Dziwisz (1 July 1960 – 30 June 1962)
 * 🇵🇱 Feliks Karolek (1962)
 * 🇵🇱 Ewald Cebula (1962–63)
 * 🇵🇱 Feliks Karolek (1963)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Skolik (1963)
 * 🇵🇱 Feliks Karolek (1964)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Skolik (1964)
 * 🇭🇺 Ferenc Farsang (1964–65)
 * 🇵🇱 Władysław Giergiel (1 July 1965 – 30 June 1966)
 * 🇭🇺 Géza Kalocsay (1 July 1966 – 30 June 1969)
 * 🇵🇱 Michał Matyas (1969–70)
 * 🇭🇺 Ferenc Szusza (1970–71)
 * 🇵🇱 A. Brzeżańczyk (1 July 1971 – 30 April 1972)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kowalski (1972)
 * 🇭🇺 Gyula Szücs (1972)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kowalski (1972–73)
 * 🇵🇱 Teodor Wieczorek (1973–75)
 * 🇵🇱 Andrzej Gajewski (1975–76)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Trepka (1976)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Kostka (30 May 1976 – 5 December 1977)
 * 🇵🇱 Władysław Jan Żmuda (13 December 1977 – 24 May 1980)
 * 🇵🇱 Zdzisław Podedworny (1980–83)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Kostka (1 December 1983 – 30 May 1986)
 * 🇵🇱 Lesław Ćmikiewicz (1 June 1986 – 14 October 1986)
 * 🇵🇱 Antoni Piechniczek (15 October 1986 – 30 June 1987)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Bochynek (1 July 1987 – 30 June 1989)
 * 🇵🇱 Zdzisław Podedworny (1989)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kisiel (1989–90)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kowalski (1990–92)
 * 🇵🇱 Janusz Kowalik (1992)
 * 🇵🇱 Alojzy Łysk (1992–93)
 * 🇵🇱 Henryk Apostel (1 July 1993 – 31 December 1993)
 * 🇵🇱 Hubert Kostka (1 January 1994 – 22 May 1994)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Lorens (23 May 1994 – 2 June 1995)
 * 🇵🇱 Stanisław Oślizło (1995)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Michalski (1995–96)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kowalski (1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Żurek (11 August 1996 – 11 September 1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Piotr Kocąb (1996)
 * 🇵🇱 Henryk Apostel (1 January 1997 – 10 November 1997)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Kowalski (1997)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Żurek (1 December 1997 – 15 March 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Dankowski (int.) (16 March 2000 – 19 March 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Bochynek (20 March 2000 – 9 April 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Mieczysław Broniszewski (10 April 2000 – 16 September 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Dankowski (17 September 2000 – 7 May 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Piotrowicz (2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Waldemar Fornalik (10 May 2001 – 31 October 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Piotrowicz (2 November 2001 – 31 December 2001)
 * 🇵🇱 Waldemar Fornalik (12 January 2002 – 4 April 2004)
 * 🇨🇿 Verner Lička (5 April 2004 – 13 December 2004)
 * 🇵🇱 Edward Lorens (13 December 2004 – 3 February 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Wleciałowski (7 February 2005 – 31 October 2005)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Motyka (4 November 2005 – 13 January 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Komornicki (13 January 2006 – 19 April 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Przemysław Cecherz (int.) (19 April 2006 – 26 April 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Motyka (26 April 2006 – 12 December 2006)
 * 🇵🇱 Zdzisław Podedworny (2006–07)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Motyka (13 March 2007 – 20 May 2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Kostrzewa (2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Marek Piotrowicz (2007)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Wieczorek (1 July 2007 – 10 September 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Bochynek (int.) (2 September 2008 – 16 September 2008)
 * 🇵🇱 Henryk Kasperczak (16 September 2008 – 3 June 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Komornicki (18 June 2009 – 15 December 2009)
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Nawałka (1 January 2010 – 31 October 2013)
 * 🇵🇱 Bogdan Zając (int.) (1 November 2013 – 10 November 2013)
 * 🇵🇱 Ryszard Wieczorek (12 November 2013 – 9 March 2014)
 * 🇵🇱 Robert Warzycha (12 March 2014 – 30 June 2014)
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Dankowski (1 July 2014 – 30 June 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Robert Warzycha (1 July 2015 – 13 August 2015)
 * 🇵🇱 Leszek Ojrzyński (13 August 2015 – 3 March 2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Żurek (3 March 2016 – 2 June 2016)
 * 🇵🇱 Marcin Brosz (3 June 2016 – 27 May 2021)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Urban (27 May 2021 – 15 June 2022)
 * 🇩🇪 Bartosch Gaul (23 June 2022 – 18 March 2023)
 * 🇵🇱 Jan Urban (18 March 2023 – present)

Supporters and rivalries
Górnik Zabrze is believed to have one of the largest and most loyal fanbases in Poland, especially in the Katowice metropolitan area. In the 2016–17 season, Górnik Zabrze drew the highest average home attendance (10,636) of all second level Polish football clubs. They also drew the highest attendance in their league (20,987). After their comeback to the top flight in 2017, Górnik drew the highest average home attendance in Polish football, surpassing current top teams Lech Poznań and Legia Warsaw, with most league games being sold-out.

Górnik holds a long-standing rivalry with Upper Silesian side Ruch Chorzów, known as the Great Silesian Derby. Other main rivals are Piast Gliwice, Polonia Bytom, Legia Warsaw and Zagłębie Sosnowiec.

Torcida Zabrze is named after the ultras of Torcida Split, with whom they have friendly relations; together they are called United Torcida. They have also friendly relations with fans of ROW Rybnik, Wisłoka Dębica, GKS Katowice and German club Schalke 04 .; the latter in past used to be a rival. Fans of Concordia Knurów, Naprzód Rydłutowy, Slavia Ruda Śląska and Czarni Pyskowice are also Górnik fan-clubs.

title: Górnik Zabrze


text:
Endicott Peabody

Endicott Howard Peabody (February 15, 1920 – December 2, 1997) was an American politician from Massachusetts. A Democrat, he served a single two-year term as the 62nd Governor of Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1965. His tenure is probably best known for his categorical opposition to the death penalty and for signing into law the bill establishing the University of Massachusetts Boston. After losing the 1964 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Peabody made several more failed bids for office in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including failed campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 1966 and 1986.

Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts to a family with deep colonial roots, Peabody played college football at Harvard University, where he earned honors as an All-American lineman. He served in the United States Navy in World War II before embarking on a political career noted more for its failures than its successes. He made multiple unsuccessful attempts to win the position of Massachusetts Attorney General, and for the United States Senate representing both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and ran for United States Vice President in 1972.

Early life
Endicott Peabody, nicknamed "Chub", was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Mary Elizabeth (née Parkman) and the Reverend Malcolm E. Peabody, an Episcopal Bishop of Central New York. He was a grandson of the founder of Groton School and Brooks School, also named Endicott Peabody, and was a descendant of colonial governor John Endecott. His maternal grandfather, Henry Parkman, was a Boston businessman and politician.

Peabody first attended the William Penn Charter School, and graduated in 1938 from the Groton School. He earned his A.B. from Harvard College in 1942, majoring in history. Peabody played on the Harvard Crimson football team and also played ice hockey and tennis. He stood out in football, where he was known as the "baby-faced assassin", playing three seasons on the varsity squad, and was the only unanimous choice for the 1941 College Football All-America Team. He was awarded the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy for best collegiate lineman in 1941, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Peabody served in the United States Navy during World War II, primarily as a Lieutenant aboard the USS Tirante in the Pacific Ocean theater. He led several boarding parties involving hand-to-hand combat, for which he was awarded several commendations including the Silver Star.

Early forays into politics
While serving in the war, Peabody decided to embark on a career in politics. After the war ended, he attended Harvard Law School, receiving his J.D. degree and attaining admission to the Massachusetts bar in 1948. His first political work was on the 1948 presidential campaign of Harry S. Truman. Truman appointed him an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Office of Price Stabilization in 1950 and Regional Counsel for the Small Defense Plants Administration in 1952. In 1954 he won election to the Massachusetts Governor's Council, serving one two-year term. In 1958, Peabody ran for Attorney General of Massachusetts, but lost in the Democratic primary to Edward McCormack, Jr. by nine percentage points. In 1960, he ran for Governor of Massachusetts, but came in second (out of seven candidates) in the Democratic primary with 25.5% of the vote. In that year's presidential election, he coordinated John F. Kennedy's campaigns in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.

Governorship

In the 1962 gubernatorial election, Peabody was victorious in the race for governor, upsetting the Republican incumbent John A. Volpe by only 4,431 votes out of over two million cast. Peabody's campaign manager was his law partner Joseph M. Koufman. Peabody was aided in the victory by endorsements from President Kennedy, and the landslide victory of Kennedy's brother Edward in the coinciding race for the president's former United States Senate seat.

During his administration, voters approved a state constitutional amendment extending the terms of office of all state constitutional officers from two years to four years, starting from the next election. Peabody advocated laws to prevent discrimination in housing and to establish drug addiction treatment programs. He also strongly opposed capital punishment and "vowed that he would not sign a death warrant even for the Boston Strangler, if he were ever caught and convicted." This position was controversial, especially because several police officers were killed in the line of duty in the state during his tenure. Peabody recommended the commutation of every death sentence that he reviewed while governor. Massachusetts' last executions took place in 1947, though the penalty itself remained in force. On June 18, 1964, Peabody signed into law the bill establishing the University of Massachusetts Boston.

On April 1, 1964, the governor's 72-year-old mother, Mary Parkman Peabody, made headlines when she was arrested at the Ponce de Leon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine, Florida, for attempting to be served in an integrated group at a racially segregated restaurant. The action made her a hero to the civil rights movement and brought civil rights efforts in St. Augustine, the nation's oldest city, to national and international attention.

In 1964, Lt. Gov. Francis X. Bellotti mounted a primary campaign against Peabody for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Although Peabody was supported by Senator Kennedy and the party convention, Bellotti was victorious in the primary. Peabody's loss was variously attributed to his controversial opposition to the death penalty, his stiff demeanor in television appearances, and a bruising defeat he suffered early in his term in opposing the winning candidate for Speaker of the Massachusetts General Court. Bellotti subsequently lost the general election to John Volpe.

Senate campaign
In 1966, Peabody ran for the U.S. Senate, for which there was an open seat that year as a result of the retirement of Leverett Saltonstall; he won the Democratic nomination but was defeated by a landslide in the general election by the Republican nominee, the liberal state Attorney General Edward Brooke.

1972 vice presidential election
Peabody undertook a quixotic campaign for Vice President of the United States on the Democratic ticket in 1972; he came in fourth in the balloting at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. He ran under the slogan "Endicott Peabody, the number one man for the number two job."

New Hampshire
In 1983, he moved to Hollis, New Hampshire, where he ran unsuccessfully for local and statewide political office several times, including for the U.S. Senate in 1986 against the Republican incumbent, Warren Rudman.

In 1992, Peabody ran again for vice president by competing in the New Hampshire vice-presidential primary, where he won with 59.7% of the vote. However, the primary is non-binding, and, at the prerogative of the presidential nominee, Bill Clinton of Arkansas, the vice-presidential nomination eventually went to Al Gore of Tennessee. Clinton and Gore subsequently won the general election.

Also in 1992, Peabody ran for a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, but he came in third place with 20.7% of the vote.

Peabody died from leukemia in Hollis in 1997, aged 77. His remains were interred in Groton, Massachusetts.

Family
On June 24, 1944, Peabody married Barbara Welch "Toni" Gibbons (1922–2012), a native of Bermuda, the elder daughter of Morris Gibbons, a member of the Parliament of Bermuda, and his wife, the former Maude Madge Welch. Peabody and his wife had a daughter, Barbara, and two sons, Robert and Endicott Jr.

Peabody's sister, Marietta Peabody Tree, represented the United States on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Navy awards

 * Silver Star
 * Presidential Unit Citation for USS Tirante
 * American Campaign Medal
 * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two battle stars
 * World War II Victory Medal

Electoral history
1958 Democratic primary for Massachusetts Attorney General
 * Edward J. McCormack, Jr. – 238,477 (54.63%)
 * Endicott Peabody – 198,016 (45.36%)

1960 Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts
 * Joseph D. Ward – 180,848 (30.23%)
 * Endicott Peabody – 152,762 (25.53%)
 * Francis E. Kelly – 98,107 (16.40%)
 * Robert F. Murphy – 76,577 (12.80%)
 * John F. Kennedy – 52,972 (8.85%)
 * Gabriel Piemonte – 28,199 (4.71%)
 * Alfred Magaletta – 8,826 (1.48%)

1962 Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts
 * Endicott Peabody – 596,533 (79.96%)
 * Clement A. Riley – 149,499 (20.04%)

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1962
 * Endicott Peabody (D) – 1,052,322 (49.92%)
 * John A. Volpe (R) (inc.) – 1,047,891 (49.71%)
 * Henning A. Bolmen (Socialist Labor) – 5,477 (0.26%)
 * Guy S. Williams (Prohibition) – 2,394 (0.11%)

1964 Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts
 * Francis X. Bellotti – 363,675 (49.61%)
 * Endicott Peabody – 336,780 (45.94%)
 * John J. Droney – 27,357 (3.73%)
 * Pasquale Caggiano – 5,250 (0.72%)

Democratic primary for Massachusetts United States Senate election, 1966
 * Endicott Peabody – 320,967 (50.35%)
 * John F. Collins – 265,016 (41.58%)
 * Thomas Boylston Adams – 51,435 (8.07%)

Massachusetts United States Senate election, 1966
 * Edward Brooke (R) – 1,213,473 (60.68%)
 * Endicott Peabody (D) – 774,761 (38.74%)

1972 Democratic National Convention (Vice Presidential tally)
 * Thomas Eagleton – 1,742 (59.07%)
 * Frances Farenthold – 405 (13.73%)
 * Mike Gravel – 226 (7.66%)
 * Endicott Peabody – 108 (3.66%)
 * Clay Smothers – 74 (2.51%)
 * Birch Bayh – 62 (2.10%)
 * Peter W. Rodino – 57 (1.93%)
 * Jimmy Carter – 30 (1.02%)
 * Shirley Chisholm – 20 (0.68%)
 * Moon Landrieu – 19 (0.64%)
 * Edward T. Breathitt – 18 (0.61%)
 * Ted Kennedy – 15 (0.51%)
 * Fred R. Harris – 14 (0.48%)
 * Richard G. Hatcher – 11 (0.37%)
 * Harold Hughes – 10 (0.34%)
 * Joseph Montoya – 9 (0.31%)
 * William L. Guy – 8 (0.27%)
 * Adlai Stevenson III – 8 (0.27%)
 * Robert Bergland – 5 (0.17%)
 * Hodding Carter – 5 (0.17%)
 * César Chávez – 5 (0.17%)
 * Wilbur Mills – 5 (0.17%)
 * Wendell Anderson – 4 (0.14%)
 * Stanley Arnold – 4 (0.14%)
 * Ron Dellums – 4 (0.14%)
 * John J. Houlihan – 4 (0.14%)
 * Roberto A. Mondragon – 4 (0.14%)
 * Reubin O'Donovan Askew – 3 (0.10%)
 * Herman Badillo – 3 (0.10%)
 * Eugene McCarthy – 3 (0.10%)
 * Claiborne Pell – 3 (0.10%)
 * Terry Sanford – 3 (0.10%)
 * Ramsey Clark – 2 (0.07%)
 * Richard J. Daley – 2 (0.07%)
 * John DeCarlo – 2 (0.07%)
 * Ernest Gruening – 2 (0.07%)
 * Roger Mudd – 2 (0.07%)
 * Edmund Muskie – 2 (0.07%)
 * Claude Pepper – 2 (0.07%)
 * Abraham A. Ribicoff – 2 (0.07%)
 * Hoyt Patrick Taylor, Jr. – 2 (0.07%)
 * Leonard F. Woodcock – 2 (0.07%)
 * Bruno Agnoli – 2 (0.07%)
 * Ernest Albright – 1 (0.03%)
 * William A. Barrett – 1 (0.03%)
 * Daniel Berrigan – 1 (0.03%)
 * Philip Berrigan – 1 (0.03%)
 * Julian Bond – 1 (0.03%)
 * Skipper Bowles – 1 (0.03%)
 * Archibald Burton – 1 (0.03%)
 * Phillip Burton – 1 (0.03%)
 * William Chappell – 1 (0.03%)
 * Lawton Chiles – 1 (0.03%)
 * Frank Church – 1 (0.03%)
 * Robert Drinan – 1 (0.03%)
 * Nick Galifianakis – 1 (0.03%)
 * John Z. Goodrich – 1 (0.03%)
 * Michael Griffin – 1 (0.03%)
 * Martha Griffiths – 1 (0.03%)
 * Charles Hamilton – 1 (0.03%)
 * Patricia Harris – 1 (0.03%)
 * Jim Hunt – 1 (0.03%)
 * Daniel Inouye – 1 (0.03%)
 * Henry M. Jackson – 1 (0.03%)
 * Robery Kariss – 1 (0.03%)
 * Allard K. Lowenstein – 1 (0.03%)
 * Mao Zedong – 1 (0.03%)
 * Eleanor McGovern – 1 (0.03%)
 * Martha Beall Mitchell – 1 (0.03%)
 * Ralph Nader – 1 (0.03%)
 * George Norcross III – 1 (0.03%)
 * Jerry Rubin – 1 (0.03%)
 * Frederic Seaman – 1 (0.03%)
 * Joe Smith – 1 (0.03%)
 * Benjamin Spock – 1 (0.03%)
 * Patrick Tavolacci – 1 (0.03%)
 * George Wallace – 1 (0.03%)

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate from New Hampshire, 1986
 * Endicott Peabody – 20,568 (61.18%)
 * Robert L. Dupay – 6,108 (18.17%)
 * Robert A. Patton – 3,721 (11.07%)
 * Andrew D. Tempelman – 2,601 (7.74%)
 * Others (write-in candidates) – 619 (1.84%)

New Hampshire United States Senate election, 1986
 * Warren Rudman (R) (inc.) – 154,090 (62.96%)
 * Endicott Peabody (D) – 79,222 (32.37%)
 * Bruce Valley – 11,423 (4.67%)

1992 New Hampshire Democratic vice presidential primary:
 * Endicott Peabody – 34,533 (59.68%)
 * Susan K.Y. Shargal – 20,347 (35.16%)
 * Ralph Nader* – 1,097 (1.90%)
 * Mario Cuomo* – 739 (1.28%)
 * Paul Tsongas* – 649 (1.12%)
 * Bob Kerrey* – 502 (0.87%)

New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough District #22 election, 1992
 * Susan B. Durham (R) – 2,089 (31.32%)
 * George W. Wright (R) – 1,925 (28.86%)
 * Endicott Peabody (D) – 1,378 (20.66%)
 * Barbara Peabody (D) – 1,279 (19.17%)

(* – write-in candidate)

title: Endicott Peabody


text:
Blue–Gray Football Classic

The Blue–Gray Football Classic was an annual American college football all-star game held in Alabama, usually in late December and often on Christmas Day. The brainchild of Alabama college football legend Champ Pickens, the contest began in 1939 and was held annually through 2001, with the exception of 1943 due to World War II.

All of the games, except for the final contest, were played at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, under the auspices of the Montgomery Lions Club. The game was not contested in 2002, then was revived briefly in 2003 at Movie Gallery Stadium in Troy, Alabama. Lacking a major television sponsor, the game was discontinued thereafter.

History
The format pitted players who attended college in the states of the former Confederacy, the "Grays", who wore white jerseys, against players who attended school in the northern half of the country, the "Blues", who wore blue jerseys, and also sometimes including players from western teams. Both teams wore gray pants. Only seniors played in this game, because it was their first venture into professional football, as they were paid for their participation.

The game was almost always the first major college all-star game of the year. For this reason, it was difficult to get some of the collegiate stars, because many of them were preparing at the same time for bowl games with their regular teams. Also, many potential players preferred to spend Christmas at home. In the game's later years, most of the players came from teams with losing records and from smaller schools which do not play NCAA Division I football. The Classic gave these players an opportunity to be noticed by NFL scouts and others who may not have had the opportunity to observe them previously. Most such players now attend the NFL Combine for evaluation.

The game was slow to desegregate. In 1963, NBC, which had televised the game for much of its run, dropped it from the schedule when the Lions Club refused to integrate it. Civil rights leaders claimed that the contest was racist because its poor history of integration was reflective of slavery and the era of Jim Crow. The game desegregated in 1965, which in turn convinced CBS to carry a telecast. From then on, the Classic showcased many African American stars from smaller, lesser-known schools (including many historically black colleges and universities). Jerry Rice played in the 1984 game and was named the Most Valuable Player.

However, civil rights leaders complained that forcing African-American players from southern colleges and universities to represent the former Confederacy was both insensitive and offensive. Also in the late 1960s, as a result of growing public dissension over the Vietnam War, peace activists decried the contest as glorifying war and militarism. A large sit-in for peace was staged before the 1969 game that effectively blocked the gates at the stadium which resulted in protesters being forcibly removed, brutally beaten and arrested by the police. The start of the game was delayed for over an hour, and only part of the game was televised. For the next three years, troops of the Alabama National Guard were deployed to the stadium to keep order, on the orders of Governor George Wallace.

The Classic also made many concessions to make it more television-friendly. In 1975, Mizlou Television Network, which carried the game that year, cut three minutes off the game clock by shortening the first quarter to 12 minutes long. The Classic's committee, angered by the change (and an accusation that the clock had been slowed to allow a game-winning rally), asserted control over the game clock for future games so that such an incident could not happen again. The game also used a "rally rule": after either team scored (by way of safety, touchdown, field goal, or returning blocked PAT attempts), if one of the two teams was losing by ten or more points, they would receive the kickoff, in order to keep the game close and prevent the loss of viewership which often occurs in lopsided games. From 1979 onward (and occasionally before that), the game was played on Christmas Day, which may have tended to limit the live attendance, but ensured it was on television at a time when potential viewership was great.

The game was not played in 2002 after longtime sponsor Kelly Springfield Tire (a subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company), under pressure by civil rights leaders who threatened a boycott, decided to discontinue its sponsorship, and the Lions Club was unable to find a new sponsor in time. However, it was unlikely in any event the game would have been played that year due to the poor condition of the Cramton Bowl: the stadium, built in 1923, had not been well maintained over the years, and by this time it was literally crumbling.

The Lions Club was instrumental in reviving the game at Troy University's Movie Gallery Stadium (now Veterans Memorial Stadium), 50 miles south of Montgomery. It was generally thought that the Lions Club and others would have liked to return the game to Montgomery, but opted not to do so because it was unable to find a suitable replacement venue in the Montgomery area.

The Cramton Bowl was ultimately renovated in 2011, today hosting the Camellia Bowl (and, for one season only, the Montgomery Bowl); a new Montgomery football stadium was also constructed at the same time. The 2020 Camellia Bowl was held on Christmas Day, returning college football to the venue on Christmas for the first time in 19 years.

Game results
64 Blue–Gray Football Classics were played: Gray winning 33 games, Blue winning 29 games, and two games being tied. All were played in Montgomery, Alabama, except the 2003 game, played in Troy, Alabama.

title: Blue–Gray Football Classic


text:
GKS Górnik Łęczna

Górniczy Klub Sportowy Górnik Łęczna, commonly referred to as Górnik Łęczna, is a sports club based in Łęczna, Poland. It is best known for its men's professional football team, which competes in I liga, the second division in the Polish football league system. The club also fields teams in women's football and wrestling.

History
The club was founded in 1979, as a club for the local coal miners. As the years went, the local Bogdanka Coal Mine decided to invest more and more money and as a result the club quickly rose through the leagues. The club shed its relative obscurity when it gained promotion to the Ekstraklasa in 2003.

Górnik Łęczna played in the top division from 2003 until 2007, when they were relegated to the 3rd division, as a consequence of their involvement in a match fixing scandal. However they were promoted straight back up as league winners after the 2007–08 season and competed in the I Liga for six years before winning promotion to the 2014–15 Ekstraklasa.

Since 1 January 2007, the men's football department has been operating as a business entity separate from the rest of the club.

In February 2011 the team was renamed GKS Bogdanka for sponsorship reasons, a decision from the local Bogdanka coal mine. As a result, a group of supporters opposing the name change formed an amateur team GKS Górnik 1979 Łęczna. On 23 July 2013 GKS Bogdanka's board of directors announced the return to the former name.

Honours

 * Ekstraklasa
 * 7th place: 2004–05
 * II liga
 * Champions: 1987–88 (gr. VII), 1995–96 (gr. V), 2007–08 (gr. IV), 2019–20
 * Polish Cup
 * Semi-finalists: 2022–23
 * Youth teams
 * '''Polish U-19 Championship
 * Third place: 2004, 2005

GKS Górnik 1979 Łęczna
Górnik 1979 Łęczna was a club founded in 2011 by Górnik Łęczna fans who were unhappy with the name change to GKS Bogdanka. The club eventually changed its name back in 2013 but the fan owned counterpart has continued to operate in amateur football leagues. On 22 August 2014 the club withdrew from all competitions and ceased to operate, the reason cited were the lack of funds and the fact that the original Górnik Łęczna team went back to its original name scrapping the GKS Bogdanka name.

Women's section
The women's section of Górnik Łęczna played for years in the second and third-tier leagues of Poland. In 2006–07 the team reached the semi-finals of the Polish Cup but lost to Medyk Konin. In the 2009–10 season with the expansion of the Ekstraliga Kobiet the team finally gained promotion to it by finishing second in its 2nd tier division. In its Ekstraliga debut Górnik was 5th.

title: GKS Górnik Łęczna