Poland Championship and Cup

Fairly equal league or typically Polish championship – the intrigue of the unknown to the end. No visibly dominant team, no hopeless outsiders. Anything possible. The champions of 1977-78 were not a factor at all.

Wisla (Krakow) dropped so low, they actually fought to avoid relegation. 13th this year, ahead of only 3 clubs… and it was quite strange, because it was not only the same squad which won the championship the year before, but they were perhaps the strongest Polish squad, judging by the names of the players.

But they survived.

Gwardia (Warszawa) finished last with 19 points. The clubs was unable to re-establish itself in the top league and down they went.

Pogon (Szczecin) were 15th, also going down.

Another of the recent champions also had miserable season – Slask (Wroclaw) ended 10th. LKS (Lodz) were 11th – they also knew better days no long ago. Legia (Warszawa) was pretty much the same – the 1970s were not successful years for the club, but the club did not suffer from the absence of Deyna. They were 6th – more or less, their usual position in those years. Odra (Opole) and Szombierki (Bytom) climbed up – 5th and 4th – but, just like with the clubs who sunk, it was not sure was it a reshuffling with some permanence or just momentary good or bad season.

Szombierki (Bytom), a mid-table club at best, were a surprise, considered temporary – they had very modest squad. But they had a much bigger surprise hidden in their sleeves. Strange days for Polish football – Wisla, with their at least 7 national team players, near relegation zone and anonymous Szombierki up and going to make a real sensation soon.

The best three were also a mix – two of the best Polish clubs of the decade and a newcomer, known as a modest club so far.

Stal (Mielec) were still among the best – they finished with bronze medals. Lato, Szarmach, and the national team goalkeeper Kukla were seemingly enough to keep Stal at the top. To a point, it was even unusual – five years back, when Stal suddenly became a force, they had promising squad. Yet, they did not added a few more strong players, but it was rather the opposite. Typically, such a team should have been going down… but in Polish football 3 classy players were capable of keeping a team among the best. Stal were still a force – as long as Lato and Szarmach stayed, which was unlikely. Stal were contenders this season, but eventually dropped to third place, 3 points behind the champions.

The championship was decided by goal-difference, a tight race, exciting because of that, and also strange. Widzew (Lodz), a club similar to Odra and Szombierki so far, suddenly run for the title. Another Sinderella story… but with a difference: Odra and Szombierki had no great players and no up and coming youngsters. Widzew had Zbigniew Boniek. And a few other still unknown, but talented boys. If there was a club with potential to become a major force, it was them. They were elbowing their way up, claiming a place for themselves. Widzew were not very strong in attack, but had the best defensive record this season. They lost the least matches too – only 5. They lost the title on worse goal-difference, perhaps a sign that they were not ready yet, but clearly it was the team going to win soon. The team of the future and the positive change.

Experience won the title. Like Stal, Ruch (Chorzow) were one of the leading clubs of the 1970s. The question facing them was aging – were they able to rebuild quickly enough to maintain their strong position. Compared to their winning team of three-four years ago, change of generation was not successful… no great new player emerged and the old stars were gone abroad or into retirement. Yet, tradition, winning spirit, may be the way the club was run kept them atop. The nature of the Polish league helped that too – small things made the difference in the equal league. Wisla and Slask out of the way this year, Legia not a factor for a long time, Stal having a short team, Widzew still immature… and here it was Ruch, not overwhelming, but not giving up either. May be a bit lucky, but champions.

It was not a great squad, it was not promising either. It was not even a team able to keep good players – the young and very promising goalkeeper Henryk Bolesta, who easily edged Piotr Czaja, the last star of the earlier squad of champions, soon left Ruch and joined Widzew. This vintage was perhaps solid, but certainly not starry. However, it was enough for the moment.

The championship was not flashy, but it was dramatic – fans love close pursuits to the very end. But drama itself is not enough… Polish football was not in great shape at the end of the 1970s. None of the best teams of the championship reached the Cup final – the finalists were still a strange mix, though. Wisla (Krakow) reached the final – seemingly normal for such strong squad. Perhaps they just had a bad year, but class was class, and they were determined to save face by winning the other trophy. Considering their opponents, it should have been a child’s game… Arka (Gdynia) were one of the run-of-the-mill clubs, normally associated with the relegation zone. Nothing special this season year – they finished 11th in the championship, a bit above Wisla, but it was not because they had strong season – it was largely because Wisla had a very weak one. The final should have restored the obvious: easy victory for Wisla, spurred by wounded pride and the much stronger team anyway.

It was not to be – Arka won 2-1. Another Sinderella story.

The club with difficult full name – Morski Związkowy Klub Sportowy Arka Gdynia – hails from the ship-building city on the Baltic sea coast. Not an young club, it was founded in 1929, but had modest existence. Their best ever league achievement was 7th place in 1977-78 – it is still the their best today. The Cup was their first trophy – and so far, their only trophy. One can imagine the joy of the underdog.

Well, this must be the best ever squad of Arka… since they won the only trophy in the club’s history. Local heroes, but they had two well known names: Adam Musial, a regular in the exciting 1974 World Cup Polish squad, and the member of the 1978 World Cup squad Janusz Kupcewicz. Hardly the making of a great team, but two stars were quite enough to make a difference in Polish football. The success may have been also dangerous for a modest club: very likely they attracted the interest of financially better clubs and players were lured elsewhere. The gray Baltic sea and industrial town were hardly attractive even when winning the Cup. Musial and Kupcewicz eventually left – Musial, who came from… Wisla (Krakow) in 1978, joined Hereford United (England) in 1980; Kupcewicz moved to Lech (Poznan) in 1982. Unfortunately, the destiny of Arka was to remain a modest club.