MKS Cracovia SSA - last updated on 11 August 2008
(Courtesy of Jakub Malicki)
Club name: Miejski Klub Sportowy Cracovia SSA
Foundation: June 13th 1906
City: Kraków
Colours: White and red
Website: www.cracovia.pl
Honours:
Polish Championship - 5 (1921, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1948)
A bit of history:
Cracovia is the oldest Polish football club still in operation (a few years older are teams from Lwów, but this city is no longer part of
Poland), and has continually participated in competition since its founding on June 13, 1906. The team currently plays its matches in the venerable Pope John Paul II Stadium situated next to the
Błonia Park, located in the Zwierzyniec district of Kraków.
The early years of football in the city of
Kraków are associated with professor Henryk Jordan. He had spent some time in
Britain and after coming back to his native city introduced soccer to its youth.
Jordan was a huge supporter of all sports and gymnastics. On March 12, 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.
In 1920, the budding Polish Football Association (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 neighbors. Under the circumstances, the Kraków department of the Polish Football Association organised its own games; the tournament was won by Cracovia, ahead of Wisła Kraków. The next year, in the 1921 games, Cracovia became the first, historic Champion of Poland.
During the Second World War, the Nazi 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 in the period 1940-1944. "Pasy" managed to win only once - in 1943.
Also, during the Second World War Cracovia fans were protecting the Jewish community from the Nazi Empire. This connection to Judaism (similar to AFC Ajax) is reflected in the name of hooligan firm associated with the team and known as the Jude Gang.
It must be mentioned that one of Cracovia's most famous players, Jozef Kaluza, who in the late 1930s was the coach of the Polish National Team, refused to take the post of manager of Nazi-sponsored football events. Kaluza unfortunately did not survive until liberation, as he died in 1944.
On January 28, 1945, soon after liberation, the first official game between Wisla and Cracovia took place. Numerous spectators started by singing Polish National Anthem. Later, on the snowy pitch, Wisla turned out to be the better side, winning 2-0.
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 managed to win the games. 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) 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 managed to survive 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 coach, Wojciech Stawowy, promotion came fast - in the fall of 2003 Cracovia returned to the Second Division.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
MKS Cracovia SSA
