Naprzód Lipiny

GKS Naprzód Świętochłowice Lipiny is a sports club from

Świętochłowice Świętochłowice (; german: Schwientochlowitz; szl, Świyntochłowice) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union metropolis, with a population of 2 million, a ...

's district of Lipiny ( Upper Silesia,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

), founded in 1920 by Alfons Maniura, who became Naprzód first chairman. Throughout the years, the club for many times changed name. In 1920–1939 and then in 1945–1965 it was Naprzód Lipiny, in 1939–1945 – during

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

occupation – Turn und Sportverein (TuS) Lipine. In 1965–1969 – Naprzód-Czarni Świętochłowice (after a merge of clubs Naprzód Lipiny and Czarni Chropaczów). Since 1969 to this day – SKS Naprzód Świętoch łowice. For many years Naprzod was a significant force of Polish soccer, even though the team has never won promotion to the Polish Soccer League. In interwar Poland, Lipiny's side was for many times champion of strong, regional Upper-Silesian league (1929, 1931, 1933, 1937). In the late 1930s, some Naprzod's players were key members of Polish National Team (brothers

Ryszard Piec Ryszard Leon Piec (born Richard Leon Pietz; 17 August 1913 – 24 January 1979) was a Polish footballer. Piec spent whole life in his native town of Lipiny, which now today is a district of Świętochłowice, in Upper Silesia. He played for Napr ...

and

Wilhelm Piec Wilhelm Piec (born Wilhelm Pietz; 2 November 1915 – 4 April 1954) was a Polish soccer forward player. Wilhelm was one of the best players of interwar Poland. Together with his older (and more famous) brother Ryszard Piec, they represented Napr ...

, as well as Erwin Michalski). Also, Naprzod's own Rochus Nastula was in the late 1920s one of the best scorers of the League (while representing

Czarni Lwow Czarni, means "The Blacks" in the Polish language, and is a name commonly given to Polish sports teams, including: *Czarni Dęblin, men's association football club *Czarni Jasło, men's association football club *Czarni Lwów, men's association foo ...

). Another famous Naprzod player was

Antoni Piechniczek Antoni Krzysztof Piechniczek (born 3 May 1942) is a Polish former football player and manager. From 2007 to 2011 he was a Polish senator. Playing career Piechniczek was born in Chorzów. He played for clubs such as Naprzód Lipiny, Legia W ...

, who represented the team in the 1960s. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

occupiers changed club's name to Turn und Sportverein (TuS) Lipine. It joined the

Gauliga Oberschlesien A Gauliga () was the highest level of play in German football from 1933 to 1945. The leagues were introduced in 1933, after the Nazi takeover of power by the National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise. Name The German word '' ...

in 1941, winning the league in 1943–44, its last completed edition. The team, with the Piec brothers, was a sensation in the 1942–43 season of Tschammer Cup (

German Cup The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...

) games. TuS reached as far as semifinals of the tournament, only then to lose 0–6 to the professionals of

TSV 1860 Munich , commonly known as TSV 1860 München (; lettered as ) or 1860 Munich, is a sports club based in Munich. The club's football team currently plays in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football. 1860 Munich was one of the founding members o ...

. After the war, Naprzod in 1949 won promotion to newly created Second Division. It played there in the years 1949–1952 and 1955–1962. Twice Lipiny's side was very close to winning promotion to First Division, however referees and soccer authorities did not like Naprzod and in mysterious circumstances, teams of

Arkonia Szczecin Arkonia Szczecin is a Polish sports club with football and water polo sections based in Szczecin. The water polo team competes in the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top division, and with 13 Polish Championships is one of the most accomplished water polo ...

and Gwardia Warszawa finished games in front of it. In 1950–51, Naprzod reached the quarter-finals of Polish Cup. Currently, the team plays in Upper Silesian, regional B-class. Naprzod, however, is famous not only for its

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team, but also boxers (Lipiny's Jerzy Rudzki was for three times boxing champion of Poland – 1931, 1932, 1933) and table-tennis players (team champions of Poland in 1947, 1948 and 1950). {{DEFAULTSORT:Naprzod Lipiny Świętochłowice Association football clubs established in 1920 Sport in Silesian Voivodeship Football clubs in Silesian Voivodeship Football clubs from former German territories