Pogoń Lwów

LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów, Lwów Voivodeship (now Lviv in Ukraine), and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów – Czarni and Lechia. With numerous departments, among them football, ice hockey and track and field, Pogoń was a major force of Polish sports in the interbellum period; its football team was never relegated from the elite Polish Football League. The club ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland. On 2 July 1939, Pogoń played last pre-war official home game, drawing 1–1 with AKS Chorzów. The last pre-war game of the Pogoń's football team took place in Warsaw on 20 August 1939. Lwów's side lost 1–2 to Polonia Warsaw, scorer of the last goal was the 20-year-old forward Piotr Dreher. A club under the same name wishing to continue its traditions was formed in 2009.

Honours

Football honours

* 4 times Polish Champions: 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926.
* 3 times Polish Vice-Champions: 1932, 1933, 1935.
* junior Vice-Champions of Poland: 1937 (see: Football Junior Championships of Poland)

Honours in other sports

* Ice hockey – Champion of Poland 1933 (together with Legia Warsaw), vicechampion of Poland (1929, 1930), third place in Polish championships (1927).

History

From founding to 1914

The history of the club dates back to the spring of 1904, when a ''Sports-Gymnastics Club'' at Lwów's (the city, known then as ''Lemberg'', belonged at the beginning of the 20th century to Austria-Hungary) Fourth High School was founded by a group of students, inspired by their gymnastics teacher, doctor Eugeniusz Piasecki. The organisation was based on several minor students teams, which had existed in the city since 1900, and which had played several football games with opponents from other high schools. The team of Fourth High School went together with players of Czarni Lwów in May 1906 to Kraków, where they tied with local students 1:1. The visit of Lwów's students is regarded as the event which spurred their Kraków's colleagues into founding their own teams, thus Cracovia and Wisła Kraków were created soon afterwards. In late September 1906, Kraków's team came to Lwów, beating the locals 1:0.

In 1907 the name was changed to Pogoń ("Pogoń" is Polish name of Pahonia; the new name was proposed by Maksymilian Dudryk of Lechita Lwów). The new team was a merger of the two sides – Sports-Gymnastics Club of the Fourth Gymnasium, and Lechita Lwów. Hues reflected the merger, as Sports-Gymnastics Club players wore red – blue jerseys, and Lechita's footballers white – red. Players of the new team wore white – red jerseys and blue shorts. The change accelerated the club's growth, as soon afterwards it found a rich sponsor, Ludwik Kuchar, who was the owner of several cinemas located in Lwów and Kraków. Next the statutes of Pogoń were established, based on statutes of English sports organizations. Pogoń was a co-founder of the PZPN (Polish Football Association) (1919), as well as a founding member of the Polish Football League, which started in the spring of 1927. Pogoń's first manager was doctor Eugeniusz Piasecki, who remained on this post until 1909.

During the first years of existence, Pogoń played games against other local teams, and in 1907 its lineup consisted of the following footballers: Rysiak, Marion, Kawecki, Harasymowicz, Spanring, Rzadki, Pirozynski, Kleban, Dudryk, Karasinski, Zausner. In April and May 1908, Pogoń went to Kraków, tying with Cracovia 1:1, and losing to Wisła 0:2. The first international game took place in May 1909, when Pogoń went to Košice, losing 0:5 to the champion of northern Hungary, Kassai AC. In September 1909, the Hungarians visited Lwów, winning 4:1. In 1910, Pogoń joined the Austrian Football Association, which enabled the club to make contacts with several teams of the Austrio-Hungarian Empire. In 1911, Pogoń sensationally beat 6:1 the team of Vienna. Other scores of that year were: 1:3 and 1:4 with Victoria Vienna, 3:0 and 4:2 with the Hungarian side Ungvari, 4:2 with the German team Diana Kattowitz, 2:3 and 2:3 with Budapesti FAC, 4:6 with Kassai AC, 0:4 and 1:4 with ASV Hertha Vienna, 1:5 and 1:1 with 1. Simmeringer SC.

In 1912, Pogoń went for the first time to Warsaw, where it beat 6:2 the team of the city. In the same year, Pogoń played against Budapesti FAC (2:2 and 1:0), Debreceni VSC (8:3 and 4:1), Ungvari AC (5:0), and Magyar AC (1:3 and 0:1). Among the team's players were: Steifer and Reiner (goalkeepers), Karasinski, Rzadki and Solecki (defenders), Tadeusz Kuchar, Piotrowski, Kleban, Misinski, Moeller (midfielders), Kawecki, Karol Kuchar, Bodek, Romanowski, Marion, Bedlewicz and Wladyslaw Kuchar (forwards). On May 1, 1913, a new stadium was opened with a Pogoń – Cracovia game. This match was the debut of Waclaw Kuchar. Also, in 1913, the Austrian Football Federation added Pogoń to the first class teams.

World War I

The outbreak of World War I terminated the 1914 Championships of Galicia. In the spring of 1914, Pogoń hosted two Hungarian teams – Toerekves (1:4 and 0:2), as well as Budapesti TC (0:2, 0:5). In 1915 there were no matches, and the club returned in 1916, when the city was occupied by the troops of the Russian Empire. Due to the initiative of professor Rudolf Wacek, two teams were created – the "civilians", and the "military". In the fall of that year, after the Russians had withdrawn from Lwów, Pogoń played at home against Cracovia (October 1, 0:2), and then went to Kraków, to lose 0:7.

In 1917, while the conflict was still on, Pogoń played several matches versus teams of the Austrian Army units, stationed in the city. Also, it faced Rewera Stanisławów and Vasas Budapest. The Hungarians beat the "civilians" 6:0, and the "military" 4:1. In early August 1917, the team of Vienna came to Lwów, winning one game 5:2 and losing another 1:2.

Golden years – 1920s

Immediately after World War I, a military conflict between the Poles and the Ukrainians began (see Polish–Ukrainian War), and athletes of Pogoń were unable to play any matches until well into 1919. When the hostilities had stopped, Lwów's side went on several away games across newly restored Poland, visiting Poznań, Warsaw, Łódź and Kraków. In the immediate postwar period, Pogoń's lineup consisted of Mieczyslaw Kuchar (goalkeeper), Piotrowski and Wojcicki (defenders), Fluhr, Owsionka, Kusionowicz (midfielders), Juras, Dobrzyński, Wacek Kuchar, Garbien, Batsch, Slonecki (forwards).

In June 1920, at the height of Polish–Soviet War, Pogoń went to Upper Silesia, to face German sides of that area. The tournament was a propaganda exercise, with its main purpose to show Polish-speaking Upper Silesians the strength of Polish sports. Two games were of special importance – one versus Diana Kattowitz (5:0), and another versus Beuthen 09 (3:2). After Pogoń's visit, Poles in Upper Silesia began founding their own teams.

In 1921, in the first completed games for the Championships of Poland (the 1920 games were not finished because of the war), Pogoń represented Lwów's district of the Polish Football Association. However, in the final tournament, Lwów's team was placed in the last (fourth) position, after the champions (Cracovia), Polonia Warsaw, and Warta Poznań.

1922 was the beginning of the golden era of Pogoń's football team. It was then that Lwów's side won the first Polish championship, owing not only to a score of talented players, but also to Austrian coach named K. Fischer, who preferred an offensive, modern style of play. In the first stage, which was regional competition, Pogoń beat all opponents without losing a point. Next, in the finals of Southern Poland, Lwów's favourites twice beat Ruch Chorzów (12:0, 6:0), and WKS Lublin (11:0 and 4:0). The toughest nut to crack was the 1921 champion, Cracovia Kraków. At home, Pogoń won 3:2, but in Kraków, lost 1:4. Nevertheless, the Leopolitans were first, due to better overall goal difference. In the final stage, Pogoń faced the champions of Northern Poland, Warta Poznań. In Poznań, the game ended in a 1:1 draw, and in Lwów the home team won 4:3, thus becoming the 1922 Champions.

In 1923, Pogoń again became the champions of Lwów's district of the Polish Football Association, winning 9 games and drawing 1 (with the record victory 21:1 versus Rewera Stanisławów). Then, in the Eastern Poland group of the Championship it won all games, routing Lauda Wilno 13:0, and WKS Lublin 8:0 and 7:0. The final games against the champions of Western Poland Wisła Kraków, ended in a tie; in Lwów Pogoń won 3:0, and in Kraków, Wisla was better, winning 2:1. Therefore, a third match was necessary, in Warsaw. Pogoń won in extra time 2:1. In the summer of that year, Pogoń went to Yugoslavia, but without major successes. The Leopolitans lost to Concordia Zagreb 2:3, and HASK Zagreb 0:1. In Belgrade, Pogoń won one game and lost another 0:4, to SK Jugoslavija. Furthermore, a number of foreign teams visited Lwów – VfB Admira Wacker Mödling