Polonia Bytom

Polonia Bytom (Polish pronunciation: [pɔˈlɔɲja ˈbɨtɔm]) is a Polish football club based in Bytom. Founded in 1920, the team won two championships, in 1954 and 1962. As of the 2024–25 season, they compete in the II liga.

For the ice hockey section of the club, see TMH Polonia Bytom.
Polonia Bytom
Full nameBytomski Sport Polonia Bytom Spółka z o.o.
Nickname(s)Blue & Reds, Queen of Silesia
Founded4 January 1920 (1920-01-04)
GroundPolonia Bytom Stadium
Capacity1,175[1]
ChairmanSławomir Kamiński
ManagerŁukasz Tomczyk
LeagueII liga
2023–24II liga, 6th of 18[2]

History

Beginnings

Polonia was founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom, during the hectic months of the Silesian Uprisings. In late 1922, however, as a result of the Upper Silesia plebiscite, Bytom remained part of Germany and the club ceased to exist.

In May 1945, numerous players and officials of another Polish club, Pogoń Lwów, arrived in Bytom and decided to revive Polonia. On 17 May 1945, the team played its first game in over two decades, defeating Warta Poznań 3–2.

Polonia is considered the continuation of Pogoń Lwów; its logo is very similar to the logo of Lwów's team as well as their colours, red-blue.

1950s and 1960s

Polonia achieved greatest success in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was one of the top teams in Poland. It has won the Polish championship twice, in 1954 and 1962. In 1952, 1958, 1959 and 1961 Polonia Bytom was the vice-champion of Poland. It reached the Polish Cup final in 1964. It performed well in the Intertoto Cup, reaching the final in the 1963–64 season after defeating teams such as Red Star Belgrade, Sampdoria and fellow Polish side Odra Opole. It won the trophy in the 1964–65 season after defeating teams like RC Lens, Schalke 04, Liège and SC Leipzig. Polonia also won the 1965 International Soccer League and finished third in the Polish league in the 1965–66 and 1968–69 seasons.

During that period, Polish international player and goalkeeper Edward Szymkowiak played for Polonia. The club stadium is named after him, and has a capacity of 5,500 spectators.

Recent times

In June 2007 Polonia Bytom, after many years, returned to the Polish Ekstraklasa. However, in 2011, the club was relegated to the I liga after finishing bottom of the table with just six wins all season.[3]

Honours

Domestic

International

Youth teams

Supporters

Polonia Bytom supporters were the first organised fan-club in Poland. They have introduced scarfs, flags and organised chants. Many of the other supporters groups were travelling to Bytom only to watch how Polonia's fans are cheering their club and behaving on the stadium.

The fans have friendships with fans of Arka Gdynia which dates back to 1974, one of the longest friendships in supporter history which has survived to date;[4] and with fans of Odra Opole, since 1987.

Polonia biggest rivals are local teams Górnik Zabrze, Ruch Radzionków, Ruch Chorzów (The Oldest Silesian Derby) and Szombierki Bytom (Derby of Bytom). The other groups which are not very welcome in Bytom are fans from Zaglebie Sosnowiec, Legia Warszawa and Lechia Gdańsk.

Polonia Bytom firm is commonly known as Desperados.

League participations[5]
  • Ekstraklasa: 1948–1949 (2 seasons), 1951–1955 (5 seasons), 1957–1976 (20 seasons), 1977–1980, 1986–1987, 2007–2011
  • I liga: 1950, 1956, 1976–1977, 1980–1986, 1987–2001, 2005–2007, 2011–2013
  • II liga: 2001–2005, 2013–2014, 2015–2017, 2023–

Current squad
As of 20 May 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  POL Karol Szymkowiak
2 DF  POL Michał Szmigiel (on loan from Śląsk Wrocław II)
4 DF  POL Maksymilian Cichocki
5 DF  POL Patryk Romanowski (on loan from Motor Lublin)
6 MF  POL Daniel Ściślak
7 MF  POL Lucjan Zieliński
8 MF  POL Szymon Jopek (on loan from Puszcza Niepołomice)
9 FW  POL Kamil Wojtyra
10 MF  POL Filip Żagiel
11 MF  POL Konrad Andrzejczak
14 DF  POL Jakub Pochcioł (on loan from Górnik Zabrze)
15 MF  POL Dawid Krzemień (captain)
16 MF  POL Patryk Stefański
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  POL Sebastian Steblecki
18 MF  POL Tomasz Gajda
19 FW  POL Dawid Wolny
21 MF  POL Dawid Brzozowski
22 DF  POL Michał Bedronka
25 MF  POL Dominik Konieczny
26 FW  POL Kamil Siudak
28 DF  POL Bartosz Farbiszewski (on loan from Bruk-Bet Termalica)
29 DF  POL Adrian Piekarski
30 DF  POL Norbert Radkiewicz
33 GK  POL Kamil Hajduk
40 GK  POL Paweł Zagórski

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
13 MF  POL Łukasz Piontek (at Gwarek Tarnowskie Góry until June 2024)
20 MF  POL Łukasz Zejdler (at LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój until June 2024)
24 DF  POL Dominik Budzik (at Pniówek Pawłowice until June 2024)
35 GK  POL Szymon Gniełka (at Unia Oświęcim until June 2024)
37 MF  POL Daniel Zieliński (at Pniówek Pawłowice until June 2024)
39 GK  POL Eryk Mirus (at Sokół Kleczew until June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  POL Mateusz Anklewicz (at Drama Zbrosławice until June 2024)
— FW  POL Grzegorz Ochwat (at Drama Zbrosławice until June 2024)
— MF  POL Piotr Topolewski (at Pniówek Pawłowice until June 2024)
— MF  POL Kamil Wójcik (at Nadzieja Bytom until June 2024)
— MF  POL Jacek Wuwer (at LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój until June 2024)

Polonia in Europe
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate/Position
1958–59 European Cup Q MTK Budapest 0–3 0–3 0–6
1962–63 European Cup Q Panathinaikos FC 2–1 4–1 6–2
1R Galatasaray 1–4 1–0 2–4
1964–65 Intertoto Cup Group C3 Lens 4–0 1–3 Winner/1st
Schalke 04 6–0 0–2
Degerfors IF 6–0 1–1
1R Bye
Quarter final Karl-Marx-Stadt FC 0–2 4–1 4–3
Semi-final RFC Liège 0–1 3–1 3–2
Final Lokomotive Leipzig 0–3 5–1 5–4
1966–67 Intertoto Cup[6] Group B6 Norrköping 3–1 1–5 3rd
Dynamo Dresden 0–0 1–7
Spartak Hradec Králové 0–0 0–0
1967 Intertoto Cup[7] Group B3 Elfsborg 3–0 2–1 Winner/1st
Werder Bremen 2–1 0–2
Grasshopper 5–1 4–1
1970 Intertoto Cup[8] Group B8 Horsens 2–2 1–1 Winner/1st
Rot-Weiss Essen 3–2 1–1
Tirol Innsbruck 1–0 3–2
1973 Intertoto Cup[9] Group 10 B 1901 6–2 2–0 3rd
Östers 1–2 2–3
Austria Salzburg 4–1 1–7
1975 Intertoto Cup[10] Group 5 Zbrojovka Brno 1–2 1–2 2nd
AIK 5–1 3–2
Tennis Borussia Berlin 3–0 1–1
1980 Intertoto Cup[11] Group 5 Nitra 1–0 0–4 4th
Esbjerg 0–1 2–1
LASK Linz 1–1 0–2

References
  1. Bytom, Polonia. "Stadion Polonii Bytom". stadiony.net.
  2. "II liga 2023/2024". www.90minut.pl.
  3. http://fussball.wettpoint.com/en/archives/table/ekstraklasa_2010_poland.html "Fussball – League Table Ekstraklasa Season 2010/11 Poland" Retrieved 15 August 2011
  4. "Polonia Bytom".
  5. pl:Polonia Bytom (piłka nożna)
  6. "Intertoto Cup 1966/67". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  7. "Intertoto Cup 1967". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  8. "Intertoto Cup 1970". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  9. "Intertoto Cup 1973". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  10. "Intertoto Cup 1975". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  11. "Intertoto Cup 1980". mogiel.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.

50°21′27.21″N 18°53′55.38″E

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