GKS Katowice

Summary

GKS Katowice (Polish pronunciation: [ɡʲɛ ka ˈɛs katɔˈvitsɛ]; GKS stands for Górniczy Klub Sportowy, lit.'Miners Sporting Club') is a Polish professional football club based in Katowice. The club currently plays in the I liga (as of 2022–23).

GKS Katowice
Full nameGórniczy Klub Sportowy Katowice
Nickname(s)Gieksa
Founded27 February 1964; 60 years ago (1964-02-27)
GroundStadion GKS Katowice, Katowice, Poland
Capacity9,511
ChairmanKrzysztof Nowak
ManagerRafał Górak
LeagueI liga
2022–23I liga, 10th of 18
WebsiteClub website

History edit

 
Stadion GKS Katowice

In 1963 in Katowice a special organizational committee was called with the purpose of uniting all the clubs and sporting organizations of the city into one large club which would encompass many disciplines. In mid-1963 Rapid Wełnowiec and Orzeł Wełnowiec merged, creating Rapid/Orzeł. In 1964 Rapid/Orzeł, Górnik Katowice, Koszutka Katowice, Katowicki Klub Łyżwiarski (Katowice Skating Club), Katowicki Klub Sportowy Górnik, Górniczy Klub Żeglarski Szkwał (a sailing club) amongst other clubs from Katowice merged creating GKS Katowice. Four years later on the 9 August 1968, Dąb Katowice also amalgamated with GKS Katowice. GKS Katowice made its debut in Polish football's top league (now called the Ekstraklasa) on 8 August 1965 when GKS Katowice took on local rivals Górnik Zabrze.

GKS Katowice's debut season in the top flight was in the 1965–66 season. The new team quickly gained experience and ability. A bad patch for the club came in 1971 when Katowice was relegated to the 2nd Division. The club's problems were quickly overcome, and GKS returned to the top flight where they played with pride and passion. From 1982 the club consistently found itself up the top end of the ladder, as well as playing off in several Polish Cup finals. In 1985 GKS Katowice played in its first Polish Cup final but lost in a penalty shootout to Widzew Łódź. The following year GKS played off in a memorable final at Stadion Śląski against Górnik Zabrze; GKS triumphed 4–1. From that moment the city of Katowice began to live and breathe football.[citation needed] The next year GKS finished third and the two following years they were runners-up. In the 1989–90 season GKS again came third, and in the 1991–92 season GKS were runners-up. From 1986 to 1995 to GKS Katowice were four times runners-up in the league, twice the winners of the Polish Super Cup and three-time Polish Cup winners.

The biggest moments for the club and fans were always when the team took part in European cups. The first time GKS faced European opposition was in 1970, in the now defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, GKS took on the might of Barcelona in a two-legged tie. Katowice didn't lose by much (2-4 on aggregate), the fans were proud of their club.[citation needed] The second time GKS took part in European football they showed more and played better football. In the first round of the 1986–1987 UEFA Cup Winners Cup GKS defeated Iceland's Fram Reykjavík but in the second round, they lost to Switzerland's Sion. For the next 10 years, GKS Katowice took part in European football. Over the years fans of GKS got to witness their team take on the likes of Sportul Studentsc Bucharest, Rangers, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Benfica, Aris, Girondins Bordeaux and twice Bayer Leverkusen. GKS's record in European football stands at 10 wins, 7 draws, and 19 losses.

GKS Katowice again fell on hard times during the mining crisis. Following the 1998–99 season the team was relegated from the Ekstraklasa, but was back in the topflight only a year later. Piotr Dziurowicz became president who, despite growing debts and financial troubles, kept the team in the top flight. In 2003 the team even managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup by finishing third in the league under coach Jan Żurek. This was hailed[by whom?] as one of the biggest surprises ever in the history of the Ekstraklasa. Despite the success, the debts under Piotr Dziurowicz began to grow to a significant sum.

 
Home game with Odra Opole in the 2008–09 I liga

From March 27, 2003 to June 11, 2004, the club played under the name of its main sponsor Dospel Katowice; this was not taken well by the fans of the club.[citation needed] GKS Katowice Sportowa Spółka Akcyjna finished its reins at the helm of the club in the summer of 2005 after the disastrous 2004–2005 season where GKS finished 14th (and last) in the Ekstraklasa and was relegated to the second Division. Then to make matters worse the team had to drop to the 4th Division due to legal and financial problems. After the drop to the 4th division, a group of dedicated fans known as the "Stowarzyszenie Sympatyków Klubu GKS Katowice" (which loosely translates into Society of Well Wishers Club of GKS Katowice) took over the helm at the club. In June 2006 the club was promoted to the 3rd division, and in June 2007 the team again won promotion this time to the 2nd Division, which in 2008 was renamed the 1st Division (I Liga). The team continues to play, balancing between the I liga (2nd tier) and II liga (3rd tier).

Major achievements edit

National edit

Polish Cup titles (3): 1986, 1991, 1993
Polish Cup final: 1985, 1987, 1990, 1995, 1997
Polish Supercup titles (2): 1991, 1995
Polish Ekstraklasa Runner Up: 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994
Polish Ekstraklasa Third Team: 1987, 1990, 1995, 2003

International edit

Round of 16 – Cup Winners' Cup (2x) – 1986/87, 1991/92
Round of 16 – UEFA Cup (1x) – 1994/95

Youth Team edit

  • Polish U-19 Bronze Medal: 1995, 2002

GKS in Europe edit

Season Competition Round Club Score
1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1R   FC Barcelona 0–1, 2–3
1986–87 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R   Fram Reykjavik 3–0, 1–0
2R   FC Sion 2–2, 0–3
1987–88 UEFA Cup 1R   Sportul Studenţesc 0–1, 1–2
1988–89 UEFA Cup 1R   Rangers FC 0–1, 2–4
1989–90 UEFA Cup 1R   RoPS 1–1, 0–1
1990–91 UEFA Cup 1R   Turun Palloseura 3–0, 1–0
2R   Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1–2, 0–4
1991–92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R   Motherwell FC 2–0, 1–3
2R   Club Brugge 0–1, 0–3
1992–93 UEFA Cup 1R   Galatasaray SK 0–0, 1–2
1993–94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R   S.L. Benfica 0–1, 1–1
1994–95 UEFA Cup Q   Inter Cardiff F.C. 2–0, 6–0
1R   Aris Thessaloniki 1–0, 0–1
2R   Girondins de Bordeaux 1–0, 1–1
3R   Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1–4, 0–4
1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Q   Ararat Yerevan 2–0, 0–2
2003–04 UEFA Cup Q   Cementarnica 55 Skopje 0–0, 1–1

Current team edit

As of 4 February, 2024[1]

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 Dawid Kudła
2 DF   EST Märten Kuusk
3 DF   POL Grzegorz Janiszewski
4 DF   POL Arkadiusz Jędrych
5 DF   POL Oskar Repka
6 MF   POL Antoni Kozubal (on loan from Lech Poznan)
7 FW   POL Sebastian Bergier
10 MF   POL Mateusz Mak
11 MF   POL Adrian Błąd
12 GK   POL Przemysław Pęksa
13 DF   POL Bartosz Jaroszek
14 DF   POL Aleksander Komor
15 MF   POL Szymon Krawczyk
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF   POL Grzegorz Rogala
17 MF   POL Mateusz Marzec
18 FW   POL Jakub Arak
19 FW   POL Kacper Pietrzyk
20 DF   POL Adrian Danek
21 MF   POL Bartosz Baranowicz
22 MF   ECU Christian Alemán
23 MF   POL Marcin Wasilewski
26 DF   POL Jakub Kaduk
28 MF   POL Alan Brod
31 MF   JPN Shun Shibata
33 GK   POL Patryk Szczuka

Notable players edit

Managers edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "GKS Katowice – Skład" (in Polish). GKS Katowice. Retrieved 26 May 2023.

External links edit

  • (in Polish) GKS Katowice – Official website
  • (in Polish) GKS Katowice at 90minut.pl
  • Official facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram