Stal Mielec
Stal Mielec (Polish pronunciation: [ˈstal ˈmjɛlɛt͡s]) is a Polish football club based in Mielec, Poland. The club was established on April 10, 1939. Historically, the club has enjoyed great successes within Poland's Ekstraklasa Premier League, winning the title twice (in 1973 and 1976) but had undergone significant management changes and financial difficulties within the past two decades, which forced the club from participation in the Premier League. After winning the Polish third-tier league title in 2016, Stal Mielec was promoted to I Liga, the second-tier league. After finishing second in I Liga in 2020, Stal Mielec was promoted to the Ekstraklasa Premier League for the first time since the 1995–96 season.
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| Full name | FKS Stal Mielec | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Biało-niebiescy (White-blues) | ||
| Founded | April 10, 1939 | ||
| Ground | Stadion Stali Mielec Solskiego 1 Street, Mielec, Poland | ||
| Capacity | 7,000[1] | ||
| Chairman | Bartłomiej Jaskot | ||
| Manager | Leszek Ojrzyński[2] | ||
| League | Ekstraklasa | ||
| 2019-20 | I liga, 1st (promoted) | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
Naming history
- 1939 – Klub Sportowy PZL Mielec
- 1946 – Robotniczy Klub Sportowy PZL Zryw Mielec
- 1948 – Związkowy Klub Sportowy Metalowców PZL Mielec
- 1949 – Związkowy Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
- 1950 – Koło Sportowe Stal przy Wytwórni Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego Mielec
- 1957 – Fabryczny Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
- 1977 – Fabryczny Klub Sportowy PZL Stal Mielec
- 1995 – Autonomiczna Sekcja Piłki Nożnej FKS PZL Stal Mielec
- 1997 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Stal Mielec
- 1998 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Lobo Stal Mielec
- 1999 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Stal Mielec
- 2002 – Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
- 2003 – Klub Sportowy FKS Stal Mielec
1939–1945 - the beginning and interwar period
The football club was one of the first two (next to the volleyball club) at the PZL Mielec, established in 1939. The team was made up of players playing in other clubs in Mielec and employees of the PZL, an aerospace company. In the first match played, the team defeated the Gymnastic Society "Sokół" Mielec with 4–1 victory. Three more matches were played against Dzikovia Tarnobrzeg (2–1), Metal Tarnów (3–1) and a team made up of players from an ammunition factory in Nowa Dęba (6–1). The match against Okęcie Warszawa planned for September did not take place, because World War II started and any sports games were forbidden. However, the matches were played illegally in the meadows beyond the communal forest and in other towns (including Dębica, Kolbuszowa, Sandomierz). The only official match was played against a German military unit and ended with the score 1–2.
Achievements
- Ekstraklasa
- Polish Cup
- Finalists: 1976
- Youth Teams:
- Polish U-19 Runner Up: 1964, 2007
- Polish U-19 Bronze Medal: 1968, 1969, 2006
- Polish U-17 Champion: 2007
- Polish U-17 Runner Up: 1996, 2012
Participation in European cups
- Quarter-finalists of the UEFA Cup in 75/76 season
- First round participants of the UEFA Cup in 79/80 season
- First round participants of the UEFA Cup in 82/83 season
- First round participants of the European Champions Cup in 73/74 season
- First round participants of the European Champions Cup in 76/77 season
Stadium
The construction of the club's current stadium, Stadion Stali Mielec at Solskiego 1, was concluded in 1953. The stadium underwent a major renovation, completed in 2013. It maintains a seating capacity for 7,000 spectators. Before the 2013 renovation, it maintained seating capacity for 30,000 spectators, and hosted numerous European Champions Cup, UEFA Cup, and Polish national team matches, including FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers.
Individual Player Awards
Ekstraklasa Premier League Top Goalscorer
- 1973 - Grzegorz Lato - 13 goals
- 1975 - Grzegorz Lato - 19 goals
- 1995 - Bogusław Cygan - 16 goals
Award given by Piłka Nożna:
- Player of the Year
- 1976 - Henryk Kasperczak
- 1977 - Grzegorz Lato
- Newcomer of the Year
- 1975 - Zbigniew Hnatio
- 1978 - Włodzimierz Ciołek
Award given by Przegląd Sportowy
- Polish Athlete of the Year
- 1974 - 4th place - Grzegorz Lato
- 1977 - 5th place - Grzegorz Lato
Award given by Sport
- Player of the Year
- 1974 - Grzegorz Lato
- 1976 - Henryk Kasperczak
- 1977 - Grzegorz Lato
Award given by Tempo
- Goalkeeper of the Year
- 1979 - Zygmunt Kukla
Reserves
| League | IV liga |
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| 2019–20 | 4th |
| Website | Club website |
The club operates a reserve team which currently plays in IV liga Subcarpathia, the fifth tier of the league pyramid. Moreover, there is the Stal Mielec III team,[3] as they play in liga okręgowa (sixth tier) and participate in the 2020–21 Subcarpathian Rzeszów–Dębica Polish Cup edition.[4]
Current squad
- As of 5 October 2020.[5]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
- Grzegorz Lato, player of Polish national football team, Golden Shoe winner of the 1974 World Cup with 7 goals; former President of the Polish Football Association
- Henryk Kasperczak, player of Polish national football team, former coach of Wisła Kraków and Kavala F.C.
- Andrzej Szarmach, player of Polish national football team
- Jan Domarski, player of Polish national football team
- Dariusz Kubicki, player of Polish national football team
- Zygmunt Kukla, goalkeeper of Polish national football team 1978 - 1980
- Bogusław Wyparło, goalkeeper of Polish national football team
Managers
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See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stal Mielec. |
References
- Stadion Stali Mielec at stalmielec.com
- http://www.90minut.pl/news/308/news3081335-Leszek-Ojrzynski-trenerem-Stali-Mielec.html
- http://www.90minut.pl/skarb.php?id_klub=23297&id_sezon=97
- http://www.90minut.pl/liga/1/liga11560.html
- "Stal Mielec squad". Stal Mielec. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34&page=2
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34&page=3
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34&page=4
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34&page=5
- http://stalmielec.com/?page_id=34&page=7
External links
- Official website
- Discussion Board
- Stal Mielec at the 90minut.pl website (Polish)