Pogoń Lwów

LKS Pogoń Lwów was one of the first and biggest Polish professional sports clubs and the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia. Pogon was a major force of Polish soccer in the interbellum period, it ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland.

History

The history of the club dates back to the spring of 1904, when a Sports-Gymnastics Club at Lwów's 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 Lwów since 1900 and which had played several football games with opponents from other high schools.

In 1907 the name was changed to Pogoń ("Pogoń" is the ancient coat of arms of Lithuania, the new name was proposed by Maksymilian Dudryk). 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. Soon afterwards, statutes of Pogon were established, based on statutes of English sports organizations. Pogoń was co-founder of PZPN (Polish Football Association) (1919), as well as a founding member of the Polish Football League, which started in the spring of 1927.

With numerous departments - among them football, ice-hockey and track and field, Pogoń was one of the biggest and strongest sports organizations in Poland, its football team never was relegated from the elite Polish Football League. Unfortunately, it ceased to exist in September 1939 after German and Soviet aggression against Poland. On July 2, 1939, Pogon played last official home game, drawing 1-1 with AKS Chorzów. Last game of Pogon's football team took place in Warsaw on August 20, 1939. Lwów's side lost 1-2 to Polonia Warszawa, scorer of the last ever goal was 20-year old forward Piotr Dreher.

After the war, when it became clear that Lwów would no longer belong to Poland, its Polish citizens were forced to leave the city. Most of them settled in Upper Silesia and along the line of the Odra river. Pogoń's former officials as well as its players, who wanted to continue their sports activities, helped with founding of several sports clubs. Among clubs that can be regarded as Pogoń's continuation, there are: Polonia Bytom, Odra Opole ,Piast Gliwice and Pogoń Szczecin. All these teams have the same hues as Pogon, and similar logos. Odra Opole was originally called Lwowianka, but the name was disliked by Commnist authorities and had to be changed some time in late 1940s.

Departments

Football, founded in 1904,
Track and field, founded in 1907,
Watersports, founded in 1908,
Wintersports, founded in 1908,
Tennis, founded in 1909,
Cycling, founded in 1909,
Wrestling, founded in 1910,
Handball, founded in 1910,
Boxing, founded in 1926,
Fencing, founded in 1927,
Table-tennis, founded in 1930,
Archery, founded in 1932,
Kayaking, founded in 1933,
Shooting, founded in 1934.

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

Pogoń's soccer team in interwar Poland year by year

1920-1926 non-league championships - winners of regional leagues played against each other in the finals

1920 - championships not finished due to Polish-Soviet War
1921 - 4th in the finals, below Cracovia Kraków, Polonia Warszawa and Warta Poznań, but ahead of ŁKS Łódź. To get to the finals, Pogon had won regional games of the Lwów area.
1922 - champion, after beating champions of Northern Poland, Warta Poznań (1-1 and 4-3). Before the final games, Pogon had become champion of Southern Poland, beating Cracovia Kraków 3-2 and 1-4, Lublinianka Lublin 4-0 and 11-0 and Ruch Chorzów 12-0 and 6-0.
1923 - champion, after beating champions of Western Poland, Wisła Kraków. In the first leg in Lwów, Pogon won 3-0. In the second leg, in Kraków, Wisla won 2-1 and the third game was necessary, in Warsaw, Pogon won 2-1 (1-0). Before the final games, Pogon had become champion of Eastern Poland, beating Polonia Warszawa 5-1 and 6-1, WKS Lublin 8-0 and 7-0 and Lauda Wilno 13-0 and 3-1.
1924 - no competition because of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
1925 - champion, after beating in the finals, both Warta Poznań (4-1 and 2-2) and Wisła Kraków (1-0 and 1-0).
1926 - champion, after beating in the finals, both Warta Poznań (7-1 and 2-2) and Polonia Warszawa (1-0, 2-2 and 2-0).

1927-1939 Polish Soccer League

1927 - 4th, with 29 points, goals 65-42
1928 - 6th, with 31 points, goals 61-55
1929 - 9th, with 19 points, goals 43-48
1930 - 7th, with 19 points, goals 34-36
1931 - 4th, with 28 points, goals 47-33
1932 - 2nd, with 28 points, goals 32-24
1933 - 2nd in the champions group, with 13 points, goals 29-16
1934 - 6th, with 24 points, goals 41-38
1935 - 2nd, with 25 points, goals 55-31
1936 - 6th, with 19 points, goals 36-29
1937 - 6th, with 19 points, goals 25-23
1938 - 5th, with 19 points, goals 23-26
1939 - This season was not finished due to World War II. At the end of August, 1939, Pogoń was 3rd in the Polish Soccer League, with 16 points and goals 27-22.