Polish First League

Infobox football league
name = Polish First League

pixels =
country = flagcountry|Poland
founded = 1948
folded =
divisions =
teams = 18
feeds =
levels =
website = http://druga.ligapolska.pl

Polish First League is the second division of the Polish football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the Polish Second League. Run by the Polish Football Association (PZPN) since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association.cite web
last =
first =
title = Foul Play
publisher = Warsaw Voice
date = 2003-08-28
url = http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/3295/
accessdate = 2008-07-31 ] The league was renamed from Second League to First League in 2008.

History

The Second League was officially created on May 30, 1948, but first games took place almost a year later, on March 20, 1949. Scorer of the first, historical goal of the League was Józef Kokot of Naprzód Lipiny, during the game Naprzód Lipiny - Błękitni Kielce.

Before World War Two

In the interbellum period, the Second League did not exist, even though there were several initiatives to create it. On November 2, 1929, sports daily Przegląd Sportowy wrote about the concept, but it was not accepted by the PZPN. Eight years later, on Sunday, September 26, 1937 in Częstochowa, a meeting of representatives of several Polish football clubs took place. They discussed creation of the national "B-Class", with twelve teams:
* Brygada Częstochowa,
* Dąb Katowice,
* Gryf Toruń,
* Rewera Stanisławów,
* Strzelec Janowa Dolina,
* Śmigły Wilno,
* Unia Sosnowiec,
* WKS Grodno,
* HCP Poznań,
* Naprzód Lipiny,
* Podgórze Kraków,
* Union Touring Łódź.

However, the idea failed and was not undertaken until mid-1940s. Instead, games were held at regional levels in all twelve local branches of the PZPN. Each branch had it own league, called "A-Class" (see: Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland.

Creation of the League

In 1947 the idea of creating the national Second League returned and was discussed during the 31st General Meeting of the PZPN (February of 1947). The League was promoted by football officials from Gdańsk, but representatives of the strongest centers of Polish football (Kraków, Warsaw, Upper Silesia) were not interested.

In May of 1948 another General Meeting of the PZPN took place and this time the delegates agreed on creation of the League. Originally, the "National Second Division" was supposed to consist of one group with 18 teams. However, in February of 1949, a few weeks before first games, the League was augmented to 20 teams, divided into two groups - southern and northern. Winners of the historical 1949 season were: Garbarnia Kraków (in the northern group) and Rymer Niedobczyce (in the southern group), both sides were promoted to the First League. Interestingly enough, Garbarnia and Górnik played each other for the title of Champion of the Second League, with Rymer proving itself to be the better side.

In the 1950s and 1960s

Shape of the Second League was changed on numerous occasions. It had one, two, or even four groups. In 1950 football authorities, following the Soviet model, decided that each voivodeship should have at least one team in the Second League. Thus, in the 1951 season there were as many as 32 teams, divided into four groups. Next year, eight more teams were added, and the Second Division consisted of 40 teams, with 4 groups. However, level of the games suffered and in early 1953 another change was undertaken. This time, the League shrank to 14 sides, all in one group.

In 1957 the Second League was augmented one more time, this time to 24 teams, divided again into two groups. Then, in 1961, another change took place - with one group consisting of 18 teams. However, this lasted only one year and in 1962 the League consisted of 16 teams. Also, in February of 1962, PZPN decided to change system of games, from spring-fall into fall-spring, like in other European countries. Shape of the Second League, established then (sixteen teams in one group) was not changed until 1973.

1970s - 2008

On June 27, 1973, the Polish Football Association, following general enthusiasm over results of the national team, coached by Kazimierz Górski, decided to expand the Second League to 32 teams - two groups, with 16 sides. This idea was warmly accepted and remained unchanged for 16 seasons, until 1988/1989. The only thing that was changed was division of the country into groups. In some years, there were "north" and "south" groups, in others - "east" and "west".

In 1989, after the collapse of the Communist system, the Polish FA decided to create one group of 20 teams. This lasted for two years, and starting in the fall of 1991, two groups of 18 teams were created (reduced to 14 sides in 1998/1999). In 1999 the two groups were merged and one Second League was created, with as many as 24 teams.

In 2000 the number of teams was limited to 20 sides, then to 18. Champions and vice-champions received automatic promotion, while third place teams competed in playoffs. The bottom four teams were relegated.

New name

Following the 2007-2008 season, the league was renamed the "Polish First League". The number of teams competing remained at 18. Teams which place 15-18 will be automatically relegated while the 13th and 14th placed teams will compete in playoffs for the right to remain in the First League.

Champions of the Polish second division

* 1949 - Rymer Niedobczyce
* 1950 - Polonia Bytom
* 1951 - Lechia Gdańsk
* 1952 - Gwardia Warszawa, Budowlani Opole
* 1953 - Polonia Bydgoszcz
* 1954 - Zagłębie Sosnowiec
* 1955 - Budowlani Opole
* 1956 - Polonia Bytom
* 1957 - Polonia Bydgoszcz, Cracovia
* 1958 - Pogoń Szczecin, Górnik Radlin
* 1959 - Odra Opole, Zagłębie Sosnowiec

* 1960 - Lech Poznań, Stal Mielec
* 1961 - Gwardia Warszawa
* 1962 - Stal Rzeszów, Pogoń Szczecin
* 1963 - Szombierki Bytom
* 1964 - Śląsk Wrocław
* 1965 - Wisła Kraków
* 1966 - Cracovia
* 1967 - Gwardia Warszawa
* 1968 - Zagłębie Wałbrzych
* 1969 - Gwardia Warszawa

* 1970 - ROW Rybnik
* 1971 - Odra Opole
* 1972 - ROW Rybnik
* 1973 - Szombierki Bytom
* 1974 - Arka Gdynia, GKS Tychy
* 1975 - Widzew Łódź, Stal Rzeszów
* 1976 - Arka Gdynia, Odra Opole
* 1977 - Zawisza Bydgoszcz, Polonia Bytom
* 1978 - Gwardia Warszawa, GKS Katowice
* 1979 - Zawisza Bydgoszcz, Górnik Zabrze

* 1980 - Bałtyk Gdynia, Motor Lublin
* 1981 - Pogoń Szczecin, Gwardia Warszawa
* 1982 - GKS Katowice, Cracovia
* 1983 - Górnik Wałbrzych, Motor Lublin
* 1984 - Lechia Gdańsk, Radomiak Radom
* 1985 - Zagłębie Lubin, Stal Mielec
* 1986 - Olimpia Poznań, Polonia Bytom
* 1987 - Szombierki Bytom, Jagiellonia Białystok
* 1988 - Ruch Chorzów, Stal Mielec
* 1989 - Zagłębie Lubin, Zagłębie Sosnowiec

* 1990 - Hutnik Kraków
* 1991 - Stal Stalowa Wola
* 1992 - Pogoń Szczecin, Siarka Tarnobrzeg
* 1993 - Warta Poznań, Polonia Warszawa
* 1994 - Raków Częstochowa, Stomil Olsztyn
* 1995 - Śląsk Wrocław, GKS Bełchatów
* 1996 - Odra Wodzisław Śląski, Polonia Warszawa
* 1997 - Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Petrochemia Płock
* 1998 - Ruch Radzionków, GKS Bełchatów
* 1999 - Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Petrochemia Plock

* 2000 - Śląsk Wrocław
* 2001 - RKS Radomsko
* 2002 - Lech Poznań
* 2003 - Górnik Polkowice
* 2004 - Pogoń Szczecin
* 2005 - Korona Kielce
* 2006 - Widzew Łódź
* 2007 - Ruch Chorzów
* 2008 - Lechia Gdańsk

2008-09 season

In the Polish First League 2008–09 season, there are 18 teams competing for promotion to the Ekstraklasa. The champions and runners-up will receive automatic promotion while the third- placed team will compete in playoffs. At the other end, the bottom four teams face automatic demotion to the Second League, while the fate of the 13th and 14th place finishers will be decided by playoffs.

Table

Last updated: October 5, 2008
Source: [http://www.90minut.pl/liga.php?id=3783 90minut.pl] pl icon

ee also

*Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland

References

External links

* [http://druga.ligapolska.pl/ Official website] pl icon