The fifth season after Stali’s promotion to the second division, again under the coaching eye of Antoni Brzeżańczyk, was to show that 2nd place in 1957 was no accident and that the Mielecs could afford promotion to the top teams in the country this season. In the third round, the white and blue team travelled to a part of Kraków called Ludwinów, where the 1931 Polish champion Garbarnia was based. The match itself started with an attacking move by the Cracovians, as already in the 2nd minute, Król kicked the ball into the corner at the last minute. Pyka responded with an angular shot from the penalty area line, but the ball went past the post. After 12 minutes, the same player had another good opportunity, breaking through defenders in the middle of the pitch and sending the ball into the net from 10 metres. The hosts also had their opportunities (Jasiówka in the 17th and Grabowski in the 27th minute), but missed badly. The best situation was wasted 60 seconds later by the former, who lost a one-on-one duel with Mielec goalkeeper Ryszard Mysiak, who …caught him by the legs. Kucharski approached the eleven and hit not too strongly into the left corner, but our goalkeeper showed off a great intervention. The last quarter of an hour was dominated by the locals, but the score remained unchanged.
In the second part of the game, the Mielecs fell a bit from their strength, but they left three attackers in front: Kapuscinski, Tobollik and Stefan Gabrysiak. In the 58th minute of the game, after a quick counter-attack, the latter pulled the ball up to the back line and laid it out on a tray to the oncoming Hall sniper Helmut Tobollik, who completed the formalities from close range. After our team had taken the lead, the game got much tougher on both sides. The kicking game continued until the 87th minute, when the brutal play culminated. First, after a corner kick by Feluś, the Mielec goalkeeper grabbed the ball from above Grabowski’s head and fell to the turf. Cholewa jumped to our player and kicked him deliberately. Then the nervous tension could not be withstood by Król, who pushed the attacking player away with his hand, and it began. Coach Brzeżańczyk, who started to calm down our players, was led away from the venue by the orderlies. Following an almost three-minute brawl, Cholewa and Jan Król and Stefan Gabrysiak were removed from the pitch by the referee. In the final seconds of the match, Mysiak also showed off his brilliant defence of Feluś’s shot into the top corner from close range.
27.03.1960 – Kraków, 3rd round 2nd League, Garbarnia Kraków – Stal Mielec 0-1 (0-0)
Referee: Pogorzelski (Warsaw) Spectators: 12,000
Garbarnia: Stroniarz – Feluś, Konopka, Wełniak, Kurek, Bieniek, Cholewa, Bomba, Grabowski, Jasiówka, Kucharski Coach: K.Finek
Stal: Mysiak – Lupa, Król, Gaj, Opiełka, Budek, Gabrysiak, Czylok, Pyka, Tobollik, Kapuściński Coach: A.Brzeżańczyk
Removed from the pitch in the 87th minute: Cholewa – Król, Gabrysiak
Goal: Tobollik 58 min.
In summary, the balance of all 20 (home and away) of Stal’s second-league duels with the Tanners is in favour of our team – 12 victories for Stal, 4 draws, 4 defeats, goals: 33-14. The struggle at the third level (2nd league) is 2 matches (2 wins for Stal; goals: 3-1). In the only Polish Cup match, Stal lost
0-2.
Leszek Śledziona
Photo Archive of Leszek Śledziona; Tempo 28.03.1960, p. 5.
