After a two-year stay in the 3rd Division and a return to the Premier League in the summer of 1969, the Stalowcy team thrashed relegated side Śląsk Wrocław 3-0 in the first round (3 August 1969 in Mielec) of the 1969/70 Second Division season (goals: Maleńki, Gąsior and Kasperczak), raising their aspirations for further promotion. All the more so because, after the autumn round, the Mielec team occupied second place (21 points in 15 matches), which gave them direct promotion to the elite of Polish football, with a loss of two points to leader ROW Rybnik and a one-point advantage over the fourth-placed Wojskowy team in the table. Thus, the spring round began with an away rematch. Stal played a good game at the Olimpijski Stadium, in which they presented a better disposition than the locals. It was a team that played modern and had better speed and aggressiveness. However, before more than half an hour of play, it could not break through the defensive lines of the hosts. However, in the 36th minute of the game, visiting winger Edward Malenki, having quickly changed position, played the ball into the middle of the field with Henryk Kasperczak, who quickly played it back to him. This was followed by a quick shot by this player into the left corner, past Tomaszewski who was helplessly standing in goal.

After the change of sides, the situation did not change, with the players from Mielec attacking more often, with Slask putting just five shots past Kukla during the 90 minutes. During this period of the game, the regulation junior – Paweł Koczot – charged forward several times and was tried to keep up with the later favourite of the local crowd, Janusz Sybis, in the return leg. Unfortunately, our team did not manage to carry the hard-won lead in the first half to the final whistle. Less than 120 seconds before the end, Silesia won a corner kick, as after Poręba’s long-range strike, the ball bounced off one of the Steel defenders and out for a corner. Czarnecki fed the ball straight onto the head of Jerzy Kasalik, who thus brought the match to a 1-1 draw. The Mielcans maintained their second position in the table until the end of the competition and, together with the aforementioned team from Rybnik, they clinched their place. The gates of the Premier League were opened for the second time in the history of our club, this time for 13 years…

22.03.1970 – Wrocław, 16th round of the 2nd League, Śląsk Wrocław – FKS Stal Mielec 1-1 (0-1)

Referee: Greiner (Gliwice) Spectators: 10,000

Śląsk: Tomaszewski – Poręba, Żmuda, Rachwalski, Peterek, Malinowski (46 Sybis), Czarnecki, Białas (46 Kaczewski), Ćmikiewicz, Kasalik, Nowak Coach: A. Woźniak

Stal: Kukla – Paluch, Kosiński, Rachwał, Hansel, Gąsior, Lato, Karaś (46 Koczot), Kasperczak, Stój, Maleńki Coach: A.Gajewski

Goals: Kasalik 89 (head) – Maleńki 36 min.

In summary, the balance of extra-class duels between Stala and Slask is in favour of the Wroclawians. Forty-three matches were played (14 wins for Stali, 12 draws, 17 defeats). In goals 51-50. In the 2nd league, the Mielecs played against them 6 times in the 60s (3 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat, goals 7-5). In the Polish Cup, the balance is also more favourable for Slask. It has won twice, by scores of 2-0 and 5-2.

Leszek Śledziona

Photo: Leszek Śledziona’s archives