BOLESŁAW GO£¡B
- 11.04.1933 Bogumiłowice (near Tarnów) – d. 14.01.2023 Mielec
Playingposition: Forward, defender. Clubs in career: Stal Mielec (late 1940s-1953, juniors; 1953-54 seniors)
I have only recently received news of the death of Bolesław Gołęb. He started kicking a football in the blue and white colours in the junior teams (in the late 1940s they were not yet regularly run at Stal), under the watchful eye of those who took their first steps with teaching youngsters at our club, then still active players, including Henryk and Mieczysław Noworyt and Stefan Światowiec.
He mainly played in the reserves, but managed to make his debut in the first team in the second half of 1953. The Mielcans were playing in Class A (the second tier of the Rzeszów Voivodeship) at the time and had ambitious plans for promotion, that is, to compete again with Stal and Ogniwo (Resovia) Rzeszów. The club’s board at the time brought in playing coach Antoni Brzeżańczyk from Kolejarz (Lech) Poznań and reached for a second major haul from Silesia – two Henrys: Czylok and Pilarski, and two Helmut: Tobollik and Waleska (all acquired from Fortuna Bytom). He also tried his hand at other sports: athletics (javelin throw) and tennis.
Although coach Brzeżańczyk tried Bolesław in various formations (he stood out with his height), still in 1954, the competition in the team caused by the above mentioned reinforcements was too strong for him. It will be recalled that at that time the Mielecs recorded two promotions in a row: to the 3rd League, and then to the central level, i.e. to the 2nd League (as the first team from the Rzeszów Province). The player then quickly set his sights on education (he graduated from the Cracow University of Technology) and took up a job at WSK as a cutting tools designer. He remained close to sport as a supporter, being for some time vice-president of the Sports Supporters Club FKS Stal Mielec.
He will remain in my memory as an extremely friendly interlocutor. It is thanks to him that a number of valuable photographs have found their way into the Stal’s archives, including the only one I know of from the first (November 1953), friendly match (he played in the match) of the Stal Sports Club at WSK in Mielec against Garbarnia Kraków (1-1), which was played on the new pitch (the stadium stands were not opened until a year later), at Solskiego Street. As a curiosity, we can note that on several other photographs he had, the numbers with which Mielec players played in a given match were noted.
WE REMEMBER!!!
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