Playingposition: left midfielder. Clubs in career: Sanoczanka, then Stal Sanok (1956-66, youth and senior teams), Stomil Poznań, Ślęza Wrocław (64-65), Moto Jelcz Oława. Coach: Karpaty Krosno (1970-71), Stal Rzeszów (assistant, 72), Siarka Tarnobrzeg (72-74), Stal Mielec (assistant, 74-75), Wisła Kraków (assistant 75-77), Wisła Kraków (77-79), Śląsk Wrocław (79-80), Ruch Chorzów (82-84), Wisła Kraków (84-85), Stal Sanok (coordinator, 85), Igloopol Dębica (85-86), Widzew Łódź (87-88), GKS Katowice (90-91), Wisła Kraków (94), Pogoń Szczecin (95), GKS Katowice (95-96), Ruch Chorzów (96-99), GKS Bełchatów (coordinator, 99), Widzew Łódź (99-2000), Wisła Kraków (2000-01), Ruch Chorzów (02), GKS Bełchatów (05-08), Zagłębie Lubin (09), Cracovia (09-10), Śląsk Wrocław (10-12), Zagłębie Lubin (13-14).

Yesterday, one of the most famous (since the second half of the 1970s) coaches of Polish football clubs , Orest Lenczyk, passed away in Krakow, where he lived in recent years. The initiator of bringing this young coach to Mielec from the third-league Siarki Tarnobrzeg (the club’s historic promotion to the second league) was Zenon Książek, who saw him as his assistant (he replaced Tadeusz Płaneta). He worked at our club for just one season in 1974/75, winning the Polish vice-championship. This is how the doyenor of Mielec coaches, 92-year-old Zenon Książek, remembers him today: He was curious about tactical innovations, very ambitious, inquisitive and meticulous. He conducted training sessions in an extremely thorough manner, and did not let up on any of the players. Włodzimierz Gąsior also added a lot of positive things from the side of the then player: He took care of discipline in the team, being able to mobilise the players to work harder, so that they were more involved in trainings. His cooperation with the first coach was very good, it fell on him to prepare the players for trainings and then matches. In his private life he was able to maintain good contact with the players.

After he left our club until 2014, he was often employed by many Polish Premier League clubs (list and years of work above). In the top division between 1977 and 2014, he led teams in 584 matches. He had a reputation as an extremely charismatic and demanding coach, amassing several successes to his credit: a double Polish championship (1977/78 and 2000/01) with Wisła Kraków, a Polish championship (2011/12) and Polish Super Cup (2012) with Śląsk Wrocław, a Polish Super Cup (1995) with GKS Katowice and a Polish vice-championship (2006/07) with GKS Bełchatów. Although his extremely demanding nature was sometimes complained about by players, he was highly regarded in our leading clubs, which employed him several times: Wisła Kraków (four times), Śląsk Wrocław (twice), Ruch Chorzów (three times), Widzew Łódź (twice), GKS Katowice (twice), GKS Bełchatów (twice). He is remembered fondly in Mielec.

WE REMEMBER!!!

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