As Premier League newcomers, the Steelers were 8th in the table with 19 points after 20 rounds, while the hosts were two places lower with just a point less. In Saturday’s meeting, the visitors presented themselves from a good side. They were the better team for the full ninety minutes. They had the initiative, which allowed them to create several dangerous situations under the local goal. As early as in the 7th minute there was a strong scramble in front of Gieksa ‘s goal, and less than 120 seconds later our team took the lead. On a full run down the right side, Kasperczak escaped his rival and passed the ball to the oncoming Stanislaw Stoj. A half-hearted shot from 11 metres by the Mielec eleven’s attacking manager found its way into the net. The Katowice players immediately tried to make up for the loss, but the experienced FKS goalkeeper Majcher was on hand. The most dangerous was when, after a free kick by Rother, Glück missed the ball six metres from goal. The equalising goal came in the 35th minute, when, in a completely accidental way, the ball (the so-called shot ball) hit the hand of Steel’s captain Erik Hansel. The penalty kick was confidently converted by Lechosław Olsza. A few minutes earlier, however, Stal had two opportunities to increase the score, but both Maleńki’s strike and Lata’s header missed the target by a few centimetres.

After the change of halves, the pace of the match played in hot weather slowed down. Still the driving force behind the visitors was playmaker Kasperczak. We created two opportunities, but both the strike of Kasprzyk, introduced in this part of the game, and Lata were unsuccessful. The hosts only retaliated with a solo action by Rother, ending with a beautiful shot. The last quarter of an hour GKS played in a weakened position, as having used two substitutions earlier, the injured Pluta left the pitch. However, the assault of our players proved ineffective, but in the end the draw achieved in Katowice was much needed at this stage of the competition, as it brought the Mielec team closer to staying in the league.

15.05.1971 – Katowice (17.00), 21st round 1st League, GKS Katowice – FKS Stal Mielec 1-1 (1-1)

Referee: Marian Środecki (Wrocław) Spectators: 2,000

GKS: Franciszek Sput – Eryk Anczok, Stanisław Zuzok, Jerzy Geschlecht, Alojzy Łysko, Andrzej Strzelczyk, Jerzy Nowok, Jan Glück (46 Norbert Wowra), Lechosław Olsza (70 Jacek Góralczyk), Eugeniusz Pluta, Gerard Rother Coach: Roman Durniok

Stal: Stanisław Majcher – Krzysztof Rześny, Marian Kosiński, Ryszard Rachwał, Eryk Hansel, Włodzimierz Gąsior (46 Witold Karaś), Henryk Kasperczak, Adam Popowicz (76 Roman Kasprzyk), Grzegorz Lato, Stanisław Stój, Edward Maleńki Coach: Andrzej Gajewski

Goals: Lechosław Olsza 35 (penalty) – Stanisław Stój 9 min.

From 75 min. GKS played in ten due to an injury to Eugeniusz Pluta.

To sum up, the balance of all 29 (home and away) extra-class duels between Stal and GKS is negative for our club – 7 wins for Stal, 12 draws, 10 defeats. Goal ratio 27-34 for the Katowice-based side. The second-league (now known as I. Liga) struggles are 10 matches (6 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats; goals ratio 20-16). In the 2 Polish Cup matches, the balance is as follows (1 victory for Stali, 1 defeat; goals 4-1).

Leszek Śledziona

Photo: Leszek Śledziona’s archive