# Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski

Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski is a Polish multi-sports club based in Gorzów Wielkopolski with a leading speedway team, and also a men's handball team and a football youth academy.
The speedway team is one of Poland's most accomplished teams, winning nine Team Speedway Polish Championships and ten Polish Pairs Speedway Championships (as of 2022). It competes in Speedway Ekstraliga (top division), as of 2023. The handball team plays in the Liga Centralna (2nd division), as of 2022–23.

## History
### Formation and beginnings

The speedway section of club was officially registered 9 April 1950. At number 60 the register of sports associations was written down trade union sports club of Gorzów Wielkopolski. In July 1951 the club already had own 395-metres with path by the Śląska Street. After a few years of the struggle on III league paths and suspending the operations of the speedway chapter in 1953–1954 years, in 1955 the team is being Gorzów Wielkopolski reported to gameses of the II league. In 1961 the team of Stal in the end fought its way through to gameses of the first division. In the entire season the Gorzów Wielkopolski team suffered only two defeats, but surnames of Edmund Migoś, Bronisław Rogal, Edward Pilarczyk or Jerzy Padewski were already then well known for fans throughout the country. In conclusion of season sports club was an organiser one from series test-match with the representation the USSR. specially to this match, with the help of Mechanical Plants Gorzów and of army unit, an artificial lighting was installed. Match, played on 17 October at hour 22, closed with the minimal victory for the representation of Poland 39:38. They acted in stocks white and red Stal speedway riders: Migoś, Padewski, Andrzej Pogorzelski, E. Pilarczyk and Zdzisław Boniecki. Igor Plechanov was a star of the Soviet team. In the draught of two first seasons in the first division inhabitant of Gorzów Wielkopolski occupied lower areas of the table. 1962 was the year difficult, but after winning play-off matches with Zgrzeblarki Zielona Góra defended Stal one's place in the first division for her no longer to leave for next long years. Only in 1964 the first success is coming in the form of getting a silver medal of the Team Speedway Polish Championship.

### 1960s and 1970s. „The Golden Era" of the club

The same positions filled Stal still for two next seasons. Season 1967 closed with the lack of the medal and the fourth place. A year later team again became a vice-champion of the country, and Edward Jancarz, making his debut in gameses for the individual world championships, captured the after the play-off race with the representative of USSR – Giennadij Kurylenko, bronze medal. 1969 was a huge success of Gorzów Wielkopolski speedway sport, then for the first time team from above of Warta became a Team Speedway Polish Champion. After the success in 1969 they counted on the defence of the title in the next season, unfortunately inhabitant of Stal finished gameses on the fifth place. The following year brought silver, already fifth as a matter of fact medal in the history of the club. From 1973 to 1979 inhabitant of team stood on the podium and won gold medals in years 1973, 1975 and of 1978 and silver in 1974 and of 1979. To the success of the entire team in 70 years Migoś in 1970, Zenon Plech in years 1972 and of 1974, Jancarz in 1975 and Bogusław Nowak in 1977 still got titles of individual Polish Individual Speedway Championship. Moreover, Plech in 1973 got second in the history of the club bronze medal of the individual world championships.

### 1980s and 1990s

In 1980 competitors of Stal took the fourth place then again of the year. In 1981 the team captured silver, in 1982 bronze, and in the season gained 1983 last up until now title of Team Speedway Polish Championship. A year later the club occupied only an eighth place. In the following years inhabitant of team went on average apart from year 1987, in which they got a bronze medal of the team Polish championship. Years brought two fourth places to 1990–1991. From the place on the podium both in 1990 as well as of 1991 only small points divided. In 1992 they were Stal with team vice-champions of Poland. Four consecutive seasons proceeded without most successes. The club got around the club in 1997 and on this occasion activists implemented changes being supposed to improve the performance of the squad. A changed name of the team of Stal stayed on Pergo and from Apator Toruń of Tomasz Bajerski was bought for the record-breaking 600.000 PLN. Also a contract with an individual world champion was signed from 1994 with Swede Tony Rickardsson. And after all the club in season 1997 gained a silver medal of the team Polish championship. After this season Piotr Świst resigned from the club, his walking away and a few smaller factors caused that in 1998 inhabitant of Gorzów Wielkopolski after the heavy fight had defended before the fall themselves. After making composition look younger in the next season the Stal occupied the sixth place, giving the right of the start in the season 2000 in reformed Speedway Ekstraliga. In the new season they captured team bronze medal of the team Polish championship, to after the fourth for place in 2001 to spend the worst season for forty years finished with the decline for the lower league competition.

### 2003–2007. Race in 1st league

In 2003 Stal spite of great money troubles. When Świst and Mariusz Staszewski left the team in the club they put to young people. Juniors bolstered up with experienced competitors with Piotr Paluch, Robert Flis and the three of Swedes they proceeded up to the season with the intention supporting the team, into reality fought to the bitter end against the third place in the table. Charges of Stanisław Chomski are achieving 8 victories in the fundamental round, being promoted to a group of promotion-seek teams. Inhabitant of club after all are finishing the season on the fourth position. Similarly it was in the season 2004. Completely different moods accompanied speedway riders and activists before the season 2005. The purpose for the squad was clearly defined. An advance to the circle of teams was it Polish Speedway Ekstraliga. The team was strengthened with former individual world champion from 2000, with Mark Loram. The team finished the fundamental part of gameses on the top one spot. Unfortunately, the lost semi-final from the KM Ostrów Wielkopolski, that inhabitant of team to the match against the third place from RKM Rybnik they set about in domestic composition and after all from the row finished the third year gameses on the fourth position. The future of the club stood up under a big question mark. The most gifted club junior left the team Paweł Hlib which moved to the Unia Tarnów. On the day of 19 December 2005 a reporting-election annual general meeting, during which the new 6-person management board of a sports club was chosen was held Stal, at the head which Władysław Komarnicki was chosen. In the season 2006 applied to new regulations and for the first time in the history of Polish cinder a number of starting foreign competitors wasn't reduced. Then six competitors represented the club from outside Poland. Season 2007 it for of Stal special year. Before the start of gameses great achievements which were supposed to be crowning 750-years beats of the city were already being announced and 60-years of the club. To help with reaching at this target had Matej Ferjan contracting, Jesper B. Jensen and Magnus Zetterström. If later it turned out, the club after five years returned to the Speedway Ekstraliga. Except for very great achievement, that is winning through Stal the first divisions, the guard to mention the repair work which they moved at the Stadion Edwarda Jancarza. In the end fans could seat themselves in about of the entire path, because a missing part of the podium was built on.

### 2008s and present

After five years spent in the first division, fans with hope looked at the consecutive season. A company became a titular sponsor of the team Caelum Development and before the season 2008 was strengthened team. An outstanding Polish competitor of Tomasz Gollob was contracted, of Norwegian with the Polish passport Rune Holta and Swede – Peter Karlsson. Projects of the further expansion of the stadium were also described, of which openly a few days came before the inauguration of the season. Team finished gameses on the sixth place. Similarly it was in the consecutive season. Before the season a former individual world champion is attaching 2010 to the Stal Dane Nicki Pedersen and Tomasz Gapiński, and borrowed from the Unia Leszno – Przemysław Pawlicki. Team are finishing the fundamental round on the second place, but before play-off's from Falubaz of injury one of leaders of Stal – Pedersen and inhabitant of Gorzów Wielkopolski are losing match with the rival neighbouring and are taking the third time after all in gameses from the row the sixth place. In season 2010 a captain T. Gollob was a great success which got first in one's career and after 37 years – second for Poland – title of an individual world champion. Stal finished season 2011 after 11 years of the break fourth in the history of the club with bronze medal of the Team Speedway Polish Championship. In the season a representative of Poland is attaching 2012 to the Gorzów Wielkopolski team Krzysztof Kasprzak and the young Dane Michael J. Jensen. After 15 years are capturing Stal the vice-championship of the Team Speedway Polish Championship surrendering in final matches for gold for Azoty Unia Tarnów 93:86.

## Honours

| Competitions | Total | Golden medals | Golden medals | Silver medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Bronze medals |
| Competitions | Total | Total | Years | Total | Years | Total | Years |
| Team (DMP) (since 1948) | 30 | 9 | 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 2014, 2016 | 15 | 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1992, 1997, 2012, 2018, 2020, 2022 | 6 | 1982, 1987, 2000, 2011, 2017, 2021 |
| Team U-21 (MDMP) (since 1978) | 15 | 4 | 1986, 1999, 2010, 2013 | 7 | 1987, 1994, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2018 | 4 | 1985, 1991, 1995, 2019 |
| Pairs (MPPK) (since 1974) | 23 | 10 | 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1992, 1998, 2014, 2017 | 7 | 1974, 1980, 1984, 1987, 2013, 2015, 2019 | 6 | 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1997 |
| Pairs U-21 (MMPPK) (1980 U-23; since 1983) | 14 | 5 | 1985, 1986, 1987, 2010, 2015 | 6 | 1988, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2007, 2018 | 3 | 1984, 2005, 2020 |
| Individual (IMP) (since 1948) | 34 | 10 | 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1983, 2009, 2014, 2021, 2022 | 12 | 1968, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1995, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 | 12 | 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1993, 2002, 2015, 2020 |
| Individual U-21 (MIMP) (since 1967) | 16 | 8 | 1974, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2015 | 5 | 1979, 1986, 1999, 2010, 2011 | 3 | 1974, 2013, 2014 |
| Total Polish Championship medals: 132 | Total Polish Championship medals: 132 | Gold: 46 | Gold: 46 | Silver: 52 | Silver: 52 | Bronze: 34 | Bronze: 34 |
| Competitions | Total | I place | I place | II place | II place | III place | III place |
| Competitions | Total | Total | Years | Total | Years | Total | Years |
| European Club (KPE) (since 1998) | 0 | | | | | | |
| Team Cup (DPP) (?) | 5 | | | 3 | 1979, 1992, 1996 | 2 | 1980, 1995 |
| Golden Helmet (ZK) (since 1961) | 28 | 13 | 1966, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1988, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | 10 | 1964, 1965, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1997, 2016, 2018 | 5 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 2020 |
| Silver Helmet U-21 (SK) (since 1966) | 23 | 5 | 1967, 1971, 1985, 1989, 2001 | 10 | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1998, 2012 | 8 | 1962, 1968, 1969, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2021 |
| Bronze Helmet U-19 (BK) (1976-81; since 1983) | 16 | 5 | 1983, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2014 | 6 | 1977, 1984, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2013 | 5 | 1983, 1985, 2003, 2008, 2010 |

## 2024 first team

* Adam Bednář
* Oskar Fajfer
* Jakub Miśkowiak
* Oskar Paluch
* Piotr Piotrowski-Prędki
* Jakub Stojanowski
* Anders Thomsen
* Martin Vaculík
* Szymon Woźniak

## Notable riders

Extended content :
Polish riders
Note: This is a list of all polish riders who have been representing Poland being medalist speedway world and European championships.
Krzysztof Cegielski
Adrian Cyfer
Łukasz Cyran
Ryszard Fabiszewski
Tomasz Gapiński
Tomasz Gollob
Adrian Gomólski
Paweł Hlib
Rune Holta
Edward Jancarz
Marian Kaiser
Rafał Karczmarz
Krzysztof Kasprzak
Edmund Migoś
Jakub Miśkowiak
Artur Mroczka
Bogusław Nowak
Rafał Okoniewski
Oskar Paluch
Przemysław Pawlicki
Zenon Plech
Andrzej Pogorzelski
Bolesław Proch
Jerzy Rembas
Mariusz Staszewski
Piotr Świst
Grzegorz Walasek
Szymon Woźniak
Bartosz Zmarzlik
British riders
Note: This is a list of all british riders who have been representing Stal in the Polish league.
Adam Ellis
Gary Havelock
Mark Loram
Chris Louis
Joe Screen
Foreign riders
Note: This is a list of all foreign riders who have been representing Stal in the Polish league.
Craig Boyce
Jason Crump
Jack Holder
Jason Lyons
Adam Bednář
Bohumil Brhel
Lukáš Dryml
Hans Andersen
Marcus Birkemose
Kenneth Bjerre
Kenneth Hansen
Patrick Hansen
Niels Kristian Iversen
Frederik Jakobsen
Michael Jepsen Jensen
John Jørgensen
Peter Kildemand
Nikolai Klindt
Jesper B. Monberg
Nicki Pedersen
Anders Thomsen
Joonas Kylmäkorpi
Olli Tyrväinen
Klaus Lausch
Antal Kocso
Einar Kyllingstad
Mathias Pollestad
Roman Povazhny
Martin Vaculík
Matej Žagar
Matej Ferjan
Stefan Dannö
Simon Gustafsson
Kim Jansson
Thomas H. Jonasson
Andreas Jonsson
Peter Karlsson
Niklas Klingberg
Daniel Nermark
Tony Olsson
Tony Rickardsson
David Ruud
Linus Sundström
Magnus Zetterström
Billy Hamill
Josh Larsen :