Taking advantage of the off-season for Bolesławiecki Klub Sportowy’s players and supporters, I would like to look back at the past, to acquaint younger supporters with, and remind older ones of, a brief history of BKS’s existence.
In liberated Bolesławiec, among the numerous people arriving from various parts of Poland and Europe who wished to rebuild and develop these ancient lands, athletes, sports officials and sports supporters also came to the Western Territories. They quickly set about restoring teams and competitions in the city to working order. Through a joint effort, the first club was organized, taking the name “I Rzemieślniczy Klub Sportowy Bolesławca.” Friendly matches were played against teams from nearby towns. In 1948, a new club was established at the “Wizów” Chemical Plant and adopted the name KS Siarkowiec – “Wizów”; in 1950, it was transformed and officially named KS Unia Bolesławiec, affiliated with the Sports Federation of the Chemical Workers’ Trade Union. At the same time, further clubs were established at other municipal plants: KS Stal at Bolesławieckie Zakłady Materiałów Ogniotrwałych, KS Spójnia—later KS Sparta—at the Meat Plant, KS Gwardia Bolesławiec at the police force, and KS Górnik Iwiny at the “Konrad” Mining Plant. All of the above-mentioned clubs tried to develop activities in various sports, but football was always the leading and most widespread discipline.
On the wave of public enthusiasm and interest in sport, almost as a community effort and under the direction of the management of ZG “Konrad,” a sports stadium was built on Bielska Street, along with facilities and a sports hall. This was in 1952. The sports hall still serves athletes today.
Between 1950 and 1954, in what was then a small town of 10,000, fierce competition arose for the title of the best and strongest sports club. Naturally, this situation could not last long, as officials’ ambitions often exceeded the athletes’ abilities, while finances permitted little. The competition took place at C- or B-class level.
On the initiative of officials from KS Górnik Iwiny, the idea arose of merging the existing small clubs, which had little prospect for development, into one strong, forward-looking municipal club. After heated debates, the common good prevailed, and in December 1955 the clubs united
Bolesławiecki Klub Sportowy.
The fundamental aim of the merger was to integrate people connected with sport who shared a common sporting goal, create the foundations for the most effective work, and establish a strong sports center based on all workplaces in the city and surrounding area. The club’s first chairman was Mr. Zbigniew Częcik. The shared objective was to raise the sporting level in various disciplines as quickly as possible and proudly represent the colors of our city in competitions at the voivodeship level. Sporting results came quickly.
On 4 March 1956, the first friendly match under the BKS name was played against Sparta Lubań, which was then playing in the second division; BKS won 2–1. The team was entered in the championship competition and had to start in B class. The first championship match was played in Nowa Ruda against the local Górnik, with BKS winning 2–0. The historic goals were scored by Jenel and Gajda.
In 1958, BKS won the A-class championship and was promoted to the regional league, then called the third division. The team was coached by A. Paczyński, and the players on the field were: Szpyrka, Kowalik, Fok, Ilczyna, Stulin, Soja, Klessa, Jehnel, Cyroń, Kutyniok, Kubski, Powróżnik. To be continued.
Excerpted from the “Złota Księga BKS” by