The 1970s were the finest period in the history of sport in Bolesławiec. In an atmosphere favorable to athletes and coaches, their work produced success. The greatest of these—and so far the only European Championship title—was won by Ryszard Tomczyk in boxing in Madrid. The boxing team also competed in the second division; BKS’s weightlifters likewise celebrated success in the first division, as did the women basketball players, who came close to reaching the second division, and the footballers in the third division.
The 1970/71 season meant playing in the Silesian third division, the strongest football division. The winners of this group always performed well in the higher division. Górnik Wałbrzych confirms this, having been promoted first to the second and then to the first division.
Besides Górnik, the group included, among others, Lotnik Wrocław, Górnik Radlin, Stal Bielsko, Metal Kluczbork, GKS Wodzisław and AKS Chorzów. Our team had to compete in this company and performed quite well. At the end of the season, BKS finished in eighth place, only four points behind the runner-up. The following season was not as successful, and the team had to say goodbye to the third division. It was a sad return to the Wrocław district league. Usually, a team relegated from a higher division goes through a crisis and has weaker seasons, but the return of coach Wł. Suchoń and the addition of several new footballers led to the team’s renewed mobilization. An interesting group of players emerged then, with J. Mycek, J. Urbanowicz, Z. Peterek, Wł. Rupa and A. Koncewicz forming its core.
Throughout the following season, the footballers competed for supremacy with Moto Jelcz and only lost by one point at the finish. The team from Oława was promoted to the second division a month later by winning the inter-industry matches. As a curiosity, I will mention a rather unusual fact here. In the 1973/74 season, in the Polish Cup at the Zgorzelec subdistrict level, BKS juniors took part and were its sensation.
In the competition against senior teams, they won—and not just against one opponent. They won all their matches, and in the last one they defeated the provincial champions.
In 1975, the country’s administrative division was reorganized, and Lower Silesian football was divided into four groups. BKS found itself in the Jelenia Góra group and played with mixed success.
In 1977, they reached the round of 64 of the national competition, where they narrowly lost 0–1 to Zastal Zielona Góra. Their next opponent was to be first-division Śląsk Wrocław... The 1979/80 season brought BKS victory in the Jelenia Góra group, and to play in the third division they had to win a playoff against Piast Nowa Ruda—the champions of the Wałbrzych group.
Unfortunately, Piast’s very strong team at the time proved too difficult an opponent.
Selected from the private collection of Mr. Mirosław Szapiel