Football match between Polonia Bydgoszcz and Śmigły Wilno in Bydgoszcz in 1935
BKS Polonia Bydgoszcz was founded on 14 May 1920 by Edmund Szyc, a sports enthusiast and an official of Warta Poznań. Szyc, who had come to Bydgoszcz from Poznań in the early spring of 1920, wanted to create a sports organization with a patriotic spirit, based on Polish Army soldiers garrisoned in the city. The colour scheme of Polonia was white-red-green (to commemorate Polish flag, plus green, the traditional colour of Warta Poznań’s jerseys).
In the Second Polish Republic, Polonia Bydgoszcz was one of the largest sports organizations in the nation. It had several departments, such as football, track and field, boxing, ice hockey, cycling, basketball, handball and volleyball. Among the most notable athletes of the time were: Stanisław Zakrzewski (high jumper), Klemens Biniakowski (runner, who participated in the 1928 Summer Olympics), Feliks Więcek (cyclist, winner of the 1928 Tour de Pologne). Polonia’s football team were four times champions of Polish Pomerania, but failed to win promotion to the Ekstraklasa.
After World War II, Polonia was reactivated on 21 October 1945. In 1947, its football team once again won local championships. On 22 May 1946 the speedway department was formed, but in 1949, the so-called First Polonia was dissolved by the Communist authorities, who disliked its prewar, bourgeoisie roots.
In 1949-57, Polonia Bydgoszcz did not exist. On 24 May 1957 BKS Polonia and ZS Gwardia (sports organization supported by Milicja Obywatelska) merged into Milicyjny KS Polonia. The new club took over the traditions of the 1920 organization and quickly emerged as one of the most important sports clubs of the country. Former Gwardia Bydgoszcz was a powerful organization, with a top class football team (promoted to Ekstraklasa in 1953), while its speedway team was the 1955 Polish Champions. Furthermore, several Gwardia’s track and fielders took part in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. In the early 1950s, Gwardia had as many as 17 departments. Its most famous sports personality of that time was tennis player Jadwiga Jędrzejowska.
The newly established Militia Sports Club Polonia Bydgoszcz took over Gwardia’s hues (red - white - blue), to commemorate the colours of the French Revolution, and to symbolize the new, Communist regime of Poland. In 1962, the name of the club was changed into Bydgoszcz Sports Club (BKS) Polonia, to be changed into Guards Sports Club (GKS) Polonia in 1974. Finally, in 1990, the name Bydgoszcz Sports Club Polonia was returned.
In the late 1980s, GKS Polonia had over 1500 members, including 700 athletes. In 1990, the police authority (former Milicja Obywatelska) withdrew its financial support of the club. As a result, the club was supported by the city government. In 1992, the football team was closed to return in 1994, and the ice hockey department was separated from the organization. In the same year, the speedway team of Polonia won its third Polish Championship.
2010 Polonia Bydgoszcz speedway team
By the late 1990s, Polonia had returned to its former glory. Speedway team, with Tomasz Gollob, was four times Polish champion (1997, 1998, 2000, 2002), table tennis team was among the best in the country, and football team won promotion to the third level.
In 2003, local authorities dissolved Polonia Bydgoszcz. The departments of the former organization created their own teams, such as Zuzlowy Klub Sportowy (Speedway Sports Club) Polonia, and the traditions of BKS Polonia are continued by the football team, called Klub Pilkarski (Football Club) Polonia.
The Klub Sportowy "Polonia" (Sport's Club "Polonia") was created in 1920 and the motorcycle section in 1946. The team participated in the first Team Speedway Polish Championship during the 1948 finishing 3rd in the second division.[4]
The team won the second division in 1949 and in 1951 won the silver medal in the first division.[5] During the 1950s the club became a major force medalling four more times including winning the league and gold medal in winning the 1955.[6]
In 2007, the team was relegated from the top division for the first time in their history and the club underwent a period of mediocrity.[9] In 2019 the team won the 2. Liga.
The Mieczysław Połukard Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces (Polish: Kryterium Asów Polskich Lig Żużlowych im. Mieczysława Połukarda) usually referred to as the Criterium of Aces (Kryterium Asów) is an annual speedway event held each year, which is organized by the Polonia Bydgoszcz.
The Criterium of Aces is held in the Polonia Stadium in Bydgoszcz. It is seen by riders and fans as the official opening of the new season. It was first staged in 1982, although a similar meeting was held in the 1951 as Criterium of Aces (Criterium Asów). The most successful rider in Criterium history is Tomasz Gollob (former Polonia's rider). He won Criterium 14 times between 1990 and 2008.
The stadium is located on ulica Sportowa 2 (Sports Street). It contains 20,000 seats. The track is 348 metres long and has a granite surface. The track record was made by Tomasz Gollob (60.11 sec on June 20, 1999).
Polonia Bydgoszcz ice hockey team enjoyed its greatest success in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was twice second (1954, 1955) and twice third (1964, 1965) in the Polish top division.
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