Sandecja Nowy Sącz is a Polish football club formed in 1910.

Sandecja Nowy Sącz
Full nameMiejski Klub Sportowy Sandecja Nowy Sącz
Nickname(s)Pride of Nowy Sącz, Sączersi, Bianconeri
Founded1910; 114 years ago (1910)
GroundStadion im. Ojca Władysława Augustynka
Capacity2,850[1]
ChairmanTomasz Bałdys
ManagerRobert Kasperczyk
LeagueII liga
2022–23I liga, 18th of 18 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

In the 2016–17 season, Sandecja won I liga, which promoted the club to the Polish Ekstraklasa, Poland's highest professional football league, for the first time in the club's history.

Stadium edit

Up to 1979, Sandecja stadium was named XXV years of PRL at the initiative of the then Communist leaders of the city. In 1998, nine years after the fall of communism in Poland, it was then renamed in honor of Father Władysław Augustynek, a popular local Catholic priest, who was a passionate fan of the club.

 
Stadion im. Ojca Władysława Augustynka

History edit

Sandecja was founded in 1910, upon the initiative of Adam Bieda, who was the chairman of the Nowy Sącz branch of the Sokol Sports Association. The name of the club comes after Latin name of the city of Nowy Sącz (Nova Civitas Sandecz), and from the very beginning, Sandecja was supported by the local Zakłady Naprawcze Taboru Kolejowego (Rail Rolling Stock Repair Workshops). For most of its history, Sandecja was closely associated with Polish Railroads, and its official name was Rail Sports Club Sandecja (since 1999: Municipal Sports Club Sandecja).

Throughout the years, Sandecja had several departments, including men’s and women’s volleyball (1950 - 2009), handball (1950 – 1955), basketball (1950 – 1961), track and field (1945 – 1970), skiing (1945 – 1956), ice-hockey (1951 – 1964), boxing (1948 – 1960), table tennis (1945 – 1955).

Timeline edit

 
Club badge used from 2004 until 2018.
  • 1910 – Adam Bieda of the local Sokol Movement found the club,
  • 1912 – the statutes of Sandecja are approved: "The purpose of the Club is to promote physical development of the youth"
  • 1914–1918 – World War I. Most players serve in the Austro-Hungarian Army,
  • August 1921 – Sandecja returns,
  • 1924 – the club has 230 members in several departments,
  • 1928–1932 – the club suspends its activities, due to the loss of its own field,
  • 1933 – new field and new gym are opened, and with new manager, Franciszek Krupski of Polish Railways, Sandecja returns as Rail Club of Military Training Sandecja,
  • 1934–1939 – the football team plays in the second and third levels of Polish football system (Class A, against KS Moscice, KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, WKS Kielce, Azotania Jaworzno, Riflemen Association Chełmek, and a number of teams from Kraków.
  • 1939–1945 – during World War II, the athletes of Sandecja are involved in conspirational activities of the Home Army (AK) and other organizations. Football player Julian Zubek commanded the largest AK unit in the area. Klemens Gucwa, Leopold Kwiatkowski, Jan Freisler and Roman Stramka serve as couriers,
  • February 1945 – Sandecja returns. First postwar game took place on April 15, 1945: KS OMTUR Sandecja beats RKS Swit 2:1,
  • May 30, 1946 – Sandecja loses 0:17 to Cracovia,
  • 1966 – Sandecja wins promotion to the Third League
  • 1967 – women's volleyball team becomes the regional champion
  • May 1, 1970 – at the newly opened stadium, located at Kilinskiego Street, international U-19 friendly Poland vs. Hungary takes place. Poland loses 2:3, and among Polish players were Kazimierz Kmiecik, Mirosław Bulzacki, Zbigniew Plaszewski, Jerzy Kraska. The game was attended by 10 000 people,
  • July 1978. Sandecja's U-19 team becomes the fourth team in Poland,
  • June 1986 – Sandecja wins promotion to the Second Division. In its first home game (August 1986), Sandecja beats 3–1 Broń Radom, but after one year, the team is relegated back to the Third Division (only 10 points in 30 games, with goal difference 19-52),
  • June 1992 – Sandecja again wins promotion to the Second League, to be again relegated after one year (19 points in 34 games, goal difference 27-54).
  • 1998 – Sandecja's U-17 team finishes in the fourth position in Polish Championship,
  • June 27, 1999 – Sandecja is renamed into Municipal Sports Club, MKS,
  • June 2009 – Sandecja, managed by Jarosław Araszkiewicz, once again is promoted to the Second Division.
  • May 2017 – Sandecja, managed by Radosław Mroczkowski, is promoted to the Ekstraklasa (top tier of Polish professional league) for the first time in its history.

Achievements edit

Current squad edit

As of 11 September, 2024[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   POL Pawel Sokol
GK   SVK Martin Polaček
5 DF   POL Dawid Szufryn (Captain)
DF   CZE Petr Buchta
MF   POL Bruno Zoladz
8 DF   POL Mateusz Bartków
9 MF   SVK Denis Potoma
10 MF   POL Radosław Gołębiowski
FW   POL Rafał Wolsztyński
FW   POL Jakub Wilczyński (on loan from Arka Gdynia)
16 DF   POL Karol Smajdor
17 DF   POL Tomasz Nawotka
19 MF   POL Tomasz Kołbon
20 MF   POL Mikołaj Kwietniewski
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF   POL Kamil Zarnowski
22 MF   POL Igor Maślanka
23 DF   POL Piotr Kowalik
24 DF   POL Kamil Słaby
25 MF   POL Mateusz Popiela
26 DF   POL Michał Rutkowski
29 MF   BRA Marcinho
31 MF   POL Kamil Sobczak
36 MF   SVK Rastislav Václavik
42 GK   POL Dariusz Krzysztofek
51 GK   POL Jakub Bednarek
70 MF   POL Mikolaj Podgorski
77 MF   POL Patryk Bryła
92 FW   POL Arkadiusz Orzel

Notable players edit

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players marked in bold have had caps while playing for Sandecja.

In addition, Marek and Piotr Świerczewski, who played for Sandecja in their youth career but not their senior career, had international caps for Poland (the latter won 70 of them).

References edit

  1. ^ "Stadion" (in Polish). Sandecja Nowy Sącz. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Pierwsza drużyna" (in Polish). Sandecja Nowy Sącz. Retrieved 30 May 2023.

External links edit