RKS Radomiak UK Fansite

Jerzy Rot Returns

July 2nd, 2009

The board have gone back in history to appoint Radomiaks new manager, choosing former Greens boss Jerzy Rot. Rot has had some success with Juventa-Perfopol Starachowice, taking them into Division III, his second promotion in the space of two years. He had been in advanced negotiations with a view to taking over at Stal Krasnik but the lure of Struga proved too much and he is widely expected to be unveiled in a press conference today.

Source: radomiak.info

Wachowicz Leaves!

July 1st, 2009

Zbigniew Wachowicz and Radomiak have parted ways. The popular manager was out of contract and was unable to agree a new deal with the club. "Mr Wachowicz did not accept the terms of the contract offered to him by the club" says the official site which also informs the reader that the new manager will be named tomorrow.

Wachowicz confirmed that the reason for his departure was the contract he had been offered - "We couldn't agree on certain clauses in the contract, it's in no way related to my remuneration. My adventure with Radomiak has run its course". It is rumoured that the main reason behind the two sides failing to agree was that Wachowicz wanted a player-manager deal whereas the board were unwilling to offer such terms.

The board must have been anticipating such a situation as the new manager will be unveiled at a press conference tomorrow and will take training. "I would like to thank Mr Wachowicz for the work he has done at the club" said chairman Miroslaw Hernik, "but we are so far apart in these negotiations that the relationship must be brought to an end".

Zbigniew Wachowicz is, for many fans a symbol of Radomiak. He made his name not only through skillful and committed play, but also through his attitude off the pitch. He started his career at Radomiak in 1988, playing in the side which won bronze in the 1989 Polish Youth Championship. He played a major role in Radomiaks 1992/93 promotion season and in the side which came fourth in Division II the following year. His career took him to Legia and Polonia Warszawa, Stomil Olsztyn, KSZO Ostrowiec, Hakoah-Maccabi Ramat-Gan (Israel), Stal Stalowa Wola, Rovaniemen Palloseura (Finland), MG MZKS Kozienice and Korona Kielce before he finally returned "home" to Struga where in 2003/04 he was again part of a Radomiak side gaining promotion to Division II.

Wachowicz played a total of 35 games in Ekstraklasa, scoring once. He represented Radomiak a total of 280 times, netting 26 times and took over as manager from Jerzy Wojcik in the 2008/2009 season, gaining promotion to Division III at the first attempt.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

The Rumour Mill (Sans Steve Bunce)

July 1st, 2009

As with any pre-season the rumours regarding possible transfers at Struga are rife. Goalkeeper Jaroslaw Pasnik looks set to return to Radomiak to provide competition for Piotr Banasiak, Wojciech Bluszcz and Dawid Sala are said to be rated by Zbigniew Wachowicz and would provide strength in depth to the backline and Maksym Kobylarczyk is rumoured to be joining in order to provide competition for places on the left of midfield.

Wachowiczs biggest headache is caused by an injury to to Jakub Studzinski - "We cannot go into the season with only one 'keeper, that's why we've decided to renew our association with Jaroslaw Pasnik. It's still all up in the air though so we'll have to see".

Andrzej Bednarzs adventure in Iran has also left a gap in defence and whilst the manager believes that Mateusz Jopek is ready to step up and make this role his own, he will be looking to add greater strength in depth. To this end he is casting his eye over Wojciech Bluszcz and Dawid Sala.

In midfield, Radomiak are looking at adding Maksym Kobylarczyk and/or Przemyslaw Rodak, one of the few Orlat Lukow players to come out of the last season with any credit whatsoever.

Apart from the Bednarz to Iran shocker the only other news on exits is that Widzew Lodz have made an undisclosed bid for Piotr Wlazlo. Club director Lukasz Podlewski explained that no one is sure yet whether Wlazlo will still be at Struga when the season kicks off - "Widzew made us a rather paltry offer. Obviously I can't reveal the exact offer but I will say that it was way below the our valuation of Piotr. Anyway, apart from the fee there are other worries, for example will Widzew be in Ekstraklasa next season? Who knows and if they're not what happens to Piotr in that situation?"

Source: radomsport.pl

Inaugural Pre-seaon Training

July 1st, 2009

24 players attended Radomiak's first pre-season training session at Siczki this Wednesday. All but a few of last seasons squad were present and most of those that were not should be joining up later in the week. As well as players involved in the promotion season there were a number of new faces on show, amongst them defender Dawid Sala, midfielder Maksym Kobylarczyk and highly rated Legion Radom youngster Patryk Krupa.

The session consisted mainly of fitness work and the manager at least seemed to enjoy it - "We had a few circuits around the resevoir at Siczki, it was very pleasant." Wachowicz seemed not to be phased by the fact that certain players had missed the session, or the fact that there currwntly aren't any fit 'keepers in the senior squad "The whole squad will be here on Monday bar Arkadiusz Oziewicz and Mateusz Jopek who will be coming later. [On Thursday] Marcin Sikorski, Maciej Lesisz and Piotr Banasiak will be joining us. I gave those lads a few days extra holiday as during the summer break they were here just about every day training, in the gym, doing laps or playing footy tennis".

Wachowicz is looking to strengthen before the start of the season but he will not be drawn on names - "All I will say is that we are waiting to have a look at a few players who are currently trying their luck in higher divisions". The first session saw 25 year old right-back Dawid Sala (Ruch Radzionkow), 23 year old midfielder Maksym Kobylarczyk (Szydlowianka Szydlowiec) and talented 17 year old Patryk Krupa (Legion Radom). Further trialists are expected in the coming days and weeks.

Todays session was made up of:

Defenders:	Dariusz Mortka, Kamil Molga, Pawel Boryczka, Michal Majewski, Zbigniew Wachowicz, Patryk Wachowicz, Mateusz Wojtysiak, Rafal Kowalik, Lukasz Szary, Daniel Sala
Midfielders:	Daniel Barzynski, Marcin Skorupski, Piotr Wlazlo, Krzysztof Blank, Sebastian Kocon, Konrad Tkaczyk, Maksym Kobylarczyk, Maksymilian Kiraga
Forwards:	Cezary Czpak, Lukasz Janik, Damian Stencelewicz, Michal Kucharczyk, Pawel Tarnowski, Patryk Krupa

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Only One Promotion Place Up For Grabs

June 26th, 2009

With seven weeks left until the start of the 2009/10 League III season, the PZPN has announced that only the champions of each League III group will be promoted to League II. Previously the champions of League III were guaranteed promotion whilst second placed sides took part in play-offs with sides from the League above. The change is part of an overhaul of promotion and relegation for the coming season. Play-offs have also been abandoned in Ekstraklasa, League I and League II meaning that only two sides will be promoted to Ekstraklasa and two to League I. The PZPN feels that the new format will simplify promotion and relegation issues.

In previous seasons the second placed club in each of the eight League III groups had another shot at going up in play-offs against the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th placed sides in the two League II groups. Promotion through the play-offs has proved difficult - this season for example only one League III side to be promoted in this fashion was Radomiak's friends from Rzeszow, Stal. The new rules however will make it all the more difficult to advance up the league and has caused concern that the season run in will lose some of the excitement as clubs will have less to fight for both at the top and bottom of the table.

The PZPN decision has both advantages and disadvantages. Promotion and relegation issues will be much more clear cut and there will not be a repeat of the farce which occured at the end of the 2008/09 season. On the other hand it might lead to mediocre, mid-table bore fests involving teams that have absolutely nothing to play for.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak hit Century But End On A Draw

June 12th, 2009

In pouring rain and on a quagmire of a pitch Radomiak earned a point in their last game of the season, away to Zwolenianka Zwolen. The Greens did go ahead on 76 minutes through Piotr Wlazlo, bringing the sides goal tally for the season to 100, but ultimately the conditions were did not suit Radomiaks passing style (in fact they didn't really suit any form of football) and the home side were able to eek out a draw.


Zwolenianka Zwolen	1 : 1	Radomiak
Seremak 80		Wlazlo 76
YellowCards
Sztobryn		Sikorski
		Jopek
		Szary

Zwolenianka: Stawiarski - Kopec, Marszalek, Janakowski, Brodecki, Sztobryn, Tkaczyk, Molendowski, Stypinski, Czaplarski, Seremak

Radomiak: Banasiak - Szary, Sikorski, Jopek, Boryczka, Barzynski, Tarnowski, Wlazlo, Oziewicz, Czpak, Janik (60' Lesisz)

The first half was pretty much a non event, the conditions meaning that it was all but impossible to play any constructive football whatsoever and had Prozone been present their stats would most likely have shown that the ball spent the majority of the first 45 minutes stuck in puddles. Despite the difficult conditions Zwolenianka did manage to create one chance of note but Piotr Banasiak was his usual assured self in keeping out Tkaczyks' effort. Radomiak had to content themselves with launching their attacks from set pieces and Lukasz Janik should at least have hit the target witch a header from a free-kick but he sent his effort narrowly wide of Stawiarskis goal.

The second half brought more of the same but luckily the referee showed some common sense and did not abandon what was, in effect, a nothing game for both sides. Eventually, Piotr Wlazlo took matters into his own hands and beat Stawiarski from outside the box to give Radomiak a lead which lasted only five minutes. The home side levelled through Seremak who robbed Jopek in the penalty area and, following a quick one-two with a teammate, beat Banasiak with a low drive.

Videos from the match can be seen here:

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Board In Court

June 9th, 2009

Last Tuesday saw Radomiak chairman Miroslaw Hernik and director Lukasz Podlewski appear before the Regional Prosecutor in Radom, accused of acting to the detriment of Radomiak.

"I arrived at the club in February 2007 and literally saved it from extinction" says Mr Hernik. "Now, on the day before the clubs promotion to League III, I'm accused of acting in a way that does not fulfill the best interests of the club. During my tenure as chairman Radomiak has been continually paying off the debts of previous administrations. I know that I am innocent, as is Lukasz Podlewski and I am certain that the court will see this too".

Mr Podlewski is also convinced that the court will reach the correct decision - "We'll testify and then on Friday [5th June], I will be going to the court to look through all the papers which have been gathered since this thing started in December 2007. I do not jet know the amounts of money involved but whatever they are, under no circumstances will either of us be admitting any liability or wrongdoing. It's regretable that no one has taken into account the fact that Mr Hernik has already paid off over 1 million PLN of the debt which was left to him by previous administrations. What's more, we are regularly audited by the Inland Revenue. At times it seems that certain institutions want to force us into paying off the remaining debt because there is no other way to view this accusation of us working against the best interests of the club. All the income from the market place [Radomiak let out an area within club grounds to local traders] goes towards paying off the debt".

Mr Hernik and Mr Podlewski are accused of failing to fully satisfy the clubs obligations to thier creditors to the order of 441,000 PLN. This value is for the period 13th August 2007 to 17 May 2009

Source: Echo Dnia (Radom Edition)

Champions!!!

June 12th, 2009


Zwolenianka Zwolen	1 : 1	Radomiak
Seremak 80		Wlazlo 76
YellowCards
Sztobryn		Sikorski
		Jopek
		Szary

Zwolenianka: Stawiarski - Kopec, Marszalek, Janakowski, Brodecki, Sztobryn, Tkaczyk, Molendowski, Stypinski, Czaplarski, Seremak

Radomiak: Banasiak - Szary, Sikorski, Jopek, Boryczka, Barzynski, Tarnowski, Wlazlo, Oziewicz, Czpak, Janik (60' Lesisz)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Pilica Game To Go Ahead Behind Closed Doors

June 2nd, 2009

Wednesday's game against Pilica Bialobrzegi will definately go ahead as scheduled but it will do so without the presence of fans from either club.

Greens fans had already been banned from attending due to the pitch invasions which held the game up for four minutes during the last away game against Skra. "I'm very disappointed that the game will have to be played behind closed doors but it's the only way the game can go ahead" says the Pilica chairman. Should Radomiak gain the three points required to seal the League IV title, a party will be held for players and fans at Struga on Wednesday night.

Source: Official Site

Radomiak Already Champions?

May 29th, 2009

It may well be that Radomiak will be able to celebrate the League IV title without kicking another ball! The Greens game against Pilica Bialobrzegi, due to take place on Wednesday, has been called off and the side from Struga will be awarded a walkover and three points. This along with the walkover awarded to all sides due to Amir Wilga's withdrawal from the league this season sees Radomiak gain the six points they needed to guarantee promotion

The game against Pilica was initially due to take place in Bialobrzegi on 31st May but due to a visit by Polish President Lech Kaczynski was moved to 3rd June. Due to the intervention of the police, the owner of the stadium and Pilica not being able to afford stewarding, this date has also been ruled out. For these reasons Pilica chairman wrote to the MZPN requesting that the game be moved to Radom, stating "I can confirm that the game will not, under any circumstances go ahead in Bialobrzegi and whether it will go ahead in Radom is a matter for the MZPN". MZPN vice-president MZPN Miroslaw Starczewski is not sympathetic to Pilica's cause - "The fixture list states that this game must be played in Bialobrzegi. We'll send the referees, observer and delegate over there on Wednesday and if the game does not take place the home side will receive a fine in accordance with League IV regulations. The fine fine will be a minimum of 700 PLN".

Apart from the fine, Pilica would be punished by Radomiak being awarded a walkover, thereby giving the Greens the three points they would have required for the game in order to guarantee the Championship and promotion to League III.

Source: Gazet.pl Radom

Radomiak - Pogon Five Goal Thriller

May 28th, 2009

Radomiak took their fans on a rollercoaster ride, coming from behind twice and eventually running out 3 - 2 winners over an in form Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki side. The result leaves the Greens just six points from securing promotion to League III and given that they are guaranteed three points from a walkover due to Amur Wilga's withdrawl from the league, one more win will see Radomiak promoted.


Radomiak	3 : 2	Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki
Tarnowski 24		Kakietek 9
Sikorski 45		Dukalski 33
Tarnowski 57
YellowCards
Bednarz		Sadowski
Szary
Czpak
Barzynski

Radomiak: Studzinski - Szary, Sikorski, Bednarz, Boryczka, Kocon (80' Skorupski), Wlazlo, Barzynski, Oziewicz (85' Blank), Tarnowski, Czpak

Pogon: Smalec - Gajewski (82' Popinski), Demich, Sadowski, Jasinski, Kolodziejski (67' Wójcik), Krzywicki, Kolaczek, Nowak (64' Romanowski), Dukalski, Kakietek

Things did not start well for the home side at Struga and they were a goal down withing 9 minutes of the kick-off. Lukasz Kakietek latched on to a ball from Maciej Demich and had no trouble beating Jakub Studzinski from close range to put the visitors ahead. The lead lasted 15 when the Grodzisk 'keeper made a catastrophice error, dropping the ball into the path of Pawel Tarnowski who gladly took advantage and levelled the score at 1 - 1.

The equaliser proved a confidence boost for Radomiak and they started to boss the game in the way they have in so many encounters this season, but they did not make their advantage in possession count and it was Grodzisk who once again stole the lead. A combination of excellent play from just about the whole Grodzisk eleven, poor defending by the Radomiak back line and a lovely finish from ex-Struga man Dominik Dukalski meant that Radomiak were once again playing catch up. The goal served to push Radomiak to throw themselves into wholehearted attack and both Barzynski and Tarnowski were denied by Smalec in the Pogon goal. Just when it seemed that the visitors would go into the break with the advantage, Marcin Sikorski scored with a corker of a free-kick from a full 25 metres out and all was level.

Radomiak dominated the second half and the majority of the play seemed to be played out in or around the Pogon 18 yard box. Piotr Wlazlo came close to giving the Greens the lead on 50 minutes with a header which shaved the post but it fell to Pawel Tarnowski to put Radomiak ahead for the first time in the game, beating Smalec at his near post. Dukalski was close to levelling for the visitors on 67 minutes but luckily his shot was just wide of Studzinski's far post. Both sides had numerous chances to add to their tallies but the best fell to Pogon in added time. Jakub Kolaczek found himself on the end of a corner, completely unmarked, five yards and with all the time in the world to beat Studzinski. The Greens custodian however managed by some miracle to keep out the shot and the referee, who seemed to have some sort of bet on a score draw given the amount of effort he had put into ensuring one occurred, finally gave up and blew for full time.

Radomiak face Pilica Bialobrzegi away on the 3rd June and three points will see them promoted to League III. fingers crossed that nerves don't get the better of Zbigniew Wachowicz's side!

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Points Dropped

May 27th, 2009

After Radomiak's 10 - 0 panning of KS Warka it seemed that the side from Struga would make easy work of a Skra Konstancin side fighting relegation and playing their home games in Obory. In truth had it not been for Radomiak's lacklustre finishing the game should have been settled in The Greens favour before the break.


Skra Konstancin	1 : 0	Radomiak
Dabrowski 51		Sikorski 74
YellowCards
Dabrowski		Misztal
Dabrowski		Wlazlo
Krawczyk		Czpak
		Molga

Skra Konstancin: Ryczko, Komosa G., Bogacki, Ura, Majewski (65' Urbanski), Dabrowski, Rusak (31' Szewczyk A.), Komosa J., Szewczyk M. (73' Jasik), Bogacki (68' Milewski), Krawczyk

Radomiak: Studzinski, Molga, Sikorski, Jopek, Boryczka, Kocon (63' Skorupski), Wlazlo, Barzynski, Oziewicz, Tarnowski, Czpak

Referee: Marcin Falencki (Ciechanów)

After a drama filled 90 minutes in Obory, Radomiak dropped two points to home side Skra Konstancin. Skra took the lead 52 minutes in thanks to a Lukasz Dabrowski strike. the Greens levelled on 72 minutes, Marcin Sikorski scoring from a free-kick. Radomiak had the ball in the net on a further two occassions but both goals were ruled offside.

Nine minutes in Piotr Wlazlo hit the crossbar from an Arkadiusz Oziewicz free-kick and in the following minutes Marcin Sikorski, Daniel Barzynski and Pawel Tarnowski all went close with shots from distance. The seventeen minute mark saw Oziewicz come close himself, cutting in from the left and hitting a shot which the Skra 'keeper did very well to get his hands on. Minutes later Skra, who to their credit were trying to get forward as opposed to concentrating solely on defence, had their first real chance but Piotr Krawczyk's free-kick from 17 metres out left a lot to be desired. this interlude in the Green tide moving towards the Skra goal soon came to an end with Wlazlo and Tarnowski combining well only for the latter to fire millimetres wide. Minutes later Sebastian Kocon, having a fine game out on the wing, crossed for Tarnowski who failed to beat Ryczko in a one-on-one that the Radomiak man really should have done better with.

Skra took a shock lead 6 minutes into the second period. Jakub Studzinski, under no pressure whatsoever sent a high ball out to Andrzej Bednarz who failed in his attempts to control it and knocked it out of play. From the resulting corner Lukasz Dabrowski headed in to give the home side undeserved advantage. Buoyed by their unexpected position in the game Skra grew in confidence and would have doubled their advantage on 63 minutes had it not been for a fantastic save by Studzinski in a one-on-one situation with Piotr Krawczyk, following an over enthusiastic attempt at implementing the offside trap by the Radomiak backline.

On 65 minutes, following a long range shot from Tarnowski, Ryczko rolled the ball out in order to kick it long. Daniel Barzynski nipped in to stick the ball in but the referee ruled offside. How this is possible within the rules of the game as I know them is a bit of a mystery. Barzynski had been behind Tarnowski when the latter shot and both had been onside. Three minutes later and the ball was again in Skra's net and again the referee ruled that the scorer, in this case Pawel Tarnowski, was offside. From then on the game took on a bit of an edge, most likely not helped by a pitch invasion by angry Greens fans. Tarnowski went close after 71 minutes, sending the ball agonisingly close but ultimately wide of the upright. Finally, after 74 minutes Radomiak managed to have a goal allowed, Marcin Sikorski finding the net from a free-kick 19 metres out. Even this goal was disputed by the home side though who claimed that the Skra 'keeper had been hit in the head by an object thrown by a travelling fan in the build up to the goal. After a few minutes of both sides arguing the toss with the referee the game restarted but Radomiak's luck was out and two points were dropped.

The draw with Skra and KS Piaseczna's 2:0 victory against Szydlowianka means that the Greens retain their position at the top of the table but their lead has dropped from five to three points (effectively four due to Radomiak's far superior goal difference). Zbigniew Wachowicz's men need 6 more points to guarantee League III football next season. They can make a start this Wednesday with a home game against Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki, but it will be tough against a side that has been a revelation during the spring round and is fighting for a place in the play-offs.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Interview With Cezary Czpak: We're Almost There!

May 19th, 2009

Thanks to Sundays 10 - 0 demolition of KS Warka it is not impossible that Radomiak will exceed the 100 goals scored mark this season. It is also possible that it will be a player from Struga gaining the golden boot award - Cezary Czpak and Pawel Tarnowski have both bagged 18 this season and are only one goal behind the current high scorer, Grzegorz Seremak of Zwolenianka Zwolen. Radomiak.com.pl spoke to Cezary Czpak about the game and Radomiak's chances of promotion.

Radomiak.com.pl: The first half did not indicate the goalfest that was to come in the second. Was it a tactical decision to keep possesion, play the ball around and have Warka chasing shadows so as to tire them out?

Cezary Czpak: The manager told us to keep possession for as long as possible. We've been concentrating on retaining possession in training, it went well on Sunday and it was only a matter of time before the first goal went in.

Radomiak.com.pl: Despite all your possession it took a while before that first goal was scored.

CC: Sides come to Struga looking for a draw and it's sometimes hard to break down an opponent who keeps 11 men behind the ball at all times. I think we played well though, showed patience and a touch of class and it paid off for us.

Radomiak.com.pl: Do you think that Sunday's performance, along with the games games against Ursus and Piaseczno prove that Radomiak deserve automatic promotion this season?

CC: No one can say for definate that we'll go up automatically. I will say however that it feels very, very close

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Extend Their Lead

May 18th, 2009

Round 29 saw Radomiak steamroller KS Warka on home ground and increase their lead at the top of the table to 5 points. The visitors had one shot on goal throughout the whole 90 minutes and that was high, wide and handsome!


Radomiak	10 : 0	KS Warka
Tarnowski 35, 55, 57
Oziweicz 45, 47
Czpak 49, 52
Lesisz 81, 82
Kucharczyk 90
YellowCards
Szary		Misztal

Radomiak: Studzinski, Szary (82' Molga), Sikorski, Jopek, Boryczka, Kocon (62' Skorupski), Wlazlo, Barzynski, Oziewicz, Tarnowski (62' Lesisz), Czpak (68' Kucharczyk)

KS Warka: Kowalczyk K. (63' Slatkowski), Kowalczyk P., Misztal, Malinowski, Wojtczak (62' Tomasik), Strag, Jalocha (71' Pacholski), Klos, Badula, Rokita (32' Zawadzki), Adamczyk

Referee: Cezary Kostrzewa (Radom)

Warka had come to sit behind the ball and Radomiak started the game with measured, relaxed, passing football, looking to find a way through the massed ranks of the opposition. Despite some very nice approach play the, first half an hour didn't see The Greens create any real chances. Radomiak eventually took the lead on 35 minutes, Pawel Tarnowski scoring with an unstoppable shot from 10 metres out following a move involving virtually every RKS player. Arkadiusz Oziewicz doubled the advantage on the stroke of half time, getting on the end of a ball from Cezary Czpak and coming out on top in a one-on-one with the Warka 'keeper.

Two minutes into the second half saw Oziewicz get his second and Radomiak's third from the penalty spot following a foul on Pawel Tarnowski. This set the tone for the rest of the game and only two minutes later Czpak put Radomiak four up with a sweetly struck left-footed shot. Czpak did not have to wait long to notch another, going round the 'keeper and slotting home on 52 minutes. Pawel Tarnowski extended Radomiak's lead to seven - nil and in the process completed his hat-trick with strikes on 55 and 57 minutes. Maciej Lesisz, on as a halftime substitute, scored twice in two minutes, 81 and 82 and the youngest player on the pitch, 17 year old Michal Kucharczyk rounded things off nicely on 90 minutes.

Due to results elsewhere, the victory takes Radomiak five points clear at the top of the table with nine games to go.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

A Time For Optimism

May 12th, 2009

It's been a long long time since the last update and a lot of football has been played. The good news is that Radomiak have had a fantastic run and now sit top of the league! The bad news.....well I really can't think of any.

During my incredibly lazy spell Radomiak have beaten Mszczonowianka Mszczonów at home by 1 - 0 in what was a very cagey game, trounced Szydlowianka Szydlowiec 4 - 1 away and overcome Zryw Sobolew by the same scoreline at Struga. Sparta Jazgarzew were dismissed by 4 goals to two in Jazgarzew, Wulkan Zakrzew three to one at home and Mazovia Minsk Mazowiecki turned over by the single goal on the road.

Then came the game of the season so far, second placed Radomiak at home to top of the table KS Piaseczno, an opportunity for the Greens to go level on points but top by virtue of goal difference. In a nervy game Cezary Czpak's 28th minute goal seemed to calm the men from Struga and they ran out easy 3 - 0 winners thanks to two strikes from Pawel Tarnowski. Radomiak could have increased their advantage but with a tricky away game in Warszawa against third placed Ursus looming in midweek they relaxed and played the rest of the game out happy with their victory and new position as first placed side.

As it turned out, taking their foot off the gas was an astute move as the game in Warszawa was much more difficult against a very well motivated and tactically aware Ursus side. Eventually, on 84 minutes, Marcin Sikorski scored the only goal of the game and with Piaseczno losing at home on the same day The Greens went three points clear at the top of the table.

Radomiak Bag Five Away From Home

April 5th, 2009

Radomiak had an excellent away day in Piastów, overcoming home side Piast by five goals to nil.


Piast Piastów	0 : 5	Radomiak
		Tarnowski 6
		Piwowarek 30 (OG)
		Tarnowski 54
		Janik 67
		Kocon 77

Radomiak: Studzinski - Szary, Bednarz, Sikorski, Boryczka, Kocon (80. Skorupski), Barzynski, Wlazlo (80. Blank), Oziewicz, Tarnowski (75. Kuchaczyk), Janik (75. Lesisz)

Referee: Marcin Falecki (Ciechanów)

The greens took the lead on 6 minutes through Pawel Tarnowski's strike and on 30 minutes an own goal by Dariusz Piwowarek doubled Radomiak's lead. The men from Struga went further ahead with Tarnowski's goal on 54 minutes. The win was sealed by Lukasz Janik (67) and Sebastian Kocon (77).

Source: Official Site

Korona Highlights

March 26th, 2009

The lovely folks at radomiak.info have made highlights of the weekends win over Korona Gora Kalwaria available on youtube. You can access them here.

The goal can be viewed from a different angle here, along with a jaunty soundtrack.

Source: radomiak.info

Korona Post Match Comments

March 24th, 2009

Following Radomiak's excellent play but once again disappoionting finishing, here's what some of those involved had to say..

Manager Zbigniew Wachowicz was pleased with the result and the performance but stressed that the Greens had made things harder for themselves than they should have been. "At times we played really good football, we had 6 nailed on chances in the first half and 3 or 4 in the second. These were situations where all that was required was to put the ball in the net. If you don't shoot though then you make things more difficult for yourselves and create stress where there should be none. I'm happy with the three points but we should have had it sown up way before the end and by a much greater margin".

Captain Daniel Barzynski, has similar thoughts but thinks things will improve. "We're a bit disappointed with our performance in the second half and with our finishing. We had numerous chances and to only manage to put one away is not the best. The most important thing is that we got the win and are kicking on with our promotion challenge. It was the first game of the round after a long break and we all believe that we'll continue to improve with games under our belts.

Defender Andrzej Badnarz, returning to Struga after three years away, was in no doubt where improvement is required. "I think we need to practice our shooting! We're creating plenty of chances but not taking advantage. The number of opportunities we had in front of goal was embarassing!".

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Revert To Old Habits

March 23rd, 2009

Radomiak overcame Korona Gora Kalwaria in their first fixture of the "revenge round" of League IV Mazowsze Group South. The only goal of the game was scored by Piotr Wlazlo on 36 minutes, a header from an Arkadiusz Oziewicz free kick. Both sides ended the game with ten men.


Radomiak	1 : 0	Korona Góra Kalwaria
Wlazlo 36
YellowCards
Szary		Naulewicz
Skorupski
Red Cards
Skorupski		Naulewicz

Radomiak: Studzinski - Szary, Sikorski, Bednarz, Boryczka - Kocon (71' Skorupski), Wlazlo (78' Mortka), Barzynski, Oziewicz - Tarnowski (65' Lesisz), Janik (84' Kucharczyk)

Korona : SKostrzewa (82' Gniado) - Derylo (32' Górecki), Gaj, Naulewicz M., Sobolewski - Jedrzejczyk (90' Wieszolek), Kalinowski, Nowocin, Jankowski - Naulewicz D. (88' Rogulski), Michlaski

Referee: Arkadiusz Pazydka (Siedlce)

The pre-match entertainment consisted of Radomiak's new signings being handed their matchday shirts. 'Keeper Jakub Studzinski recieved the number 30 shirt, Andrzej Bednarz got the number 4, Lukasz Szary 22 and Sebastian Kocon was handed the number 15 shirt by the "popular" beat combo Carpe Diem who, it is rumoured, financed his move to Struga.

Maybe the players have not yet achieved full match fitness, maybe they've decided that the high scoring run they had towards the end of the last round is just not for them, but this game was a return to the fantastic approach play backed, rather disapointingly, by not even the slightest hint of an ability to finish. The Greens' intentions were obvious right from the kick-off as they launched themselves into attacking Marcin Kostrzew's goal. Five minutes in Radomiak should arguably already have been 2 up. The first concrete chance of the game came inside the two minute mark - Andrzej Bednarz played a ball out wide to debutant Sebastian Kocon who cut inside but managed only a weak shot which the 'keeper had no problems in holding onto. Kocon later explained that "I was trying to play in Lukasz Janik who was in a much better position than I was". Three minutes later and again the Korona 'keeper was called upon to save his side. This time Janik was through one-on-one but again the Korona custodian was equal to the challenge.

Radomiak's profligacy in front of their opponents goal continued, Oziewicz managed to miss an open goal after Tarnowski's shot had come back off the crossbar and minutes later, managed to put the ball over the bar from a metre out (and there's me thinking there was only one Wayne Allinson!).

Eventually the breakthrough came on 36 minutes after a foul on Lukasz Janik. From the resulting free-kick Arkadiusz Oziewicz played a wonderful ball into the area which Piotr Wlazlo managed to get his head to place into the back of the net. Five minutes later and the away side were down to 10 men following Korona captain Michal Naulewicz's second yellow card for a foul on Kocon who had been clean through on goal. So, Radomiak went in 1 up at the break and with a numerical advantage over their opposition and things looking good for the second period.

Unfortunately the second half played out much as the first had, Radomiak putting the Korona goal under siege but not being able to make their approach play count. There was really only one other moment of note - Marcin Skorupski's sending off for a second bookable offence in the 71st minute.

The game can be summed up by the fact that Korona had their first effort on goal, from a free-kick, on.....88 minutes.

The result puts Radomiak back into second place in the league, 10 points behind KS Piaseczno with a game in hand.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Spring Round Underway!

March 17th, 2009

Radomiak sat out the first set of games in the Spring Round and as a result have dropped to third in the league. It was a weekend of high scoring games, Ursus Warszawa moved to within a point of Radomiak with a 7 - 0 hammering of Mazovia, Zwolenianka overcame Piast by 4 to 0 and leaders Piaseczna squeezed past Korona 4:3.

Results in Full:

Korona Góra Kalwaria	3	KS Piaseczno	4
Mazovia Minsk Mazowiecki	0	Ursus Warszawa	7
Piast Piastów	0	Zwolenianka Zwolen	4
Mszczonowianka Mszczonów	3	Amur Wilga	0 (walkover)
Wulkan Zakrzew	1	KS Warka	1
Sparta Jazgarzew	0	Skra Obory	2
Zryw Sobolew	0	Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki	3
Szydlowianka Szydlowiec	1	Pilica Bialobrzegi	0

Radomiak play their first game of the round this coming Saturday against Korona Góra Kalwaria at Struga.

Source: Official Site

Radomiak Transfer Activity

March 13th, 2009

Radomiak have now "closed" their squad for the Spring Round. The Greens have six new players on their books and whilst there are a number of players leaving these are mainly on loan deals.

Incoming	Former Club
Andrzej Bednarz	Czarni Zagan
Sebastian Kocon	Ks Janików
Jakub Studzinski	LKS Lódz
Lukasz Szary	SMS Lódz via Concordia Piotrków Trybunalski
Patryk Wachowicz	Returns from loan spell at Pogon Staszów
Damian Suwala	Promoted from youth side (1991)
Outgoing	New Club
Marcin Roslaniec	Zamlynie Radom
Mateusz Wojtysiak	Pilica Bialobrzegi (loan)
Rafal Kowalik	Wulkan Zakrzew (loan)
Maksymilian Kiraga	Szydlowianka Szydlowiec (loan)
Adrian Jurczak	Szydlowianki Szydlowiec (loan)
Ronald Gospodarczyk	Zwoleniank Zwolen (loan)
Konrad Tkaczyk	Zwolenianka Zwolen (loan)

Source: Official Site

No away fans at Piast?

March 13th, 2009

MKS Piast Piastów have informed Radomiaka 1910 S.A. that tickets for the round 20 meeting between the two sides, due to take place at 1200 on 28th March, will be made available to home fans only.

According to Greens director Lukasz Podlewski, "Piast have informed us that due to ongoing modernisation of their ground Radomiak fans will not be admitted". Radomiak will take the matter to the MZPN and Podlewski is hopeful of a favourable decision - "Radomiak fans travel in good numbers to watch their team away from home and I believe that the correct decision will be taken so the game against Piast will be no different".

Source: Official Site

Home Fixtures Announced

March 13th, 2009

The Greens have announced their home fixtures for the Spring Round. Due to Amur Wilga's resignation from the league due to financial constraints, Radomiak will play seven games at Stuga this Spring, three midweek and the remainder on Sundays.

Opponnents for away rounds have also been announced but most have not yet been assigned concrete dates and times.

The fixtures are as follows:

Round	Date	Day	Time	Opponent
18	14.03/15.03			No game
19	22.03	Sunday	1500	Korona Góra Kalwaria	(h)
20	28.03	Saturday	1200	Piast Piastów	(a)
21	05.04	Sunday	1530	Mszczonowianka Mszczonów	(h)
22	10.04/11.04	?	?	Szydlowianka Szydlowiec	(a)
23	19.04	Sunday	1600	Zryw Sobolew	(h)
24	25.04/26.04	?	?	Sparta Jazgarzew	(a)
25	29.04	Wednesday	1700	Wulkan Zakrzew	(h)
26	01.05/03.05	?	?	Mazovia Minsk Mazowiecki	(a)
27	06.05	Wednesday	1700	KS Piaseczno	(h)
28	09.05/10.05	?	?	Ursus Warszawa	(a)
29	17.05	Sunday	1700	KS Warka	(h)
30	23.05/24.05	?	?	Skra Obory	(a)
31	31.05	Wednesday	1700	Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki	(h)
32	30.05/31.05	?	?	Pilica Bialobrzegi	(a)
33	06.06/07.06	?	?	No game
34	10.06			Zwolenianka Zwolen	(a)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Szydlowianka Hit For Six!

September 2nd, 2008

Having discovered the net Radomiak seem to be revelling in showing off their newly found talent for goalscoring. Szydlowianka came to Struga with a few well known faces in their line-up but in the end it was a stroll in the park for Radomiak who treated the game as something of an exhibition, sending the 3500 fans present home with smiles on their faces and a skip in their step.


Radomiak	6 : 0	Szydlowiankia Szydlowiec
Czpak 4
Janik 41
Oziewicz 49
Tarnowski 53
Tarnowski 75
Lesisz 89

Radomiak went ahead in the 4th minute through a lovely headed goal from Cezary Czpak but had to wait another 40 minutes before the floodgates truly opened. The intervening period seemed to consist of a competition between the Greens players to see who could perform the most outrageous dribble and whilst entertaining in a frustrating kind of a way the faithful would rather have been celebrating more goals. Szydlowianka did manage to mount their own attacks on a few occassions but in truth Banasiak was more than up to the task of keeping them at bay.

Eventually the lead was extended, again from a cross into the box - this time finished by Janik who had managed to brerak free from his marker and was left the simple task of making sure he didn't miss the open goal in front of him from two metres out.

The second half saw Oziewicz, Tarnowski (twice) and Czapka all get on the scoresheet to give Szydlowianka a resounding thrashing. Radomiak's second half performance was outstanding - Szydlowianka were not at any stage allowed by the Greens to string more then two passes together before the ball was retrieved and yet another attack launched by the men from Struga. In truth it was embarassing for the visitors who looked as if they wanted to be anywhere but Struga and at times seemed, mentally at least, to have already departed.

Along with the obvious joy taken from the result, it is difficult not to get a little bit excited about the attendance. In all there were 3500 souls present at the game. 1000 had not paid due to free ticket offers for under 12's,etc. but that still leaves 2500 paying punters - a figure that The Queens Own Bron can only dream of (Po co wy gracie jak wy kibicow nie macie!). Now that the club is free of debt this sort of support can be harnessed and should, with a decent board in charge for the first time in a long time, see us moving onwards and upwards.

Player Ratings:

Banasiak	8	Had to step in to stop a couple of Szydlowianka attacks. Assured and professional yet again.
Majewski	6	The young wingback is progressing well but needs more games to gain confidence. Weakest of the back line.
Sikorski Mortka Boryczka	7	A few little erros but on the whole excellent games for all three.
Barzynski	8	Didn't score this time round but ran Szydlowianka ragged down the wings. Set pieces need work.
Tarnowski	8	Still a little bit disorientated by his move from centre forward to attacking midfielder and went missing for periods in the game. When he went to it though the opposition simply could not handle him.
Wlazlo	6	In comparison to his team mates, not a fantastic performance. Can do much much better.
Oziewicz	7	Went missing for periods but when he got into the game he showed he has bags of talent. Scored a goal with what looked suspicioulsy like an attempt at a cross.
Janik	7	Obviously up for the game against his former club. Didn't do anything outstanding but got himself on the scoresheet and that is exactly what your side needs their strikers to do.
Czpak	8	Opened the scoring with a fantastic header. PLayed well throughout - involved in a number of Radomiak's better moves.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Hit Five Again!

August 28th, 2008

Radomiak put five past their opponents for the second time in four days, battering Mszczonowianka Mszczonów 5 - 0 away from home. Their win sees the Greens move into fourth place in the table , having played a game less than the leading pack.


Mszczonowianka Mszczonów	0 : 5	Radomiak
		Barzynski 40, 48
		Oziewicz 42
		Czpak 60
		Sikorski 90 (pen)
Yellow Cards
Tarnowski
Czpak
Majewski
Banasiak

Radomiak: Banasiak - Majewski, Sikorski, Mortka, Boryczka, Barzynski, Tarnowski (68' Skorupski), Wlazlo (79' Stencelewicz), Oziewicz (75' Roslaniec), Janik (64' Lesisz), Czpak

Piast : Sliwak - Gorzkowski, Dmoch (84' Boryn), Szczesniak, Matuszewski, Sapierzynski (69' Pachniak), Soroka, Zielinski (89' Legierski), Milewski, Gajowniczek, Brudzinski

Referee: Bienkowski (Plock)

Attendance: 400

It took forty minutes for anything of any interest to occur on the pitch, as manager Zbigniew Wachowicz admitted after the game, saying that he had pretty much given up on the first half. On 43 minutes however Wachowicz was forced to re-think his halftime team talk when Daniel Barzynski fired in a low shot from 13 metres out to give the Greens the lead. A minute later and Barzynski turned creator, crossing from the right wing for Oziewicz to score from close range and send Radomiak in 2 - 0 up.

The second half started much as the first had ended - with a Radomiak goal. Daniel Barzynski surprised the 'keeper with a shot from distance and by the time he had decided between catch and parry the referee ruled that the ball had crossed the line. Radomiak had to wait until the 60th minute before extending their lead when Cezary Czpak got himself onto the end of a long ball from deep and beat 'keeper Surlit all ends up to make it four. At this stage Radomiak for some reason started to pick up yellow cards, sopmething that Wachowicz was not at all pleased with and has promised to rectify for the rest of the season.

Marcin Sikorski sealed the 5 - 0 win on 90 minutes with a penalty following a foul on Damian Stencelewicz.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Get Their Scoring Heads On

August 27th, 2008


Radomiak	5 : 1	Piast Piastów
Oziewicz 6 (pen)		Gajowniczek 25
Tarnowski 45
Wlazlo 65
Lesisz 83
Czpak 90
Yellow Cards
Mortka		Brudzinski
		Zielinski

Radomiak: Banasiak - Boryczka (78' Molga), Sikorski, Mortka, Majewski, Oziewicz (57' Skorupski), Roslaniec (46' Czpak), Wlazlo, Barzynski, Tarnowski, Janik (65' Lesisz)

Piast : Sliwak - Gorzkowski, Dmoch (84' Boryn), Szczesniak, Matuszewski, Sapierzynski (69' Pachniak), Soroka, Zielinski (89' Legierski), Milewski, Gajowniczek, Brudzinski

Referee: Pawel Wólkowski (Ciechanów)

Attendance: 2000

It seems that Radomiak have finally got their scoring heads on! The Greens first home league game of the season saw them crush Piast Piastów 5 - 1.

Manager Zbigniew Wachowicz fielded a side unchanged from that which had drawn 0 - 0 with Korona Góra Kalwaria and it seems that his faith in his players paid dividends. The Greens started well and on 6 minutes the referee awarded a penalty for a foul on Daniel Barzynski which Arkadiusz Oziewicz converted confidently to put his side 1 up. Fifteen minutes in and Radomiak should have doubled their lead when Lukasz Janik beat the Piast offside trap but not Sliwak in the Piast goal. 10 minutes later and the scores were level, Rafal Gajowniczek scoring a goal which Greens manager Wachowicz later described as "a bizarre situation which I don't even want to think about". Just as it seems the sides would go in for the halftime break with the score level, Pawel Tarnowski scored from distance to give Radomiak the advantage.

The second half was something of an exhibition from Radomiak. Following a lovely move involving most of the team Piotr Wlazlo made it 3 - 1 on 65 minutes. The Greens lead was further extended on 83 minutes by Maciej Lesisz, on for Lukasz Janik, and then by Cezary Czpak who had replaced Marcin Roslaniec at the break.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Start With A Draw

August 21st, 2008


Korona Góra Kalwaria	0 : 0	Radomiak

Radomiak: Banasiak - Majewski, Sikorski, Mortka, Boryczka - Barzynski, Wlazlo (65' Czpak), Roslaniec, Oziewicz (65' Skorupski) - Tarnowski, Janik (80' Stencelewicz)

Having sat out the first round Radomiak kicked off their 2008/09 Division IV South campaign with a goalless draw away to Korona Góra Kalwaria. Taking into account the opposition and the state of the pitch it was a decent enough result but could have been better.

The first half was nothiong to write home about. Neither side really created any chances of note but Radomiak should have enjoyed their half time wódka as leaders had Arkadiusz Oziewicz made more of his one on one with the Korona 'keeper. Unfortunately his shot was placed straight at the custodian.

Manager Zbigniew Wachowicz cannot have been too dissapointed with his sides first half performance as he did not make any changes for the second period, his ire finally getting the better of him on 65 minutes when he started making substitutions with Piotra Wlazlo and Arkadiusz Oziewicz made way for Cezary Czpak and Marcin Skorupski. Damian Stencelewicz also made an appearnce, replacing Lukasz Janik on the 80 minute mark.

Whilst Radomiak were poor upfront their backline was excellent and Dariusz Wdowczyk's, unable to find a way through by footballing means, started resorting to diving in the penalty area at every given opportunity. Who would have thought that a side led by Dariusz Wdowczyk could be involved in some sort of underhand tactics? Eh? Oh....

The stalemate lasted for the full 90 minutes and Radomiak started their season with 1 point and no goals.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak's Season Starts Today

August 20th, 2008

Today's away game against Korona Góra Kalwaria (kick-off 1600 GMT) is Radomiak's first game of their sixth season in Division IV. The last time The Greens were in this division was the 2002/03 season. The balance of results is fairly good. Out of 162 games in this division Radomiak have won 105, drawn 27 and lost 30, gaining a total of 242 points. Goal-wise they've scored 377 and conceded 134.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Google Calendar

August 7th, 2008

I've added a public Google Calender containing Radomiak's 2008/09 autumn round fixtures. Currently only games at Struga are shown - this will be rectified before the start of next week.

If you already use Google Calendar than you can just search public calendars for "Radomiak" and go from there. If you don't already use Google calendar but would like to then email me and I'll forward instructions and an invitation to googlemail if you don't already possess an account.

Giles Coren is a Massive Cock

August 7th, 2008

Now then. My attention was recently directed to this article. If you're not Polish then I would suggest that you will not understand just how offensive I find this poor excuse for journalism to be.

One of the lads from kibice-uk wrote a letter to the editor of the Times which is reproduced below. Fortunately, the lad from kibice is much more articulate than I and he doesn't seem to lose his temper. Here it is:

"Dear Sir,
I refer to the above article written by your columnist Giles Coren in the weekend edition of the Times. As a regular reader of your newspaper, I am shocked to read something so biased and so full of historical and geographical inaccuracies. I have never felt compelled to write in person to the editor of any newspaper and it deeply saddens me that it is to one that I have here thereto held in such high esteem.
First and foremost, let us not forget that the history of the Jewish people in Poland reaches back a thousand years. I would kindly like to remind Mr Coren that from the 13th century onwards Poland with its vast religious freedoms and tolerance was a haven particularly for the Jewish people, in contrast to most of Western Europe, where persecution, especially following the Black Death, was rife. During this time Poland became the home of Europe's largest Jewish population and remained so until the outbreak of World War II. Under King Kazimierz the Great in the mid 14th century, the Jewish population flourished and Poland became an 'America' for so many of them. His ratification of The General Charter of Jewish Liberties, known as the Statute of Kalisz - a precedent in modern Europe at the time - guaranteed safety, religious freedom and personal liberties for Jews in Poland. It was under his rule that the kidnapping of Jewish children for the purposes of enforced Christian baptisms was made punishable by death.
By the time World War II began, there were some 3.1m Polish Jews, representing 10% of the overall population according to official census figures. Their contribution in the pre-war years to Polish literature, culture, science and music was immense and far exceeded their population representation. To this day children are brought up on the poetry of famous Polish Jewish authors such Julian Tuwin and Jan Brzechwa. Jewish political parties, from left to right were represented in Polish Parliament. Yiddish as a language blossomed as most Polish Jews identified it as their native tongue. Only New York City had more Jewish residents than Warsaw. It was very much a cosmopolitan city. And above all it was just as much a Jewish Polish city as it was a Christian Polish city and with the outbreak of war, Polish Jewish soldiers were among the first to fight against the Nazi oppressor and represented over 10% of the Polish Army in September 1939.
Mr Coren's reference to the burning of synagogues as an amusement at Easter for the ancestors of those Poles going home now is truly offensive and a wide-sweeping exaggerated stereotype unfit for your newspaper. Yes there were shameful isolated incidents of Poles taking part in the massacre of Jewish people during and after World War II, such as the Kielce pogrom. This wasn't something confined just to Poland, similar events happened throughout Soviet controlled countries during this time, such as the pogroms in Velke Topolcany (Slovakia) and Miskolc (Hungary), leading to speculation that this was part of a wider action orchestrated by the Soviet intelligence. Ultimately, the perpetrators that took part in it bear moral responsibility for their individual actions irrespective of whether they were or were not orchestrated by the Soviet intelligence.
However, Mr Coren conveniently chooses to forget the more numerous, but less mentioned, Poles who saved so many Jewish lives during the War. Some 6,000 of them that are honored by Israel's Yad Vashem memorial. These people did so, knowing full well that they risked certain death if they were caught, as unlike most German-occupied countries, the Nazis had imposed an automatic death penalty for any assistance to Jews in Poland. People, such as Irena Sendlerowa, who sadly passed away this May, saved some 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. There are countless stories like hers that were unreported. Let us not forget "?egota" either - a governmental underground organization, whose sole purpose was to help the country's Jewish population find places of safety in Nazi-occupied Poland. It is credited with saving some 4,000 Polish Jews and was the only such organization in occupied Europe.
While Mr Coren's grasp of history is evidently weak and biased, his sense of geography is just embarrassingly pathetic. The distance between Warsaw and Belgrade is some 826km. To suggest that Radovan Karadzic instigated genocide 'so near to Poland' is akin to saying Josef Fritzl's dungeon of abuse was located 'on the footsteps of London' - the distance between London and Vienna is a 'mere' 767km after all. More to the point, I object to this line of insinuation. It does nothing but reinforce Mr Coren's lack of knowledge on the subject matter. Nor is politics Mr Coren's forte it seems either - Poland has a liberal government; the Czech Republic is run by the Civic Democrats and the Social Democrats; the Slovak Republic by the Social Democrats, and Hungary by Socialists. I am unclear who Mr Coren has in mind when he mentions 'virulently racist populist politicians holding significant power now in Central and Eastern Europe'. One other factual inaccuracy to note - Lithuania was not part of the same state as Poland. They were semi-federal republics within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which united the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
When one reads Mr Coren's article, one may be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that the oppressor in World War II was Poland itself. Let us not forget that it was Poland that fought from day one to the bitter end. It was Poland that lost 6m of its population (half Christian, half Jewish) of which 90% were victims of prisons, death camps, executions and annihilations. That is more as a percentage of population than any other country. Poland also lost over a third of its national assets and half the country was swallowed up by the Soviet Union. If that wasn't enough they then endured Soviet induced Communism for another 45 years which stifled the economy and suppressed freedom of speech and other personal liberties. They were not allowed to participate in the Victory celebrations nor were they permitted to accept aid under the Marshall Plan which Western Europe so generously received. While undoubtedly no other nation suffered more than the Jews, no other country suffered as much as Poland. And ultimately, the Polish Jews suffered the most.
Polish Jews have always played and continue to play an important role in modern day Poland. Their role in the transformation of Poland from a Communist Soviet satellite to a democratic EU and NATO member country speaks for itself, from the likes of Adam Michnik, one of the leading organizers of the democratic opposition movement in Poland to Bronis?aw Geremek, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs who signed Poland's accession to NATO. Mr Geremek, who died so tragically last month in a fatal car crash, was smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto together with his mother and placed under protection of Polish Catholics.
Finally, I would like to suggest that maybe Mr Coren pay a visit to a country that has been home for so many Jews for over a thousand years before making such ill-informed remarks. He may be pleasantly surprised by the rich Jewish culture that is present and blossoming in the former Jewish quarters of Kazimierz in Kraków for example. If not, then may I suggest sticking to the restaurant column as to quote my friend, simply being Jewish does not qualify Mr Coren as a historian.
Yours sincerely,
*******"

Wachowicz Given The Nod

August 6th, 2008

Zbigniew Wachowicz must have impressed Miroslaw Hernik during his time in charge of the Greens - the Radomiak chairman has shown his appreciation by handing Wachowicz and his assistant Arkadiusz Grzyb full time contracts as manager and assistant respectively. Grzyb will also continue in his role overseeing youth development at the club.

Pawel Jankowski and Jaroslaw Kokosza will aid Wachowicz in addition to their work coaching the youngsters at Radomiak.

Source: sportradom.pl

League IV - what does it Mean?

August 3rd, 2008

The RKS Radomiak Fellowship did not meet the criteria required to gain a license to play in Division III during the 2008/09 season. This situation is a result of the debts accrued between the years 2003 - 2006, the bulk of which (2.1 million PLN) are to the Polish Treasury and Department of Work and Pensions. As has been previously reported on this web site the chairman, Mr Hernik, was reluctant for the Fellowship to continue anyway as the debts were a millstone around the clubs neck and the license scenario would continue repeating itself at the start of the season for years and years to come.

Luckily, Radomiak will not disappear from the footballing map and, during the coming season, will be represented by the new business entity, Radomiak 1910 SA, a PLC. The Greens will take their place in Division IV, Mazowsze Group which, looked at in simple terms is a relegation. When the whole picture is taken into account however, this outcome is probably the best thing that could have happened to the club. Granted, in sporting terms the new division is a step down but that step down is not as great as it might have been had the MZPN decided that the "new" club would have to start from parks football. On a commercial basis the situation is fantastic - no debts to anyone, a good support base and a new professionalism in the boardroom should see the club set to make decent money and, with the chairman we currently have, this will translate to success on the pitch.

The MZPN, who have amongst their members a number of former Radomiak chairmen from the period 2003 - 2006, had initially said that the new setup was "not in the interests of Radomiak or Radom", so why the change of heart? Well, a great deal of credit needs to be given to a number of people and organisations including the Radom MP's, City President Andrzej Kosztowniak, the ROZPN, Radomiak chairman Miroslaw Hernik and the Radomiak supporters group "Tylko Radomiak".

Forum Added

August 1st, 2008

I've added a forum for the many many many readers of this site to discuss Radomiak and whatever else they want to talk about. It's not moderated so if you have young uns it'll most likely be a fantastic place for them to learn "naughty language". I for one know my little 'un will be introduced to its wonders as soon as she can read, if only to boost my hits.

I couldn't be arsed changing the colour scheme to fit with the main site so it'll be blue for the forseeable future.

Radomiak PLC In Division IV Mazowsze Group

August 1st, 2008

Apologies for the lack of updates on pre-season friendlies - they mean cock all and the last three weeks has been the run up to my wife starting chemo so I hope you'll agree that I've had more important issues to deal with.

Radomiak 1910 PLC will start the 2008/09 season in Division IV Mazowsze Group. It seems that the MZPN have finally got their arses in gear and made a decent decision for once. The judgement means that the Mazowsze Group of Division IV will now be made up of 17 teams: KS Warka, Pilica Bialobrzegi, Szydlowianka Szydlowiec, Zwolenianka Zwolen, Wulkan Zakrzew, KS Piaseczno, Korona Góra Kalwaria, Ursus Warszawa, Mazovia Minsk Mazowiecki, Skra Konstancin, Sparta Jazgarzew, Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Zryw Sobolew, Amur Wilga, Mszczonowianka Maszczonów, Piast Piastów and (rather obviously) Radomiak.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Zwolenianka Zwolen - Radomiak Radom 1:1 (0:1)

July 10th, 2008

Radomiak came away from their first 2008/09 pre-season friendly with a draw against Division IV side Zwolenianka Zwolen. The Greens, fulfilling the role of away side, went ahead early on through Piotr Wlazlo but the home side levelled in the second half with scoring with a header. The radomiak side contained a few trialists, made up mainly of juniors from Radomiak's youth sides.

The caretaker management duo of Zbigniew Wachowicz and Arkadiusz Grzyb must have been pleased with the way their side took the game to Zwolenianka and dominated long periods of the game. Less pleasing must be the age old Radomiak tradition of not having anyone capable of converting chances with any degree of competence.

Radomiak meet Division III side Orleta Radzyn Podlaski in Radzyn Podlaski at midday on Saturday.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Update - there are no updates

July 8th, 2008

It's been a while now since Miroslaw Hernik stated that the club would not continue in it's current form and.....well nothing. The local paper Echo Dnia originally broke the story of Radomiak effectively "doing an AFC Wimbledon" and starting in the B Class of the Polish football pyramid but since then every article they have written has talked of Radomiak as a Division IV side and of the Radom derby returning this coming season. The Polish language Radomiak websites have also been quiet on the subject.

Personally I hope that Mr Hernik sticks to his guns and we can have a debt free club which we can enjoy watching climbing the leagues. To be honest I'm fed up of all the "you can have a license", "you can't have a license", "you can have a license", etc. to-ing and fro-ing shenanigans that we have had to go through at the start of every round in recent years. Granted, the fans and the current administration would suffer for the mistakes of previous regimes at Struga but it seems to me that without accountability in terms of the clubs' finances this is the only way to go.

Hernik Resigns From ROZPN

July 5th, 2008

Radomiak President Miros?aw Hernik has resigned from his position within the Radom Regional FA. "I will not work with people, who at every given opportunity, cast me in a negative light" says Hernik. In a rather candid interview he said that he was removing himself and his money from the Radom football scene, bar Radomiak - "From this moment on I am associated only with Radomiak and I that is the one thing I will be concentrating on".

There had been talk on various message boards that, given the size and following of the club from Struga, the Greens would not be made to start in the B class of the footballing pyramid but be given special dispensation to come in at a higher level. I fear that Mr Hernik's resignation from ROZPN is as a result of other memebers of the organisation blowing this out of the water. The president of the ROZPN is one W?adys?aw Kramczyk who, in a previous life, was club president at Struga. I'm not saying he's immoral. I'm not saying he's a thief. I'm not saying photos of his car have been posted on a Radomiak forum.

Source: radomiak.info

Preseason training

July 4th, 2008

This week saw Radomiak starting their pre-season preparations. The first session took place on Tuesday and consisted mainly of runs around the forest surrounding the Siczki resevoir. The current lack of a manager meant that Zbigniew Wachowicz was given the task of orchestrating proceedings - "The man at the top asked that I prepare the sqaud for the autumn round. Seeing as I have never had any problem with physical conditioning or fitness and I've also had experience in other areas I jumped at the chance".

20 players took part in the session, among them Arkadiusz Oziewicz, Cezary Czpak, Pawel Tarnowski and Pawel Boryczka who were rumoured to be parting company with the Greens during this close season break. Also present was 25 year old Orla Kolno forward Robert Brzezinski who finished last season as his clubs top scorer.

Radomiak will play their first friendly in the coming week, facing Zwolenianka Zwolen and will follow that up with a game against Orleta Radzyn Podlaski on the 12th July.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Starting from scratch

July 2nd, 2008

The second article into my return from a self enforced break proves my journalistic talents in that it completely contradicts the first.

There will be no Radom Derby this coming season as it seems there will only be one Radom club in League three - that's the Queens own Bron. Radomiak president Miroslaw Hernik has finally had enough of pumping money into what seems to be a bottomless pit and not getting much in return. Should Radomiak take part in any official league this season it will be as the newly formed RKS 1910 Radomiak. This means The Greens will not be able to enter Division III.

In a decision which is easy to understand Hernik has finally acted on his distaste with paying for the mistakes (and, some would say criminality) of the clubs' previous regimes. "The debts of the club are such that no one wants to sponsor us. I've finally lost my patience. The situation is compounded by the fact that people from our city are seeing to it that the dice are loaded against us. If we play in the league then it will not be under the guise of The Fellowship" says Hernik, effectively removing the club from Division III. "I understand that the fans want to see the team playing at the highest possible level but unfortunately if we want to see the club achieve success in the future we have no other option than to draw a big fat line under the past. Paying the debts of previous boards will lead us in one direction only and that's bankruptcy. Existing at a lower level of football as a plc will allow us to get ourselves back to where we are now but on a sound financial basis. I believe the fans understand this move and will stick with the club through the bad as well as the good". Hernik's belief in the fans understanding seems to be well founded - one recent poll held on a well known and well respected Radomiak website showed that 81% of Greens fans are in favour of breaking all ties with the "old" setup even if it means starting out in the B-Class.

So, no derby game, no Division III. On the whole though if this comes off I think it will be better for the future. Hernik really has no other way out if he wants to take the club forward.

Source: Sport Radom

We're Back With A Look Ahead,,,

July 2nd, 2008

After a bit of a personal life induced hiatus, the site is back. It's not bigger, it's definately not any better, but it's back.

This summer sees an upheaval of the Polish league structure which will include:

-	Ekstraklasa will be officially known as Ekstraklasa;
-	Division II becomes Division I;
-	Division III moves from the regional group format and becomes Division II;
-	Division IV is now Division III.

Why this has been done I'm not sure, maybe it's a wise tactical move to rid the Polish game of rampant corruption, maybe it's a heap of shite. Who knows?

For Radomiak the changes mean that the seventh place the club achieved in Division III Group I last season sees them effectively relegated to the old Division IV which is of course now known as Division III (author successfully supresses the urge to rant on for pages and pages about what the feck was wrong with the old fupping way). They will play in the Lodz-Mazowsze Group.

Our neighbours down the road, Bron Radom, somehow managed to fluke their way to promotion via the play-offs at the end of last season. This means that the Radom Derby will take place twice next season. Lets hope that the squad re-building currently ongoing at Struga (which seemingly consists of letting players go and not replacing them) provides us with a group of players capable of soundly beating our Union Jack coloured friends, finishing above them in the league and waving them farewell as we climb into Division II or whatever the hell it's called nowadays.

RIP Adam Ledwon

June 13th, 2008

Ex-Polish international Adam Ledwon, 34, has been found dead in his home in Klagenfurt, Austria. It is thought he committed suicide.

Ledwon, who was working as a summariser for Polsat at the Euro 2008 finals, had been rumoured to have family problems for some time. He was known as an emotional man, often making rash decisions. The day before his suicide he is said to have rung a friend saying "[My wife] has left me I'm off to hang myself...". Unfortunately no one took his words seriously.

Adam Ledwon played 18 games for Poland, scoring one goal in tyhe process. In 1998, on the back of success with GKS Katowice, he gained a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen but could not hold down a regular place in the starting line-up and eventually moved on to Fortuna Cologne. 2000 saw him move to Austria where he defended the colours of Austria Vienna, Admira Wacker, Strum Graz and Austria Karten. His career in Austria spanned 176 games and saw him score 11 goals.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Radomiak Draw at League Leaders

May 5th, 2008


Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie	1 : 1	Radomiak
Zuberek 85		Tarnowski 28

Ruch: Artur Holewinski - Adrian Bartkiewicz, Piotr Faszczewski (46' Robert Styranowski), Przemyslaw Kollataj, Krzysztof Zalewski, Tomasz Kulkiewicz, (65' Eugeniusz Kolodziejczyk), Lukasz Jeglinski, Michal Kachniarz, (70' Piotr Binkiewicz), Arkadiusz Zaglewski, Wojciech Kobeszko (55' Tomasz Jakuszewski), Dzidoslaw Zuberek

Radomiak Radom: Jaroslaw Pasnik - Bartosz Bobrowski, Marcin Sikorski, Przemyslaw Michalski, Pawel Boryczka, Marcin Trzaskalski (65' Lukasz Szary), Cezary Czpak, Piotr Wlazlo, Daniel Barzynski, Arkadiusz Oziewicz (80' Marcin Roslaniec), Pawel Tarnowski (80' Lukasz Janik)

Radomiak put u-p a spirited performance away at the league leaders but all their good work was undone with only five minutes to go. The Greens took the lead on 28 minutes and they looked good until the 85th minute when Sikorski handled in the area and Zuberek comfortably slotted the spot kick away.

Source: radomiak.info

Summary of the Past Week Or So

May 1st, 2008

Saturday - Radomiak lose 1 - 0 to a 54th minute goal in Olsztyn and the main topic of conversation is whether chairman Miroslaw Hernik will stick to his guns and sack Jerzy Engel Jr.

Sunday - There is not long to wait to see whether Mr Hernik was true to his word or not - Jerzy Engel Jr finds himself out of a job and Drweca Nowe Miasto Lubuskie manager Janusz Wojcik takes the hotseat at Struga, signing a contract until the end of the season. It is thought that the plan is for him to stay longer but Mr Hernik says he has learnt his lesson and will no longer be offering managers contracts anywhere near as long as the three years Jerzy Engel Jr got.

Monday - The players refuse to train in protest at the Engel Jr's sacking. They say they will only train under Engel and his backroom staff. Their stance does not budge Hernik's decision - "If they don;t want to play then we'll register the youth team ans they can finish the round". After two hours an agreement is reached and the players agree to train. Engel Jr is offered a job as director of football.

Wednesday - Jerzy Engel Jr refuses the job offer and breaks his ties with the club (statement will follow this evening). Radomiak draw at home to second placed Dolcan Zabki in front of 600 fans. The Greens fail to take advantage of their opponents being down to 10 men from the 15th minute and and end the game with ten men themselves whilst Dolcan have another dismissed and finish with 9

Source: www.radomiak.info

Radomiak Win Away At Home

April 24th, 2008

Last night saw the rearranged round 16 fixture between local rivals Radomiak and Mazowsze Grojec and the result provided a boost for the Greens and their beleagured manager Jerzy Engel Jr.


Mazowsze Grojec	0 : 1	RKS Radomiak
		Oziewicz 81

Mazowsze: Mlodzinski - Pakos, Konko, Kikowski, Bialecki, Bisaga, Jaskólski, Karls (65' Pepple), Zloch, Milewski, Samoraj

Radomiak Radom: Banasiak - Wachowicz, Sikorski (55' Lewandowski), Michalski, Bobrowski, Roslaniec (55' Majewski), Wlazlo (77' Janik), Oziewicz, Szary, Barzynski, Dukalski (55' Tarnowski)

As was the case last season Radomiak took the role of visitors at their own ground as the police and Mazowsze officials had crowd safety concerns with the game taking place in Grojec. Radomiak came out on top and despite the usual plethora of missed chances managed to take all three points through Arkadiusz Oziewicz's 81st minute strike.

Source: radomiak.info

Engel Jr. Has A Bit Of A Temper

April 23rd, 2008

The behaviour and public musings of Radomiak manager Jerzy Engel Jr. have of late been the subject of a number of reports in the national press. The son of ex-national team manager Jerzy Engel [senior] has during the last few games been abusing both referees and members of the opposition. During the away game in Suwalki 29 year old Engel Jr. was heard to shower the match officials with abuse and accusations, taking time out to rather loudly contemplate the level of corruption of the home side. Asked after the game about his behaviour the son of the PZPN vice-president insisted that it had not been his intention to offend the hosts and that his comments were directed at the referee, the match observer and the Mozowsze [FA]. "We feel as though they are goading us. We have even informed the [prosecutor looking into corruption]" said Engel Jr.

A week after the incidents at Suwalki, Radomiak played Sokol Aleksandrów Lódzki during which the Greens manager again directed abuse towards the match officials. "Mr Engel is inciting the crowd with his behaviour. In Radom they abuse referees and visitors to such an extent that your ears bleed" says Sokol chairman Gabriel Ilski. He is not alone in his opinion of Engel Jr - his thoughts are shared by Swit Nowy Dwór goalkeeping coach Zbigniew Pocialik - "Young Engel behaves as if he's been shot - he's incredibly arrogant and is [well up himself]".

Engel Jr. started his managerial career with Polonia Warszawa reserves and has managed at Legionovia, Blekitny Stargard, Radomiak (where he helped the club gain promotion to League II), Polonia again (assistant to his father) and w LKS Lomza (promotion to League II). After a disagreement with the Lomza board he left the club and returned to the Black Shirts who sacked him after a few very unsuccesful matches. He returned to Radomiak for the 2007/08 season but according to Greens chairman Miroslaw Hernik, his job is currently under threat.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Battle For The Future

April 23rd, 2008

When it comes to snapping up young dual nationality talent Germany have been quicker off the mark than the PZPN in recent years. At the last World Cup, during the Poland - Germany game, there were effectively 13 Polish players on the pitch - the 11 selected by Pawel Janas plus Podolski and Klose, playing for our teutonic neighbours.

PZPN, possibly reacting to reports in the media that young Poles felt that they had no other choice than to select Germany due to a lack of contact from anyone within the Polish FA, sent Jerzy Engel to Germany last week to make contact with youngsters with Polish heritage and persuade them that they should be committing to an international career with Poland. It seems that this has not gone down well with our friends from the West and they are trying to persuade their charges to commit to concentrate more on grinding out results with mind-numbingly dull play, diving a lot, moaning and developing curly mullets, i.e. prepare for a future playing for German national side. The friendly German japesters have decided that the best way to influence these young lads is through bullying, name calling and the threat of an end to their career should the "wrong" decision be made.

16 year old Mateusz Protasiewicz, currently at Rot-Weiss Essen, was picked for his regional side but has since been told that if he does not commit to Germany he will no longer be welcome. Sebastian Czajkowski of Schalke and Dominik Kruczek of Borussii Moenchengladbach find themselves in a similar position - "After returning from a couple of games for the Polish [youth] side we were benched by our clubs despite the fact that we're the best players there. The manager didn't even try to hide the reason and admitted that it was to teach us a lesson for our trip to Poland".

Poland's U18 manager, Michal Globisz says he has heard many stories of members of his squad having their Polish roots denigrated by their "teammates" and being put under significant pressure to switch their international allegiances. He also has trouble getting clubs to release players for games played outside the official international periods - something thet his German counterpart does not have to put up with.

The battle for talented youngsters seems to be heating up and the Germans, having learnt their lesson from the Turkish FA who plundered players of Turkish descent from German clubs and they will not give up on young Poles without a fight. The fact that the PZPN now have six fulltime scouts in Germany as well as a number of unofficial obsrevers, bringing the total to around 20, is something that no one in Germany is happy with.

"German clubs jealously guard the products of their youth systems. It costs around €20 to bring a youngster through the ranks, not taking into account the cost of trainers and training facilities" says Tadeusz Slominski an agent in Germany.

Tomasz Waldoch, ex-Polish captain, who used to play for Schalke 04, says that German club sides treat their national side differently to other countries - "[German clubs] bring youngsters through not only for themselves, but also for the national side which is seem as the most important thing in German football", says Waldoch.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Engel Jr's Job In The Balance

April 22nd, 2008

A very dissappointing start to the spring round - four points from a possible 15 - has seen rumours of manager Jerzy Engel Jr's departure from Stuga 63 grow. It's reported that the chairman has given the Greens' boss has just three games in which to save his bacon.

Should Jerzy engel Jr's side fail to emerge victorious from their three upcoming league confrontations, it will signal the end of the managers second period at the helm of the club from Struga. Chairman Miroslaw Hernik is far from pleased with the club's start to the spring round and gave the manager his ultimatum at a meeting on Monday. Should the side not gain a full complemenmt of points then the services of Engel Jr. and his entire backroom staff (first team coach Arkadiusz Grzyb, assistant manager Bogumil Sobieska and goalkeeping coach Jerzy Kupisz) will no longer be required at Struga.

Radomiak's poor start has seen their chances of promotion to League II all but disappear - they are already eleven points behind the fourth placed side, a position whioch will guarantee the holders League II football next season. Hernik told Gazeta that his immediate aim for the club was League II football next season and that was the reason for his ultimatum.

Radomiak face Mazowsze Grojec at home in the re-arranged round 16 clash, put on hold due to radomiak's lack of a license. Next up are fourth placed OKS 1945 Olsztyn and Dolcan Zabki who are currently lying in second. A hard task ahead for the Greens and their manager.

Source: Gazeta Online Radom Edition

Radomiak Lose At Home

April 20th, 2008


Radomiak	1 : 2	Sokol Aleksandrow Lodzki
Lewandowski 69		Sztybrych 34
		Kowalczyk 96
Attendance: 800

Radomiak Radom: Banasiak - Bobrowski, Lewandowski, Sikorski, Skorupka (Boryczka) - Dukalski (Szary), Roslaniec, Wlazlo, Trzaskalski (Majewski) - Lesisz, Tarnowski (Janik)

Radomiak lost this game in the sixth minute of added time and the last kick of the game, providing a textbook lesson on how to change attack into defence. Maciej Lesisz lobbed a wonderful ball over the last Sokol defender for Janik to run onto. Janik, on as a second half substitute, was one on one with the 'keeper but decided on power as opposed to precision. The result was a cannon of the goalies legs launching a Sokol counter attack which ended with the ball in Banasiak's net and handed three points to the visitors.

It has to be said that the visitors thoroughly deserved their victory as they were stronger, more skillful and created more chances than the Greens. Radomiak attacking seemed laboured throughout, their midfield was poor and the defence full of holes. In summary the lack of a few regulars was evident and costly. There was no one in the home side showing any leadership by taking the game by the scruff of the neck and carrying the side forward.

The visitors scored their first from a corner, exposing the Radomiak back lines tendancy to forget the necessity of marking opponents at set plays. Amid more attacks from the visitors Radomiak managed to get back on level terms. Skorupka has been credited with scoring directly from a free-kick but there is the distinct possibility that there was a deflection as the ball made its way into the net.

Sokol came close to regaining their lead on a number of occasions, most notably when Banasiak was well beaten by a lob from distance which only just sailed over the bar and another long range effort which, with the 'keeper again beaten, came back off the post.

It seemed that the result meant more to Sokol than Radomiak and their dominance only increased when Radomiak went down to 10 men following wlazlo's dismissal for a second bookable offence. Radomiak's main attacking outlet seemed to be Lesisz and Szary whose pace troubled the visitors defence but the Greens did not seem to know how to make use of this advantage.

The referee had "an interesting" game - getting obvious decisions wrong, giving out more yellows than the game deserved and, at one point, falling over and having to halt the game whilst he recieved medical attention - probably a highlight for Radomiak fans on what was a dissappointing day.

Not the best performance from the Greens and realistically we'll be lucky not to start next season in League IV.

Source: radomiak.info

Wigry Suwalki - Radomiak Radom 2:1 (1:1)

April 20th, 2008

Radomiak went ahead on 3 minutes in Suwalki thaks to a Pawel Tarnowski goal. The home side equalised through Pietkiewicza on 31 minutes and all was level at the break. Wigry were awarded a controversial spot kick from the end and Osiecki converted to give the home side all three points.

The result, whilst sticking in the craw somewhat, will not be the main talking point, rather the performance of the match officials will doubtless take the spotlight - a tally of four red cards, 10 yellows and the dismissal of Greens manager Jerzy Engel Jr. to the stands will surely not go uncommented in the coming days.


Wigry Suwalki	2 : 1	Radomiak
Pietkiewicza31		Tarnowski 3
Osiecki 80 (pen)
Attendance: 1500

Wigry Suwalki: Gikiewicz - Bucholc, Baranowski, Makarewicz, Bajko - Osiecki, Rybkiewicz (70' Cimochowski), Trocki, Niewulis - Olowniuk, Pietkiewicz (74' Todorov)

Radomiak Radom: Banasiak - Boryczka, Lewandowski, Michalski, Wachowicz - Barzynski, Czpak (70' Roslaniec), Wlazlo, Oziewicz (46' Trzaskalski), Tarnowski (70' Janik), Lesisz

Yellow Cards: Bucholc, Bajko, Trocki - Oziewicz, Michalski, Wachowicz, Barzynski, Boryczka

Red Cards: Trocki (two yellow) - Wachowicz (two yellows), Pasnik (talking back to the referee), Michalski (two yellows)

Referee: Michal Wos (Zamosc)

Attendance: ~1500

Source: radomiak.com.pl

PZPN Prosecute Polish Prosecutor

April 8th, 2008

Having dithered and dallied (taking the odd break in order to rip off loyal fans) over what to do about the festering stench of corruption in Polish football for over three years, the PZPN have taken only one day to issue proceedings against Kazimierz Olejnik, the ex assistant prosecutor general, who came out and said what most of us have been thinking rather hard for some time now.

In an interview with Gazeta on Monday Olejnik did not hold back in his criticism of th PZPN, claiming amongst other things:

"It is common thought that Polish football, which is epitomised by PZPN, can be looked upon as a mafia"

"PZPN exists for its own benefit, it is nothing but a leech."

"It is quite obvious that those who should be most interested in cleaning up the game, i.e. PZPN and their regional organisations, have consistently done nothing. Maybe it's because a large number of them have been infected by this disease for years now. They have taken part in, acquiesced or tolerated corruption."

"Maybe PZPN have convinced themselves that they are the best, infallible and that Listkiewicz is the saviour. That's not true. They are pulling Polish football into the void."

It did not take long for PZPN to react. A message posted on their internet site said "In reaction to the article in Gazeta Wyborcza and the quotes in that article which tarnish the good name of PZPN, we have decided to take Mr Kazimierz Olejnik to court. The ideas expressed by Mr Olejnik are scandalous and exceed all normal boundaries."

Olejnik replied "It's all abstract at the moment. When I find out formall that this has reached court I will make an official statement. At the moment I will only say that this may well be a good thing. [when it goes to court] a certain things will become clearer.

Ok, I have two comments to make on this. Firstly, should PZPN deign to lower themselves and speak to any Polish football fan they will be told in no uncertain terms that they have no good name to tarnish - they're almost universally (at least in the circles I move in) viewed as money grabbing, no good scum. Secondly - "PZPN! PZPN! JEBAC JEBAC PZPN!"

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Radomiak 5 - Stal Glowno 0

April 7th, 2008


Radomiak	5 : 0	Stal Glowno
Oziewicz 1 (pen)
Oziewicz 23 (pen)
Michalski 52
Wlazlo 74
Barzynski 89
Attendance: 1500

The result of Sunday's game will bring a smile to the face's of Radomiak fans - the style, unfortunately, will not. In truth Radomiak should have had more than the five they managed - they were after all facing a side cut off at the bottom of the table who were down to ten men for three quarters of the game. Although a five goal haul would seem to indicate that all is well in the attacking department this is definately not the case.

All the goals came from set pieces. The first two were penalties converted by Arkadiusz Oziewicz - the first given for handball and the second a foul on Barzynski which also resulted in a second yellow for the unfortunate Stal defender. The visitors seemed to view the game as some sort of tribute to Keggy Keegle and pushed forward at every opportunity, neglecting their backline to such an extent that they need not have bothered fielding any defenders. They were excellent value for money and their cavalier attitude certainly made for some excellent flowing moves.

Despite their opponents propensity for forgetting about defence Radomiak were unable to take full advantage. After the break Michalski steered the ball home from a corner and yet another corner brought a flap from the visitors 'keeper which Wlazlo managed to capitalise upon.

Stal's approach to the game earned them a penalty in the second half but Keshi blazed his effort over the bar. Chances were few and far between but Radomiak did manage to add to their total when Barzynski made the most of a great pass from Oziewicz, taking it round the 'keeper and finishing into the empty net.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Show No Mercy

April 6th, 2008

Radomiak overcame Stal G?owno by five goals to nil at Struga 63 today. Two penalties, both converted by Arkadiusz Oziewicz, saw Radomiak 2 - 0 up at halftime. The Greens lead was further extended by Michalski, Wlaz?o and Barzynski giving Radomiak not only a much deserved three points but a much needed confidence boost as well.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

A Striking Problem

April 3rd, 2008

Two games in to the spring round Radomiak have yet to pick up their first full complement of league points. Sunday sees them play bottom placed Stal Glowno at home - a fixture which, on the face of it, should be a stroll in the park for the Greens. Who though, will score the goals to bring Radomiak victory?

Maciej Lesisz will be relegated to a stint in the stands due to accumulated yellow cards. This leaves Jerzy Engel Jr. with a choice between Lukasz Szary and Pawel Tarnowski

It does not take much knowledge of football to know that the resut is down to the whole team, not just the forwards but Sunday's game could prove to be something of an anomoly on this score. Stal are likely spend 90 minutes defending a point and it will be down to Radomiak's forward line to break their resolve. The problem is that it has been the forwards that have caused manager Engel the biggest headache in recent times and Sunday will be no different. Maciej Lesisz will have to sit the game out and Lukasz Janik is struggling with an injury so it would seem that the manager will have to call upon Lukasz Szary.

The problem with Szary is that he can't really be trusted to put the ball away. It's entirley possible that Engel Jr will instead move Arkadiusz Oziewicz up from midfield (as he did for the Swit NDM game) and possibly even play him there with the Greens other "young gun" Pawel Tarnowski.

Whatever Engel does, Sunday could well be a turning point for the season - fail to get all three points and Radomiak can pretty much forget about playing in [the new] Division III next season - win and it could provide a springboard for a charge up the table and (remembering the possibility of corruption related relegations) maybe even a place in [the new] Division II.

Source: Sport Radom

Klicki Kills Korona; Saves Polish Football

April 2nd, 2008

Krzysztof Klicki, the man who bankrolled Korona Kielce into the Ekstraklasa has dealt the club what is likely to be a fatal blow by removing his backing in light of the recent corruption charges the club faces. For those of you that are not aware of this story, it is alleged that former Dariusz Wdowczyk managed to talk his squad into giving up their bonuses in order to use the money to pay-off referees and effectively buy their way up the leagues during his time in charge of the first team.

Klicki seems to be someone from within Polish football who is willing to make a stand against corruption. He seems to be someone who (unlike the president of the PZPN) is not feeding the public lines about "a few black sheep" or (like "The Hairdresser") telling us that he spoke to referees on the phone because "they are acquaintances" and "I like them". He does not qualify corruption by saying it is a necessarily evil which comes about to create a level playing field because everyone is corrupt, which was Wdowczyk's excuse following his arrest earlier this week.

Whether or not Klicki knew about his players buying games is immaterial. What is important is that he is the first to come out and take responsibility. His proclamation that he does not believe Polish football will change for the better in the near future should serve to prick the collective conscience of those who have consistently and with unlikely skill, swept their sins under the carpet.

Klicki's statement and actions should serve as a notice to those players who have been charged with match fixing and yet continue to play in the league; the managers and trainers, "architects" of unbelievable promotions, named in Piotr Dziurowicz's confessional-like interview, who still ply their trade as if nothing had happened; those club officials who, for the right amount, are willing to sell not only the rights to games to TV stations but also the results of games and so any shreds of honesty they may have left and yet carry on in the game and call for penalties for match fixing; those members of the PZPN who, three years after the corruption in Polish football came to national prominence, have only just called for a meeting to discuss it. It seems that it is not Mr Klicki who should be leaving but those outlined above. All of them should go and they should go NOW.

The Korona sponsor's decision has given a signal that the fight against the problems currently killing the game in Poland is winnable. We can, as well as not tolerating corruption, actively fight against it. We can only hope that this can act as a wakeup call to those responsible for Polish football. It would be nice to believe that the PZPN convention on 13th april will see big, mature, intelligent decisions. Maybe we will see a temporary cut in league sizes, dismissal of FA members, the introduction of a program of measures to "fix" Polish football. The possibilities are endless but one thing is for sure - something needs to be done very soon....

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Interview With Arkadiusz Oziewicz

April 2nd, 2008

The sense of disappointment at last weekend's draw against Swit Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki lingers on at Stuga 63. Sport Radom spoke to Arkadiusz Oziewicz about what it means in terms of Radomiak's season.

Sport Radom: What does the draw in Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki mean to your chances of playing in [the new] Division II next season?

Arkadiusz Oziewicz: Unfortunately it does nothing for us. At a stage where every point is priceless and we had three of them in our grasp with five minutes to go I have to say that we lost two valuable points.

SR: It must be even more dissappointing given that even when you went down to 10 men you were the better side.

AO: Maybe we just ran out of luck. We were so close. I've heard many people discuss our performance and I have to say that I did not help our cause [Oziewicz was sent off on 55 minutes], even though I don't think the offences I committed merited yellow cards. The loss of a player on such a heavy pitch was a massive one though...

SR: Even so, the majority of commentators have pointed the finger of blame at 'keeper Jaroslaw Pasnik.

AO: It's not for me to rate a team-mate's performance. The only important fact at the moment is that we need three points against Stala Glowno which I am hopeful we will get on Sunday.

Source: Sport Radom

It's Crunch Time And We Need An Improvement

April 2nd, 2008

With three rounds gone the Division III Grp 1 table is taking shape. All thoughts of catching leaders Ruch Wysokie Mazowiecki are gone now - their lead over Radomiak is a hefty 18 points and it's likely that they'll stay at the top 'til the end of the season. However, had the first two games not seen the Grrens drop five points they would have gone into their "extra game" against Mazowsze Grojec knowing that a win would would see them advance to within four points of second place. With the ongoing corruption cases and new ones likely to come to light it is possible that the third placed side might be awarded promotion to Division II.

In reality the start to the season has not been the best and it's more realistic for Radomiak to set their sights on fourth placed Concordia and a place in the all new Division III next season.

Sunday sees Radomiak face bottom club Stal Glowno at Struga. Stal have conceded 13 goals in the first three games of the round and should Radomiak fail to beat them convincingly at home we should probably resign ourselves to the fact that, despite having good individuals, they do no work well together as a team.

The game against fifth placed Wigry in Suwalki should also provide an indicator as to how the season will progress for Radomiak but the real test will come in the weeks following that game when the Greens will play two games a week during the course of a fortnight(Sokó9.04, Mazowsze 23.04, Stomil 26.04, Dolcan 30.04 i Ruch WM 04.05). To have any chance of gaining a place in next seasons all new Division III then Radomiak will have to go into this sequence of games having gained the full complement of points from the games against Stal and Wigry.

Source: radomiak.info

No Relegation For Corruption

March 31st, 2008

PZPN and it's members want to do away with compulsary relegation for clubs found guilty of corruption, reports Gazeta Online. They have uncovered an agreement between the Polish FA and it's members which would see clubs convicted of corruption face fines as opposed to the current policy of relegation.

The full document is available here, over five pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Those of you who cannot read Polish will have to make do with my translation of the original article.

The document starts in reasonable fashion: "This decade has seen corruption become universal and organised. People at all levels of football have participated - referees, observers, delegates, players, managers, board members, shareholders. Corruption has, over time, crept into games at both the highest and lowest levels of the game. It has involved betting as well as agents. Football has known, or at least suspected that corruption exists but it did not react in a relevant nor resolute manner".

"In the first instance corruption arose due to the lack of ethics within the football fraternity, creating a blatant rape (ed - straight translation from the original document) of sporting competition. The main losers have been the supporters who, as a result, have lost confidence in football We have to admit that the blame for corruption in football is carried not only by those actively involved but by the whole football community".

"With respect to the above the meeting od the PZPN, on behalf of the whole football community, apologises to all fans of football whose trust in and love of football has been diminished by dishonest fixtures and ineffective anti-corruption measures".

So far, so fair, not like PZPN to acknowledge fans, let alone apologise to them.

The document goes on to outline a number of measures which, in the eyes of PZPN will deal with the cancer which has taken hold of the Polish game and is (not overlly slowly) killing it.

Article 1: The disciplinary department will look to punish individuals including referees and observers as well as employees, managers, players and board members found to have been involved in corruption by the current investigation by the regional prosecutor in Wroclaw.

Article 2: The following punishments will be introduced for clubs transgressing the disciplinary code regarding corruption in sport and any additional transgressions up to the end of season 2005/06 (including 20th June 2006):

1) With regard to clubs which, up to the end of season 2005/06, transgressed or attempted to transgress, the law of sporting corruption in more than six games played under the auspices of the PZPN, the punishment will be:

- should the club admit their transgression and put themselves up for punishment willingly, the punishment will be relegation by one division as well as a fine from 30,000PLN to 200,000PLN;

- should the club not admit their transgression and not put themselves up for punishment willingly, the punishment will be relegation by two divisions as well as a fine from 30,000PLN to 200,000PLN;

2) With regard to clubs which, up to the end of season 2005/06, transgressed or attempted to transgress, the law of sporting corruption in no more than six games played under the auspices of the PZPN, the punishment will be:

- should the club admit their transgression and put themselves up for punishment willingly, they will be subject to a fine ranging from 30,000PLN to 200,000PLN in addition to having 10 points docked;

- should the club not admit their transgression and not put themselves up for punishment willingly, they will be subject to a fine from 50,000PLN to 200,000PLN in addition to having 10 points docked;

(...)

6) As from the 1st January 2009, clubs found to have transgressed the rules of corruption in sport up to and including the 2005/06 season or having attempted to transgress those rules in games played under the auspices of the PZPN will be faced with the following punishments:

- should the club admit their transgression and put themselves up for punishment willingly, they will be subject to a fine ranging from 50,000PLN to 300,000PLN;

- should the club not admit their transgression and not put themselves up for punishment willingly, they will be subject to a fine from 300,000PLN to 500,000PLN;

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Yellow Card Bans

March 31st, 2008

Bartosz Bobrowski, Maciej Lesisz and Michal Lewandowski will miss the round 19 game at home to Stal Glowno, each player having reached the limit of four yellow cards. The bans will last for one game only. As Arkadiusz Oziewicz's dismissal on Saturday was for a second yellow as opposed to a straight red the player will not be banned.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Two Points Dropped

March 29th, 2008

Radomiak were a couple of minutes short of securing their first win of the spring round.


Swit NDM	2 : 2	Radomiak
Dudek 85		Barzynski 49
Gmitrzuk 91		Oziewicz 55
		Oziewicz - sent off 55
Attendance: 300 (200 Radomiak)

It is without doubt that Radomiak were the better side in this encounter. Jerzy Engel Jr's changes in personnel had the desired effect. The one position which caused both the fans and the manager worries before the game was that of 'keeper and after this game it has to be said that the waters have been further muddied. Pasnik did not have the most assured of perfomances between the sticks and capped it by somehow managing to concede a high, floated freekick from 35 metres out. Radomiak should have had more than the efforts from Barzynski and Oziewicz in the bag before Swit's fightback - they were the far superior side.

The seeds of Radomiak's downfall were sown directly after they went 2 up when Oziewicz received his second yellow for his over exuberant celebrations. The Greens battled well and seemed to have held out against a persistant home side, aided to a large extent by a rather dodgy referee (a case of 10 against tweleve I think) until added time when Swit were awarded a dubious spot kick which they duly converted.

A real shame - Radomiak played excellently and Jerzy Engel Jr's plans for his team seemed to be coming to fruition until over-zelous refereeing combined with rather sub-standard goalkeeping saw it all fall apart.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Dariusz Wdowczyk "Helping Police With Their Enquiries"

March 28th, 2008

Dariusz Wdowczyk was detained by the CBA in a 7am raid on his house today. Wdowczyk, a regular in the national side for many years and currently manager of Division II side Polonia Warszawa, was detained in relation to allegations of corruption at Ekstraklasa side Korona Kielce. this investigation is not linked to the other major corruption scandal involving "the hairdresser".

Wdowczyk's house was searched and he was taken to the district attorney's office in Wroclaw which is heading up investigations into corruption in Polish football where he will be interviewed. Charges, should they be brought, will pertain to Wdowczyk's tim in charge at Korona Kielce. The club advanced from Division III to the Ekstraklasa in two seasons although Wdowczyk left before promotion to the top division.

"If the district attorneys finish their interviews today then we will be able to comment further" says Tomasz Fratczak of the CBA. "I cannot go into detail until a formal charge has been made but I can confirm that this is to do with match fixing and in the case of the menegr, active corruption. This investigation will be totally seperate to the one which has been ongoing at the Wroclaw district attorney's office for some time now".

Fratczak also confirmed that Wdowczyks arrest is directly linked to yesterdays swoops on other individuals linked to the Kielce club. The CBA and the Wroclaw police detained four people on suspicion of match fixing. The chief executive and assistant manager of the club have already been charged with corruption.

"There have been rumours that Korona has been involved in corruption for some time now, similar to those about Jagiellonia Bialystok" says Jacek Sarzalo a Gazeta Wyborcza and sport.pl journalist and writer on corruption in Polish football. "Unofficially it's known that the charges against Wdowczyk have to do with the season in which Korona were in Division III. At the moment this case is not being linked with the one involving "the Hairdresser" but it is still in it's early stages."

It was over a month and a half ago that Zbigniew Boniek stated on the TV show Cafe Football that Korona was up to it's neck in the murky waters of match fixing - an opinion which cause the Kielcan club to threaten legal action.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Poland 0 - USA 3

March 28th, 2008

I'm not going to do a match report for this one. Having read some of the press after the game I was convinced it couldn't have been as bad as they made out - I was wrong. I downloaded the game and managed to sit through most of it and Poland were atrocious - no movement up front (I'm looking at you Pawel Brozek!), not more than three passes strung together (I'm looking at you, er, the whole team!) and a couple of uncharcteristic goalkeeping errors (I'm most definately NOT looking at you Mr Boruc - you're too hard for that sort of thing).

In lieu of a match report I've translated Leo Beenhakkers thoughts on what went wrong. It's from an interview with Gazeta Online Edition.

Asked for reasons to explain the USA game Beenhakker put it down to a"workplace accident". "A very painful one but it's a one off. One lost game, albeit by a large margin and to set-plays, cannot destroy our faith in the players and the team".

The Dutch does not believe that we have problems in defense (really? ed) - "[The game against the USA] showed everyone the mistakes that we make but I don't see any issues with defence. The same players, in a similar formation, played during the Euro 2008 qualifiers and did very well. They were effective in their game. Against the USA they weren't as good. I think they let their minds wander a bit and they weren't as combative as usual - that's why I'm not happy with them. I know however that we can overcome this".

Beenhakker remains upbeat about the Euro 2008 finals - "I don't see why we shouldn't do well. One defeat shouldn't change your goals and and hopes. Our aim has always been to go beyond the group stages and to do that we'll have to play three games within ten days at the highest level. I don't think any nation is thinking beyond the quarter finals and we're the same - why should we be any different? If we get that far, then we'll thing about advancing further".

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Swit Preview

March 28th, 2008

Saturday sees Radomiak take on Swit Nowy Dwóazowiecki in round 18 of Division III Group 1. The game will be played in Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki at 6.30 pm under floodlights and should see a fair amount of travelling fans cheering on the Greens - Swit away is a game Radomiak seem to travel to in numbers and a "football special" has been organised for the trip.

Radomiak's record against Swit is not good - they have managed one win and one draw in seven league fixtures. The four points RKS have garnered from their encounters against Swit were during Radomiak's brief tenure in Division II.

Season	Competition	Home	Away	Score
04/05	Division II	Swit NDM	Radomiak	1 : 0
04/05	Division II	Radomiak	Swit NDM	0 : 2
05/06	Division II	Swit NDM	Radomiak	0 : 0
05/06	Division II	Radomiak	Swit NDM	2 : 0
06/07	League III	Radomiak	Swit NDM	0 : 2
06/07	League III	Swit NDM	Radomiak	4 : 2
07/08	League III	Radomiak	Swit NDM	0 : 1

Swit's stated aim this season is promotion to the new Division II next season but they haven't had the best start to the spring round, drawing with Stomil Olsztyn and losing away to Dolcan Zabki, a run which has seen them drop to 9th place.

Swit's man to watch is without doubt their current leading scorer, ex Leagia Warszawa and Odra Wodzislaw forward Dariusz Zjawinski. Veteran Tomasz Reginis, who has been at the club for 11 years is also a worthy advesary at the back. The corresponding fixture in the autumn round saw Radomiak dominate throughout but fail (yet again) in front of goal. A breakaway goal from Wojciech Bluszcz was enough to give the visitors the win on that occassion.

Source: radomiak.eu

Radomiak - Nadnarwianka On The Web

March 27th, 2008

For all of you masochists out there the Radomiak - Nadnarwianka game is available on the TV Dami Radom site. You can access the stream directly here. Enjoy. Or not as the case may be.

Source:

Radiomiak 0 : Nadnarwianka Pultusk 1

March 22nd, 2008


Radomiak	0 : 1	Nadnarwianka Pultusk
		Dylewski 16
Attendance: 3000

Radomiak: Banasiak - Bobrowski, Lewandowski, Michalski, Skorupka (Dukalski) - Barzynski, Roslaniec (Wlazlo), Czpak , Trzaskalski (Boryczka) - Janik (Lesisz), Szary

It seems like a very long time since a match report appeared on here - a lot has gone on in the last fortnight or so. It would have been nice to have been able to give you the details of a Radomiak win but unfortunately things didn't go our way today. I have to say that although the dissapointment of the loss has had some impact on my weekend it's not as significant as usual - I think I'm still on a bit of a high from the decision to lift the license suspension.

Radomiak lacked any real vision and although they tried to play in their opponent's half, they did not create many chances. Accurate passes were also few and far between. The visitors goal was created by ex-Radomiak man Pawel Iwanowski. He set up Dylewski and neither his marker Michalski nor 'keeper Banasiak could do anything to stop his shot into the far corner.

Perhaps the weeks off the field problems played their part in the performance of the Greens - something was certainly amiss as the side from Struga could not even string more than two passes together. Set pieces were also dissapointing, ending without exception out of play or with comfortable headers for the defence.

The one plus point was that the team battled 'til the end. Next week, with all the non-footballing shenanigans well behind us, should be better - fingers crossed!

Source: radomiak.info

We've Got a License!!!!

March 21st, 2008

After all the stress of the last few days it has been confirmed that the suspension of Radomiak's license has been lifted. The MZPN stated that the reasons for the restrictions initially being imposed are no longer an issue.

Since the initial meeting of the MZPN, PZPN and Radomiak board on Thursday the club have paid 50000 PLN to the treasury and National insurance office and this was enough to convince MZPN that Radomiak should carry on Division III.

So, Radomiak will play their first game of the spring round tomorrow against Nadnarwianka Pultusk at Struga. Kick-off is at 1430.

There are other conditions which radomiak must fulfill in order to keep hold of their license but these will be revealed at a later date.

Source: radomiak.info

Last Night's Meeting

March 20th, 2008

So, last night saw the MZPN stick to their guns and to the agreement made with Radoamiak in June. What was also made clear was that, although the agreement was reached with a different company (the Radomiak Fellowship), the people behind that company were pretty much the same as are backing the newly formed RKS Radomiak 1910 SA. This puts a slightly different slant on things.

For those unfamiliar with radomiak's financial plight, here's a brief history. After many years of financial mismanagement and Radomiak effectively being used as a social club and a status symbol, Radomiak owe over 2 million PLN to various parties. Creditors are both large and small ranging from the Treasury and National Insurance Office (no tax or NI was paid for long periods) to small sole trader businesses providing occasional services. In June 2007 it was touch and go whether or not Radomiak would be granted a license to play in Division III but after many rounds of negotiations between the major players involved an understanding was reached. A license would be granted if Radomiak agreed to honour their debts and pay them off in installments whilst not running up any new obligations. Everyone was happy and Radomiak started out in the league. At the end of 2007 the board decided that a new company should be formed - basically a PLC - which would be run as a business along sound financial lines. This company took over the major assets of the old Radomiak Fellowship, i.e. the players, their registrations, their place in the league structure whilst leaving everything else, including the debts, to the Fellowship. This was accepted by the MZPN and the PZPN and it seemed that RKS Radomiak 1910 SA would be taking their place in Division III Group 1 for the spring round. Unfortunately for the club and its fans MZPN to reversed their decision a few days before the inaugural game saying that the new club could not shirk it's responsibilisties in terms of monies owed.

MZPN's new ruling, on the face of it seems to be a fair one - why should a company be able to wipe out their debt simply by creating a new business and transfering all the assets from the old one? This though is not the whole story. Radomiak SA chairman Miroslaw Hernik has stated on many occassions that his intention is to repay the debt accrued and at the same time pursue those who created the debt and, it is rumoured, came out rather nicely financially after their association with the club. This attempt to punish those responsible for the debt was to be a joint enterprise in conjunction with the treasury and the Natioanl Insurrance office. Furthermore, he has showed willing by not only keeping up with repayments but actually paying back more than was actually agreed when the cash has been available.

Previous chairmen have been in toulch with various bodies, the MZPN doubtless among them, stating that the new PLC is not in the best interests of the club. The fact that anyone has the gall to say this, let alone people who stripped the club of just about all it's asset is in itself unbelievable. The fact that people in charge of the game at any level are willing to blindly believe it is unfortunately a manifestation of the hopeless state of Polish football at the moment.

As mentioned last night, the fact that the PZPN have sanctioned RKS Radomiak 1910 SA does not mean that they automatically gain entry into competitions run by regional FA's. There is a chance that we could still see Division III football at Struga this season but it would mean a new agreement being reached between the club, Treasury, National Insurance and MZPN and time is running out - even if the parties do arrive at some sort of understanding it will not be long before the MZPN start declaring Radomiak's fixtures as walkovers for their opponents and the Greens will effectively be relegated to Division IV anyway.

Having read the forums of some of the Polish language Radomiak websites last night and this morning two things have become clear. Firstly the anger seems to be turning away from the MZPN and towards former directors and chairmen of the club who have lined their own pockets to the detriment of the club. Secondly, the number of fans posting that would prefer to see the club start again in the B-class seems to be growing. Their point is that this exact same situation will be replayed next season and the season after ad infinitum and Radomiak will always be patching up the wreck left by previous administrations so why not start at the bottom and work our way up? The fan base is way bigger than anything the club would encounter in the lower leagues and with a prudent and business like approach to the day to day running would provide an excellent basis for a progression through the divisions and back to Division III without the baggage currently holding it back.

We'll have to wait and see what happens over the next few days although with the Easter weekend fast approaching I doubt that there will be many new developments.

Source:

No Money - No Football

March 19th, 2008

In order to play in Division III this season Radomiak must stick to the agreement made in June of this year with respect to it's debts. 50000 PLN must be paid asap, preferably tomorrow. Once this 50000 PLN has been paid the club must renew negotiations with the Treasury and National Insurance. No one from the club has spoken publicly about whether this is a realistic option or not.

Discussions at PZPN headquarters on ul Miodowa lasted over three hours. By the end nothing had changed and the MZPN still insist that the agreement reached in June must be adhered to - a one off payment of 50000 PLN followed by regular monthly quotas.

The agreement was made between MZPN and the "old" Radomiak and it was the "old" Radomiak which was granted a license and the "old" Radomiak which had its license suspended. The PLC can take the "old" club's place in Division III but only if, along with the senior side, the players ' registrations, etc. they take on the debt. As the new PLC has been accepted into the structure of the PZPN they will be able to play within their leagues but only at the lowest level which is the B class.

Relegation by two divisions which has been previously mentioned would see Radomiak in the regional leagues but for this to happen the PLC would still have to stick to the original agreement.

Source: Sport Radom

Website Move

March 19th, 2008

As the sharper tools (hehe tools...) amongst you may have noticed the website has moved. No longer is my lack of any discernable web design/programming talent shielded from the world by the excuse of a free hosting provider. I have also shelled out for the radomiak.co.uk domain name and this will now be the website's permanent home.

Hopefully, once I have got fully to grips with all the flash new stuff I can do with paid for hosting you should see a marked improvement in the quality of the site. For now, I am aware that the guestbook is "broken" - I shall attempt to fix it when I get a minute and it will act as a temporary solution until I have decided which messageboard software I'm going to use.

Finally, a word of thanks to meeja.net, the hosting company, for bearing with me while I ask a host of imbecillic questions that any idiot should know the answer to. If you're looking for hosting then get in touch with them. I have to declare an interest in mmmeeja in that one of the founders is a good friend, but that aside, I would recommend them wholeheartedly.

Source:

PZPN Meet Today

March 19th, 2008

A post on the official Radomiak website last night informed that there will be a meeting of the PZPN which will look at the formation of the new Radomski Klub Sportowy Radomiak 1910 SA from the remains (thanks again to our previous chairmen) of the preceding entity. The Radomiak board will be present to put their case as will representatives of the MZPN, the PZPN legal department and the PZPN license and fixtures department.

My theory...

I was under the impression that all this has been resolved, after all the MZPN had accepted the new company into their hierachy, PZPN had also granted it a license to play within the realms of their league structure and everything in the garden was rosy. Unfortunately, MZPN then decided to make a rather massive u-turn (remember the vote to accept the new company had originally been unanimous) and pull the rug from under Radomiak's feet by not reinstating their license. There has been speculation as to why this occured and, without again repeating any of the rumours doing the rounds, my opinion is that for something like this to happen there must have been some underhand dealing going on. Given the last two years worth of revelations about match-fixing, bribery and corruption within polish league football it's not something that can be discounted.

What will happen today is anyone's guess but I do have my fears that an organisation like MZPN would not go against the natianal FA without some sort of inside information that they would be backed. Thinking about it logically if MZPN do not know that they have support from PZPN then the decision will be overturned and the regional FA will end up with serious egg on their faces - not something they are likely to set themselves up for. My personal belief is that even if this started off as a scare tactic by one of Radomiak's creditors to squeeze some money out of them ahead of the planned payments it's now gone too far and the bodies involved will have to be seen to be in control.

So, let's assume the worst - Radomiak do not have their license re-instated - what next? Well the remainder of this season will be a write off, but looking further ahead it's possibly not the Doomsday scenario previously envisaged. It's unlikely that Radomiak would have to drop further than Division IV which, although not where the club would like to be is better than having to start again in the local/regional leagues and work their way back up - a task that would take years and which would not be attractive to those without the stomach for a battle. It is likely also that the squad would remain much the same - obviously some players would depart but the core would remain. So, we now have a side which was expected to do well, even put in a serious promotion challenge, in Division III - the theory is that they should do rather well a division lower and would be expected to make it up at the first try. Having been involved with clubs which have been relegated and then promoted again at the first attempt I have found that the atmosphere is lifted and it leads the club onto bigger and better things. Perversly it may be the shot in the arm the club needs.

Anyway, this is all conjecture on my part and hopefully I'll be posting later to let you know that the PZPN has overuled MZPN's decision and Radomiak will be resuming their Division III challenge after all.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

No License

March 14th, 2008

Corruption, incompetence, a set of complete and utter fuckwits running the game in Poland. Well, they've struck a blow against a club trying to get its house in order. Todays meeting of the MZPN decided that Radomiak are not worthy of a license to play in Division III. Obviously something has happened for the decision taken by MZPN a few weeks ago, carried by a majority decision, to be reversed.

Why did this happen? One theory is that Mieczyslaw Broniszewski, ex-manager and self professed "lover of Radom and Radomiak" has had his say. It is no secret that Broniszewski has friends in high places and is owed money from his tenure at Radomiak. He's also currently out of work and could probably do with applying a bit of pressure to get a few quid in his pocket. Put these facts together and it's obvious that he has had some sort of contact with the MZPN and this has caused them to reverse their decision. The man has no morals. As I said this is one theory and I am obviously not saying that it's the case - I'm just reporting on the scurrilous rumours circulating in some areas and I'm publishing them here so that the English supporting Radomiak community can see what rubbish it is. I would never call the man a weasel, a Judas or a [snip]. No....never, because that would be wrong.

I think we should also take the opportunity to thank Mr Grzyb, Mr Nniedzielski, Mr Pietrzyk, Mr Telenda, Mr Kobylecki, Mr Kaczmarek and Mr Kaczmarski for creating the massive debt that lies at the heart of Radomiak's problems. It should also be mentioned that these examples of community and sport minded individuals have written to, amongst others, the prosecutor to inform that the newly formed company is acting to the detriment of the club. Sorry for the language but for fucks sake! Have you no fucking morals you sacks of shit???

No more tonight - I'm in a bit of a mood

Squad Guide Part V - Forwards

March 14th, 2008

A recurring theme at Radomiak in recent seasons has been a rather weak forward line. If Zieloni are going to mount a serious promotion challenge during the spring round then this is one area of the squad which Jerzy Engel Jr will have to improve. Radomiak currently have the youngest attack in the league and the task of firing Zieloni up the table falls to Maciej Lesisz, Lukasz Szary, Lukasz Janik and Pawel Tarnowski.

Had our ability in front of goal been better then the winter break would have seen Radomiak in a much more favourable position in the table and with greater hopes of advancing into (as it will next season be) Division I. There are signs that things could be considerably better in the coming round.

Maciej Lesisz had a good run towards the end of the autumn round and hopefully he can maintin that momentum 'til the end of the season. A favourite of both the manager and the fans Lesisz is prone to niggly injuries and this has in the past been an obstacle to him building and maintaining his confidence in front of goal. Despite his problems with fitness Lesisz remains the best attacking player in the squad and, when fit, is an automatic selection.

Lukasz Janik has been doing very well recently and he finished of a very successful pre-round with an excellent game in the last friendly against Ursus. Jerzy Engel Jr. will be counting on him during the coming round.

The pre-round friendlies have seen Lukasz Szary return to the form he displayed in the youth side and he contributed his fair share of goals. As well as playing up front he is also adept at right back and it's more likely that Engel Jr. will play him there if both Lesisz and Janik are fit.

Pawel Tarnowski, brought in to the club thanks to the Radomski Klub 100 (a fans group which raises money through subscriptions), could well be the joker in the pack. At only 18 years of age he shows excellent technique combined with not inconsiderable strength. He's as comfortable playing "in the hole" (God I hate that phrase) just behind the forwards as he is as an out and out striker. If he deals with move to a bigger club his striking instinct will hopefully come to the fore and he might even earn himself a starting place. For the time being though he'll be on the bench.

Source: Sport Radom

Greens on the Telly

March 14th, 2008

All Radomiak home games in the spring round will be screened live on local cable TV channel Telewizja Kablowa Dami. Games will also be streamed live on the internet via the TV Dami website. I've not been on there to figure out exactly how to use the thing yet and I'm not overly hopeful about the quality (streaming technology at the moment is not really up to live football - no football fan should have to stare at a "Buffering. Please wait" message 10 times during a 15 minute period). I will investigate and post instructions in english on how to get to the feed.

Original Article: radomiak.com.pl

Squad Guide Part IV - Wide Midfielders

March 14th, 2008

As the start of the spring round draws ever closer the excitement builds as we all prepare for the trials and tribulations of (hopefully) a promotion push. In order to bring you back down to earth and add some - no doubt much needed - mundanity and boredom to your lives here's part IV of the Radomiak squad guide. This time we're looking at the options available down the flanks of the Greens midfield.

Marcin Trzaskalski, Daniel Barzynski, Dominik Dukalski and Arkadiusz Oziewicz are the four contenders for this position and at first glance they're all at pretty much the same level.

Barzynski, even though he is more suited to a place in defence, will almost definately start on the left side of midfield against Mazowsze on Sunday. His ability to turn a promising attacking situation for Radomiak into one for the opposition with one of his ineffectual efforts at emulating Diego Maradona's ability to beat 5 players and score, along with his weak shot, will no doubt frustrate but his pace and battling will also be a huge asset against Grojec.

A shoe-in for a starting place should be Marcin Trzaskalski but he hasn't been able to get back to his best following his autumn operation. His preparations have also been hampered by a series of knocks and he is therefore unlikely to find himself in the first XI on Sunday. Given a clear run in training though he should become a regular in Jerzy Engel Jr's side.

Having recovered from unfortunate accident (involving stairs, his head and concrete flooring) it's hoped that Dominik can break through this round. He is undoubtedly a great player but we haven't yet seen him reach his full potential. After a slow start to the autumn round he gained in confidence and experience and we started to see flashes of what he is capable of - hopefully this will continue this round but given the things he's had to deal with recently it may take some time. Dukalski should probably not start on Sunday as he cannot have made up for the training he missed due to the injuries he sustained in the accident.

Arkadiusz Oziewicz will serve a ban on Sunday due to yellow cards he collected in the autumn round. This is a shame as normally he would be one of the first names down on the team sheet. At times it's difficult to believe that he is only 19 as he shows amazing maturity on the pitch, not only in his own play but in leading and encouraging the older, more experienced players around him. It's more than likely that Ekstraklasa clubs will start sniffing around him soon and he'll be off to bigger and better things.

Original Article: Sport Radom

Squad Guide Part III - Central Defense

March 10th, 2008

Central defense is something of a problem for Jerzy Engel Jr - the sqaud is somewhat light in this area. The two frontrunners for a starting spot, Przemyslaw Michalski and Michal Lewandowski, are being pushed hard by youngsters Marcin Sikorski and Dariusz Mortka.

At the begining of preparations for the spring round it Engel Jr. tried Zbigniew Wachowicz at the heart of defense and he did well - fater all this is a position that's not entirely alien to him. It seems however that there was no need to move Wachowicz from his favoured fullback spot as the two youngsters Marcin Sikorski and Dariusz Mortka have shown that they are more than capable of filling in at the back should the need arise before now and the end of the season.

Both players have been brought through the Radomiak youth system but have never been given the chance of a run in the first team. Sikorski would not look out of place playing at a higher level but does have some maturing to do first - he is not in contention for the starting game of the season due to serving a ban for collecting too many yellow cards. He will most definately be fighting for a place in the starting line-up this season. Mortka played most of last season at B-class club Bercie Jedlinsk having been told by the Greens that he was no longer required at Struga 63. He returned to Radomiak in the summer and has worked hard during the autumn improving his game immeasurably and it would be fair to say that he has the best technique out of Engel Jr's four choices for centre back. He shows amazing coollness for one his age and has great vision, picking out team mates with passes which others would not even contemplate attempting. Unfortunately, due to a broken nose, he is also not in contention for the game against Mazowsze Grojec.

Michal Lewandowski is currently experiencing an upturn in form. There were many concerns about his ability to cope at the back at the start of the autumn round but it's now impossible to imagine him not taking his place in the Radomiak backline. It's a shame he picked up an injury at the back end of the autumn round as a few more games would have given him added confidence in his own abilities. Still, he's in such a rich vein of form at the moment that he is pretty much one of the first names down on Jerzy Engel Jr's team sheet.

The form of Lewandowski's autumn partner at the back is another question. A player who should, in theory, be the backbone of the team seemed to get a little lost during the autumn round and after some unseemly behaviour he was stripped of the captaincy which led top a loss of confidence and all round deterioration in his play. It remains to be seem whether his behaviour and performances during the pre-spring preparations have served to reinstall the managers confidence in him. Even if he does start against Mazowsze he will have to be on his best behaviour as a repeat of the autumns shenanigans will see him straight back on the bench.

Source: Sport Radom

You're Shit And You Know You Are

March 6th, 2008

"I'm not really bothered who's going to qualify from our group in second place but I have the feeling that it'll be G*rmany. Your players aren't good enough - we are better in every single position". That's the opinion of Croatia and Portsmouth midfielder Niko Krancjar on Poland's chances at the Euro 2008 finals.

Krancjar also has doubts about whether any Pole would make the grade at his club side Portsmouth, again citing what he believes is a very poor squad of players. Croatia are, according to him, a team of the present whereas Poland live in the past - "Our third place finish in the World Cup is a modern day achievement whereas yours is prehistoric" says the cuddly funster.

Krancjar does admit that Polands qualifying campaign was successful - they finished atop the group ahead of Portugal and Serbia - but adds (surprisingly for such a modest fellow) that his sides was better. "We won against England at Wembley! Have you ever won away against England?! [yes, we have but I think you'd probably say it doesn't count as dinosaurs roamed the land in those times - ed.] We had our day and I think we will have three days at the finals. We have the right players - not nearly men, but true superstars of the world game".

I for one would not dare argue with a star of the world game who shines as brightly as Mr Krancjar, especially not one who played in a side which defeated the footballing powerhouse which is England who were, we must remember, under the stewardship of Mr Steve McClaren - a manager who must surely take his place alongside other managerial greats such as, er Mick Wadsworth?

Mr Krancjar, I salute you and would like to extend my thanks for your services to Polish pre-match teamtalks.

Original Article: Gazeta Online

Radomiak SA Accepted!

March 6th, 2008

"The Polish FA has today passed a resolution on the strength of which RKS Radomiak 1910 SA will play in Division III, Group 1 in the spring round" said obviously relieved Radomiak director Lukasz Podlewski.

For the decision to come into effect the MZPN must receive the relevant documentation from the Treasury and National Insurance departments. Podlewski will be on the case tomorrow - "Our license was never taken away, merely suspended. We'll deliver the documents to the MZPN tomorrow".

Once the paperwork has been delivered there will be no obstacle to Radomiak SA taking their place in Division III for the spring round and the future will be in the hands of the manager and playing staff as opposed to various men in suits.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

There Be Trouble A Brewin'

March 6th, 2008

The prosecutors office is looking into the transfer of players from the now defunct "Radomiak Association" to the newly formed plc. Their view, it seems, is that if the players can be moved from one business to the other then the debts should also make their way in teh same direction.

According to Gazeta, the regional prosecutors office has undertaken an investigation on behalf of the City of Radom into "the case of abuse of power and trust by parties creating a new company based on the RKS Radomiak Association and acting to the detriment of RKS Radomiak". Should anyone be found guilty of such a crime they face 3 months to 5 years improisonment under article 296, paragraph 1 of crown law.

Malgorzata Chrabaszcz, spokeserson for the County Prosecutor's Office in Radom issued the following statement - "During the autumn of 2007 at a general meeting it was decided that a company called Radomiak 1910 would be formed. This company took over the assets of the Radomiak Association but not the debts. The aim of the prosecutor's investigations will be to resolve whether or not this is legitimate".

Interviews with Radomiak employees and directors are ongoing and the prosecutor's office have been in contact with the MZPN for their view on the subject. The prosecutor is also seeking to uncover whether the new companies creative approach to assets and debts is within the code of conduct of the PZPN and whether they can take on RKS Radomiak's playing staff and league place without also taking on board their debt.

The club's chairman, Miroslaw Hernik has been interviewed by the prosecutor already. "I've put my own money into this club. Thh creation of the plc was the only way out for Radomiak and it was the decision of the Radomiak Association to let us have the players. As it stands today the Association has debts of 3.5 million PLN. their bank accounts are frozen and there are bailifs everywhere".

So, who will pay off the debts of the Association? Currently, although the company still exists it "owns" only the youth teams. Hernik thinks he knows who should be digging deep in their pockets - "It should be those who built the debt up. The treasury and National Insurance departments sent me a letter asking for the members of the board at various times in the past. I complied and the people I named are receiving demands for the monies owed. There are even two or three who have cleared their part of the mess". hernik has always been open in his dealing swith both the Treasury and the National Insurance departments - last year he overpaid by a total of 85 thousand PLN to show willing and to secure the clubs future.

Today sees the PZPN council meeting which should include a decision on whether or not to accept the newly formed Radomiak 1910 SA into their structure. The next hurdle will be obtaining a license to play in division III from the MZPN. The MZPN have already officially incorporated the new company into their structure but the granting of a license is a totally seperate issue.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak's Fate in PZPN's Hands

March 5th, 2008

Tomorrow is a key day in Radomiak's history and, should things not go well, it could also be the last. Tomorrow, at 11am, the PZPN council meets in Warszawa and on the agenda will be the question of the newly formed Radomiak PLC's place in Group 1 of Division III.

The PZPN will decide whether or not Radomiak will take part in the spring round. Should the new PLC be denied a place in the league then Radomiak will most likely cease to exist in it's current form and the best that can be hoped for is a new start at the very bottom of the Polish league system.

So, the future of our club is in the hands of PZPN - all we can do is to keep everything crossed and hope that come tomorrow afternoon we'll be looking forward to an opening day encounter against Mazowsze Grojec.

Original Article: radomiak.com.pl

Double Header

March 5th, 2008

Saturday will see Radomiak at last play a friendly on a true grass pitch as opposed to the artificial pitches which the weather has dictated they use up to know. Their search for a playable natural surface will take them to Warszawa where they will, rather surprisingly, play two friendlies on the same day.

Jerzy Engel Jr's charges will first face division IV Ursus Warszawa at ul. Sosnkowskiego 3 in a game which kicks off at midday. They will then face CWKS Legia Warszawa (not to be confused with the Ekstraklasa side who long ago dropped the "CWKS") who play in the regional league.

The games should give Engel Jr the chance to see all his players on the same day and could go a long way to cementing his starting line-up for the first game against Grojec in just under a fortnights time.

Whether or not the pitches will be in a playable state or not is a matter open for discussion, as this photo taken during CWKS's recent 6 - 2 reversal at Olimpia Warszawa illustrates.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Injury Crisis

March 5th, 2008

With two weeks left until the start of the spring round Radomiak are suffering something of an injury crisis. Zbigniew Wachowicz, Dariusz Mortka, Arkadiusz Oziewicz, Lukasz Szary and Pawel Tarnowski all missed teh friendly with Gornik Leczna through injury and following the friendly Lesisz and Michalski can noe be added to the list.

"Lukasz Szary injured his knee during training at MOSiR and due to swelling he was not able to play against Leczna. Pawel Tarnowski is suffering from a strain and we decided to give him a rest as well" explained Jerzy Engel Jr.

Wachowicz, Mortka and Arkadiusz Oziewicz have now missed the last two friendlies but Engel Jr is not overly concerned that a further two names have been added to his ever growing injury list - "The Gornik lads were taking no prisoners and both Lesisz and Michalski are pretty much covered in bruises. I think though that their injuries aren't too serious and they should be back in a week, maybe two. They'll definately be back for our league opener against Grojec".

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Cut-out and Keep Squad Report Part II - Wingbacks

March 4th, 2008

Time was when a defender was a defender- if he managed to stifle the creativity and attacking potential of "his man" he had done his job. If his opponent left the field with a few newly inflicted bumps and bruises then all the better. Nowadays however this is not enough and the modern fullback is judged as much on his ability to create attacking opportunities for his side as he is on his ability to stifle his opponents. So, it seems that Jerzy Engel Jr must weigh up both facets of the little group he has at his disposal.

Zbigniew Wachowicz is certain to be the nuber one choice as lef-back. The years may be catching up with him, the pace may not be quite there anymore but Radomiak's captain is at the very heart of the team and it would be a major shock should he lose out on a starting spot in the team for any reason other than injury. He has had problems with his Achilles during the break and as a result Wojciech Skorupka has been given an extended run and has done well. He's proved himself to be a hard, persistant player who will niggle away at an opponent until he flusters him into submission. Although he will have to wait his turn Skorupka's time will undoubtedly come and it seems that he is ready and able to take up the challenge.

The choice of right-back is more difficult - Engel Jr has two seemingly equally matched protagonists vying for this position. Bartosz Bobrowski was probably the most consistent member of the squad during the autumn round. He dos lack flair and isn't the player most technically endowed in the sqaud but you always know what you are going to get from him. Pawel Boryczka, on the other hand, is something of an unkown, having joined from Mazowsze Grojec during the break. He is at least the equal of his youner squad mate although possibly a little weaker in the tackle. Boryczka can also play as a defensive minded midfielder and this could go against him in the battle for the right back position. Our predicion? It's a close one but we'll go for Bobrowski to edge it....but only just.

Source: Sport Radom

Poland 2 - 0 Estonia

February 28th, 2008

18 months ago it was a joy to watch Radoslaw Matusiak and Lukasz Gargula playing in the national side - it seemed that they had some sort of special understanding. One seemed to know exactly where the other would be and where he wanted the ball played. This cooperation played a massive part in Poland's qualification for the Euro 2008 finals. Recently however things have not being going too well for the pair and they had both dropped out of the international setup. Last night was their chance to shine again and stake a claim to a place in the squad for the finals.

Matusiak is back in Poland and playing regularly whilst Gargula has recovered from his injuries and is returning to the form he showed during the qualifying campaign. With little time left it was obvious that they were both out to impress and convince Beenhakker that they are worthy of seats on the plane to Austria in June.

Initially it seemed that the almost telepathic understanding between the two was no longer - Gargula tried to find Matusiak on a number of occasions only for the latter to lack the pace to latch on to through balls or, on the occasions when he did receive a pass, fail to out manoeuvre his opponent. His play in the air has also suffered during his absence - he hadn't played for a year and to be honest it showed. On 38 minutes normal service was resumed - Gargula crossed and Matusiak flicked the ball past the Estonian 'keeper to give Poland the lead. This was the second game in a row in which Beenhakker's players had managed to score from a set-piece, an improvement over the qualifiers during which his side found the net only once in a similar fashion. It's obviously something that has been worked on in training and Poland's second came about from a corner which Tomasz Zahorski converted to extend their lead on 72 minutes. Poland's winning margin could have been greater had Michal Golinski's free-kick efforts not been kept out by the woodwork and a splendid save from Pavel Londak.

Although he didn't look entirely happy before his goal it was obvious that Matusiak has not lost his instincts in front of goal and after his strike his play was much more relaxed and assured even if he did send a glorious chance over the bar on 52 minutes. A muscle strain saw him substituted on 80 minutes but his performance up to that point, particularly after his goal, should see him as the number one choice for the number nine shirt come June.

The first half was, if not thrilling, interesting. The Poles play lacked pace and cutting edge, mainly due to the lack of decent balls in the middle of the park. Although Gargula played well, he seemed more concerned with not losing the ball than creating attacking opportunities and at times he held on to the ball for too long. There were moments when the defence looked shaky, losing the ball on a number of occasions and Przyrowski had one of those "David James too much Playstation moments" he is prone to, letting the ball slide through his hands and into the path of Kink. Luckily the Estonian fired his shot into the post and Przyrowski was able to make amends by saving the follow up.

The second half provided a much better spectacle. Grosicki seemed to come alive and created five times as many chances in the first 15 minutes than he had in the whole of the first 45. Lisowski and Pawelec seemed to gain confidence as the game went on and grew more menacing as attacking forces as the game went on. Pazdan shone in the middle.

Poland's dominance over their Estonian rivals grew as the game progressed and they were able to dictate the play with relative ease. Poland's maturity was evident even though they were without their "overseas galacticos" as well as the leading Polish league players. Polands dominance did not wane when Beenhakker made four substitutions on the hour - they continued to impose themselves and play the game the way they wanted to.

It seems that Beenhakker's latest trio of "unknowns" have proved themselves as decent players at international level although obviously the level of the opposition has to be taken into account. The Dutch now has some more names to add to his list of possibles for the Finals and it seems that Poland might just have the talent which Beenhakker talked of when he took the job.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Squad Report: Part I - Goalkeepers

February 28th, 2008

In just under two and a half weeks Radomiak will kick-off the spring round of their Division III campaign. In a truly original idea (which I have blatantly stolen from the authors of the source article) I've decided to bring you a step-by-step guide to the Radomiak squad. During the next two and a bit weeks you'll be able to build up your knowledge of who's who on the playing staff at Struga 63 in a series of cutout and keep articles. It's much the same as building up your life size model of the Mary Rose, or whatever other pap they're currently peddling down at your local newsagents, in weekly stages but with greater satisfaction and less chance off getting high on modelling glue (but then everything has a downside).

Where to start? I think with the 'keepers is as good a place as any...

There was much chopping and changing in this position during the autumn round. Lukasz Mariak and Piotr Banasiak regularly swapped places between the sticks and at the start of the season Robert Stawiarski was also in the frame. Stawiarski is no longer in the picture but with 25 year old Jaroslaw Pasnik joining from Division II Znicz Pruszkóompetition looks to be tight.

It's likely that the real battle will be between Pasnik and Banasiak and looking at the careers of both custodians the former seems to be the more likely choice. Apart from the fact that Pasnik has represented Ruch Chorzow and Znicz Pruszkón higher divisions, he is also the older and more experienced of the two. Reputation and past achievements obviously don't mean much to Jerzy Engel Jr and it is Banasiak who has edged ahead. He is better prepared for the spring round than his squad mate who, whilst Banasiak was busy with pre-season training training, was effectively a free agent and spending most of his time looking for a new club.

So, unless he picks up an injury or makes a Carsonesque error of judgement in the remaining friendlies it looks likely that Piotr Banasiak will be taking his place between the sticks for the round opener against Mazowsze Gró.

Source: Sport Radom

More Beenhakker Discoveries?

February 26th, 2008

Murawski, Dudka, Lobodzinski - in the space of 15 months Leo Beenhakker has turned these players from virtual unknowns into mainstaiys of the national side, shocking even the players own club managers in the process. Now it seems he has found a new group of players whom he feels have hidden potential which no one else seems to have noticed.

Exactly what Beenhakker has seen in his latest trio of surprise callups is obviously way past the understanding of mere fans such as myself, but in this instance it also seems to be beyond the compreshension of the players clubs. Lisowski has been, at best, pedestrian in an admittedly poor Widzew side whilst Pazdan (Zabrze) and Kokoszka (Wisla) are viewed very much as squad players at their clubs. What could Beenhakker have possibly seen in this trio that has evaded the Polish football fraternity? Who knows? We should however hope that we see a repeat of the last time Leo pulled such a trick and brought Bronowicki, Lobodzinski, Murawski et al to our attention, securing Poland's first ever European Championship Finals appearance in the process.

"You have the same talent as other nations - you have only to find it" was Beenhakker's summation of Polish football when he took over the Polish side. Many were sceptical, believing that he would soon change his opinion when he saw his first Ekstraklasa game. However, he has confounded his critics and despite being a foreigner, is showing himself to be more of a true "Polish" manager than his predecessors who almost without exception, viewed all Poles abroad as being de facto a class above any player in Poland. Even more suprisingly the Dutchman has unearthed a number of players who were not even making it into their club sides and yet others who he has used to great effect in positions totally alien to them. The majority of his experiments have been successful and have brought a number of Polish league players from relative obscurity into the world of international football.

Later this week Poland will play Estonia in Wronki with a squad made up entirely of home based talent. Out of the 18 squad members only Gargula and Matusiak are currently considered to be serious contenders for a trip to Austria in June - others such as Dudk, Lobodzinski and Murawski are missing.... "We don't need to look at these players" says Beenhakker's assistant Dariusz Dziekanowski - "we know all we need to know about them already". The emphasis seems to be on continually searching for new players and new approaches which is a departure for the Polish national side in recent years.

It would have been easy for Beenhakker to rest on his laurels and stick with the squad which gained qualification to the finals but it seems that he has an eye on the future and is not in his current role simply to pick up his pay cheque at the end of the month. This constant need to improve has lead to a number of surprises - his last two "discoveries" are Jakub Wawrzyniak, who had recently lost his place as left back in the Legia team and Tomasz Zahorski who had not scored for Gornik and yet was picked ahead of his team mate Dawid Jarek, one of the leagues top scorers at the time. Both played in the last Euro 2008 qualifier in Serbia. Zahorski, playing in Division IV two years ago, played well and got an assist whilst Wawrzyniak had an absolute stormer playing in defensive midfield, a position he'd never filled before!

The question everyone is asking is can these new callups perform as admirably as Beenhakker's previously un-earthed gems? "A few of the names could be surprising to certain people but these are call-ups for the future" says Dziekanowski. "We're not going to call-up 30 year olds - we're concentrating on youth. We look at the whole picture - we go to games, speak to managers about what players are like off the pitch. We look at their potential as well as their current status. We look at how they cope with various positions on the pitch. We see a significant improvement in players who aren't currently playing regularly in their club sides but get a call up to the squad, speak with Leo, get to know him and his outlook on football. A good example is Zahorski.

Also on the cards for the finals is the omission of Jacek Bak. The 34 year old central defender has made it known that he will be retiring from international football after the championships and efforts to find a capable replacement have been on on-going for some time now. Beenhakker seems to favour Kokoszka even though he is third choice behind Cleber and Glowacki at Wisla Krakow. Kokoszka's main attribute seems to be that he is equally comfortable on the right side of defence as he is in the middle.

Pawelec and Lisowski are not central defenders - they're more suited to doing their defensive duties on the wings - and there are some naysayers within Polish football who claim their selection is down to nepotism and not to talent as the national coaching team would have us believe. In the case of Pawelec Beenhakker's critics point out that he played under Boguslaw Kaczmarek at Gornik Leczna and is currently at Gornik Zabrze where his boss is Marek Kostrzewa, a close personal friend of Beenhakker. If anything Lisowski's inclusion in the squad has caused even more controversy - he played in only 11 of 17 games during the autumn round. Marek Zub, Widzew manager says that he can see why Lisowski has made the squad - "He's combative, aggressive and you can see that it really matters to him when he's out on the pitch".

Kaczmarek has his own explanation for Lisowski's inclusion - "It's possible for someone playing exceedingly well in the league not to make the squad - we could have three or four players already in the squad whom we view as being superior. What we don't have in Polish football at the moment is an abundance of left backs - currently we have Grzegorz Bronowicki, a natural right back, playing in that position and previously Michal Zewlakow made it his own".

Stefan Majewski, Cracovia manager, is also sympathetic to the national managers problem - "The issue arises from the changing nature of football. Nowadays a defender playing on the wing must be both a defensive and an attacking force. We are suffering from a distinct lack of left-sided players in the Polish league at this time. Decent left-sided players at the moment are Marek Wasiluk at Jagiellonii Bialystok whom I tried to sign, Jakub Wawrzyniak, Tomasz Kielbowicz and..... well therein lies the problem".

Another position where the Poles find themselves a little lightweight is the middle of the park. Sobolewski has retired from international footbal and Radomski has hit the thirty mark and is becoming injury prone leaving Beenhakker with only Lewandowski and Dudka. It looks likely that Pazdan and Majewski will provide new options in this position.

Up front could also prove to be a problem but Dawid Nowak will hopefully turn out to be the striker that Beenhakker has been searching for so desperatley for so long. The two forwards who seemed to be in pole position for a regular place in the sqaud, Pawel Brozek and Bartlomiej Grzelak, look not to have made the grade. It must be assumed from his lack of a call-up for the Estonia game that Brozek is out of the running and Grzelak, whom Beenhakker called up a year ago, has been nothing short of atrocious at Legia this season, a fact that Beenhakker will know all about from Jan Urban, Legia's manager and a co-worker. Nowak did well against Finland in Cyprus and this has earned him another chance.

According to Beenhakker a call-up to the squad is only the start of the journey and is meant to inspire the players in question on to harder work. He has always said that to catch his eye with a decent run of performances is relatively easy but to keep him happy is much more difficult. Lets hope that the current crop of "unknowns" surprise everyone but Leo and his coaching staff - a Toto Schillachi type discovery just before the finals would be a bit of a bonus :)

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Radomiak Beat KSZO

February 20th, 2008

Source: www.radomiak.com.pl

Similarly to a year ago Mazowsze Gró officials have requested that their opening day home clash with Radomiak be moved to Struga. Radomiak have accepted.

The game will be played on 16th March at 1500. "I'm very happy that we'll be able to play our opening game of the spring round in front of our own fans. Hopefully we'll send them home happy" says Radomiak chairman Miroslaw Hernik.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Tarnowski Signing In Doubt

February 20th, 2008

Radomiak have still not been able to come to an agreement with Beniaminek Radom over the signing of 17 year old striker Pawel Tarnowski. A further round of talks was planned for today but it seems that Beniaminek are not willing to budge on their asking proce for Tarnowski. "Should we not be able to come to an understanding then we will have to take the matter to arbitration" says Radomiak director Lukasz Podlewski.

Tarnowski meanwhile has been threatened with suspension by Beniaminek should the two sides not agree on a fee.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Another International?

February 20th, 2008

It looks likely that Radomiak could double their quota of internationals this spring. Piotr Wlazlo has caught the eye of the Poland U19 selection team and he could be joining Radomiak team mate Arkadiusz Oziewicz in the Polish youth team.

Wlazlo has improved immeasurably in the last 6 months or so which earned him, along with team mates from the U19's Krzysztof Blank and Michal Majewski, a call up to the full Radomiak side. Wlazlo has been watched on a number of occasions by the national U19 selection team of Radoslaw Mroczkowski, Jacek Dziubinski and Michal Globisz and it was thought that he was a shoe-in for the side which played in Katar in 2007. Unfortunately Wlazlo did not make the final cut and was not invited to travel. According to Sport Radom he is a certainty for a cap this spring.

Source: Sport Radom

Radomiak 1910 PLC

February 19th, 2008

The MZPN have officially accepted the new PLC, Radomiak 1910 into their structure. This means that the the future of the club from Struga is, for the time being, secure. The next step in the process is to gain the blessing of the PZPN. This will be discussed on 10.03.2008 by the PZPN council and their agreement would mean that Radomiak would maintain their position in the Polish football league strycture and not have to do an Aldershot or an AFC Wimbledon, starting from scratch in the local leagues.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Dreaming Of Euro 2012

February 19th, 2008

The city of Radom harbours hopes of becoming a base for one of the nations competing in Euro 2012 which Poland will host in partnership with Ukraine. For the plans to come to fruition, massive infrastructure investment will be required with new road, rail and air links, a four star hotel and above all a stadium and training facilities a must.

The (already once extended) deadline for applications to host the squads and officials of competing nations passed on Friday and the Ministry Of Sport has received over 100 plans from throughout the country for sports and hotel complexes offering squads combined training facilities and accomodation.

Only applications meeting UEFA's specifications will make it past stage one, and their requirements are severe. Hotel accomodation must be within an hour of an airport, and 20 minutes of training facilities. It must also must be graded with a minimum of four stars and have conference facilities, a swimming pool and a physiotherapy room. The task ahead is a difficult one, but according to Sebastian Murawski, director of building and town planning for Radom, most other applicants are in the same position. "At the moment we don't meet any of the criteria but I have a suspiscion that not many of the applicants meet them at this time. I hope that very soon we'll have the attributes which will convince the Ministry Of Sport that they can name us as a host city".

Murawski's department prepared and submitted it's proposition containing detailed plans for everything required by the UEFA statute in October 2007. The majority of the proposals contained in Radom's bid are dependant on heavy investment including the construction of a hotel, modernisation of highway 7 (ready in 2012 according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and judging by the fly by night, profits first nature of Polish highway construction, closed for resurfacing sometime in January 2013), a new rail link to Warszawa which will cut down the journey time to Okecie airport to around an hour and most importantly of all the "Radomiak" sports complex. If all these individual projects are realised, which according to Murawski they will be, then Radom will offer a complete solution which would put it at the head of the other 30 or so bids from the Mazowsze region.

The creation of the Radomiak sports complex will be funded to a large extent by the European Union and an application for funding for a new 8500 all-seater stadium was submitted and viewed as a key project, taking it to the top of the funding queue with 28 million zl made available. Unfortunately, these plans have had to be revised as UEFA, for reasons known only to themselves, believe that competing nations can train only in stadiums with a minimum of 15000 seats.

"A lot depends on the local government. We've met a few times and they've promised that they will do all they can to help. We have a lot of potential and we're not far from the capital - these facts strengthen our bid considerably" says Murawski.

Getting the approval of local government shouldn't be a problem but the figures may not add up. "Applicants for funding will be contacted again in the near future because it's obvious that circumstances can change with time" says Piotr Szprendalowicz, a member of the local government. "Increasing the capacity of the stadium is not a problem but this will have to be done without an increase in funding. It's also necessary to understand that the EU will only provide 40 percent of the funds required - the rest must be met by outside organisations. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Radom's bid but there is a lot hardwork ahead".

The Long Term Investment Plan, signed off in December of last year, schedules the construction of the Radomiak sports complex to start in 2008 and take two years. the city will provide 21 million zl of the total cost, which is projected to be in the region of 70 million zl. Remaining funds will have to come from external sources including grants from the EU.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Poland Advance in Meaningless Ranking

February 13th, 2008

Thanks to their performances in friendlies, Poland has moved up 3 places in the pointless nonsense which is FIFA's ranking system.

Beenhakker's boys have risen from 23rd to 20th but this still leaves two of their rivals at the Euro finals placed higher - Germany are 5th and Croatia 12th. Austria, despite moving up six places are ranked 84th. So, no point in going to the finals then - we already have a clear indication of what the final table will be.

To further illustrate the pointless nature of this exercise in futility, Ghana have moved up 29 places although anyone who was brought up with Grandstand as their main source of entertainment will know that this should actually be 29 (twenty nine) places. Given that they've just taken part in a number of games in a relatively short space of time this is hardly surprising.

I'm not going to bother putting up the full table as it means nothing whatsoever. In fact I don't know why I even bothered writing this entry...

Source:

TV Rights Battle

February 13th, 2008

The arguement over which Polish carriers will show Euro 2008 looks likely to be settled in court. Sattellite channel Polsat says that it has sold the rights to 15 games to the free-to-air TVP channel. TVP says there has been no agreement. It looks like the fans will suffer.

"We came to an agreement with TVP" says the chairman of Polsat, Marian Kmita. "We sold them the rights to 15 out of the 31 matches at Euro 2008, including all Polish games. The agreement is binding and we're awaiting payment. We ourselves will show 16 free to air games".

Polsat says that an agreement was reached on 14th December and that it has the documentation to prove the 9 million Euro deal reached with TVP. Should the legality of this deal be verified, Polsat is set to make a tidy profit, having bought the rights to all Euro 2008 games from the UEFA rights reseller Sportive in April 2007 for 15 million Euros. The profit, according to Polsat is justified due to the gamble they took in paying for the rights when it was not yet certain that Poland would be participating in the finals. Their gamble looks to have paid off given that not only will the bialo czerwoni be part of the tournament but they will face their neighbours G*rmany in their opening game, a spectacle which could attract upwards of 15 million viewers. - a record for a Polish sporting event.

On the other side of the argument, TVP believes that it has not yet bought the rights to any games and that there is no agreement. They admit that negotiations with Polsat took place but that no official, binding documents were signed. "Polsat's stance is both funny and untrue" says TVP vice president Riotr Farfal. "No agreements were made and the negotiations were not completed. We did not even discuss the technical details involved in taking a Polsat feed. Polsat's ascertion that negotiations had finished and an agreement had been reached is laughable - there are so many documents that they haven't even shown us yet".

It is difficult to see how an agreement can be reached when fundamentals such as the price a thrown into confusion - TVP disagrees with the 9 million Euros quoted by Polsat, saying that the rights have been offered to them for 10 million. They view this figure as being way too high, saying publicly that 7.5 million is their final offer. "The rights have been sold - our lawyers have studied the paperwork and we have a water tight case. If TVP want to take teh matter to court them so be it - there is a penalty clause of 10 million Euros in the contract." says Kmita.

All this means that polish fans do not know how many games they will be able to see without signing up to Polsat. "If Polsat and TVP cannot reach an agreement then there would have to be one game a day shown on a free-to-air basis, making 19 games in total" says Andrzej Placzynski, chairman of Sportfive, a global company specialising in the sale of TV rights to sporting events. "Our agreement with Polsat and UEFA quite clearly stipulates this".

Polsat's free-to-air service boasts a coverage of almost 100 percent of the country and is available via a standard TV aerial so fans without a subscription would miss out on 12 games. Placzynski blieves that the argument has been blown out of all proportion - "This is a strom in a teacup. The mahority of games, including all Polish matches and the major draws, will not be encoded anyway".

The problem lies with Polsat's ascertion that TVP have bought a license. They believe that they have no obligation to show 16 games unencoded and those games do not include any Polish matches, the opening games, the semis or the final because TVP have agreed to show them on free-to-air.

Farfal is playing a dangerous game, saying yesterday after a meeting of TVP executives, that the threat of court action was merely a means of applying pressure and amounted to bully-boy tactics. He also said that he would be taking legal action against Solorz who has accused him of being a liar.

Placzynski is optimistic that situation will be resolved amicably - "TV companies always argue over right but it ends up being sorted out. It'll be the same this time. All the major international events have a clause written into contracts which ensures that they will be viewable on free-to-air stations. It's not only to the benefit of the fans that the games have the maximum possible exposure. There's no need for the fans to worry. The one question this does raise is whether TVP, as a state broadcaster has an obligation to show events such as the Euro's or not. Farfal has no doubts - "We are under no such obligation. All we wanted to do was to come to an agreement beneficial to both parties but, unfortunately, Polsat has behaved in an unprofessional manner". A statement from TVP yesterday claimed "Polsat bought the rights thinking that they would be able to force TVP into a deal on their terms- the current campaign to blacken our name are proof of this. The same thing happened in 2002 and 2006".

So, the battle continues - 115 days to find a solution.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Another Win

February 13th, 2008

Radomiak overcame the team placed fifth in Division III Group2, TKP Torun, 3:0 in the penultimate friendly of their stay in Bydgoszcz. Cezary Czpak opened the scoring on 44 minutes, Dominik Dukalski and Pawel Tarnowski added to Radomiak's tally on 75 and 80 minutes.

Radomiak 1st Half: Banasiak - Bobrowski, Mortka, Michalski, Wachowicz - Oziewicz, Czpak, Roslaniec, Szary - Lesisz, Janik

Radomiak 2nd Half: Pasnik - Boryczka, Mortka (Sikorski), Michalski (Lewandowski), Wachowicz (Skorupka) - Barzynski, Wlazlo, Roslaniec (Majewski), Szary (Dukalski) - Tarnowski, Janik

Marcin Trzaskalski did not make an appearance due to a slight, as yet unspecified, injury.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Penultimate Friendly

February 13th, 2008

Radomiak's training camp in Bydgoscz has two main aims - to prepare the squad physically and tactically for the spring round and to keep track of that prepartion through a series of friendlies. Last Saturday saw Radomiak beat Victoria Kornowo, currently lying fourth in Division III Group 2. Today, they face the fifth placed side in the very same division, TKP Torun.

The game against TKP is the penultimate friendly of the Bydgoszcz trip and sees everyone available for selection bar Marcin Trzaskalski who is currently suffering from a slight injury.

The game kicks of at midday Polish time (1100 UK)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Win In Bydgoszcz

February 10th, 2008

Radomiak came out on top in the second friendly of their Bydgoszcz based training camp. The Greens beat Victoria Koronowo, currently placed in fourth place in League II Group 2, 3 - 1.

Victoria went ahead on 20 minutes but Maciej Lesisz managed to level the match 20 minutes later and Radomiak did not look back, getting off to a flyer in the second half. Their domination should have lead to their going ahead earlier but Radomiak had to wait until the 58th minute when Lukasz Janik, brought on during the interval, managed to control a pass from Czpak and send it past the 'keeper. The third followed in the 65th minute with Maciej Lesisz's last contribution to the game before being substituted. Al in all an excellent performance from the Greens and things are looking good!

Jerzy Engel Jr was quite obviously delighted at the final whistle, saying that this was the best performance ha had seen the team put in. With performances like this it's no surprise taht the fans are awaiting the spring round with relish, a feeling that Jerzy Engel Jr agrees with - "We're working hard all the time so perhaps we're a little bit tired but you can't argue with a performance like the one we saw today. It's true that at this stage results aren't everything and I'm very had that we're not carrying any injuries and that the players seem to be gelling as a team.

Two goal man Maciej Lesisz was singled out for special praise by the manager - "A fully fit Lesisz returns and our play looks totally different. He also weighed in with two goals and that pleases me. Cezary Czpak also had a very good game in the middle of the park along with Roslaniec and thanks to those two we were able to control the midfield".

Radomiak Radom: Banasiak - Bobrowski, Mortka, Sikorski, Wachowicz - Oziewicz, Roslaniec, Czpak, Szary - Tarnowski, Lesisz. Second half: Boryczka, Michalski, Lewandowski, Skorupka, Dukalski and Janik

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Training Camp Friendly

February 9th, 2008

Radomiak will face League III, Group II side Victoria Kornowo at their training camp in Bydgoszcz today at 1200.

Jerzy Engel Jr will take the opportunity to give some of his fringe players a run out and rest some of his regulars, saying that after the level of training they've been doing and having played one game already this week they deserve a rest. It's likely that Piotr Wlazlo, Michal Majewski, Jaroslaw Pasnik, Daniel Barzynski and Marcin Trzaskalski will be the ones watching on from the sidelines this afternoon.

Victoria currently occupy fourth place in their League III group so the game should provide a very good indicator of where Radomiak are in their preparations.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

We Can Beat The Czechs, But Can We Beat The G*rman

February 7th, 2008

Wednesday's victory against the team currently ranked 6th in the world by FIFA will do wonders to lift the team's confidence for this summers tournament. The players have shown everyone, most importantly themselves, that the various problems some of them are suffering in their foreign clubs can be put behind them when they play alongside their fellow countrymen. Obviously, the game against the Czech Republic was "only" a friendly but this should not detract from what the team achieved and how they played.

There is no point to enter into any discussion as to whether the Czechs gave one hundred percent, or 90 percent during the game - anyone watching will know that they did everything they could to get a result. The victory was not some kind of gift to us from our benevolent neighbours but nor was it a battle to the last. Both goals were born out of sheer footballing class - a magnificent assist from Dudka for the first and a similarly fantastic finish from Lewandowski for the second. Add into the mix Boruc's penalty save and it seems that we have the right ingredients to compete with rivals who have, up 'til now, been seen as better trained, better schooled and possesing more natural talent.

Prior to Wednesday Beenhakker had drilled it into his players that the game against the Czech's would provide a pointer for the Euro's. The Czech's not only fared very well against the G*rmans in the last European Championship in Portugal, they also recently beat them 3 - 0 in Munich. Hopefully last night's result points towards Poland being able to overcome their complex and break their duck against the opening opponents of this year's tournament.

The team in Cyprus was not one without flaws. The second half saw Beenhakker on the touchline on a number of occassions urging his charges to keep the ball, not to hoof and try to hold out for a result but to build patiently and not give up the initiative too quickly. This though is something that the manager can work on before the finals and we should see a side more confident in their own ability to get through a game on skill and sound tactics as opposed to going ahead and manning the barricades.

This game was to be Artur Wichniarek's time to shine - his opportunity to show everyone that at the Finals he could fill the role which players such as Matusiak, Saganowski and Rasiak played so well during qualifying. The Arminia forward did play his part in Lobodzinski's goal and with a wonderful pass to set up Smolarek for a confrontation with "The Best 'Keeper In The World"(tm), Petr Cech, which he ultimately came out second in. At the end of the day though he didn't get his goal. It's a shame that he only managed 45 minutes but he will get another chance to impress against the USA and his hopes of a place in the squad for June have not yet disappeared.

Gazeta Online Edition, Sport

Czech Republic 0 - Poland 2 - Player Ratings

February 7th, 2008

The ratings below are taken from the football section of Gazeta Online and the scale is 1 - 6 (with one being Simon Baldry and 6 being Ronaldo - not the fat one, the one at Man U).

Artur Boruc: 5. Saved a penalty, indulged in a spot of "shenanigans" with Koller (as he said in the post match press conference - "Meh, he's not that big") and was committed throughout.

Marcin Wasilewski: 4. Battled against Tomas Ujfalusi for the duration of the game. Sometimes he had the upperhand, sometimes he allowed the winger to get crosses in. Excellent clearance off his own goal line following Sionkis effort.

Jacek Bak: 5. It seems that reports of his demise have been seriously exaggerated. Had Milan Baros in his pocket and, when the need arose, dealt well with Koller.

Michal Zewlakow: 4. Assured throughout, he marshalled the Polish back line well following Bak's substitution.

Grzegorz Bronowicki: 3. Worst player in the team. He had problems bringing the ball out of defence and was useless as an attacking force. Looks like Leo will be looking for a new left back!

Wojciech Lobodzinski: 5+. Didn't have the ball too often but when he did he made sure his possession counted. He scored the first, played in Smolarek allowing him to set up the second and even got back to aid Wasilewski in his defensive duties.

Mariusz Lewandowski: 4. Stopped the Czech midfield from playing and scored a beautiful goal - what more could one want?

Dariusz Dudka: 4+. Assist for Lobodzinskis goal. Under Beenhakker the 25 year old has undergone a transformation from a left back to a defensice midfielder and finally into an excellent, positive, attack minded player. All in the space of 18 months!

Ebi Smolarek: 4. Was unable to make one glorious chance count. Last night it didn't matter but similar wastefulness in front of goal against G*rmany on 8th June would be unforgivable.

Jacek Krzynówek: 3+. The improvement with each minute he spent on the pitch was encouraging but it was obvious to everyone watching that he's not playing regularly for his club. Had a few efforts on goal from distance but most were blocked.

Artur Wichniarek: 4. The pass which gave Smolarek his unmissable opportunity (which of course he missed) was magnificent. He dropped back into midfield to pick the ball up, put in a hell of a lot of effort and played for the team. At the end of the day though, the aim for him was a goal....

Mariusz Jop: 4+. Came on for Bak and did nearly as well as the great man himself!

Maciej Zurawski: 3-. Yet another poor game for the 32 year old. His one and only attack down the right flank ended in a very poor cross.

Lukasz Fabianski: 4. Didn't do any worse than Boruc but he didn't save a penalty, hence the lower rating.

Zahorski, Wawrzyniak and Murawski did not play for long enough to be rated.

Source: sport.pl

Radomiak 0 - 2 Znicz Pruszkow

February 7th, 2008

Radomiak surrendered to the team currently occupying sixth position in league II. Goals from Kokosinski (8 mins) and Paluchowski (47 min), the first of which came about due to a howler from 'keeper Piotr Banasiak saw the League II side ease to victory.

According to manager Jerzy Engel Jr, there's a lot of things to be positive about - "It was a decent game, an excellent physical workout and most importantly both sides got through it without any injuries. Overall, we're quite happy with teh way we played but obviously the result wasn't the one we wanted. We lost a goal early on through a mistake by Banasiak but in reality it was raining, slippy and the ball squirmed out of his grasp so you can't really apportion blame to him. These things happen. After that I thought we played very well, we were dictating play but unfortunately couldn't make the best of a couple of very good opportunities. Roslaniec being one on one with their 'keeper and missing the goal entirley sums things up. I introduced four youth team lads in the second half and we did very well. Similarly to the first half we lost a goal early on, from a set piece but I think we did well and again created a few very good opportunities".

Radomiak lined up as follows: Banasiak - Boryczka (46' Bobrowski), Michalski, Mortka (46' Lewandowski), Wachowicz - Oziewicz, Czpak (46' Majewski), Wlazlo, Barzynski (70' Dukalski)- Roslaniec (46' Tarnowski), Janik (46' Szary)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Poland - Czech Republic

February 6th, 2008

Four months and two days - that's how long Poland have before their opening game of Euro 2008 in Klagenfurt, Austria. The opponent? G*rmany, a team Poland have never beaten. "You're playing the Czechs but mentally your opponents have to be G*rmany" says coach Leo Beenhakker in an effort to motivate his troops. Motivation for the game against the Czechs is not, however, a problem for the Polish squad. So much rests on this game and the games to come - above all a place in the team for Polands first ever appearance at a European Championship finals. Rarely have such levels of motivation and determination been seen witin the ranks of a Poliah national side. It's entirely possible that the starting line-up this evening will be the one which faces G*rmany in Klagenfurt in June but the players know Beenhakker too well to allow themselves any relaxation of effort.

Beenhakker is a man who does not waste time. his plan is to carry out a full review of the squad before March. This will involve squad members playing abroad getting together for two friendlies - Czech Republic (tonight) and USA (26.03.2008) and Poles pplying their trade at home taking on Estonia (27.02.2008) and either Lithuania or a team of foreigners playing in the Poliah league (12.03.2008). All this will allow Beenhakker to pick his preliminary squad of 30 at the end of April and whittle this down to the 23 who will represent Poland at Euro 2008. Games against Macedonia and Bulgaria an May will act as the final tuning before the squad leaves for Austria.

Beenhakker will pick his strongest available sqaud for tonights game, made up mostly from the team which qualified for the finals. The style of play will probably not change that much from the qualifying phase with Poland most likely to start out in a 4-4-1-1 formation.

Dariusz Dudka returns from injury and it looks likely that his partner in midfield will be Lech Poznan's Rafal Murawski who exelled in the last qualifying game in Serbia, scoring a goal to cap a fantastic performance.

Yesterday's training session saw Michal Zewlakow partnered by Mariusz Lewandowski, the former being replaced by the ever dependable Jacek Bak after the break. It's possible that Beenhakker sees his ideal partnership as Zewlakow and Bak.

The one area in which there could be a surprise is attack. Yesterday's session saw a break from the personnel used in the qualifying group with Artur Wichniarek taking Ebi Smolarek's place as the one out and out forward in the team. Smolarek arrived late for the training camp but assured journalists that he would be ready to face the Czechs. Meanwhile, Beenhakker has been cautious over Wichniarek's involvement saying tha whilst he had been accepted by the squad and had performed well in training there was no substitute for showing what he could do in a "real game".

It is entirely possible that tonights line-up will see Zewlakow partner Bak in central defense, Lewandowski and Dudka combining in the centre of midfield and Murawski, as attacking midfielder, providing support for wichniarek upfront. If this proves to be the case then there will be no place for stalwarts Zurawski and Smolarek!

Predicted starting XI: Boruc - Wasilewski, Bak, Zewlakow, Bronowicki - Lobodzinski, Lewandowski, Dudka, Krzynówek - Murawski - Wichniarek.

Source: sport.pl

Leo's Musings

February 6th, 2008

Leo Beenhakker recently spoke to Gazeta about the upcoming friendly against the Czech Republic and his thoughts on what's what in Polish football at the moment. Below is my representation of this conversation....

Fitness

Marcin Kus is missing which is a shame for him as he's been doing really well in training. He'll get his chance at some stage. everyone else is fit and on form. We called off Tuesday's session because the players need to rest - some of them played on Sunday whilst others arrived very late. Anyway, the fact is that they train with their club sides every day. We had a psychology session instead - that's just as important.

Team To Take on the Czechs

I'll be playing the best team I can. I don't live in the past but I will be returning to the side which got us through the qualifying group. All I'm thinking about at the moment is the finals.

Young Blood

I've seen the enthusiasm that the fans and press have towards the way the young lads played against Finland. You've got to remember that the Finnish side was very much a second choice starting eleven. A few of the guys played very well for parts of the game and now I'm hearing that they are stars! It goes without saying that the players here in Cyprus throughout the last week were invited because they are talented and they showed this during the camp but at the moment we are thinking only about the Euro finals, nothing else. You have to play on a totally different level there. Whilst we should be glad that we have such talent we have to let that talent grow step by step...

The Players

Artur Wichniarek gave a very good account of himself during training but at the end of the day it's only training and we'll have to wait and see what he does in the game. Krzynówek and Zurawski are obviously lacking in form due to the fact that they haven't played recently but they're experienced guys and they'll be able to cope with it.

Croatia

You can only manage one side at a time so I'm concentrating on my team. I haven't formed a full view on Croatia as of yet - they're our last opponent in the group and we have to face Germany and Austria first so Darek Dziekanowski and Adam Nawalka will be watching their respective games tomorrow night.

What the Players Say

Artur Boruc: It's great that young lads are knocking at the door of the squad. It's good for them and it's good for Poland. The manager has been great in making sure that we have peace and quiet - the hotel and the training sessions have been out of bounds to the press. It's good because we have to learn how to treat even friendlies seriously. I get the impression that there's some sort of national holiday going on in Cyprus at the moment. I know they'd definately have one in Sctotland if the weather were this good!

Michal Zewlakow: Most people will probably be asking what I've done to prepare myself for a match in which I'll face Jan Koller.... Well, I haven't been at the weights - sometimes you've got to play with your head and not rely on brute strength alone. I've played against him in Belgium and it's possible to beat him. We'll see what happens tomorrow - it's a very important game for us as a a win against the Czechs would mean that others will have to sit up and take notice, respect us. I have to say though that we shouldn't go overboard - remember the Croatia game prior to the world cup? It's problematic because some of us, like Artur Boruc and myself for example, have been playing non-stop whilst others haven't even started their season yet.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Boryczka Signs

February 6th, 2008

Pawł Boryczka has signed with Radomiak on a two year deal. Boryczka is the latest in a line of signings from Radom thus fitting in perfectly with the cubs current strategy of going for local talent.

Source: radomiak.info

All In The Hands Of The MZPN

February 6th, 2008

The future of RKS seems at the moment to lie in the hands of the Mazowiecki FA (MZPN). It is their decision, as the authority in charge of Group I, League III, whether or not the newly formed PLC, Radomiak Radom 1910, will be allowed to take over the running of the senior team and therefore, retain the current league position.

All the relevant documentation was delivered to MZPN headquarters yesterday (05.02.2008) and all that can be done now is to wait. Club director Lukasz Podlewski expects a speedy decision - "The FA meets every Thursday so it is within the realms of possibility that we'll have a decision as soon as thursday of this week."

Everyone connected with the Greens is praying for the right decision from the FA. In its current form with debts to, amongst other parties, the tax man and national insurance, Radomiak would have no chance of obtaining a license to play in the spring round. Fingers (and all other possible appendages) crossed!

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Squad Complete

February 6th, 2008

Local website Sport Radom has reported that 'keeper Jaroslaw Panik is the last addition to Radomiak's ranks this pre-season. Panik arrived on Friday and made his debut in Radomiak's friendly against Korona GóKalwaria. According to Jerzy Engel Jr the 'keeper "played very well" and having seen him many times before, there was not much chance of him not becoming a Green.

The news was not as good for Dominik Dolinski who has been released. Krzysztof Blank and Marcin Skorupski, although still at the club, will have been disappointed at the managers decision to relegate them to the reserves. It looks increasingly likely that Lukasz Mariak will suffer the same fate as Dolinski.

On the flip side Pawel Boryczka and Pawel Tarnowski have both shown that they can do a job. In the case of the latter transfer negotiations with Beniaminek Radom are still ongoing and it could be that the Polish FA could be asked to step in should the current deadlock continue.

It looks likely that the squad will be:

Goalkeepers	Piotr Banasiak, Jaroslaw Pasnik
Defence	Bartosz Bobrowski, Pawel Boryczka, Przemyslaw Michalski, Michal Lewandowski, Marcin Sikorski, Zbigniew Wachowicz, Wojciech Skorupka, Dariusz Mortka
Midfield	Dominik Dukalski, Daniel Barzynski, Cezary Czpak, Marcin Roslaniec, Michal Majewski, Piotr Wlazlo, Marcin Trzaskalski, Lukasz Szary, Pawel Tarnowski, Arkadiusz Oziewicz
Forwards	Maciej Lesisz, Lukasz Janik

Jerzy Engel Jr. will be aided by assistants Arkadiusz Grzyb and Bogumil Sobieska and Jerzy Kupisz will be putting the 'keepers though their paces.

source: radomiak.info

Other Teams Should Fear Us

February 5th, 2008

The following is an interview which Jacek Bak did with sport.pl. The original version, in Polish can be found here: original Bak interview.

Speaking personally I think the main thing that can be gleaned from Jacek's replies is the positive effect that Leo Beenhakker has had on the squad and on Polish football in general. I hope that the Polish FA will for once act quickly and decisively in extending his contract.

Q: Is your place in the Eorp 2008 finals aquad ensured?

JB: There's a lot of pressure from the younger lads so I always have to prove my worth. That's something I'm very happy about. Leo Beenhakker doesn't take any notice of "names" - he'll pick the best squad for the Euros. I think that's important for the fans to know but also for the players.

Q: Did you see the game against Finland?

JB: I did and I was very impressed by the central defensive pairing of Jakub Wawrzyniak and Adam Kokoszka. They're great talents. It won't be long before we leave and they're in a position to take over. Anyway, the whole team played well. It's a shame that it finished at only 1:0 but I think that the game showed that we have adequate backup. Beenhakker is creating a team which will be feared at the Euros.

Q: The real start to preparations for the Euros is the game against the Czech Republic on Wednseday....

JB: They're a difficult team. I'm happy that we'll be able to face them. We'll be able to see where we are, where we have to improve. I think we'll win. Above all I'm happy that we'll be able to get together and train as there aren't many chances and this is the last time we'll be together prior to our training camp in May.

Q: This will be your third major tournament. You've come back from two world cups after the group stages....

JB: I beleieve that this time we'll achieve more. We're more experienced. third time lucky.

Q: What's your form like?

JB: We're starting our pre-season preparations [the Austrian league starts again in February]. I'm getting back into the rythm of playing. My colleagues in the auqd, who start their spring round earlier are in better shape but we should worry about my form in June - that's when it'll be rquired.

Q: How about injuries?

JB: I have no problems

Q: what about [team mate] Arkadiusz Radomski?

JB: he played 90 minutes in a friendly a few days ago and he should be ready for the league. From what we've done in training so far though it looks liklely that he won't be partnering me in central defense but will be taking up a defensive position in midfield instead.

Source: sport.pl

We're Back!

February 5th, 2008

F*ckin' hell that were a break and a half! During my "offline" period work was getting silly, I've become a dad and generally I've had way too much stuff to do to keep this site up to date. I have however been deeply moved by the email that literally flooded in (cheers Grant!) and have decided that I should get back to keeping you English speaking Radomiak fans up to date with what's going on at the club.

OK, so what's been going on? Well, Jerzy Engel Jr has been building Radomiak to his vision which involves getting players in from the surrounding region, including a fair few young lads, and will hopefully make for a squad which will battle for the club. Whether this philosophy will result in a move up the football ladder remains to be seen but I for one applaude the mans efforts - Radomiak are not a club with enormous resources or money to burn and a little bit of local pride will hopefully go a long way.

There have, during this illustious sites absence, been rumours of a rift between chairman Mr Hernik and the manager but these have been denied by both parties and I suppose as fans we will have to wait and see whether the media or the individuals involved are telling the truth.

I suppose the main peice of news is that Radomiak has now become a public limited company. Hopefully this will see a more transparent and professional approach to things at the club and who knows, maybe we'll be able to pursue those who have in the past plundered the club of its already scarce resources and high-tailed it out of town. Harry Redknap style raids but with helicopters and coppers carrying guns anyone? :)

Ok, the move of Radomiak to a public limited company must still be sanctioned by the Mazowsze FA but who in POlish football would veto such a forward thinking move? Eh? Oh? Let's hope we catch them on a good day.

On the playing side, players have left and players have come in - more about this tomorrow. The pre-spring season friendlies are getting underway with a mixed bag of results for the Greens so far and you can look forward to reports from all the upcoming fixtures on your (not) all new radomiak-uk site as and when things happen

One team in Radom

Source:

Radomiak Draw With Leczna

February 3rd, 2008

Horrendous weather conditions meant that Radomiak's game against Gornik Leczna had to be moved to an artificial pitch at the last minute. The game, played in torrential rain and howling gales ended 0 - 0.

Radomiak seemed to adjust to the conditions quicker than their rivals and it was the Greens who had the upperhand for the first part of the fixture. Despite their dominance they failed to find a way through the Leczna defence and on the odd occasion thay found themselves with a chance the Leczna 'keeper showed himself to be more than up to the task of keeping them out (deja vu anyone?).

The second half saw the home side come more into the game and if anything they were the stronger team for much of the second period. Similarly to Radomiak in the first half they could not make their chances count and the game ended nil all.

Jerzy engel Jr was upbeat after the game - "Overall I think it was a good game for us. Above all there was a lot of fight, similarly to our last game against KSZO. A draw in difficult conditions against a strong opponent is, in my opinion, a fair result".

Radomiak 1st Half: Banasiak - Boryczka, Lewandowski, Michalski, Skorupka - Barzynski, Wlazlo, Roslaniec, Trzaskalski - Janik, Lesisz

Radomiak 2nd Half: Pasnik - Bobrowski, Lewandowski, Sikorski, Skorupka - Barzynski, Czpak, Roslaniec, Trzaskalski - Dukalski, Janik oraz Majewski

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Suspended

April 12th, 2007

Those of you that visit this site on a semi-regular basis will have noticed the distinct lack of updates/match reports recently. Quick summary, Radomiak lost to Cracovia in the cup, 1 - 0 in Krakóbeat KS Paradyż 1 - 0 away in the league and were docked 2 points for transfer/financial irregularities.

Unfortunately, I'm currently working 17 hour days at my day job and will be for the forseeable future so I really don't have the time to update this site. I will be coming back to it at some stage but it's looking likely that that won't be before mid-May at the earliest. If you want to be notified when the site will be back up then drop me an email via the "contact" menu option on the left-hand side of this page and I'll make sure you get an email when things are back to normal.

Strikers Fail Yet Again

March 24th, 2007

It's been obvious that Radomiak has had problems up front for the last couple of seasons now but it seemed, during the current pre-season, that this had been succesfully addressed by the arrival of Grzegorz Wawreńczuk and the "coming of age" of academy product Maciej Lesisz. The Greens have been scoring for fun in friendlies and things looked to be on the up. the game against Cracovia however showed that there's still a lot to work on and the side still lack a natural poacher.

Jó antoniak had only one fit striker to pick and the form of the man in question, Michał Kowalczyk, leaves a lot to be desired. Kowalczyk failed to have a single shot on goal during the first half and the situation did not fit into Antoniaks attacking mindset - "If I'd have had teh bodies I'd have started with three up front".

The second half saw kowalczyk swapped for Grzegorz Wawreńczuk who was suffering from a heavy cold and was a shadow of the player we've seen in the frendlies this season and there 'were nowt doing'.

Radomiak also have Maciej Lesisz on their books but he was unavailable for selection against Cracovia due to a finger injury (eh?). "Lesisz has not trained for three weeks. His injury doesn't allow him to play freely." says Antoniak.

Given the above it was not entirely that Radomiak could not breech Cracovia's defences more than once. We can but hope that our front players will return to fitness in time for the first league game away at Stal Głowno. Who knows, maybe they'll get a hatful in the return leg of the cup in Krakó..

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Radom 1 - Cracovia Krakó

March 24th, 2007

This seems like ages ago and I have to apologise to anyone who was waiting with baited breath to read a report on Radomiaks first appearance in the Polish Cup quarter finals in English. No doubt I have left thousands, if not millions, of people disappointed :). It's not the first time and to be honest it probably won't be the last as unfortunately, the banking industry waits for no man and I've had an inordinately large amount of work to do recently.

So, on to the game. Those of you who have read the heading to thios post already know the result. Radomiak took the lead in the 5th minute through Marcin Pacan, and with Cracovia fielding a side severely depleted by flu it looked as though the home side would be building up something to defend in the second leg. Unfortunately it was not so and Crocovia pegged the Greens back on 34 minutes and added a further two without reply after the break giving themselves a healthy 3 - 1 advantage for the second leg and a sell out crowd at Struga was left rather disappointed.

Radomiak	Stawiarski - Skócki, Pacan, Michalski, Wachowicz, Czpak, Lewandowski (71' Barzyński), Terlecki, Kacprzak (61' Oziewicz), Trzaskalski, Kowalczyk (46' Wawreńczuk)
Cracovia	Pączek - Wacek, Karwan, Radwański, Kłus, Wojciechowski, Joan Paulo (54' Baliga), Baster, Kostrubała (87' Uszalewski), Kurowski (32' Dudzic), Bania

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Sokó22; Przytyk 3 - Radomiak Radom 3

March 10th, 2007

Radomiak drew with Sokó22; Przytyk, currently placed second in the Radomiak Regional League. Radomiak's goals came courtesy of Michalski on 8 minutes, Kowalczyk on 40 and Terlecki on 43. Jakók, Zió22;ek and Ofiara (with an 89th minute penalty) found the net for the home side.

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski (Banasiak P) - Bielski, Skócki, Michalski, Wachowicz - Trzaskalski, Kacprzak, Czpak, Barzyński, Terlecki - Kowalczyk
Radomiak 2nd half	Banasiak P (Borkowski) - Sikorski, Pacan, Lewandowski, Kowalski, Walkiewicz, Czorny, Kacprzak (Terlecki), Barzyński (Lesisz) - Dulakski, Wawreńczuk

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Barzyński To Be Loaned Out

March 10th, 2007

Walery Czorny, the Ukranian who has been on trial at Radomiak for a week, will not be offered terms. Jó Antoniakl was significantly impressed with Czorny and negotiations were entered into but the player wanted 5000 PLN a week to join and the board, quite rightly, told him where to go and he duly packed his bags and went....

The squad for the spring round should be finalised within the next few days and it is highly likely that midfielder Danial Barzyński will not play a part in it. The club are looking to send Barzyński out on loan, along with youngster Konrad Tarka.

Source: radomiak.info

MG MZKS Kozienice Withdraw From League III

March 9th, 2007

Yet another League III side has withdrawn from League III, Group I. Local rivals MG MZKS Kozienice have joined Unia Skierniewice in pulling out of the competition citing financial reasons. "It's sad that my predictions of what would happen at Kozienice have come true" says ex-MZKS manager Jarosław Czupryn. According to ex-president Kazimierz Drabik the reasons for the withdrawl are obvious - "The manager obviously regrets that the reason for the club going under is people not talking. People who, in theory, should have had football upmost in their minds. Maybe some people simply lost the vision".

Both Unia and Kozienice managed to play all their games during the first half of the season and these results will stand. All games which were due to involve these two clubs during the spring round will be awarded as 3 - 0 victories to their oppostion.

Kozienices withdrawal means that there will be no derby games at Struga in the spring round and the first game the fans will see at home will be on 15th April, against Wigry Suwałki.

Two players currently at Radomiak have strong views about the problems surrounding MZKS, Robert Stawiarski and club captain Zbigniew Wachowicz both having played for the club in the past.

Robert Stawiarski: It's a shame that after a fair few years playing at a decent level the team has been broken up and the players have gone their separate ways to new clubs. Looking at the whole situation with the benefit of hindsight you could come to the conclusion that not everyone at Kozienice cared about football".

Zbigniew Wachowicz: It's the second club in our league which has had to withdraw. As a player I prefer to win points on the pitch as opposed to at a meeting somewhere. I think the fans will also be disappointed as they will miss the chance to see a Radom derby game.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Radom 1 - Avia Świdnik 1

March 9th, 2007

It's been a while since the last update. This is due to the jetset lifestyle associated with my day job - I had to spend a week in the jewel of the south, aka Watford, (motto "We're shit but at least it's not Luton") working my arse off. Anyways, normal service will hopefully be resumed, starting with a report on Radomiak's latest friendly outing....

In yet another game played on the artificial surface at MOSiR the Greens drew one apiece with Avia Świdnik, both goals coming in the first period. Radomiak took the lead with a headed Maciej Bielski effort on 10 minutes but the visitors pegged them back, Kenneth Alfred netting just before the break. The perfomance was not what anyone who had seen Radomiak's preceding friendlies would have expected, a fact put down to tiredness and a lack of freshness within the squad by captain Zbigniew Wachowicz. One can but hope that both return in time for next weeks cup game against Cracovia.

The previous friendly saw Radomiak comprehensively beat Motor Lublin 4 - 0, outclassing their opponents in every area.

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski - Wachowicz, Pacan, Skócki - Trzaskalski, Kacprzak, Terlecki, Czpak, Bielski - Kowalczyk, Wawreńczuk
Radomiak 2nd half	Borkowski - Wachowicz, Michalski, Pacan, Lewandowski - Kowalski, Oziewicz, Terlecki, Trzaskalski (60 Walkiewicz) - Czpak (60 Barzyński), Kowalczyk (84 Wawreńczuk)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

PZPN Suspends Two Referees

February 26th, 2007

The Polish FA have suspended two referees who, according to Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, took bribes to fix games involving Arka Gdynia. The paper named the two on a list of corrupt referees. The officials in question have not as yet been charged, they have not been brought in for questioning and have not volunteered to be interviewed by the Wrocław prosecutor.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, the corrupt officials are Piotr S. of Szczecin, who is alleged to have taken 43,000 PLN for ref'ing in Arka Gdynia's favour during their play-off game against Śląsk Wrocław and Marek R. from Piła, who is alleged to have received two payments of 5,000 PLN for favouring the Gdynia club whilst ref'ing their games against KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and Cracovia Kraków. Marek R. officiated this Saturday in the Ekstraklasa Cup match between Widzew Łódź and Korona Kielce.

"On the basis of reports in the media I have taken the decision to suspend two referees." says the head of the PZPN referees Division Sławomir Stempniewski. At the moment they will not be considered for games. I would like to talk to them today and then we will decide where to go from here."

Source: 90minut.pl

Sponsor Warns PZPN

February 26th, 2007

TP SA, the official sponsor of both the polish National Team and the ekstraklasa, understandably nervous about the current corruption scandal in Polish football, are threatening to withdraw their backing of bot the national side and the league.

It is alleged that the company informed Minister Of Sport Tomasz Lipiec of its concerns by letter but TP SA spokesman Piotr Kostrzewski would not confirm the contents of the missive - "I can confirm that [company president] Maciej Witucki sent a letter to the sports minister but the subject is confidential".

Polish daily Gazeta claims to have gained access to a copy of the letter, which outlines TP SA's concerns over the corruption affair - "It is with great unease that we have observed the most recent developments in, and the whole situation surrounding Polish football in recent times. These events do not lend themselves to building a positive view of football in any way whatsoever. The corruption affair casts a shodow over the whole football community and also by association, on all entities cooperating with it. The absolute priority for us at the moment is effectively combating [corruption]. [...]. We are counting on the speedy election of a new administration at PZPN and we will be watching intently how effective this administration will be, particularly during the period of fighting the corruption in Polish football. We are counting on a determined effort to quickly get the situation back to something resembling normality. This is a necessity if we are to continue actively supporting Polish football".

The letter was also addressed to the current guardian in charge of PZPN, Marcin Wojcieszak, as well as suspended president Michał Listkiewicz.

Wojcieszak denies all knowledge - "I know that such a letter is said to exist but I have not seen it. I would like to meet with Mr Witucki next week in order to allay any fears he may have. TP SA really does put a lot of money into football and is a reliable sponsor.

Telekomunikacja Polska is the main sponsor of the national team and is currently in a two year deal PZPN which started in 2006 and is worth over 8 million PLN. The mobile telecoms provider Orange, which is a subsidiary of TP SA, sponsors the Ekstraklasa.

"I've been in contact with Mr Witucki" says Ryszard Czarnecki, a candidate for the job of president of PZPN. "I understand that he is nervous, but I have appealed for patience and tried to convince him that the repair job has started. I would remind everyone that the volleyball association had similar problems went on to become World Cup silver medal winners not long afterwards.

Gazeta was unable to contact Sports Minister Tomasz Lipiec.

The full letter is reproduced below:

Dear Sir

Tomasz Lipiec

Minister Of Sport

Ministerstwo Sportu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej

ul. Krucza 24/26, 00-921 Warszawa

The Telekomunikacja Polska Group is heavily involved in sponsoring Polish sport. This especially concerns the most popular sporting discipline, football. Our brand, Orange, is the thitle sponsor of football League I, known as "Orange Ekstraklasa" and Telekomunikacja Polska itself has backed the national side as its main sponsor since 2002. Moreover, we are a partner in the joint Polish-Ukranian bid to host Euro 2012 and we are the main sponsor of the largest football tournament for children in Poland, the [TP Marek Wielgus Cup]. All these initiatives are carried out in cooperation with one legitimate entity , PZPN.

t is with great unease that we have observed the most recent developments in, and the whole situation surrounding Polish football in recent times. These events do not lend themselves to building a positive view of football in any way whatsoever. The corruption affair casts a shodow over the whole football community and also by association, on all entities cooperating with it. The absolute priority for us at the moment is effectively combating [corruption]. We are analysing developments carefuly and deciding their possible effects on our cooperation.

We are counting on the speedy election of a new administration at PZPN and we will be watching intently how effective this administration will be, particularly during the period of fighting the corruption in Polish football. We are counting on a determined effort to quickly get the situation back to something resembling normality. This is a necessity if we are to continue actively supporting Polish football.

We are open to all means of cooperation which will help the repair process.

Regards,

Maciej Witucki

Chairman Of The Board.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Corruption Cleanup

February 26th, 2007

The PZPN disciplinary Committe has started proceedings against six clubs embroiled in the corruption affair currently blighting Polish football.

Things seem to have gathered place considerably in the last few days, and it now looks possible that Arka Gdynia and Górnik Łęczna will be expelled from the Ekstraklasa. The Wrocław Prosecutors Office has provided PZPN with evidence which has lead to the association initiating disciplinary proceedings against Arka and Górnik in Ekstraklasa as well as KSZO Ostrowiec Św., Górnika Polkowice, Zawiszy Bydgoszcz and Podbeskidzia Bielsko-Biała of League II. The best the clubs involved can hope for is a fine of between 100,000 PLN and 500,000 PLN, the worst that could happen is total exclusion from all PZPN structures. It is most likely however that they will be relegated should the allegations against them be proven. Rulings will be made and punishments dished out within the next four to five weeks.

According to Robert Zawłocki of the PZPN Disciplinary committee, it is entirely possible that more clubs could yet be in trouble - "This is the tip of the iceberg. There are several other clubs in Leagues I and II which could yet become involved. This is a country-wide organised criminal enterprise and no one should be under any illusions - this is just the start".

Minister Of Sport, Tomasz Lipiec, is glad that some progress is at last being achieved - "The new PZPN disciplinary Committee has undertaken the fight against corruption in Polish football. In the space of two weeks they have achieved what their predecessors could not manage in two years". This must be a relief for Polish football fans as the lack of action from the previous football authorities was one of the reasons for Minister Lipiec suspending the previous board in January. Hopefully, things will move on and FIFA, along with UEFA, will not be forced into banning Poland and its clubs from international competition.

It really does not look good for fans of Arka who were dealt an additional blow when it was announced that their club president Jacek M will be detained for an additional two months. M is currently charged with being part of an organised criminal gang involved in fixing matches and is one of over 70 people who have been chrged in relation to corruption in Polish football so far.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Radomiak Face Motor

February 26th, 2007

Radomiak face League III, Group IV Motor Lublin on the artificial MOSiR pitch tommorrow. Kick off is at midday.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Unii Skierniewice Withdraw From League III

February 26th, 2007

The powers that be at Unia Skierniewice have decided to withdraw the club from League III. The reason is simple - "We don't have any money" says club president Tomasz Sękalski. Up 'til now the club has been kept afloat by revenue from the city market and parking spaces in the town. According to Sękalski the players will be able to collect their registrations and will have to look for new employers within the next few days. All first and second team squad members are free to go

Results from the games played by Unia in the autumn round will stand but all fixtures in the spring round will be deemed 3 - 0 walkovers for the opposition.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Radom - Stal Stalowa Wola 2:0 (1:0)

February 24th, 2007

Stal Stalowa Wola failed to gain revenge on Radomiak for the four - nil footballing lesson the Greens dished out when the side last met a fortnight ago. Instead, it was Radomiak who ran out 2 - 0 winners against a side supposedly a division superior. The scoreline was not as convincing as it had been a couple of weeks ago but Radomiak can be satisfied with this consecutive friendly victory.

As has been the case in recent games Radomiak showed their attacking intentions right from the off and on three minutes Maciej Terlecki should have given the home team the lead but had his shot well saved by Wietecha in the Stal goal. Following Terlecki's effort the game slipped into abject boredom and the next incident of any note was the first goal of the game on 28 minutes.

Radomiak decided it was time to make a concerted effort to take the lead and after the Stal goalkeeper failed to clear properly the ball landed at the feet of Cezary Czpak who would have found it harder to miss than score - one nil Radomiak. After the goal the game descended back to the levels of boredom and dull football which you'd expect to find at Valley Parade on a Saturday afternoon (on the plus side though no one was wearing kit whose colour scheme seems to be based on the colours produced by what drinkers would call "a casual chunder").

Radomiak started the second half well and on 49 minutes they extended their lead. Bielski and Wawreńczuk combined well in the area and the latter slotted the ball through the 'keepers legs for what was a very well worked goal. As opposed to the first half, Radomiak kept the momentum going and continued to create chances for the rest of the game. Stal decided to go the way of the bantam and did not have a single effort on goal.

So, a decent perfomrance from radomiak and yet another friendly win. things are looking good on the pitch - lets just hope that the players can carry it through to the start of the proper games in just over 2 weeks time.

It's worth mentioning the Ukranian trialist, Walry Czorny who seems to have done enough to impress manager Jó Antoniak - "I'm looking at his performance in a positive light. given the conditions today I think he did well. Unfortunately I'm not sure about how much he has trained/played prior to coming here. We'll keep him here for another week and see what's what.

Managers Comments

Here's what Jó Antoniak had to say after the game:"I think Stalowa Wola played their strongest side today and I'm obviously happy that they were not allowed to create a single chance throughout the whole game. From our point of view there is still a bit of a problem in that the players aren't sticking to the tactics we've set out at times but that will come with time. There are three weeks left until the first league game and we'll be able to sort out the deficiencies by then".

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski - Wachowicz, Pacan, Czorny, Skócki - Trzaskalski, Lewandowski, Czpak, Oziewicz - Terlecki, Wawreńczuk
Radomiak 2nd half	Borkowski - Wachowicz, Pacan, Skócki, Bielski - Trzaskalski (58' Walkiewicz), Czpak, Czorny (80' Michalski), Kowalski - Terlecki (66' Barzyński), Wawreńczuk (60' Kowalczyk)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Kowalski Loan Official

February 24th, 2007

The loan of Grzegorz Kowalsi to Radomiak has been made official and the Szydłowianka player has been cleared to play in todays friendly with Stal Stalowa Wola which kicks off at 2pm.

Also turning out in Radomiak colours will be Walery Czorny, a 24 year ol midfielder from Ukraine who has been training with Radomiak since Tuesday. The players last club is Enegetik Bursztin of the Ukranian topflight and this game will decide whether his stay at radomiak is extended or not.

Todays game is a rematch of the game between the two sides which took place a fortnight ago, Radomiak running out 4 - 0 winners.

Source: 0

Application For Bankruptcy Rejected

February 22nd, 2007

Radomiak's application for bankruptcy has been denied by the courts. The reason is that the club is too poor to go bankrupt! Whilst the ruling is not final and the club can still appeal the decision, it is good news for Radomiak's fans.

The court decided that Radomiak has absolutely no assets, not even enough to conduct the bankruptcy procedure. In accordance with Polish law, which states that the reason for a bankruptcy procedure is to provide creditors with some level of compensation, the procedure cannot go ahead as creditors would not benefit in any way.

The bankruptcy application, submitted in mid-January by the then board (president Władysław Kot and director Zbigniew Korcz), cited debts of arounbd 2.7 million PLN at year end 2006. This debt consists of unpaid wages (around 411,100 PLN and including 63,200 PLN in bonuses for promotion to League II and 150,300 PLN in bonuses from the autumn round), 1.8 million PLN owed to ZUS (basically the department of work and pensions) amd around 400,000 PLN to 70 other creditors. Since the presentation of the petition to the court not a single złoty has been paid.

The court also commented on the deal Radomiak put forward to creditors, which consisted of the following proposals:

-	A reduction of all debts by 80%
-	A freeze on interest payments
-	Deferment of payments for 12 months from the date of a legal decision as to the assets of the club
-	RKS will make 24 equal payments of just over 100,000 PLN
-	12 other payments to repay the remaining creditors

In the courts opinion the proposal is impractical as it is simply an expression of Radomiaks intentions as opposed to a concrete plan. The club needs to provide detailed plans of where the money used to repay creditors will come from. The club must first deal with the unpaid wages and these must be paid in full. Where will Radomiak get 400,000 PLN? The court could not offer any advice.

Within the associated paperwork is a letter from ZUS, written in January, querying the court as to whether or not a decision has been made with regard to radomiak's bankruptcy. According to the letter, "this information is essential in our attempts to decide whether or not the business should be allowed to continue trading or not and whether the debt can be transferred from the business to board members under article 116 of the Tax Ordinance".

Whilst ZUS is likely to retrieve at least some of the money owed by Radomiak, it looks less likely that smaller creditors will have any luck at all. The smaller enterprises embroilled in the affair will no doubt be asking themselves and the club why it has taken so long to petition for bankruptcy. A bankruptcy petition should be lodged within 14 days of the business becoming unable to keep up with its repayments and this was clearly not the case with Radomiak. According to Mariusz Poter, head of the Radom Prosecutors Office, should this not be done then a criminal act has been committed.

Michał Surma, a member of th newly elected board, says that this verdict was much as expected. "If and when we get official confirmation of this ruling we'll get together and decide how to proceed."

Source: radomiak.info

Home Fixtures Announced

February 20th, 2007

In a move that has shocked me to my very core, someone has updated the official RKS Radomiak Radom website. Luckily, I was sitting down at the time and am in a position to relay some of the information presented.

The home fixtures for the spring round of the 2006/07 season, to be played at Struga 63, have been announced. As always with these things they are subject to change but should remain pretty close to the list below.

Date	Time	Competition	Opponents
14.03.2007	15:00	Polish Cup	Cracovia Krakót
01.04.2007	15:00	League III Grp I	MG MZKS Kozienice*
15.04.2007	15:00	League III Grp I	Wigry Suwałki
28.04.2007	17:00	League III Grp I	Warmia Grajewo
06.05.2007	17:00	League III Grp I	Olimpia Elbląg
27.05.2007	17:00	League III Grp I	Drwęca Nowe Miasto Lubawskie
06.06.2007	17:00	League III Grp I	Mazwosze Gró
16.06.2007	17:00	League III Grp I	Znicz Pruszkó

* - Game subject to MG MZKS Kozienice taking part in the league.

Source: 0

Radomiak 4 - KS Warka 0

February 20th, 2007

Another frindly victory for a Radomiak side that's looking good for the start of the spring round. It seems that the squad being built at Struga is capable of challenging come summer.

Truth be told, Radomiak did not have to over exert themselves to overcome their League V neighbours. Youngsters Arkadiusz Oziewicz and Grzegorz Kowalski stood out for the Greens, capping their performances with a goal each and it seems that these two are the future for Radomiak. Also on the scoresheet were Michał Walkiewicz and Marcin Trzaskalski.

Despite the current good run of form manager Jó Antoniak underlined that his squad is not yet complete and he will be looking to add new faces and he took advantage of the game against Warka to have a look at Libyan golden boot winner Wisama Al-Fituri. The attacking midfielder, previously with Al-Dahra Trypolis, did not do anything to stand out from the crowd. "Whether Al-Fituri stays at the club any longer will be a decision I will make during the week. At the moment I'm just happy that the youngsters have yet again played extremely well and obviously that we have another victory under our belts.

Radomiak:

Stawiarski (30. Banasiak), (60. Borkowski) - Bielski (46. Sikorski), Pacan (46. Skócki), Lewandowski (46. Michalski), Wachowicz (46. Barzyński), Trzaskalski (46. Walkiewicz), Terlecki, Oziewicz (46. Świderski), Kowalski (46. Kowalczyk), Lesisz (25. Wawreńczuk), Al-Fituri

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Lose

February 16th, 2007

Radomiak ended their 10 day stay in Bydgoszcz with a defeat. The 2 - 0 reversal was inflicted by mid-table Division II, Group II side Unia Janikowo. It could have been worse but Piotr Banasiak showed himself to be worthy of a spot in the first team with a penalty save to keep the scoreline respectable.

Radomiak 1st Half: Banasiak - Bobrowski, Mortka, Michalski, Skorupka - Oziewicz, Roslaniec, Czpak, Szary - Lesisz, Barzynski

Radomiak 1st Half: Pasnik - Boryczka, Mortka, Michalski, Skorupka - Barzynski, Majewski, Wlazlo, Szary - Janik, Tarnowski oraz Dukalski, Sikorski

Source: radomiak.com.pl

AKS Busko Zdróriendly Cancelled

February 14th, 2007

Wednesdays planned friendly against League II AKS Busko Zdróas been cancelled. The reason? "The invited team will not be coming to Radom", so, er, now you know. As a result Radomiak's next game will take place on Saturday against League V KS Warka.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Reasons To Be Optimistic

February 13th, 2007

After Friday's announcement that the club has a new president things are looking decidedly brighter at Radomiak than they have for some time. Add to this a convincing performance and resulting 4 - 0 victory against League II opposition, albeit in a friendly game, and you could be forgiven for thinking that the club could finally be moving forward.

Radomiak fans, who had expressed some doubts as to the quality of the squad put together by manager Jó Antoniak, will have seen with their own eyes that the players currently at Struga are capable of producing football of a quality worthy of at least League II. No one can argue that Radomiak did not thoroughly deserve their win, playing by far the better football.

Radomiaks first half performance was fast paced and aggressive and although it may not have paid dividends - the first half ending as it did, 0 - 0 - it must certainly have softened up the opposition ahead of the second period. The second half saw an altogther more relaxed Radomiak take to the field and this showed in the style of play which consisted of a slow, patient build up and passes being picked out as opposed to being forced. Radomiak were definately ahead on points but made certain of the result with four knockout blows, showing a killer instinct which was decidedly lacking in the autumn round.

It would be unfair to single out any one player as all were deserving of praise. The more games the squad gets under its belt, the better things look and the players seem to be gelling very well. The wing play especially seems to be coming together and would be well received by even the most critical of commentators.

Wednesday sees Radomiak play AKS Busko Zdróf League III, Group IV and should give a good indication of how the team will do when the extra motivation of opposition from a higher division is not present.

Before the game against Stal of course, Radomiak's new chairman was announced. Who knows, maybe the fact that it looks as if they may now get paid was a motivation to the players? The new man at the helm is 52 year old businessman Mirosław Hernik. The meeting on Friday also saw the number of board members increased from three to five. In what is hopefully a sign that the new regime wants to work with the fans, three of the new board members are Piotr Kidyba, Łukasz Podlewski and Michał Surma, representatives of the Radomiak fan group, "Tylko Radomiak".

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Radom - Stal Stalowa Wola 4:0

February 12th, 2007

Radomiak excelled in beating League II opposition 4 - 0 on a snow covered pitch. All the goals came in the second half of a game which will have given Radomiak fans hope that promotion is still not out of the question this season.

The Greens had attack on their minds from the kick-off and contrary to the previous friendly against KSZO their play was full of aggression. They managed to impose their game on a supposedly superior opponent and launched an all out attack on the Stal goal. The first real chance came on 23 minutes when a Stal corner resulted in a counter attack ending with Kowalski putting Trzaskalski clean through on goal only to see the latters rasping shot turned round the post by the 'keeper.

Despite the efforts of the home side the score remained 0 - 0 at the break.

The second half saw more of the same from the home side and if anything, their dominance was even more pronounced. Radomiak got what they deserved on 54 minutes when Lewandowski opened the scoring, bundling the ball over the line from a corner. Just 6 minutes later a neat one-two between Trzaskalski and Czpak saw the latter make it 2 - 0 from 12 metres out. Stal hardly had time to kick off before the advantage had been increased to 3. Daniel Barzyński played an inch perfect pass to Oziewicz who had no trouble beating the 'keeper on his far post.

Radomiak continued to create chances and Barzyński should have done better when he found himself one-on-one with the Stal 'keeper on 80 minutes. He made up for it somewhat three minutes later when he forced the 'keeper into giving away a penalty after a similar one-on-one situation. Marcin Pacan had no trouble converting the spot kick and Radomiak had a 4 - 0 victory.

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski - Wachowicz, Skócki, Pacan, Bielski - Kowalski, Czpak, Terlecki, Trzaskalski - Wawreńczuk, Kowalczyk
Radomiak 2nd half	Borkowski - Wachowicz (65' Kowalski), Michalski, Pacan, Skócki - Oziewicz, Lewandowski, Czpak (78' Świderski), Trzaskalski (63' Barzyński) - Terlecki (73' Sikorski), Dukalski

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Mirosław Hernik: "Expectations Are Very High"

February 12th, 2007

Below is a reproduction of an interview with Radomiak's new president, 52 year old head of MIRAX, Mirosław Hernik.

It seems that you have a very difficult task ahead of you and expectations are high...

I agree. Expectations are very high and you all know the clubs current position. I won't talk about the debt today, only about the future of Radomiak. We need cash to continue functioning in League III and hopefully promotion to League II. I don't think that Radomiak can continue in the form of a sporting association, it has to become a plc.

How do you see the city helping?

I haven't spoken to the authorities yet but I hope that they will help and I, along with the other board members, will be able to find sponsors and Radomiak will at last be able to function normally.

Are you at all worried that you'll be seen as a piggy bank for the club, Constantly shelling out money from your own pocket?

No I'm not. I understand that there is a need to inject cash into Radomiak in order for radomiak to grow into a viable club. I will obviously have a role in this.

What are the plans for the coming months?

Obviously we need to get to the end of the spring round and we need to pay what we owe to the players. If, with the help of the city, we manage this then we will make sure we keep up to date with wages and everything will be running as it should. the club can't carry on as it has been.

Despite everything, have we got any chance of achieving promotion this season?

I've spoken to the manager and he says that if the money is put in place we have a chance.

What is your wish at the start of your presidency?

Lots of sponsors and a good relationship with the new, young board.

Source: radomiak.info

Poland will Not Be Banned

February 9th, 2007

Contrary to all previous indications, FIFA and UEFA will not ban Poland from international competition. The governing bodies have more pressing matters at hand given the incidents which occured in Italy recently.

As a result of the tragedy in Sicily, FIFA has given the PZPN until 11th March to sort out its differences with the polish government. It is thought that a new board should be in place at PZPN by that time and this should satisfy all concerned.

FIFA chairman managed to draw himself away from the trough long enough to write to Polish President Lech Kaczyński suggesting that Poland will not have been banned by the time the elections for the new PZPN board have taken place.

Source: pilka.pl

Antoniak's Contract Extended

February 9th, 2007

Radomiak manager Jó Antoniak as signed a new deal which will see him at the club until New Years Eve 2007. He will stand down from his position as Director Of Sport and the club will not seek anyone to take up the post.

"A League III club does not need a Director Of Sport and that's not just from a financial point of view" says club president Mirosław Hernik. "There was no conflict between the manager and the board, I put forward a new contract and he asked for a few days to think about it. We met again on Monday and Mr Antoniak signed up. The assistant manager, Marek Włodarski, has also signed a new deal".

The president has also gained a new right hand man, namely Konrad Świerczyński, who will be responsible for financial matters. "Mr Świerczyński will not draw a wage from the club - he will be paid by Mirax, the company which I head up" said Henrik.

It's unlikely that any players will be leaving Radomiak in the near future. The manager has been allowed to keep his current squad intact but this is with the understanding that he will not be able to strengthen. Despite this arrangement it seems that Antoniak is in negotiations with a couple of players and is looking to bring in a striker. Talks are ongoing with Czesław Boguszewicz, the agent of Gók Łęczna player Janusz Surdykowski and the Ukrainian Wałerij Czornyj should start training with Radomiak [07.03.2007] and remain with the club for 10 days. "I'll admit that I'm interested in those two" was all Antoniak had to say on the matter.

The start of the league season is fast approaching but before it kicks-off for Radomiak on 24th March against Stal in Głó there is the little matter of a cup quarter final against Ekstraklasa side Cracovia, the first leg of which is at Struga 63 on 14th March. Antoniak hopes that the side will be able to fit in one more friendly before that game and that it will be played on grass as opposed to the artificial pitch which has been used up to now - "I think we will play this Saturday in Przytyk against Sokoł. The lads have had enough of playing on the artificial pitch".

Source: radomiak.info

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

February 9th, 2007

Mirosław Hernik, the owner of one of the biggest food warehousing businesses in the Radom region has been chosen as Radomiaks new president. The clubs board has also grown in number from three members to five. The meeting also saw the exclusion of Andrzej Maszczyński from the board, not too bign a shock as he had not bothered to turn up for a meeting since being elected to the board last time round.

Władysław Kots resignation was accepted and the "Autonomous Youth Team, football Section RKS Radomiak 1910" was brought into being.

The biggest business of the night though was obviously Henriks presidency by a unanimous vote. The 52 year old business man is the owner of MIRAX, one of the biggest food warehousing businesses in the Radom region. In addition, Łukasz Podlewski, Piotr Kidyba, Michał Surma and Andrzej Dobos were voted onto the board.

It looks, at last, that things are going to change, at least according to Mr Henrik - "Obviously given Radomiaks situation there is a lot of work to do. We'll not discuss the debts tonight, safe to say that the club must move away from being a "sporting fellowship" and become a real business.

Source: radomiak.info

Tonight's The Night

February 9th, 2007

How to solve Radomiaks problems and bring the club through what looks to be a troubled future? Attempts will be made to answer this and other difficult questions facing the club at this evenings general meeting.

The meeting will also see current club president, Władysław Kot resign his position. Unsurprisingly there does not seem to be anyone willing to take over the role and it looks almost certain that the club will become leaderless.

Kot and his vice president Zbigniew Korcz announced 2 months ago that they would cease fulfilling their roles at the club on the 9th February. Kot is however still willing to do what he can to help - "I will tender my resignation to the club members on Friday. Obviously, I will not turn my back on Radomiak and I am willing to carry on working for the good of the club in some capacity should that be necessary, but that will not be as president".

The fans are hoping that there will be someone present tonight who will be willing to take on the weight of responsibility and take over as president during one of the most difficult times in the clubs history. The spectre of bankruptcy looming over the club along with debts of 2.5 million PLN, the position is not what one would call enticing. We shall have to wait and see what surprises this evening holds in store.

Source: radomiak.info

Unbeaten Friendly Run Maintained

February 7th, 2007

Radomiak 1 - 1 drew with League II KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in a game played in less than ideal conditions. Radomiak went ahead through Marcin Pacan on 3 minutes and Ostrowiec equalised on on 8 minutes with a Rafał Wók penalty.

Radomiak flew out of the starting blocks and it took them only 3 minutes to go into the lead, Cezary Czpak crossing for Marcin Pacan to volley home. Radomiak were a team on a mission and it seemed that their second goal would only be a matter of time. Unfortunately it was not to bee and on 8 minutes Michalski left the referee no option but to give a penalty which Wók had no trouble converting to make the score 1 all.

From then on the game became more equal but Radomiak still should have gone in ahead had the referee given a penalty when one of the Ostrowiec back-line kept out a Czpak shot with his hand. Given the talking to the players got from manager Antoniak it appears that he was somewhat far from satisfied with 1 all.

The second half saw radomiak introduce 5 youth teamers who, despite their inexperience, were not overawed by their League II opponents and did themselves proud. KSZO had the better possession in the second half but were unable to make it count and did not trouble the Greens goal. Radomiak on the other hand should have scored but on more than one occassion Daniel Barzyński was found wanting when picking out un-marked colleagues in the KSZO area.

The coming Saturday will see Radomiak take on League II opposition on the council owned artificial pitch again, this time in the form of Stal Stalowa Wola. Kick off is at 12.

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski - Wachowicz, Pacan, Michalski, Bielski - Trzaskalski, Czpak, Terlecki, Lesisz - Wawreńczuk, Kowalczyk
Radomiak 2nd half	Borkowski - Kowalski, Skócki, Lewandowski, Bielski (62' Sikorski) - Barzyński, Oziewicz, Czpak (78' Świderski), Walkiewicz - Terlecki (69' Lesisz), Dukalski

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Radom - OKS Start Otwock 2:1

February 3rd, 2007

Strikes from Maciej Lesisz and Michał Kowalczyk saw off a solid OKS Start Otwock and kept up Radmiaks 100% friendly record so far this year.

The first part of the game was all Radomiak though it has to be admitted that it was not a thrilling encounter. Maciej Lesisz came close early on but didn't trouble the visitors 'keeper, pushing his shot tamely past the post. The deadlock was broken by the same player on 45 minutes when he tapped in from close range after the 'keeper had flapped at and missed at cross from Bielski and the ball had been laid back by Domonik Dukalski. 1 - o radomiak at the break.

The visitors drew level twenty mintes into the second period following an error by youngster Piotr Banasiak. Banasiak totally missed a ball into the area and Skrzyński would have found it harder to miss than score into the open goal. This seemed to spur the Greens into action and they should have re-asserted their lead three minutes later. Lesisz crossed for Barzyński but, under pressure from the 'keeper, the latter managed only to slice the ball wide of the goal. Radomiak battered the visitors for the rest of the game but had to wait until the 82nd minute for their advantage to pay paid dividends. during an almighty scramble in Starts goalmouth Michał Kowalczyk somehow got his head to the ball and managed to direct it into the goal. That was the last real action of the game and Radomiak came away with a well deserved 2 - 1 victory.

The next friendly looks much tougher with radomiak taking on League II side and local rivals KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski on 7th February.

Radomiak 1st half	Borkowski - Bielski, Pacan, Michalski, Kowalski - Lesisz, Oziewicz, Czpak, Trzaskalski - Dukalski, Wawreńczuk
Radomiak 2nd half	Banasiak - Bielski, Pacan, Lewandowski, Kowalski - Lesisz, Oziewicz (65' Świderski), Czpak, Trzaskalski (77' Sikorski) - Wawreńczuk (60' Barzyński), Kowalczyk

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Players to be Paid

February 3rd, 2007

A rather novel state of affairs for players at Radomiak - they're going to be paid!

During the good old communist days players were steelworkers, welders, miners, soldiers or even theose milkmen you see on the BBC on FA Cup third round day. Not so nowadays and players at Radomiak are reliant solely on their income from football. As we all know however, the club has not been able to meet its obligations in terms of wages for some months now and things have been getting a bit desperate. It seems that the problems the Greens are having are being viewed by politicians not as a case of mis-management but as a result of current socio-political conditions in Poland. As a result the city council has declared it's aim of financial aid which will be put in place after the budget has been ratified.

The players have obviously been somewhat concerned. They have said that if there is no money there will be no one to play for the Greens and no one will attend training. Basically all out strike. Yesterday, at last, they and their manager had the opportunity to speak to the president of Radom and although a rescue package will be very costly for the city, president Andrzej Kosztowniak promised that it would be implemented. Council officials promised that they would have a solution by [03.02.2007] and they have been true to their word.

The magistrate will draw up contracts with the players whereby they will be employed to "promote the city". This will of course require a change in the players current contracts but will be a great relief not only to players but to fans who have this week set up their own fund to aid the club.

The fans had planned to picket the magistrates court on Thursday but after intervention by the players this was called off. The cancellation may be rethought should promises to the players not be kept and judging by the number of Radoms finest on show at the non-event things could be fairly interesting.

Source: radomiak.info

It's Grass Jim But Not As We Know It

February 2nd, 2007

The Greens will face League IV OKS Start Otwock tomorrow in their third friendly of the year. The game will be played on the artificial MOSiR pitch which should, hopefully, be pretty much clear of snow by then.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak Radom - Szydłowianka Szydłowiec

January 31st, 2007

Radomiak managed to overcome the rain and the ice and emerge victorious against League IV Szydłowianka Szydłowiec in the second of their pre-spring round friendlies. The 2 - 0 victory came courtesy of strikes from Wawreńczuk on 23 minutes and Czpak on 48. Things could have been even better had Marcin Pacan been able to convert his penalty attempt.

An uninspiring opening 20 minutes should have seen the League IV side take a 1 - 0 lead but Robert Stawiarski managed to come out on top in a one-on-one situation with Szydłowianka front man. It got much worse for the visitors just three minutes later when Grzegorz Wawreńczuk hit a screamer from outside the area which flew into the corner of the goal. Szydłowianka heads did not drop and it was again left to 'keeper Stawiarski to keep them out in the 30th minute when he again had to contend with a sleepy defence and a player through on his own. The first half ended at 1 - 0 but Radomiak should have doubled their lead when the referee gave a penalty for a foul on Dukalski. Unfortunately the visitors 'keeper was up to the challenge and saved Marcin Pacans effort well.

The second half started with an all out assault from Radomiak and their got their reward early on. On 48 minutes Cezary Czpak showed the cool head that Radomiak have been lacking so far this season and he fired the ball past the 'keeper into the far corner of the net to give Radomiak a 2 goal advantage. The remainder of a game saw the same wastefulness that plagued Radomiak in the autumn round, Trzaskalski and Wawreńczuk being particularly guilty of missing a hatful of chances.

Radomiak 1st half	Stawiarski - Skócki (40' Sikorski), Pacan, Michalski - Bielski, Czpak, Lewandowski, Kacprzak, Kowalski - Wawreńczuk, Dukalski
Radomiak 2nd half	Stawiarski - Sikorski, Pacan, Michalski, Kowalski - Dukalski (65' Tarka), Czpak, Lewandowski, Barzyński - Wawreńczuk (83' Skorupa), Trzaskalski

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Players Refuse To Train

January 30th, 2007

Zbigniew Wachowicz and Grzegorz Wawreńczuk trained in the snow of Leśniczó Park, Michał Kowalczyk worked in the gym and the other players played volleyball - this was the players way of protesting against their ;lack of wages.

All the players, apart from Daniel Barzyński and Tomasz Borkowski who are currently injured, turned up for training at Struga but subsequently refused to take part. "I understand the lads and the reasons for what they're doing. I'm totally behind their protest" says manager Jó Antoniak. "I think however that there are a number of reasons that they should train.". Antoniak is of the opinion that despite their current problems they are still professionals and are obliged to attend training sessions and take part. "If this happens again we will have to fine those involved and suspend them." Antoniak also believes it would be a shame to waste the work they have already done, saying that the players have performed fantastically well during January.

The afternoon saw representatives of the squad, namely Zbigniew Wachowicz, Marcin Pacan, Jacek Kacprzak, Maciej Terlecki and Mikołaj Skócki along with manager Antoniak visit the city president Andrzej Kosztowniak. The aim of the visit was to ask for help and to speed up the payout of at least a part of the money which the council earmarked for the Radomiak players last week. The group left satisfied, having recieved assurances that the citys lawyers will have found a way to pay the money to the players before the end of the week. "this discussion is exactly what we needed" says Jacek Kacprzak. " We are certain that president Kosztowniak wants to help and we believe that he will keep his promises".

Source: radomiak.info

The Councillors Point Of View

January 27th, 2007

Will yet another Radom institution with a hundred years of history sonn be gone? THis could be the case with RKS Radomiak who are waiting for the court to make a decision on their petition for bankruptcy and for their creditors to come up with an agreement on debt repayments. It was a three hour wait for the fans at the coffices of the city council and when it eventually came the news was not good. At the moment the council cannot help radomiak financially - they can only talk about a situation in such help would be possible.

Radomiaks current financial plight is not a one off in Polish football according to club president Władysław Kot, who says that there are a number of clubs who are still trading with millions in debts. The reason they can carry on? Local government helps them out. IN Radom the council want to help but only if certain conditions are met. PiS councillor Krzysztof Sońta claims that the council would have to budget at least 1 million PLN a year to keep the club going and he is amenable to this amount but says the club must first implement a plan which would aim to introduce something called "economic stability", an idea which previous radomiak boards seem notyto have heard of. The PO councillor Radosław Witkowski, the club needs to take a look at their transfer policy because, as the councillor said, Radomiak has been "importing lorry loads of Balkan trash". In the opinion of Jakub Kowalski the individuals who broke the agreement with the Polish Treasury must first be punished.

One of the questions put to the councillors was whether or not they had been in contact with the clubs board earlier in order to point out that the way RKS was being run did not make for a bright and successful future, or infact, any future at all but this was seen as a politically motivated line of questioning and no one was willing to give any sort of cogent, coherent or, most importantly, honest answer. In such situations though it is obvious that discussions cannot take place exclusive of political manouverings. Councillor Witkowski referred to Andrzej Kosztowniak's campaign slogan - "Radomiak is Radom" - and said that the president should take responsibility. The president does not take kindly to such rebukes and his reply was sharp, saying that he can see the difference between the city of Radom and the football club RKS Radomiak and his responsibility is to the city as a whole.

So, as is usual with (as far as I can tell) all politicians, many promises were made with as few details as possible mentioned (again, never trust someone who runs for office) and absolutely nothing was done. As you can probably tell I'm not a massive fan of the current state of politics in Poland but, given the statement made by the city treasurer, I can see why the councils hands are tied at the moment and just how bad things have gotten. Krystyna Dadej informed the council that if the city were to give money to Radomiak now, it would all go straight to the creditors. Not only are all the clubs bank accounts frozen but even the income from the market which takes place inside the stadium complex goes straight to the polish treasury to pay off unpaid tax.

It also became clear that councillor Wędzoneks idea of paying 240,000 PLN directly to the players as this can only be done after the comissioner has approved the budget - something that will not be happening in the near future.

So, the result of the discussions was to bring a motion that obligates the city president to help the players financially. Questions posed as to whether RKS would go the same way as Czarni Radom and disapear completely were not dignified with an answer.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak - A Huge Mess

January 23rd, 2007

Earlier this week the courts rejected the previous boards petitiion for bankruptcy, citing the fact that Radomiak does not have the assets required to enter into bankruptcy proceedings. Below is a translation of an interview with Mirosław Hernik, a 51 year old businessman, head of the Mirax Group and, from 9th February, Radomiak president.

Włodzimierz Łyżwa:	what is your opinion of the courts decision?
Mirosław Hernik:	It's very bad news. Bankruptcy and a chance to come to some arrangement with our creditors gave the club the chance to clear the debt in stages. As it stands there is not one company or institution in Radom that is not owed money by Radomiak. Previous administrations are at fault and I'm not sure whether the prosecutor shouldn't be looking into that. In about a weeks time I will decide whether or not to carry on as club president.
WŁ:	Your election as president of the club brought with it a great deal of hope
MH:	People ask "Why did you get involved as president of a bankrupt club?" I wanted (and still do) to help the club but I did not know that it was in such a horrendous mess. During the last few years no one has been bothered. Contracts have been signed with players and managers when the money to cover them has not been available. The results of that policy? What you see today - massive debts and all bank accounts frozen.
WŁ:	What decisions has the new board taken so far?
MH:	We're trying to regulate all the ongoing financial committments so that the debt does not rise. Radomiak will be meeting all their payments, whether people agree or not that is the way it will be. The previous board formulated a budget for the coming year but did not take into account any benefit payments. It's now become obvious why how the debt of 1.5 million PLN to the treasury and ZUS has arisen. We will be concentrating on making savings in the running of the club from now on.
WŁ:	What will these savings be based on?
MH:	The club had 16 fulltime employees. Among those drawing a wage was a legal advisor who, after todays court ruling did not turn up at the club, did not ring and showed no interest whatsoever in the club. Everyone wants to take their money and give nothing back in return. If I stay at Radomiak that will not continue. The most important thing in sport is results. If everyone works towards good results, they will be rewarded financially. I would remind you that the Żywiec Group will provide a bonus of 100,000 PLN for promotion to League II - there can be many more such payments but Radomiak needs to be run properly. From 1st March there will be 4 fulltime employees - 2 trainers, the manager and a secretary. The rest will be employed on a temporary basis as and when required.
WŁ:	What will happen to the money owed to the players?
MH:	On February 23rd the players will receive part of the money owed for November and December from the city. I think that a second payment will be made in March and that should see the debt to the players just about cleared. In the name of the board and the players I would like to thank President Andrzej Kosztowniak for this financial help. As I've said many times before, the players are the most important thing at a club. I'm expecting a massive effort from them on the pitch and a real push for promotion to League II.
WŁ:	It seems that you are contantly busy day and night talking to potential sponsors
MH:	That's true. There are still companies that want to help Radomiak. It's not just myself in discussions - all members of the board have something to do.

Source: Echo Dnia Radom Edition

Players Still Wageless

January 22nd, 2007

Source: radomiak.info

Todays session of Radom City Council took the position that the community of Radom would help Radomiak during 2007 in a number of different ways. The money which the city will be donating will not go to the club itself but will be paid directly to the players. The motion to give 240,000 PLN directly to the club was denied as it was decided that if such an approach were to be taken, the majority of the cash would end up in the hands of debt collectors. The city will continue to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of all properties belonging to the club.

Władysław Kot said af the arrangement "We need to sit down with our lawyers and decide what form these payments will take. We also need to talk to the city president in order to decide exactly how the money will make its way into the players pockets. I think this is a good method of council subsidy and besides that, it's also it's the only form of subsidy open at the moment. We will now try to talk players into staying at the club".

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Friendly Victory

January 22nd, 2007

Radomiak beat League V Zwolenianka Zwoleń 5 - 0 in their first friendly of the calendar year. Manager Jó Antoniak used the opportunity to give just about all his squad a run out and it was a side very different to the starting line-up that started the second half.

Radomiak 1st Half(4-4-2)	Stawiarski, Kowalski, Michalski, Pacan, Bielski, Trzaskalski, Kacprzak, Fiedorczuk, Czpak, Dukalski, Lesisz
Radomiak 2nd Half(4-4-2)	Borkowski (Banasiak), Wachowicz, Lewandowski, Skócki, Barzyński, Oziewicz, Czpak, Walkiewicz, Kowalczyk, Lesisz (Świderski), Wawreńczuk

Goals for Radomiak: Czpak 36', Lesisz 54', Czpak 75', Barzyński 85' and Kowalczyk 87'.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Financial Projections For Spring 2007

January 21st, 2007

Radomiak have made public their projected income and expenditure for the spring round. To be fair you don't need a degree in accountancy (you don't even need five stars at McDonalds to be honest) to appreciate that they're somewhat up the creek and some knob has gone and left the paddle at home...

Income
	Source	Amount(PLN)
	Market	240,000
	Sponsorship Deal With "Żywiec Group"	120,000
	Matchday	180,000
	City Of Radom (should a deal be agreed)	240,000

	Total	780,000


Expenditure
	Source	Amount(PLN)
	Wages	660,000
	Player League Bonuses	144,000
	Player Cup Bonuses	30,000
	Away Day Travel	32,000
	Referees	24,000
	Match Organisation	96,000
	Sporting Equipment	20,000
	General Food Expenses	24,000
	Physiotherapy And Meds	20,000
	Medical Charges	15,000
	Physiotherapy Room Equipment	20,000
	Pitch Upkeep	3,400
	Reserves And Staff Wages	45,000
	Travel, Organisation And Equipment For Reserves	50,000

	Total	1,183,400

Source: radomiak.com.pl

EU Money to Fund New Sports Centre

January 20th, 2007

A Sporting and recreation centre at Struga has been pencilled in as one of the key projects to be undertaken in Radom and backed by EU grants. The whole thing should cost around 28 million PLN.

The money would come from the monies awarded to the Mozowszw regional budget for 2007-13. Mazowsze will recieve around 1.8 billion Euros. Some of this money has been allocated to Mazowsze for so called key projects which will aid the development of the area. THese projects will be funded by the European Union and cannot be contested.

Thursday saw the powers that be in Mazowsze declare three new projects as being key and among them was the new sports complex in Radom.

"Investment in these projects is made with the aim of levelling out discrepancies between regions which arose in the first round of investment and also to add some recreational projects to the list. In this way we have been able to add another radom based project which has been received positively" says Piotr Szprendałowicz, Leader of the District of Mazowsze.

The plans forsee a football and athletics stadium at Struga with a running track and covered space for 8000 spectators. THe club buildings will become a rehabilition centre, hotel and gymnasium. An artificial pitch will also be created next to the stadium.

The city has forecast costs of around 70 million PLN.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

President Still Resigning

January 20th, 2007

Radomiak are waiting on 60,000 Euro from the city. If this money is not forthcoming by the 27th January then the players wil be allowed to go out and find themselves new clubs.

"During a meeting with the players I told them all about it. They know the club is waiting for the money. If we get it we'll pay off the wages for November and December. If not then the players can look for new clubs" says Radomiak prsident Władysław Kot. Radomiak are also waiting for money from strategic sponsors Warka which should be made available in late January.

Władysław Kot again reiterated his resignation which will be on 9th February during the extra-ordinary meeting. Who will take over? It'll all become clear in three weeks but it's doubtful whether anyone will be brave enough to take the job.

Source: radomiak.info

Help For Radomiak

January 20th, 2007

A number of individuals and groups have come forward promising to help stop Radomiak disappearing from the sporting map. Among them is the Radom Platform who are depending on other political parties to join them and are assuring all and sundry that their offer of help is a real one as oppose to being motivated by political manouvering.

Such declarations were made alongside concrete ideas on exactly how to bring Radomiak back to financial stability. For any help to be useful it is first necessary to shed some light on what has occurred in the past and it is for this reason that MP Ewa Kopczak is urging President Kot to take any financial irregularities of which he is aware to the prosecutors office.

The means of help for Radomiak being suggested by Platform are as many as they are varied. They want to arrange public collections with the helps of actors, doctors and other prominent members of society. They are also looking into organising concerts in aid of the club along with an SMS based competition with the proceeds going to the club. As well as these plans there was also concrete help - the Sports Commission, on the advise of Wiesùæonka, has advised the city President to aid the club to the sum of 240,000 PLN in order to help the payment of players wages.

All this was watched by members of the Radomiak Fans Fellowship which will no doubt be keeping a close eye on all involved to make sure that promises are kept.

Source: radomiak.info

Last Chance Saloon For Radomiak

January 20th, 2007

Radomiak have turned to to the council for financial help. Club president W³adys³aw Kot, along with vice President Zbigniew Korcz, explained yesterday that the future of the club is in the hands of the council. During a press conference the two put forward the argument they will make in Mondays meeting with the council - that they need the city to support the club financially.

According to Kot the main reason for the current situation is a lack of sponsors and statutes which limit the backing of commercial sport by the community. "These are the main reasons that Radomiaks debt has grown to such a huge figure [2.6 million PLN] in the past 8 years. The quick fixes implemented by the previous administrations at the club managed to keep the wolf from the door temporarily but they did nothing to get rid of the main bulk of the financial obligations. The current situation is a result of those policies".

Korcz reminded those assembled that Radomiak had been on the edge many times in the past few years - "In 2002 there was no water in the club buildings, no heating and the telephone had been cut off. There was no seating in the stadium. Despite these problems, with the help of the city and fans of football the team was promoted to League III and then League II. When we found ourselves at the bottom of the table in 2004 no one wanted to know anymore. Again, the city acted as saviours, helping the club both financially and in the media. Now we are in a similarly desperate situation". He mentioned also that the December - March period is downtime in football. during this period the club has no income from tickets and sponsors are waiting for the spring round. "This is why we are turning to the council for help. we believe that once again they will lend a helping hand and will not turn their backs on Radomiak, a club with 100 years of history". Korcz also explained that the petition for bankruptcy was made with the aim of coming to some agreement with the creditors - "No one is thinking about closing the club down, indeed the squad has just been strngthened with new, ambitious players in time for the spring round".

On Monday the board will attempt to persuade councillors that the club has been an integral part of the city for the last 100 years, as testified by the thousands of fans it has in Radom. "We are proud that the city arms are on the shirts of our players. We want to represent and promote the city. The club getting to the quarter finals of the Cup is a good example - we would like to have the phrase 'Radom - The City For Your Investmant' displayed on the shirts and encourage companies to come to our region. We're certain that the city will benefit as much as the club".

One of the points discussed at yesterdays conference was the production of papers documenting Radomiaks descent into debt since 1999. The discussion did not move onto the implications should creditors not come to an agreement with the club and the council not offer help. "The players will be allowed to look for new clubs up 'til next Friday" says Kot. "However, I believe that the words of the city president will not come to be and, as in years past, from an infernal storm around Radomiak will come beautiful sunshine".

source radomiak.info

Source: radomiak.info

Bielski Trains, Ukranians Leave

January 19th, 2007

Ex Miedz Legnica player Marcin Bielski trained yesterday with the Radomiak squad

It's a case of deja vu for Bielski who trained with the Greens during the same period last year when Radomiak were under the stewardship of Mariusz Kuras. The club decided not persue their interest and Bielski moved to Miedz where he played until the end of 2006. Bielski is a natural defender but it seems that he would be more likely to be used by Jó Antoniak as a defensive central midfielder.

The two Ukranians, Igor Ptasznik and Maksym Iwaniuk, have left after taking part in two training sessions

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiaks Council Problems

January 16th, 2007

The radomiak board appealed yesterday to the leader of the city council, Wojciech Skóewicz, for help with the financial crisis ongoing at the club. Władysław Kot: "We have a 400,000PLN shortfall in our budget for the spring round. We've asked for the councils help and are counting on the fact that they will accept our plea. W've asked for an extraordinary meeting of the City council to discuss Radomiaks problems."

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Talks In Progress At Struga

January 11th, 2007

Cezary Czpak (Gók Łęczna), Dominik Doliński and Grzegorz Seremak (MG MZKS Kozienice) are three players Radomiak would love to have at their disposal during the spring round. Czpak, who has been released by Gók Łęczna, is already training with the Greens. In the meantime manager (and now it seems director) Jó Antoniak is in constant contact with Kozienice. All three have expressed their interest in playing for Radomiak but are waiting for the financial situation at the club to become clearer before making any decisions.

Source: radomiak.info

Gała in Ireland?

January 10th, 2007

Seven new faces were present at Radomiaks training session today and that seems set to increase in the near future with Jó Antoniak still seeking a striker and a central midfielder to bolster his squad for a promotion push. Robert Stawiarski, Marcin Trzaskalski and Cezary Czpak trained with Radomiak for the first time yesterday. The first two have already signed on whilst Czpak is due to have talks with the board soon. Czpak would not be drawn on whether he would be joiing the club from Struga, saying merely that he was putting all his concentration into training.

Along with the above three, also present were Grzegorz Wawreńczuk, Arkadiusz Oziewicz, Grzegorz Kowalski and Maciej Lesisz. One face that will not be present this season is Paweł Gałczyński who will most likely moving to Ireland. "He has informed the board that he will be leaving but we haven't terminated his contract as of yet" said president Władysław Kot.

Jó Antoniak and his assistant Arkadiusz Skonieczny are very happy with the fitness the players have shown in training which consisted of work in the gym followd by a couple of kilometres running. "All we need now is to stabilise the financial situation" says Antoniak. "If we can keep hold of these players we'll have a much stronger team than we did in the autumn round. We could also do with another striker and a central midfielder".

The main problem during the autumn was in attack. The whole round saw the "strikeforce" net 5 in 15 games, Michał Kowalczyk bagging 4 and Dominik Dukalski 1. With the arrival of Wawreńczuk and Lesisz Radomiak now have four players to cover the forwrd positions and it is possible that Cezary Czpak could be added to this list along with a Ukranian trialist who should be arriving soon.

As well as the obvious problems up front there was also a dirth of decent young players in the squad. The two weakest youngsters, Adrian Sadowski and Tomasz Kotwica, have left the club. The youth contingent has been bolstered by Grzegorz Kowalski (Szydłowianka) and Arkadiusz Oziewicz (Amiki Wronki). Dominik Dukalski, Michał Walkiewicz and Marcin Sikorski remain at the club and things look significantly better than they did before the winter break.

Radomiak have also announced their proposed friendly games:

27.01.2007	Radomiak	Znicz Pruszkót
31.01.2007	Radomiak	Szydłowianka Szydłowiec
03.02.2007	Radomiak	Start Otwock
07.02.2007	Radomiak	KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
10.02.2007	Radomiak	Stal Stalowa Wola
14.02.2007	Radomiak	Busko Zdrót
17.02.2007	Radomiak	KS Warka
24.02.2007	Radomiak	Stal SW
28.02.2007	Radomiak	Motor Lublin
07.03.2007	Radomiak	Avia Świdnik
13/14.03.2007	Radomiak	Cracovia Krakót	(Polish Cup)
17.03.2007	Radomiak	Lublinianka Lublin
17.03.2007	Stal Gosso Głowno	Radomiak	(First game of spring round)

Source: radomiak.info

Antoniak Wants Seremak

January 10th, 2007

Contrary to yesterdays reports that Grzegorz Seremak had signed for KS Paradyż, it seems that he is still available, at least according to Radomiak manager Jó Antoniak who claims to be in contact with the player. "I am in contact with him all the time. I know that he is a target for Paradyż but up until the moment he signs a contract with them there is a chance that he might become a Radomiak player".

Yesterday saw the first training session of 2007 taking place. THis was preceded by meeting between the players and club president Władysław Kot. "I outlined the situation the club is in at the moment" says Kot. "It is a difficult situation but not beyond recovery. In a few days time we'll pay the wages owed for November and December and we're slowly finalising the budget for 2007. We need 2.4 million PLN". The players came out of the meeting with heads bowed and did not want to comment.

The players went through the usual pre-season rigmarole of weighing in. etc. They will train once a day until the end of the week and from the 15th until the end of January this will increase to twice a day. In all there were 21 squad members present at the first session including four new faces. Maciej Lesisz is back from his loan spell at ŁKS Łomża, Grzegorz Kowalski has signed from Szydłowianka Szydłowiec, Grzegorz Wareńczuk from Motob Kąty Wrocławskie and Arkadiusz Oziewicz from Amiki Wronki.

Kozienice 'keeper Robert Stawiarski and Wigier Suwałki midfielder Marcin Trzaskalski were not present but Antoniak has assured everyone that they will be [today]. today may also see the arrival of Kozienice defender Dominik Doliński and two unknown Ukranian players.

Tomasz Kotwica and Paweł Kaczmarek also showed their faces yesterday but only for a short visit. The contracts of both ran out on 1st January and will not be renewed by the club. It looks as though Michał Kowalczyk and Przemysław Michalski will be staying at Struga but the future of Daniel Barzyński and Paweł Gałczyński is still unclear.

Two targets have decided not to join radomiak, namely Cezary Czpak, who has been signed by ex-Radomiak manager Witold Mroziewski for Gókiem Łęczna, and Marcin Sztobryn who has emigrated to Cyprus.

Source: radomiak.info

Transfers

January 9th, 2007

The main news in terms of League III is Grzegorz Seremaks move from Kozienice to Paradyż after 10 years. Seremak is one of the best strikers in League III and had been a target for Radomiak.

In terms of Radomiak there has been a fair amount of activity:

Incoming:	Marcin Trzaskalski (Wigry Suwałki), Maciej Lesisz (ŁKS Łomża), Robert Stawiarski (MG MZKS Kozienice), Grzegorz Wawreńczuk (Motobi Kąty Wrocławskie)
Outgoing:	Adrian Sadowski, Tomasz Kotwica, Paweł Kaczmarek (contract terminated), Krzysztof Nykiel (Ruch Chorzó Artur Błażejewski (Odra Opole), Michał Kowalczyk (Szydłowianka Szydłowiec?), Daniel Barzyński, Przemysław Michalski, Paweł Gałczyński (free agents)
Targets:	Cezary Czpak (Gók Łęczna), Marcin Sztobryn, Marcin Woźniak (KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski), Grzegorz Kowalski (Szydłowianka Szydłowiec), Jarosław Dębiec (Szkó22;ka Piłkarska Szamotuły), Arkadiusz Oziewicz, Paweł Tarnowski (Beniaminek Radom)

Source: radomiak.info

Training Resumes

January 8th, 2007

Today sees Radomiak back in training in preperation for the spring round. Training starts at 1030 and will be lead by Jó Antoniak and Arkadiusz Skonieczny. At the moment it looks as if the weather will hold up and training will be outdoors. Hopefully the new faces, namely Maciej Lesisz, Marcin Trzaskalski, Grzegorz Wawreńczuk, Robert Stawiarski and Grzegorz Kowalski, will be present.

Radomiak will play a number of friendlies before the season kicks off again in 81 days time. Opposition will be provided by, amongst others, League III rivals Znicz Pruszkónd League II sides KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and Stal Stalowa Wola. Other games are rumoured to be against Avia Świdnik, Motor Lublin and Stal Rzeszó/

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Ekstraklasa down 3, League II Down 5?

January 5th, 2007

Andrzej Rusko, president of Ekstraklasa SA. wants clubs to be punished before the start of the spring round. Jacek Kryszczuk, Deputy Director of the PZPN Disciplinary Committee says now is not the time - "Let's wait for the prosecutor to bring the matter to court".

The corruption affair effects three Ekstraklasa clubs and five in League II.

In a December interview with Polish paper Gazeta the members of the Disciplinary Committee said that they will deal with the clubs involved in the affair will be dealt with at the end of the season with a mix of fines, points deductions and relegations. Thursday saw Ekstraklasa SA, the compay which runs the Polish top tier, urging things forward. "A decision should be made before 1st March. Putting this back is only damaging the reputation of the clubs who are not involved and the prestige of the league" said Rusko before a meeting with the PZPN.

The meeting seems to have ended in agreement as Kryszczuk indicated afterwards that earlier penalties were possible. There are, however, certain conditions. First of all the prosecutor must bring prosecutions against club personnel who 'bought' games, referrees involved in match fixing and playerscaught up in bribery. "We will only punish the clubs once the prosecutor has acted". Officially no one from the prosecutors office does not want to comment on whether proceedings can be brought within two months. Unofficially however it is common knowledge that in the most important cases (involving "The Hairdresser") everything is in place to move.

So what happens if the prosecutor runs out of time? Kryszczuk: "In that case we would at the best create a list of the clubs to be punished at the end of the investigation. If I were to give you that list at the moment the clubs would be: Arka Gdynia, Górnik Łęczna and Zagłębie Lubin from the Ekstraklasa and Górnik Polkowice, Zagłębie Sosnowiec, KSZO Ostrowiec, Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała and Zawisza Bydgoszcz from League II.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Could Cease To Exist At Any Second

January 5th, 2007

At 4pm yesterday afternoon 5 members of the Radomiak Supporters Club met with [city] president Kosztowniak. Waiting for them was [club] president Kot who had been due to meet with president Kosztowniak an hour earlier but had not yet made it in to see him. That the situation is dire goes without saying, but the fans group was not prepared for the information that met them in the presidents office.

In summary: if the bigest creditor, ZUS [equivalent to National Insurance in the UK] who is owed 1.3 million PLN, does not agree to Radomiaks proposals, and it seems likely that they will not as Radomiak last year reneged on a deal whereby the club would pay installments on what it owed, then a receiver will be brought in and they will sell all club assets and liquidate the club. Since Polish law states that ZUS cannot enter into any agreement with a party which has not to met the conditions of a previous agreement things seem somewhat bleak.

In truth there are no assets, apart from perhaps a couple of players, so any sell-off would not last long and in March/April of this year Radomiak will be finished, THE END. There is no PLan B.

President Kosztowniak will meet with ZUS today and although he promises he will do all he can, his opinion is that it is highly unlikely that any agreement will be reached due to the reasons given above.

The city can and will help Radomiak but only if a credible rescue package is put in place. According to the [city] president he needs to think things over. If no decision is made then Radomiak will fall this month so there will be no need for any plans. A plan put forward by Ventolon was not taken on board as the president said that it was not within his powers to agree.

As has been mentioned there is no plan B, no other hope. So, if radomiak goes there will be a hole - no one is currently considering a new Radomiak which would at least be able to take over the badge and colours.

So what to do? A merger with another club? Start from zero, i.e. B class? Any ideas greatly appreciated because the club is on the verge of going bust.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Flee Their Debts

January 5th, 2007

Radomiak are running from there debts and there is a whole lot of them to run from. On 30th November last year the debt came to 2.7 million PLN. According to club president Władysław Kot the only way put was to petition for Bankruptcy.

The clubs legal representative, Jan Olszewski, is of the same view. Visibly distraught during the press conference Olszewski stated - "After looking at the documentation I think that the petition put forward to the court should have been put forward during the presidency of Jacek Lesisz. It's a shame that it's only happened now but that's life.

Radomiaks two man board (president Władysław Kot and director Zbigniew Korcz) petitioned the court on 12th December 2006. The third board member, Andrzej Maszczyński has not taken part in any board meetings for a few months now and apparently has no interest in anything to do with the club. Zbigniew Kot pointed out that in accordance to club procedures the board are responsible for the reypayment of the clubs debts from their own pockets and those of their families. This fact is one of the main reasons the petition for bankruptcy has been made. Korcz also pointed out that the blame lay at the feet of previous administrations - "THe main debt is due to non-payment of tax and national insurance over the last few years. We had to bring an end to this.".

During the financial analysis it also became clear that of the 120 club members only around 20 were paying their monthly membership fees.

The club has set out a proposal for their creditors made up of the following points:

A reduction of all debts by 80%;

A freeze on all interest payments;

Deferment of payments for 12 months from the date of a legal decision as to the assets of the club;

24 equal payments to all creditors owed 100,000 PLN and over;

12 monthly payments to repay the remaining creditors.

Radomiak was founded in 1945 and in the late 60s merged with the legendary RKS to become RKS Radomiak. The red colour on Radomiaks badge is a reminder of the RKS legacy being as it was the colour of their shirts. The greatest success in the clubs history was a season in the Ekstraklasa in thye 1984/85 season. A close second is this seasons advance into the quarter finals of the Polish Cup.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Await Courts Decision

January 5th, 2007

Radomiak president Władysław Kot has tried to allay fears regarding the clubs relegation as a result of the ongoing bankruptcy problems. The news of the club petitioning for bankruptcy was a shxock to most people so what happens next and will 100 year old club be saved?

Kot was interviewed for the Radomiak edition of "Echo Dnia".

Władysław Kot: We're hoping the creditors will agree to our terms. There's no other way out. I will assure you however that Radokiak exists and will continue to exist. We're not going to be relegated.

ED:	Do you believe that you will come to an agreement with creditors?
WK:	It all depends on the court. We believe it will happen. After consultations with a lawyer we know that their is the chance of an agreement.
ED:	What happens if the creditors do not agree to the clubs stipulations and want all the cash which they are owed by Radomiak?
WK:	I believe we'll be able to do it. I'm in talks with a couple of companies who are owed money by the club and the talks are going in the right direction. If not then the next step will be the act of going bankrupt.
ED:	The proposal is still full of iofs and buts and the court says that the details are not correct.
WK:	I don't know what the court is talking about. We haven't recieved anything in writing that anything is amiss
ED:	How much is Radomiaks debt up to the end of 2006?
WK:	Exactly 2.7 million PLN. From that figure 1.9 million is owed in [National Insurance] and to the Treasury. 400,000 PLN is owed in wages and the same amount to other creditors.
ED:	When will there be a meeting of club members and will they be informed of the dealings of the board?
WK:	There will be an extraordinary meeting of members on thye 9th February. The main business will be the election of a new board and president.
ED:	Are you considering resignation?
WK:	Yes
ED:	The team are due to meet up for training again on 8th January and there should be a few new faces. Can the club afford this and continued trading?
WK:	The first thing we want to do is sort out the wages from November and December. THere's a good chance we'll be able to get hold of the money. In a few days we'll know the budget for the coming year. THe Radom City President, Andrzej Kosztowniak, has promised us financial help on the same level that the city has provided in the past. It's a situation is difficult but let's not make it into a drama.
ED:	What will the coming days bring for Radomiak?
WK:	We're working non-stop. We're looking for sponsors who would support the club financially. Above all though we must wait for the decision of the court.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Needs Help

January 3rd, 2007

2010 should see Radomiak celebrating their centenary. However, with debts just shy of 3 million PLN, the board has petitioned for bankruptcy.

The board wants 80% of the debt to be written off and all interest payments to be frozen with the remaining 20% of the debt being paid off over three years. All this has been included by the board (which in reality consists of two members - Władysław Kot and Zbigniew Korcz) in the petition for bankruptcy.

Aside from the players Radomiak has no assets and even that is no great wealth and will not help in paying off the creditors. The clubs biggest problem will be paying the players and coaching staff, both present and future. Ex-manager Mieczysław Broniszewski is still owed 50,000 PLN and his assistant at Radomiak, Dariusz Janowski, a further 10,000.

The situation looks worse when viewed in terms of monies owed to players. Krzysztof Sadzawicki is owed 18,000 PLN, the two Lithuanians Grażvydas Mikulenas and Raimondas Vileniskis are also after their money and have lodged a complaint with UEFA. Radomiak should also hear from the PZPN Disciplinary Commitee within the next few days regarding payment of wages to Rafał Szwed.

There is also the situation of the current squad to consider who, despite being paid 200,000 to 300,000 PLN before Christmas, are still owed a significant amount.

The current squad have obviously heard about the bankruptcy petition and they are nervous, feelings echoed by club captain and a product of the Radomiak youth program Zbigniew Wachowicz. "I'm very worried by the whole thing. It's obvious tha the financial situation is dire. Whilst we're looking forward to meeting up for training next week we're also looking forward to meeting with the board which should enlighten us as to the specifics. Maybe we'll have to look for new clubs.

Radomiak have signed a few new players in the winter break including Marcin Trzaskalski from Wigry Suwałki, Robert Stawiarski from MG MZKS Kozienice and Maciej Lesisz who is back from a loan spell at ŁKS Łomża and Grzegorz Wawreńczuk from Motob Kąty Wrocławskie. Will these players be coming after all? The answer, according to Władysław Kot is yes or more precisely "yes, no worries on that score". It is likely that wages will be paid directly from sponsorship money, advertising revenue, donations and private investors as well as ticket sales.

Source: radomiak.info

The Road To Bankruptcy

January 3rd, 2007

Radomiaks board will remain in contro lfor just over a month and, at the extraordinary meeting on 9th February they will resign their positions.

Things at Struga have not been so serious for a long time. As reported previously Radomiak has petitioned for bankruptcy due to debts of around 2.7 million PLN. Vice president Zbigniew Korcz yesterday argued that the boards hand had been forced by, amongst other things, the ever increasing avelanche of debt caused by interest payments and additional outgoings. "In this situation, where the debt has reached such gigantic proportions, it is the only thing to be done" said the boards legal advisor Jan Olszewski.

Olszewski was also able to answer questions regarding the consequences of what is fast turning into the clubs darkest hour. Should the club and their creditors, the biggest of whom are the treasury and ZUS, notbe able to reach an agreement the next step will be bankruptcy. A receiver would then be put in charge of the running of the club and would put in a plan to get it back on its feet. Olszewski was blunt in his assessment - "Unfortunately such a situation does not rule out the liquidation of the club". He emphasised though that all possible means of getting the club through would be examined - "Everyone who is in a position to help Radomiak must do everything they can to save a club known throughout Poland".

Korcz informed those present that the board would tender its resignation at the meeting in February and club members would then vote as to whether to accept it or not.

Fans should be heartened by the fact that the trouble the club is in will not result in relegation or a points deduction as has been suggested by cetain individuals. At least not for the time being. "We will get together with the players on 8th January for training and get ready for the spring round" says Greens assistant manager Arkadiusz Skonieczny.

Source: radomiak.info

Szymkowiak Retires

January 2nd, 2007

Mirosław Szymkowiak has written to Trabzonspor informing them of his retirement from football. According to his agent it's a serious decision and not "part of some game".

"I won't be commenting on the situation for now" was Szymkowiaks only reaction to questions over his future. The 30 year old will hold a press conference within the next fortnight.

"This decision has been coming since the World Cup. As far as I'm concerned it's final" said Szymkowiaks agent Grzegorz Bednarz. During autumn the ex-international did not hide the malaise he felt at Trabzonspor. When he moved to Turkey two years ago the club were battling for the Championship, now they're facing relegation. "There have been a few changes in management and from that squad the only regulars still here are Gokdeniz Karadeniz, Ibahima Yattara (who is currently injured) and myself. Every six months we lose five players and five are brought in so it's not surprising that we're playing worse and worse" says Szymkowiak. "Our style of play is to kick the ball from defence to attack. Sometimes I have to bend down so I don't get whacked in the head. There's been games where I've gone half an hour without touching the ball."

the Pole has recently been linked with a number of clubs. Galatasaray wanted to buy the Pole for 1 million dollars. Last week Korona Kielce had an offer turned down. According to Szymkowiaks agent Trabzonspor did not want to let him leave - "I spoke to club officials but got nowhere. They don't want to let him go. I thought that if I succeeded in persuading them Mirek would reconsider his retirement."

Any sane person would look at the situation and think that perhaps Szymkowiak is making a play to try to force Trabzonspor into releasing him. Not according to his agent - "Not at all. I know people might think that but that is not why Szymkowiak is doing this. You will learn all about his reasons at the press conference.

The reaction from Trabzonspor is one of consternation. "He was supposed to be here for training but he hasn't turned up. We can't contact him. We're worried. We don't know what to do, how to reply to his letter" says Trabzonspor vice president Hasim Sayitoglu. Szymkowiaks contract runs 'til June 2008. Trabzonspor will most likely refer the matter to FIFA and Szymkowiak will most likely face a two year ban.

Szymkowiak has been in Poland for the last few days where he is having a few health problems looked into. "I've got a consultation with the doctor soon and I should know whether or not I need an operation but I'd rather not talk about it" says Szymkowiak.

The player is also said to be lonely and homesick in Turkey as he only sees his family a few days at a time. "Most of our time is spent on training camps. When we have a home game on a Saturday we have to report to the camp on Friday morning and spend most of the time bored in our rooms. When we're away from home we sometimes spend up to a week and a half away.

Paweł Brożek sees Szymkowiak as an ideal signing - "If it were down to me I would get him back to Wisła. I would prefer "Szymek" to five new players".

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Matusiak 'One To Watch In 2007'

January 2nd, 2007

Radosław Matusiak has been named by UEFA as the Polish player to look out for in 2007. The paragraph below is taken from the uefa website.

Radosław Matusiak (GKS Bełchatów). Having made little impression in previous spells at LKS Łódz, Wisła Plock and KS Szczakowianka Jaworzno, the 24-year-old came into his own this autumn with his pace, skill, intelligence and aerial ability helping Orest Lenczyk's unheralded Bełchatów top the Ekstraklasa. Three goals in five international games since making his debut in September will see a number of foreign clubs vying to secure his signature when the transfer window opens.

To read the article in all it's glory have a browse over to the UEFA website and click on the 'uefa.com's ones to watch in 2007' articles.

Source: UEFA Website

Bankruptcy Radomiaks only Chance?

December 30th, 2006

There's good news and bad news for Radomiak fans today. The bad - the board filed for bankruptcy in court. The good - they were incompetent enough to fill out the papers incorrectly and the court denied the request.

The president Władysław Kot and board member Zbigniew Korcz filed for bankruptcy on 15th December in secret. They petitioned for the bankruptcy of the club with the provision that it could carry on trading (the Polish equivalent of administration or a CVA I suppose). The court rejected the petition on the grounds that its authors had not fulfilled all the formal requirements, the main bone of contention being that they did not include a statement of truth.

It seems that the amended documentation will be filed again according to Kot and Korcz - "The conditions for bankruptcy have been fulfilled as the club has become insolvent and that insovency is long term because we have not been able to meet our financial commitments for over a year now, most notably to the government."

The authors of the petition note that the property of the debtor do not amount to any value and that the debt "obviously does not look like being repayable". The biggest creditor is the governement due to the club having not paid around 1.8 million PLN in VAT and tax. The documentation also shows that the net loss in 2005 was 334,100 PLN and it will be around 522,400 PLN by the end of this year. The wage bill is 411,800 PLN and Radomiak owes a further 400,000 PLN to other creditors.

The Radomiak board warns that the dismissal of the petition could "lay open the creditors to damage". They add that additional money could become available from sponsorship rights, advertising, subsidies, grants, investment by private individuals and matchday income. They propose the following conditions for an agreement with the creditors:

-	A reduction of all debts by 80%
-	A freeze on interest payments
-	Deferment of payments for 12 months from the date of a legal decision as to the assets of the club
-	RKS will make 24 equal payments of just over 100,000 PLN
-	12 other payments to repay the remaining creditors

President Kot did not want to discuss the bankrupcy with us - "I will not comment on the matter until after I meet with [the Radom city] president which will happen in the New Year." Radomiak among radomiaks debtors are the the community and its subsiduaries ZUK, MZDiK, MPK, WodociągóRadpecu, MOSiR.

The city President, Andrzej Kosztowniak wants to make a deal - "The city undoubtedly needs the club. We have to decide in what way the city should try to offer assistance. Radomiak has had help from the city up to now and I think that the situation that they find themselves in is, in part, due to the support we have given them. I am worried that this sort of giving monay to them leads to their being wasteful. Radomiak themselves must realise that they need people who are knowledgable in the area of business management, not politics."

According to the president the bankruptcy of the club is the best way out of the current financial situation but it would be a "loss of history". Radomiak was founded in 1910. "I will meet with the club president and get some details of the financial situation".

Fans Group "Tylko Radomiak"

We're surprised by this but at the same time we know from our own experiences that the financial/organizational situation which has been in place at the club for a few years could not go on forever. We have for some time now been making public our worries with regards to the future of the club given the organasational and financial situation. Petitioning for bankruptcy and the eventual write-off of Radomiaks debts seems to be the only reasonable way of making sure that the atmosphere around the club becomes clean and it can move on to function as a well run and prosperous enterprise. However, radomiak must become a fully professional club run by committed creative people with experience of such businesses. We hope also that the new city council will help in building a solid financial base for Radomiak

Source: radomiak.info

Wrocław Prosecutors Office To Speak To Bą

December 29th, 2006

Multi-capped Polish international Jacek Bąk will be interviewed by Wrocław Prosecutors Office which is currently looking into allegations of corruption surrounding the European Championship qualifying match between Poland and Belgium.

After the game in November Bąk revealed that he had recieved an anonymous phone call offering him 10000 Euro if he gave away a penalty. The defender rejected the offer and the game finished with a win for Poland.

"We're making preliminary inquiries which will determine whether or not we will continue our investigations. We must decide two things. Firstly, whether a crime has been committed. Secondly, whether the Polish prosecutor will be able to undertake any action. We will then decide whether or not we will continue with the investigation or not." said the media officer of the regional prosecutor in Wrocław, Leszek Karpina.

Karpina added that as the incident occurred in Belgium it fell within the Belgian authorities jurisdiction. He also confirmed that Jacek Bąk, currently plying his trade in Qatar, will be called in for an interview and the distance is not a problem - "Nowadays it's easy to travel across the globe. I think that we should be able to get his version of events soon".

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Matusiak Among The Elite

December 28th, 2006

The Spanish daily Marca has published a list of the top 9 players that teams in the Primera Division should be taking a look at in the New Year. Among those named is the GKS Bełchatów and Poland forward Radosław Matusiak. Marca noted that Matusiak is the biggest star at the current Polish league leaders and that his excellent play has seen him called up to international level. Matusiak is described as "a centre forward with a good shot".

That list in full:

	Player	Age	Country	Club
1.	Ismael Bangoura	21	Guinea	Le Mans
2.	Afonso Alves	25	Brasil	Heerenveens
3.	Nani	20	Portugal	Sporting Lisbon
4.	Władimir Bystrow	22	Russia	Spartak Moscow
5.	Per Ciljan Skjelbred	19	Norway	Rosenborg Trondheim
6.	Aleksiej Jeremienko	23	Finland	Saturn Ramieńskoje
7.	Gustavo Nery Castillo	22	Uruguay	Olympiakos Pireus
8.	John Carew	27	Norway	Olympique Lyon
9.	Radosław Matusiak	24	Poland	BOT GKS Bełchatów

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Szymkowiak: I Need A Move

December 27th, 2006

Mirosław Szymkowiak spoke to Michał Białoński.

MB: It's not been going well in Turkey for you just recently. You've lost your place in the Trabzonspor side, the team is on a losing streak and you're closer to relegation than you are to European Cups.

MS: The club is not a happy place at the moment. It's always like that in turkey. After a win the players are heroes but after a loss the fans are capable of chucking a few stones. You can't show your face in town for fear of being lynched. Days take the form of Home - car - club, the emphasis recently has been on the club part - we spend all day there every day, not just when we have two training sessions. If training starts at 7pm we have to be there at midday. Lunch is at 1pm followed by four hours of relaxation. I don't know about the other lads but I'm going a bit mad. We had a word with the coaching staff about it but didn't get anywhere. The latest idea is that players without wives and families should spend the whole 6 months in barracks. When I heard that I thought to myself "No way! I'm not going into barracks". I think a change of scenary would do me a world of good.

MB: After leaving Wisła everything seemed to be going well.

MS: Yes but that was nearly two years ago. The eight months following my move were fantastic, I was born again as a player, I was scoring goal after goal. Then I had an ankle injury and the problems started. I suppose it could be due to the ever changing management here, it's nearly as bad as it was at Wisła. I'm working with my fifth manager.

MB: Wisła are still having trouble replacing you, finding another playmaker.

MS: I keep track of whats going on at Wisła. Apart from Paulista, who plays on the wing, Wisła are recruiting strictly defensive players. It's not a surprise that play then doesn't fall into place. They're lacking creativity in the middle. In order to play the ball from midfield Paweł Brożek and Paulista have to drop back and that means they're short up-front. With Kasperczak we always had two forards, decent wingers and then there was me to play the ball to the lads so it was more difficult to hold us. I think that to score goals you need to play with two up-front.

MB: What's the situation with the national side? You were dropped after the Finland game

MS: There's no point in kidding myself. If I want to get back into the squad and I do, then I'll have to work on my form and start to get games again. Regardless of whether I get a recall or not I will always support the national side.

MB: You're a target for a number of Polish clubs, Wisła and Widzew amongst others

MS: Let's be realistic, Polish clubs can't afford anyone in the Turkish league. Unfortunately, a move for me would involve cash. In Turkey they operate at a significantly higher financial level than in Poland. In Poland you're happy when you get 1 million Euro for a player and the record is the 3 million paid for Maciej Żurawski. Trabzonspor sold Fatiha Tekke to Zenit Sankt Petersburg for 8 million Euro. A 29 year old! Fenerbahce has a budget of 100 million Euro and can afford 12 million Euro for Lugano Moreno.

MB: Is Tekke the one who had his car shot-up by the Turkish mafia?

MS: Yes, 6 months ago. There were problems with the mafia but it's calmed down now. Trabzon is a normal sort of a town but the fans are a tad too fanatical, but that's normal in this part of the world. The Greeks and the Cypriots are the same.

MB: So you're going to stick on the bench at Trabzonspor?

MS: I'm hopeful that I'll move in January. If I move to another Turkish club then the only option is Antalyaspor. There's a little Polonia there already [Jarosław Bieniuk and Piotr Dziewicki] so it'll be a bit of a happier place there.

MB: Have you learnt the Turkish language and customs?

MS: I speak only a bit of Turkish. I get a lot of help in everyday tasks from a female Polish friend of mine who lives in Trabzon with her husband. The morning calls to prayer stopped bothering me a long time ago. In Trabzon it's difficult to see a waoman who is not covered up from head to toe but other Turkish cities, like Antalya and Stambul, seem to be becoming more European.

Robert Trznadel Loaned to Siena

December 27th, 2006

Polish U17 international Robert Trznadel has been loaned out to Siena from the Górnik Zabrze youth side. The deal will last until June and will, according to the players agent, give the Italian club, currently lying 12th in Serie A, a chance to have a close look at the youngster and possibly make the move permenant in the summer.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Kowalski at Radomiak; Kowalczyk At Szydłowian

December 27th, 2006

Grzegorz Kowalski has become the latest player to join Radomiak in the winter break. The 20 year old has signed from Szydłowianka Szydłowiec with Michał Kowalczyk has gone in the opposite direction.

Kowalski spent a time on trial with the club from Struga before the start of the season but did not find favour with the manager at the time, Witold Mroziewski.

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Błażej To Odra?

December 24th, 2006

Midfielder Artur Błażejewski is being courted by League II Odra Opole. His contract with Radomiak expires on 31st December. Władysław Kot is willing to let the player leave - "If he wants to play in Opole then we're not going to try to force him to stay here".

Grzegorz Kowalski is likely to sign for Radomiak within the next few days. The midfielder will be joining from Szydłowianka Szydłowiec.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Robert W. Freed On Bail

December 22nd, 2006

The regional court in Wrocław has not detained Robert W. the Ekstraklasa referee from Warsaw according to the court press officer Dominik Flunt who went on to list the restrictions placed on the referee. "Robert W. must pay 20000 zł bail, he has been placed under the care of the police, he must not leave the country and to this end we have taken his passport.

Dolnośląsk police detained Robert W. in Warsaw on Wednesday. They also arrested League II referee Robert S. in Górny Sląsk and both men were transfered to Wrocław for questioning.

Wrocław police have now arrested over 50 people in relation to their investigation of corruption in Polish football.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Polish PLayers Staying Home

December 22nd, 2006

There is a tradition in recent years of Polands best players moving abroad to play in leagues all around Europe but the rising stars of Leo Beenhakkers current squad seem to be bucking this trend, preferring instead to ply their trade in the Polish Ekstraklasa.

The end of last season saw all the big stars of the Orange Ekstraklasa leaving - Golden Boot winner Grzegorz Piechna to Torpedo Moscow, Ireneusz Jeleń to Auxerre. Nowadays no one is quite as keen to leave despite the apparent explosion of talented players in Polish football. The players currently most in demand are Grzegorz Bronowicki of Legii and Radosław Matusiak of BOT GKS Bełchatów who despite being relative unknowns at the start of spring had supporters and managers alike in raptures with their performances for the national squad.

Matusiak to Serie A?

The Legia defender is being courted by FC Lens, currently lying second in the French Ligue 1. Lens club scout Joachim Marx does not hide their interest "He's a favourite of ours, out number one". Legia have put a price of 1 million euros on Bronowicki and it would allow them to keep hold of Łukasz Fabiański who had been tipped for a move to Glasgow Celtic.

Paweł Brożek,23, was once the bright youn thing in Polish football and it seems that he may finally be maturing into an excellent player. He is currently top scorer in Ekstraklasa, having netted 10 times in 18 outings. He has a concrete offer, also from a French Ligue 1 side, Nancy. He is currently thinking over the move but is known to be doubtful about moving abroad at such an early stage in his career.

Another target for sides outside the Ekstraklasa is Radosław Matusiak who was watched by scouts from England, Italy and France in Legias cup game against Bełchatów. Matusiak has said that it will take an amazing offer to tempt him away from the Polish league but says he will not leave Bełchatów for any other side in Poland. "I have a number of offers and there are more coming in all the time" says Matusiak who has just returned from a break in the Maldives. "Even though I was on holiday I was still being contacted by western clubs. People in Italy seem to be interested. It's possible that I could play in Serie B, maybe even Serie A.

Matusiak did not want to divulge which club had made an offer but he added that whilst it is not a club in the elite they have experience in european cups and up to now has not been a club to fill their team with foreigners. Italian journalists did not want to talk to us with regards to the identity of the club as they are currently on strike.

Matusiak: - "They are willing to pay quite a bit over 1 million Euros for me. I have also been in touch with a team in England which has offered me excellent wages but who are not willing to match the transfer fee. I will be meeting with the GKS president before Christmas and everything will become clearer. I need to know what plans GKS have in terms of transfers and get an idea of what we'll be able to achieve in the spring round. It is possible that I could sign with another club but stay at Bełchtów 'til the end of the season and fight for the Polish Championship.

GKS are already looking for Matusiaks replacement. One real candidate is Chmiest of Odra Wodzisław who was at GKS a year and a half ago but did not want to sign a new contract. "I can stay in POland but I also have some interesting possibilities abroad. The most concrete are in Russia and Portugal. In POland I really do have a few choices - GKS, Arka Gdynia, Zagłębie Lubin, Wisła Kraków. At th moment I'm probably closest to Bełchatów and Zagłębie.

Argentinian in Poland

One of the few foreigners coming to play in Poland (apart from the apparent lure of Pogoń Szczecin to lads on the Copacobana) is Adam Czerkas who is returning to Korona Kielce. The 22 year old forward left the club in the summer on a year long loan to Queen's Park Rangers with the option of a permenant move. He managed only three games whilst there and is QPR have let him leave.

Arka Gdynia have signed Ricardo Hernan Wisniewski, an Argentinian with a Polish passport. He is a 25 year old midfielder who can play up front and has experience in the Venezualan top flight and League II in Argentina.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Arka and Górnik Relegated?

December 22nd, 2006

The futures of Arka Gdynia, Górnik Łęczna and Zagłębie Lubin are currently being decided by the PZPN. . Ważą się losy trzech klubów związanych z aferą korupcyjną. It seems likely that Arka and Górnik will be relegated whilst Zagłębie will start next season on minus 20 points.

"If this is true then it is scandalous" says Jan Tomaszewski. "I've heard that they've decided to relegate Łęczna and Arka, a ll to save Zagłębie. What's this supposed to be? Are they swindling us even in punishing the swindlers? Zagłębie is the first club, it is soaked in corruption to it's very roots."

"First off there is absolution 'til 27th February. Anyone who has something to say about this matter can contact us and they will not fancy any sanctions" assures Krzysztof Malinowski the Head of disciplne at PZPN. "The PZPN is getting a stream of information from the prosecutor in Wrocław. When we have all the facts we will take some radical decision" added Malinowskis deputy Jacek Kryszczuk.

Source: Sportowe Fakty

Wawreńczuk and Stawiarski Sign

December 22nd, 2006

After saying yesterday that Grzegorz Wawreńczuk and Robert Stawiarski would not put pen to paper there was only one thing that could happen - they have officially signed for Radomiak. Both signed on for a year and a half. Originally all parties were happy to complete the formalities in the New Year but they showed up at Struga on Thursday and everything was completed. "We made the best of their presence and can at last officially announce that, alongside Macieja Lesisza and Marcin Trzaskalski, Wawreńczuk and Stawiarski will be playing for Radomiak in the spring" says Władysław Kot.

Manager Józef Antoniak couldn't be happier - "Theses are good signings. Wawreńczuk was an excellent striker during his trial spell and I don't think I need to tell anyone about Stawiarski - he's a solid 'keeper."

Source: radomiak.info

"Hairdresser" Still In Custody

December 21st, 2006

The prosecutors office in Wrocław today charged two referees with being part of an organised criminal gang and fixing the results of football matches. Both men are currently being interviewed. The main figure in the current corruption scandal, Ryszard F. aka "The Hairdresser" will spend another three months behind bars.

"Robert W. has been charged with being part of an organised criminal gang as well as five matters relating to corruption. Each charge relates to one game. Robert S. has similar charges against him - membership of an organised criminal gang and five matters relating to corruption. The latters charges pertain to different games" says Leszek Karpina, a spokesperson for the county prosecutors office.

Karpina did not rule out an application to hold the referees in custody temporarily being made. This will most likely depend upon the results of ongoing interviews.

Wrocław police have now detained 51 people in relation to corruption within Polish football including referees, club employees, club presidents and players.

The most serious charges are levelled against Ryszard F., the "Hairdresser". According to the Wrocław prosecutor F. was the head of a criminal gang which fixed the results of league games from 2000 onwards. From 2000 to 2003 F. enticed others into corruption, acted as a go-between in corrupt transactions and personally handed over bribes to a number of people including referees and official PZPN (Polish FA) observers. In this way he influenced the outcome of tens of games in the I, II and II divisions.

The Wrocław County Court today decided to extend Fs detention by a further three months.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Smuda Vindicated?

December 21st, 2006

There have been discussions on referee Robert W. for some time in Polish football. The general consensus seemed to be that he is either extremely incompetant or extremely corrupt. Wednesdays events seem to indicate that the latter idea has its basis in fact.

The Warsaw based League I referee was detained by Dolnoœl¹skie police. Also aprehended by the same force was League ref Robert S. from Zabrze. According to Beata Tobiasz, a spokeswoman for the Wroc³aw Constabulary, "Both were very surprised by their arrest."

Franciszek Smuda, manager at League one Lech Poznan, feels vindicated. "Now everyone will look at all this differently and see that something was not as it should have been". Smuda publicly criticised Robert W. after his side lost to Cracovia Kraków in August, calling him a "rascal" and saying that he should be "taken to Wroc³aw and put behind bars right now". The game finished 4 - 3 to Cracovia with Lech having had a goal disallowed.

Source: Sportowe Fakty

New Content

December 21st, 2006

I've added a new section to the site - Polish Footy. I aim to add odds and sods regarding the goings on in, yes you've guessed it, Polish football. It'll mainly be looking at the way the game is run, concentrating on the scandal of the day (which at the moment is corruption and the associated arrested players, managers, club officials, referees, tea-ladies, etc.) but will also bring you news of whatever I deem to be interesting from Polish league and international football.

Club President Meets City President

December 20th, 2006

According to Radomiak President, Władysław Kot, the main aim over the Christmas and New Year period is to stabilise the club financially. The fact that the Greens have not trained for two weeks does not mean that all is quite at struga. Józef Antoniak is busy discussing terms with a number of players he hopes to attract to the club for the spring round. Marcin Trzaskalski (Wigry Suwalki) and Maciej Lesisz (returning from a loan spell at ŁKS Łomża) have already put pen to paper. Two other transfer targets, Grzegorz Wawrenczuk (Motobi Katy Wroclawskie) and Robert Stawiarski (MG MZKS Kozienice) have agreed terms but are yet to sign on the dotted line. According to club president Władysław Kot there is nothing to worry about. "[Wawrenczuk] would have to travel 400km and so will come over for the first training session of the New Year and with [Stawiarski] we're waiting on Kozienice to provide all the relevant documentation.

whilst the fans are taking notice of transfer activity Kot is working hard behind the scenes to but the club on a sound financial footing. According to him the most pressing matter is to clarify the current financial situation. Kot met with the Radom authorities with this in mind - "We've had preliminary talks, a prelude to the club and the city working together" says Kot who presented the city council with an overview of the years finances. The council seem fairly upbeat about the whole thing - "We will analyse the accounts in more detail. regardless of the conclusions we come to we will not turn our backs on Radomiak and will do our utmost to find a solution to the clubs needs" says radom vice-president Ryszard Falek. He stressed that, as in previous years, the club will be able to reduce its media costs by making use of the council media division.

Preperations for the extraordinary meeting of club members in January are well under way. "The exact date has not been set yet but it's no secret that the meeting will lead to personnel changes within the club" says Kot.

Source: radomiak.info

Stawiarski And Wawreńczuk Radomiak Players

December 19th, 2006

Manager Józef Antoniak announced today on Radio Rekord that 26 year old 'keeper Robert Stawiarski (MG MZKS Kozienice) and Grzegorz Wawreńczuk Motobi Bystrzyca Kąty Wrocławskie) will be Radomiak players in the spring round.

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Squad Changes

December 19th, 2006

Adrian Sobczyński, fromerly of KSZO Ostrowiec, HEKO Czermno and Ruch Chorzów could be a Radomiak player in the Spring Round. The Greens current manager, Józef Antoniak, knows the player well as he coached him at both KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and HEKO. Atoniak is looking for a midfielder and Sobczyński seems the ideal solution. Negotiations between player and club are currently underway.

Whilst Radomiak seeks new blood, Radom players are looking for clubs. Dominika Dukalskiego wants a loan move to Mazowsze Grójec, Unia Janikowo zainteresowana are looking at 'keeper Tomasz Borkowski and defender Przemysław Michalski. Unia are also in talks with GKS BOT Bełchatów with a view to signing former Green Jakub Cieciura. Radomiak have already parted company with Adrian Sadowski, Tomasz Kotwica and Paweł Kaczmarek. Krzyszof Nykiel has also joined Ruch Chorzów.

Marcin Pacan has not been tempted by a move to Ekstraklasa side Wisła Płock - "I have offers from Wisła and other clubs but I will almost definately be staying at Radomiak for at least another 6 months@ says Pacan.

Source: radomiak.info

Frenkiel Wants His Money

December 19th, 2006

Ex-Radomiak Director of Sport Jerzy Frenkiel is owed money from his time at the club and, not altogether surprisingly, is asking for it.

According to Frenkiel Radomiak owes him 11,000 PLN. "Our bookkeeper is currently looking at the accounts and in a few days I will know how much the club owes the former director" says Radomiak president Władysław Kot.

This week Radomiaks board have been in Szydłowice discussing the transfer of Grzegorz Kowalski. "We haven't reached any agreement yet but it's not got to the stage where we've given up" says Jerzy Jurczak, Szydłowianki president.

Józef Antoniak in the meantime is talking to other players and agreements with MG MZKS Kozienice 'keeper Robert Stawiarski and Motobi Kąty Wrocławskie striker Grzegorz Wawreńczuk should be finalised before Christmas.

The planned meeting of members has been postponed until January, Władysław Kot saying that it would be prudent to meet with the new mayor of Radom Andrzej Kosztowniak first.

Source: radomiak.info

Warka Special In The Shops

December 14th, 2006

Warka apecial edition beer A limited edition of Warka beer branded with the Radomiak badge is now available in the Radom area. The Żywiec Group, owner of Warka Breweries announced th production of the limited edition bottles some time ago and they have been true to their word - "We will produce 150,000 650ml bottles in total. The bottles and their labels were designed to commemerate Radomiak reaching the quarter finals of the Polish Cup" says Eliza Panek of Żywiec Public Relations department. The labels carry the Radomiak logo whilst the packaging shows images of Radomia kplayers. Promotional material featuring Radomiak players will include banners and posters.

The beer will be available in shops around Radom and surrounding areas. "We want to get to the places with active Radomiak Fan Clubs, so, Iłża, Białobrzegi, Garbatki Letnisko, Pionki, Szydłowiec and Zwoleń" explains Panek.

"First and foremost we're happy when success is achieved on the pitch and secondly with our work with Warka" says Władysław Kot, Radomiak president.

Source: radomiak.info

25 Year Anniversary

December 13th, 2006

At around midnight on 13th December 1981 the militia and SB started to stop members of Solidarność. Telephone lines were cut and radio and television programs were taken off air. 100,000 militia members and soldiers were sent into "action". 1750 tanks entered the streets along with 1900 armoured vehicles. Officially martial law lasted 586 days but inreality its effects were felt until independence was achieved in 1989.

Let's take a good look at what's going on with our neighbours at the moment. The Cold War may be over but I would suggest that complete trust is put on hold for a time.

What's going on with Russia at the moment is making me a tad nervous. Banning all imports of Georgian and Moldovan wine on political grounds, banning all Polish meat imports to make a point, all this stuff with Litvinenko, the generally short life expectancy of anti-Kremlin journalists, the propensity for anti-Kremlin business people to end up in prison or on the floor with a couple of bullets in their head, the support of a dictatorial anti-Polish regime in Bialorussia, the strong arming of foreign investors in order to give Russian companies a stronger position in the energy market. It's like the cold war only more serious I think.

Radomiak End Training

December 6th, 2006

Today saw Radomiaks final training session of 2006. The players will return on 8th January but exactly who will be present is unknown as Józef Antoniak tries to strengthen the squad in the meantime. Present today and taking part in an indoor game was 17 year old defender Dominik Doliński of MG MZKS Kozienice obrońca Dominik Doliński. He seemed to impress Antoniak and they held talks with regard to him joining Radomiak after the session.

It should become clear in the next few days whether Grzegorz Kowalski (Szydłowianki Szydłowiec) and Grzegorz Wawreńczuk (Motoba Kąty Wrocławskie) will join the Greens. Antoniak is very hopeful - "We have agreed terms with both players. I think the formalities will be sorted before Christmas and we should be able to concentrate on training and playing in the team in the New Year.

Artur Lemanowicz of Mazowsza Płock will not be joining Radomiak but will instead be moving to the Ekstraklasa with Wisła Płock.

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Trzaskalski a Radomiak Player

December 5th, 2006

24 year ol Marcin Trzaskalski has signed a with Radomiak on a 2 1/2 year contract. According to the management Marcin is a good prospect for the future, similar in style to Tomasz Brzyski who has left Radomiak for Kolporter Korona Kielce. He can play either as an attacking midfielder or an out and out forward, he's quick and should be a useful addition to the squad.

Trzaskalski was nominated as the best Podlasie player and is seen by many as a player who would do well in Ekstraklasa. In a recent interview Trzaskalskigave his reasons for joining Radomiak "Radomiak will build a side which will be capable of fighting for points in higher divisions than League III. I will be playing in a side which, despite it's current league position, will be involved in the battle for promotion this season and I can't wait."

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Maciej Terlecki Fined

December 4th, 2006

According to Radio Rekord Maciej Terlecki has been given the maximum possible fine for his behaviour towards manager Arkadiusz Skonieczny during the friendly against Concordia Piotrków Trybunalski. After a rather ill-timed challenge Terlecki was sent from the pitch for two minutes by the referee which the player did not want to do. When Skonieczny tried to coax Terlecki from the pitch his efforts were met with a torrent of abuse.

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Delayed Update

November 25th, 2006

It's been a while since the last site update and quite a few things have happened at Radomiak. The last game of the season saw the Greens take all three points and ruin league leaders Znicz Pruszkóws unbeaten home record, the draw for the Polish Cup has seen Radomiak get a very interesting draw, things are getting interesting in terms of playing personnel and the battle for the presidency is hotting up. So, read on....

Beery Promotion

November 25th, 2006

Warka, which is produced by the Żywiec Brewery Group, are bringing out a limited edition of their lovely tipple featuring the Radomiak logo and a selection of players. UNfortunately (although probably quite sensibly in economic terms) this promotion will only run in the Radom region. Radomiak signed a sponsorship deal with the Żywiec Group in October which will hopefully see Radomiak benefit from significant financial backing. Warka will in return advertise at Struga and have free reign to use the Radomiak Radom logo in its promotions. Mariusz Borowiak, head of the Żywiec Group, is happy that the relationship between the club and the brewery has finally been formalised - "Due to the proximity of Radom to Warka where we have our brewery the club has always benefited from our help. I believe that the cooperation between Warka and RKS Radomiak will prove to be fruitful for the club".

Five Radomiak players, Zbigniew Wachowicz, Jacek Kacprzak, Przemyslaw Michalski, Marcin Pacan and Michal Kowalczyk spent a couple of hours with a team from an advertising agency from Poznań and they will be featured on bottles of Warka. Who says football isn't a business?

Source: radomiak.info

Transfer Movement

November 25th, 2006

The winter break looks like being an interesting and hectic period for Radomiak as they look to turn around what can only be described as a mediocre first half of the season. The list of players that are likely to be moving on/coming in makes for an interesting read.

Transfer Targets

Cezary Czpak (Górnik Łęczna), Maciej Lesisz (ŁKS Łomża), Marcin Sztobryn, Marcin Woźniak (KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski), Bartłomiej Madej (Orzeł Wierzbica), Łukasz Janik, Mateusz Jopek (Szydłowianka Szydłowiec), Bartłomiej Sieleski (Mazowsze Płock), Anatolij Ptasznik (Ukraina), Grzegorz Wawreńczuk (Motobi Kąty Wrocławskie).

Outgoing

Adrian Sadowski (contract cancelled), Krzysztof Nykiel (out of contract, most likely moving to Ruch Chorzów), Artur Błażejewski (out of contract), Tomasz Kotwica, Paweł Kaczmarek, Michał Kowalczyk (?).

Source: radomiak.info

Cup Quarter Finals In Spring

October 30th, 2006

The game against first place Znicz Pruszków will be the last game until the spring round. The reason is that the PZPN Fixtures division today announced that following negotiations with TV stations the Polish Cup will resume in the spring.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Held

October 29th, 2006


Radomiak	1 : 1	Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie
Pacan 11		Żuberek 44

In a game which can only really be described as tedious Radomiak yet again disappointed the Struga faithful, sharing the points with Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie.

The elation of Tuesday nights cup heroics failed to inspire Radomiak and although they did have the better of the game they failed once more to convert their chances (apart of course from the one in the 11th minute). the players showed again that they're a bit crap in front of goal. Seems that they can get themselves together for a stint of self promotion in the Polish Cup but the League isn't overly important.

Maciej Terlecki, scorer of the winning goal in Łódż, missed two glorious chances to give Radomiak a complement of points from this very winnable fixture. The first chance fell to the visitors in the 4th minute but Gałczyński was alert and saved well with his leg.

Radomiaks first real chance came in the 10th minute with Nykiel crossing for Kowalczyk who was beaten to the ball by a ruch defender. From the resulting corner Pacan managed to head the Greens into the lead. To be fair, after this there is not really much to report - a bog standard League III game with a little bit of battling thrown in.

Terlecki could and should have fired Radomiak ahead in the 43rd minute. A swift counter saw Terlecki playing the ball out onto the right to Dukalski who found him again 14 metres out only for yer want o hit the post. As has happened so often this season Radomiaks opponents moved straight back up to the other end and an unmarked Żuberek finished well from close range.

The second half went much the same way as the first - dull as ditchwater. Despite the mind-numbing normality there were chances for both sides. Maciej Terlecki again managed to miss an unmissable chance on 75 minutes. Barzyński laid the ball off for him and from 11 metres out he managed to send the ball sailing way over the bar. terlecki however was by no means the only Radomian who can be singled out for his lack of anything approaching the ability to finish (or even hit the target). Dukalski hoofed one particularly good chance over the bar after Kaczmareks free kick had found its way into the box.

Ruch could also have hit Radomiak hard on the break but again Gałczyński was up to the task and the game remained at 1 apiece.

Radomiak could easily have won this game but there was a distinct lack of will, fight and finishing.

So how does the future look? In the words of Ollie Williams and his Black-U-Weather Report.... "It gon rain". Thanks Ollie.

Stats

Radomiak		Ruch
5	Shots on Target	4
7	Shots off Target	6
21	Fouls	16
6	Corners	1
2	Offside	5
2	Yellow Cards	2
1	Red Cards	0

Attendance: 2000

Radomiak Radom: Gałczyński - Skórnicki, Pacan, Lewandowski, Nykiel - Błażejewski, Kacprzak (59' Barzyński), Terlecki, Walkiewicz - Dukalski, Kowalczyk (80' Kaczmarek)

Frescovita Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie: Ryłka - Jóźwiak, Bartkiewicz, Płóciennik, Jegliński - Żaglewski, Kułkiewicz (60' Kołodziejczyk), Papiernik, Iwanowski (51' Niedziela) - Gołębiewski (69' Jakuszewski), Żuberek (89 Popławski)

Referee: Rafał Sawicki (Tarnobrzeg)

Another Word On The Cup

October 29th, 2006

It's difficult to get back to normality after the greatest success in Radom football for 20 years. We can but hope that the high will last beyond the final whistle of the next league game....

Following the severe criticism recently heaped upon Radomiaks players their attitude in the game against the team currently second in the Ekstraklasa will have shocked even the most faithful of fans. Everything that has been so wrong so far this season was consigned to the past in 90 fantastic minutes on Tuesday night. The Greens showed that the skill and potential which for much of this season have laid dormant within them are outstanding when allowed to venture out in public. It's not a case of pampering the players or uttering false platitudes but of realising that they have it within themselves to play attractive and effective football against the best.

The side from Łódż did not underestimate Radomiak, nor did they disrespect them or see this game as being in anyway inconsequential. Far from it, progression in the cup would have seen them boost their income and have a chance of returning to the European stage next season. Make no mistake, ŁKS came into the game in full battle mode.

Defensively Radomiak were outstanding, showing that they can come away from 90 minutes of severe battle without harm. All guns were trained on Paweł Gałczyńskis goal, especially during the closing stages, and yet the backline was not breached. The midfield was also impressive and this in part was due to the defense. For once Maciaj Terlecki and Jacek Kacprzak were aided not only by the wide men but by their team mates behind them. Even Michał Kowalczyk who has recently struck a vein of form so bad that he has been ridiculed by fans and press alike on a regular basis, was able to raise his game to the level of his team mates. If someone had bothered to record the distance covered by Kowalczyk during the game at al. Unii (if anyone from OPTA is reading this there's a bit of gap in the Polish market at the mo - go for it) it is possible, nay highly likely, that it would come to a figure far higher than his total for the rest of the season so far. Kowalczyk was involved in one of the most interesting battles on the pitch that night - he was playing against Tomasz Hajto who as well as having played for Poland on many many occasions and won the G*rman cup with Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen is, well.... a bit tasty. He was not over-awed and acquitted himself fantastically well - more of this in the league please Michał.

According to ŁKS fans after the game Radomiaks play was streets ahead of that of Górnik Zabrze who the home side had beaten 2 - 0 in a league encounter the week before. So, again we see evidence that Radomiak at least matched ŁKS and it is even more difficult to put the result down to a bad day at the office for the Ekstraklasa side.

As much as anyone connected with radomiak would want the feeling to last, taking a look at the current situation in League III most likely has the effect of bringing them crashing back down to earth with a heavy (and probably rather painful) thud. The reason? There was one difference between the side which took the field on Tuesday night and the side which will face Freskovita Wysokie Mazowieckie on Sunday. Józef Antoniak will be forced to change his team and bring in two under 21 players as required by league rules. In Łódż they showed by their very absence that they are the weak link within Radomiak so, in terms of the league at least, it's probably likely to be more of the same....

The full list of sides through to the quarter finals is: Radomiak, Kolporter Korona Kielce, Lech Poznań, Wisła Płock, Arka Gdynia, Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski, the winners of Wisła Kraków - Ruch Chorzów andthe winners of Cracovia Kraków - Zagłębie Lubin.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Radomiak- Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie Preview

October 28th, 2006

Following Radomiaks emotion filled exploits in the cup during the week the weekend sees the return of the grey reality of life in League III. Sunday sees the Greens take on Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie. This will be the penultimate game played at struga this year, with only a cup quarter final game to be played at home before the winter break.

Although the game in Łódż provided an excellent boost to Radomiak fans falling expectations it could be argued that this league encounter is make or break for Radomiaks season. The rules governing the use of youngsters do not apply to games in the Polish Cup so there will be enforced changes ahead of Sundays showdown. The Greens current home record is also something of a worry this season and when considered along with the facts that Ruch is a team full of experience and that RKS players will undoubtedly feel the effects of their midweek exertions it is sure to be a nerve wracking day for fans of the Greens. With players such as Dzidosław Żuberek, who has played at Old Trafford and Stadion Louis II in Monaco, within their ranks Ruch are hardly likely to freeze in front of a crowd at Struga 63.

Current Form

In League III terms Ruch are backed very well by their sponsors and their players enjoy reletive luxury for this level of the Polish game and there is no talk of players going unpaid as at other League III clubs. It's likely that the budget at the club from Wysokie is the largest in this group. Things are not all rosy in the Ruch garden however and a club which should, with its backers, be advancing out of this division continues to under perform and fulfill the role of comfortable mid-table mediocrity. If you listen to the good folk of Wysokie they wil tell you that this is down to the powers that be at the club having little idea about football. The board seem to want to be involved in picking the team, creating conflicts within the club and seeing to it that Ruch is probably second only to Atletico Madrid under Jesus Gil in terms of managerial turnover. It could also be argued that the big wages have seen the players concentrate more on saving for retirement than looking for promotion - after all why spoil a good thing by going from being a certain pick every week on good money in League III to being a fringe player on reduced wages a division higher?

Ruch currently lie in sixth place in the league, having won 6, drawn 3 and lost 4 of their 13 game3s so far. A certain amount of optimism for Radomiak can be taken from Ruch marked indifference away from home - 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats. Last week saw Ruch emerge victorious against Olimpią Elbląg following a last minute winner whilst the week before they lost to a goal in injury time to Concordia so it's probably not a good idea to leave 5 minutes early to beat the traffic on sunday.

Goalscoring Duo

The biggest threat in Ruchs side comes from the two strikers Gołębiewski and Żuberek. Marek Gołębiewski spent a year in radomiak colours and as with all players returning to one of their former stomping grounds he's likely to be more motivated than usual as was evidenced last season when Gołębiewski netted twice against Radomiak for Drwęca Nowe Miasto. Dzidosław Żuberek is well known for his cup exploits against Manchester United and AS Monaco and he currently has the best goals to games ratio in League III. "Grandad" as he is known only joined Wysokie in time for round 5 but seems to have settled extremely well.

Old Friends

There are a number of ex-Radomiak players in the Ruch side which will visit on Sunday. Among them is Paweł Iwanowski, a technically gifted player blighted by injury during his time at Struga.

Past Meetings

The two sides have not met often in the past, playing each other only twice before during the 2003/04 League II season when Ruch was called"Mlekovita" Wysokie Mazowieckie.

Season	Competition	Home	Away	Score
03/04	League III	Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie	Radomiak	2 : 3
03/04	League III	Radomiak	Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie	1 : 1

The Bookies

Home Win:	2.1
Away Win:	3.2
The draw:	2.9

source: radomiak.info

Price Drop

October 28th, 2006

Radomiak have decided to reduce the price of admission to Struga for the upcoming game against Freskovita Wysokie Mazowieckie on Sunday. Tickets will noe be priced at 5 zł. Club president Władysław Kot hopes that the proce drop will create greater interest within the public of Radom for Sundays game - "We're counting on the fact that after our Cup win against ŁKS our attendance for the next game will be significantly higher then it has been previously this season. We're not hiding the fact that we're trying to help the team - the fans can be our twelfth man. Hopefully this will be the case on Sunday."

Sunday also sees the final of the Zdzisława Łazarczyk Cup for under 13s which will take place at 12 o'clock between Radom OZPN and a side from Warsaw.

Source: radomiak.info

Warka new Radomiak Sponsor

October 27th, 2006

RKS Radomiak Chairman Władysław Kot and Żywiec Group representative Mariusz Borowiec put pen to paper on a new sponsorship deal yesterday. "I'm very happy to have signed this deal" says Kot. "The deal is for two years. A great hand has been played by the city authorities, especially president Zdzisław Marcinkowski who had talks with the Żywiec Group. I would also like to thank Andrzej Banasiewicz. I would like to assure everyone that the monies we recieve from this deal will be used judiciously and I promise the people of Radom that the profits will be invested wisely.

Mariusz Borowiec also made a (somewhat meandering and emotional) statement - "Radom is very close to the Warka brewery and we have always been behind Radomiak. We do not want this to change and indeed we would like to increase our support. We believe that football is an emotional sport and it should go hand in hand with an emotional product such as beer. We're happy that so many fans come to watch Radomiak and we're counting on the fact that the club will be playig in the Orange Ekstraklasa very soon. Even though they are not currently at the highest level Radomiak is still a very importanty club to the people of Radom. We have always been here. Thanks to this community we are the number five brewer in Poland and we are aiming higher. We are working together with the city authorities and the club. We want to continue working fruitfully with both for the coming years. We hope that this work will be beneficial for all parties especially to a club like Radomiak which will be striving higher and higher until it reaches the top of the Polish game."

No one in Radom is currently thinking about the Orange Ekstraklasa. The fans are hoping that the contract with Warka and the soon to be deal with Era will help the club move forward. "We are always happy when someone invests in our beloved club but a company like Warka can offer more than most. We hope that we are starting from a low level and at some stage the agreement will be renegotiated and Radomiak will profit even more from Warkas sponsorship. Radomiak has many fans and the deal will definately be beneficial to Warka" said Michał Surma the President of the Radomiak Fans Association "Tylko Radomiak" ("Only Radomiak").

Source: radomiak.info

Cup Sensation!!

October 26th, 2006

Radomiak have, for the first time in their history, advanced to the quarter finals of the Polish Cup. In a shock result in Ł?dż League II Radomiak overcame the team currentlyu second in the Ekstraklasa.


ŁKS Ł?dż	0 : 1	Radomiak
		Terlecki 44

ŁKS: Wyparło - Przybyszewski, Cerić, Hajto, Mysona (71. Kmiecik), Madej, Kłus Ż, Kowalski (46. Jikija Ż), Niżnik Ż, Kolendowicz (63. Kęska), Arifović

Radomiak: Gałczyński - Sk?rnicki, Lewandowski Ż, Michalski, Pacan, Wachowicz, Błażejewski (90. Kaczmarek), Kacprzak, Nykiel, Terlecki, Kowalczyk (89. Dukalski)

Referee: Krzysztof Słupik (Tarn?w)

Attendance: 3000

Ex ŁKS man Maciej Terlecki was the hero scoring the only goal in the 44th minute. "this is a fairytale for us. We were joking that we'll get a few extra games this season and we're happy that we could do this for Radomiak" says the Greens midfielder who got a hostile reception from the public in Ł?dż. "I didn't take much notice but it's a shame that people can't understand that a professional who gets an attractive offer from another club will take it for the good of his family as I did".

Ex-Polish international Tomasz Hajto who currently captains ŁKS was asked what he thought of Radomiak - "I am more concerned and surprised by our performance. We didn't play to our positions, we didn't run and we didn't fight" says Hajto.

Radomiak chairman Władysław Kot could not hide his delight "It's the first time we've got this far in the cup and it's fantastic". Manager J?zef Antoniak says he was certain that his charges would win - "Before the game I said we were not coming to Ł?dż just for a day out but to play our part in a cup upset. If we had taken two other good chances which we had we would have run out comfortable winners. Everyone deserves praise, I congratulate the lads excellent performance."

It has to be said that the praise is well deserved. Radomiaks back-line are especially worthy of many platitudes stifling ŁKS to the point where it is difficult to remember a single shot on goal from the Ł?dż side. Radomiak played the game predomenantly in their own half and looked for chances to hit on the counter. As it turns out the plan was well thought out and exquisitely executed. ŁKS attacked virtually non-stop in the second half but Hajtos crosses seemed to be anticipated with almost telepathic powers by the Greens defence and dealt with without many problems. The last 15 minutes saw ŁKS getting desperate and bombarding the Radomiak goal but they held out admirably and enter the quarter finals for the first time ever.

Source: radomiak.info

Mazowsze Gr?jec - Radomiak Radom 2:2

October 25th, 2006

Radomiak drew 2 a piece with local rivals Mazowsze Gr?jec. It could and indeed should have been better for the Greens had Adrian Sadowski not missed two seemingly nailled on chances in the closing minutes.


Mazowsze Gr?jec	0 : 0	Radomiak
Solecki 10, 57		Terlecki 40
		Kowalczyk 65

Mazowsze: Młodziński ? Kupiec A., Skrzypczak, Gnoiński, Centkowski, - Wiechowski, Danielewicz, Rosłaniec, Szary (90? Kupiec W.), - Kopeć, Solecki (75? Gajowniczek).

Radomiak: Gałczyński - Nykiel, Sk?rnicki, Pacan, Wachowicz - Błarzejewski, Kacprzak (86' Lewandowski), Terlecki, Walkiewicz (78' Kotwica) - Dukalski (64' Sadowski), Kowalczyk (86' Kaczmarek)

Referee: Daniel Stefański (Kujawsko-Pomorski ZPN)

Attendance: 1500

Fans Meet With New sponsor

October 19th, 2006

Yesterday saw two representatives of the Radomiak Supporters Group meet with employees of the Greens new sponsors the Żywiec Group responsible for the promotion of Warka Beer. Unforyunately it was not revealed the extent of Warkas financial commitment to Radomiak. What was revealed was that the agreement is initially for two years and the level of payments to the club is dependant upon the sales of Warka beer within Radom and the surrounding areas (Szydłowiec, Iłża, Zwoleń, Pionki, Garbatka, Białobrzegi).

The Supporters Group assured the Żywiec employees that sales would rise, they agreed, citing the example of Lech Poznan. Kolejorz fans actively promote Warka (whom they are also sponsored by), going so far as to visit shops in the area and make sure that they stock the product.

It was suggested that by way of "testing" Radomiak fans Warka release a specially labelled edition of the beer to mark the sponsorship deal. This was not, unfortunately, greeted with enthusiasm. There were concerns that this would not sell well.

Discussions of how the sponsor and the fans group would work together were also not overly productive, mainly due to the fast approaching winter break. The supporters group suggestion was that Warka fund the purchase of presents for the children at the childrens home on ul. Kolberga.

Although the sponsorship deal probably does not meet our initial requirements (during last months protests we were asking for a minimum of 50,000 PLN a month), the phrase "never look a gift-horse in the mouth" is rather apt and we cannot afford to turn this deal down. Instead we have to concentrate on showing Warka how much influence Radomiak have in the area and further afield and how many people identify with the club. Basically DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WARKA

If you want to let Warka and the Żywiec Group know how much you appreciate their sponsorship of Radomiak then email me here, think of it as an online petition sort of thing and I will pass whatever positive thoughts I get on to the relevant people (as soon as I fugure out who they are) with a bit of luck it may even enlighten them to the full potential of a partnership with the club. If you have a vaguely decent command of the Polish language then you can let them know that you're over the moon with their new sponsorship deal with Radomiak via their website - Warka Strong.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak - Mazowsze Match Preview

October 19th, 2006

A few years ago the most keenly awaited regional derby games would without without a doubt have been between Radomiak and Broń. However, given the current state of affairs down the road at ul. Narutowicza it's not really fair to compare the two clubs, such is the gulf in class :) so whop do we look to nowadays for those derby days? who's the club we love to hate? Could it be the game against Kozienice? It's a tricky question. One thing is certain - from a purely footballing point of view, the most prestigious game in the region will take place at Struga this Saturday.

It's not just that Radomiak and Mazowsze are the two best sporting clubs in the region, that they have the highest budgets or that they are highest in the regional football hierachy. There will be a certain amount of needle associated with Saturdays game due to the fact that both sides have more than their fair share of players once associated with their rivals. It's obvious that that in both teams there will be a number of players who will give that little bit extra and fight that little bit harder in order to stick it to their former employers which should make for a very interesting game.

ex-Radomiak at Mazowsze

Mazowsze currently have 6 ex-Greens in their team and they could gain yet another, former Radomian Gallardo, before Saturdays game. The most prominent ex-Radomian is Marcin Rosłaniec who was a firm fans favourite at Radomiak for many years, finishing top scorer during Radomiaks promotion season of 2002/03 (League 4 to League 3). Rosłaniec has had health problems recently, he collapsed during a pre-season friendly but seems to have recovered and is Mazowszes leading scorer this season having netted four times, a total that none of Radomiaks current "stars" can match.

Also within Mazowszes ranks is Łukasz Szary, brother of another Radomiak legend robert and holder of 21 Poland caps at youth level. Łukasz was unable to hold down a place in the first team at Struga, making only a handful of appearances as a teenager in the 2001/02 season. He joined Radomiak for a trial in pre-season but was not considered good enough to be offered a contract and signed for Mazowsze. Paweł Goryczka has an almost identical story to tell having left Radomiak at a young age to join Amica Wronki he played 32 games in Polands youth side and, at the start of this season, was unsuccessful in trials at Struga, signing instead for Gr?jec.

The list of ex-Radomiak players at Mazowsze is completed by the brothers Kupcow (Artur and Wojciech) and Łukasz Siciak.

ex-Mazowsze at Radomiak

When Witold Mroziewski became Radomiak manager in the summer, arriving from Mazowsze Gr?jec, the first thing he did was to cast an eye in the direction of his former club. He attempted to bring in six new players, namely Czpak, Szary, Danielewicz, Kowalski, Dukalski and Lewandowski. Cezary Czpak decided to join G?rnik Łęczna, Szary and Danielewicz stayed in Gr?jec, the rest became Radomiak men.

The plan was that Kowalczyk would be the ruthless finisher, Lewandowski the rock at the back and Dukalski the best youngster at the club. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men.... Mroziewski is no longer at Radomiak and for the ex-Gr?jec trio the game against their colleagues will be another (who knows possibly last) chance to shine and prove their worth. The manager J?zef Antoniak and his staff have created a list of all the players they feel are not performing to a suitable standard and there will most likely be around 6 players leaving during the winter break.

Stats

Similarly to radomiak Mazowsze have not lived up to expectations so far this season. They were hoping to be up amongst the leaders at this stage of the season but currently find themselves in 9th place. Again similarly to Radomiak, they are markedly better away from home - what effect this will have given the fact that they will be playing this "home" fixture at Struga I have no idea.

Season	Competition	Home	Away	Score
96/97	League 4	Radomiak	Mazowsze	0 : 1
96/97	League 4	Mazowsze	Radomiak	1 : 7
97/98	League 4	Mazowsze	Radomiak	3 : 2
97/98	League 4	Radomiak	Mazowsze	2 : 1
99/00	League 4	Mazowsze	Radomiak	1 : 0
99/00	League 4	Radomiak	Mazowsze	1 : 1
03/04	League 4	Mazowsze	Radomiak	1 : 2
03/04	League 4	Radomiak	Mazowsze	0 : 0

Source: radomiak.info

Kotwica Injury Free

October 18th, 2006

There were 23 fit players at training yesterday including Tomasz Kotwica who returned following a thigh strain.

The last home win was on 3rd September against Nadnarwianka Pułtusk and unrest is growing among the fans so the team has to start picking up points. "The players are working hard. We need to turn that work into good form for the last three autumn league fixtures" says assistant manager Arkadiusz Skonieczny.

Truth be told Radomiak are slowly improving as was evident in the last game against Pelikanem Łowicz which has provided hope that it is possible the remainaing games could bring 9 points to Struga. The one thing that is continually letting the side down however is the lack of goals. To this end the menegment seem to have decided on an attacking formation with five midfielders for the coming game against Mazowsze Gr?jec. Fingers crossed.

The only selection problem is picking the youth players that the league rules require. It is possible that Michał Walkiewicz will partner Maciej Terlecki and Jacek Kacprzak in the centre of midfield with Dominik Dukalski, who ends his ban for yellow cards, taking the other "youth" berth.

Defensively Radomiak look set to retain the 'keeper and back line that has seen them keep clean sheets in the last two league encounters.

Source: radomiak.info

Echo Dnia owned by Murdoch?

October 18th, 2006

The board at Radomiak were somewhat shocked by an article entitled "The Greens Have A Sponsor" which appeared in the Radom edition of "Echo Dnia" on 17th October. They have expressed surprise that the journalist who wrote the piece, Włodzimierz Łyżwa, included quotes allegedly made by the club president Władysław Kot. "No one from that paper has contacted me with relation to a sponsorship deal with the company named in the article. I do not understand the premise of the article" says Kot. In the meantime the board has made clear that details of the agreement with the Żywiec Group will be announced at a press conference which will is scheduled to occur sometime in the near future.

Source: radomiak.info

Home Disappointment....Again

October 17th, 2006

Radomiak could and should have got more from the game against unbeaten second placed Pelikan. The side from Łowicz came for a point and were successful. The only thing that the visitors were interested in was neutralising Radomiaks attacking potential (such as it is) and they showed no inclination for attack whatsoever.

Radomiak wanted all three points and from the start they were practicaly camped out in the visitors penalty area. Unfortunately, as has been the case way too often this season, the Greens forward line were incapable of converting the chances put in front of them. "never in my career have I seen such a game" says Michał Kowalczyk. "I'm desperate to end this goal drought and start to repay the trust that people have had in me. The worst thing is that time is running out."

Znicz Pruszk?w are increasing their lead at the top of the table - Radomiak are now 9 points adrift


Radomiak	0 : 0	Pelikan Łowicz

Radomiak: Gałczyński - Sk?rnicki, Pacan Ż, Lewandowski Ż, Wachowicz, Walkiewicz (89. Blank), Terlecki, Kacprzak (78. Barzyński), Nykiel, Kowalczyk, Sadowski.

Pelikan: Romanowski - Brz?zka, Czerbniak, Serocki, Znyk, Cipiński (49. Obłuski), Wilk Ż, J?źwiak, Wyszogrodzki, Kowalczyk, Pieprzyk.

Referee: Piotr Gajewski (Krak?w)

Source: radomiak.info

Drwęca - Radomiak 0:1

October 11th, 2006


Drweca Nowe Miasto Lubawski	0 : 1	Radomiak
		Kacprzak 47

Despite having only one shot on goal Radomiak managed to come away with all three points in this game between two of last seasons relegated League II sides and remain unbeaten on their travels.

Radomiak played fairly well in what was an evenly matched contest and a decent footballing spectacle and the win keeps them in touch with the leading pack in League II.

Paweł Gałczyński made his first appearance for over 500 days in the Radomiak goal after what manager J?zef Antoniak described as a long and hard think about the 'keeping position in the team and Gała did not disappoint.

The first half was poor with the referee the busiest person on the field as he struggled to control the two teams. The game was effectively decided in the 47th minute when Artur Błażejewski skipped past two men down the right, crossing into the box for Jacek Kacprzak to volley in from 10 metres out. "I managed to hit it cleanly and the next thing I knew I was watching it hit the back of the net" says Kacprzak.

The home side threw themselves into attack in order to salvage something from the game with ex Radomiak man Maciej Wojtaś looking particularly desperate to make an impact, hitting the post after a one-on-one with Gałczyński on 57 minutes. Radomiak should have made it 2 on 90 minutes when Michał Kowalczyk having been put through by Maciej Terlecki rounded the 'keeper and found himself in front of an open goal managed to somehow hit the side netting.

This week saw Maciej Lesisz, a product of the Radomiak youth academy, train with the Greens. Although currently an ŁKS Łomża player he is trying to get out of his contract in order to return to Radomiak.

Home Defeat

October 4th, 2006


Radomiak	0 : 2	Świt Nowy Dw?r Mazowiecki
		Bajera 13
		Bluszcz 32

Radomiak: Borkowski - Sikorski (55' Kotwica), Pacan, Sk?rnicki, Wachowicz - Błażejewski, Terlecki, Walkiewicz (46' Sadowski), Kaczmarek - Kowalczyk (75' Lewandowski), Nykiel (65' Barzyński)

Radomiak were forced to play in unfamiliar blue due to a clash of colours but this was the only unknown - the play, as has become the norm this season, was not good. The first ten minutes looked good and both Kowalczyk and Kaczmarek had decent chances. From the 13th minute onwards however it was all downhill.

Bajera, a forward of a calibre that Radomiak are crying out for, found himself in Van Basten territory nearly on the goal line and from an angle which seemed impossible curled the ball into the net. To be fair it was a bit of a fluke and even Bajeras himself looked shocked that he had found the net. The fans were looking for a concerted effort by Radomiak to get back to level terms but they were left disappointed. In truth there was no response at all from Radomiaks players. Świt were unlucky to add only one to their tally, a close range effort from Bluszcz in the 32nd minute. What Radomiak were doing at the time of the goal is anybodies guess but personally I'm going with cock all.

The second half was an even more traumatic period for Radomiak fans. It seemed that Radomiaks players were under the impression that it was they who were 2 up and not their opponents and they took the role of a team cruising and looking to save themselves for the next game. Despite really wishing that I could describe some of Radomiaks chances I can't - there simply weren't any. What I could do is describe a multitude of Batty-esque sideways balls, a plethora of backpasses, a host of misplaced balls, etc. I don't think I'll bother.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Radom - Unia Skierniewice 1:1 (0:1)

September 29th, 2006

Radomiak shared the points with Unia through Michał Kowalczyks 66th minute equaliser.

It's been over 28 months since Radomiak have managed to beat a team from the Ł?dż region. "How can we beat anyone when we're playing standing still and our opponents are creating more chances?" was J?zef Antoniaks rhetorical question to the media at the post-match press conference.

The application and fighting spirit which were evident in Tuesdays game against Odra Wodzisław Śląski in the cup offered a glimmer of hope that the Greens had finally started to playing to their potential and winning games at Struga. Unfortunately a side missing Jacek Kacprzak due to his ban and an injured Krzysztof Nykiel was not up to the task of taking all three points. The first half in particular was horrendous - Radomiak looking like a group of blokes who had met for the first time before the game. "It's time the players started fullfilling their obligations to this club" says Antoniak, "The fact that we were missing two players does not excuse such a pathetic performance."

Nearly all Radomiaks attempts to construct any sort of offensive action seemed to end up with shots from 30 or more metres out. When they did make it into their opponents area ex-Green Oamen James was having an excellent return to Struga, letting nothing and no-one past.

Antoniak showed his tactical nous in moving Artur Błażejewski from centre to right midfield after the break. The second half saw most of Radomiaks attacks coming down this flank and it was unfortunate that the "strike force" could convert only one of them. As if the performance had not been depressing enough Błażejewski and Dominik Dukalski both suffered what looked like serious injuries that could see them out for a lengthy period.


Radomiak	1 : 0	Unia Skierniewice
Kowalczyk 66'		Adamczyk 25

Radomiak: Borkowski - Sk?rnicki, Pacan, Michalski (74' Lewandowski), Wachowicz - Walkiewicz, Błażejewski, Terlecki, Barzyński - Kowalczyk (76' Kaczmarek), Sadowski (46' Dukalski)

Unia: Surlik - W?dkiewicz, Kapera, James, Marcin Adamczyk - Borowiec (61' Bawor), Gręda, Dopierała, Kowalski (83' Łojszczyk) - Adamczyk (73' Skoczylas), Jędrzejewski (63' Stach)

Referee: Mariusz Złotek (Gorzyce)

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Odra Report

September 20th, 2006

"At last we played as a team" says captain Zbigniew Wachowicz. As good a summation as I've heard. At last a performance for then whole thgat matched the sum of the parts and with it a good victory against a team from the Ekstraklasa.

It's been a long time since the fans at Struga accompanied the players from the pitch with such enthusiastic thanks. Most deserved it was - the players, for the first time in a very long time, deserved the plaudits. In stark contrast to their league outings so far this season thei performance was one full of character, fight and will to win. this, as it turned out, was enough to overcome Odra.

The first fifteen minutes did not bode well for Radomiak - at best a "backs against the wall" scenario seemed likely, at worst a drubbing at the hands of the side two divisions above. In the 22 minute however Krzysztof Nykiel, playng as a makeshift striker for the day, had Radomiaks first chance and with it seemed to give some sort of signal to his team mates. From then on it was difficult to tell which was the side from the lower leagues and which was a representative of the "elite" of Polish football. THe game itself was an excellent spectacle in no way dampened by the continually falling rain. Both goalmouths were almost constantly under threat but it seemed on the day that it was Radomiak who had their shooting boots with them. Krzysztof Pilarz, the visitors 'keeper, had a fantastic game but even he could do nothing to stop Terleckis 56th minute pile-driver. The only real threat to Radomiak was Marcin Radzewicz who although presented with a number of good chances seemed to prefer watching the ball fly over the bar than hit the back of the net.

Stats


Radomiak	1 : 0	Odra Wodzisław Śląski
Terlecki 56

Radomiak: Borkowski - Sk?rnicki Ż (68. Sadowski Ż), Pacan, Michalski, Wachowicz, Błażejewski, Kacprzak, Terlecki, Barzyński (82. Kaczmarek), Kowalczyk (89. Dukalski), Nykiel

Odra: Pilarz - Szymiczek (46. Chmiest), Kowalczyk, Dymkowski Ż, Szary, Radzewicz, Woś, Dudek, Muszalik, Biskup (46. Knapp), Zjawiński (85. Gmitrzuk)

Referee: Grzegorz Stęchły (Rzesz?w)

Radomiak		Odra
15	Shots	8
6	On Target	7
14	Fouls	17
3	Offside	6
8	Corners	7

Post Match Comments

Jacek Kacprzak (Radomiak midfielder):	It's not going especially well for either clubs in terms of their respective leagues. We're happy with a win against a team from a higher league. I have to admit that we went into the game seriously. The win will be useful as a confidence booster. We played a slightly different formation and I think that was justified...we won. What about my game... I'm an older player now, sometimes I lack strength but I think I can still help the team out.
Marcin Chmiest (Odra forward):	From what I can tell Radomiak were geed up by the fans and their support and they put in the best performance of this round. We didn't manage to prove that League 1 teams are better footballing sides and unfortunately we have to admit that we were not the best team
Marcin Bochenek (Odra manager):	I would like to congratulate Radomiak. I don't think they were the better side but they definately wanted it more. Unfortunately we're playing without any movement. Play and run, don't play and stand, that's the way it should be. We simply can't play like that - today we were punished. This is the third ricochet after which we've conceded. when the opposition shoot we turn out backs or take the shot sideways-on instead of getting a foot in and blocking.
J?zef Antoniak (Radomiak manager):	As a team we're unable to scare teams through our forwards because we do not have the personnel. That's why we played the way we did today. We were counting on scoring and then controlling the play. It worked. Well done to the players for their battling and their commitment - these have been lacking in recent times. I share Marcina Bochyneks point of view - to win in football you have to run and as a team we have to continue working at this. Todays game showed it. When the opposition was attacking we quite often lost our heads. Also there were a lot of inaccurate passes and because of these it's necessary to battle in order to win the ball back. To win you need that hunger and a little bit of luck and both were on our side today. We didn't play too badly. I' counting on the fact that this result will lead to the team performing better in the league.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak Through To Last Eight

September 19th, 2006

Radomiak will face either ŁKS Ł?dż or current Ekstraklasa leaders G?rnik Łęczna in the last eight of the Polish Cup following a 1 - 0 home win over Odra Wodzisław Sląski. Maciej Terleckis 56th minute goal was enough to give Radomiak victory against Ekstraklasa opposition and hopefully should serve as a confidence boost which will see a surge up the League III table


Radomiak	1 : 0	Odra Wodzisław Śląski
Terlecki 56

Source: 90minut.pl

Odra Preview

September 18th, 2006

Radomiak meet Ekstraklasa side Odra Wodzisław Sląski in the last 16 of the Polish Cup at Struga tomorrow. The winners will go on tomeet either ŁKS Ł?dź or G?rnik Łęczna in the last 8.

Odra are undoubtably favourite to progress despite their poor showing so far this season in the Ekstraklasa. Marcin Bochyneksside has one just once in seven outings, drawing three and losing the rest. They've managed 6 goals so far, conceding 11. Marcin Chmiest,leading scorer on 5 goals will have to be well marshalled if Radomiak are to gain anything from this cup tie.

It will be the first time this season that Radomiak will meet a 'superior' squad. It is likely though that Marcin Bochynek will give arun out to some players who have not featured so far this season whilst, in contrast it is the first time that Radomiak will be able toput out a full strength starting eleven as the rule governing a minimum number of youth teamers does not hold in the cup.

History tells us that the cup format brings upsets and hopefully Radomiak will be able to at least equal last seasons run to thelast eight which saw them beat G?rnik Zabrze and norrowly miss out against Lech Poznań.

According to the rules of the Polish Cup tomorrows game must produce a result and this should provide for an interesting spectacle.

Most pundits are predicting a win for Odra but Radomiak fans remain optimistic of a surprise. Which will it go? Who knows, I'm making nopredictions as they seem to be the kiss of death when it comes to Radomiak.

Probable Radomiak line-up: Borkowski - Nykiel, Sk?rnicki, Pacan, Wachowicz - Walkiewicz, Błażejewski, Terlecki, Kotwica - Sadowski, Barzyński

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Elbląg 1 Radomiak 1

September 16th, 2006

Radomiak took a point at "fortress Elbląg", Adrian Sadowski scoring what could turn out to be an incredibly important goal. A report on the game, which saw Widzicki and Ruszkal dismissed for the home team and Jacek Kacprzak for Radomiak, will follow at a later stage.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Elbląg Preview

September 15th, 2006

Radomiak left for their longest away journey of the season yesterday - a trip to Ebląg where they face Olimpia on Saturday. It will be tough - Olimpia have not dropped a single point on home turf since Round 11. So, the bar could hardly have been set higher for J?zef Antoniak who is set to take charge for the first time in 12 years. Elbląg is something of a fortres - one of the few grounds unsullied by defeat in League III this season. Their strength lies in two areas - there's their policy of recruiting young and gifted players but I like to think it's mainly down to their rather short and bumpy pitch which seems to be an opinion shared by Olimpia manager Andrzej Bianga - "Opponents have trouble adjusting to our pitch but let's be fair- it's the same for both sides. However, we seem to be able to adapt better so we fully deserve to go on collecting points as we have been so far." Now, whilst I congratulate Mr Bianga on his un-biased summation of the situation and his teams unbelievably magnificent 'adaptability' may I suggest that it may be down to the fact that his team is the home team which plays every home game on the sh*te pitch thereby they have most likely had longer than the 90 minutes a season that most visiting sides have to adapt. Langer.

Looking at the last few games and the sides respective positions in the table would seem to indicate that the team from Wiślane are slightly stronger. This is not the case according to Bianga who demonstrates a talent for mind games matched only by the mulleted muppet, Sir Kevin of Keegan: "Radomiak have the experience on their side. With the help of our supporters we will endevour to continue or run of wins at home. Every point we gain in this half of the season will be worth its weight in gold come the spring rounds".

Antoniak sees the game in Elbląg as a chance to further get to know his players and acquaint himself with their strengths and weaknesses - "The most important thing is that we have been able to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off after the defeat to Concordia. The boys have nothing to worry about outside of taking the field, showing charecter and battling from start to finish."

Source: radomiak.info

Broniszewski To Return?

September 13th, 2006

Source radomiak.info

After 12 years J?zef Antoniak, the man who led Radomiak to their one and only spell in the top flight, is back in charge at Struga.

This was confirmed in a statement from club director Andrzej Maszczyński - "Mr Antoniak, who is currently employed at the club in the capacity of Director of Sport, has agreed to take over as manager". Antoniak will lead his first training session today.

Yesterdays training was taken by Arkadiusz Skonieczny under difficult circumstanmes. with a trip to Olimpia Elbłąg at the weekend it is worrying that five players, Paweł Kaczmarek, Jacek Kacprzak, Mikołaj Sk?rnicki, Krzysztof Nykiel and Michał Walkiewicz. are currently out injured. the one bright spot was the return to light training of Tomasz Kotwica following a knee injury.

Despite the transfer window it is possible that Radomiak could sign the striker that they so desperately need (everything's possible in the world of Polish football). According to director Maszczynski Arkadiusz Klimek is waiting for a call. Klimek spent many years in the ekstraklasa with Stomil Olsztyn, Zagłębie Lubin and Wisła Płock. He last played for FBK Kaunas in Lithuania. Hie played 174 games in the ekstraklasa, netting 34 times.

Departing manager Witold Mroziewski will not be out of work for long - he will take up a post at either Wigry Suwałki or Freskovice Wysokie Mazowieckie within the next couple of days.

'I Hope I'm Wrong' - A Commentary By Grzegorz St&#

September 13th, 2006

Writing my preseason analysis of what was going on at Radomiak I came to the conclusion that despite the financial situation at the club being dire the squad itself was quite good. It has become clear to me that I was incorrect on the second point. the team does not possess a solid defence, they lack any sort of creativity in midfield and quite simply the strike force does not exist. What is worse is the lack of any influenece from Witold Mroziewski improving the quality of play. That is why it is quite right that the board has terminated his contract. He will most likely be succeeded by J?zef Antoniak. Will he be able to turn things around? I doubt it, but I would really like to be proved incorrect again.

The above is taken from an article by Grzegorz Stępien for the Radom edition of gazeta.pl

Pished Up At the Train Station

September 12th, 2006

Last week at around 4am an, as yet unknown, Radomiak player was found at the train station in a state of inebriation. He was in the company of two women and, it seems likely, another member of Radomiaks playing staff. (If I didn't know better I'd assume that we'd signed Frank McAvennie).

The Radomiak board are, for the moment, keeping the identity of the player out of the media - "Until we have spoken to him and he learns what we're accusing him of I cannot release his name into the public domain" says director Andrzej Maszczyński. He will almost certainly be fined around 3000 zł.

Although the player has not been named the website radomiak.com.pl has found out that he was not in the starting lineup on Sunday nor was he among the reserves.

Meanwhile the search for a manager continues and although J?zef Antoniak looks the most likely choice the board are interviewing other coaches, one of whom is rumoured to be Jerzy Engel Jr who took the club into League II via the play-offs in 2003/04. Engel Jr is currently at League II Polonia Warszawa.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Antoniak To Get The Job?

September 12th, 2006

Witold Mroziewski after just under five months in charge is no longer Radomiaks manager. It is possible that J?zef Antoniak could be the next man to take the helm at Struga.

Mroziewskis 'Radomiak adventure' began on 20th April. "I remember that when I came to Radomiak the sun was shining and it is similar as I'm leaving." says Mroziewski after meeting with the Radomiak board. Sundays defeat at home to Concordia Piotrk?w Trybunalski was undoubtedly the straw that broke the camels back - "I think we lost everything that we could have lost" says director Andrzej Maszczyński. Mroziewskis departure was, apparently, by 'mutual consent' - "I think that the board could not deal with the pressure and let their emotions take over. Their decision however is final. Despite everything, despite the results in the first part of the season, I know that Radomiak, Znicz Pruszk?w and Świt Nowy Dw?r Mazowiecki will be the ones fighting for promotion" says Mroziewski.

Mroziewskis successor, the fifth manager in 12 months, will most likely be one of the current directors J?zef Antoniak. "We've talked to a few managers but to be honest Antoniak leads the group" says the chairman Władysław Kot. Antoniak took Radomiak into the Ekstraklasa in 1984 and went on to manage Kozienice, G?rnik Łęczna, KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, RKS Radomsko and HEKO Czermno among others. He will make his decision today but it will only be on a short term deal. It is likely that the new manager will be given a target to reach during the coming games and this will decide whether or not he stays with the Greens.

source: radomiak.info

Source: radomiak.info

In The Words Of Hawksbee And Jacobs - Gooooone!

September 12th, 2006

Witold Mroziewskis reign as manager of Radomiak has come to an end. Yesterdays board meeting was concerned with sporting matters and more to the point the performance of the team over the first seven games of the season. The board listened to the opinions of a few specially invited guests, among them Witold Mroziewski. The board made it clear that the results so far this season have not been pleasing. The players had not been effective and had shown poor form, especially at Struga. This does not bode well for the fans of the club who have been expecting a speedy return to League II.

The club and Mroziewski seemed to part on good terms; the board thenked the manager for his work and he thanked them for the opportunity and their support.

Arkadiusz Skonieczny will take over first team affairs for the time being.

Radomiak 1 : Concordia 2

September 11th, 2006

"I coudn't even have dreamt of a win in Radom", was the view of Concordia captain Ireneusz Komar. "Football however throws up the odd miracle because, as you know we've come away with three points"

"In football the Better side wins" and "You have to make your own luck" were just a few of the views expressed in the sporting press following Radomiaks home defeat to Concordia. Radomiak showed yet again on Sunday that they do not have the ability to put a result beyond doubt. They must however be one of the top teams around when it comes to throwing away a lead, "The drama started in the 82nd minute when Adrian Sadowski missed an excellent opportunity to extend our lead", says manager Witold Mroziewski. "I thought the 'keeper would dive so I was trying to knock the ball over him but he stayed upright and out-waited me" says Sadowski.

It is necessary though to look beyond the last seven minutes of the game for it was not lost in this period alone. As in previous games this season the effective, aggressive football that the Greens fans are waiting to see was evident only in patches for what could not have been more then a few minutes throughout the game. The second half brought pleanty of chances for both sides but it was the visitors who played with greater aggression. "We didn't come to Radom to lose. We showed put in a battling performance and that's why we've come away with the points, not Radomiak", was Concordias managers take on events.

Todays board meeting will no doubt be a heated affair, especially if Andrzej Maszczyńskis (director) comments are anything to go by - "We'll definately come to some radical conclusions. At the moment we don't know whether or not we will thank Mr Mroziewski for his work and let him go or whether this will all end in fines"

Stats


Radomiak	1 : 2	Concordia Piotrk?w Trybunalski
Wachowicz (pen) 19		Komar 84
		G?rski 89

Radomiak: Borkowski - Nykiel, Sk?rnicki (86' Kowalczyk), Pacan, Wachowicz - Błażejewski, Kacprzak (51' Lewandowski), Terlecki, Barzyński - Dukalski, Sadowski

Source: radomiak.info

Site Move, Lack Of Updates, Part 2

September 4th, 2006

Ok, I think it's quite obvious that contrary to my post of 04.09 I have started to update this site again.

unfortunately the move to radomiak.info servers is going to take a little bit longer than originally planned so I shall attempt to keep this site up to date as much as possible. fixtures, results and the table should be updated sometime this week.

Cheers!

Site Move, Lack Of Updates

September 4th, 2006

First off, apologies for the lack of updates just recently. There is a good reason though - this site will be merged with radomiak.info. Hopefully this should provide a better user experience as we'll be able to show pictures from games along with video clips. I shall redirect this page to the new one as soon as it is ready.

Cheers.

Balls Were Kicked, Radomiak Still Lost

August 31st, 2006

A catastrophic error from goalkeeper Tomasz Borkowski was the turning point of this game. Why on earth he felt it prudent to race 20 metres (in the style of the vidiptinter on Grandstand that's 20 (TWENTY)) off his goal line is anyones guess but it was an invitation for Michał Pietrzaka to lob him which he did wit aplomb.

At the same time Borkowskis colleagues in attack were hardly bristling with killer instinct. His opposite number, Robert Bilski, aided by the posts, the bar and two goal line clearances managed to keep Radomiak down to one. "Maybe we should have wored harder, maybe we lacked a bit of luck" says Witold Mroziewski. Although Radomiak looked a much better side than in the game against Wigry Suwałki they just could not cope with the counter-attacking game of their opponents and ultimately, they paid the price.


Radomiak	1 : 2	KS Paradyż
Wachowicz 54		Hoderko 50
		Pietrzak 69

Radomiak: Borkowski - Sk?rnicki, Lewandowski (52. Błażejewski), Pacan, Wachowicz Ż, Walkiewicz, Kacprzak Ż (78. Michalski), Terlecki Ż, Barzyński (58. Kaczmarek), Kowalczyk (73. Sadowski), Dukalski.

Paradyż: Bilski - Olszewski, Rogalski, Matuszczyk Ż, Hoderko, Mikołajczyk (46. Małkowski Ż), Kubiak, Zawistowski Ż, Ryński, (76. Wolski), Pietrzak (84. Zimoch), Dziuba.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak To Lose Before A Ball Is Kicked?

August 30th, 2006

Radomiak could lose todays game against KS Paradyż by a walkover. Once again vandals have paid struga a visit and destroyed the CCTV cameras. "If we don't get the system working before the game then the police will not let it go ahead" says Władysław Kot. This would be a triple blow to Radomiak - loss of league points, loss of revenue from the crowd and the cost of repairing the cameras.

All mass events at Struga must, by law, be recorded by CCTV cameras. The first instance of the CCTV cameras being wrecked occured on the night of 19th - 20th August before the game against Kozienice. "During the night someone got to the cables which are underground, cut them and then dug them back in. We've managed to locate where the cables were cut but we're not certain whether this is the only place. We will do everything to make sure the cameras are working. If this happens again then that's it - we can't afford to be spending this much cash" says Kot.

Should the game go ahead the likely Radomiak team is: Radomiak: Borkowski - Sk?rnicki, M. Lewandowski, Pacan, Wachowicz - Kotwica, Terlecki, Kacprzak, Barzyński - Dukalski, Kowalczyk.

Source: radomiak.info

Players to Leave

August 28th, 2006

Radomiak is despeartely looking to save money and as part of the cost cutting measures Paweł Lewandowski will be allowed to join MG MZKS Kozienice. It is also likely that the club will release Dariusz Rysiewski. There is however a chance that Witold Mroziewski might be able to bring in Marcin Trzaskalski from Wigry Suwałki.

Radomiak has massive financial problems - the club has debts of around 3 million zł. The board has decided that one of the ways to deal with the problem is to 'streamline' the playing staff. Witold Mroziewski has allowed Paweł Lewandowski and Dariusz Rysiewski to leave the club and this will see a monthly saving of 7000zł.

Lewandowski has agreed terms with Kozienice and played in their league encounter with Drwęcą Nowe Miasto Lubawskie yesterday. Lewandowski had trained with Kozienice for two weeks before joining Radomiak.

Rysiewski is attracting attention from League V sides Pilica Białobrzegi, Powiślanka Lipsko and Wulkan Dr?g Zakrzew. He has until 31st September, the close of the transfer window, to decide where he wants to play.

Witold Mroziewski talked to 24 year old Wigry Suwałki midfielder Marcin Trzaskalski after saturdays game and the player is willing to join Radomiak. This depends on the Greens meeting Suwałkis 5000zł valuation.

Another casualty of the cost-cutting measures is the masseur Zdzisław Radulski who will leave th club at the end of the month.

1st September should see a new Chairman named. The frontrunner (pretty much the only runner) is Andrzej Maszczyński who will put forward his vision for taking the club forward at the meeting on Friday.

Source: Echo Dnia Radom Edition

Wigry Suwałki 1 : Radomiak 2

August 26th, 2006

Radomiak edged out a battling suwałki side who played the second half with ten men by 2 goals to 1 after having gone behind. Radomiak scorers: Sk?rnicki and Lewandowski.

Suwałki Preview

August 25th, 2006

Radomiak face their first real test of the season in the form of an away trip to Wigry Suwałki. Wigry are in a period of serious rebuilding, losing 11 players during the summer break and replacing them with yougsters. Zbigniew Kieżun, Wigry manager, has a two year plan which he hopes will see his side advance to League II - "In all my previous jobs I have managed to create sides which became revelations in League III and I want to repeat this success at Wigry".

Results so far this season have not been good - one point from a possible 9 and that against sides newly promoted this season. Kieżun however is not downbeat - "From game to game my players are getting to know each other better. We've not managed to win against the lesser fancied sides so maybe we'll win against the favourites." Radomiak should not underestimate Wigry, a side well known for it's dangerous counter-attacks and the core of the team is made up of experienced players with League II and ekstraklasa experience behind them.

The Greens left for Suwałki on Wednesday - "Organising the trip for Wednseday was difficult but yet another day in a coach will have it's effect on fitness which is why we had to travel a day earlier." says witold Mroziewski.

According to Andrzej Bianga, manager of Olimpia Elbłąg who beat saturdays opponents 2 - 1 in midweek, the way to beat them is to cover well, pressing in all areas of the pitch and cutting off service to the front players. "It's important to keep this up from the start to the finish as the experienced players they have will punish any loss off concentration" syas Bianga.

Source: radomiak.info

League II Group I Games

August 24th, 2006

Yesterday saw a number of games played in League III Group I.

Warmia Grajewo	0:0	Unia Skierniewice
Concordia Piotrk?w Trybunalski	2:1	Nadnarwianka Pułtusk
Olimpia Elbląg	2:1	Wigry Suwałki
Mazowsze Gr?jec	1:2	Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie

Source: radomiak.info

Radomiak in CCTV Vandalism Shocker

August 24th, 2006

Person or persons unknown have wrecked the CCTV cameras at Struga 63. THe incident occured on the night of 19th - 20th August this year, before the game against Kozienice. Luckily repairs were carried out speedily and the game was able to go ahead. "We don't that this act of vandalism was carried out by any of our fans. The club will have to cover the costs incurred and so the financial situation in which we currently find ourselves becomes even more difficult. We hope hope that there are no similar incidents in the future" said a fella in a suit.

Source: radomiak.info

Bring On The Odra!

August 24th, 2006

Despite the weakened side put out in this first round game Radomiak had liitle trouble disposing of LKS Poborsz?w and setting up a tie against Ekstraklasa outfir Odra Wodzisław Sląski. It was obvious from the first minute that the Radomiak were taking the game very seriously and it was not going to be an easy ride for LKS and in the end Radomiak ran out comfortable 2 - 0 winners.

Poborsz?ws manager Robert Rans believes the defeat taught his side a lot - "We can learn a lot from radomiak, particularly how to keep hold of the ball intelligently. We'll definately benefit from this lesson."

Witold Mroziewski was satisfied with the result but felt it could have been even better - "If we had not let ourselves down in terms of efficiency in front of goal it could have been a higher margin of victory. The most important thing though is that we've gone through to the next round where we'll play ekstraklasa side Odra Wodzisław Śląski. A game against such opposition will be a boost for players and fans alike."

The focus now is on the league game at Suwałki. On returning from Śląsk the players will have one training session and will depart on their second 400km plus away trip in a week on Friday.

Stats


LKS Pobors?w	0 : 2	Radomiak
		Sadowski 36, 90

Poborsz?w: Kot - Piwowar, Mochnik, Wiciak, Jaciuk, Chełchowski (55. Karabin), Rychlewicz (85. Kluk), Hanzel, Makowski (85., Gnyla), Frydryk, Bawoł.

Radomiak: Borkowski - Sikorski, M. Lewandowski, P. Lewandowski, Michalski, Walkiewicz (65. Nykiel), Błażejewski (46. Terlecki), Rysiewski, Kaczmarek, Sadowski, Barzyński (46. Kowalczyk).

Poborsz?w		Radomiak
6	Shots	19
2	On Target	12
25	Fouls	15
3	Offside	13
6	Corners	15
24	Keepers Intervention	14
0	Red Cards	0
1	Yellow Cards	2

Source: radomiak.info

Cup Game With Weakened Squad

August 23rd, 2006

Radomiak travelled to Kędzierzyn Koźle yesterday for their Polish Cup first round tie against LKS Poborsz?w with a significantly weakened sqaud. Zbigniew Wachowicz, Jack Kacprzak, Krzysztof Nykiel, Marcin Pacan, Dominik Dukalski and Pawł Gałczyński were absent from the group and will not feature in a game which, if won, will see Radomiak paired with an Ekstraklasa side in the next round.

The game, which kicks off at 5pm (Polish time), will take place at the home of Odra in Kędzierzyn Koźle due to removation work at LKS Poborsz?ws ground. LKS Poborz?w are one of the leading sides in Regional League IV but are not to be taken lightly having beaten one Pelikan Łowicz, one of Radomiaks rivals in League III, 2 - 0 in the preliminary round. While the cup is not a priority this season a win would see Radomiak play Ekstraklasa side Odra Wodzisław Śląski at home in the next round in September.

Witold Mroziewskis team selection is indicative of a manager with one eye on Saturdays game - as confirmed by the man himself - "We have a very important game away to Wigry Suwałki and so I've decided that a couple of players will be rested. Krzysztofowi Nykielow and Marcinowi Pacan will not start, nor will Dominik Dukalski, Zbigniew Wachowicz and Jacek Kacprzak who have slight knocks. . We want to win this game and go through to the next round. It's not often that Ekstraklasa teams come to Radom and it would be a good test for us and a good way for us to repay Radomiak fans for their support."

Predicted team: Borkowski - Sk?rnicki, M. Lewandowski, Michalski, P. Lewandowski - Kotwica, Błażejewski, Terlecki, Kaczmarek - Kowalczyk, Sadowski. Subs: Banasiak, Sikorski, Barzyński, Rysiewski, Walkiewicz.

Source: radomiak.info

New Sponsor!

August 22nd, 2006

According to reports on Radio Rekord the telecommunications company Era GSM has become Radomiaks new sponsor. Radomiaks Vice Chairman Andrzej Banasiewicz has again come to the fore to save the club, something that the ex-Chairman Janusz Czarniecki never managed. Thanks to Banasiewiczs effort Era will subsidise the club from Struga for the next two years. It is rumoured that the monthly fee paid for advertising is "substantial".

Source: radomiak.info

Post Derby

August 22nd, 2006

The League III derby between Radomiak and Kozienice were full of the emotion you would expect from a game liek this. It was also an eye-opener in that it provided evidence that both sides will have to work very hard from now 'til the end of the saeson in order to be in the shake-up for promotion come the end of the season. The celebrations and joy of Radomiak players and fans on Sunday could prove a crucial point in the season, albeit early on in proceedings, as it will have given them the satisfaction and the feel of winning in front of a (relatively) large crowd. Hopefully the need for more of the same sorts of scenes as we saw on Sunday will spur them on to a successful season.

A few weeks before the opening game it seemed that the work put in by Witold Mroziewski and his players would bring points quickly and the preseason form would be carried on into the fixtures that really matter. As we saw against Stal this was clearly not a valid assumption and good preseason form is not necessarily an indicator of a good season. In the opening game the Greens seemed unable to deal with the pressure of playing for points and it could well have been the same against Kozienice had the "home" team not taken the lead just before the break. Radomiaks players needed this shock to the system to spur them into action and the second half saw the same personnel but a very different team take to the field. The playing of "David Batty" balls in the centre of the park was no longer evident and Radomiak started to attack with belief and deservedly came out of the game with all three points.

Beating Kozienice 'keeper Robert Stawiarski seemed impossible for Radomiak until they actually started putting into practice the tactics they practice in training and creating real chances. They suddenly seemed to come to the conclusion that dribblind and exhibition game style tricks were not the way to beat their rivals. The road to victory is much more straighforward - accurate passing and tempting crosses from both flanks.

The fans are not hiding their hope that this derby victory will kickstart the forwards Michał Kowalczyk and Dominik Dukalski into actually looking like forwards and banging in the goals. Kowalczyk is hopeful - "In the preceding games we;ve been messing about in front of goal a bit too much. We've had lots of chances so thought we would be ok doing this. It's obvious that this will not be the case through the season so we'll be more efficient".

Not many Greens fans will have the chance to see live whether this is the case or not as the next two games Radomiak face are long away trips. Today sees the players and staff leaving for Kędzierzyn Koźle where they will play ŁKS Poborsz?w in the first round of the Polish Cup. Three days later the face a somewhat sterner challenge of Wigy in Suwałki. Hopefully the fact that they have broken their duck in the pressure atmosphere of Struga they should find it easier to win away from their own fans and the tension which comes with playing at home.

Source: radomiak.info

MG MZKS Kozienice 1 : Radomiak 3 - Report

August 21st, 2006

Radomiaks superior fitness, coupled with Witold Mroziewskis personnel changes were the decideing factors in the Greens3 - 1 victory over local rivals Kozienice. Similarly to last week the game involved two sides with very different styles of playand two contrasting halves of football from Radomiak.

The first half saw Radomiak playing mainly in midfield, moving the ball from left to right and back again, leading to a fewrather timid attacks. This, according to Witold Mroziewski was all part of a plan to weaken and tire the opponents beforelaunching a serious attempt at winning the game in the second half. All was going well until a minute before the break whenTomasz Kotwica beat his own 'keeper to give Kozienice the lead.

Having nothing to lose, the second half saw Radomiak throwing themselves into attack and being ruthless enough to convert theirnumerous chances into three goals. "We gave 100% but after an hour we were spent" says Kozienice captain Grzegorz Seremak. Radomiakhad succeeded in through their tactics according to the scorer of their first Michal Kowalczyk - "Our plan came to fruition". HadKowalczyk and his strike partner made better use of the chances that fell their way the result could have been at least twice asgood for Radomiak. Kowalczyk not overly concerned by his critics - "We got a goal each and we'll be more ruthless in front ofgoal in the coming games."

Stats


MG MZKS Kozienice	1 : 3	Radomiak
Kotwica (og) 45		Kowalczyk 54
		Wachowicz (pen) 74
		Dukalski 90

Kozienice: Stawiarski - Misztal, Gdak, Strag (48. Wejner), Kazimierak, Potent,Czaplarski, Godlewski Z, Klos Z (59. Stecyszyn), Gallardo (67. Kocyk),Seremak.

Radomiak: Borkowski - Nykiel Z, Pacan, Sk?rnicki Z,Wachowicz, Kotwica (53. Walkiewicz), Kacprzak (83. Kaczmarek),Terlecki, Barzynski (67. Blazejewski Z), Kowalczyk (78. Michalski),Dukalski Z.

Referee: Mariusz Sledz (Lublin)

Kozienice		Radomiak
7	Shots	7
5	On Target	5
18	Fouls	15
4	Offside	7
5	Corners	6

Kozienice 1 - Radomiak 3

August 20th, 2006

Radomiak came from one nil down to record their first victory of the season 3 - 1 against local rival MG MKZS Kozienice. Kowalczyk, Wachowicz (penalty) and Dukalski netted for the Greens

Kozienice - Radomiak Preview

August 19th, 2006

Although the official home team for Sundays game will be MG MZKS Kozienice, the game will actually be played in Radom at Struga and all matchday takings will be swelling Radomiaks coffers.

The game should have been played in Kozienice but due to the intervantion of the mayor and police force of that town alternative arrangements have been made. Despite the less than awe inspiring start that both teams have made to the season there is great interest surrounding the game, as there is with any derby and should see a fairly decent attendance.

On paper Radomiak are favourites, having in theory the stronger squad and, despite what the fixture list says, being the home side. Derbys though are notoriously difficult to predict and it should be remembered that Radomiak wree favoutes for the season opener against Stal Glowno. Witold Mroziewski is well aware of Kozienices strengths and weaknesses, having worked with the club for over a year and a half. Jerzy Kot, the Kozienice manager wsa present at the game against stal Glowno and should have got some insights into how to come away from Radom with at the very least a share of the points.

it's interesting to go through the two squads in turn and have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both....

Goalkeepers
Mroziewski may decide that a change is required after the opening game as Tomasz Borkowski was not without fault for the goals of the visitors. So, it could be Pawel Galczynski starting for the Greens. Kozienice have no such worries and Robert Stawiarski will definately start. All three 'keepers are of a similar level.
Verdict: Draw

Defence
Against Olimpia Elbląg Kozienice played with three at the back and this islikely to be formation of choice for Sundays game with Maciej Wejner andDariusz Misztal being definate starters. witold Mroziewski must be consideringa change from four at the back to three - if we're to go after three pointsthen the more attacking of two is a must. The stoppers Michał Lewandowski andMikołaj Sk?rnicki should really start the game on the bench after their errorsin Głowno game. Marcin Pacan should make his debut and their shouldn't be anychanges on the flanks, Krzysztof Nykiel and Zbigniew Wachowicz having performedrelatively well last time out. Radomiaks strength in depth in defense shouldsees them looking stronger at the back.
Verdict: Radomiak 1 point

Midfield
Most people with any knowledge of football will agree that whoever gains control of the middle of the park will win come out victorious. Both sides will most likely line-up with five in midfield. Kozienice will assign definsive duties to Pawel Potent whilst Artur Blazejewski will havea similar job for the Greens. Playing slightly behind the strikers for Radomiak will be Maciej Terlecki and Piotr Godlewski for Kozienice. Both sides will be looking to old heads to pull the strings - Jacek Kacprzak (Radomiak) and Edward Czaplarski (Kozienice). The key will be the wide men. Rot will probably keep the same two that played last week - the youngsters Piotr Kazimierak and Konrad Klos. Mroziewski should make changes as the standard of wing play against Stal was well below par. It should be Tomasz Kotwica and Paweł Kaczmarek making the running down the flanks for Radomiak. Radomiak should shade the battle in the middle, if only due to the greater experience of Terlecki, Kacprzak and Blazejewski.
Verdict: Radomiak 1 point

Attack
The highly experienced Grzegorz Seremak will lead the attack for Kozienice and will be partnered by the Nigerian Favour Njoku Gallardo, formerly a Radomiak player. Radomiak does not have much to choose from up front and it is likely that Michal Kowalczyk and Dominik Dukalski will start. The experience in attack is definately with Kozienice
Verdict: Kozienice 1 point

So, there you have it - Radomiak 2 : MG MKZS Kozienice 1 - no need for the game to take place now :)

Past Meetings
Radomiak and Kozienice have met in the league on 12 occasions. In terms of points it's all level, four wins for each side and four draws. Kozienice shade it on goal difference however at 14 to 13.

Season	Competition	Home	Away	Score
73/74	Regional	Kozienice	Radomiak	1 : 2
73/74	Regional	Radomiak	Kozienice	5 : 0
88/89	League IV	Kozienice	Radomiak	2 : 1
88/89	League IV	Radomiak	Kozienice	0 : 0
95/96	League III	Kozienice	Radomiak	6 : 0
95/96	League III	Radomiak	Kozienice	0 : 1
00/01	League III	Radomiak	Kozienice	3 : 0
00/01	League III	Kozienice	Radomiak	0 : 1
01/02	League III	Radomiak	Kozienice	0 : 0
01/02	League III	Kozienice	Radomiak	1 : 1
03/04	League III	Radomiak	Kozienice	0 : 0
03/04	League III	Kozienice	Radomiak	3 : 0

Source: radomiak.info

Elbląg - Radomiak Match Report

August 18th, 2006

A crowd of 2000, among them 130 travelling fans, saw Radomiak become the first side to come away from Elbląg with a share of the points since round 11, 2005/06.

Olimpia were undoubtedly the stronger side in the first half, attacking at will and creating a number of good scoring opportunities. A combination of well timed blocks by the Radomiak backline, inspired Borkowski saves and ineffective finishing saw to it that they did not run away with the game in the opening 45 minutes. For all their domination they managed only one goal and that was achieved only with the help of the referee who awarded Andrzej Biangas charges a very debatable spot kick.

The second half did not continue the way of the first. Radomiak came into the game and the referee decided that he should start handing out cards left, right and centre. Jacek Kacprzak was a victim of the over zealous official, along with Widzicki and Ruszku from the opposition who were both dismissed for receiving two cautions. Radomiak took advantage of their extra man and threw themselves into attack which paid off in the 85th minute, Adrian Sadowski netting in a goal mouth scramble. Sadowski had a chance to steal all three points moments later but dallied over his shot for too long and it was blocked.

Stats


Olimpia Elbląg	1 : 1	Radomiak
Chrzonowski 43		Sadowski 85

Olimpia: Hyz - Chrzonowski, Mazurkiewicz, Widzicki, Miller - Ciesielski, Czuk (78' Sambor), Anuszek, Wr?blewski (66' Kitowski) - Ruszkul, Trafarski (45+3' Wierzba) (84' Sierechan)

Radomiak: Borkowski - Nykiel (78' Kaczmarek), Pacan, Sk?rnicki, Wachowicz - Walkiewicz, Kacprzak, Terlecki, Błażejewski (46' Kowalczyk) - Barzyński (62' Lewandowski), Dukalski (58' Sadowski)

Olimpia		Radomiak
2	Red Cards	3
2	Yellow Cards	1

Source: radomiak.info

No Chairman

August 18th, 2006

The tradition of secrecy at Radomiak continues - yet again the fans were locked out of the General Meeting of The Board. In a new twist, journalists were also refusedentry. Only after half an hour of talks had passed were both groups allowed in.

The main news from the meeting is that Radomiak still does not have a Chairman. Janusz Czarnieckis resignation was accepted and the one candidate for the job hasasked for 7 days to prepare a rescue plan for the club. The next meeting will take place on 1st September

Unfortunately the fans and journalists were once again greeted with closed doors and it took much negotiation to persuade the board members to allow them into thehall.

The only candidate for the chairmans job is Andrzej Maszczyński a Radom based businessman. Władysław Kot was also nominated but did not wish to be considered for the position. Maszczyński has asked for 7 days in which to acquaint himself with the financial state of the club and come up with a package to take it forward.

Source: radomiak.info

Radomaik - Kozienice

August 18th, 2006

Playing the Kozienice - Radomiak derby game behind closed doors would not have been right. Luckily the powers that be at both clubs realised this anddecided tha the game should be played at Struga.

The problems surrounding the venue for the game started on Wednesday, when Kozienices mayor, Tomasz Śmietanka,did not give permission to organise an event viewed by the police as being high risk.In a letter to the club Śmietanka that a change in is decision would only come about should the police reassess the situation.The police refused, sticking to their original evaluation of the situation and assessing the game as a high risk fixture.

The directors at MZKS were left with a tough decision - either play the game at their own ground behind closed doors or move itto Radom. They chose the second option - "We have come to an agreement with Radomiak on just about everything.We now have to wait for the magistrate in Radom to give his permission for the organisation of this game" says the Kozienice chairman Kazimierz Drabik.Andrzej Banasiewicz, vice chairman of Radomiak says the decision has their full backing - "We will do everything we can in order to make sure thatthis event goes ahead."

The decision was greeted with relief by the managers of both sides. "The most important thing is that the spirirt of sport hastriumphed and the result will be decided on the pitch, not around a table somewhere" was Witold Mroziewskis reaction.

The Greens have prepared for this fixture in the way they would prepare for any game, bu they know that Mroziewski is expecting a bigimprovement on the performance in the first game. Mroziewski says "We've analysed the performance against Głowno and have come to a number of conclusions.There have to be changes as it is not right for Radomai k to perform the way they did last week.

It's likely that on of the changes made in the starting eleven will be Paweł Kaczmarek taking over from Daniel Barzyński on the left sideof midfield. Also on the cards is a change in the youth teamers that will feature.

Jerzy Rota, the Kozienice manager, has a number of problems - "The defenders Artur Strąg and Dominik Doliński joined us yesterday but they aren'tyet ready for Sundays game. It's difficult to choose my starting lineup and we're not ideally prepared in terms of fitness and tactics.". Rota seesRadomiak as favourite for a win but says he will attempt to motivate his players to give 100% for this game.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Kozienice Game to Be Played in Radom

August 18th, 2006

The League III derby between Radomiak and MG MZKS Kozienice will be played at Struga but, in terms of league fixtures, this will be viewed as a Kozienice home game.

Kozienice Away At Struga?

August 17th, 2006

It is looking more and more likely that Sundays derby game against MG MZKS Kozienice will be played at Struga 63. Talks are ongoing and a decision should be made public between 3 and 4 pm (GMT).

Source: radomiak.info

Kozienice - Radomiak in Doubt

August 17th, 2006

The fans of Radomiak and Kozienice have been looking forward to the most eagerly anticipated regional derby in the last few years. The mayor of Kozienice has other ideas and has not agreed to the game being played.

Given the mass of non-sporting emotions that come with the game planned for Sunday it should be the best game of the season. there is a chance however that the game will not take place. Due to the Radom and Kozienice police forces assigning this game a high level of risk (the English equivalent of a Category C game), the mayor of Kozienice has not given his agreement for the game - "This is the only game of this type in League III. For it to go ahead the visiting fans would have to be located in a cage. Meanwile, the football/athletics stadium is too nice to be making it into a "monkey factory".

The situation seems absurd, after all the board at Kozienice all but stood on their heads in order for the club to be admitted into League III. "We submitted a request to the mayor on the 17th July asking for permission to play football games between 17th August and 30th November 2006" says Kozienice director Kazimierz Drabik. "In agreement with the law the mayor had two weeks to refuse the request. He didn't do this so why is he now banning the game three days before the game?".

Drabik says he will do everything to make sure that the game goes ahead - "We've been looking forward to this game for a long time. We're ready and we want to play. If need be we will allocate one side of the ground to the Radomiak fans. If the mayor does not change his mind though then there will be no game".

The fans of both clubs have tried to sway the mayors decision, issuing a joint declaration that the game will be played in an exellent atmosphere.

In the case of the game being called off the decision on how to proceed will be down to the Warmińsko-Mazurski Związku Piłki Nożnej - "Should this situation arise the members of the panel will look at the reasons and will then make a decision as to which side will get a "walkover", said a suit.

Source: radomiak.info

Attendance and Ticket Sales

August 16th, 2006

The club has released into the public domain the fact that the total tickets 'sold' for Sundays game against Stal Głowno was 1886, which translates into an income of 18k pln. The local press had reported the attendance to be around 3000. In addition to the standard tickets 5 one off VIP tickets were sold bringing in 250 pln. 256 free tickets were given to members of the supporters trust, former players, sponsors and players from League I, League II and yout teamers.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Post Match Press Conference

August 16th, 2006

Witold Mroziewski: "First of all I would like to apologise. I think the whole team was disappointing. I'll be honest and say that I found the level of our play in the first half disgusting. I simply did not recognise those players as my players, they were totally different from the ones playing in the friendlies. It was going relatively well but two catastrophic mistakes in the space of a minute effectively finished the game in the first half. Despite greater ambition in the second half we couldn't even fight out a draw, even with Adrian Sadowskis chance from one metre out. It's difficult to pick yourself up after a game like this where your aims, thoughts and ambition have been torpedoed. I have to remind my players that League III requires a different work rate. We were out fought in both the first and the second half. We were the better footballing side but couldn't turn that into a result. We have to look at what went wrong and must play much better in the next game - the league is not over after the first game. We did not do what we had worked on in preseason. Congratuations to our opponents on their win."

Grzegorz Wesołowski: "It's obvious that the first game of the autumn round is an unknown. It's a test of what went on in preseason. I'll be honest that we came into this game worried about our squad which is very young. The lads haven't got to know each other properly yet and we had to fight against Radomiak - the favourite for promotion this season. The game, especially in the first half, was played at a very quick pace and we were trying to get to grips with Radomiaks strength. We managed two goals. In the second half we decided to play deep and look for quick counter-attacks. I'm happy with the result.

Source: radomiak.info

Opening Day Defeat

August 15th, 2006


Radomiak	1 : 2	Stal Głowno
Sk?rnicki 24		Potocki 25
		Łochowski 27
Radomiak: Borkowski - Nykiel, M.Lewandowski (46 Kaczmarek), Sk?rnicki, Wachowicz - Walkiewicz (60 Kotwica), Błażejewski, Terlecki, Barzyński (88 Sadowski) - Kowalczyk (39 Kacprzak), Dukalski.

Attendance: 3000

It was a very ppor start to the season at Struga on Sunday. Radomiak did not show anything that would lead the casual observer to believe that they are due a soeedy return to League II football. The main things that the Greens offered the 3000 fans gathered at Struga in the pouring rain were a complete lack of creativity and a host of defensive errors. Głowno created a few good chances in front of goal and overall deserved their win even taking into account Radomiaks slight advantage in the second half.

It was Radomiak who took the lead after an opening 20 minutes which can only be described as chaotic. A corner saw Sk?rnicki rise above the visitors defence and beat the 'keeper with reletive ease. The lead however was short lived and a through ball saw Potocki round Borkowski and slot the ball home to level things up. Things got worse within two minutes, a ball from the right ricocheting around the penalty area before finding it's way into the met. There was still time for Michał Lewandowski to create an excellent chance for one of the Stal forwards with one of his wonderful trademark "backpasses" but luckily the ball whizzed past the post for a goal kick.

The Greens made an effort to change the game in the second half but they lacked creativity to cause Stal any real headaches and the only chances they had came from set pieces. One such set piece, a corner, saw not one but two Radomiak players missing the target completely from not more than a couple of centimetres. The players brought on to change things in the second half were not up to the task of breaking down a well organised Stal defence, a fact that was not helped by their continued insistance on trying to force their way through the middle as opposed to using getting the ball out wide and attacking down the flanks. Głowno were always looking to break and it was only due to the intervention of Borkowski that they did not improve their goal difference further.

So, not the best start to life in League III but as they say Things Can Only Get Better. Tony Blair and New Labour taught us that so it must be true.

1 Game 0 Points

August 13th, 2006

To quote myself "Hairy Gonads!". "Big fat ones".

Radomiak have made a rather unfortunate start to the season, losing 2 - 1 at home to Stal Głowno after Michał Sk?rnicki had put the Greens ahead. According to the Radio Rekord bulletin (little segments from Struga inbetween the cheesiest of cheesy pop you've ever heard in your life) Radomiak didn't deserve anymore. Attendance, around 2000.

A full match report will be posted tomorrow when some other site posts one and I can get to it and translate.

Radomiak - Stal Głowno Preview

August 13th, 2006

After a break of 56 days league football returns to Struga with Radomiak hosting Stal Głowno at 5pm (Polish time) today. Stal are asolid outfit capable of the odd upset on their day and having access to some Ekstraklassa players due to their association with ŁKS Ł?dź. Last season saw them among the leaders throughout the whole season but they still saw fit to change trainers, bringing in Mirosław Dawidowski who they believe will be able to carry on their tradition of blooding young players from the Ł?dź region.

Some Radomiak players will remember the last meeting between the sides which took place in May 2006 at Struga and ended in a 3 : 1 win for the visitors. This was Jerzy Engel Jrs first game in charge of Radomiak. Hopefully the memory of this game should see the Greens looking for revenge and make for a decent game.

As is always the case in the first game of the season both sides will be wanting to get off to a winning start but with home advantage on their side Radomiak are clear favourites to take all three points. Witold Mroziewski has more players who have had experience of League I and II football and so on paper Radomiak looks to have the better side. As some footballing/philosophy genius once put it though (could have been Motson) - games aren't played on paper.

Stal will most likely come to hold on to a draw and see whether they can sneak the odd counter attack whereas Radomiak will have to go for pretrty much all out attack and make use of their wingers. The strikers will also have to demonstrate more 'killer instinct' than they have so far in preseason.

It's been obvious for a while that Radomiak are strongest in defence, having two excellent 'keepers and a solid back four. The midfield should, in theory at least, be able to handle the middle of the park against Stal and if Radomiak have any problems they are most likely to lie up front. If the strikers do their job and at least one of them finds his scoring boots then this game should result in a home win.

Stal will be fired up for this game not only because they are playing one of the favourites for promotion but also due to the fact that decent performances can see them get a chance at ŁKS Ł?dź and Ekstraklassa. For a lot of Stals young players this is the ideal opportunity to promote themselves and attempt to emulate Adrian Świątek who after a move to ŁKS Ł?dź scored in this seasons Orange Ekstraklasa opener.

Radomiak are likely to start with the following 11:
Borkowski - Nykiel, Sk?rnicki, M. Lewandowski, Wachowicz - Walkiewicz , Terlecki, Błażejewski, Kaczmarek, Dukalski, Kowalczyk.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

The League Has Started

August 13th, 2006

The first games in League II,Group I were played last night:

Nadnarwianka Pułtusk	0:3	Unia Skierniewice
Warmia Grajewo	1:1	Wigry Suwałki
Concordia Piotrk?w Trybunalski	0:2	KS Paradyż
Olimpia Elbląg	1:0	MG MZKS Kozienice
Świt Nowy Dw?r Mazowiecki	0:2	Znicz Pruszk?w
Finishparkiet Nowe Miasto Lubawskie	0:2	Ruch Wysokie Mazowieckie

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Three Days To Go!

August 11th, 2006

Although the summer break is decidedly shorter than it's winter counterpart the fans of the regionsLeague III teams anticipation of the games to come are no less at this time of year. The hopes and subsequent letdowns felt by the fans of Radomiak during that soul destroying autumn round of last seasonare difficult to forget and yet we'll be back again this weekend, hoping that it will all be different.

"Charisma, courage and determination will not be lacking. If they put the effort in they'll win", is Witold Mroziewskissimple view of the opening game against Stal Gosso Głowno. It seems that if the team from Struga puts in aperformance like the one against Mazowsze Gr?jec they should start the season in good fashion.

The biggest unknown is the form and ability of the youth teamers, at least two of whom must play in every game.Most of them will be playing in front of sizeable crowds for the first time but Mroziewski is Confident: "I thinkthey will cope well with the pressure and will improve from game to game".

It is not known whether Serhij Zawiałow will turn out for Radomiak. The Ukranian striker is still on trial andMroziewski has not made a decision as to his future. This is anticipated on Saturday.

Meanwhile Radomiaks opponents are geeing themselves up for the occassion - "We are not worried about Radomiak in theslightest" says their new manager Grzegorz Wesołowski. Last season saw Stal there or thereabouts throughout the autumn andsummer rounds and there id no way they want to start with a defeat. Głowno have become something of a feeder club forEkstraklassa newcomers ŁKS Ł?dź and it is possible that the latters Paraguayan newcomers Carlos Torres and Oscar Rotelamay be farmed out on loan to the former and make their Polish league debuts at Struga.

Source : radomiak.info

Source: radomiak.info

No Season Tickets

August 10th, 2006

The club has released admission proces for the coming season:

The club has decided that standard season tickets will not be available during the autumn round.

Source: radomiak.info

Zawiałow at Radomiaku

August 10th, 2006

Witold Mroziewski is still looking for a natural striker and to this end the Ukranian Sergiej Zawiałow took part intraining yesterday. The 25 year old is currently an employee of Ukranian club Kremin Kremenczuk. Mroziewski said:"It's difficult to make a decision on a player after one days training. I'm not going to send him home just yet, especiallyas he's come this far to show off his talents. I will make a decision nearer the end of the month.

Source: radomiak.info

More Fines...

August 7th, 2006

The Polish FA has fined Radomiak 10000zł for a serious breach of the regulations governing the safety of 'mass events'

The Polish FA has cited the following reasons from the fine which follows the play-off game against Odra Opole on 18th June 2006:

Ticket	-	10zł
VIP Season Ticket	?	500zł
One off VIP card	-	50zł

-	The assistant manager of Odra Opole was hit in the head by a missile thrown from the stands;
-	After the game the official observer was also hit by a missile throen from the stands;
-	After the game the Odra 'keeper was was struck;
-	At the final whistle the home fans invaded the pitch thereby endangering the players and officials;
-	20 minutes after the game paper streamers were set alight on the track around the pitch;
-	On 12, 28, 90 and 118 minutes the home fans were heard to sing/chant insults with regards to the Polish FA and the referee.

Source: radomiak.com.pl

New Chairman

August 7th, 2006

During Fridays board meeting the chairman Janusz Czarnecki handed in his resignation, citing a lack of understanding of the problems within the club and the problems with finding a new sponsor and investors. The new board will be decided on 18th August. Until then the directors Władysław Kot and Zbigniew Korcz will be in charge.

Witold Mroziewski is not particularly thrilled by the situation or the timing: "The manager should be told about such important things as opposed to finding out after the event. What can I do, I suppose the only thing is to wish Mr Czarnecki health...."

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Radomiak 2:0 Mazowsze Gr?jec

August 5th, 2006

Radomiak won their last pre-season friendly by 2 goals top nil. The game, against Mazowsze Gr?jec, was played atthe ground of Pilica Białobrzeg and Radomiak thoroughly deserved their victory having dominated throughout.

Radomiak took the lead four minutes in, Maciej Terlecki put Kotwica through who had no trouble beatingthe 'keeper with an angled shot from the edge of the area. This forced Mazowsze onto the attack but Radomiak dealtwith the threat well and were dangerous on the counter. The lead should have been extended on a number of occassions but,as in previous friendlies, Radomiak struggled in front of goal.

The second half again saw Radomiak with the majority of the play and should have increased their advantage bymore than Dukalskis 69th minute header.

Terlecki Signs

August 3rd, 2006

Maciej Terlecki has signed a one year contract with Radomiak. This is likely to be Radomiaks last signing before the season opener against Stal Głowno this coming Saturday.

Terlecki was a Radomiak player during Mieczysław Broniszewskis tenure as manager and has returned to strengthen Witold Mroziewskis squad. "I've talked to the manager on a number of occassions and I know that the team will be fighting for a return to League II. From what I can see he's built a strong squad. I'm returning to Radom as I have very fond memories of playing here" says Terlecki.

Maciej Terlecki was born on 9.03.1977 in Pruszk?w and was in the Polish squad which won theU-16 European Championships. He has one full cap for Poland won against New Zealand in 1999. In the summer of the 2005/06 season he represented Polonia Warszawa. He counts, among others, Polonia Warszawa, RSC Anderlecht, ŁKS Ł?dź, Widzew Ł?dź, Ruch Chorz?w, Stomilu Olsztyn, Wisła Płock, Pogoń Szczecin and Radomiaka Radom among his former clubs.

Corruption Opole Style

August 2nd, 2006

NB This article is taken from the Polish daily "Fakt". It is a translation. Therefore, just to cover my backside against w*nkers from Odra suing me, I shall proceed thetranslation with (and this is something that that guarantees you can't be prosecuted according to Ian Hislop et al) allegedly....

We found in Opole the most disgusting club in Polish football. For many years Odra has been seen as the team of the man currently at the centre of the current corruptionscandal in Polish football - Ryszard F. aka "The Hairdresser" - The Godfather of corruption in Polish football. The stench of corruption has been obvious for years now. This years play-off game against Radomiak Radom is greatly interesting the prosecutor in Wrocław. The reason for this? There hasn't been such a bare-faced example of crooked ways in our football in a long time!

Prior to the draw for the play-offs none of the League II sides had wanted to be paired with Odra. This is a club which is strongly linked to Ryszard W?jcik, an ex international referee and the man in charge of the "Sindbad" tourist Agency which is Odras main sponsor. W?jcik has excellent contacts within the Polish FA. The play-offs were refereed by Marek Ryżek and Jarosław Żyro. Żyro knows the Odra players very well - twi weeks before the play-offs he refereed the League II game between Odra and Miedz Legnica which Odra had to win. They did.

15 June 2006 ODRA - RADOMIAK 1:1

Four Radomiak players were one yellow card off a ban and therefore in danger of not playing in the second leg. In Opole the referee Marek Ryżek showed no mercy and three of these players were booked. The one player that wasn't was the captsain Zbigniew Wachowicz - "From 60 minutes onwards the referee was running after me desperately wanting to book me. I made sure I wasn't provoked"

The game finished in a draw. Afterwards the Odra manager, Mirosław Copjak had a long talk with Maxwell Kalu, the Radomiak forward during which time they exchanged telephone numbers. At the after match banquet Copjak had no doubts and was heard to say "We're going to Radom to get into League II. The right people are behind us."

18 June 2006 RADOMIAK - ODRA 1:1 pen 2:4

No chances were taken with this game. Żyro failed to award a blatant penalty to Radomiak, as was confirmed by the match observer, Zbigniew Przesmycki. The 118th minute saw Mikołaja Sk?rnicki, the Radomiak defender seeing red for time wasting at a throw in. This may have made sense had it not been for the fact that Radomiak had an enormous advantage and the throw in was in an attacking position.

Then there's Kalu. He was not due to play in the second leg due to injury. Wachowicz takes up the story - "A day before the game he told the trainer that he MUST play. He'd miraculously recovered and regained his strength. I know know that by then he had already signed for Odra." The game saw Kalu miss a number of cast iron chances, one of which was a miss when he had an open goal. Today he's proud to be an Odra Opole player [ed: c*nt!].Swetosław Byrkaniczkow was also close to a contract with Odra. I know what you're thinking and you're right - it is the same Swetosław Byrkaniczkow who missed his penalty kick in the most comical/bizarre fashion that anyone has ever seen, as Zbigniew Wachowicz says, "It's sick but let them live with their consciences"

Allegedly (there you go - no one can touch me know! :) )

Source: radomiak.com.pl

Happy Yorkshire Day!

August 1st, 2006

I wish you all a Happy Yorkshire Day! :)

Terlecki has 'til Wednesday

August 1st, 2006

Maciej Terlecki wants to play for Radomiak. Radomiak wants to have Terlecki playing for them. Yet still theyhave not put pen to paper and ended what has become something of a tedious "transfer saga".

"Terlecki has asked to wait until Wednesday" says J?zef Antoniak, "He knows the terms and nothing bad is going to happen.He's training normally".

After a days break the squad trained for around 90 minutes yesterday, making use of both the main and side pitches at Struga.The main pitch saw Arkadiusz Skonieczny putting the the 'keepers through their paces while Witold Mroziewski looked after theremaining members of the sqaud on the side pitch.

Artur Dracjal returned after a minor heel injury while Paweł Boryczka was back after representing Mazowsze Gr?jec ina frinedly against Kolporter Korona Kielce on Sunday. Whether he will stay at Radomiak is not known but Antoniak hasconfirmed that the club are interested in getting him on the books.

The training plan over the next few days is very tight. Today and Thursday will see two sessions per day whilst Wednesday and Fridaythere will only be one. Saturday is the last chance to get things right before battle fo a speedy return to League II commences the followingweek.

Source radomiak.info

Source: radomiak.info

Not just the Players....

July 31st, 2006

The players are obviously involved in some pretty intensive preparations for the coming assault on League III but they are not the only ones.The Ultras Group, which takes it upon itself to provide flags, banners, fireworks, etc. to liven up proceedings at Struga, has askedfor financial help. "This Wednesday, between 6pm and 7pm we will be holding a collection outside the club building to cover the costsfor the opening game versus Stal Głowno. It should be an impressive display but we do need some cash in order to carry out our plans. We're counting onyou the fans of the Greens to come down to the club on Wednseday and help us out. It is also possible to contribute via direct payment intoour bank account - remember - every złot counts!"

Source: radomiak.na.pl

Cup Dates and Opponents

July 31st, 2006

Radomiak will face the winner of Ludowy Klub Sportowy Poborsz?w - Pelikan LowiczRadomiak Radom in the first round of the Polish Cup.

The first round will be away from home on the 22nd or 23rd August a date which clashes with a League III fixture at home againstKS Paradyż, so without the season even having started games are already being chopped and changed.

Should Radomiak progress past the first round they will face Ekstraklasa side Odra Wodzislaw Slaski at home on the 19th or20th September.

Source: radomiak.info

Kacprzak Shines

July 31st, 2006

Three hundred Radomiak fans turned out to witness this nil all friendly draw with Motor Lublin, theonly high point of which was the performance of Jacek Kacprzak, even though he was only on thepitch for 45 minutes

One noteable absentee from the Radomiak line-up was Maciej Terlecki who declined to play sayingthat he was worried about getting injured whilst he is still not under contract. Witold Mroziewskisays he understands, as does J?zef Antoniak - "We've arranged a meeting with Terlecki for latertoday during which he'll most likely sign for the club". Also absent from the game were ZbigniewWachowicz (family matters) and 'keeper Pawel Galczynski (injury).

The crowd of three hundred, which in Polish terms is not bad for a pre-season friendly, had comemainly to see Terlecki in action and were somewhat disappointed to find that he would not beplaying. They were however placated by some excellent attacking football from their heroes asRadomiak pinned Motor into their own half right from the kick-off. Time after time JakubStudzinskis goal was put under pressure, most notably by the left wing play of Danial Barzynski.Set pieces also looked good from Radomiaks point of view as all the practice in Dębica seemed to bepaying off and turning the Greens into a more potent attacking force.

Without doubt the best player on show was 36 year old Jacek Kacprzak who used his experience togreat effect. Less impressive were the right winger Michal Walkiewicz and the two forwards MichalKowalczyk and Dominik Dukalski. Despite the absence of Wachowicz the defence played solidly withMarcin Pacan in particular impressing on his home debut. The second half saw many changes. PawełKaczmarek seemed like the best among our new signings and there shouldn't be any worries about himfilling the gap in right midfield created by Tomasz Brzyskis move to Kolporter Korona Kielce.

Motor did not create many chances and on the couple of occassions that they did Tomasz Borkowskiwas on hand to avert the danger.

Witold Mroziewski was upbeat after the game although he did admit that he had a lot to thinkabout before the start of the season.

ed:	How do you rate the performance against Motor?
WM:	The first half was markedly better than the second. We created a number of good chances but lackedruthlesness in our finishing. There are still a number of defects in our play but we still have two weeks inwhich to work on them. I've got a lot to think about after this game, mainly evauluating the performances.
ed:	Could you have gained victory from this game?
WM:	The result was not the most important thing today, but in reality we should have won. The first half sawMikołaj Sk?rnicki missed two very good chances and Dominik Dukalski hit the bar. Jacek Kacprzak should alsohave done better in the last minute when he hit the post from a couple of metres.
ed:	Finishing let you down, so it seems the team needs a striker. What are the chances of this happening?
WM:	In essence the rebuilding of the squad in terms of personnel has been completed. This does not mean thoughthat we're not looking for a striker but at the moment I do not have anyone in mind.
ed:	What will be happening in training during the coming week?
WM:	We'll be training at our own complex and the week will end with a game against Mazowsze Gr?jec. Where thatgame will take place I have no idea.

Source: radomiak.info

License In The Bag

July 28th, 2006

Radomiak has been granted a license to participate in League III during the 2006/07 season. One of the conditions was the paymentof 13600 zł in fines for the behaviour of fans last season. "We can now concentrate on preparations for the autumn round of games although we do still have a number of issues to sort out, including sponsorship", said director Jerzy Kot.

Source: Radomiak Official Website

Your Club Needs You! (if you're on Radom Town Council)

July 28th, 2006

Radomiaks board has asked the Radom authorities to continue helping the club. The current financial situation isn't rosyand has been further exacerbated by a number of sponsors pulling out after the clubs relegation.

The board are hopeful that the budget can be finalised before the start of the season but it is counting on the help of thetown which has on numerous previous occassions stepped in during troubled times. It was also announced today that the budget for theperiod 1st July to 31st December 2006 will be 1,200,000zł

There are debts owed to the Radom OZPN and Mazowiecki OZPN pertaining to the registration of new players as well as payments dueto the medical team, sanitation team and stewards.

Source: Radomiak Official Website

Website Updates

July 28th, 2006

Right, I've been fairly busy at work the last week or so but I have managed to update the website a bit.

First off I've posted the History section. It's not perfect and would no doubt cause my english teachers to realise that I paid cock all attention during their hour long sojourns into the language. It should however give you an idea of what the club is all about if you're coming at it with a clean slate. I've also made use of the Freewebs provided Guestbook. This is meant, along with the Contact link, to provide a means of feedback, suggestions, etc. so feel free to use it. Finally, the Information section has also been furnished with basic details of the club, ground and a who's who of Radomiak.

Last Chance For League IIIers

July 28th, 2006

Today is the day that licences will be granted for sides hoping to play in League III during the 2006/07 season

Radomiak have no doubts that they will be granted a license and everyone at the clujb can concentrate on preparingthemselves physically and mentally for the kick-off. There is one small hurdle before the license will be granted however - the money owed to theRadomski Okręgowy Związek Piłki Nożnej, Mazowieckie ZPN and Warmińsko-Mazurskiego ZPN must be paid in full. This should not be a problem whatsoever.

The Director of Sport, J?zef Antoniak has meeanwhile been following the forma nd fitness levels of Maciej Terleckiduring preseason training. Terlecki is the only player to have yet signed a contract and, as we've heard on countless occassions,this may happen today,

Whilst the signing of Terlecki would give manager Witold Mroziewski a squad he will be satisfied with he will still bemonitoring the openening games of Ekstraklasa and League II looking for a yhoung striker to bring in on loan.

Source: Gazeta Online Edition

Transfer Summary

July 27th, 2006

Incoming	Marcin Pacan (Arka Nowa S?l), Paweł Kaczmarek (Tur Turek), PawełLewandowski (Broń Radom), Michał Kowalczyk, Dominik Dukalski, MichałLewandowski (Mazowsze Gr?jec), Tomasz Kotwica (Dolcan Ząbki), AdrianSadowski (Hetman Zamość), Piotr Banasiak (from RKS youth team), MichałWalkiewicz (Jaguar Wolan?w), Tomasz Borkowski, Mikołaj Sk?rnicki (new contracts)
Targets	Maciej Terlecki (Polonia Warszawa), Paweł Boryczka, Arkadiusz Oziewicz (Amika Wronki)
Outgoing	Tomasz Brzyski (Kolporter Korona Kielce), Rafał Piętka (Śląsk Wrocław),Andrzej Bednarz (G?rnik Zabrze), Klaudiusz Ząbecki (contract not renewed),Rafał Szwed (training with Odrze Wodzisław), Piotr Duda (Stal Mielec),Nemanja Cvetković, Tomasz Sajdak, Swietosław Barkaniczkow, AleksandarMajić, Nenad Studen, Piotr Uss (contract terminated by mutual consent), Maxwell Kalu (OdraOpole)

Source: radomiak.info

Paweł Kaczmarek Signs

July 27th, 2006

The latest signing at Radomiak is Paweł Kaczmarek while the saga involving Maciej Terlecki's return to the club rumbles on.

Yesterdays training was watched by J?zef Antoniak and included Maciej Terlecki. When asked as to whether Terlecki would sign Antoniak trotted out thestandard response that we have heard on many occassions in the last few weeks, "We all know that the lad can play. Maybe today, maybe on Friday". Whenasked about the two Amika Wronki players currently training with Radomiak, namely Paweł Boryczka and Arkadiusz Oziewicz, Antoniak was no less vague -"They're young players, both well schooled for a couple of years now. If they can sort out professional licenses then we'll sign them". Boryczka is 20,Oziewicz 17 which means that both can play as youth players.

Whilst the squad has grown over the last few weeks the club is still in need of a striker. Grzegorz Misiura was close to signing fromDrwęca Nowe Miasto Lubawskie but got himself a contract in League II with Ruch Chorz?w where he will partner ex-Radomiak forward Grażvydas Mikulenas.

The friendly against Motor Lublin on Saturday looks more and more likely to be held on the side pitch at Struga despite the best effortsof the management tol secure a pitch outside Radom.

Source: radomiak.info

Two New Faces

July 26th, 2006

Only Maciej Terlecki was missing from yesterdays training session. He turned up at the club in the morning complaining of stomach pains and wasallowed to go home. "He will be here today" was Witold Mroziewski's only comment on the subject. According to sources within the club Terlecki hasreached agreement with the board over the money owed to him and he should put pen to paper and agree a one year deal on Friday.

Friday should also see decision made on Pawel Kaczmarek of Tur Turek. His agent is due at the club for talks at some stage.

There was one new face among the players training at Struga yesterday - Arkadiusz Oziewicz, currently under contract with Amika Wronki. He started his careerin Radom with Beniaminek. It is unlikely that he will sign for Radomiak as the fee required to prise him away from Amika is out of their reach.

Another ex-Beniaminek player currently training with the Greens is Pawel Boryczka. He is a good player and would also benefit the team from the pointof view that he still qualifies as a youngster and this would boost the clubs quota and so help them meet the new league rules regarding youth players at aclub.

Marcin Pacan and Pawel Lewandowski have both now officially Radomiak players and with Zbigniew Wachowicz, Mikolaj Sk?rnicki, Przemyslaw Michalski, KrzysztofNykiel and Michal Lewandowski also on the books things should be very interesting at at the back in terms of competition for places next season.

Yesterdays training was very intensive. The morning session involved weight and cardovascular work in the gym followed by ballwork on the side pitch whilstthe aternoon session took place on the artificial pitch at MOSiR. today should be a little easier as there is only one session at MOSiR planned.

The venue for Saturday's friendly against Motor Lublin is yet to be decided but it is likely that it will not take place in Radom.

Source: radomiak.info

Two New Faces

July 26th, 2006

Friday should also see decision made on Pawel Kaczmarek of Tur Turek. His agent is due at the club for talks at some stage.

The venue for Saturday's friendly against Motor Lublin is yet to be decided but it is likely that it will not take place in Radom.

Source: radomiak.info

Healthy Competition

July 26th, 2006

It's a while since Radomiak has had such a well balanced squad and this bodes well for a succsessful season.Obviously we'll have to wait 'til the start of the season to see how things go on the pitch, but the work whichWitold Mroziewski's squad has been doing in training and their performances during friendlies should fill even the mostpessimistic fans with optimism.

It also seems that Mroziewski has at least two players for each position which should create a healthy competition for places.No longer will a place in the starting line-up depend only on skill but we can also factor ambition and will to win.

Paweł Lewandoski and Marcin Pacan did not dilly, nor indeed did they dally when it came to signing for Radomiak."We've signed them initially on a years contract but this will be automatically extended in the event of promotionto League II" says Władysław Kot, a director at the club

The left midfielder Paweł Kaczmarek will make a decision as to whether to stay at Struga today (25.07.2006) whereasMaciej Terlecki's situation should become clearer on Friday. Terlecki is not currently training with the squad dueto poisoning. Władysław Kot is fairly sure what Terlecki's decision will be: "We've spoken with Maciek and everythingseems to indicate that we will sign the recquired papers at the end of the week"

Also training with the Greens was Arkadiusz Oziewicz who is regarded as one of the brightest prospects involved in footballin Radom at the moment. He impressed in training and it was obvious that a year spent in the youth teams of Wisła Krak?wand Amika Wronki did not go to waste. Oziewicz wants to return to Radom but the transfer fee wanted by Amika may be beyondRadomiaks means.

Source: radomiak.info

Mondays Training

July 26th, 2006

Mondays training saw Maciej Terlecki, Paweł Lewandowski and Paweł Kaczmarek.Unfortunately there was no sign of a new striker or Marcin Pacan whose time was taken up with contract negotiations.Contracts were due to be signed with the newcomers after the training session.

You can see photos of the session here.These pics are on radomiak.info so be sure to visit the site!

Three Weeks 'til Kick-Off

July 26th, 2006

Maciej Terlecki, Pawel Kaczmarek, Marcin Pacan and Pawel Lewandowski are due to odecide today whether ornot they will play for Radomiak in the coming season. It's also likely that there will be at least one other new face at todays training but the identity of said individual is shrouded in secrecy.

For these reasons Monday (24.07.2006) is a very important day for the club and it's manager, Witold Mroziewski,who has been pushing for these players for at least the last two weeks. The most difficult negotiations will most likely be with Maciej Terlecki who isowed money from his last spell with Radomiak and is not likely to sign if the outstanding balance is not paid out.Witold Mroziewski is counting on the former international and European Junior Champion - "I need a player like him to play behind the forwards -someone who can turn a game with one telling move. Terlecki is definately such a player.

Not much is known about Pawel Kaczmarek who will join the side for training today. He's a product of the Amika Wronkiyouth setup and is aged 21. His former clubs also include Kaszuba Koscierzyna, Arka Gdynia and Tura Turek. After leaving Tura in June he trained withLechia Gdansk and Stal Stalowa Wola but did not do enough to gain a deal with either club. Mroziewski though thinks that he would be an asset -"I know Pawels worth, He's left-footed and we need that in the team. He plays on the left side of midfield where Daniel Barzynski plays but he canbe moved into attack.

The game against G?rnik Wieliczka saw two new defenders appear in Radomiak colours - Pawel Lewandowski of Bron Radom and Marcin Pacan of Arka Nowa S?l.The latter impressed during the friendly and his height 1.9m will be an advantage at the back. Lewandowski is well known to Radomiak fans having played for the Greensduring Jerzy Rotas spell in charge.

It's looking likely that the final squad for the season will be known by the end of today (24.07.2006) and signing the players named above wouldbe a feather in the cap of the new Director of Sport Jerzy Antoniak. The work (hopefully) doesn't end there though as it's obvious thatRadomiak are a bit light up front and need another striker.

Todays training is due to take place at 1800 at Struga and there will be two further friendlies before the start of the season - Motor Lublin and Mroziewskisformer club Mazowsze Gr?jec will provide the opposition.

There has also been a change in the fixture list. The Greens had been due to play all their home games on Saturdays but this has now bben changed to Sundays with one Wednesday fixture.

Home games are now as follows:

Date	Time	Opponents
13.08	1700	Stal Glowno
23.08	1700	Klub Sportowy Paradyz
03.09	1700	Nadnarwianka Pultusk
10.09	1700	Concordia Piotrk?w Trybunalski
24.08	1700	Unia Skierniewice
01.10	1700	Swit Nowy Dw?r Mazowiecki
15.10	1700	Pelikan Lowicz
29.10	1700	Stal Glowno
13.08	1700	Freskovita Wysokie Mazowieckie

Friendly Win

July 25th, 2006

Two trialists, Pawel Lewandowski and Marcin Pacantook the field in Radomiak colours during Sundays encounter with G?rnik Wieliczka.They are both due to report at the club on Monday (24.07.2006) and it is likely that they will both sign for Radomiak.

Maciej Terlecki and Pawel Kaczmarek are also due to attend Mondays training session.Terlecki, after half a years break from Radomiak has decided that he wants to rejoin and hashigh hopes of coming to an agreement with the club.As for Kaczmarek, according to Witold Mroziewski, agreed terms and we can consider him a Radomiak player.

Lewandowski and Pacan had been invited for trials. Lewandowski, a former Br*n youth temer, has alreadyplayed for Radomiak in League II. Pacan learnt his trade atKarkonosz Jelenia G?ra and most recently played for Arka Nowa S?l. Pacan is blessed with excellent physical attributes,at 190 cm in height. "They both played very well and we'll have to speak to them with regards to playing for Radomiak and I'vegiven the Director of Sport J?zef Antoniak all the information he needs" Says Witold Mroziewski.

Should these players sign then all that is left is to sign a striker following Piotr Uss's departure. Mroziewski says - "I have two or threenames in mind and we'll talk to them".

Back to the game against G?rnik. Zbigniew Wachowicz sent Domonik Dukalski one on one with the 'keeper in the 17 minute and hebeat the 'keeper to put Radomiak ahead. The second came from a Wachowicz penalty after a foul on Michal Kowalczyk and G?rnik grabbed aconsolation through a defensive blunder.

Missing from the game were Pawel Galczynski who was training on his own and Michal Lewandowski who has an Achilles injury.

Today and tomorrow the players have the day off and they will return to training on Monday. THe next friendly will be on 29th July against Motor Lublin

Source: radomiak.info

Apologies

July 25th, 2006

First off, apologies for not updating the site since Friday (or was it Thursday?). It was my other halves birthday and I was forced to celebrate by consuming copious amounts of alcohol. Poor me ;)

Radomiak 1 Stal Stalowa Wola 1

July 19th, 2006

Radomiak drew 1:1 with Stal Stalowa Wola with Michał Kowalczyk netting his first for the"Greens". The game also saw Paweł Boryczka, a product of the Beniaminek Radom youth teamcurrently contracted to Amika Wronki, make his Radomiak debut.


Radomiak	1 : 1	Stal Stalowa Wola
Kowalczyk 20		Walkiewicz(og) 70

Radomiak

Borkowski (46 Gałczyński) - Sk?rnicki, Michalski, Wachowicz - Sadowski (46 Walkiewicz), Kacprzak(46 Kotwica), Rysiewski, Błażejewski, Barzyński (70 Tarka) - Kowalczyk, Dukalski

Radomiak - Stal 1:1 (1:1), Kowalczyk 20 - samob?jcza (Walkiewicz) 77.
Radomiak: Borkowski (46 Gałczyński) - Sk?rnicki, Michalski, Wachowicz - Sadowski (46Walkiewicz), Kacprzak (46 Kotwica), Rysiewski, Błażejewski, Barzyński (70 Tarka)- Kowalczyk, Dukalski.

Maciej Terlecki has not arrived at the training camp and according to Witold Mroziewski Terlecki is to give his final decision on returning to Radomiak.He also commented on the chances of Paweł Kaczmarek appearing for Radomiak in the coming season, saying that a decision would be made today.

The Greens were at least on a par with their League II opponents today. Michał Kowalczyk latched on to an Artur Błażejewsji pass in the 20th minute and, finding himself one on one with the 'keeper, managed to find the net for his first Radomiak goal.the lead could have been doubled in the 43rd minute but Barzyńskis shot was too weak and didn't trouble the 'keeper.Radom had an excellent chance after a breakthrough by Kotwica but he misplaced his pass to Kowalczyk and shortly after Stal equalised through an on goal from Walkiewicz.

Mroziewskis view of the encounter was upbeat - "It was obvious that although we were better organised as a team than in the past, there were also signs of tiredness.We're still looking for three players to strengthen the squd - an all round defender, an attackin midfielder and a forward."

Krzysztof Nykiel (knee) and Michał Lewandowski did not play due to injuries and a trio of youngsters, namely Piotr Banasiak, Artur Drachal and Marcin Sikorski were rested.

Things Are Looking Up

July 18th, 2006

Should Radomiak play for points as well as they did in todays friendly then the fans can readythemselves for a swift return to League II.

The question we have all being asking during the close season is whether or not WitoldMroziewski would be able to rebuild the team after relegation from League II. Judging by todaysperformance he seems to have managed it. Radomiak played a much more intelligent game than thenewly promoted League II club and, given a bit more luck in front of goal they could have had thewin. Slawomir Adamus, Stals coach was philosophical - "Its not the team that creates all thechances that wins - it's the one that takes the chances." His side had very few chances in front ofgoal and Tomasz Borkowski and Pawel Galczynski were up to the task of stopping the efforts they didhave. It was also heartening to see the obvious improvement in the team work when switching betweenformations and changing tactics.

Mroziewski was releatively happy, "It's true that we're a long way off perfection but we'll return to Radom in a lot better shape than we were yesterday. Basically, time is on our side".

The new director J?zej Antoniak was watching from the sidelines, breaking off from discussions with Mroziewski about new players, among them Maciej Ter

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