BKS Stal Bielsko-Biała

BKS Stal
Full name Bialski Klub Sportowy Stal
Nickname(s) South Boys
Ground Stadion Miejski w Bielsku-Białej
Capacity 4279[1]
Chairman Czesław Świstak
Manager Poland J. Furlepa
League III liga
Website [ Club home page]

BKS Stal Bielsko-Biała is a Polish sports club, with two departments: the men's football team and the women's volleyball team. The club is based in Bielsko-Biała. The football team plays in the Polish lower divisions, whereas the volleyball team is one of the top sides in the country.

History

The Bielsko Sports Club is one of the oldest clubs in Poland. It was founded at a time when, after Polish independence, the process of creating organised clubs where sports could be played was begun, and the fulfill the need for competition. In Bielsko-Biała there was a further problem. In the region of the city the German clubs were very active and dominated the region. At the time it was felt here was a need to create a Polish club which would represent them, and it is at that time that the BKS was founded, alongside several other sports clubs in the region.[2] The club was under the patronage of several industries, most notably under the Bielsko Sewing Machine factory Befama (Bielska Fabryka Maszyn Włókienniczych "Befama"), under which the club expanded rapidly and later the FSM factory, which still exists today under a Fiat ownership.

Football

The football team has spent the majority of its history in the lower divisions, although they came close twice by coming runners up in the Second Division twice. Most of its history has been spent oscillating between the third and fourth tiers of Polish football. Their most notable achievement as becoming national champions in the U-19 category in 1980.

Volleyball

The women's volleyball team plays in Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League, with several youth teams and scouting system. The reserve team (BKS II) plays in the Third Division. BKS is one the most successful teams in the country: they have been especially successful since the late 80's, winning consecutive titles and numerous cups. The dominance has continued well into the new millennium and the club is consistently still among the top ranked teams in the country. Recent seasons:

Other sections

At the height of the clubs expansion, after the 60's and 50's, the club had 22 different sports departments. Only two remain to this day, and the declining economy and lack of money during the Polish Second Republic, as with lots of other Polish clubs at the time, meant that over the years the departments were shut down one by one. However, the weightlifting and hockey sections have produced several international athletes, such as weightlifting world record holder Antoni Pietruszek, and hockey national team player Wiktor Olszowski.

Fans

BKS fans usually focus on football team due to the culture around the sport, however they do sometimes support the women's volleyball team too for important games. The fans are usually nicknamed South Boys, and frequently highlight the fact they are the most southward major club in Poland. They have friendships with fans of Legia Warsaw, Zagłębie Sosnowiec, and Olimpia Elbląg. Their biggest rivals are fellow locals Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała with who they contest the Bielsko-Biała Derby, however they also have rivalries with most Upper Silesian teams.

Achievements

Football

Volleyball

League

Cup

References

  1. ↑ http://www.90minut.pl/skarb.php?id_klub=24
  2. ↑ http://pilkanozna.bks.bielsko.pl/pl/informacje-o-klubie/

External Links

See also