Włodzimierz Chomicki

Włodzimierz Michał Chomicki (April 19, 1878 in Lwow – July 12, 1953 in Chocianow) was a scorer of the first officially registered soccer goal in Ukraine and Poland.

The historic goal was scored on July 14, 1894 in Lwow, during the Second Meeting of Polish Falcons. On that day, numerous sports tournaments took place, among them there was a soccer game between the teams from Lwow and Krakow. Chomicki, who was 16 at the time, netted the ball in the 6th minute, soon afterwards referee Zygmunt Wyrobek from Krakow finished the game, as gymnastics competition was planned on the same pitch.

Chomicki himself never sought for fame. He took up a job of a gymnastics teacher in Lwow’s 9th High School, retiring in 1938. Somewhere in 1945 or 1946 he was forced to move to Poland’s ‘recovered territories and settled in Chocianow in Lower Silesia.

Chomicki’s feat was honored not only by the Poles, but also the Ukrainians. On May 18, 1999 Ukrainian Football Federation announced that July 14 would be officially regarded as beginning of Ukrainian football.