Radović, Ajax, and the rest of the season ahead of us

I had high hopes for Legia actually advancing in the Europa League yesterday, however Ajax was better by those 4 goals in both matches. This could all easily be blamed on bad form, lack of proper coordination, too many rotations in the squad, very poor accuracy, or the absence of Miroslav Radović. Naturally, the last on the list is now seen by many as a traitor, sellout, or even the main reason behind our below par performance, however I believe he's far from being a traitorous sellout who left when the team needed him most. We've won and lost titles and cups without him, and we'll continue to do the same whether he's kicking the ball in China, or the United Arab Emirates. The Europa League is behind us, and now we can focus on winning the championship and the Polish cup.

You can't really blame the horrible result against Ajax on one thing. That would be not only too easy, but also wrong. Henning Berg had his reasons for rotating the squad as much as he did every other match, since it seemed to work in the first half of the season. Of course, then we had Radović and Duda on the field, Kucharczyk who was in great form, Vrdoljak who foresaw passes and intercepted with precision, and everything else which just seemed to click. “You win some, you lose some” as Lemmy used to sing on “Ace of Spades”. As great as the second half of the first match against Ajax was (albeit the accuracy), the second leg just looked chaotic. Especially when you're losing at home 0-2 after just 13 minutes. Which takes you back to the Champions League qualifiers in the 2013/14 season against Steaua Bucharest, where after 9 minutes we were down 0-2. Perhaps it's more in the mental sphere, rather than the physical elements of the sack kickers. As mentioned earlier, there are also those who wish to also put the blame on Radović for not sticking with the team during the “most important moment of his career” or something like that.

Radović is 31 this year and has been in Legia since the beginning of the 2006/07 season. During that time he's won 2 Championships, 4 Polish cups and one Supercup. He played in 228 league matches scoring 53 goals (other sources 54). He played in 36 Polish cup matches scoring 7 goals, 16 League cup matches scoring 2 goals, and 'most important' of all, he's played in 46 European cup matches scoring 15 goals (the record in Legia not taking into account Intertoto matches prior to 1994 when UEFA actually took it under its wings). During the last few seasons he's become the offensive leader that Legia always needs, and right before the first leg against Ajax, rumors began to spread that a team from the Chinese 2^nd league is offering big money for the player. Of course, Radović signed a new contract with Legia a few months earlier (18^th of November) guaranteeing a no buyout clause for him (previously it was half a million euros). Surely, he could have stayed in Legia until the end of time and a day, but apparently he wishes to provide as much as he can for his family while he can (because you can't give me the 'it's going to be a sports challenge' argument here since it's the 2^nd Chinese league). I would just like to remind all those naysayers that a major idol and legend in Legia also left when he was 31 years old – Deyna.

It wasn't right before the “most important moment of his career”, however if a legend like that had the right to leave Legia, then what's wrong with an icon-but-not-legend player like Radović leaving? He did say that he wish he could play in Legia forever, but how many players have spewed even more absurd statements? I wish the guy the best, and hope he comes back soon, because it's always easy to point fingers, but it somehow seems difficult to look at things from a different angle.

The loss of Radović is not only a huge blow to the team, but also the whole league, since not too many players could pass, shoot, or dribble the ball like him (although the majority of his dribbles were basically the same). Henning Berg is probably the most distraught of all, since the majority of his plans for Legia's style in the second part of the season have been wiped clean. There are no two Rados, unless you take into account his sons, but they've still got some growing to do. Luckily, all we have to do is focus on the league and the Polish cup now, which shouldn't be much of a problem with the super squad which coach Berg has available. 

P.S. The big crowd which came out to support Legia from across the stadium was great. Perfect atmosphere to a poorly played match. Major thanks to the organizers. 

Silence

Today was a national day of mourning in Poland. This was declared after the death of Tadeusz Mazowiecki  (the 28^th of October), the first “non-Communist” prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe.

What is more, two days ago we had All Saints Day, therefore it just so happens that the mourning ‘celebrations’ came at a time when one (supposedly) should reflect upon whatever he/she deems as necessary to reflect upon.

During yesterday’s Legia’s home game against Zagłębie Lubin (2:0), the speaker announced that before the match starts, there will be a symbolic minute of silence for players, fans, and other figures related to Legia who have died in the past year (not to exclude this silence solely for the late prime minister). The silence was respected before the match, however I am very sure that it is because of the fans, players, et consortes, who had passed away in the past year, and not because of Mazowiecki. If the silence were to be just for him, then the supporters would not be so humble.

I bring this issue up, due to the fact that during today’s ‘friendly’ (in terms of fans, not the actual game, since it was a league one) match between Lechia Gdańsk and Śląsk Wrocław there was an ‘incident’. Before the match began, there was a minute of silence in commemoration of Mazowiecki and Gerard Cieślik (spent his entire career in Ruch Chorzów (1939-1959), playing in 237 matches, and scoring 168 goals (3^rd place in this general classification). Scored 2 goals against the Soviet Union on the 20^th of October, 1957. He is also the only person to be in the Klub Wybitnego Reprezentanta (Club of Eminent Representatives), even though he only played 45 matches for the Polish national team (a minimum of 60 is required). He died the night before.). During this silence, fans of both teams chanted “Precz z Komuną!” (“Down with Communism!”) and “A na drzewach zamiast liści, będą wisieć komuniści!” („Communists, not leaves, will hang from trees!”).

Of course, the TV commentators felt appalled that such a situation occurred. Not to mention other journalists for whom Mazowiecki was one of the most cherished ‘moral authorities’ in Poland. They somehow could not grasp and understand WHY fans with strong anti-Communist roots were displeased with this mourning-celebration. Gdańsk is the birthplace of “Solidarność”, and Lechia fans were engaged in fighting Communism in the 1970’s and 1980’s – both on and off the terraces. Nobody seems to care that Mazowiecki spoke (well, wrote about, in a book he co-authored, “Wróg pozostał ten sam” (1952)) very wrongly about the Żołnierze Wyklęci (Cursed Soldiers), that  he criticized those who emigrated to London and tried to help Poland in any way they could during those horrid times, or that he threatened people (Catholics) who did not accept the agreement which the Communist government  forced upon the Catholic Church in Poland, etc. Surely, everyone makes mistakes, but at least have the decency to apologize for your wrongs, especially if you are a ‘moral authority’. I will not dissect Mazowiecki’s words and actions during the 1980’s and 1990’s, since (firstly) this is not a historical blog, and (secondly) I for one do not have the time to elaborate on all of his doings. Right or wrong. Allow for me not to be the judge in this case.

In my opinion, what the fans did was nothing wrong. Just because there is a minute of silence for someone, that does not mean that it has to be respected. “But he was the first non-Communist PM…” you say? Well, first of all, he was first a prime minister of a PRL (People’s Republic of Poland) government. Secondly, just because somebody was ‘the first’ in a ‘democratic’ country, means diddly-squat. General Wojciech Jaruzelski was the first president of the III RP (Republic of Poland), does this mean that there will be a minute of silence in his commemoration on all the stadiums as well? If so, then the TV commentators, journalists, and all other ‘moral authorities’ (and their ‘oh-so-innocent’ supporters) better be prepared for a minute of hate, not silence.

On a side note, I thought that all of the ‘moral authoritative figures’, TV commentators, and the like, wished for football stadiums to be rid of politics? Unless, once again, as with those ‘tolerance-spewers’ (“there is no tolerance for the enemies of tolerance”), we are dealing with a “no-politics-unless-they-are-the-proper-politics” type of agenda? Whatever the weather, I will definitely not lose any sleep over the death of Mazowiecki, but that goes for the majority of the ‘brave’, ‘intelligent’, and ‘cunning’ fucks which partook any role in the infamous Round Table Agreement. Fate rest their souls. 

For better or worse

Legia lost to Zawisza Bydgoszcz 1:3. This wouldn’t be such a big deal, since losses are like shit. They happen. If we were to win every match, then we would have many (many) more trophies in our showcase. Not to say that our display cabinets are fraught with ghosts of “should-have-won” trophies. We are the fourth most titled team in Polish football history.

Since 1916, Legia has taken 3^rd place 13 times, 2^nd place 10 times, and 1^st place 10 times (in official statistics this number is 9, due to the fact that in 1993, PZPN (the Polish Football Association) decided to take the championship title away from Legia. The day after the last (34^th) round of the Polish first league matches, PZPN decided that the matches played between Wisła Kraków  and Legia (which ended with a 6:0 away win for Legia), as well as ŁKS Łódź and Olimpia Poznań (which ended 7:1 for ŁKS) were rigged, and therefore the results were annulled. Lech Poznań jumped from 3^rd to 1^st place, taking the championship home proudly. There was no investigation in this matter, no witnesses (players, coaches, referees, et consortes) were questioned with respect to corruption in this matter, and no court ruled upon this case. The only body which was responsible for this decision was the Presidium Board of PZPN, which voted 5:4 in favor of stripping Legia of the championship title, the day after the “Sunday of miracles” (the 34^th round) occurred. We were given the 2^nd position, and ŁKS the 3^rd.).

We have won 16 Polish Cups (Puchar Polski; 3 in the last three years), the most out of any other teams in Poland (behind us are: Górnik Zabrze (6), Lech Poznań (5), Wisła Krakow (4) and Zagłębie Sosnowiec (4)).

We have won 4 Polish SuperCups (Superpuchar Polski), and, ex aequo with Lech Poznań, we are the leaders in this category as well (behind us are: Amica Wronki (2), GKS Katowice (2) and Śląsk Wrocław (2)).

Anyways, enough with the statistics, since I actually want you to finish reading this, instead of taking a nap. Legia lost against Zawisza, and as I have mentioned above, (sh)it happens. However, with respect to this loss, a few things come to the forefront:

i). This was by far the worst match Legia has played this season (taking into account matches on all three fronts: Polish league, European cups, and the Polish cup). We did not have any creative ideas necessary to construct any proper play. We were lucky enough to have the free kick which Helio Pinto turned into a goal. The first one this season (out of 32) scored from outside the penalty box.

ii). Our second squad is not as great as we had thought. With around a dozen players recovering from injuries (Kuciak, Astiz, Cichocki, Broź, Łukasik, Efir, Mizgała, Augusto, Radović, Żyro, Kosecki, Mikita, Saganowski), half of whom are – theoretically – from the first squad, Legia did not have much to show for. Apparently, some players still have not reached ‘that’ level, or perhaps the (L)arge shoe is too big for them, and they should try a smaller fit elsewhere.

Of course, this was only the 14^th round (out of 30 in all) of the first half of the season (before all the points get cut in half, the league gets divided into the “relegation” group and “championship” group, and 7 additional matches are played, amounting to 37 league matches in all), and it is better for such a faulty match to occur now, than later, but the main task at hand should be to eliminate all of the erroneous decisions which the players made throughout yesterday’s match, before it is too late.

We possess the infrastructure, (some) players, and finances to dominate this league from the get go, but actions need to follow spoken (or written) words. Everybody makes mistakes, and thank fate for that, but it is vital that one should learn from them, in order to improve that which is faulty.

On a positive note, those who never disappoint did their best to support their team. 1750 fanatics were on tour last night, and taking into account that it was a Wednesday, then that is quite a good number (we received 1900 tickets).  

So, referring to what I began with, feelings are like shit, they happen. Sometimes, because of a loss, you feel shitty, and perhaps that’s the common denominator between the two. However, there is always a brighter side to something. Legia may not always win, and I have come to accept that quite a while ago. The thing is (and this is perhaps as old a cliché as football itself), it is most important to be with your team when they are losing, since any fool can tag along for the ride on the glorious wave of success. Of course, (here comes another cliché) nobody likes a loser. Nonetheless, it is most vital to be with your team when they lose. As the old marriage saying goes, “for better or worse”. 

The Magical Kaz Kaka, General Deyna, or simply – Kazik

The greatest Polish footballer to walk the Earth, and the best player to ever wear the jersey with the “L” on his pumping muscle. Although not born in Warsaw (born on the 23^rd of October, in 1947, in Starogard Gdański), he is loved and adored by every Legia fanatic, supporter, or anybody who knows a thing or two about football (with a few imbecilic exceptions). He spent the best days of his career playing for Legia Warszawa (from 1966-1978), achieving great success on a national, as well as international level. 

Kazimierz Deyna

Prior to playing for Legia, he appeared in one match for ŁKS Łódź against Górnik Zabrze (in the highest division). Shortly after that, the Party and the army decided to step in, and select one of three ŁKS players - Zdzisław Kostrzewiński, Edward Studniorz, and the afore mentioned Kazimierz Deyna. Due to the fact that the other players were older – and Deyna only played in one match in the highest division – ŁKS decided to let Deyna go. Perhaps a decision that they regret to this day.

His debut in Legia was against Ruch Chorzów on the 20^th of November, 1966, where coach Vejvoda played him as an attacker. "Kaziu, ty jseś rozeny zaloźnik" ("Kaziu, you were born to be a midfielder") were the words spoken by Legia's coach after that match. He was moved to the second line to play alongside Bernard Blaut, and Lucjan Brychczy, at the same time replacing Wiesław Korzeniwski, a rising star from Warsaw.  On the 13^th of May, 1967, in an away match against GKS Katowice, he managed to pass one past the keeper in the 81^st minute (fourth goal for Legia in that match), and his scoring journey for Legia had begun. Two weeks later, on the 28^th of May, in a match against Śląsk Wrocław, Legia won 1:3, and Deyna celebrated his first hat-trick, scoring all of the goals in the first half. Legia ended that season off in 4th place, and the following season saw Legia on the podium (2^nd place).

The season of 1968/69 was a season to remember for Legia fans. On the 4th of June, 1969, Legia faced Pogoń Szczecin at home. On a warm day in June, twelve thousand fans came to the stadium to see if Legia, who was first in the league, would be able to march towards the championship. Górnik Zabrze  (with Włodzimierz Lubański) had only one point less than Legia, and were counting on Legia to slip, trip or fall in whatever way possible. Fortunately, the match began with Lucjan Brychczy scoring the first goal in the third minute. Before the first half was over, Legia was winning 3:0 (Deyna - 2:0, Pieszko - 3:0). With 3 minutes left to the end of the match (Legia now winning 5:0, with Żmijewski and Pieszko scoring the 4^th, and 5^th goals), Legia had a free kick directly in front of the net, around the 17^th meter. Then and there, Deyna scored his characteristic goal – a curved ball shot from the inner part of his right foot. The ball flew past Pogoń's wall, right into the top left corner. The immense craze that engulfed the stadium muted the referee's whistle, which sounded due to the fact that the goal was not counted as a proper gain, and the free kick had to be repeated. The wall was made up of 7 Pogoń players, and they seemed to cover the whole net. This time around, Deyna kicked the ball in a different manner. It had less rotation, just enough to pass the wall not too high above the ground. Before the goalkeeper knew it, the ball was in the net. 

Three weeks after the match against Pogoń, the then champion Ruch Chorzów came to Warsaw. It was the match which would decide the championship of the 1968/69 season. It was supposedly one of the best matches played on Legia's stadium, with the Warsaw-based team winning 6:2; 4:1 already by half-time. Deyna and Pieszko scored two goals each, and Gadocha and Żmijewski each threw one in the net. During that season Deyna played in 26 matches, scoring 12 goals. 

On the 24th of April, 1968, on the Śląsk Stadium in Chorzów, Poland won against Turkey 8:0. It was Kazik's debut for the National team, where he was given a chance to play throughout the first half.  

From the beginning, up until the late '60's, Poles didn't succeed much in the European cups. That stopped in the Autumn of 1969, and the following year when Legia became one of the most popular teams on the Old Continent. They were spoken of in the same superlatives as the likes of Benfica, Inter, Real or Milan. Definitely the highest point in Legia's history. In 1969 and 1970 Legia became Polish champions, and played exceptionally well in the European cups. Legia defeated the French champions AS Saint-Étienne (2-1, 1-0) in the 2^nd round, and after the match in France (where Deyna scored the winning goal) Deyna was referred to as a General by the French media. In the Spring of 1970 Legia defeated Galatasaray 3:0 with ease, and all three goals were scored by the 36-year old Lucjan Brychczy. It was thanks to this victory that Legia was the first Polish team to be amongst the best four teams in Europe. Losing in the semi-finals to Feyenord Rotterdam in the two-legged ties, who ended up winning the European Cup that year.

During the 1969/70 season, Legia was coached by Edmund Zientara (the only person in the history of Legia Warszawa to win the championship as a player, and later as a coach), and the Soldiers won the championship having 5 points more than Ruch Chorzów.

Deyna as seen by other Legia players (translation to come)

In the 1970/71 season, Legia finished 2^nd, and the year after that 3^rd, where in the latter season Deyna played in all of the matches, full time (together 2340 minutes).

On the 10^th of September 1972 the Polish national team won the gold medal in the Summer Olympics held in Munich, and Kazik was the top scorer with 9 goals next to his name. It was after this tournament that Deyna became the number one footballer in Poland, with practically every club in Poland wanting him on their team. France Football chose him as the 6^th best player in Europe. 

On September 27^th 1972 Legia set a new record and defeated Vikingur Reykjavik 9:0. In return, we were visited by AC Milan, the then European, as well as World, club champion. The rossoneri visitors scored the first goal 15 minutes before the end of the match, but that didn't break the spirits of Legia. Romeo Benetti, who was in charge of Deyna, decided that Kazik wasn't a threat in the center of the field. He allowed him to pass the ball to the left flank, and apparently forgot to cover him, since Deyna decided to head straight towards the 16-yard box at full speed. Stefan Białas, who received the pass from "Kaka", was apparently tuned to the same frequency as his passing partner, since he passed before Deyna could yell "now!". Deyna kicked the ball with all of his strength, and the ball scraped the crossbar before ending up in the net. He kicked the ball center on goal, but the goalie, Pierangelo Belli, did not manage to lift his hands in time to stop the shot. When he saw that the ball was in the net, he... began to clap his hands as a form of praise. Legia ended up tying the match 1:1, and lost in Milan 2:1 after extra time. 

The Autumn of 1973 was an important time for the Polish national team, which managed to advance to the World Cup finals for the first time after the Second World War. The Legionaries Ćmikiewicz, Gadocha and Deyna played a key role in the Polish team, as did three other Legionaries, Górski, Strejlau and Gmoch, on the coach's bench. 

Midway through 1973, Deyna's son - Norbert Kazimierz Sebastian - was born.

In the Summer of 1974, Poland took 3^rd place in the World Cup, after defeating Brazil 0 - 1, and Kazik was selected as the third best footballer in the world. According to France Football he was amongst the greats - Cruyff and Beckenbauer. The famous German magazine Kicker awarded Deyna with a "Bronze Ball" for being the third best footballer in the world.

What did the media write about Deyna and co. during that time?

Harry Valerin - (journalist from West Germany, and football theoretician): "The world has found out that the new Rivera, new Gerson, new Netzer has come to West Germany from a country which has been looked upon as a football province. After the World Cup, Deyna has been named the best midfield player in the world. His attributes aren't speed and bellicosity, as was the case with Gerson or Netzer. The Pole is a bigger artist than the afore mentioned, such as Gianni Rivera, but with a slight difference. The Italian could initiate a genius play, whereas the Pole is a footballer who can not only direct the gameplay of the whole team, but can also kick the ball with strength and precision which is hard to come by. Deyna is a player who throws upon the attackers his own playing tempo."

Hubert Burda - (journalist from West Germany): "Deyna wasn't as straightforward with his passes like Neeskens, but thanks to his thought-out passes, and huge effort he set his team's gameplay in order".

Hennes Weisweiler - (known coach): "The Polish players showed that, which was the best during these finals. Such palyers as Deyna presented heart-grabbing and fresh offensive football".

Muenchner Merkur journal, after winning against Argentina 3:2: "The Poles presented the most modern form of football. Their player, sporting the number 12 on his jersey, Kazimierz Deyna, is the perfect player, who strolled around the Argentine defenders with the ball next to his foot. He's supposedly just a man, but one who can walk through walls in movies".

La Libre Belgique journal: "Deyna - a strategist, who can be compared only to Beckenbauer".

Three months after the World Cup finals, Kazimierz Deyna was promoted to lieutenant. What seemed to be the best thing at the time, ended up being the beginning of the end. The World Cup in West Germany turned Polish football upside down. The mentality of the players, referees, and the people responsible for football in Poland changed. Two years later, the National team managed to "only" take the silver medal in the Summer Olympics held in Montreal. Coach Kazimierz Górski left the National team, and different things began to occur in Polish clubs as well. In mid-1975 Andrzej Strejlau became Legia's coach, and everybody thought that you can only go up from here. The footballers in Legia who remembered the "golden era" of the late 60's and early 70's were but few - Deyna, Pieszko, and Ćmikiewicz, as well as Brychczy... on the coach's bench. It's not a big surprise that a team which was going through changes wouldn't be able to deliver the goods - 3:2 against Lech, and 2:0 against Polonia Bytom at the start of the season, and then 0:6 against Stal Mielec. Soon after that, 0:6 against Szombierki Bytom. Deyna himself didn't have luck either. In a match against Górnik Zabrze, the Miners played better football, and on top of that, Andrzej Szarmach (Górnik's attacker) could not be stopped that day (scoring 2 goals). Legia's players and fans were beyond angry. Henryk Wieczorek, a defender who didn't play too aggressively, was in charge of covering Deyna; they both knew each other from the national team. However, covering Deyna without fouling him was practically impossible. Wieczorek was no exception. He kicked "Kaka" from behind, and our playmaker snapped. He grabbed the ball, and kicked it as hard as he could at the player who fouled him. This occurred after the referee blew the whistle in favor of Legia, therefore the only punishment that Deyna could receive was a red card. It was a shocker, since that was the only red card in Deyna's carreer. On a side note, the media's reaction was imminent, and they blamed everything on... the referee. It was then, that Legia fans began the infamous chant: “Deyna Kazimierz, nie rusz Kazika bo zginiesz!” (Deyna Kazimierz, leave Kazik be, or you’ll die).

Legia graffiti done by Legia fans - WFS, 2010

In 1977 Deyna turned 30. The magazine Piłka Nożna conducted an interview with Kazik in commemoration of this event. Here's a fragment from that interview: "My legs have traces of various matches. There were many rivals who would much rather attack my leg, than the ball. I calculated that if nothing unforeseen happens, then I could play football until I'm 33. I have two goals connected with the national team - play 100 matches, and play in the World Cup finals. If the latter occurs next year in Argentina, then I'll end my journey with the national team. However, I'd want to play my farewell match in Poland, after the return from South America. I have achieved that, what was achievable. I had plenty of goals, and that number grew as I developed. As a junior, I wanted to play in the senior club, then I dreamed of playing in Legia with Bryczhczy and Blaut. Then I wanted to play for the national team, and when that came to be, I wanted to be the best player on the Polish squad, and for Poland to be the best team. Maybe that's still possible. I was the top scorer of the Olympics, the third footballer in the world, and I played in the All Star team with the best footballers on the globe. All of that gives me great satisfaction. Yes, I have reached my goal. I had proposals to play for Saint-Étienne, Milan, Inter, Bayern, Real Madrid, AZ 76 Alkmaar, Neuchatel Xamax... Prince Rainier of Monaco personally tried to convince me to play for AS Monaco. I thought about playing for Real Madrid the most, since that was my childhood dream. But that's impossible. They won't let me go. I'll most likely be able to leave when I won't be able to run anymore. And who will buy me then?" Real Madrid was so determined to buy Deyna from Legia, that they sent a shirt with his name and number "14" to CWKS Legia. That shirt can now be viewed in Legia's Museum.

Soldier of Freedom carried out an interview with him, which the Polish media quickly picked up on, as a direct order from the Party's (KC PZPR) Press Office. He stated (or perhaps, it was printed) that: "...My goal is to play for CWKS Legia. It's an honor for me, as is playing for the Polish national team. My life is tied to the Polish Armed Forces, and I will stay loyal to that. There are more important things for a sportsman, than dollars". 

After the Olympics held in Montreal, Jacek Gmoch began his two and a half year journey as the head coach of the national team. He began with an away victory against Portugal in the 1978 World Cup qualifiers. He also won in Copenhagen, and on Cyprus, as well as home matches with the toughest of rivals on the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów. It was on this stadium that Deyna scored a goal directly from a corner kick against Portugal. Thanks to that goal, Poland tied, and qualified to the World Cup finals for the second time in a row. However, that match carried a controversial burden upon its shoulders. Nobody understands how the captain of the team, who was not only the best Polish player, but who also left more sweat and heart out on the field than most players, was hooted by tens of thousands of spectators (~100,000 attendees were at the stadium). Something reserved for the rivals was brought down upon the best Polish footballer simply because he played for Legia.

Deyna's goal, directly from a corner kick (and the hooting crowd)

The Argentinean World Cup did not turn out so well for Kazik. It was not only poorer performance wise, but also very unlucky. For the first time in a really long while a new contender for the title of "best Polish footballer" had arrived. Zbigniew Boniek was 10 years younger, had great talent, and was eager to compete. In a match against Argentina, Poland was losing 1:0 in Rosario, and had a chance to score via a penalty kick. A golden jubilee overshadowed by a dark cloud. Nobody could deny the fact, that Deyna knew how to shoot. However, in this instance, everything turned against him. The tens of thousands of fans against him surely couldn’t' have been the main factor, since he managed to score in matches where the pressure and intensity was much greater. Unfortunately, something did disrupt the Polish captain. It was Deyna's 100^th match for Poland. Before the match he received flowers, ovations, and many articles in the press. His 100^th match as the 8^th player in the world to do so. And all of this during the World Cup finals. Could there be anything more beautiful for a sportsman? To score a goal, and commemorate the jubilee; to show that he can still do it. Kazik took the ball as usual, without exchanging a word with, or looking at, anybody. Then, Boniek came up to him and said: "Kaziu, if you feel that you can't do it, then maybe I can shoot it?". For Kazik, Boniek was the last person whom he would allow to take the penalty kick. He wanted to shoot like never before. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned. He let us down for the first time. He tried to score a goal similar to the one against Marićov in 1974. However, the Argentinean goalkeeper, Matildo Fillol, was present in West Germany then, and knew what to expect. That's how Deyna parted with the national team. A week later he played his last match against Brazil, and he would never speak of that penalty kick.

Nevertheless, the world didn't forget about Deyna. One missed shot couldn't have erased his long and great career. Pelé, who already praised Deyna during the World Cup finals in West Germany, invited him along with his wife to New York for a match - Cosmos versus the Rest of the World. The match was played on the 30^th of August, 1978 on the New York Giants stadium, with the end result being 2:2. Alongside Deyna, Cosmos was made up of: Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia, and Johan Cruyff. The opposing team was made up of such stars as: the Brazilian goalkeeper Leao, Argentinean World Champions Jorge Olguin, Alberto Tarantini, and Americo Gallego, Dutch footballers Johnny Rep, Wim Rijsbergen, the Peruvian Teofilo Cubillas, the Brazilian Roberto Rivelino, and two Poles - Grzegorz Lato and Zbigniew Boniek. Jan Tomaszewski could not make it to the match since he was debuting in K. Beerschot V.A.C. After the match, during a banquet held at the Plaza Hotel, Pelé came up to Deyna, along with the owner of Cosmos (a Turkish multimillionaire, Ertegun), and said: "Listen, Kaz, we really like your style of playing. Maybe you'd like to stay in New York? We have quite the team here. Cruyff and Chinaglia would play in attack, and you, Beckenbauer and Rivelino would play midfield. What do you say?". Kazik turned down the offer. Three weeks earlier the president of Manchester City put forward a request for Deyna to be able to work in England. His last chance to play for a foreign club was becoming more realistic. He was permitted to leave to a country which was a member of NATO. He played in Legia until the end, under Andrzej Strejlau. On the 28^th of October 1978 he played in a match which was remembered for a long time. Odra Opole came to Warsaw, and Legia lost 3:5. Two of the three goals were scored by Deyna - the last goals he scored for Legia, and in Poland in general. The goalie for Odra was Józef Młynarczyk, and this is what he said about one of those goals: "... One of the goals that Kazik scored against me haunts me to this day. I still have no idea how he did it. The ball was flying above me, and I was sure that it will go past the net, but then out of nowhere it fell right behind me. Literally "behind my collar", as they say. Luckily, I’m not the only one that Deyna made a fool of ". On the 7^th of November 1978 he left to Manchester with his wife and child. His last goodbye was on the 18^th of September 1979. He played in a match at Legia's stadium - Legia vs. Manchester City, sporting a white jersey in the first half, and a blue jersey in the second half. Both jerseys had the number "10" on the back. What's more, he scored goals for both, Legia and Manchester City in that match.

During the 13 seasons (12 years) that he played for Legia, Deyna appeared in 304 matches, scoring 94 goals (second place in both categories behind another Legia legend – Lucjan Brychczy, with his stats at 368/182). In commemoration of Kazimierz Deyna, as of 4^th of July 2006, the number “10” is restricted, and no player in Legia can select it as their jersey number.

Deyna's going away match - Legia vs. Manchester City

He left Poland on the 7^th of November, and signed a contract with Manchester City two days later, although with no official consent from the Polish Federation until two weeks later. His manager, Ted Miodonski, residing in California, worked on the deal for three months alongside Manchester City's president Peter Swales, and their secretary Bernard Halford. Manchester City paid 100,000 pounds, committed to playing two matches against Legia (home and away), as well as providing Legia with one complete set of Adidas gear. Due to the fact that nobody stated what kind of gear was supposed to be provided, Manchester City gave the worst that they had. Deyna was the second footballer from Eastern Europe to be contracted by an English club; Ivan Golacu's transfer from Partizan Belgrad to Southampton was the first. In August of 1979, the Yugoslovanian Draglosav Stepanović transferred to Manchester City and played alongside Kaziu, later to become a known coach in the Bundesliga. 

On the Ringway airport, Kazik was greeted by journalists and Manchester City fans like a real master of the arts, knowing that Deyna had played in over 400 matches, and scoring around 150 goals. On the 25^th of November he put the blue shirt on for the first time in a match against Ipswich Town. About 40 thousand people came to the stadium by Maine Road to see Deyna's performance, however instead of a magnificent performance, the fans of the Citizens had to experience a 1:2 loss. In the Spring of 1979 the Polish General helped his team avoid relegation by scoring 7 goals in the last 8 matches of the season. However, it wasn't long before he switched places from the headlines of newspapers, to the bench of reserves. Deyna always wanted to play in England, especially after the match at Wembley. In general, it is believed that he selected the worst possible option (taking into account that at 31 he didn't have many options), however, he never admitted to it. He believed that although he didn't end up playing in a club which equaled his greatness, he managed to accomplish his childhood dream - to play in England's Premier League. 

The biggest problem for Kazik was that he didn't possess the typical characteristics of an English footballer. In return, he possessed the characteristics which English footballers, or the majority of his club partners, didn't know of. He wasn't fast, he didn't tangle himself up in any struggles, and played rather weakly with his head. The latter he used to create plays, and used it only when necessary. He served his partners on the field with exquisite passes which they failed to make use of, since they never foresaw what Deyna would do. They didn't read about them in the handbooks written by the best British theoreticians, and they weren't presented with them by their coaches. They perceived their friend from a Communist country, as a wild person who accomplished so much, in a way that was incomprehensible for them. During his stay in England, he didn't write to anybody, not even his family. He didn't like to write, or talk, he preferred to play. On one of his visits to England, Stefan Szczepłek (who would later write a book entitled "Deyna") spoke to Kazik, and this is what he had to say: "You know, they don't really know where they should play me. They keep looking for the right position, but they can't find it. To me it's a silly situation, and I laugh at it, but I'm starting to be fed up with these morons. They recently decided that I'll be a center attacker. Do you see me in that role here? The center forward on the Isles, means that you charge at the opponent's goal, and in his 18-yard box jump up and hit the center back in the face with your elbow. They tell your opponent to do the same to you. When a clash occurs, it's like two trains colliding. And I'm supposed to do that? Never. I'm leaving this place soon, I just don't know where to. I could still play in France, or the United States. I'll think about it". 

He lived in England from November 1978 until January 1981. Manchester City played 97 matches during that period, Deyna played in 42 of them, scoring 13 goals. He played among such players as: Joe Corrigham (one of his best friends in the club), Mike Channon, Peter Barnes, Asa Hartford (his main rival, loved by the general manager, Tony Book, and coach, Malcolm Allison), Dave Watson, Colin Bell, Dennis Tueart, Phil Boyer, and Willie Donachie. Not playing in the first squad forced Kazik to leave for the United States of America. This was done with the help of none other than Ted Miodonski who invited the player and his family to the States (shortly after, Deyna wouldn't have anything good to say about Ted). Deyna's last match in Manchester City was on October 22^nd 1980 against Tottenham (3:1), and his last goal for the Citizens was scored on April 19^th 1980 against Bristol (3:0).

Even though Deyna played in Manchester for a short period of time, he was definitely one of the best and most talented players on the team in the years 1978-81. He proved this by finding a place in the top 50 players of all time for Manchester City (done up by the weekly Times, surpassing such players as Robinho). “He was an incredibly talented player whose injuries stood in the way of his further development. However, his persona is still known amongst City fans”. In 2008 the English magazine Four Four Two placed Deyna on the 48^th place as far as foreign players in the Premier League. He surpassed such players as: Marc Overmars, Edwin Van der Saar, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Dan Petrescu, Nwankwo Kanu, Slaven Bilić, Mark Viduka, and Claudio Caniggia.

Some of Deyna's finest plays, passes and goals

On February 23^rd 1981 Deyna signed a contract (worth thirty-five thousand dollars) with San Diego Sockers. It was a new beginning for him, but also the end of a great career. For the following five years he played against American teenagers and aging footballers from Europe who, just like him, were ending their careers, or earning a buck on their vacation. He was still a star, and the most titled player on the North American continent when he lived, although many other great players played in the US before him, such as Pelé, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Eusebio, Muller, and others. 

He was considered a Great Master known across the Old Continent, and the States always had issues with respect to Europe, and everything that came from there. Deyna presented a very rare sort of craft, being as much a constructor, as an executioner. He played in the North American Soccer League, as well as in the Major Indoor Soccer League, playing in about 180 matches during his first two years, setting an unbeaten record (the NASL doesn't exist anymore). On August 12^th 1983, whilst playing for the Sockers against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, he was awarded the most productive player of the league award. He scored 4 goals, and assisted in 5 others, which gave him a total of 13 points (the so-called Canadian point system, here in Poland), allowing him to beat Girgio Chinaglia's record when he played for New York Cosmos. His team won 9:1, and he was in the top eleven of the 1983/84 season, amongst other players like Stanisław Terlecki, a Cosmos and San Jose Earthquakes player at the time. He played outdoors until the end of 1984, right along with indoor soccer. After that he just played indoors until the middle of 1987, fighting for the MISL championship. He did what he could, playing for a team which won 8 championships (the most in the MISL - which ran from 1978-1992), three of which - 1983, 1985 and 1986 - were with Deyna. He received a telegram with praise from Ronald Reagan, and what is more, the director John Houston found a part for him in the movie Victory (also known as Road to Victory). He played the role of a Polish soldier being held in a stalag (Stammlager - short for Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager, a prisoner-of-war camp) who was part of an international football team, which ended up winning against the Germans in the then occupied Paris. Some of the players who also took part in the film were Pelé, Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Paul van Himst, and the actors, Max von Sydow, Sylvester Stallone, and Michael Caine. 

His last professional match was on May 31^st 1987 in the Western Division Finals against Tacoma Stars which he scored his last goal in - and it should be recognized as his career-ending match. He was almost 40 years old, and he began to look for solutions in alcohol, which was very different for him, since he didn't drink or smoke much before. He began doing so in England, where the police there took away his driver's license a few times for driving under the influence. Apparently, he had his reasons. Everyone was impressed with his skill, especially at such an age, and at the same time, everyone was surprised that he still wanted to play. He lived on Helen James Avenue, a villa with a pool in the backyard, and a Cadillac in the garage. Thirty minutes away from the beach on the Pacific Ocean via the highway. He was quite popular in the city, even though "soccer" isn't football, baseball or basketball. With time, he began to speak of his success in the past tense, but he didn't play only because he liked it, he played because he had to. He didn't know anything else. It's no wonder that upon ending his career he had a typical American business - summer camps for kids aged nine to sixteen, simply called "KAZ DEYNA WORLD CUP SOCCER CAMPS". He was also involved in another business started by his friend from Sockers, a German by the name of Gert Wieczorkowski. The both of them, along with two other friends from the team - Julie Veee and Jean Willrich - found themselves in a similar situation. They were replaced by younger players, and they had to do something to live a normal life. Wieczorkowski created a team, or a club, by the name of The Legends. It consisted of old stars, now oldboys, soccer legends in California. The club's headquarters were in Tijuana (Mexico) for tax purposes. They had concrete plans - touring Europe and the United States showcasing football in its European form. This was related to the United States' bid to host the World Cup in 1994, which would receive a positive review from the Organizing Committee. Therefore, Deyna would be an advertising agent for the World Cup. Supposedly, he was to be hired by the United States Soccer Federation as an assistant to the head coach, but this information was never confirmed anywhere, however, everything is possible. Born near Karpacz, John Kowalski led the US national futsal team, and for a while was Velibor "Bora" Milutinović’s assistant, helping him prepare the US national team for the World Cup. 

Everything that was happening to Deyna while on the pitch, and – more often than not – on the bench, had an effect on his personal life. When he played, he earned up to 45 thousand dollars a year, with a 500 dollar bonus for every won match. But that was when he played. He parted ways with his club around the time of his 40^th birthday, since he did not get along with the English coach Ron Newman (Newman requested that the president of the club wouldn’t prolong the contract). Even a delegation of Deyna’s friends and fellow footballers, with Julive Veee at the forefront, didn’t manage to attain anything. As soon as the managers over at Tampa Bay Rowdies found out about this, they made a proposal – to be a playing coach under better conditions than in San Diego. Nevertheless, Deyna didn’t accept the offer. He didn’t want to move from California to Florida. And thus the problems began.

More or Deyna's plays, passes and goals (if repeated, then it's only for your viewing pleasure) 

Nobody really knew the truth about his private life, since Kazik didn’t feel the need to discuss it with others. Even his wife didn’t know everything – “She referred to him as a “Cat”, since – like a cat – he chose his own paths. Right after the problems with work, came other problems. A huge financial loss, accumulating to half a million dollars. Ted Miodonski, the man they trusted for years, turned out to be dishonest. He knew their account numbers, and he used their money, by borrowing it, but never returning it”. There was even a civil suit filed against Ted Miodonski, which dragged on for years, and ended in 1994. The Deyna's wife won, but that gave her nothing, since Miodonski was bankrupt, and couldn’t return that, which he had taken. Along with the interest, the sum was around a million dollars.

At one point they realized that they can’t afford a lifestyle on a level which they were used to. Kazik began to drink more often, since he came to the conclusion that something has ended, and that he stopped having control over it. He directed and ordered about ten people on the pitch, but couldn’t control his own destiny, in order to avoid stress, disappointment, and, in the end, death. The whole world knew him, and wanted to shake his hand, he was up to his ears in luxury, and in the course of a few months, all of that had changed. The end of his playing career, the loss of money, and visits to Las Vegas ending in losses, and once again, whisky, girls, and problems at home, etc. He couldn’t stand it. Even when he travelled to Denmark for the oldboy European championships and met with his old friends, he didn’t discuss his problems. As always. His friends told him – “Kaka, you’ve got an hour’s flight away to Warsaw. Come with us. You haven’t been to Poland in ten years”. He responded with “I can’t”. Maybe he didn’t have money, or maybe he had other reasons. We’ll never find out. 

He died on the 1^st of September, 1989. Information regarding the accident was reported by journals next to their vignettes, and local television broadcasts made it their main news. 

He was returning home from the south, driving a an old white 1974 Dodge Colt, license plate number 953 MFCA. He was driving off of Interstate Route 15 by Miramar Road. They had just moved to a home on 9949 Maya Linda Road, but his wife was staying in their old home on Helen James Way. Their son Norbert was studying in San Francisco. On the 6-lane I-15 highway, north of Miramar Road, a Ford F-600 truck – belonging to a Mexican by the name of Manuel Vasquez – was parked on the emergency lane. The driver had left the car there with the emergency lights on. It was past midnight, warm and dry. The road around the intersection was well lit, and there was hardly any traffic. The maximum speed limit there was 35 miles (~100 kilometers) per hour. Deyna had definitely exceeded this limit. Maybe he dozed off, maybe he took the truck’s yellow emergency lights to be something else. He drove as if he saw nothing beyond his car. Only the empty road. He hit the back of the parked truck with all of the power the one-ton Dodge had to offer. The police confirmed that there were no signs of braking. He hit the car with the right side. His seat belt were fastened, but that didn’t help. The front part of the car was demolished all the way to the driver’s seat. Kazik didn’t live for more than a minute from the time of impact. It was 1:25 at night. He died on site. The Coroner Charles Kelly wrote in his report, that the cause of death were multiple wounds to the head, chest, as well as internal injuries. The Deputy Medical Examiner, John W. Eisele, wrote in his five page report that the cause of death were multiple injuries. The injuries were so visible, that Deyna had to be buried with his head covered in bandages. He was identified based on his driver’s license which he had in his jeans (he usually drove without it), and a special signet which he received from the president of San Diego Sockers after winning yet another US futsal championship. He had 22 footballs in his trunk, since he was training kids a few hours prior to the accident. The Coroner’s office stated that it was a fatal accident, and the case was filed as number 89-1902. Deyna was reported as being a Caucasian, with brown hair and blue eyes. Height: 5’10. Weight: 160 lbs. The most probable cause of the accident was falling asleep behind the wheel.

Twenty years after his death (translation to come)

He lived in a beautiful manner - liked by most, and seen as a good person. But he couldn't stand all the changes, since he couldn't do anything but play. Only training kids gave him some sort of satisfaction. He used to say: "I have only one dream in my life. Once I'm settled in the States, and things will be going good, I'll come back to Poland and start a football academy for kids". After his death, his wife informed everyone that she could, but nobody came (from Poland).

The memorial service was held in a Carmelite monastery, and was conducted by father Marian Sikorski, in both English and Polish. The coffin was carried by six honor guards of the US Navy. Kazimierz Deyna did not change his citizenship, but he was a lieutenant of the Polish Army, therefore he was subject to a funeral with military honors. First the United States national anthem played out, followed by the Polish national anthem, and then Elvis Presley's "Memories" rang through the speakers. The mass lasted for an hour, with Mariola (Deyna's wife) and Norbert (his son) sitting behind the coffin. San Diego Sockers footballers were also present, with US nationals - Fernando Clavijo, Hugo Perez and Brian Quinn. Apart from that, Poles residing in San Diego also came to pay their respects, along with the kids that Deyna taught - all dressed in white and red uniforms. All in all, about one hundred people said their goodbyes, although he was remembered by hundreds of thousands throughout his lifetime. He was buried at El Camino Memorial Park, in a double coffin - made of copper and cherry wood. The body can be transported to Poland, however for now it is there where his wife and son are present. The funeral ceremony was held on the 9^th of September 1989. In Poland, the 10^th of September was dawning, yet another anniversary of Poland winning gold at the Olympics. In Poland this day is also known as "Footballer's Day"...

A month after that fatal accident, the San Diego Sockers team, made up of Kazik’s friends, played a charity match with all the proceeds going to Deyna’s wife and son. Norbert played in the match with the number “10” and “Deyna” on his back, to commemorate his father

Two years later, in November of 1991, at halftime in a match between the Sockers and Baltimore Blast, there was a ceremony held inducting two players into the Hall of Fame in the Sports Arena. The first was Jean Willrich, playing with the number 15. He was of German descent, born in Koblenz. The other player was Kazimierz Deyna. Their jerseys were framed in a special passé-partout, covered in glass and placed on the walls where the management met. From then on, the number “10” was restricted to never be used by anyone playing for the San Diego Sockers. The club’s, and southern California’s, press remembered Deyna thanks to this event. All of his achievements in Poland, as well as around the world, were presented – the countless matches he’d participated in, and the goals he’d scored. Bob Bell, the founder of Sockers, stated that the club’s success wouldn’t come to be, if it wasn’t for the Pole. Mariola and Norbert were present as the honor guests, with 10,293 fans attending the ceremony. Los Angeles had their Magic Johnson, San Diego had Magic Kaz Deyna.

The US national, 1994 World Cup participant, friend, and Deyna’s student – Fernando Clavjio – said the following: “I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a player who can pass better than Kazzie”.

Gert Wieczorkowski stated: “Nobody better than Kazik played in San Diego”.

One of the articles in the club’s magazine Sockers Today had the following headline remembering Deyna: “Kaz Deyna was a Legend for Soccers and Sockers”. “I don’t know if football is played in heaven. If so, then I’m sure that the Magician Kazzie wears the captain’s armband in the heavenly team”. 

Loved by millions of fans, he never really had close friends, and he didn’t really try to have them. There’s only the feeling of regret that he didn’t go down the path that his partner’s from the pitch are travelling down now. Even today he’d be able to show the youngins how to score a goal from a corner kick.

Legia fans remembering Deyna, 13 years after his death

As I write this, much work is being done to have a commemorative monument for Kazimierz Deyna in front of Legia's stadium. The project was selected via an Internet poll, and many different actions have been undertaken by fans to raise money for this monument. 

Kazimierz Deyna's monument will stand at 2,5 meters in front of the entrance to the Żyleta

Legia fans pay tribute to Deyna during most matches

"He symbolizes Legia's greatness. He is the monument of that
which is best in Polish football, and a perfect example of a
football genius. In memory of an unforgettable legend -
 Legia Warszawa fans, September 1 2004, Warsaw"

Me by Deyna's grave (2009)

Jordan & Pablopavo - Legenda Deyny
A song in memory of Deyna released in 2011

A summary of Deyna’s achievements:

With Legia:

National:

Deyna won the Polish championship twice with Legia – 1969, 1970.
Deyna won the Polish Cup once with Legia – 1973.
Deyna qualified to the final three times with Legia – 1969, 1972, 1973.

International:

Semi-finalist of the European cup with Legia – 1970.
Quarter-finalist of the European cup with Legia – 1971.

With Poland:

Olympic gold medalist in Munich – 1972.
Top scorer in the 1972 Olympics in Munich – 1972.
3^rd place in the World Cup held in West Germany – 1974.Selected as the 3^rd best player of the 1974 World Cup held in West Germany, only losing to football legends Franz Beckenbauer and Johann Cruijff.

Olympic silver medalist in Montreal – 1976.
Participant of the World Cup held in Argentina – 1978.

Other:

North American Soccer League championship with San Diego Sockers – 1982.
Major Indoor Soccer League championship with San Diego Sockers  – 1983.
North American Soccer League championship with San Diego Sockers  – 1984.
Major Indoor Soccer League championship with San Diego Sockers  – 1985.
Major Indoor Soccer League championship with San Diego Sockers  – 1986.

***Most of the material used in this post comes from www.deyna.info, used by permission***

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

March, march, march...

Two posts were supposed to appear on here after the last one, but somehow, for some reason, somewhere along the way I got tangled up in excuses of “but I still have to do this, before I finish the post”. 

This post touches upon the events of yesterday’s March (of Independence) which took place in Warsaw. Perhaps it’s not the best of ideas to start this, since I have a ton of thoughts which I would like to touch upon, running through whatever is still functioning in my floating muscle.

Most likely, most of these ideas will evaporate whilst focusing on the issues that I feel are most important to me. 

Was yesterday’s March a success? Yes. Those who seem to think otherwise (most of them basing their opinions on the same raunchy footage shown on the three main TV stations, and on previously held beliefs with regards to those wanting to celebrate Polish Independence – vel patriots – vel fascists – vel racists – vel neon Nazis – vel …well, you get the point…) need to take their heads out of their asses.

Let’s start with the fact that I don’t consider myself to be a very patriotic kind of guy. I feel more connected with Warsaw, than Poland herself. Most of my sentiment for Poland comes from childhood memories, and history. I could, with ease, live somewhere else (then again, “somewhere else” doesn’t have Legia). But am I involved socially and politically in promoting patriotic thought, behavior and action, to the point of “we’re number one”? No. I know we aren’t, and we’ll never be. The freedoms and ideas which I long for will never be implemented, nor accepted, by most citizens. I respect the emblem, and the flag, but I don’t believe these to be patriotic notions. They’re just a part of our history, and I happen to love history. I commemorate those who gave their lives for our so-called freedom a few times a year for a couple of hours. Nothing noteworthy as far as my patriotism is concerned – me thinks.  Sure, I have the Szczerbiec, a ryngraf, a saber, and a flag hanging on the wall in my room, but these are symbols of our history. And apart from those symbols there’s also a Tunisian dagger, an Irish rosary, and a Native American Medicine Wheel. This isn’t a manifestation of “we’re the best”, “let’s go kill us some _____”, “proud to be Polish”, and other things which people may or may not associate with patriotism. All are symbols, which refer back to history – that of Poles, or other peoples. Furthermore, my sense of pride deals with not of being (Polish), but of knowing. Some people don’t take pride (although they surely know more than me), and that’s alright as well. You can’t find your way about in that little web, fine. But don’t disallow others from finding their place in there. Which reminds me of a certain quote:

“I don't get all choked up about yellow ribbons and American flags. I see them as symbols, and I leave them to the symbol-minded. ”, said George Carlin one day on his HBO Special Jammin' in New York in 1992. True enough, a great man, and my personal favorite amongst people who had anything to say in the 20th century, but aren’t we all symbol-minded, George? Beginning with written language… one of your favorite domains. 

People who thought that the March was going to attract only baldheaded – nomen omen – eagles, clad in bomber jackets, braces, and heavy boots, whilst carrying banners with swastikas, and chanting anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic (?), and “vulgar” slogans, thought wrong. This isn’t to say that there weren’t any skinheads present at the March. Let’s not get out of touch with reality here. But this wasn’t the dominant force. Throughout the 2+ hour March, I was surrounded by families, elderly people who survived more than  one can imagine, football fans, religious devotees, skinheads, atheists, rockers, hip-hoppers, metalheads, bikers, and – yes, I saved the best for last – these so-called foreigners who we’re so afraid of and, most importantly, hate. Blacks, Orientals, and ‘others’ could be seen walking, or partaking (one black man was in a wheelchair with a “POLSKA” scarf around his neck) in the March. Strangely enough, they weren’t hanged, burned at the stake, lynched, raped, etc. I have no idea how we let them slip through the March like that. Perhaps somebody paid off the evil fascist-racist-patridiotic Polaks to not beat on the hired stand-ins? Who knows? :)

Of course, there were incidents – or more like situations – where I didn’t agree  with what somebody was saying, chanting, or whatnot. But isn’t that what democrazy is all about? Some 40 year old shouted “Jebać Żydów” (“Fuck the Jews”) twice, and everybody ignored him. Nobody picked up on this, and continued on their way. Perhaps there were other incidents –since I couldn’t be everywhere in the ~20, 000 crowd March – but this does not mean that it represented the majority who attended. If it does, then I guess every nation in the world is guilty of racism, xenophobia, and all of the other ‘-isms’ and ‘-obias’ out there pertaining to humans, animals, and the like, since every society has a radical minority. Regardless of how big, outspoken, and visible that minority may be. 

One thing which really made an impression on me, was the amount of football fans who were sporting their colors. Fanatics from all across Poland came to Warsaw, and all of their (very) personal business was set aside. Lech fans next to Legia fans, Widzew fans next to ŁKS fans, Cracovia fans next to Jagiellonia fans, and so on. All of our personal differences set aside, in order to commemorate Poland’s day of Independence (or what’s left of it). But people would much rather ignore that theme. It’s more important to focus on the few minutes of excessive violence which took place. Of course, it goes without saying, that all of these football fans aren’t going to start loving each other in one big hippy parade now. However, it does present the certain values which others either do not want to understand, or cannot understand. Whatever the weather, cheers to seeing them all out there!

As stated earlier, all of this does not mean that I agreed with everything that was chanted, sung, or whatnot at the March. Nor does this mean that I saw eye-to-eye with all of the attendees. It was a March of people commemorating a very specific date in Polish history (one of the few we have, which are joyous), not a March of “all-thinkers-alike”. I don't condone the incidents which took place on the Constitution Square, not for the fact that the Police was attacked, but for the sheer fact that once again, a part of my city has been destroyed. However, I also take into consideration the circumstances under which all of this occurred. Somebody allowed for a peaceful March to be blocked. Somebody allowed for those blocking the March to be in close vicinity of tens of aggressive hotheads. Somebody called for German back up of aggressive leftist activists interested only in one thing – fighting. Somebody praised the “oh-so-peaceful” Antifa as being the only real alternative, calling upon them (even last year) to not let the March pass “by any means necessary”. As my professor at Humber College once said, those who assume differently, make an ASS out of U and ME…

…or are just too naïve in their own (narrow) mind frame.

On a side note, since this is a post relating to the celebration of independence, it should be remembered that independence comes from the word independent, which - in 1808 - was defined as "person not acting as part of a political party".

I apologize if this post seems like another mish-mash of ideas, but I wrote this throughout my work day, in between different breaks. 

Thanks for the awesome March. Hope it’s even better next year. 

"W" Lives

Not to be confused with the “Dubya” from Texas. The “W” in the title is in reference to something which perhaps can never be explained logically. That is why this post might not make any sense in general, due to its mish-mashed form.

Emotions of hatred, disgust, bondage, fear, helplessness, and the overwhelming feeling of being fed up. Nobody enjoys being held captive in their own home, street, city, or country. Furthermore, nobody likes being treated like an enemy in the above given places. 

Years ago, I looked at the Warsaw Uprising from the logical point of view. Where for every German soldier killed by the Polish Home Army (AK), 10 random Varsovians were shot (as the uprising persisted, the civilian death toll rose to even greater numbers...). I did not understand the fascination that many Poles saw behind those 63 days. 

However, once I stopped looking at this from a logical point of view, and began to read the stories, memoirs, letters, and other accounts of that time, I started to have a different approach. I put myself in their position. And I’d do the same, without a shadow  of a doubt. Without any hestitation. In a blink of an eye. 

Sure, it’s easy to say (or write...), but there’s something more to this. A burning desire to retrieve that which is yours, that which is being raped right in front of your eyes. The streets which you used to walk about, the places where you used to kick the ball around, the parks which you visited, the buildings and their walls which survived more than one foreign invader. 

Warsaw, prior to World War II, was referred to as “the Paris of the East”. Those who criticize it for how ugly it looks now, or how bad its infrastructure is, should learn why it is the way it is (hats off to our ruling friends from the East, and their peaceful ideology), and how it used to look prior to the friendly visit from our neighbors from the West.  

What other city uprose during the Second World War?* Many might ask, “what for?”, “at what cost?”, “was it worth it?”, and so on. Courage, bravery, honor, ballsiness, guts and glory, and freedom, was what drove the men and women (most of them in their teens) of Warsaw to retrieve their city from the Germans. Some prefer to live on their knees, than to die on their feet. They preferred to die in battle, fighting for something, than to just die. 

What does this have to do with Legia and its supporters? We commemorate the heroes of those 63 glorious days. T-shirts, scarves, stickers, and many other gadgets are created, sold and bought by fans in order to actively participate in the annual anniversary celebrations. Not to mention the fact, that groups such as OFMC (Old Fashion Man Club) clean the graves of those long forgotten. 

Therefore, on the 1st of August, at 17:00 (The “W” Hour), I see it as my responsibility to remember the fallen, who bled for Warsaw - the city which survived its own death.

Semper Invicta! Semper Heroica! 

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2011

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2011

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2008

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2010

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2009

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2011

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2011

Graffiti done by Legia fans - 2011

Legia fans during the first (cancelled) match of the 2011/12 T-Mobile Ekstraklasa season against Zagłębie Lubin, remembering those who died for Warsaw's freedom.

Warsaw Lives

*Vilnius is an exception, but its uprising is a different case on its own.