Spirydion Albanski
Encyclopedia
Spirydion Jan Albański (October 4, 1907 – March 30, 1992), nicknamed "Spirytus" and "Romek", was a Polish
football
goalkeeper in the 1930s. He played for Pogoń Lwów
and the Polish National Team.
Albański was born in Lwów (Lviv)
. He graduated from high school after the Second World War, when he was forced to move from Lwów to Upper Silesia
, worked in the coal
-mining industry. He was later a civil servant, and also a soccer coach.
sports club from 1928–1939. After the Soviets captured Lwów in late September 1939 (see: Polish September Campaign#Phase 2: Soviet aggression), he represented the newly created teams of Dinamo Lwów and Spartak Lwów. In 1944, as borders of Poland moved westwards (see: Oder-Neisse line
), Albański, together with thousands of Lwów's inhabitants, was forced to leave the city. Firstly, he stayed in Rzeszów
, where he played for Resovia Rzeszów
. Then, from 1945-46, he played a few games for Pogoń Katowice.
His most prominent seasons were those spent in Pogoń. From 1928-1939, Albański played in 234 games of the Polish Soccer League, which is an absolute record among Polish soccer players. He also represented Poland in 18 games (another record for all interwar goalies), including matches of the 1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin
.
In the 1930s, Albański was among the most popular athletes in Poland. He was very skilled as a goalkeeper, although he was considered too skinny at first (at the beginning of his career he weighed only 50 kilograms, with a height of 176 centimeters, although later he gained approximately 62 kilograms). He was respected by his colleagues in soccer, and was the captain of the team since 1936. In the period of 1930-1939, he played in all soccer games, with 174 consecutive matches altogether.
Albański died in Katowice
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper in the 1930s. He played for Pogoń Lwów
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
and the Polish National Team.
Albański was born in Lwów (Lviv)
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. He graduated from high school after the Second World War, when he was forced to move from Lwów to Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, worked in the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-mining industry. He was later a civil servant, and also a soccer coach.
Soccer career
He was part of the Pogoń LwówPogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
sports club from 1928–1939. After the Soviets captured Lwów in late September 1939 (see: Polish September Campaign#Phase 2: Soviet aggression), he represented the newly created teams of Dinamo Lwów and Spartak Lwów. In 1944, as borders of Poland moved westwards (see: Oder-Neisse line
Oder-Neisse line
The Oder–Neisse line is the border between Germany and Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of World War II. The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin and Świnoujście...
), Albański, together with thousands of Lwów's inhabitants, was forced to leave the city. Firstly, he stayed in Rzeszów
Rzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
, where he played for Resovia Rzeszów
Resovia Rzeszów
Resovia Rzeszow is a Polish sports club, based in Rzeszów, Poland.-Club names:* Cywilno Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Resovia* Fusion with KS Wisłok Rzeszów to Ogniwo Rzeszów* CWKS Resovia...
. Then, from 1945-46, he played a few games for Pogoń Katowice.
His most prominent seasons were those spent in Pogoń. From 1928-1939, Albański played in 234 games of the Polish Soccer League, which is an absolute record among Polish soccer players. He also represented Poland in 18 games (another record for all interwar goalies), including matches of the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
In the 1930s, Albański was among the most popular athletes in Poland. He was very skilled as a goalkeeper, although he was considered too skinny at first (at the beginning of his career he weighed only 50 kilograms, with a height of 176 centimeters, although later he gained approximately 62 kilograms). He was respected by his colleagues in soccer, and was the captain of the team since 1936. In the period of 1930-1939, he played in all soccer games, with 174 consecutive matches altogether.
Albański died in Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
.
See also
- Polish soccer (football) in interwar periodPolish soccer (football) in interwar periodThe interwar period of Polish football began in the late fall of 1918 after First World War, when Poland regained independence, which had been lost at the end of 18th century . The newly created country soon started to organize its administration and several national organizations...
- History of football in Poland