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| Full name | Klub Sportowy Ruch Chorzów | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Niebiescy (The Blues), Niebieska eRka (The Blue R), HKS (fromHajducki Klub Sportowy) | |||
| Founded | 20 April 1920; 104 years ago (1920-04-20) | |||
| Ground | Ruch Chorzów Stadium Silesian Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 9,300[1] 55,211 | |||
| Chairman | Seweryn Siemianowski | |||
| Manager | Dawid Szulczek | |||
| League | I liga | |||
| 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa, 17th of 18 (relegated) | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Ruch Chorzów (Polish:[ˈruxˈxɔʐuf]ⓘ) is a Polish professionalfootball club based inChorzów,Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland, having won fourteenPolish Championships, and thePolish Cup thrice. As of the2024–25 season, they compete in theI liga, after suffering relegation from the2023–24 Ekstraklasa.
Ruch's home venue is theRuch Chorzów Stadium, with a capacity of 9,300 seats.[1] As it is currently under renovation, Ruch temporarily hosts their games at theSilesian Stadium with a capacity of 55,211 seats. The club is known for itsSilesian identity.[2] Ruch Chorzów has also had a very successful female handball team (9 times national champions).
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1920–1923 | KS Ruch Bismarkhuta |
| 1923 | KS Ruch Wielkie Hajduki |
| 1923–c. 1924 | KS RuchBBC Wielkie Hajduki |
| c. 1924–1939 | KS Ruch Wielkie Hajduki |
| 1939–1940 | KS Ruch Chorzów |
| 1940–1945(as a part of German Gauliga) | Bismarckhütter SV 99 |
| 1945–1948 | KS Ruch Chorzów |
| 1948–1949 | ZKS Ruch Chorzów |
| 1949 | KS Chemik Chorzów |
| 1949–1955 | ZS Unia Chorzów |
| 1955–c. 1956 | ZKS Unia-Ruch Chorzów |
| c. 1956–2002 | KS Ruch Chorzów |
| 2002–2004 | KS Ruch w Chorzowie |
| 2004–2008 | Ruch ChorzówSSA |
| 2008–2017 | Ruch ChorzówSA |
| 2017–2018 | Ruch Chorzów SA w restrukturyzacji |
| 2018–current | Ruch Chorzów SA |
The club was founded on 20 April 1920 inBismarkhuta (GermanBismarckhütte, historicallyHajduki), one of the many heavily industrialised municipalities in the eastern part ofUpper Silesia, a disputed province between Poland and Germany. The main incentive was an appeal of the Polish Plebiscite Committee a few months earlier that led to creation of around one hundred sport associations. It took place in between the first and secondSilesian Uprisings, to which the nameRuch is a supposedcover reference.[3] The Polish wordruch is however also a common noun formovement, not as strongly associated with Polishness as names of many other clubs established after the appeal (like Polonia, Powstaniec etc.). On the other hand, the club's first match, a 3–1 win against Orzeł Józefowiec, was played on 3 May 1920, the day of thefirst Polish Constitution. After theUpper Silesia plebiscite and the third Silesian Uprising in 1921 Bismarkhuta became part of Poland and theSilesian Voivodeship. The municipality was renamed toWielkie Hajduki on 1 January 1923,[4] hence the club was known as Ruch Wielkie Hajduki until another merger into the town Chorzów (created in 1934 from amalgamation ofKrólewska Huta,Chorzów andHajduki Nowe) in the early 1939, with a short period in 1923 after the fusion with the older local German clubBismarckhütter Ballspiel Club, when it was known asRuch BBC Wielkie Hajduki. After the merger the team played its games on the former BBC's pitch known asna Kalinie.[5] The popular nickname of the clubNiebiescy (The Blues) clung to the team already in the 1920s.[6]
In autumn of 1920 Ruch won the promotion to the nascent SilesianKlasa A (see also:Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland). The Blues were third out of fourteen teams in its first season, unfinished due to the third Silesian Uprising. The next year Ruch won the championship of the SilesianKlasa A and represented the region in the1922 Polish Football Championship. In 1924 the club finished second in the regional top league, behindAKS Królewska Huta, before 1924 considered German and known asVerein für Rasenspiele Königshütte, the first team Ruch had developed a local rivalry with. In 1925 the Silesian Klasa A did not play, insteadStanisław Flieger's Cup took place, ultimately won by Ruch, which gave the side a start in the only interwar Polish Cup competition in1926. On 4 July 1926Józef Sobota, before 1920 a BBC's player, became the first Ruch's player (and the fourth from Upper Silesia) of thePoland national team, who also scored a goal (againstEstonia). In the same year, two weeks after the national Cup Ruch won for the second time the regional Klasa A, firmly establishing itself as one of the strongest football clubs in this densely populated region and as such it was among the founding clubs of the Polish national league in1927. In1933 Ruch won its first Championship as the first side from Silesia, with all the players who were born not further as a few kilometers from thena Kalinie pitch.[7] Thus the first truly golden era began. The local steel mill (since 1934 known as Huta Batory) began to financially support the side. In the winter of 1933 the most noteworthy players such asEdmund Giemsa,Teodor Peterek andGerard Wodarz were joined by legendaryErnst Wilimowski, bought from1. FC Kattowitz, who with Peterek and Wodarz were collectively nicknamedthe three kings and helped to win another 4 championships (1934,1935,1936,1938). On 1 November 1934 the club, as the last in the league, employed its first coach, Gustav Wieser.[8] The side was also a leader in the unfinished season1939. The successes rendered the club the most popular in the voivodeship and accelerated building of the new stadium in the years 1934-1935, the currentRuch Chorzów Stadium.
During theWorld War IIGerman occupation of Poland in 1939, the club was officially discontinued but unofficially was simply renamed Bismarckhütter SV 99 and joined theGauliga Oberschlesien in 1941.[9] The club was officially re-established after the war. In 1947 Ruch won the regional championships. In 1948, under communist pressure (Stalinisation), the club was renamed Unia Chorzów, in 1955 it became Unia-Ruch, and finally in 1956 returned to the name Ruch. As Unia the club finished third in the first season of the reactivated national league in 1948 and in 1950 as the second team. In 1951 the club won the reactivated Polish Cup edition and were rewarded with the title of the National Champions (even though they were only sixth inthe league). The next two years the club also won the title, first in1952 after final againstPolonia Bytom, another local bitter rival, and in1953 after finishing the league on the top position. The most renowned player of that era wasGerard Cieślik, who dedicated his whole life to the club and became its icon.
The years 1957-1966 are considered a lost decade, completely overshadowed by the successes of the new biggest regional rival,Górnik Zabrze, even though the club won the championships in1960. A record of its kind in the national football history as the team consisted of only 14 players, 11 of whom originated in the town of Chorzów. The turn of the tide came in the season1967–68 when Ruch won the 10th championship title breaking Górnik Zabrze's streak of five consecutive titles. Another golden era forthe Blues arrived in the early 1970s withMichal Vičan as a coach. In1972–73 the club finished second, in1973–74 they won the only double in the history (the championship and the cup) and advanced up tothe quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. In1974–75 they again won the league and qualified to thequarter-finals of the European Cup. The most praised players of that times wereBronisław Bula,Zygmunt Maszczyk andJoachim Marx.
These successes were followed by a bad financial plight and mediocre results until1978–79, when the club won its 13th Championship title. In the 1980s the club was one of the poorest in the national league. The worst came in the season1986–87, when the club, the only one in the country which so far played all the seasons of the official national top league, was relegated to the second tier. Especially shifty were the circumstances of the relegation decider, againstLechia Gdańsk, when Ruch's goalkeeperJanusz Jojko scored an infamous and bizarreown goal and the club lost the game 1–2.[10] After one year Ruch returned to the top flight as winners of the seconed league and won the 14th Championship title, as the second freshly-promoted club in the national history (the first was Cracovia in1937), a feat, especially as it was still one of the poorest clubs in the top tier and over half of the players were home-grown,[11] including e.g.Dariusz Gęsior and the most renownedKrzysztof Warzycha, who was also, with 24 goals, the top scorer of the season.
After thepolitical turnover in Poland in 1989, Ruch did not fare well for the first two seasons. The funds from the transfer of Krzysztof Warzycha toPanathinaikos ran out quickly. The team began to compete with the top teams first in1991–92 finishing in the fifth spot, fourth the next year, furthermore the second team (Ruch II) reached the Polish cup final. Ruch was demoted for the second time in the history in the1994–95 season. As before the stay in the second tier lasted one season. While playing in the second league Ruch won its third Polish Cup trophy. In 1998 Ruch reached the final of theUEFA Intertoto Cup and in the1999–2000 season finished third in the league. The crisis came during the2002–03 campaign, when the club was relegated from the top tier for the third time. In the following season, Ruch was in danger of being demoted to the third tier for the first time in history, however the club won the relegation play-offs againstStal Rzeszów (1–1, 2–0). In 2005, the club was restructured as ajoint-stock company. The Blues won the promotion to the top flight in the 2006–07 season. In 2009, the side reached the Polish Cup final, the next year The Blues finished third in the league. The best season in the recent history was2011–12, when Ruch was vice-champion (only 1 point behind the champions,Śląsk Wrocław) and reached the final of the national cup, which they lost 0–3 toLegia Warsaw.
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In 2017, it was decided that for the first time in the history of Polish football, in accordance with the Restructuring Law, SA will initiate an accelerated arrangement procedure aimed at agreeing the terms of debt repayment with creditors. These proceedings were opened before the Katowice District Court on 23 June 2017.[12] In these proceedings all 255 creditors were offered to reduce the debt, spread it into installments or convert the debt into club shares. On 30 November 2017 creditors gathered in court to decide whether or not to accept the offer. The majority agreed and the agreement was adopted, ultimately the agreement became final on 13 March 2018.[13] According to the provisions of the agreement, Ruch is to repay PLN 8 million złoty within 5 years. Installments are spread over 400 thousand złoty every quarter.
Ruch started the 2017–18 season inNice I liga with a six-point deduction for unpaid debts. After a disastrous season in which the Blues suffered heavy defeats, including 0–6 in a home match againstPogoń Siedlce on the club's 98th anniversary, a 6–1 away defeat againstMiedź Legnica and a 6–0 away loss toWigry Suwałki, the club finished last in the league, being 11 points off the play-off place, which resulted in the first relegation to thethird level in Ruch's history.
Ruch ended the 2018–19 season in theII liga in last place, eight points off of safety. It was the third season in a row in which the Blues were relegated from last place in the table.
In 2020–21, Ruch dominated group III of theIII liga and were promoted to the II liga, 11 points ahead of second placedPolonia Bytom.
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Ruch finished the2021–22 season in third place, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team facedRadunia Stężyca, which they beat 1–0 after a goal fromDaniel Szczepan in the 118th minute.[14] The final was played in Chorzów, where Ruch faced 5th placedMotor Lublin - on 29 May, Ruch won 4–0 and was promoted for the second season in a row, returning to theI liga for the first time since the2017–18 season.[15]
Ruch finished the2022–23 season as runners-up, after defeating GKS Tychy 1–0 on the last matchday, with the sole goal scored again by Daniel Szczepan. In result, Ruch returned to Ekstraklasa after 7 years of absence, with a streak of three straight promotions.
However, Ruch were relegated back to the second division after just a single season back in the top flight, finishing the2023–24 campaign in 17th and second-last.[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Ernst WilimowskiTeodor PeterekGerard WodarzGerard CieślikZygmunt MaszczykKrzysztof WarzychaWaldemar FornalikDariusz GęsiorRoman DąbrowskiKrzysztof BizackiMichał ProbierzMariusz ŚrutwaPiotr LechArtur SobiechTomasz BrzyskiJarosław PaśnikGrzegorz KuświkMartin KonczkowskiŁukasz SurmaTomasz Jaworek
Gražvydas Mikulėnas
Michal Peškovič
Eduards Višņakovs
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| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  | Fenerbahçe | 3–0, 0–1 |
| 2R |  | Dynamo Dresden | 0–1, 0–3 | ||
| 1973–74 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  | Wuppertaler SV | 4–1, 4–5 |
| 2R | | Carl Zeiss Jena | 3–0, 0–1 | ||
| 3R |  | Budapest Honvéd | 0–2, 5–0 | ||
| QF |  | Feyenoord | 1–1, 1–3 | ||
| 1974–75 | European Cup | 1R |  | Hvidovre IF | 0–0, 2–1 |
| 2R | | Fenerbahçe | 2–1, 2–0 | ||
| QF |  | Saint-Étienne | 3–2, 0–2 | ||
| 1975–76 | European Cup | 1R |  | KuPS | 5–0, 2–2 |
| 2R | | PSV Eindhoven | 1–3, 0–4 | ||
| 1979–80 | European Cup | 1R | | Dynamo Berlin | 1–4, 0–0 |
| 1989–90 | European Cup | 1R |  | CSKA Sofia | 1–1, 1–5 |
| 1996–97 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | Q |  | Llansantffraid | 1–1, 5–0 |
| 1R |  | Benfica | 1–5, 0–0 | ||
| 1998 | Intertoto Cup | 1R |  | Austria Wien | 1–0, 2–2 |
| 2R |  | Örgryte | 1–2, 1–0 | ||
| 3R | | Estrela da Amadora | 1–1, 1–1 | ||
| 4R | | Debrecen | 1–0, 3–0 | ||
| 5R |  | Bologna | 0–1, 0–2 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | Q | | Žalgiris Vilnius | 1–2, 6–0 |
| 1R | | Inter Milan | 0–3, 1–4 | ||
| 2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  | Shakhter Karagandy | 2–1, 1–0 |
| 2Q |  | Valletta | 1–1, 0–0 | ||
| 3Q | | Austria Wien | 1–3, 0–3 | ||
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  | Metalurg Skopje | 3–1, 3–0 |
| 3Q |  | Viktoria Plzeň | 0–2, 0–5 | ||
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  | FC Vaduz | 3–2, 0–0 |
| 3Q | | Esbjerg | 0–0, 2–2 | ||
| PO |  | Metalist Kharkiv | 0–0, 0–1 (a.e.t) |
Ruch Chorzów has a very specific crest and is one of the most recognizable football crests in Poland. There isn't information who was the author of the prototype and in which year the crest was used for the first time. The oldest confirmed source is letterhead from 1929. The club colours are blue and white. They accompany the team from the very beginning of the club's existence and already in the twenties it was written about Ruch - "Niebiescy"(en. The Blues). This color has become the symbol of the club. Except for the emblem of Unia Chorzów (around 1949-1955), the shield of the crest has always been, more or less precisely, the blueReuleaux triangle with the club's full name on the rim. The white center of the sign is filled with an acronym. In the late 1980s, the monogram was decorated with thin lines, emphasizing the activity, militancy and mobility of the signet itself, and thereby reflecting the name of the club in a slightly expressive way (Ruch means Movement in English). In September 2007, it was decided to make a facelift of the logo, which was to be a sign of the continuous evolution of the brand of Ruch Chorzów. Shading was introduced to the sign in order to plasticize the drawing, give depth and spaciousness to the whole crest. In this way, they tried to show the spirit of nowadays and to gain the identity of a modern and attractive brand. However, trends for gradients quickly passed, while the crest in this version stayed for a long time and received many opponents. In 2021, after the jubilee year, starting its second century, the club decided to return to the most acceptable version of the crest among fans.
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Due to the lack of a consistent chronology of individual marks, the above listing of all crests with dates is approximate and conventional. The set above does not include jubilee signs.[19][20]
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Ruch Chorzów proudly emphasizes itsSilesian origin. The club is considered to be "synonymous with Silesianess" and has been called "the most Silesian of Silesian clubs".[21][22] On the stadium mast hangs theUpper Silesian flag,[23] the stadium announcer often declaresTooor! (en. Goal!) over the tannoy after goals scored,[24] while the club mascot is named Adler, an anthropomorphic eagle, stylized as agolden eagle from theUpper Silesian coat of arms, who speaks only in theSilesian language. In fan stores there are many products with Upper Silesian symbols,[25] on social media the club tags all posts with the hashtag#MySomRuch (en. We are Ruch), and on the club’s television channel people often uses theSilesian language. An example of which may be the video promoting the match againstZagłębie Sosnowiec.[26]
The symbolism ofUpper Silesia is also often displayed from a sporting angle. On July 15, 2015, on Silesian Flag Day, the club presented new away kits for the2015/2016 season. The yellow jersey, blue shorts and yellow socks alluded to theflag of Upper Silesia, intended to emphasize the Silesian character of Ruch, in whose traditions the club is so deeply rooted.[27] The debut of the kits took place on the 80th anniversary of the stadium, and the team played in such a set for the first time in history. On that day, the coat of arms of theSilesian Voivodeship was additionally on the sleeve, and the announcer during the match spoke entirely in theSilesian language.[28]
In the2016–17 season, the team’s jerseys had a largecoat of arms of Upper Silesia with the inscription "Upper Silesia". Initially, only the first match was played in such kits, and all of them went to a charity auction, but after many requests from fans and the approval of the winners of these auctions, the emblem was printed on kits once again and from the 13th round they were in use until the end of the season.[29]
On 23 April 2022, in a match againstRadunia Stężyca, Ruch's captainTomasz Foszmańczyk put on a captain's armband with the Upper Silesian flag for the first time in the club's history.[30]
Ruch's popularity exploded in the 1930s and has remained strong ever since, especially in Upper Silesia. A specific subculture ofszalikowcy (a name derived fromszalik - scarf) developed in the 1970s, as elsewhere in the country, but regionally only after having first appeared among fans ofPolonia Bytom.[31] There are alsohooligans (Psycho Fans, formed in the mid 1990s) andultras (Nucleo Ultra '03 from 2003, replaced by Ultras Niebiescy, formed in 2008).
Expressions of Upper Silesian identity are often displayed in the form of golden-blue flags, on banners (like the controversial[why?]Oberschlesien example,[32][33] now banned, orTo my Naród Śląski[34] (It's us - Silesian Nation), or through chants.
Ruch's supporters maintain friendships with fans ofWidzew Łódź (since 2005),Elana Toruń, andAtlético Madrid.[35] The biggest animosity is held against the followers ofGórnik Zabrze (with whomThe Great Silesian Derby is contested),GKS Katowice,Polonia Bytom (the oldest Silesian derby[36][37]),Zagłębie Sosnowiec,Legia Warszawa, andLech Poznań.[31]
Notable individual supporters of Ruch are, among others:
