[TheRealOllieszcz]

It’s ok to [Marian Łącz] Ekstraklasa (79/100)

The year is 1956, the Suez Crisis effectively sees the UK no longer being a Super Power, there were anti-government protests in Poznań, and the EuroVision song contest had launched. It was also the year that Marian Łącz was to be substituted before half time for the last time.

Marian had many talents growing up. His father was an army officer, leading to him being physically active and found a talent for football, and his mother worked as an actress in the theatre. In his early years Marian played for Resovia, eventually playing got the first team for 4 seasons before the outbreak of WWII. His career was put on hold, but he still had the desire to make a name for himself in the sport.

After southern Poland was liberated by the Soviet’s, Marian started playing again, this time for Sokół Rzeszów, but it was after joining Lechia Gdańsk where people started to take notice.

He was only with Lechia for 6 months, the first 6 months of Lechia’s history, and it was his goal scoring antics that gave him the move to a more established team. In the 10 games he played for Lechia he scored 25 goals, with him scoring hat-tricks in 6 of those games.

This gave him the opportunity to move to ŁKS Łódź. While Marian was dedicated to performing his best for ŁKS, resulting in the team being promoted to the I liga in 1948, the move also gave him the possibility to focus on his other talent, acting. While living in Łódź he studied at the National Film School, and started to feature more in the theatre.

After finishing his studies in Łódź he joined Polonia Warszawa, showing his footballing talents by winning the Puchar Polski in 1952 with the team beating bitter rivals Legia Warszawa in the final. After his Puchar Polski win, Marian started to feature less for Polonia. Not because his talent had gone, but due to his love of theatre. He was often working in the theatre during the evenings, and had started to feature more in Polish tv showed and movies.

In his final years with Polonia he was substituted before half time so that he could make it to the theatre in time, it showed how valuable he was to the team.

In 1956 Marian decided that he wanted acting to be his only focus. At the end of the 1956 season Marian walked off the pitch to receive a standing ovation from the football fans one final time, knowing that he’d receive a standing ovation in the theatre as well only a few hours later.

Marian received 3 caps for Poland, and received acting credits for 88 tv shows and movies. It is no doubt that he would see his 3 caps as just an extra compared to his eventual real love of acting, but he could put on a show, both on the football pitch and on the stage.

#ekstraklasajestokay #pilkanozna #ekstraklasa #lechia #lkslodz #poloniawarszawa