December 4, 1926, 100 years ago: The Ekstraklasa is formed, as the top level of Polish soccer. Or football. Or, as it's known in Poland, piłka nożna. However, the announcement of the founding wasn't made until March 1, 1927, so 1927-28 was its 1st season of play.
From its founding until 1948, it was known simply as the Liga, or the League. From 1949 to 2004, it was "I Liga," or "pierswsza liga," or "first league." In 2004, it was renamed the Ekstraklasa, or "top league," and was sponsored by Poland's top communications company, then known as Idea, so it was "Idea Ekstraklasa." After just 1 year, the company rebranded, and the league became "Orange Ekstraklasa."
In 2011, another communications company bought the sponsorship, and it was the T-Mobile Ekstraklasa. In 2016, the national lottery bought the rights, and so it became the Lotto Ekstraklasa. Since 2019, the rights have been held by Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski, or "General Savings Bank, Bank of Poland," and is known as the PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa.
Somehow, the league survived the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Nazi occupation of 1939-45, and the Communist rule of 1945-89. It is more popular than ever. However, the best Polish players tend not to stay: Kazimierz Deyna, Jerzy Dudek and Wojciech zczęsny went to England's Football League, Jan Domarski went to what is now Ligue 1 in France, Władysław Żmuda and now Piotr Zieliński went to Italy's Serie A, and Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Błaszczykowski went to Germany's Bundesliga.
Legia Warsaw, the leading team in the national capital, and founded by the Polish Army, have won the most titles, 15. Górnik Zabrze and Wisła Kraków have each won 14. Ruch Chorzów have won 13. Lech Poznań have won 8. Cracovia, in Kraków, have won 5, but none since 1948. Pogoń Lwów won 4, but were dissolved when World War II ended in 1945, because the city of Lwów was transferred to the Soviet Union, and later to Ukraine, under the name Lviv.
There have been 2 titles each won by ŁKS Łódź, Polonia Bytom, Polonia Warsaw, Stal Mielec, Śląsk Wrocław, Warta Poznań and Zagłębie Lubin. There have been 1 title each for Garbarnia Kraków, Szombierki Bytom and Piast Gliwice
The championship trophy
The Polish Cup, or Puchar Polski, has been won by Legia Warsaw 19 times (including 7 League and Cup "Doubles," in 1955, 1956, 1994, 1995, 2013, 2016 and 2018); Górnik Zabrze 6 times (including 3 Doubles, in 1965, 1971, 1972); 5 times by Lech Poznań (including a Double in 1984); 4 times by Wisła Kraków (including a Double in 2003); 4 times by Zagłębie Sosnowiec, the most of any Cup winner that has never won the League; 3 times each by Ruch Chorzów (including a Double in 1974), GKS Katowice and Amica Wronki; twice each by Raków Częstochowa, Śląsk Wrocław, Polonia Warsaw, Arka Gdynia and Lechia Gdańsk; and once each by Jagiellonia Białystok, ŁKS Łódź, Widzew Łódź, Cracovia, Gwardia Warsaw, Wisła Plock, Stal Rzeszów, Miedź Legnica, Dyskobolia Grodzisk and Zawisza Bydgoszcz.
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(UPDATE: Raków Częstochowa won their 1st Ekstraklasa in 2023. Jagiellonia Białystok won their 1st in 2024. Lech Poznań won it in 2025 and 2026, making for 10 titles. Legia won the Cup in 2023 and 2025, for 19 wins. Wisła Kraków won a 5th Cup in 2024. Górnik Zabrze won a 7th Cup in 2026.)
My ancestors came from Borki Wielkie, in Masuria, in northeastern Poland, a section that had belonged to East Prussia and thus the German Empire. The closest major city to it isn't even in Poland: It's Kaliningrad, Russia, 78 miles north. Gdańsk is 140 miles northwest, and Warsaw is 160 miles south. So if there are any family members left there, who would they support? Most likely, Legia, as they are the default team for the country, the most successful, and thus also the most popular -- but also, as with the Yankees, the most hated.
To my regret as an American soccer fan of Polish descent, Polish teams have not done well in European tournaments. ŁKS Łódź won the Intertoto Cup in 1965 and 1967. Wisła Kraków won it in 1969, 1970 and 1973. The best performance of any Polish team in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League was Legia, reaching the Semifinal in 1970; and Widzew Łódź, reaching the Semifinal in 1983.
To my further regret, Poland's record in international competition is poor. Out of 21 World Cups staged from 1930 to 2018, they have played in only 8, having withdrawn in 1934 and 1954, and refusing to enter in 1930 and 1950. They reached the Semifinals in 1974 and 1982; the Quarterfinals in 1978; the Round of 16 in 1938 and 1986; and the Group Stage in 2002, 2006 and 2018. (UPDATE: They reached the Round of 16 in 2022, but did not qualify in 2026.)
The European Championships were established in 1960, and they didn't qualify until 2008. They qualified as co-hosts with Ukraine in 2012, and reached the knockout stage for the 1st time in 2016, getting to the Quarterfinals.
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December 4, 1926 was a Saturday. In English soccer, Arsenal defeated Manchester-area team Bury, 1-0 at the Arsenal Stadium, nicknamed Highbury for its North London neighborhood.
There was 1 score in college football: Notre Dame beat USC, 13-12. It was the 1st meeting between the schools, and the birth of a great rivalry. I have a separate entry for this event.
There was 1 score in the NFL: The Frankford Yellow Jackets beat the Chicago Bears, 7-6 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. This game was considered big enough to move from the Jackets' usual home, Frankford Stadium in North Philadelphia. The Jackets went on to win the NFL Championship.
Baseball was out of season. Professional basketball was hardly major league at this point. There were 5 games in the NHL:
* The New York Rangers lost to the Detroit Cougars, 1-0 at the Border Cities Arena (now the Windsor Arena) in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, across the Detroit River from Detroit. The Cougars moved to the Olympia Stadium in Detroit in 1927, became the Detroit Falcons in 1930, and became the Detroit Red Wings in 1932.
* The New York Americans beat the Toronto St. Patrick's, 1-0 at the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto. The St. Patricks became the Maple Leafs in 1927.
* The Chicago Black Hawks beat the Montreal Maroons, 5-3 at the Montreal Forum.
* The Ottawa Senators beat the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1 at the Ottawa Auditorium.
* And the Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at the Duquesne Gardens in Pittsburgh. Harry Oliver scored the winning goal, 7:25 into overtime.
