The city we know as Polish today has not always been so 'Polish' if you inspect more closely however. Over the course of central Europe's troubled centuries Wroclaw has been part of Bohemia, the Habsburg empire, the Rhine Confederation, Austria, Germany and Prussia. Indeed, the city was known as Breslau until 1945 when it became Wroclaw again and Polish once more following the landmark heads of state Potsdam Agreement.

Weather wise even in early December it was not as cold as you would think, for as large areas of the United Kingdom finds itself in the grip of frozen pavements, snow covered mountains and car engines that would not start in the morning, Poland saw a different landscape. Even though most of the remaining German inhabitants were expelled after the war ended in 1945, the Germanic identity of the city is evident when wondering around. The main market square 'Rynek' could easily see the city mistaken for Nuremberg or Munich whilst the number of small foot bridges over the River Oder Certainly over the previous weeks in November there had been cold snaps and Poland has not been without its snow and frozen pitches but its not exactly the Siberian outback in Poland.   During the afternoon it was grey and cloudy but there was no wind and it was hardly freezing with the temperature  sitting at around 9c, whilst in the evening it was an early autumn chill rather than a icy blast.  

But whilst things may not be Siberian on the pitches of the Ekstraklasa - The Polish Premier league - things are heating up down in Lower Silesia where newly promoted Slask Wroclaw are gaining ground on the league frontrunners with a number of wins against the likes of Wisla Krakow and the traditional Polish club giants of Ruch Chorzow. 

The Silesian area of Poland is heavily populated with notable towns such as Katowice being football landmark cities known far and wide.   Wroclaw is less well known but with a population of 635,280 it is the fourth largest city in Poland. Today, it feels a like city different to other less luxurious neighbouring cities such as the shabby Lodz and compares more favourably with the cultural hotspot of Krakow and even the capital Warsaw.   Wrocław is now a fully fledged European city with a distinct Polish population and its mixed architectural heritage of modernism and old makes it fully worthy of its host city status at UEFA Euro 2012.   It is far from the perfect destination with large parts of the wider urban area nose to tail in 70's like council housing blocks and grimy landmarks.   However, the city centre is pristine, elegant and an architectural delight.  In a word Liverpool is not the perfect city yet it has been bestowed with the title of European City of Culture.  Wroclaw could easily follow suit.

With Poland now being a member of the EU and developing rapidly, football structures are also changing if only slowly.   Poland as a football nation is though still struggling and suffers from post-communistic blights of hooliganism, ongoing cross political/football corruption, poor traditional stadia and low crowds.   Although the league structures have been around since 1927 currently the premier league is called the Ekstraklasa and has 16 teams. The winner automatically receives the Polish League Champions title and the right to attempt qualification for the Champions League.   

However, even this has been a struggle with Legia and recently Wisla Krakow consistently failing to qualify for the group stages when drawn against the likes of Barcelona.   Based in Warsaw the PZPN – Polski Zwiazek Pilki Noznej – has seen its fair share of bad headlines in recent years with numerous threats of the Association being thrown out of the European footballing arena by UEFA due to political interference from the government.

The administrative level crisis in Polish football has been closely followed by UEFA and continues to haunt the Polish game.    The interference in the football association by a number of Polish governmental sports ministers has repeatedly raised the spectre of Polish suspension from International competition and the recent appointment of national football legend Gregorz Lato as the PZPN chief executive can been seen as an attempt by the Poles to claw back some of the damaged self esteem that the Polish football federation has suffered.  

As the 2012 European Championships approaches it was imperative that the Poles acted to ensure that the prestige of being a co-host of the tournament was not taken away by UEFA. Despite the progression of the national team and qualification for a number of final tournaments the country's football problems would appear to remain with no recognised national class stadiums as yet and provincial premier league grounds seriously out of date and in many cases falling to pieces.   With many grounds starved of cash by local council owners ,refurbishment of any kind has been slow whilst outside investment has been unforthcoming due to the low profile of the league.   Lech Poznan and Wisla Krakow aside many of the grounds currently in Poland appear bleak empty communist bowl arenas with the outer façade of grounds often adorned with untidy graffiti and crumbling surroundings.    ŁKS Łódź crumbling ground sat near Lodz city centre and appeared be on the brink of an upgrade or still deciding if investment was ever going to be forthcoming.   With an identity worthy of the 1970's it is no surprise Lodz was not nominated as one of the host venues by UEFA as its stadia would require more than simply an 'upgrade'.    The problem for Poland would appear to be facing up to the depth of development required by UEFA and the PZPN or whether it more suitable for clubs such as LKS Lodz to retain that unique eastern block feel within its stadia once seen in pre-world cup Germany.

Security is required at Polish football games and with the lax standards of entry to grounds this has been tightened up in recent years with the advancement of league structures. Football in Poland is a large amphitheatre for Polish males to vent frustrations or friendship towards rival towns, teams and fans but it is also a massive temptation to engage collectively and robustly with police in a telling violent fashion. At international level, nationalistic revivalism in Polish national identity and merging European borders has seen a growth in a fan following overseas for the Polish national team with numerous clashes between Polish and German fans being seen in Austria in 2008.    Footballing wise several clubs in Poland have been involved in corruption scandals and relegation and other sanctions have followed as a result.   LKS Lodz inner city rivals Widzew Łódź were forcibly relegated at the end of 2007/08 season whilst Zagłębie Lubin have been implicated repeatedly in corruption accusations.

Śląsk Wrocław were last Polish champions in 1977 but its only recently in 2008 that the Silesian club has returned to the top Ekstraklasa league. For 2012 the plan would seem to be to build a new 40,000 plus Stadium in Wroclaw but at the current time the team plays matches at the compact all seated inner city Slask Stadium. Overall it appeared a hotch-potch of a concrete creation of a ground and was to architectural design what Wembley Stadium is to Plough Lane. With three stands uncovered and one main stand area roofed the few family fans visible seemed to be located in the Trybuna Polnocna areas behind the goal but it offered poor viewing of the game with the goal area hindered viewing wise by an obstructive fence.   Away fans were located in the small and compact Sector Gosci behind the other goal whilst the clubs officials, VIP, Super VIP and media circles were located in the covered Trybuna Kryta.   Meanwhile, the hardcore Ultra groups of Slask were located in the all seated Trybuna Odkryta area but it was easy to access the alternative Polnocna Tribune should the singing, flag waving and choreography not be your forte.

Pre-match there seemed to be little in the way of a pre-match build up either in the city centre or in the immediate vicinity of the ground. The Slask ground itself was located in the Operowska area of the city to the north west of the centre.   With a Saturday evening kick off, by 7pm it was only then when walking to the ground around 7.1pm that police vans and fans wearing scarves and colours began to appear.   From the outside, the ground itself would appear to be a simple affair with an electronic large gate entry system in place.   It looks like in once had been a public park of a small side which has grown a little into its small compact surroundings with space available.   You handed your match ticket - after scanning a bar code - to a steward and he tore the corner and then you were inside the ground to be frsiked by a number of stewards.   It would appear then that it was then up to yourself which area of the ground you wished to enter and where you wanted to sit.   Police, it would appear, were non existent within the stadium and only a large number of stewards seemed to be visible and even then they mostly seemed inactive as they stood near to stadium exits rather than within stadia infrastructure.   Outside the ground however, particularly around the ticket office it was a different matter although the question of police non-involvement still remained.

Every person trying to enter the ground seemed to require a ticket to get in due to the absence of turnstiles and the electronic bar code system.   The Slask Wroclaw club ticket office itself seemed to be a modern enough construction with computerisation and club memorabilia on display but a queueing system outside was non visible and basically it was a free for all to get served by just about anyone.   Even when you reached the ticket desk it would appear that an identity card was required and it was cash  via the Zloty currency only.   There was crushing, pushing, shoving and people urinating nearby in full view of the ordinary clothed police and riot squad police. who watched on.   People drank beer, threw the bottles down on the ground  as the police in a number of aggressive looking vehicles watched on and you got the impression that even if a one to one fight broke out they would have just watched on.    It would appear that the police in Poland with respect to football are not at the ground to organise, manage and facilitate health and safety rules and to get involved in small issues as they do in Britain and in western Europe. They seemed to only be ready for a fight and to gather numbers should they themselves or visiting fans be engaged on mass.

Certainly we discovered that in this particular area of the outer ground structure and internally near the gate entry a significant amount of fan fighting with police had taken place and could take place at any time. The fans themselves appeared on face value that they could look after themselves with a large significant number looking like nightclub door staff with shaven heads, muscle bound physiques and general aggressive manner.   Inside the ground a fencing system surrounded the pitch and stewards stood outside the fencing system rather that internally via the fans, it would be near impossible for any fans to get near the pitch or near visiting fans but just about anything could be thrown from area to area and it is then that the riot police would storm in and engagement commence.  Instead of violence though it was colour that was on display within the Slask ground within the home ends ,and most significantly and visibly amongst the Ruch Chorzow fans.

Ruch Chorzów are one of Polish football's most recognised names and based in Upper Silesia. If a comparison can be lodged you could say that the club are a Polish Schalke04 sort of side. A famous name in an industrial conurbation surrounded by equally famous club sides with whom they have a rivalry.   With 14 national championship titles, 3 times winner of the Polish Cup the main rivals of the side as Gornik Zabre and Katowice with Slask Wroclaw being a minor name compared to the former two neighbouring sides. Nicknamed Niebieska eRka - The Blue R – like Wroclaw they also have a Germanic influence with the the club founded in 1920 in Birmarckhutte.     The Ruch fans were located wholly in the compact Sector Gosci and were surrounded by riot gear  clad police with dogs and batons.   On the fence in front of the supporters a large flag was wrapped around the fencing area in the style of Christmas gift wrapping paper. As the teams came out this was torn away to reveal another flag of equal length which read only 'PHSYCHO FANS' in the blue colours of the side. All of the Ruch Chorzow fans then proceeded to put on Santa hats and the main Ruch cheerleader type supporter with a megaphone then proceeded to appear on a podium fully clad in a Santa outfit. In terms of originality, thought and colour it was probably one of the most inventive fans displays we have ever seen but the fact that it was all on such a small scale obviously helped in terms of cost and preparation.

The Slask fans in the Trybuna Odkryta as the teams ran out waved green, red and white flags and exchanged loud audible chants with home fans in the opposite Trybuna Kryta.  During the game chants were led by two males, one in Slask colours and the other in hooded jacket both standing on an onlooking stantion.   The chanting was loud, boisterous and could be heard from at least 500 metres away outside the stadium.  With no roof on the ground it did not help directing the noise onto the field but it did not seem to hinder the players of Slask who scored 3 goals to win the game 3-1.   Goals at the game were not celebrated as the goals in other countires are though.  Most of the fans including the hardcore stood and clapped or jumped about a bit or hugged friends but it was a far from an overly enthusiastic response the goals.   Indeed it was somewhat low key.  Most of the passion seemed to be reserved for the singing, chanting and gameplay.

After the final whistle the fan and players goodbye occured and a few fans waited by stadia exits to snatch flags from fans looking to sneek them out of the ground.  Within the ground Ruch fans seemed to be penned in for some time by police at least until all areas of the ground were cleared.   Outwith the ground after the match Wroclaw fans headed for the city centre watched by Police vans and police dogs.   The main street lining the way back to the city had few bars or restuarants only off-license small supermarket type shops where cans of lager and beer were purchased and thrown away when finished.

Football in Poland seems to be one where there is a product;  and a small number of local working class passionate fans are about but the question remains of  how they want to support either via the English product or via these methods and those teams in there own backyard.   Certainly aside from those who are fanatical about there own club sides, Polish football does not seem to be highly rated even by the Poles themselves.   Indeed, curious amazement was what we were met with upon meeting Poles and telling them we were in Wroclaw for football.     The problem for the Poles to understand is that it is the unique variety of Eastern Europe football on offer that is the attraction for those of us more used to stock staid organised fare on offer in the British Isles.    For the Poles looking into our game we have a lot to admire; particularly clubs competing regularly in Champions League football, attractive foreign players  and big match atmospheres.   Maybe we just take our game for granted however, as  most games in the Polish league outwith clashes between Lech Poznan, Legia and Wisla are small localised occasions lacking in much especially on the field.   Overall, there are no stars in Poland for whom kids can look up to and emulate.  Any big star in Polish football will be abroad in a foreigh league in no time.

Even if new stadium emerge in Poland with the emergence and development of Euro 2012, it is not going to develop the basic wider grass roots stadium infrastructure visable in the Polish league football system.    The Ekstraklasa  is never going to be a Premiership or a Bundesliga and it should forget about developing in such a way.    Polish football is never going to compete with the English or German variety.    It has to be remembered also that Euro 2012 is shared with the Ukraine and there is a reliance on the Ukraine to develop its stadia and transportation infrastucture at the same rate as the Poles if the overall tournament is to succeed.   The Poles will have 4 bases for 2012 in Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk and Warsaw and at least two of these stadia are nearly completed already.    Transportation links via roads and railways are in place but in terms of facilities they are third world in comparison to what is on offer in Western Europe.  A 280 klm rail ourney from Warsaw to Wroclaw would currently require a number of changes and take over 6 hours as a modern rail network is not in place as yet.  

Certainly the Poles deserve a chance at hosting such an event but it is near on impossible for them to go it alone.  Any departure of the Ukraine from being a joine host would surely leave the door open for the Germans to co-host and dominate the event.   Stadia in Berlin, Cottbus, Leipzig, Rostock or Hamburg could be used.    

Outwith the four Polish growth centres mentioned above other stadia would appear to be worse than run down.  The LKS Lodz ground had its appeal but on a comparitive level with what Lech Poznan have  developed the ground was in a shocking state of condition and grimy disrepair.   Its hard to make any judgment of other grounds but LKS Lodz are one of Poland's major historical sides and it is hard to see that other grounds belonging to less urban centres are in any better. a condition.   There is room for growth in Poland and in cities such as Wroclaw itself, which has a population of over 600,000 people with a large financial centre and panoramic setting.   But even when or if the 40,000 stadium comes about it is going to be empty come matchday.  A similar situation exists in portugal where grounds like Vitorio Guimaries and Sporting Braga are seldom full despite a colourful and expensive upgrade for Euro 2004.     

When the UEFA cavalcade comes to town in June 2012, football will not be played at the Slask ground but whatever is built in Wroclaw will have to be a world away from the current home ground.   Only then can the football ambitions and the  hopes for regular international participation in Europa Cups andthe  Champions Leagues that Polish fans crave, move into gear.  As long as the traditions of the modern game do not infringe too much upon the overall working class spectre of the Polish league through for example extravegant match ticket pricing, then the game infrastructure in Poland can grow, attract better players and still revel in its unique traditions.

By Editor  who was in Poland•