The Cup of the Rally of Young Leaders (also called the Young Leaders Rally Cup and the Cup of the Polish Youth Union) (Polish: Puchar Zlotu Młodych Przodowników) was the first League Cup in Polish football. The tournament was created by the then president of the Polish Football Association with all 12 teams of the I liga being involved. Due to the league being delayed until after the 1952 Summer Olympics the tournament provided the players a chance to show off their skills with a chance of being called up into the Olympic squad. The tournament took place in Warsaw with the 12 teams being split into 2 groups of 6, with teams in each group playing each other twice. The tournament took its name from the youth rally that was taking place in the city from 20 to 22 July 1952.[1][2]
| Founded | 1 April 1952 |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 21 July 1952 |
| Region |  Poland |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Most successful club(s) | Wawel Kraków (1 title) |
The final took place on 20 July 1952 in the Polish Army Stadium. The final was between the winners of each group, Wawel Kraków and Cracovia, with Wawel winning the final.[3][4][5] There were also playoffs for the 3rd and 5th places.
Group stage
editGroup 1
edit| Pos. | Club | Played | Pts | GF | GA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wawel Kraków | 10 | 19 | 37 | 7 | To play Cracovia in the final |
| 2 | Wisła Kraków | 10 | 11 | 17 | 12 | To play AKS Chorzów in the 3rd place playoff |
| 3 | Lechia Gdańsk | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | To play Lech Poznań in the 5th place playoff |
| 4 | Polonia Warsaw | 10 | 9 | 19 | 16 | Knocked out |
| 5 | Polonia Bytom | 10 | 5 | 10 | 25 | |
| 6 | Polonia Bytom | 10 | 5 | 5 | 27 |
Group 2
edit| Pos. | Club | Played | Pts | GF | GA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cracovia | 10 | 16 | 22 | 14 | To play Wawel Kraków in the final |
| 2 | AKS Chorzów | 10 | 14 | 20 | 9 | To play Wisła Kraków in the 3rd place playoff |
| 3 | Lech Poznań | 10 | 12 | 22 | 16 | To play Lechia Gdańsk in the 5th place playoff |
| 4 | Legia Warsaw | 10 | 10 | 19 | 18 | Knocked out |
| 5 | Górnik Radlin | 10 | 7 | 11 | 16 | |
| 6 | ŁKS Łódź | 10 | 1 | 9 | 30 |
Finals stage
editAll finals took place in the Polish Army Stadium on 20 July 1952.
Fifth place playoff
Lech Poznań vs Lechia Gdańsk – 2:1 (2:1)
Third place playoff
Wisła Kraków vs AKS Chorzów – 2:1 (1:1)
Final
| Wawel Kraków | 5–2 | Cracovia |
|---|---|---|
Final standings
edit1st: Wawel Kraków
2nd: Cracovia
3rd: Wisła Kraków
4th: AKS Chorzów
5th: Lech Poznań
6th: Lechia Gdańsk
References
edit- ^ "1952". poloniabytom.com.pl.
- ^ "Odkrywamy karty historii - rok 1952". lechia.net.
- ^ "Cracovia w pogoni za marzeniami". m.gpcodziennie.pl.
- ^ "Wawel Kraków". 90minut.pl.
- ^ "Puchar niemile widziany". watch-esa.pl.
- ^ Przegląd Sportowy wydanie specjalne z 21 lipca 1952