Full name | Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Śmigły Wilno |
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Founded | 1933 |
Śmigły Wilno was a former Polish soccer team. Founded in 1933 in Wilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania). Śmigły's full name was Wojskowy Klub Sportowy "Śmigły" Wilno (Military Sports Club "Śmigły" Wilno). The club enjoyed full support of Wilno's military garrison of the Polish Army, located in present-day Šiaurės miestelis of Žirmūnai; in fact – it was created by a group of officers, passionate fans of soccer.
The name "Śmigły" (Agile) for the first time appeared in an interwar Polish sports weekly Raz, Dwa, Trzy, on 8 April 1933. On this day, the soccer team of Wilno beat a team from Siedlce 3–1. The club was the result of a union of different Wilno's soccer teams (such as Strzelec, Pogon, Lauda and Ognisko), none of which had previously achieved any successes. The officers, with Colonel Zygmunt Wenda as the first one who came up with this idea, realized that one big team, representing Wilno, would be the best solution and thus Śmigły was born. The name was a gesture towards Edward Śmigły-Rydz, commander-in-chief of Polish Army.
First, in regional games, Śmigły beat the teams of 4 dyon samoch. panc. Brześć nad Bugiem (3–1 and 3–2) and 76 p.p. Grodno (4–1 and 2–1). Then, in the semifinals, overcame Naprzód Lipiny (0–1, 1–0 and 4–2 in additional game, held in Warsaw.) In the finals, however, Polonia Warszawa proved to be too strong. Śmigły lost both games (0–2 and 1–3) and failed to promote to the Polish Soccer League.
In 1934, after beating WKS Grodno (12–0 and 6–0) and WKS Brześć nad Bugiem (3–1 and 6–0), Śmigły reached the final group of the play-offs, winner of which was promoted to the Polish Soccer League. Unfortunately, this attempt was unsuccessful – in the 3-team group Śmigły finished last, behind (which was promoted) and Naprzód Lipiny.
After winning regional games (against Warmia Grajewo and Kotwica Pinsk), Śmigły, on its way to play-offs finals, faced Czarni Lwów. Wilno's side did not manage to overcome this team (0–2 and 0–0).