bestbrother Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Widzew Lodz Im not one for introductions, but I feel a few words should be shared here before I recap my current career. I initially chose Widzew Lodz as I like returning teams to former glories, with Widzew it was an easy choice in Poland with them being former champions languishing in the 2nd tier (1 Liga). However further research has since shown that my career could never be replicated in any form by the club, because in July 2015 they were officially wound up and no longer exist! It may or may not surprise you, but for those a bit older, you may also remember Widzew Lodz as being the team that knocked out Liverpool in the European Cup in the early 80s (no mean feat!) before losing in the Semi Finals.... then in the late 90s in one of the teams last efforts in Europe, they would draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Group Stage, the same Dortmund team that would clinch the Champions Cup later that season. Widzew had a great history both domestically and in Europe, one of the true Eastern European greats of the Communist era. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestbrother Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 2014/15: The Outsiders come In! 1.Liga - CHAMPIONS A squad of misfits, no money to spend, a wage budget brimming to overflowing and a media prediction of relegation with odds of 150-1 to get promoted. Everything pointed to misery, but it proved to be anything but... In all honesty most teams at this level are just happy to get by, there is/was little investment in players and as long as we put out a competitive side, we had a chance. Fortunately we took it, losing just 3 games from 19 before the winter break, with Adam Duda scoring at a rate of a goal a game as we put the division to task. The uncomfortably long break wouldnt effect our form, as although we would lose at home to Arka on our return to action, we again would lose just 2 more in the run-in, effectively clinching promotion with a 1-1 draw at Flota, before claiming the title with a 3-0 home win of Pogon Siedlce in the penultimate fixture. We top scored with 63 goals and were good value to win the 1.Liga for the 3rd time in the clubs history and secure a spot in the T-Mobile Ekstraklasa for next season. Polski Puchar - Runners Up This came out of the blue as we managed to navigate our way to the Cup Final, before losing out to top flight Slask in a one sided finish. Our run saw us beat Lech Poznan, a team challenging for honours and eventual runners up in the top division and also Ruch Chorzow in a 2-legged semi final, as we made our home advantage count in a 3-0 romp. Meet The Team: We made no signings or sold anyone this year, so what you see is what you get with Lodz. Fortunately we had a striker who could find the net in Adam Duda, his 22 goals pushed us along nicely, albeit the majority coming before the winter break. Duda would also collect the clubs Fans Player of the Year award, the 1.Liga Player of the Year award and also be 1 of 5 Widzew players nominated for the 1.Liga team of the season. The others being; Veljiko Batrovic, Tomasz Lisowski, Kamil Zimon and Krystian Nowak. Off the Field: Financially the club is a mess and holds a net debt of circa $3m. Our wage budget is likely to increase for our season in the top division, but with the expense needed to convert terracing back into seats, any finance available for transfers could well be restricted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 I'm sure it's pronounced something like 'woods' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestbrother Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 I'm sure it's pronounced something like 'woods' Woods can be fun too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
endtime Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 RIP my hometown team A phoenix club has been formed and plays in the Polish fifth tier. Hard to believe we've fallen so far when I can still remember knocking out Broendby in the dying seconds of the tie or stuffing Legia on their own patch to win the league. Unfortunately, 20 years of financial mismanagement and bad owners brought us to where we are now. [video=youtube;33qR5XD_5gs] I still get chills when I watch this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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