Piast Gliwice

Gliwicki Klub Sportowy Piast Gliwice is a Polish football club based in Gliwice, Poland. The club was founded in June 1945 by the Poles who had been forced to leave their homeland in present-day Western Ukraine. After the 1956 fusion of the three different clubs, GKS Gliwice was formed. Piast continued to play their matches on ul. Robotniczej. In 1964, the 2 clubs merged. The new club name was 'GKS Piast Gliwice'. Piast's football team played as many as 32 seasons in the Polish Second Division, before finally being promoted to the Ekstraklasa in 2008. Having played two seasons in the top division, the club was relegated in 2010. Piast have twice (1978, 1983) managed to reach the final of the Cup of Poland, losing on both occasions. The club's name comes from the Piast dynasty, which ruled Poland from its beginnings as an independent state in the 10th century, until 1370. Piast is the first soccer team in Poland to gain promotion from the 7th tier to the Ekstraklasa (Polish top tier of football) and later to the European Cup.