The Ekstraklasa "300 Club" Is Growing

 

Lukasz Surma, Arkadiusz Glowacki, Lucjan Brychczy, Kazimierz Deyna. These footballers, along with 79 other big names in Polish football have one thing in common - the “300 Club”. This means 83 players in the history of Polish football have played at least 300 league games. It doesn’t stop there, as the “400 Club” is also gaining new members.

 

It all started over 50 years ago, with Edward Szymkowiak…

 

From Szymkowiak to Surma

 

April 25th, 1965 - Edward Szymkowiak becomes the first ever player in the country’s top football league to play 300 matches. He ended up playing 354 games, and went unchallenged till 1971 when he was surpassed by Lucjan Brychczy. 6 years later Zygfryd Szoltysik took over by playing 395 games - 5 short of the “400 Club”. Finally, the first to reach 400 league games was Marek Chojnacki who managed to achieve this in 1994. In the end, Chojnacki played in 452 matches and set the bar high for future generations.

 

The record was finally beaten by Lukasz Surma in 2014. Three years later the player became the first ever, to enter the “500 Club”. Currently, he has played in 559 games. 

 

 

 

Lukasz Madej

 

This season we were fortunate enough to witness another milestone. Lukasz Madej played his 400th game during Matchweek 4 of season 2017/18. This puts him in a group of 7 players who achieved this feat: Marcin Malinowski, Marek Chojnacki, Dariusz Gesior, Arkadiusz Glowacki, Janusz Jojko and Marek Zienczuk. Fans won’t be able to witness another addition to the “400 Club” until next year during the season of 2018/19, where potentially 3 players can join the prestigious group: Tomasz Jodlowiec (Legia Warsaw - 275 games), Piotr Celeban (Slask Wroclaw - 273 games), Tomasz Brzyski (Sandecja Nowy Sacz, 272 games). 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW, THAT….

 

559 - number of games played by the current record holder, Lukasz Surma

62   - members of the “300 Club” who played at least one game in the Polish National Team

7     - members of the “300 Club” received a medal at the World Cup; Kazimierz Kmiecik, Kazimierz Deyna, Leslaw Cmikiewicz, Zygmunt Maszczyk, Jan Domarski, Zdzislaw Kapka, Marek Dziuba

7     - members of the “300 Club” have scored a minimum of 100 goals; Tomasz Frankowski, Lucjan Brychczy, Kazimierz Kmiecik, Jan Liberda, Pawel Brozek, Piotr Reiss, Marek Saganowski