HarpoJoyce
15/07/2008, 3:35 AM
There is another example of that most horrendous of practices, the merger of two clubs. In his case it seems to be an out-right buyout by a mid-table Polish side from Warsaw KPS Polonia and a recently successful Premier Division (Ekstraklasa), third placed last season, Groclin Dyskobolia SSA (Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski).
Basically a construction magnate Jozef Wojciechowski has bought out the higher placed club. And taken their place in the top league. Unfortunately, I have found very little in English on the subject (UEFA).
UEFA.com short piece
http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=731958.html
Polish football forum, with English
http://www.polishgoal.com/index.cgi?board=PolishLeague&action=display&thread=1493
Couple of articles with final league table (Polski)
(1st one very slow to load)
http://www.sport.pl/pilka/1,70991,5448013,Polonia_Warszawa_polaczyla_sie_z_G roclinem.html
http://www.soccer.com.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25448
Groclin Dyskobolia website
http://www.dyskobolia.com.pl/
KSP Polonia
http://www.ksppolonia.pl/
I know UCD's Bulgarian opponents in the Intertoto in 2000 were taken over by Lokomotiv Plovdiv in 2001
http://albionroad.com/club-profiles/lokomotiv-plovdiv.html
"Took the A Grupa place of Velbazhd Kyustendil before the 2001-02 season after a 'merger'."
Fortunately, Velbazdh are back in the league again.
What do fans think of mergers in general and what other examples are there out there? Are there any good examples of mergers where both clubs established equality/fairness early on ( usually through the name) and it was viewed as successful?
Basically a construction magnate Jozef Wojciechowski has bought out the higher placed club. And taken their place in the top league. Unfortunately, I have found very little in English on the subject (UEFA).
UEFA.com short piece
http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=731958.html
Polish football forum, with English
http://www.polishgoal.com/index.cgi?board=PolishLeague&action=display&thread=1493
Couple of articles with final league table (Polski)
(1st one very slow to load)
http://www.sport.pl/pilka/1,70991,5448013,Polonia_Warszawa_polaczyla_sie_z_G roclinem.html
http://www.soccer.com.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25448
Groclin Dyskobolia website
http://www.dyskobolia.com.pl/
KSP Polonia
http://www.ksppolonia.pl/
I know UCD's Bulgarian opponents in the Intertoto in 2000 were taken over by Lokomotiv Plovdiv in 2001
http://albionroad.com/club-profiles/lokomotiv-plovdiv.html
"Took the A Grupa place of Velbazhd Kyustendil before the 2001-02 season after a 'merger'."
Fortunately, Velbazdh are back in the league again.
What do fans think of mergers in general and what other examples are there out there? Are there any good examples of mergers where both clubs established equality/fairness early on ( usually through the name) and it was viewed as successful?