The influence of “Galician football” on the development of Polish and Ukrainian football

Abstract

Background: Galicia – the former lands of southern Lesser Poland, eastern Roztocze, eastern Subcarpathia and Podolian Upland west of Zburcz. At the end of the 19th century, these areas were under Austrian Partition, Polish and Ukrainian people lived there, so these environments were subject to numerous mutual influences in many areas of social and economic activity. Such dependencies also concerned sports activities, especially when it comes to the most popular discipline, football. Taking into account the fact that Polish ad Ukrainian organizations and sports clubs existed in this area, there are many assumptions that football in these two countries had common roots. The aim of the study is to determine a remarkable socio-cultural phenomenon in the sports field – the search for common roots for Galician football. In the research there was a fundamental question raised: whether “Galician football” can constitute a common source for Polish and Ukrainian football. Methods: The research method used was the analysis of literature, however the research materials consisted of reports on the history of football (Polish and Ukrainian editions) and information contained on the websites of Polish and Ukrainian clubs. Results: The analysis of literature and research documents indicates that Galician football has been a common source for Polish and Ukrainian football. Conclusion: The city of Lviv, as the capital of Galicia and the site of numerous sports organizations, has significantly contributed to the flourishing of the sports life of Poles and Ukrainians. Galicia was the place where the first football clubs for the later Polish and Ukrainian nations were established.