FEBRUARY 2006

The first American football team in Poland was founded in Warsaw in 1999. From this moment teams started to be created in more and more cities all over Poland and Krakow was no different. Unfortunately for some time there was a shortage of people that would be ready to sacrifice their spare time and begin working on creating a football team. Finally, thanks to an Internet forum a meeting was arranged with a purpose of starting up an American Football team in Krakow. The initiating push came from Michal Truszkowski and so a decision was made to start working on developing a strategy for building a team in Krakow.

APRIL 2006

Our first practice took place on April 8th, 2006. It was the first American Football practice in the history of the city of Krakow. The practiced was conducted at Blonie Park and lasted five hours. There were 13 participants at our first practice but with every week the number of players was increasing. At that point there were 25 players practicing with the team and in the first two months of regular practice almost 50 people showed up at our practice however only a small number of them had the will to stay with us and become players.

MAY 2006

On May 28th, 2006 our team has participated in a tournament organized in Oborniki Slaskie near Wroclaw. On that day we have played our first game ever. Other teams from Poland that have participated in the tournament were: Devils Wroclaw, Kozly Poznan, and Silesia Miners, all of which have also at that time only beun their development and – same as Tigers - have not yet been equipped with proper AF gear as helmets, pads, etc. hence all the games were played with no protective gear!

NOVEMBER 2006

We have attained support from our first sponsors – Centrum Poligrafii Cyfrowej (digital printing service) and Idea4net (business solutions). Those two supporters helped us develop an advertisement plan for promotion of American Football in the city of Krakow. We have taken to the streets with flyers, posters and our Internet page has finally went up.

This was a month of intensive preparations for the 2007 season of Polish American Football League which was to become Tigers’ first regular season appearance. Wintertime practice was held outdoors on the field as well as indoors in a gym of one of Krakow’s colleges. Players from Germany and United States join the team and brought with them much needed knowledge and experience.

JANUARY 2007

In January the teams governing body unanimously decided that Krakow Tigers will participate in the 2007 Polish American Football League (PLFA 07). As an outcome of this decision the coaching staff introduced a new and demanding schedule of practices and scrimmages that incorporated elements of physical as well as mental preparation. With four months remaining until the start of the regular season the Tigers have met their upcoming 2007 rivals. At a general PLFA 07 conference in Warsaw the Tigers were set up to play in the Central Division together with AZS Silesia Miners and Warsaw Eagles. The Tigers have already had a chance to play against the Miners twice – each team won once. However Tigers were yet to play with the Warsaw Eagles. Poland’s oldest and best team was up to that moment still unbeaten and bearing a championship title from the 2006 mini-league. Central Division seemed to be a difficult one for the Tigers to start in.

FEBRUARY 2007

The Krakow Tigers organized a Super Bowl Party – first such event held in Krakow. More than 40 American Football enthusiasts gathered. Prior to watching the NFL final game the participants had a chance to watch a replay of what some call the best college game in history – Boise State vs. Oklahoma. Of course the most important element of the evening was the Colts vs. Bears game.

MARCH 2007

At the finishing period of our preparations for the upcoming 2007 League we had a chance to test ourselves against our division opponent in a preseason match against AZS Silesia Miners. The coaching staff was given a chance to check their final offensive and defensive player setups and make any additional personnel changes before the regular season. The game was held in Ruda Slaska at the MOSiR Stadium on March 25th, 2007. The game’s outcome favored the Miners. However most importantly this game gave many of our players the experience they needed to get ready for the inaugural regular season game, which was quickly approaching.

APRIL 2007

April was an intensive month for the Krakow Tigers not only for the players but also for the team’s board. Marketing and promotional activities were implemented in order to attract Krakow’s attention to the upcoming League and to the team itself. Few hundred of posters were hanged all around the city and thousands of fliers were handed out. The promotional campaign did its job. Although the team fell in the first game of the regular season to the AZS Silesia Miners 6:50 the lack of success on the field was somewhat recompensed by very high attendance and significant media interest in the event. More than 700 onlookers cheered the home team throughout the game despite the unfavorable outcome. With this event American Football inscribed its position in the minds of sports fans in Krakow.

MAY 2007

On May 6th, 2007 in Ruda Slaska another meeting with AZS Silesia Miners took place. Very even fist half of the game ended with a 12:20 score favoring the home team. Despite a promising second half the Krakow Tigers offense was not able to score and the game ended with a loss for the visiting team. Moreover the game schedule was not getting any easier for the Tigers as their next rival - the 2006 Champions Warsaw Eagles - were considered the best team in Poland. Krakow’s players approached the game with focus and intensity. The match took place on May 27th, 2007 and was not only a battle for points but also a great chance for the Tigers to gain much needed experience from the veterans of the Warsaw team. Almost 200 onlookers watched the game in the stands. A weak first half on the part of the Tigers pretty much set up a win for the Eagles team, which in the second half defended their established position and in the result dominated the Tigers 62:0. After three games Krakow lost their chances for advancing to the play-offs this season.

JUNE 2007

Third away game in a row for the Tigers took place in Aleksandrow Lodzki and was supposed to finally bring the first win of the 2007 season. Both KFA Firebals Wielkopolska as well as Krakow Tigers were yet to win their first game. However the team from Poznan had extensive experience playing many polish and international teams. Nevertheless the level of play was even on the field. Unfortunately the Tigers paid another price for lack of experience and on-field savvy and lost to the Fireballs 6:27. After three away games Tigers hosted Husaria Szczecin – another debutant in the 2007 League. Even and tough play on he part of Husaria gave them their first win. The Tigers despite their fifth loss could still count on their fans whose high attendances pleasantly surprised us again. In terms of attendance Krakow placed second in the country only after Wroclaw.

JULY 2007

During the summer break Tigers were not planning to rest extensively. Our efforts were noticed by the media so much so that on July 14th, 2007 we were invited to co-organize a Gazeta Wyborcza sports event at the Juvenia Stadium. We were given a chance to explain the rules of American Football to a wider audience. The participants had a chance to learn many details of the sport, try on the equipment and join the team in their practice.

SEPTEMBER 2007

On 15th September, the Champion of Poland Warsaw Eagles arrived in Cracow. It was supposed to be the last game not only for the formidable Cracow fans but also for Cracow Tigers in PLFA 07. Unfortunately, the encounter against the more experienced and title-holding team up in a loss. Many claimed that the first season of the Tigers in the Polish League of American Football was a flop. We don’t deny this; it suffices to look at the scores (6 losses). However, organisationally we have done very well. Our three home matches were attended by 1,500 supporters, to who – by the way – we extend our grateful thanks. The skill we showed in the preparation of the infrastructure for the games was appreciated by the Association, which granted us the honour of organising the first, historical game of the National Team.

OCTOBER 2007

The Tigers have been given a two-week break from training in order to regain strength. Of course we are keeping a close eye on the doings of the teams which have qualified to the next level of the PLFA. A 30-strong group of Cracow fans is planning to attend the finals in Warsaw.  The preparations for the „Super Bowl Weekend” are under way. The team members meet every Sunday at the Sport Bar in Cracow to watch the games played “across the pond”. Anyone interested is welcome; the players will gladly explain the rules and give pointers.

NOVEMBER 2007

The trainings were resumed and the players rushed into the new stage of preparations for the coming season. However, the most important event was the first appearance of the National Team. The two weeks of preparations, the agonising 3 days preceding the game and, at last, the match against Byelorussia. The game played in the Juvenia field attracted 250 fans from all over Poland. Unfortunately, their spectacular (and loud) cheering failed to inspire our “Eagles”, who lost to the visitors from across our eastern border. Nevertheless, the game was a big promotional and organisational success, which is bound to bear fruit in the future.

DECEMBER 2007

After several weeks of heated debate we decided to change the image of the Association. The Board decided to change the organisational structure in order to cope with new challenges more successfully. Just before Christmas, both the Association and individual players organised collection of toys for the children in Cracow orphanages. In the week before Christmas we visited the University Hospital for Children in Prokocim.

JANUAR 2008

The team has been preparing intensively for the PLFA 2008 games. In January we learned who our opponents were as well as this year’s fixtures. We promised ourselves that this year we will get our first win. This is something craved for not only by our players and the coaching staff, but most of all by our fans, who so ardently reacted to our call. Anyone interested in the Cracow Tigers needs but to register in the Fan section and he or she will be notified a few days ahead time about every event involving our team.

FEBRUARY 2008

For the second time, we organised a Super Bowl Party. This year’s finals were really captivating. At last the New York players got the upper hand and beat NE Patriots by 17 to 14. The Sport Bar In Cracow was thronged with more than 80 fans, who from the first moment to the last with bated breath followed the heroics of the NFL players. Various contests, the Senior Bowl game, as well as the finals of the Cracow Tigers Madden Bowl entertained the viewers waiting for the most important duel of the night.