'Reconciliation for the Pope'

By Maciej Iwanski in Olsztyn

It all started on Friday 1 April. The evening game between Polish top-flight clubs Lech Poznan and MKS Pogon Szczecin came to an unscheduled halt after 38 minutes.

Players pray
With flags inside the stadium already flying at half-mast, supporters began chanting for the match to be stopped. Then one fan ran on to the pitch. The players gathered to pray in the centre circle, 15,000 supporters sang the national anthem, and people cried. A television channel, it transpired, had mistakenly reported the death of Pope John Paul II.

Cracovia connection
The following day, only two First Division games were played. MKS Cracovia SSA, the club the Pope supported all of his 84 years, called off their fixture against MKS Odra Wodzislaw Slaski. Cracovia had been the last of the many football teams to enjoy an audience with the Pontiff when they travelled to the Vatican in January. Indeed, Karol Wojtyla, a goalkeeper in his youth, was often heard to ask Polish visitors, "How are Cracovia getting on?"

In mourning
The feeling was mutual, and more. Since the Pope's passing last Saturday night, both the city of Krakow, where the Holy Father had been both archbishop and cardinal before becoming the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, and the rest of Poland have been in mourning.

'A brave goalkeeper'
The footballing community has been no different. Column inches in the sporting press have been devoted to Karol Wojtyla the athlete - a keen swimmer, skier, mountain climber and, most famously, footballer. "He started as a forward but then became a very brave goalkeeper," recalled a primary school friend, Stanislaw Jura.

Alchemy working
And the prevailing mood has worked a remarkable transformation on traditional enmities within the Polish game. The first indication of this alchemy came in Krakow last Monday when fans from the city's three teams, Cracovia, Wisla Kraków and KS Hutnik Kraków, came together at a mass at Cracovia's stadium.

'Reconciliation'
Club scarves were entwined, hands of peace shaken, and a huge banner carried the words: "For you, Holy Father, reconciliation." To put this in context, Wisla and Cracovia supporters have hated each other for 99 years, and it has not been safe to walk the city's streets wearing club colours.

Fans unite
Nor has this phenomenon been limited to Krakow. In Warsaw, fans from old enemies Legia Warszawa and KSP Polonia Warszawa gathered to pray at the capital's church of St Anne. Meanwhile, Chorzow saw a coming together of supporters from the Silesia region's many rival sides at KS Ruch Chorzow's stadium. Lodz likewise, with Widzew Lódz and LKS Lódz fans reconciled.

Cleansing takes place
The sense of unity has even resulted in supporters cleaning the walls and buildings of Krakow of any graffiti insulting the rival clubs. "We want to clean the city of this before our Pope's funeral," explained one fan.

No segregation
The conciliatory tone will continue into the weekend, following Friday's requiem mass in Rome. The Polish Football Federation (PZPN) has decided that Saturday and Sunday's games will be played under the theme of 'Reconciliation for the Pope'. Players will wear black armbands. Away supporters will be encouraged to sit with their home counterparts. "We are advising that cages for away fans, and fences in front of the stands, be taken down," PZPN president Michal Listkiewicz said.

Respect and admiration
Moreover, the identity cards containing microchips which Polish football fans have been obliged to carry due to the hooligan problem affecting the game, will not be required. For the moment at least, respect and admiration have replaced anger and hate. Just as Karol Wojtyla, the goalkeeping pope, would have wished.