Jan Furtok (1962–2024). Member of the Polish national team and goalscorer in the German Bundesliga
In 1995, Furtok returned to GKS Katowice, from 1995–1997 as a player, in 2005 as a trainer, and then for a period of time as president and director of sports. This was during a difficult spell when at times, the GKS played in the fourth league.
However, it was the role he played in the Polish national team, for which he played for nine years after 1984 and scored ten goals, that made Furtok a legend. In 1993, the man who scored the goals when they were really needed rescued the Kadra (“squad”) from complete humiliation in their game against the football dwarf San Marino in Łódź, when he scored the only goal of the game, albeit in Maradona style with his hand. His clever trick can be seen on YouTube for all to admire.
As the news of Furtok’s death spread, the mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, spontaneously decided to name the new stadium, which will be officially opened in the spring of 2025, after Jan Furtok. A huge portrait of him was painted on a house wall at 13 Ulica Graniczna, a street in the centre of the city, several years ago. Furtok was a famous and popular son of Katowice. His funeral in Katowice-Kostuchna on 29 November 2024 was attended by the highest-ranking members of the city government and the club, as well as a large number of fans and footballers, including Lukas Podolski. They paid their final respects to “Jasiu”.
Diethelm Blecking, December 2024
