Adam Wolanin: Chicago’s Polish immigrant at the 1950 FIFA World Cup

At the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the United States national team carried out one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history- defeating England 1-0. Despite the win, Team USA went on to lose their next match against Chile, ending their World Cup run. One player was fellow Chicagoan and recent Polish immigrant Adam Wolanin. Having survived the Second World War, sent from his native Poland to the Soviet Union, and then flying over Western Europe onboard Allied bombers, he chose to serve his adopted country as an athlete.

A Polish soccer player’s career interrupted by war

Born in Lwów, Poland, on November 13, 1919, Adam Stanisław Wolanin rose to prominence in Polish soccer in the 1930s. He joined the local club Pogoń Lwów, starting off in the juniors, and made his way onto the senior team as a forward. His debut goal was against Cracovia on October 17, 1937. In total, he managed to appear in 29 league matches in which he scored 14 goals.

War interrupted Wolanin’s soccer career. Nazi Germany invaded Western Poland on September 1, followed by the Soviet Union’s invasion of Eastern Poland sixteen days later. Both Nazi Germany and the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression pact, which enabled both powers to partition Poland. Lwów and the rest of Poland’s eastern regions, known as the Kresy, became annexed by the USSR and soon after, a campaign of sovietization began. The Soviet authorities deported somewhere between 320,000,000 and 1.7 citizens of pre-war Poland into the interior.¹ Amongst those relocated was Wolanin.

In the now-annexed Kresy, sports associations were reformed in the Soviet fashion. Pre-war Polish soccer players continued to play on newly formed teams like Spartak Lviv- which Wolanin joined in 1939. It was there that Wolanin caught the attention of Spartak Moscow. Whether it was at a match against Moscow, or a national match between the Ukrainian and Russian Soviet Socialist Republics, is unclear. Accounts differ between two former teammates. Nonetheless, Wolanin played for the famed Moscow club during the 1940-1 season.²

Hitler never intended to keep his non-aggression pact with the USSR and invaded his ally in June 1941. In response, the Soviet Union aligned itself with the Western Powers, working closely with the British and American governments. Poland’s pre-war government was by then headquartered in London, having went into exile in 1939. Now finding itself uneasy partners with the USSR, the Polish government-in-exile sought the release of its deported citizens.

Salvation for the Polish exiles came in the form of the Sikorski–Mayski agreement. Its provisions included the release of Polish prisoners of war and the granting of ‘amnesty’ to civilian deportees, along with the formation of a Polish army in the USSR. Appointed as commander of this army was General Władysław Anders.

Joining the Polish Army in the USSR

Wolanin’s military career began on October 18, 1941, when he joined Ander’s Army. He and his fellow soldiers remained on Soviet soil for the next several months. Plagued by logistical issues and met with hostility by Soviet authorities, the Polish army became evacuated to British-occupied southern Iran in 1942. The British government was in a better position to maintain the Polish troops.

In time, over 100,000 Poles reached the British lines in Iran. The majority were military personnel, but walking alongside them were tens of thousands of civilians. An untold number of the evacuees died on the arduous journey to freedom having succumbed to starvation, disease, or exposure. Cemeteries throughout the southern Soviet republics including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, became filled with Polish graves. The deaths unfortunately did not stop in Iran. Tehran’s Doulab Cemetery became the final resting place for nearly 2,000 refugees.³

Ander’s soldiers swelled the size of the Polish Armed Forces in the West at a crucial time. The armed forces consisted of Polish military formations loyal to the government-in-exile, that fought alongside the Western Allies. They came under British operational control by early 1942.

In Great Britain, the Polish forces stationed there were suffering a manpower shortage. Army formations like the 1st Armored Division, and the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, both apart of Polish I Corps, were forming and needed recruits to fill the ranks. Likewise, the Polish Air Force and Polish Navy lacked personnel. The former emerged battered but victorious from the Battle of Britain, while the later was engaged in the Atlantic Campaign, hunting German U-boats and protecting convoys. Thus, after a brief period of rest in Iran, several thousand evacuees found themselves on transports bound for the British Isles.

Recruits from the Middle East arrived at Auchertool Distribution Camp near Kirkcaldy, Scotland. There they underwent processing into either the army, navy, or air force. It was here that Wolanin reported on June 12, 1942.

War and football in Great Britain

The Polish Air Force awaited the arrival of its newest recruit. Wolanin’s first assignment was with No. 316 Fighter Squadron from June to November 1942. Following which he trained as a wireless operator and air gunner, graduating from No. 1 Signals School in October 1943. After months of advanced training, Wolanin became combat ready in July 1944 and reported to No. 304 Bomber Squadron.

Less than 4 kilometers away was the Bristol Channel. A wide stretch of sparsely vegetated sand dunes lay between the sea and the base. Located on the northern shore of the River Taw estuary, in Devon, England, was RAF Chivenor. Here 304 Polish Bomber Squadron was based since March of 1944. Earlier in the war it sustained heavy loses while attached to RAF Bomber Command, resulting in its reassignment to Coastal Command. The squadron now primarily flew anti-submarine patrols.

Although a late arrival to his unit, Wolanin went on to see his fair share of the air war. He flew a total of 30 missions, accumulating 281 hours and 45 minutes of flight time. His highest decoration was the Polish Cross of Valor, twice awarded, given for acts of valor and courage.⁴

Training and flying, however, did not take up all of Wolanin’s time. He continued to play soccer on the Polish Air Force XI team whenever possible. The team represented the Polish Air Force in Great Britain and faced off opponents all across the country, both military and civilian. Many of the matches were friendly and in one such game against Boston United on January 19, 1946, the Poles won 8-3. According to Boston United’s chronicles the ‘Polish side was a class above their Midland League opponents’. Wolanin alone scored four goals.

Eventually the war came to an end and so did Wolanin’s military career. He remained in the Polish Air Force until his discharge in December 1946 as a warrant officer. Still, despite enduring much hardship in the war, and having served honorably, he was not free to do as he pleased just yet.

Upon discharge, veterans of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, disbanded in 1947, had two choices. They could either return to Poland, occupied by Soviet forces, and face possible persecution, or remain in the West. Approximately 118,000 veterans chose the later. Those that did so became enrolled into the Polish Resettlement Corps, a holding unit, which eased their transition from military to civilian life. Once ready, veterans had the ability to stay in Great Britain, resettle within the Commonwealth, or emigrate elsewhere.

It was during his later military career that Wolanin attended tryouts outs for civilian soccer teams. Although he played with the Polish Air Force XI into early 1947, scoring a goal against Sudbury in January, in which the Poles won 2-1, his name that year was also associated with Blackpool Football Club.⁵ A newspaper article published in Fleetwood’s Chronicle in March announced that Wolanin, who appeared on Blackpool’s reserve team, would not be joining the local club. The Polish player was originally a keen prospect but recently changed his mind.⁶

Emigration to the United States seemed like the right decision for Wolanin. His final destination: Chicago.

A new life in Chicago

The RMS Queen Elizabeth arrived in New York harbor from South Hampton on March 21, 1947. Walking off the gangway and onto the pier was a cohort of European soccer players. Signed onto the Chicago Maroons by vice-president Ferdinand Weiszmann, the six men, consisting of four Poles, and two Scots, were Tadeusz Cieplinski, Zygmunt Pyks, Adam Wolanin, Wladyslaw Bedrylo, J.Y. Cadden, and Ian Campbell.⁷

Weiszmann as a businessman, and former player, sought to capitalize on the post-war potential of soccer in the United States. The end of the war made available a great abundance of talented soccer players in Europe. Seeing how National Hockey League games drew large crowds in Midwest cities like Chicago, despite the majority of the players’ foreign, mainly Canadian, backgrounds, Weiszmann envisioned the same popularity with soccer in the US. He went as far as to establish the North American Soccer Football League (NASFL) in the Midwest in 1946.

Click here to read more on the North American Soccer Football League and its founder, Ferdinand Weiszmann.

It was in Pittsburgh on April 6. in the opening game of the NASFL season, that Wolanin and his fellow companions from Europe made their debut. The Indians led the first half when it scored a goal midway and held the advantage. The second half saw the Maroons’ explosive offense, first with a successful kick by Gil Heron, followed by another from Wolanin, taking advantage of a missed shot by the Indians and sending one past their goalie. In the closing minutes the Indians tied the game 2-2. In the stands some 2,400 fans watched the spectacle unfold.⁹

A year later Wolanin played in the ranks of Chicago’s Polish American Athletic Club Eagles. The team officially changed its name to the Chicago Eagles in 1950 and has survived to the present day, its clubhouse located at 5844 N Milwaukee Ave.

Both the Eagles and Wolanin enjoyed a symbiotic relationship throughout the 1940s. Grinding its way to the top in the National Soccer League (Chicago), the Eagles came close to winning the championship in 1948. They advanced to the final game against the Vikings which proved to be contentious. Vikings player Jeff Coombes broke a 1 to 1 tie just three minutes before time elapsed, hitting a line drive into the Eagles’ net with his head, knocking himself out. A fifteen-minute brawl then erupted amongst the players and spectators.¹⁰

Determination and skill led to the Eagles’ winning the league’s championship the following year, and then defending the title in 1950. At the forefront of the twin victories was star-scorer Wolanin.

Indeed, it would seem that 1950 was the pinnacle of his athletic career. In April he travelled to St. Louis for a special tryout. He proved his worth, earning himself a spot on the American squad at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Joining him were two other Chicagoans, goalkeeper Gino Gardassanich, and defender Jeff Coombes.¹¹

Replaced in ‘the game of their lives’

Since its inception in 1930 the FIFA World Cup has only experienced one break in its continuity. The Second World War placed the World Cup on hiatus, with the planned 1942 and 1946 tournaments cancelled. A third cancellation was likely if it had not been for Brazil presenting a bid at the 1946 FIFA Congress. Post-war Europe was rebuilding itself and its nations were reluctant to allocate resources towards hosting the event.

Thirteen teams competed at the 1950 World Cup. All were returning veterans except for England, which was making its debut. The United States, for instance, had already competed twice. Still, the English came to Brazil as one of the favorite contenders.

For the US team its prospects of winning the World Cup were nil. In the words of Geoffrey Douglas, the team’s biographer, ‘the Americans were an afterthought’, having suffered past humiliating defeats on the international stage. At the 1934 World Cup the US lost to Italy 7-1 in the first round. The Italians would repeat a similar victory yet again at the 1948 Olympics while this time, defeating the Americans 9-0.¹²

Attention to the team back home was also almost non-existent. Just a day after the World Cup began on June 25, North Korea invaded its southern neighbor. Newspaper headlines all across the country were concerned with the developing conflict. Yet, even if the invasion had not occurred, any major coverage of the World Cup in the American press was unlikely.

The sole American journalist present in Brazil was Dent McSkimming of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His own superiors unconvinced that the World Cup was newsworthy, McSkimming took a vacation and paying out of pocket, went to the tournament in an unofficial capacity. Most Americans simply did not care about soccer. Under these unfavorable conditions the US team went into battle.

Their first game against Spain, 25 June, in Curitiba, went in their favor early on. Twenty-three minutes into the game Gino Pariani scored the first goal and placed his team ahead. The lead did not hold and losing the momentum, the Americans lost 3-1.

Four days later the team faced England in Belo Horizonte. Coach Bill Jeffrey, experienced in coaching British teams, along with eleven starters and three substitutes, arrived at the stadium with little self-delusion. Jeffrey openly stated to a British reporter ‘we have no chance’. Player Walter Bahr recalled that Jeffrey ‘didn’t have the time to do much coaching… and he was smart enough not to try’.¹³

All that Jeffrey could do was change his lineup from the previous game and hope for the best. His wingers took up different positions on the field. Ed Souza came in for Wolanin, the only player to be replaced.

For most of the first half neither side held the advantage. Then at thirty-seven minutes came a seemingly impossible feat by the US team. Bahr took a mishit shot at the opponent’s net from twenty-five yards out. Bert Williams moved into place to make a save but Joe Gaetjens sprang into action before he could. Diving in front of the net, Gaetjens landed on his belly and eight yards away, directed the ball into the net with his head. All of a sudden, the 10,000 spectators in the stadium erupted into a roar.

England never broke the lead and lost 1-0. The result is considered one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Douglas’ biography of the US team and the match sparked the 2005 film adaptation The Game of Their Lives, released on DVD as The Miracle Match. Neither book nor movie make any mention the Polish-born Chicago Eagles player.

After the World Cup

Team USA returned home quietly. Wolanin picked up where he left off, playing for the Eagles, until a few months later, when he switched over to the Chicago Falcons. Any mention of his name disappeared from the sports section of the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1957. A new chapter in his life began.

He and his wife Valerie went into the deli business. They opened the Krakow Sausage Shop in the Polish Downtown area, the heart of Chicago’s historic Polish community, at 1317 North Paulina Street. A delicatessen as much as it was a sausage shop, the Wolanins offered a full array of Polish cuisine including prepared dishes, soups, jams, and desserts. Soccer memorabilia, trophies and a ball, decorated the inside of the store.¹⁴

In his leisure time Adam Wolanin was an active member in several Polish diaspora organizations. With his wartime comrades he participated in the Chicago chapter of the Polish Air Force Veterans Association. Belonging to the chapter were other members of 304 Polish Bomber Squadron whom Wolanin served with. The former Chicago Eagles player was also a welcomed guest at the team’s clubhouse.

The end for the soccer player came on 26 October 1987. The epitaph for a man who led an extraordinary life simply reads ‘Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Him; Father; Adam S. Wolanin’. His wife joined him in death two years later and together, they are buried at Maryhill Catholic Cemetery in Niles.

Wolanin may have not played in the historic England-USA match at the 1950 World Cup but his overall career was nothing short of legendary, worthy of a biographical film itself. His grave is a place of pilgrimage for soccer fans and Polish patriots alike.

1. Tadeusz Piotrowski, The Polish Deportees of World War II: Recollection of Removal to the Soviet Union and Dispersal Throughout the World (Jefferson, NC.: McFarland & Company, 2004), pp.4-5.
2. The memoirs of former soccer player Władysław Kłoczko appear online on the Polish wesbsite Sport.  Dariusz Leśnikowski, ‘Władysław Kłoczko wspomina (2). Słuchaj synu, narwany jesteś…’, Sport, 28 December 2021. Retrieved from: https://sportdziennik.com/wladyslaw-kloczko-wspomina-2-sluchaj-synu-narwany-jestes/ (accessed 25 November 2022).
3. A collection of firsthand accounts of the Polish deportees’ life in the Soviet Union, and trek to freedom, is provided in Piotrowski’s The Polish Deportees of World War II.
4. Wolanin’s military records, and those of other members of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, are preserved by the British Ministry of Defence. Copies of records can be obtained by writing to: Ministry of Defence; APC Disclosures 5 (Polish); Building 1 (Ops), RAF Northolt; West End Road; Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6NG; United Kingdom.
5. ‘Sudbury’s Lively ‘Friendly’: Poles win by narrow margin’, Suffolk & Essex Free Press [Suffolk, UK], 23 January 1947, p.10. Retrieved from the British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001584/19470123/123/0010?browse=true (accessed 30 November 2022).
6. ‘This week’s sportschat’, Fleetwood Chronicle [Fleetwood, UK], 28 March 1947, p.4. Retrieved from the British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0003239/19470328/006/0001?browse=true (accessed 30 November 2022).
7. ‘Six soccer stars here from Europe’, The New York Times [New York City, NY], 22 March 1947, p.19. Retrieved from the New York Times article archive, available through digital subscription: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1947/03/22/87515046.html?auth=login-email&pageNumber=19 (accessed 30 November 2022).
8. Bill Kerch, ‘Raiders meet Maroons in pro league opener’, St. Louis Globe Democrat [St. Louis, MO], 13 April 1947, p.50. Retrieved from Newspapers.com: https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/573437132/ (accessed 30 November 2022).
9. ‘Maroons tied, 2 to 2’, Chicago Daily Tribune [Chicago, IL], 7 April 1947, p.30. Retrieved from ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune: https://www.proquest.com/hnpchicagotribune/docview/177407203/DBC59136956A414EPQ/ (accessed 30 November 2022).
10. ‘Head work by Coombs beats Poles’, Chicago Daily Tribune [Chicago, IL], 29 November 1948, p.B4. Retrieved from ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune: https://www.proquest.com/hnpchicagotribune/docview/177581184/BF2B232EAA1C4013PQ/9 (accessed 30 November 2022).
11. John Leptich, ‘The day America shook the World Cup’, Chicago Tribune [Chicago, IL], 29 June 1986, p.C6. Retrieved from ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune: https://www.proquest.com/hnpchicagotribune/docview/169244771/ (accessed 16 December 2022).
12. Geoffrey Douglas, The Game of Their Lives (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p.6.
13. Douglas, The Game of Their Lives, p.16.
14. John P. Durbin, ‘A movable nosh’, Chicago Tribune [Chicago, IL], 7 January 1973, p.118. Retrieved from ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune: https://www.proquest.com/hnpchicagotribune/docview/170358598/ (accessed 15 December 2022).