During the match between Wisła Płock and Wisła Kraków, hooligans fired fireworks, some of which hit one of the stands where people were sitting. Recordings published online show that some fans left the facility fearing for their health. The police are investigating the case. On the same day, an incident involving hooligans also took place in Podlasie, where they disrupted the trip of seven-year-old children to a Jagiellonia Białystok match. The police intervened there.
The majority owner of Wisła Kraków, Jarosław Królewski, posted a short recording of the away match between Biała Gwiazda and Wisła Płock on the X platform. However, what attracts attention in the video is not the players' play, but the scandalous behavior of the Płock hooligans who shot fireworks during the match. Most of them were directed upwards, a few – as can be seen in the entry – hit one of the stands.
“I have been repeating for a long time that there is a problem with teaching physics/science subjects in schools,” wrote Jarosław Królewski, tagging the official account of Wisła Płock in the post. Footage showing this dangerous situation from other angles also appeared on other social media profiles. They show that some fans, in response to fireworks flying towards them, get up from their seats and most likely head towards the exit. Others try to hide their heads by pulling clothes over them.
It is not known whether the shooters were specifically aiming at the stands.
PZPN's reaction
As Assistant Commissioner Monika Jakubowska, press officer of the Płock police, told us, the officers have no information about anyone being injured as a result of the incident. The spokeswoman will provide us with more information in the coming hours.
In response to tvn24.pl's questions, the press office of the Polish Football Association informed that the PZPN Disciplinary Committee would deal with the matter “after reviewing the report prepared by the delegate.” “The Commission meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, and the decisions will be announced on Thursday,” we read in the response.
Both teams play in the first league. Wisła Kraków won Sunday's match in Płock three to one.
Statement by Wisła Płock. The club apologizes and closes the stand
On Monday, Wisła Płock issued a statement regarding the incident at the stadium. “We would like to apologize to all supporters and fans of the football team who suffered as a result of the incident involving the use of pyrotechnic materials that took place in the stands of the ORLEN Stadium,” we read in the statement. The club's authorities informed that the stand D of the Orlen Stadium would be closed by the end of the year. This means that fans will not be allowed to watch the matches against Górnik Łęczna and Warta Poznań.
The club emphasized on its website that “the situation described should never have occurred during a football match.” The statement noted that the use of pyrotechnic materials in the stadium is prohibited, and the club faces “financial penalties and a sanction to play subsequent matches without the participation of the audience” for such an incident.
“Regardless of this, for Wisła Płock SA, as the organizer of a mass football match, your safety is always the most important – that is, the safety of Wisła Płock fans and supporters” – it was emphasized. The authorities of Wisła Płock also wrote that “the club strongly condemns all actions violating public order, the provisions of the Act on the Protection of Mass Events and the principles of the event regulations.”
“We regret that on October 27, 2024, an incident occurred at our facility, as a result of which participants of a mass event were injured. Therefore, we will make every effort to eliminate the above-described behavior from the stadium in the future,” the statement said.
The children were on their way to the match, and hooligans stood in the way
Another situation occurred on the same day – also on Sunday – in Piątnica in Podlasie. This is near Łomża. A bus with sports school students left in the morning towards Białystok, where children aged around seven were to watch the match between Jagiellonia Białystok and Korona Kielce. However, their departure was disrupted by a group of masked men who blocked the exit from the school parking lot and then the crossing at the roundabout, where they were crossing back and forth on the pedestrian crossing. The whole thing was recorded by the mother of one of the students, who sent the video to the editorial office of Radio Białystok.
As Staff Aspirant Karolina Wojciekian from the Łomża Police informed us, the guardian of the group of children had already received information the day before that the journey would be disrupted. – The hooligans wrote to the guardian that the children should not go to the Jagiellonia match, but support ŁKS Łomża, just like “always” the entire Piątnica – reported the spokeswoman.
Even before leaving for Białystok, the school asked for police assistance. The patrol dispersed the group and identified one person on the spot, and then escorted the bus with the students to Białystok.
So far, the police have already identified seven hooligans who took part in the incident.
– We have already interviewed three people who have been charged. In their case, applications for punishment will be submitted to the court, Wojciekian said. All three are to be held accountable for the following offenses: disturbing public order, obstructing or obstructing traffic, and failing to follow an officer's orders. They may even face imprisonment.
The remaining four people were summoned and are also expected to face charges.
tvn24.pl, Radio Białystok
Main photo source: Jarosław Królewski, x.com