FEATURE: WIESLAW GRABOWSKI – FRANK TALKER WHO WAS LOVED BY THE ZAMBIAN FOOTBALL COMMUNITY (1 OF 2)

Composed by Lucky Mwewa Chama

Wieslaw Grabowski is a former Zambia National team coach who was appointed in July, 1983 by the Football Association of Zambia.

As a player Grabowski played for Gornik Zobrze, and appeared for Poland in six matches and was in the team that beat England 2-0 in the 1974 World Cup qualifying round.

He was at 36 years when he was appointed to take charge of the Zambia National Team.

According to a newspaper article which was published on 27^th January, 1984, in the Times of Zambia under the Sport On Column it was revealed that Grabowski’s salary was not remitted by FAZ for a period of six months.

A month after the publication of the article, Grabowski received a letter terminating his employment contract with FAZ. No reasons were given in the letter. As a young coach he was shattered and the Zambian football community sympathized with him.

On February 21, FAZ chairman Tom Mtine announced his removal and hoped that Zambian coaches would be interested to take up the job for the next five years.

Grabowski served for eight months and managed to win eight matches out of ten games he was in charge of the team.

He had a sour relationship with FAZ which was characterized with strange and mentally agonizing experiences. His salary was never paid in full, forcing him to live on advances and changed his accommodation four times.

Grabowski was a frank talker and that did not go down well with FAZ bosses who always demanded subservience from the employees. He would openly express his honest opinion with the media or anybody that came in contact with him.

Grabowski acknowledged that his openness was the reason for his dismissal. He told the Times of Zambia in an interview: “Since I attacked FAZ through the Times of Zambia for not sending the team to the CECAFA tournament last year, communication between them and me has broken down.

I am crying. When I came to Zambia I did so with my full heart. I came not to work on a team, but to build one. Now they have destroyed everything,” he said.

He said there was interference in his training program by FAZ and also refusal to allow the players more time in camp during preparations for important matches.

Despite getting a lower pay compared to some expatriate coaches working on the Copperbelt with mine clubs, the Polish gaffer stayed on.

NEXT WE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW FANS ORGANIZED THEMSELVES TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY TO SETTLE THE ALLOWANCES FOR COACH