Polonia FC  | | Polska United - the new Poles are joining forces to play football |
The South West has a long and proud tradition of Eastern European immigration. Many of the 200,000 Poles who fought with the allies in the Second World War settled in the region once the war was over. But now their dwindling numbers have been boosted by around 40,000 new immigrants, mainly from Poland. Inside Out looks at how the new Poles are adapting to life in the South West, using football as a uniting force. Work, rest and play football... The new generation of Poles have come to the region to work, study and, in the case of the members of Polonia FC, to play football. Meet the star players | Mike Zielinski - age 26. Goalkeeper. A Political Studies graduate, now a hotel receptionist. Tomasz Olczyk - age 27. Defender. Formerly a coal mining engineer, now a factory worker. Andrzej Grocholski - age 24. Forward. Was a Management student, now a factory worker. |
Inside Out dropped in on one of their games to find out what life is like in England for the new Poles of Plymouth.
Tomasz Olczyk used to be a coal mining engineer in his native Poland - now he's a factory worker in England. When he's not working, Tomasz plays in defence for Polonia FC. He settled in Plymouth to make a decent living, but hopes to return to his own country at some point in the future. "I come to England because I would like to save the money, and after I come back to my country open the business and good life," he says.  | | Tomasz Olczyk does factory work in England |
Tomasz has a 26-year-old wife, and a daughter of two and a half - they are both living back in Poland. "It's very horrible but it's a lifeĀ
life is brutal," says Tomasz stoically. "When I came to England, I didn't speak very well. It was hard for me... and then I come to Plymouth and start work here," he says.
"It was very hard to find [work] but I find and now I'm working..." A new life His fellow Pole and Polonia FC supporter Slawka Gruziewska has also settled down after an uncertain start: "It's very difficult to find a place to live because lots of agencies they need some deposit and a reference as well, that's why it was very hard for us."
 | | From football to factory - star striker Andrzej Grocholski |
Polonia FC star striker Andrzej Grocholski has found English people very friendly, and open to people from other countries. Mike's experience is similar: "I haven't found anyone saying, 'Oh, the Poles have taken our jobs, they're not paying taxes' because we're not. "We're here to pay our taxes and just to work."
But it is hard to be so far from home and living apart from friends and family, as Mike explains. "You just miss your friends so much and then you just come back to Poland and, Jesus, everything has changed... our life in Poland stopped on the day we left Poland." Poland united The Polonia FC football team stands united when it plays soccer. "We really wanted the English community to see the Polish are friendly, that we're not closing ourselves in our community, that we're open for being part of the British community as Poles." | Mike Zielinski - goalkeeper |
The team sees the game as a way of becoming part of the wider English community whilst maintaining the players' roots in their native Poland. They are keen to make a good impression with the local English teams, as Mike explains: "At the end of the game we say thank you to the other team even if we lose. "We don't foul, if we do we say sorry... and that's the way to make a good impression."
Despite living and working in England, the Poles remain fiercely patriotic, as Tomasz displays as he kisses his football shirt: "We were just born with a large red and white flag and a huge eagle in our heart. "I love my country."
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Inside Out - South West: Monday November 13, 2006