A GLASGOW Herald report in May 1947 of a Glasgow Charity Cup semi-final between Celtic and Third Lanark carried, in passing, these lines: “Third Lanark supplied a surprise by fielding a Pole named Starcik at outside-right. He played fairly well, and scored his side’s goal”.
Feliks Staroscik (pictured at the end of the front row, right) had been on an amateur form with the English club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he was sent to Edinburgh to work in the Polish Consulate.
He played at Cathkin player for four years before being transferred to Northampton Town, in July, 1951.
In December 2000 Bob Crampsey observed in his Evening Times column, Now You Know, that Staroscik was one of a small number of Polish players in Scotland in the late 1940s: “Stirling Albion had a goalkeeper called Gerhard, Alfie Lesz was a St Mirren and Dundee stalwart, and Konrad Kapler had a brief term in the Celtic first team”.
Staroscik died in Bromham, near Bedford, on August 7, 2009, aged 89. A tribute on the Northampton Town website said he had been a “tricky and skilful winger” at Third Lanark. In November 1954, at Northampton, he was the top scorer in both the first and reserve teams.
“Felix joined Bedford during the 1955 close season after 52 games and 17 goals for the Cobblers. Despite being 35, Felix gave the Eagles many seasons and helped his side beat Watford and Norwich and hold Arsenal to a draw in FA Cup ties. Settling in Bedford, he often played golf in his 80’s at the club where his son also played”.
Non-league Bedford lost 2-1 to Arsenal in their 1956 FA Cup replay, and Staroscik had an extra-time goal disallowed for offside. Pathé newsreel footage of the highlights can today be watched online.
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