Just 226 spectators filed into the arena on November 1 for the first home match of the season for Jastrzębie Barkom, setting off a wave of uncertainty surrounding the club’s future in Silesia, sport.interia.pl reported.
The club competes in the Tauron Liga following a pre-season restructuring that brought high-level volleyball to the region. The team formed after the financial collapse of the four-time Polish champion Jastrzębski Węgiel and an agreement involving Barkom Kazhany Lwów.
Despite marketing efforts and direct appeals from players, local fans have been slow to embrace the new entity. Przegląd Sportowy noted that supporters of the defunct Jastrzębski Węgiel struggled to accept a club with roots in Lviv playing in their former stronghold.
The sparse crowd for the opening fixture against Podziemia Kredowe ChKS Chełm exposed the depth of the local resistance. SportoweFakty reported that the 226-person attendance stands as one of the lowest marks for the league this season.
Rachael Kalisz of TVP Sport first reported that officials have discussed moving the team away from Jastrzębie-Zdrój. Industry insiders point to Sosnowiec as the most likely destination, while Gliwice has also been mentioned as a potential alternative.
Club president Adam Gorol addressed the mounting speculation in an interview with TVP Sport. “The atmosphere surrounding the team and the club in Jastrzębie does not currently provide a perspective for normal functioning from a sporting and image perspective,” Gorol said. “Therefore, various solutions are being considered, but at this moment we cannot confirm anything.”
Organizational strain has already affected the team’s calendar. A scheduled home fixture against ZAKSĄ Kędzierzyn-Koźle, originally set for November 19 in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, was moved to Kędzierzyn-Koźle. Gorol confirmed to sport.pl that the switch happened at the club’s request due to operational reasons.
On paper, the club remains bound to its current venue. SportoweFakty verified through the Jastrzębie municipal office that the Municipal Sports and Recreation Center (MOSiR) signed two rental agreements with Volley Club on August 10, 2026. Those contracts cover office space and the main arena through May 31, 2027, and local authorities confirmed their realization proceeds without legal disruptions.
Polska Liga Siatkówki officials confirmed to sport.pl that no formal relocation paperwork had been submitted to the governing body as of late Friday. The squad prepares to host PGE Projekt Warszawa on Sunday at 20:30 local time.
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