England’s plod to the semi-finals of the Euros has felt, at times, laborious and disjointed, but if the football has lacked verve, then less surprising has been the passion in the stands, and in that regard, Poland has played its part.
As England’s players sprinted to celebrate in front of their fans following Saturday’s nail-biting penalty shootout, those watching on television would have been forgiven for doing a double take. Draped between flags that declared allegiance to Swindon and Plymouth hung another St. George’s Cross, only this one inscribed with the name of the northern Polish city of Bydgoszcz.
Yet, as unusual as the flag itself might be, the sight of it is not. In fact, it has become a permanent fixture whenever—and wherever—the England team plays. So frequent have sightings become that it is not uncommon to find threads on social media dedicated to it: “Ah, that [flag] will refer to the famous town of Bydgoszcz-on-Thames,” reads one recent post on X.
“It looks like Bydgoszcz has been relocated to England,” reads another.
Commonly thought to belong to an expat stranded in Bydgoszcz, the story behind the banner is actually far stranger. The property of Tomasz Drogowski, the 52-year-old Pole can legitimately stake a claim as being England's biggest Polish fan.
Yet, as unusual as the flag itself might be, the sight of it is not. In fact, it has become a permanent fixture whenever—and wherever—the England team plays. So frequent have sightings become that it is not uncommon to find threads on social media dedicated to it: “Ah, that [flag] will refer to the famous town of Bydgoszcz-on-Thames,” reads one recent post on X.
“It looks like Bydgoszcz has been relocated to England,” reads another.
Commonly thought to belong to an expat stranded in Bydgoszcz, the story behind the banner is actually far stranger. The property of Tomasz Drogowski, the 52-year-old Pole can legitimately stake a claim as being England's biggest Polish fan.
“I’ve never lived or worked in England,” Drogowski tells TVP World. “I just really love the football team and the whole culture of English football.”
Now a veteran of over 200 England matches, the mileage clocked up by Drogowski is nothing if not extraordinary. World Cups in South Africa, Qatar, Russia, and Brazil are all etched in his logbook, but so too are more obscure matches: a qualifier in Kazakhstan, an exhibition game in Trinidad and Tobago, and a friendly tournament in Miami.
Following the side home and away, Drogowski’s first flirtation with England’s football team came in 1993.
“Back then, I was writing a fanzine called ‘Szalikowcy’ (ENG: ‘Scarfers’),” he says. “I was corresponding with fans from all over the world but had no contacts in England.”
Attending England’s match in Chorzów, Drogowski stood outside the away end, handing out his magazine to those that had traveled out to Poland. “I had always been fascinated by English fan culture, so I basically just wanted to make a few connections.”
Now a veteran of over 200 England matches, the mileage clocked up by Drogowski is nothing if not extraordinary. World Cups in South Africa, Qatar, Russia, and Brazil are all etched in his logbook, but so too are more obscure matches: a qualifier in Kazakhstan, an exhibition game in Trinidad and Tobago, and a friendly tournament in Miami.
Following the side home and away, Drogowski’s first flirtation with England’s football team came in 1993.
“Back then, I was writing a fanzine called ‘Szalikowcy’ (ENG: ‘Scarfers’),” he says. “I was corresponding with fans from all over the world but had no contacts in England.”
Attending England’s match in Chorzów, Drogowski stood outside the away end, handing out his magazine to those that had traveled out to Poland. “I had always been fascinated by English fan culture, so I basically just wanted to make a few connections.”
He could not have picked a more volatile game. In the lead-up, a Pogon Szczecin fan was stabbed to death by supporters of Cracovia. “There was a huge amount of in-fighting between fans of different Polish clubs,” he says, “and at one stage the police were even chased out of the stadium.”
As fate would have it, England would meet Poland several more times throughout the 1990s. By then, Drogowski’s relationship with English football had become a fully-fledged love affair. “England have played Poland on many occasions now,” he says, “but I only support England. When it comes to football, only England counts.”
Becoming a member of the England Travel Club in 1999, a trip to Gothenburg five years later proved a pivotal moment in his life as a supporter.
“I was still a bit of a ‘novice’ when it came to traveling away, so in the days before the match I was posting on one of the England forums,” he says. “I got chatting to a Nottingham Forest fan and later met him in Sweden for the game.” Some time later, he received a parcel from Nottingham addressed to his home in Bydgoszcz; inside it was a St. George’s flag embossed with the name of Drogowski’s town.
As fate would have it, England would meet Poland several more times throughout the 1990s. By then, Drogowski’s relationship with English football had become a fully-fledged love affair. “England have played Poland on many occasions now,” he says, “but I only support England. When it comes to football, only England counts.”
Becoming a member of the England Travel Club in 1999, a trip to Gothenburg five years later proved a pivotal moment in his life as a supporter.
“I was still a bit of a ‘novice’ when it came to traveling away, so in the days before the match I was posting on one of the England forums,” he says. “I got chatting to a Nottingham Forest fan and later met him in Sweden for the game.” Some time later, he received a parcel from Nottingham addressed to his home in Bydgoszcz; inside it was a St. George’s flag embossed with the name of Drogowski’s town.
The flag remains one of Drogowski’s most treasured possessions, though it has since been joined by others of its type. “After a while, I thought it was a good idea to order a bigger flag, but that seemed a little small, so I ordered something larger… and then another.”
These flags, along with other bits of football memorabilia, can be found hanging at the St. George Inn, Drogowski’s own private English-style pub.
“I got the idea when I was visiting a friend in England,” he says. “He had turned his garage into a pub, and the moment I saw it, I knew I needed to do something similar.”
Drogowski, who runs a small construction firm, finally got his chance when he moved to a new house in 2013. The ultimate man cave, the garage pub is a striking tribute to his obsession, with every inch covered by framed newspaper cuttings, ticket stubs, bunting, and, even, a bar serving Tetley’s, a well-known English beer, from a pump.
These flags, along with other bits of football memorabilia, can be found hanging at the St. George Inn, Drogowski’s own private English-style pub.
“I got the idea when I was visiting a friend in England,” he says. “He had turned his garage into a pub, and the moment I saw it, I knew I needed to do something similar.”
Drogowski, who runs a small construction firm, finally got his chance when he moved to a new house in 2013. The ultimate man cave, the garage pub is a striking tribute to his obsession, with every inch covered by framed newspaper cuttings, ticket stubs, bunting, and, even, a bar serving Tetley’s, a well-known English beer, from a pump.
“For the 2018 World Cup, my English friends flew into Bydgoszcz and were guests in my pub,” he says, “and from there I organized a bus onwards to Kaliningrad for the match against Tunisia.”
A devoted Anglophile, Drogowski’s Instagram profile is a powerful testament to his passion, with pictures of his matchday memories generously interspersed with images of his copious England tattoos (among numerous other inkings, Stuart Pearce decorates his back) and snaps of his wardrobe of ‘football casual clobber.’
Asked how people react to his all-consuming pastime, Drogowski is emphatic. “My Polish friends are very cool about it, while English people are really positive—of course, many can’t quite believe it,” he adds.
A devoted Anglophile, Drogowski’s Instagram profile is a powerful testament to his passion, with pictures of his matchday memories generously interspersed with images of his copious England tattoos (among numerous other inkings, Stuart Pearce decorates his back) and snaps of his wardrobe of ‘football casual clobber.’
Asked how people react to his all-consuming pastime, Drogowski is emphatic. “My Polish friends are very cool about it, while English people are really positive—of course, many can’t quite believe it,” he adds.
Listing Millwall as his favorite club side, Drogowski maintains that he is not totally unique. “I’ve met a few non-English people that are really dedicated to England, including a Norwegian who sometimes brings along his Løten flag,” he says. Unfailingly modest, Drogowski insists he is not a 'superfan'. “There are many others that deserve that title before me,” he says.
But as much as he protests to the contrary, Drogowski’s commitment to ‘the three lions’ surpasses the obsessive. Present at every England match since 2010, over the last 14 years only Covid has disrupted his perfect attendance record. “Even then,” he says, “I found a loophole that allowed me to travel in 2021 to watch England play in Rome and, of course, the Euro final at Wembley.”
Whether Gareth Southgate’s England side can go one better and lift the Henri Delaunay trophy remains to be seen; what is guaranteed, though, is Drogowski’s unflinching support—this, he says, will never change. “After all,” he adds, “it’s the best hobby in the world.”
But as much as he protests to the contrary, Drogowski’s commitment to ‘the three lions’ surpasses the obsessive. Present at every England match since 2010, over the last 14 years only Covid has disrupted his perfect attendance record. “Even then,” he says, “I found a loophole that allowed me to travel in 2021 to watch England play in Rome and, of course, the Euro final at Wembley.”
Whether Gareth Southgate’s England side can go one better and lift the Henri Delaunay trophy remains to be seen; what is guaranteed, though, is Drogowski’s unflinching support—this, he says, will never change. “After all,” he adds, “it’s the best hobby in the world.”
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