Górnik Wałbrzych was formed on 22 March 1946 by a group of sports enthusiasts from Lower Silesian Coal Mining Association.

In August 1946, Kazimierz Nabielec, who used to play for Pogoń Lwów, formed the Autonomous Football Federation in Wałbrzych.

Even though it failed to win promotion to the second league, Polish Football Association (PZPN) decided to expand the second division to four groups, with ten teams in each.

The team from Walbrzych won its group in the 1951 season, finishing before Górnik Zabrze, and winning a spot in the Ekstraklasa playoffs.

In the playoffs, which featured four teams (Lechia Gdańsk, Wawel Kraków, Gwardia Warszawa), Górnik won only one game, losing five.

The team from Wałbrzych managed to beat MGKS Mikulczyce (later Sparta Zabrze), after an extra, third game, which took place in Opole.

In 1973, the U-19 team, with Włodzimierz Ciołek and Henryk Janikowski, once again won Polish Championship, but in the same year, Górnik was again relegated to the third level.

As a result, several top players left Wałbrzych: Włodzimierz Ciołek went to Stal Mielec, while Marek Pięta went to Widzew Łódź.

The end of communist rule in Poland meant that Górnik lost financial support of local coal mines.

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