With white and red hues, the club's founders wanted to emphasize their patriotism, during the time when their homeland was divided into three powers (see: Partitions of Poland).

In the interbellum period its soccer team played in Kraków's A-Class (see: Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland).

Tarnovia's most famous player is Antoni Barwiński, who was capped 16 times for the Poland national team.

Before World War I, Tarnovia played several games against other Polish teams of Austrian Galicia, including Cracovia, Resovia, Czarni Jasło.

In 1920, the team received a new stadium near Tarnów Rail Station, on the land that was owned by Prince Sanguszko.

In 1924, Tarnovia continued playing in B Class, against such teams as Resovia, Wisłoka Dębica, and a number of sides from Kraków (Sparta, Jutrzenka, Podgorze, Zwierzyniecki, AZS).

In 1926, the team, temporarily managed by Józef Kałuża, finally won promotion to Class A, which was second level of Polish football system at that time.

To achieve this, Tarnovia emerged as the leader of a playoff group, which also included Zwierzyniecki Kraków, Biala Lipnik and Victoria Sosnowiec.

In the same year, Tarnovia's best players left the team: Jozef Smoczek and Wladyslaw Jachimek were transferred to Garbarnia Kraków.

First, Tarnovia won regional games, and then, in the play-offs of southeastern Poland, it defeated Partyzant Kielce, Legia Krosno, and JKS Jarosław.

Finally, in the national playoffs, Tarnovia finished behind Ruch Chorzów and Legia Warszawa, but ahead of Widzew Łódź and Lechia Gdańsk.

In the 1948 Ekstraklasa, Tarnovia, with its top player Antoni Barwiński (who in 1947–1950 capped 17 times for Poland), had 22 points, and finished in the 11th position, out of 14 teams.