chunky Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Jerzy taking his victory was a great surprise but the bloke left on his ar$e got there himself so Jerzy doesnt need blaming for a lucky win. The bloke deserved it. I agree. The strange thing is that people forget that it wasn't the ONLY thing he won. Jerzy had previously scored a maximum when winning the World Pairs Championship. Even though the final was in Poland, that was no mean feat, and the fact that he managed to win both the individual and pairs World Championships should indicate that he actually wasn't that bad a rider. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I agree. The strange thing is that people forget that it wasn't the ONLY thing he won. Jerzy had previously scored a maximum when winning the World Pairs Championship. Even though the final was in Poland, that was no mean feat, and the fact that he managed to win both the individual and pairs World Championships should indicate that he actually wasn't that bad a rider. Steve I think there were two parts to the Sczkaiel problem (as well as the fact I STILL can't spell his name!! ). One was that back then, of course, Poles couldn't ride club Speedway outside of their country and so he was an unknown quantity entirely outside of his own backyard and had very limited opportunities to improve on that.. It didn't help that he bombed out entirely on the two ocassions he came here (both in '73) riding for the Polish national side... The other was more 'political'. The Poles were determined to see Zenon Plech win in the '73 Final but it didn't go to 'plan'; and I think that poor hapless Jerzy took a fair bit of flak internally for that. I always think his face on top of the rostrum tells a story. No smiles at all...: just a worried expression on his mush which suggests, "I'm in a lot of trouble here..."... I think he's gone on record much later saying something along these lines himself.. I take the point about his Pairs maximum but the fact does remain that he is the only rider, IMHO, who stands out on the list of World Champs as really not fully deserving of that accolade... And over so many years of the one-off final that ain't bad... It is a shame that the likes of Eddie Jancarz, Plech and of course, Gollob never became Polish World Champs coz they would have richly deserved to have done so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Writing in the 1972 Webster's Speedway Mirror annual, Ian MacDonald said in the international section, "The Poles themselves are still Eastern Europe's top speedway country...The international days of Pawel Waloszek and Antoni Woryna seem numbered but there is still an awful lot of talent over there. Leading the way is Jerzy Szczakiel and how the Poles could have left him out of their World Cup team is one of speedway's mysteries!" Szczakiel's photograph is the main featured photograph at the beginning of the section. In the report of the World Pairs, Ian MacDonald also says, "The Polish duo of Jerzy Szczakiel and Andrzej Wyglenda were indisputably masters in the World Pairs Final..." So it's not as though he came from nowhere to win the World title in 1973. He was already being touted as Poland's best hope at the end of the 1971 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I agree. The strange thing is that people forget that it wasn't the ONLY thing he won. Jerzy had previously scored a maximum when winning the World Pairs Championship. Even though the final was in Poland, that was no mean feat, and the fact that he managed to win both the individual and pairs World Championships should indicate that he actually wasn't that bad a rider. Steve Jerzy Szczackiel was villified by the British Press simply because it made a good story. It was disgusting, with one particular 'renowned journalist' at the forefront in this respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoMinuteWarning Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 It was typical of attitiudes at that time - if he didn't show good form in the UK, then he was obviously a rubbish rider! Thank goodness attitudes have changed these days , well, a little, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 One was that back then, of course, Poles couldn't ride club Speedway outside of their country That isn't really true,is it?There had been a number of Poles riding in Britain since the 60s.Zyto,Waloszek,Teodorowicz and of course Woryna was still riding for Poole in 73 So it's not as though he came from nowhere to win the World title in 1973. He was already being touted as Poland's best hope at the end of the 1971 season. And people seem to forget that Egon was tipped by the likes of Baryy Briggs in the Speedway Star in 83 It was typical of attitiudes at that time - if he didn't show good form in the UK, then he was obviously a rubbish rider! Thank goodness attitudes have changed these days , well, a little, anyway. Too true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 That isn't really true,is it?There had been a number of Poles riding in Britain since the 60s.Zyto,Waloszek,Teodorowicz and of course Woryna was still riding for Poole in 73 Hmm, but not Poles still based in Poland... They had to leave Poland permenantly did they not, to ride in the BL. It was later (about '75 or '76) when the likes of Plech were able to come and ride here with the Polish authorities' blessings... A shame that Szczackiel (thanx for help with the spelling BTW!!! ) wasn't among those; but I do think it was more in Poland itself rather than elsewhere that he was "out of favour". His face somehow didn't fit as the comment about him nearly always being left out of the WTC team suggested.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 (edited) Hmm, but not Poles still based in Poland... They had to leave Poland permenantly did they not, to ride in the BL. Wasn't what you said Plus i am not sure.Waloszek for one, continued riding for Poland and Polish club speedway after his British stint,into the 70s.And was of course in the 73 World Final Edited December 31, 2008 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Blanchard Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 (edited) I attended most of the Wembley world finals from 1960 and I think one at Bradford. Easily the best one from a personal point of view was 1962 when Peter Craven won it. 1963 was a very good one too for me as thanks to Ken Brett and Leo McAuliffe. I was in the pits and watched the races with the other riders from the benches on the dog track, and Doug Davies took me along to the official practise on the Thursday, which I spent on the centre green. What memories - I was so lucky. The official practise in a way was more enjoyable than the actual final and I seem to be able to remember it more than the meeting itself. (Alzheimer’s kicking in maybe) Wembley with empty terraces with un silenced 500cc speedway bikes rattling around it has an atmosphere all of its own and will stay in my mind eye forever. Edited January 1, 2009 by Jim Blanchard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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