Red Star Prague

[asturmer]

I am still convinced to this day that the bouncing Czechs of the 70,s Red Star Prague team, including riders like Zdenek Kudrna literally used the boards at turn 2 and 4 to gain more drive out of the turns! These were great meetings to watch at NL tracks. The Czechs always put up a fight and my own memories were mainly vs Canterbury at Kingsmead.

[DK Rides Again]

I only saw them once and I don't remember much about the meeting, except they systematically took apart Milton Keynes, at the Groveway.

 

I don't recall the score (and I'm no programme collector) but I'm pretty certain the Red Star team included Jiri Stancl and the Knights were no match for them, they suffered a fairly hefty defeat; would've been 79 or 80, or somewhere around there.

[DK Rides Again]

I am no programme collector either but are we talking about; 'The Police Team'? DK as you know, I have a few pics of them racing at Mildenhall and some little stories from Vaclav Verner. Spot on with the years tho mate .

 

I'm not sure what you mean by 'The Police Team' Jim, but there's a foggy memory about the team only being allowed out of Czechoslovakia on a limited licence, such were the restrictions of it being an Iron Curtain country; it was a quick buzz round a few tracks, then back to the homeland after a few weeks.

 

Is that it?

Edited January 3, 2010 by DK Rides Again

[rusky]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'The Police Team' Jim, but there's a foggy memory about the team only being allowed out of Czechoslovakia on a limited licence, such were the restrictions of it being an Iron Curtain country; it was a quick buzz round a few tracks, then back to the homeland after a few weeks.

 

Is that it?

 

 

Hi DK. Red star were effectively sponsored by the Police from Prague. The Marketa stadium was 'owned' by the Police and many of the Red Star riders day jobs were in the police in some capacity.

[cityrebel]

i remember seeing red star at canterbury in the 1980's, but my first memory of the czechs was watching them scrape the concrete wall at romford in 1970.

[Chewbacca]

Saw them at Brough Park and can remember giggling all day as Barry Wallace insisted on pronouncing Vaclav as Farts Laff

 

[RobMcCaffery]

Saw them at Brough Park and can remember giggling all day as Barry Wallace insisted on pronouncing Vaclav as Farts Laff

 

Perhaps because that's the way it's pronounced?

 

Rob McCaffery.

[Chewbacca]

Doesn't matter when you're 12. It's still funny.

[StevePark]

I am still convinced to this day that the bouncing Czechs of the 70,s Red Star Prague team, including riders like Zdenek Kudrna literally used the boards at turn 2 and 4 to gain more drive out of the turns! These were great meetings to watch at NL tracks. The Czechs always put up a fight and my own memories were mainly vs Canterbury at Kingsmead.

 

The 1976 (I think it was '76!!) team that rode at Newcastle included Jiri Stancl (George's dad), Peter Ondrasik(Pavel's dad), Lubos Tomicek and the two Verner brothers.

 

I used to have the programme, but gave it to George Stancl a while back and can't remember, off the top of my head, the other riders!

[cityrebel]

i think that jiri stancl and the verner brothers rode in the meeting i saw at romford. i remember dave jessup and john louis riding for the young lions team but i was only a kid at the time.

[Phlipphlopp]

Opps. Sorry DK I deleted my post as I thought I had better check, but I thought it was the Police Team and it was. Most of the riders were 'employed' by the Police. Vaclav Verner told me he got slung out for suggesting to the boss that they should get a rider of the calibre of Ivan Mauger to coach them. Jan meanwhile gets quite a good pension and disability allowance from them.

 

They did a tour here in 1980 and this one of quite a few pics I have from them racing at Mildenhall.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Pic of them at Mildenhall here

 

Thanks for the pic Jim.I had the pleasure of watching Vaclav every week at Exeter during his career in the UK , and the man was fearless, not the best gater but brave as they come when behind, and he did use the fence to his advantage very often.The Green machine was the only rider who could challenge Vaclav as the best passer at the County Ground, and both more than worth the admission fee.

Edited January 6, 2010 by phlipphlop

[czechhero]

Have happy memories of seeing the Czechs in action at Stoke in 1978, they hammered the Potters 55-23 if I remember correctly. The Verners were riding and it was the first time I saw Zdenek Kudrna in action. To say they were spectacular was an understatement! The Stoke fence copped it a few times, but they always got up and got on with it. There was a certain "mystique" about Czechs and Poles back in the Iron Curtain days, shame that romance isn't there anymore. They don't seem as barmy as they used to be either, Tomasz Piszcz excepted of course!

[PhilK]

I remember seeing Red Star (Ruda Hvezda) at Mildenhall early in the 1978 season in an excellent meeting where they were the victors by 40-38.

 

Their side that day was a powerful one that featured Jiri Stancl, Jan Verner and Peter Ondrasik who all went on to ride in the World Final at Wembley later in the season, another team member Zdenek Kudrna was one of the reserves!

 

Valcav Verner top scored for Red Star in a close meeting in front of a big crowd, great memories!

 

Red Star also rode and won at Stoke, Newcastle and Milton Keynes during this tour but lost at Canterbury. They were also defeated by an England U23 Select side at Bristol.

 

I did purchase a couple of excellent photos from Jim Blanchard of the meeting

[martinmauger]

I well remember Vaclav Verner when he rode at Hull, Boulevard. He proved he'd sussed the tight & squarish track by winning the annual Yorkshire TV Trophy on only his 2nd visit in 1978 with 13 points from Michael Lee & Bruce Penhall. It was later in the season when with opponents Exeter that he totally attacked, and I do mean attacked the circuit, mostly clouting the fence on each corner let alone each race or lap. So much so that he 'picked up' in one race whilst chasing Ivan Mauger, coming to grief exiting turn 2 and taking his pal Mauger wih him. Finding themselves now on the back straight, both got up and dusted themselves down, Verner being excluded for his efforts with Mauger winning the re-run. As with other tracks, 'Mad Vac', brother Jan & Zdenek Kudrna were always popular vistors to Hull because of their all-out-maximum-effort way of riding and as Ivan himself once said "he (Verner) doesn't know any other way to ride"....

Edited January 7, 2010 by Martin Mauger

[asturmer]

I well remember Vaclav Verner when he rode at Hull, Boulevard. He proved he'd sussed the tight & squarish track by winning the annual Yorkshire TV Trophy on only his 2nd visit in 1978 with 13 points from Michael Lee & Bruce Penhall. It was later in the season when with opponents Exeter that he totally attacked, and I do mean attacked the circuit, mostly clouting the fence on each corner let alone each race or lap. So much so that he 'picked up' in one race whilst chasing Ivan Mauger, coming to grief exiting turn 2 and taking his pal Mauger wih him. Finding themselves now on the back straight, both got up and dusted themselves down, Verner being excluded for his efforts with Mauger winning the re-run. As with other tracks, 'Mad Vac', brother Jan & Zdenek Kudrna were always popular vistors to Hull because of their all-out-maximum-effort way of riding and as Ivan himself once said "he (Verner) doesn't know any other way to ride"....

 

Ivan was looking great when I spoke to him before Christmas in Perth, following his recent leg/knee surgery.

[czechhero]

Any idea who number 7 is in the team pic (3rd row down) on MIlan Spinka's website?

 

http://www.spinka.cz/ARCHIV.htm

[asturmer]

Any idea who number 7 is in the team pic (3rd row down) on MIlan Spinka's website?

 

http://www.spinka.cz/ARCHIV.htm

 

I would guess it may be Jiri Hnidak? He toured in the early 80s.

[frigbo]

That picture is from an earlier tour (74 or 78), Hnidak toured in 80 in a poor side which included hardly any of the riders in the pic - I would suggest it is either Jindrich Dominic (if 74) or Jiri Svoboda (if 78).

 

With a bit more digging about - I can confirm it's Jiri Svoboda in the 1978 tour.

Edited January 10, 2010 by frigbo

[SHALEWAY69]

I am still convinced to this day that the bouncing Czechs of the 70,s Red Star Prague team, including riders like Zdenek Kudrna literally used the boards at turn 2 and 4 to gain more drive out of the turns! These were great meetings to watch at NL tracks. The Czechs always put up a fight and my own memories were mainly vs Canterbury at Kingsmead.

I remember the night they rode at Romford, that concrete wall held no fears for them.What a night,

[OGT]

That picture is from an earlier tour (74 or 78), Hnidak toured in 80 in a poor side which included hardly any of the riders in the pic - I would suggest it is either Jindrich Dominic (if 74) or Jiri Svoboda (if 78).

 

With a bit more digging about - I can confirm it's Jiri Svoboda in the 1978 tour.

 

That's cleared that one up!

 

I managed to name, Stancl, Kudrna, Spinka, Jan Verner, Vaclav V, Ondrasik and Hradecky (kneeling).