TonyMac Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 The Polish riders who appeared for British clubs in the 70s and 80s left their mark one way or another. I thought Zenon Plech was the pick of the Poles, for sheer skill, entertainment, bravery and for what he achieved, but then I'm biased! But what do others remember about our Polish friends from their old days in the British League? Some obviously fared much better than others. To get your memory juices flowing, here are a few names to throw into the ring... Roman Jankowski-Hackney Andy Huszcza-Hackney/Leicester Eddie Jancarz-Wimbledon Greg Szcepanik-Leicester Leonard Raba-Swindon Marek Cieslak-Reading/White City Bolek Proch-Reading Adam Olkiewicz-Halifax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Andy Huszcza-Hackney/Leicester I couldn't believe he was still riding in his own country last season and doing pretty well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekker Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Apart form Plech and Jancarz the rest were crud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whowasthatberntpersson Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 I remember Jerzy Rembas, didn't he ride well in a World Final at Wembley, always think of him as being ok. Same with Cieslak, when he rode for White City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigbo Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Leonard Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski were Speedway gods!! There were some shockers though Adam Olkiewicz, The late Jerzy Kowalski, Jan Puk and Wieslaw Patynek were the worst surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrizHeathen Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 It was bad enough when the Poles turned up and dissapointed, it must of been even worse for the clubs who publicised to their fans new signings from Poland and Czecho only for them to never arrive, or arrive very late and then fail to make the grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WATigerman Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 (edited) Adam Olkiewicz, The late Jerzy Kowalski, Jan Puk and Wieslaw Patynek were the worst surely. Did Weislaw Patynek ever ride beyond his debut for Sheffield ? (at Eastbourne). I seem to remember him injuring his back and not riding for the Tigers after that - I don't remember seeing him ride at Owlerton Edited January 21, 2004 by WATigerman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 i remember Plech who didnt speak english when he first came over, finally learned a sentence. the announcer asked him to say a few words to the crowd and he said.." I would like a hamburger please". i remember when he was the polish wonderkid. unfortunately his success came at a time when poland was under the fist of communism, and after he went abroad with Maugers group and overstayed his visa, in aust or usa, cant remember, he disappeared from the scene for awhile. rumours were he got drafted in the army, but then the authorities sent out a release saying he suffered heart problems and was staying home for the season. always a known jokester and fun loving person, when he returned the following year, he was a shadow of himself personality wise. terrific rider.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Great memories, Sandman. I remember being lucky enough to cadge a lift to Belle Vue with Plechie and Ivan 'Jacko' Jackson, who prepared the Hackney track then. It was mid-summer 1976. Talk about laid-back. Just a couple of hours before the match, Zenon was having a whale of a time in the BV amusement park, riding on the dodgems and giant rollercoaster! Probably just practicing for the BL match to follow, eh? Has therever been a more electrifying entertainer at Hackney than Zenon? You just never knew what was going to happen next, especially in his earlier days as a Hawk. And what a bloody nice bloke, too. No matter how badly hurt he was, he just wouldn't accept an ambulance ride to hospital. Tony McDonald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Leonard Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski were Speedway gods!! Wasn't former World Finalist Jerzy Treszkowski officially Swedish though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigbo Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Leonard Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski were Speedway gods!! Wasn't former World Finalist Jerzy Treszkowski officially Swedish though? He had Swedish citizenship i believe. Rode for the same team as Jan Andersson and was recommended by him....cheers Jan!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Leonard Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski were Speedway gods!! Wasn't former World Finalist Jerzy Treszkowski officially Swedish though? He had Swedish citizenship i believe. Rode for the same team as Jan Andersson and was recommended by him....cheers Jan!! Would that have been after he'd signed for Reading? Talking of those Racers, Bolek Proch joined them late in the season after the first Pole they signed (Eugene Blaszak) was sent back to Poland after being caught shoplifting. They did pretty well out of it I recall, with Proch being a much better rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Adam Olkiewicz, The late Jerzy Kowalski, Jan Puk and Wieslaw Patynek were the worst surely. Did Weislaw Patynek ever ride beyond his debut for Sheffield ? (at Eastbourne). I seem to remember him injuring his back and not riding for the Tigers after that - I don't remember seeing him ride at Owlerton No he did not rode one meeting at Eastbourne away and fell and broke his back. The other rider that came over with was called Jan Zabek, who for me featured in one of the best rides I have ever seen. I think was on the first lap on the third bend and he came off,he promptly dusted himself down and got back on the bike, and by the end of the race had passed the third placed rider, who I believe was Mick Hines of Wimbledon. He took three laps to catch with him when Hines was half a lap in front of him. I believe this was the 1980 season, and was the only season that he rode, with an average of around 5.95. Pure Magic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Great memories, Sandman. I remember being lucky enough to cadge a lift to Belle Vue with Plechie and Ivan 'Jacko' Jackson, who prepared the Hackney track then. It was mid-summer 1976. Talk about laid-back. Just a couple of hours before the match, Zenon was having a whale of a time in the BV amusement park, riding on the dodgems and giant rollercoaster! Probably just practicing for the BL match to follow, eh? Has therever been a more electrifying entertainer at Hackney than Zenon? You just never knew what was going to happen next, especially in his earlier days as a Hawk. And what a bloody nice bloke, too. No matter how badly hurt he was, he just wouldn't accept an ambulance ride to hospital. Tony McDonald i think we are in agreement what a truly nice person he was.. his sense of humour was second to none, always laughing and joking, but what a racer he was! had his peak happened after the iron curtain fell, what a difference that would have made. Edward Jancarz comes to mind as another. really talented, hence the nickname steady eddie..lots of style and full of talent. their system was harsh, from what i understand, they had to be married before they could leave the country. kids were a plus to ensure their return. also the money they earned went directly back to their country, and they were given a small stipend to live off. that is what i heard anyway. was much tougher for them, then others.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Great memories, Sandman. I remember being lucky enough to cadge a lift to Belle Vue with Plechie and Ivan 'Jacko' Jackson, who prepared the Hackney track then. It was mid-summer 1976. Talk about laid-back. Just a couple of hours before the match, Zenon was having a whale of a time in the BV amusement park, riding on the dodgems and giant rollercoaster! Probably just practicing for the BL match to follow, eh? Has therever been a more electrifying entertainer at Hackney than Zenon? You just never knew what was going to happen next, especially in his earlier days as a Hawk. And what a bloody nice bloke, too. No matter how badly hurt he was, he just wouldn't accept an ambulance ride to hospital. Tony McDonald i think we are in agreement what a truly nice person he was.. his sense of humour was second to none, always laughing and joking, but what a racer he was! had his peak happened after the iron curtain fell, what a difference that would have made. Edward Jancarz comes to mind as another. really talented, hence the nickname steady eddie..lots of style and full of talent. their system was harsh, from what i understand, they had to be married before they could leave the country. kids were a plus to ensure their return. also the money they earned went directly back to their country, and they were given a small stipend to live off. that is what i heard anyway. was much tougher for them, then others.. Zenon, rode his last season in Britain at Sheffield, although I think we got him when he was on downslide of his career , even so he was still a useful second string. Like everybody else I wonder how he would have fared today where Poland is a much better place to ride and to come from. If dare Zenon in his prime was as good if not better than the Great Pole Gollob, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 tough call on Zenon or Gollub. Gollub is mighty good,... but i would say.. in his prime.. Zenon would be equal. I dare say if you asked him who he looked up to, it probably would be Zenon or Edward Jancarz.. at that time, they were heroes in their own country. i remember a picture taken in the rain from the european final? at gothenburg maybe in 74 of Zenon on the back wheel in the first third of the corner, great mike patrick photo. plus it was bucketing down with rain. that pic says it all about Zenons ability.. As for Gollubs age, many riders remember the greats as children.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 The thing to bear in mind when trying to compare Plech with Gollob is that Zenon usually rode on compratively sub-standard machinery - he certainly didn't have the quality engines and bikes the top riders from western Europe had at the time. At Hackney, he would not hesitate to ride on the 'track spare' - a pool bike that was supposed to be back-up for all the team's riders. He only ever thought of the team and the fans, not himself or his average. Whereas there were riders who would not go near the spare when their own bike was playing up. With Plechie, he just pointed the bike - any one - in the right direction and grabbed a handful of throttle! Great days at The Wick. All the ability, skill and courage in the world, ZP only lacked top equipment and, it must be said, the level of supreme professionalism and dedication that took the likes of Mauger and Olsen to the very top. Blimey, I'd forgotten about Zabik and Blasczak! Tony McDonald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WATigerman Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 (edited) Blimey, I'd forgotten about Zabik and Blasczak! Zabik won his first ever (at Owlerton - made his debut at Eastbourne) race for the Tigers (I think ! - or am I getting him confused with Rauli Makinen ?). Couldn't speak English but always had a smile on his face. A nice guy. Blasczak - wasn't he nicknamed "Yogi Bear" ?? Edited January 22, 2004 by WATigerman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted January 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Boley Proch at Reading was 'Yogi' - so called because of the Yogi Bear emblem on the front of his Polish club, Zielona Gora's racejacket. I'd love to know what some of these characters are doing now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 are you the same Tony that John Davis talked into chewing a few pieces of ex lax chewing gum at a meeting years back? This story made the rounds, was it you? If it is true, do you still think it was a crappy trick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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