Tadeusz Teodorowicz

[Reviresco]

Can anyone please provide some background to what appears to be a very interesting story for this gentleman?

 

It appears that in the mid to late '50s, 'Teo' took part as a Pole in the European qualifiers of the World Championship, reaching the European Final in 1956, before coming to Britain and taking part via the British rounds, qualifying from the British Semi-Finals as the British Reserve for the 1963 World Final at Wembley.

 

Tragically, after having reached the British Final the following year 'Teo' lost his life as a result of a fall riding for Swindon at West Ham on 1st Sept that year, never regaining conciousness and succumbing to his injuries on 22nd Jan 1965.

 

It looks as if Memorial meetings were staged at Blunsdon for some years after his passing.

 

Many Thanks.

[Grachan]

Alun Rossiter visited his grave in Swindon just a couple of weeks ago. Apparrently it is still well attended to.

[frigbo]

Teo sought asylum whilst in Holland on a Polish team tour. Story is he left the rest in a cinema and went to the nearest police station.

 

He remained in Holland and was put in prison for a spell before a campaign to get him released.

 

He signed for Swindon in 1959 and was mainly a 7 point rider until his accident in 1964. He also ran a garage close by to the Blunsdon circuit.

 

He crashed in his last race at West Ham and became unconscious at The London Hospital when apparently he was asked to take off his leathers. He remained in a coma until the following January. He was 33, married to a midwife and had a young daughter.

 

His final resting place is in Whitworth Road Cemetery in Swindon.

Edited September 11, 2015 by frigbo

[Split]

I was at the Custom House stadium when that fatal accident happened. I also witnessed the crash where Australian, Dave Wills lost his life on the same track. Watching Speedway racing has given me much pleasure over the years but those are two of the saddest moments,

[stratton]

When i was working for the Council years ago in my teens, i used to work at the Whitworth rd cemetary three times a week.As you go in Teo is laid to rest just as you go through the gates.It was always kept lovely and i believe Teo's daughter still lives in Swindon and that she has changed her second name the reason i don't know why.Teo as a man/rider was very popular was proud to live in England and by all accounts a chirpy character fascinating that he contested the British WC rounds and he reached a final once at reserve.He is still in the hearts of the older generation who still go to the abbey and it would be nice if Teo is mentioned in the final ever meeting at the old Abbey.

[customhouseregular]

I was at the Custom House stadium when that fatal accident happened. I also witnessed the crash where Australian, Dave Wills lost his life on the same track. Watching Speedway racing has given me much pleasure over the years but those are two of the saddest moments,

Likewise Split and those memories never leave you.

[Chris116]

As a youngster I was by the pits at Wimbledon one evening when Teo was racing and at the end of the meeting he came over to a small group of kids and gave each of us one of his flick off visors. Tragically he had his accident a month or so later and I treasured that visor until it vanished in a house move in the mid 90's. I still very much regret that I lost it as and have never forgotten Teo and his kind and friendly nature. 

[steve roberts]

On 12 September 2015 at 10:00 AM, stratton said:

When i was working for the Council years ago in my teens, i used to work at the Whitworth rd cemetary three times a week.As you go in Teo is laid to rest just as you go through the gates.It was always kept lovely and i believe Teo's daughter still lives in Swindon and that she has changed her second name the reason i don't know why.Teo as a man/rider was very popular was proud to live in England and by all accounts a chirpy character fascinating that he contested the British WC rounds and he reached a final once at reserve.He is still in the hearts of the older generation who still go to the abbey and it would be nice if Teo is mentioned in the final ever meeting at the old Abbey.

I recall reading an article that said that she is now a qualified chef after following a modelling career.

[f-s-p]

I’ll use this thread then...

while scouting for other info, I found a meeting report from a meeting in Warsaw, late in 1956. Rider in the thread title was in it eith a couple of Finns as well.

I’d like to know where in Warsaw they rode, in front of 50k people on the worst soeedway track in Poland. Read so in the article.

[iris123]

Was it here?As the stadium was opened in July 1956 it might well have been a poor track if one was there at the start?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_Stadium

[f-s-p]

Ill try to find the article again. I’m condifent it said Warsaw...

EDIT: the day after they took the train to another meeting to a city that was sometibg like Byloswecz or similar and rode in front of 35k... 

Edited January 1, 2019 by f-s-p

[iris123]

I do know Teo rode for Poland against Belle Vue in Manchester in 1956.A part of a Polish tour I guess.Maybe the Belle Vue team ride that year or around that time in Poland.Think there was a thread on here about it.That might give some info on the tracks in Poland at the time

Found the topic,which confirms there was a track in 1955,which is probably the same as used in 1956,so predates the Slaski

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by iris123

[f-s-p]

It was Warsaw on 22nd July and Bykowitz the following day. In warsaw Ulf Eriksson won before Szwendrowski and Sörmander. Tadeus was joined 7th and other names I recoqnise are Florian Kapala, Simo Ylänen and Antti Pajati.

[iris123]

Well the meeting was in the day the Slaski opened,so possible along with the football match it was all part of the opening ceremony!!!

[f-s-p]

Warsaw-Chorzow... close enough

[Bavarian]

 

Stadion RKS SKra Warszawa

This is the sports Stadium in Warsaw, where the speedway meetings were held from 1948 until 1969, when the cinder track was replaced with an artificial track for athletics.

The Stadium has a 35,000 capacity, so I guess that the 50,000 crowd reported for that international speedway meeting in 1956 was a little bit exaggerated (as usual in those days).

 

[Bavarian]

3 hours ago, f-s-p said:

I’ll use this thread then...

while scouting for other info, I found a meeting report from a meeting in Warsaw, late in 1956. Rider in the thread title was in it eith a couple of Finns as well.

I’d like to know where in Warsaw they rode, in front of 50k people on the worst soeedway track in Poland. Read so in the article.

Polish Wikipedia with a couple of Pictures of the  Stadion RKS Skra Warszawa

And here is some info about the History of Speedway in Warsaw (in Polish language) of which google translated the following part relevant to Your inquiry:

Warsaw was the host of the first post-war meeting on the Speedway. The opponent of our representation was Czechoslovakia, which at that time was a recognized company on the European tracks. The place of the competition was a 405-meter track "Budowlanych", still under construction. The date September 26, 1948 probably well stuck in the memory of all those who managed to get to the stadium at Wawelska Street. The first steps on the international arena turned out to be successful for Poles. Starting with: Smoczyk, Draga, Jankowski, Kołeczek, Krakowiak, Siekalski, Wąsikowski and Wrocławski, they made a huge sensation, winning 75 - 73 against a reputable international rival.

Later the "Budowlanych" track has been the place of international competitions many times. We hosted in Warsaw teams from Sweden, Finland, Austria, the Netherlands and the then professors of the slag, or league teams of the Three Crowns, Monakerna, Getingarna, Indianerna, Kaparna. Monakerna, Getingarna, Indianerna, and Kaparna. The biggest match was undoubtedly played in October 1955 with the English team Belle Vue Manchester, in whose ranks competed the newly minted world champion Peter Craven. During these competitions, Włodzimierz Szwendrowski proved able to "get around" the proud sons of Albion. In a direct clash, he defeated the "wizard of balance", and this only a few weeks after he won the title of world champion. The Warsaw facility was visited by many other speedway aces, such as Nilsson, Pajari, Bishop, Kamper, Fundin, Plekhanov, Wright, Briggs, Moore, Knutsson.

Edited January 1, 2019 by Bavarian

[f-s-p]

Thank you!

[Ovalman]

Good to see Teo has a close named after him on the new Blunsdon Meads development near the Abbey.

[customhouseregular]

On 9/11/2015 at 10:10 AM, Split said:

I was at the Custom House stadium when that fatal accident happened. I also witnessed the crash where Australian, Dave Wills lost his life on the same track. Watching Speedway racing has given me much pleasure over the years but those are two of the saddest moments,

Me too and I echo that sentiment. One never forgets.