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They Came, They Saw, They Conquered, They Never Came Back


daveallan81

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Andrzej Jurczyski the pole at White City.

He was a team mate of Marek Cieslak and generally was disappointing but I do remember one second half race where he and Gordon Kennett had a real 'ding-dong' battle and he went on to win...in fact the race was run twice after an exclusion and Andrzej had the beating of Gordon in the first race also!

Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski came over in 1978.

 

Raba never scored a point in 5 meetings but did go on to be one of Poland's top riders in the 1980's and is a club legend at Opole. He rode in a World Team Cup Final and was second in the Polish Championship.

 

1976 did see an influx of really poor Poles:

 

Kazimierz Adamczak - Newport, Exeter and Hull

Grzegorz Szczepanik at Leicester

Adam Olkiewicz at Halifax

Eugeniusz Blaszak at Reading. Blaszak did slightly better than the others but got sent home after a shop-lifting offence!

Funny how the mind plays tricks...but spot on there with the riders! If I recall Blaszak was latter replaced by Boley Proch (?)

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He was a team mate of Marek Cieslak and generally was disappointing but I do remember one second half race where he and Gordon Kennett had a real 'ding-dong' battle and he went on to win...in fact the race was run twice after an exclusion and Andrzej had the beating of Gordon in the first race also!

 

Funny how the mind plays tricks...but spot on there with the riders! If I recall Blaszak was latter replaced by Boley Proch (?)

Yes not a bad rider, Jan Zabik, Piotr Pyszny are two other poles who come to mind Pyszny i thought could of been half decent.
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Yes not a bad rider, Jan Zabik, Piotr Pyszny are two other poles who come to mind Pyszny i thought could of been half decent.

The Pole at Poole...Andrzej Thokz (?) wasn't a bad rider also.

In fairness he did beat Paul thorp, Kenny mckinna and Carl blackbird (twice), as well as gordon whittakers and Glenn hornby (twice). Beaten only by Chris morton, helping wolves to what I believe was the only away team victory at belle vue that season (87).

Worth noting that the wolves match was the first meeting in a double header, with thorp going on to beat Hans Nielsen in the 2nd meeting.

Oxford fans don't talk about Paul Thorp after the rumpus he caused at Cowley one year when he was leading a race and put up his hand indicating engine trouble. He dropped back as the other riders passed him and then he decided to 're-join' the race much to Bernard Crapper's disgust!

 

Never a fan of Thorp, personally, and his bikes proved unreliable...perhaps he suffered one of his infamous engine blow-ups when Munkedal beat him at Belle Vue! One of those riders who would win by a mile and the next race trail in last by the same distance!

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My favourite Oxford days were when Kilby was a Rebel and later George Hunter in there NL days.Also in the Nielsen days his clashes with Gundersen/Knudsen were brilliant to watch Oxford then had that superb grandstand great viewing.Other riders i liked at Oxford were Sorensen,Dugard,Lausch great days.Also Steve can you remember that big Individual meeting was it the supporters club trophy? see that a few times a really good field was always assembled.

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My favourite Oxford days were when Kilby was a Rebel and later George Hunter in there NL days.Also in the Nielsen days his clashes with Gundersen/Knudsen were brilliant to watch Oxford then had that superb grandstand great viewing.Other riders i liked at Oxford were Sorensen,Dugard,Lausch great days.Also Steve can you remember that big Individual meeting was it the supporters club trophy? see that a few times a really good field was always assembled.

Great days indeed! George Hunter team-riding! Per Sorensen never really got the plaudits he deserved...totally turned Oxford's season around in 1986. Would like to read an interview with him in 'Backtrack' magazine...over to you Rob?

 

Yes I recall The Supporter's Club Trophy (during the seventies it was 'The Champions Trophy) It's a shame that individual and/or open meetings lost favour with the public. Each track had its big meeting...'The Silver Plume' at Swindon for example.

Edited by steve roberts
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I'm sure I heard a story about Kazimierz Adamczak when he was at Hull. He was obviously not used to our Motorway's as he was cautioned by the police for stopping on the hard shoulder and having a picnic on the grass banking...............anyone else remember that story?

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I'm sure I heard a story about Kazimierz Adamczak when he was at Hull. He was obviously not used to our Motorway's as he was cautioned by the police for stopping on the hard shoulder and having a picnic on the grass banking...............anyone else remember that story?

That's ringing a bell!

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They had Danes called Rene Christiansen and Finn Jensen in 1983 too - both did nothing, in fact Jensen never scored a point.

Sorry for a late response, but are you sure that was "Finn" Jensen? I remember an extremely poor Claes Jensen...

 

While there was the famous enigma Finn Jensen, the other Finn Jensen (at Arena, I think) wasn't too bad.

 

Steve

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Sorry for a late response, but are you sure that was "Finn" Jensen? I remember an extremely poor Claes Jensen...

 

While there was the famous enigma Finn Jensen, the other Finn Jensen (at Arena, I think) wasn't too bad.

 

Steve

Finn Jensen was indeed an enigma...one match he would prove almost unbeatable (I recall seeing him score, I believe, 17 points at Birmingham on one occasion) and the next meeting failing to trouble the scores. There were a few riders like that but Finn was a real mystery!

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Finn Jensen was indeed an enigma...one match he would prove almost unbeatable (I recall seeing him score, I believe, 17 points at Birmingham on one occasion) and the next meeting failing to trouble the scores. There were a few riders like that but Finn was a real mystery!

I remember him securing for Cradley the 84 Premiership with a double digit score at Hyde rd, in a season in which 50 and even 60 point home scores were routine.

Next time round I believe he scored 2 from his 3 rides.

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Sorry for a late response, but are you sure that was "Finn" Jensen? I remember an extremely poor Claes Jensen...

 

While there was the famous enigma Finn Jensen, the other Finn Jensen (at Arena, I think) wasn't too bad.

 

Steve

Yes, he rode two matches without scoring a point - one of which was Swindon away and the other Leicester at home.

 

Claes Jensen rode for Poole in 1981 and scored one gifted point from his meetings.

Has any rider with the Jensen surname really impressed?

 

Finn Rune actually came over with a decent reputation i think and was Danish Junior and then European Junior Champ

Jesper B probably the best

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Yes, he rode two matches without scoring a point - one of which was Swindon away and the other Leicester at home.

 

Claes Jensen rode for Poole in 1981 and scored one gifted point from his meetings.

Thanks for the confirmation. Strange thing is, I really don't remember THAT Finn, and I have yet to find any mention of him in the Poole team for that year, but I certainly don't doubt you!

 

Now, Claes Jensen... One point from 13 matches/29 rides, I think? Could that be the WORST EVER record in British speedway? Perhaps a new thread?

 

Steve

Edited by chunky
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Thanks for the confirmation. Strange thing is, I really don't remember THAT Finn, and I have yet to find any mention of him in the Poole team for that year, but I certainly don't doubt you!

 

Now, Claes Jensen... One point from 13 matches/29 rides, I think? Could that be the WORST EVER record in British speedway? Perhaps a new thread?

 

Steve

The 'other' Finn ride for Eastbourne in '83, not Poole.

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Interesting. He's known as "enigmatic" but those averages are remarkably consistent. Averaged between 5.08 and 6.14 for 8 consecutive seasons. Of course I'm aware that tgat could often be two storming wins and could stone cold lasts! Or a double digit score followed by a duck egg.
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Ron How (Oxford) made one visit to Somerton Park, Newport, in official matches (i.e. excluding challenge matches), scoring a 15 point maximum on 14th May 1965, although he was beaten in the Kings of Oxford challenge match on July 2nd. He was also heading for a 12 point maximum on his one visit to Cradley Heath on 26th June 1965 when he suffered machine failure in his fourth ride.

Thanx BL65 for reminding me of this. Needless to say I woz there and still have the program to prove it-thank God I kept them all and my mum (RIP) shipped 'em all over to me in Canada- God bless her.. Ron How was not troubled in his 15 point max , won his first second half ride and in the final was second to Jack Biggs(who knows what arrangements were made to give the crowd a thrilling race. Wonderful memories. Great thread this-keep up the good work mate!!!

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Thanx BL65 for reminding me of this. Needless to say I woz there and still have the program to prove it-thank God I kept them all and my mum (RIP) shipped 'em all over to me in Canada- God bless her.. Ron How was not troubled in his 15 point max , won his first second half ride and in the final was second to Jack Biggs(who knows what arrangements were made to give the crowd a thrilling race. Wonderful memories. Great thread this-keep up the good work mate!!!

With reference to the 'conquered' element of the title of this thread, the way Peter Vandenberg started his Wasps career in 1964 it seemed as though he was all-conquering. First meeting, away at Cradley Heath, he scored a 12 point maximum and recorded the three fastest times of the match, inflicting Ivor Brown's only defeat in the process. Second meeting, away at Poole, another 12 point maximum and the four fastest times of the match. Peter had ridden for Poole in their first three meetings that season, including scoring a paid maximum at Wolverhampton, which was to be his future home on leaving the Wasps in 1966. His run of success in Newport colours in 1964 came to and end in his third meeting for them when, having scored three race wins, he was excluded following a fall in his final race. Peter recorded the fastest time of the match when beating Ivor Brown. I saw Peter ride many times and he was always a dependable team man, as well as a very good captain during his time with Wolves.

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