Roman Matousek.RIP.

[rusky]

One of the sports true characters, who you really couldn’t take your eyes of of him on track. He was pretty handy on an ice bike too. Has to be said, he had the strongest grip known to man - you truly knew when he had shaken your hand. 

 

RIP Roman

[IainB]

You can watch it on YouTube but the scrap he had with Sean Wilson at Sheffield is one of my most memorable nights at Speedway, taking his protective gear off while pointing at Sean as he made his way back to the pits... pure theatre or box office as they say these days.

I don't think we ever really saw the best of him in this country, seemed to come and go... but when he was on a fast bike was a match for the best

[Robbobee]

RIP Roman Matousek

Concur with the comments about him being a strong lad - recall it being said he had the strongest forearms in Speedway at the time and you certainly not want to arm wrestle him !!

An entertainer for certain - never a dull moment when Roman was on track - not sure his own teammates were entirely comfortable riding with him ? lol

I see to remember him as being essentially a 5-6 point rider who showed glimpses of better talent on occasion - recall one meeting at Coventry where he was a reserve and took 4 rides on the trot against some team - the first three races won in blistering form and the fourth he was leading until the Bike went bang big-time - never the same rider after that as believe it was a catastrophic and expensive bike loss.

55 Years of age too young for anyone to pass away - thoughts are with his family.

[KEITH M]

He might of been an entertainer and box office but what he done to Glasgow’s Robert Nagy one night was a disgrace 

[Cue Ball]

From what I remember of the Nagy incident, tempers were running high from a previous coming together earlier in the meeting. For some reason they were both put into a race that I’m sure they shouldn’t have been in (although it was a long time ago, so I could be wrong) - neither rider gave any quarter on the run to the first bend and the resultant accident was horrific

[martinmauger]

His first visit to Hull in 1995 I think was just after his coming together with Nagy (who ironically rode for Hull in 1996) and he was soundly booed on the parade. Big shame him passing on, Roman was defo an all-action rider, always entertaining to watch.  RIP....

Edited January 9, 2020 by martinmauger
aded info

[Icicle]

Wild Man. Died Young. R.I.P.

[steve roberts]

Interesting article in 'Backtrack' some years agp with Czech International Zdenek Majstr who in his capacity as advisor was quoted:

"One of the blokes I had under my wing was Roman. He was a gifted rider but a complete nutcase! I couldn't handle that brat and left. AK Slany couldn't handle him either, so they sent him to Prague. And they couldn't handle him either!"

RIP Roman for all the memories you left.

Edited January 9, 2020 by steve roberts

[tigerowl]

Roman was a superb rider and one of the most entertaining riders I have ever seen in nearly 50 years of watching the sport. I honestly would have paid to watch him ride round on his own.

He was brilliant in those two years when the Tigers were last in the top flight and a couple of times won run-offs for the bonus point against all the odds. From memory, Jimmy Nilsen and Chris Louis were two of his victims.

I also recall Alan Grahame trying to get round the outside of him on the third bend at Owlerton in a last heat decider and Roman just didn't turn, forcing Alan to slide off, throwing his race shirt into the crowd when he won one of the bonus point run offs and conning someone into touching the tapes and punching the air when his rival was excluded.

Thanks for the memories Roman. RIP

[RobMcCaffery]

I saw Roman racing on ice. It took a while but once he learned to turn left there were a lot of relieved opponents.

[Tsunami]

Seem to remember driving in to the car park at Coventry for Super 7 type of meeting PL Champs or Pairs, etc,  mid 90's, when out goes Roman going the other way going out of the stadium. Seems there had been some sort of dispute and he wasn't going to ride. I went into the stadium, and he did take his place so someone had got him back. Might have been a 'great' rider in some people eyes, but given his violence to team mates and opponents on and off the track, this is the type of rider I will not miss at Newcastle.

[The Third Man]

17 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

Seem to remember driving in to the car park at Coventry for Super 7 type of meeting PL Champs or Pairs, etc,  mid 90's, when out goes Roman going the other way going out of the stadium. Seems there had been some sort of dispute and he wasn't going to ride. I went into the stadium, and he did take his place so someone had got him back. Might have been a 'great' rider in some people eyes, but given his violence to team mates and opponents on and off the track, this is the type of rider I will not miss at Newcastle.

Well I wish we had him back at Sheffield,  never a dull moment and most of the time worth the admission money on his own

[Tsunami]

36 minutes ago, The Third Man said:

Well I wish we had him back at Sheffield,  never a dull moment and most of the time worth the admission money on his own

At the cost of what but. Robert Nagy, amongst others, might not agree.

[Tigerblade]

15 hours ago, tigerowl said:

Roman was a superb rider and one of the most entertaining riders I have ever seen in nearly 50 years of watching the sport. I honestly would have paid to watch him ride round on his own.

He was brilliant in those two years when the Tigers were last in the top flight and a couple of times won run-offs for the bonus point against all the odds. From memory, Jimmy Nilsen and Chris Louis were two of his victims.

I also recall Alan Grahame trying to get round the outside of him on the third bend at Owlerton in a last heat decider and Roman just didn't turn, forcing Alan to slide off, throwing his race shirt into the crowd when he won one of the bonus point run offs and conning someone into touching the tapes and punching the air when his rival was excluded.

Thanks for the memories Roman. RIP

I seem to remember one against Oxford in the 1995 season when R/R for Sergei Kuzin was doing us proud, and we'd had difficulty assembling a team, and we'd been roundly criticised by the Oxford promotion at the away meeting previously, and the roof nearly went off when he won the run off for the bonus point.

I remember the Alan Grahame one well, how Big Al was excluded for that one I'm still not sure, but he was almost as angry as Sean Wilson afterwards!!

I also have a vague recollection of being at Newcastle one night when everyone was having to phone the referee from the start line phone, as Barry Wallace announced that Roman had smashed the pits phone 

[TheReturn]

I am a bit late to this thread having on recently found out he's passed away.  I just wanted to add to this.

On 1/9/2020 at 12:27 PM, Cue Ball said:

From what I remember of the Nagy incident, tempers were running high from a previous coming together earlier in the meeting. For some reason they were both put into a race that I’m sure they shouldn’t have been in (although it was a long time ago, so I could be wrong) - neither rider gave any quarter on the run to the first bend and the resultant accident was horrific

 

I was at both meetings, and it's been a long, long time. But this is my memory of what happened.

The Tigers were at Station Road the night before and Robert Nagy beat Matousek, brilliant ride by Nagy which Matousek took exception to after the race as they went back to the pits, but seemed to be something and nothing.    The following night Long Eaton were on the return fixture at Sheffield and that fateful race as they lined up at the tapes I knew what was about to happen by the fact Matousek lined up at the tapes at a funny angle IMO.  

Only one man will ever know if that was a deliberate crash or not, but I certainly know what every Long Eaton fan thought that night.  Mild mannered Johnno, perhaps unwisely with hindsight, was allowed to go and see Robert on track, he ran back from the first bend, to the pits and went for Matousek.

Although the race and match paled into insignificance, the referee bottled it by not excluding Matousek. To see him celebrating winning the meeting later on was an utter disgrace. 

To this day I believe that crash was a disgrace and he got away with it.  I won't describe the crash as an accident. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by TheReturn

[stevehone]

rode against Roman when he was in a Czech touring team i think in '86, scared the poop out of me! 

[cityrebel]

5 hours ago, stevehone said:

rode against Roman when he was in a Czech touring team i think in '86, scared the poop out of me! 

I remember seeing him ride for the Czechs at the reshaped narrow Canterbury track in 1987. He certainly took no prisoners that night!

[stevehone]

4 hours ago, cityrebel said:

I remember seeing him ride for the Czechs at the reshaped narrow Canterbury track in 1987. He certainly took no prisoners that night!

my encounter was in '86, Canterbury were away but i'd had 5 meetings so didn't want to use me any more so i had a 2pt average for '87.

was a Young Czech touring team managed by Vaclav Verner, Kent Select v Young Czecho

[Triple.H.]

8 hours ago, stevehone said:

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Triple.H.
dropped my phone

[Byker Biker]

It's sad that he has passed away so young and yes his on track antics are fondly remembered but off track this guy was a coppers nightmare and unfortunately in the eyes of the law a criminal, ask Machin and he'll tell you how many times he had to get him out of clinkers to race. A great character but sadly out of control. (Machin as well if you like) - RIP Roman.