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mdmc82

Nordic Gorzow Grand Prix 27th August

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SZCZAKIEL scored 15 points and won the World Pairs in 1971 with Andrzej Wyglenda against opposition that included Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger and Anders Michanek

Was that meeting held in Poland by any chance,certainly wasnt Wembley where I saw him he was dire .

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Was that meeting held in Poland by any chance,certainly wasnt Wembley where I saw him he was dire .

The 1973 WTC Final where Dave Lanning issued the ultimate piece of scorn "From champ to chump".

 

If I remember rightly, Ivan Mauger's approach to the previous Polish World Final in 1970 was that he was up against the whole Polish sporting system, not just their riders, hence the delight at getting the win to complete the hat-trick.

 

I'd always had the impression that '73 was set up for Zenon Plech but the wrong Pole won it on the day - and it wasn't just in the West that Szczakiel's win was cruelly viewed as a disaster.

 

Watching the present-day Polish TV coverage of speedway you often see stars of the past such as Zenon but never Jerzy. It can't have been easy being the World Champion that nobody wanted.

Edited by rmc

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SZCZAKIEL scored 15 points and won the World Pairs in 1971 with Andrzej Wyglenda against opposition that included Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger and Anders Michanek

He also scored 0pts in the World Final that year which was held in Sweden against many of the same riders.

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Re Jerzy Szczakiel - the track could well be set up to suit a certain rider/s but the rider still has to perform. He may have rode the best he has ever ridden in that world final but he did perform very well.

i read in one of the books about Mauger how good he rates Szczakiel, and it was good.

Yes he didnt perform well at Wembley shortly after becoming world champ but a) Wembley was not an easy track for communist country riders to get to grip with, especially on their first visit. B) I understand he was carrying an injury.

 

I was their at Wembley and was one of those who booed him (much younger then, wouldnt do it now), but hey, he has got one over me - he is a world champion of a fantastic sport that I never even had a go at, and if I had would probably have not succeeded even getting into a team, so hats off to Jerzy Szczakiel. :cheers:

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Watching the present-day Polish TV coverage of speedway you often see stars of the past such as Zenon but never Jerzy.

Doesn't he even turn up to the meeting in his honour????

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Doesn't he even turn up to the meeting in his honour????

Wasn't familiar with that one, just commenting on what I've seen. There were plenty of reports in the past over the Poles shunning Szczakiel. Good to hear that has changed. So, when is it staged, and where? Gorzow? Torun? Wroclaw? - or is it some local event in Opole?

 

EDIT - Checked Opole's fixture list - they appear to run a low-key annual meeting featuring second-tier riders. Szczakiel rode for them in the old second division. Not exactly high profile for Poland's sole champion under the traditional format.

Edited by rmc

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?

 

EDIT - Checked Opole's fixture list - they appear to run a low-key annual meeting featuring second-tier riders. Szczakiel rode for them in the old second division. Not exactly high profile for Poland's sole champion under the traditional format.

Guess it is just fate that Jerzy was associated with a team who are not really one of the high profile ones......Tommy Janssons memorial meeting was also a 2nd tier meeting with 2nd tier riders when Wimbeldon dropped down.And on the other point i don't really remember any of the old British world champs being ever or often present at meetings or on tv.The likes of Freddie Williams or Tommy Price.Maybe they were and i missed them?.Maybe Jerzy was and you missed him?.Maybe he attends most Opole meetings?No doubt he wasn't the most popular rider ever in Poland.That is fact

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Iris - I am sure you are very proud of your knowledge of obscure speedway and I am sure there are a few who would envy it.

 

The rest of us have lives.

 

Keep up the arguing, it seems that is all you are fit for.

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Just saying like.....

 

Thinking about it,just how many world champs have a meeting in their honour?All i know of are the Jack Young meet in Austraia which doesn't have a great line-up and that Peter Craven meet which has been on-off over the years and i am not sure but that line-up is also not great.So Jerzy is the only living world champ to have a meeting

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