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TonyMac

Your Memories Of 70s & 80s Polish Riders In Bl

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In the next issue (81) of Backtrack, Martin Rogers will be looking back at the Polish riders who competed in British League in the 70s & 80s and the memories they created.

 

Alongside the main piece will be a column of supporters' comments about the Poles who raced in the UK during that era, so please either post your personal recollections, anecdotes, memories or opinions here or email us at: editorial@retro-speedway.com

 

My own favourite memories mainly revolve around the daredevil thrills served up by one of my boyhood heroes Zenon Plech at Hackney, particularly in 1976 and '79, when he came close to winning the world title at Katowice. And then the impact made by Roman Jankowski in 1980.

 

No doubt fans of Wimbledon and White City will recall fondly the efforts of Eddie Jancarz and Marek Cieslak respectively. At Leicester, Jerzy Rembas reached a high standard and did himself proud in the '78 World Final at Wembley, while Andrzej Huszcza was also a favourite with Lions' followers. Boley Proch and Henryk Glucklich had their moments for Reading.

 

On the other hand, there were also a bunch of Poles who struggled in the BL . . . Greg Szczepanik (Leicester), Adam Olkiewicz (Halifax), Kazimierz Adamczak (Hull), Jerzy Trzeszkowski (Swindon), Robert Slabon, Jan Puk and Marek Kepa (Eastbourne), Eugeniusz Blaszak (Reading).

 

Anyway, please let us have your thoughts . . .

 

Thank you.

Edited by tmc

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I've a feeling Jerzy Treszkowski was, technically, a Swede and riding on a Swedish license. the "proper" Pole at Swindon that year was Leonard Raba who did very little but then appeared on TV a few years later riding very well for the Polish team.

 

Was in 1978 when all the allocated Poles came here? None of them really pulled up any trees. Boley Proch, at Reading, was probably the best, but he only came over after Blaszak was send home after being caught shop-lifting.

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I've a feeling Jerzy Treszkowski was, technically, a Swede and riding on a Swedish license. the "proper" Pole at Swindon that year was Leonard Raba who did very little but then appeared on TV a few years later riding very well for the Polish team.

 

Was in 1978 when all the allocated Poles came here? None of them really pulled up any trees. Boley Proch, at Reading, was probably the best, but he only came over after Blaszak was send home after being caught shop-lifting.

1978 and 1976 were the years that saw an influx of mediocre or 'past their best' Poles.

 

Although his record for Swindon was woeful at the time, later form suggested Raba would have probably come good. He was a little unlucky as he got injured which meant he actually only appered in one BL heat at home, with his other four matches all being away.

 

I would agree that Proch was the best of the '76 group by some distance.

Edited by frigbo

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I've a feeling Jerzy Treszkowski was, technically, a Swede and riding on a Swedish license. the "proper" Pole at Swindon that year was Leonard Raba who did very little but then appeared on TV a few years later riding very well for the Polish team.

 

Was in 1978 when all the allocated Poles came here? None of them really pulled up any trees. Boley Proch, at Reading, was probably the best, but he only came over after Blaszak was send home after being caught shop-lifting.

Trzeszkowski was recommended to Swindon by Jan Andersson he had reached the 1967 World Final Colin Pratt/Rick France also reached there one and only World Final that year to. Edited by Sidney the robin

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I won't pretend to be the world's foremost expert on the mechanics of the sport (not the sharpest tool in the box?!). But the reduced impact of the Poles - and Czechs for that matter - coincided with the peak of the Weslake in the late 70s and early 80s. Weren't all the Eastern Europeans exclusively on board the Czech Jawas at the time and as such were a little disadvantaged?

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m

I won't pretend to be the world's foremost expert on the mechanics of the sport (not the sharpest tool in the box?!). But the reduced impact of the Poles - and Czechs for that matter - coincided with the peak of the Weslake in the late 70s and early 80s. Weren't all the Eastern Europeans exclusively on board the Czech Jawas at the time and as such were a little disadvantaged?

 

Falcace" a couple of the Poles i saw ride Robert Slabon,Jan Zabik there aquipment looked horrendous like track spares.Also they only had a couple of shabby looking bikes looked like they had come out of a scrap yard also they had dirty looking leathers.I think alot of the Czech's, Poles,Russians had it tough and it was to there credit they were even competetive.

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You knew spring had moved into summer when Eddie turned up! - Sure Cyril said something to that effect once or twice.

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