I know there were 2 Gordeevs' BUT....

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

To think that Chlinovsky was just won ride away from being World Champion in 1973 if he hadn't been involved with that infamous clash with Zenon Plech.

Does make you wonder lSteve ,looking back in my progs Steve Jerzy S rode at Swindon in 1971 for Poland scoring seven points can only vaguely  remember it though.

[steve roberts 9,242]

5 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Does make you wonder lSteve ,looking back in my progs Steve Jerzy S rode at Swindon in 1971 for Poland scoring seven points can only vaguely  remember it though.

Saw Jerzy ride at Cowley in 1973...that is as far as the first turn when he got trapped under the kickboard and never appeared again!

[False dawn 2,293]

17 hours ago, steve roberts said:

To think that Chlinovsky was just won ride away from being World Champion in 1973 if he hadn't been involved with that infamous clash with Zenon Plech.

I think Ivan Mauger came even closer.

[steve roberts 9,242]

12 hours ago, False dawn said:

I think Ivan Mauger came even closer.

One of the best World Finals (in my memory) for drama and incidents in my opinion!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

One of the best World Finals (in my memory) for drama and incidents in my opinion!

And Ivan was one of the few that really feared the unheralded Jerzy, Plech at that time was the golden boy and was expected to be the biggest home threat.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts 9,242]

1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

And Ivan was one of the few that really feared the unheralded Jerzy, Plech at that time was the golden boy and was expected to be the biggest home threat.

What I liked back then was that the Eastern Euoropean riders were viewed with a certain amount of mystery and any riding on British tracks was looked upon with interest.I recall Antoni Woryna riding for Poole in 1973 & 74 which created an element of anticipation and excitement. Now Poles are abundant in Britain and no longer viewed as a rarity.

[iris123 20,922]

Oh yes. Nowadays it’s a bit of a novelty to see a British rider. A Scottish or Welsh one rarer than a penny black !!!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

9 hours ago, steve roberts said:

What I liked back then was that the Eastern Euoropean riders were viewed with a certain amount of mystery and any riding on British tracks was looked upon with interest.I recall Antoni Woryna riding for Poole in 1973 & 74 which created an element of anticipation and excitement. Now Poles are abundant in Britain and no longer viewed as a rarity.

All of the Poles i have seen over the years  Steve i have enjoyed watching everyone of them.Most of them have been disappointing Raba,Gluchlich,Slabon( why was he sent to Eastbourne bizarre????) to name a few but always in the back of my mind i knew some of there aquipment was not good anough.Steve you must of seen a fair bit of Cieslak and he acquitted himself very well and was probably capable of more. But two that I always believed in time with the right aquipment right preparation that could of done even better in the uk were Roman Janowski ( Hackney) Piotr Pyszny ( Poole/ Halifax).

Edited January 5, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts 9,242]

5 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

All of the Poles i have seen over the years  Steve i have enjoyed watching everyone of them.Most of them have been disappointing Raba,Gluchlich,Slabon( why was he sent to Eastbourne bizarre????) to name a few but always in the back of my mind i knew some of there aquipment was not good anough.Steve you must of seen a fair bit of Cieslak and he acquitted himself very well and was probably capable of more. But two that I always believed in time with the right aquipment right preparation that could of done even better in the uk were Roman Janowski ( Hackney) Piotr Pyszny ( Poole/ Halifax).

Marek was a revelation around Wood Lane in 1977. His first meeting he registered a maximum and his outside sweeps on a notoriously flat track without much banking was a joy! He kind of lost his way the following year but I personally think that was down to him having to travel backwards and forwards to Poland to ride for his club team whereas in 1977 he wasn't expected to.

Eastbourme had a couple of Poles ride for them in 1980 but they lasted only a very short period (Jan Puk was one?) and compared to them Robert Slabon was a success but generally disappoining overal.

I saw Roman Jankowkski score a maximum at Swindon and remember the Polish/Swede who rode for the Robins (recommended by Jan Andersen I recall) but, again, was disappointing.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Marek was a revelation around Wood Lane in 1977. His first meeting he registered a maximum and his outside sweeps on a notoriously flat track without much banking was a joy! He kind of lost his way the following year but I personally think that was down to him having to travel backwards and forwards to Poland to ride for his club team whereas in 1977 he wasn't expected to.

Eastbourme had a couple of Poles ride for them in 1980 but they lasted only a very short period (Jan Puk was one?) and compared to them Robert Slabon was a success but generally disappoining overal.

I saw Roman Jankowkski score a maximum at Swindon and remember the Polish/Swede who rode for the Robins (recommended by Jan Andersen I recall) but, again, was disappointing.

 

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Marek was a revelation around Wood Lane in 1977. His first meeting he registered a maximum and his outside sweeps on a notoriously flat track without much banking was a joy! He kind of lost his way the following year but I personally think that was down to him having to travel backwards and forwards to Poland to ride for his club team whereas in 1977 he wasn't expected to.

Eastbourme had a couple of Poles ride for them in 1980 but they lasted only a very short period (Jan Puk was one?) and compared to them Robert Slabon was a success but generally disappoining overal.

I saw Roman Jankowkski score a maximum at Swindon and remember the Polish/Swede who rode for the Robins (recommended by Jan Andersen I recall) but, again, was disappointing.

Jerzy Trzeszkowski and Leonard Raba rode for the budgies in 1978,  Trzeszkowski a former world finalist looked well past his best at that time.Raba had ability a great gater and he fell a few times in good racing  position's he odviously was pretty useful as he later got in the 1984 Poland  World team cup final team in Leszno. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[chunky 6,081]

4 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Eastbourme had a couple of Poles ride for them in 1980 but they lasted only a very short period (Jan Puk was one?) and compared to them Robert Slabon was a success but generally disappoining overal.

Jan Puk and Jozef Kafel, Steve. Then there was Marek Kepa. Also Piotr Pyszny, who was at Arlington in 1983, but never showed the form he did at Poole and Halifax.

[BOBBATH 466]

13 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

All of the Poles i have seen over the years  Steve i have enjoyed watching everyone of them.Most of them have been disappointing Raba,Gluchlich,Slabon( why was he sent to Eastbourne bizarre????) to name a few but always in the back of my mind i knew some of there aquipment was not good anough.Steve you must of seen a fair bit of Cieslak and he acquitted himself very well and was probably capable of more. But two that I always believed in time with the right aquipment right preparation that could of done even better in the uk were Roman Janowski ( Hackney) Piotr Pyszny ( Poole/ Halifax).

I saw Robert Slabon ride at either Welland or Paris quite a few years ago-think he emigrated here (to Canada)

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

3 hours ago, chunky said:

Jan Puk and Jozef Kafel, Steve. Then there was Marek Kepa. Also Piotr Pyszny, who was at Arlington in 1983, but never showed the form he did at Poole and Halifax.

I  thought Pyszny rode only two challenge meeting's Steve for Poole ???  against Swindon scoring paid 7 from three rides and 0 from two rides at the Abbey.

[steve roberts 9,242]

20 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

I saw Robert Slabon ride at either Welland or Paris quite a few years ago-think he emigrated here (to Canada)

Yes he did and he had a son Chris who rode for Ipswich I recall and had dual citizenship.

[chunky 6,081]

12 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

I  thought Pyszny rode only two challenge meeting's Steve for Poole ???  against Swindon scoring paid 7 from three rides and 0 from two rides at the Abbey.

It actually appears he rode in three meetings.

Okay, no points from two rides isn't good, but not totally unexpected at a new track. Paid 7 from 3 is pretty good. He also rode in a BL match against Reading. He finished second first time out, but fell in his second and never reappeared; I assume he was injured.

Overall, that is not bad from a new rider. He wasn't great at Halifax, but could certainly be classed as "useful".

Averaging less than 4 for Eastbourne is poor... Then again, that was an era when Eastbourne had little difficulty in securing riders who could average less than four points a meeting!