Your Sandor Levai stories and anecdotes

[TonyMac 720]

OUR next issue (56) of Classic Speedway will include an in-depth profile of Sandor Levai, the six times Hungarian Champion and one of the sport’s biggest characters in his heyday.

Contributors will include his daughter Sarah Dickens, who will provide an insight into Sandor the person and family man who fled to England following the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

But we would also like to hear from you, our readers, followers and speedway enthusiasts of a certain age,

With a reputation as a ‘hard man’, Sandor spent years trying to break into British league speedway before riding for Stoke (1963), Norwich (1964), Belle Vue (1965-68), Newport (1969-71), Ipswich (1972-73) and Cradley (1974-75).

So what are your memories of this popular Magyar character, with his warm smile and cheery disposition, who died in his native Hungary in October 2009, aged 74?

Please email your thoughts, stories or just small anecdotes to me, Tony Mac, at retroeditorial@gmail.com. The best responses will be included alongside the feature article.

Thank you,
TMc

[steve roberts 9,242]

31 minutes ago, TonyMac said:

OUR next issue (56) of Classic Speedway will include an in-depth profile of Sandor Levai, the six times Hungarian Champion and one of the sport’s biggest characters in his heyday.

Contributors will include his daughter Sarah Dickens, who will provide an insight into Sandor the person and family man who fled to England following the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

But we would also like to hear from you, our readers, followers and speedway enthusiasts of a certain age,

With a reputation as a ‘hard man’, Sandor spent years trying to break into British league speedway before riding for Stoke (1963), Norwich (1964), Belle Vue (1965-68), Newport (1969-71), Ipswich (1972-73) and Cradley (1974-75).

So what are your memories of this popular Magyar character, with his warm smile and cheery disposition, who died in his native Hungary in October 2009, aged 74?

Please email your thoughts, stories or just small anecdotes to me, Tony Mac, at retroeditorial@gmail.com. The best responses will be included alongside the feature article.

Thank you,
TMc

An article on Sandor will prove very interesting and can't wait to read it...my last memory of him was riding in the snow at Cowley for Cradley before the "Heathens" withdrew from the meeting gifting Oxford a 58-14 win! John Boulger was thereafter christened by the Oxford faithful as "Snowflake!"

[salty 2,200]

I fondly remember Sandor being a Heathen in 1974 and 75. John Berry wrote in one of his books that Sandor made a mistake coming back following his retirement at the end of his stint with Ipswich, but most Heathens fans would disagree. Certainly round Dudley Wood he gave us a touch of solidity which was very welcome following a dismal 1973 season.

My memory of Sandor is more personal but was why he was always one of my favourite riders even before signing for Cradley.

1969 was my first full season as a Speedway fan and I ended up the season totally besotted with the sport. So much so, that when asked what I wanted to do for my Birthday in October the answer was a trip to Monmore Green to see some Speedway (the Dudley Wood season having ended a few days before). My main reason for going to see the enemy was that Newport were the visitors and they included former Heathen Chris Julian. We were stood on the sparsely populated back straight and cheered for the Wasps riders all night. Its fair to say Newport were put to the sword and my former favourite Chris was pretty poor. However, the only Wasp who put on a show was number 1 Sandor who amassed 12 of the team total of 23. As he coasted round round after his 3 wins he obviously became aware of us cheering and waving our programmes and began to wave back (both before and after his heats). This continued into the second half - which he won - with our reception and Sandor's reaction getting more animated each time. Ever since that night Sandor was my favourite "other" rider and we always went to support him whenever he rode at Monmore.

 

[Grachan 7,314]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:08 PM, steve roberts said:

An article on Sandor will prove very interesting and can't wait to read it...my last memory of him was riding in the snow at Cowley for Cradley before the "Heathens" withdrew from the meeting gifting Oxford a 58-14 win! John Boulger was thereafter christened by the Oxford faithful as "Snowflake!"

Mine too. I think Sandor was the only Heathen who seemed prepared to give it a go and ended up having about 5 rides before they pulled out.

[iris123 20,939]

I don't have any particular Sandor story or even memory. I only saw him a coupleof times . But he is definitely one of those in the category that i was surprised later to learn that he was such an accomplished rider before i had seen him. No bad thing, as he is in good company with the likes of Hurri-Ken  McKinlay

Obviously a fascinating story of his time in Hungary, which having the Who's, who of world speedway has a fairly decent section on his career. The Honved Budapest club where he started out, still remaining something of a mystery to this day

Edited January 26, 2022 by iris123

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

Yes, I remember Sandors 4 years with Belle Vue Aces. A good solid mid scoring Ace. A bit of an unusual style, but it worked.

[BOBBATH 466]

Wasn't Honved an army sponsored team ?

[iris123 20,939]

12 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Wasn't Honved an army sponsored team ?

Yes. Honved were like many continental clubs a sporting club, mainly known for its famous football team. But i honestly have never seen much about Hungary or Honved speedway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Budapest_Honvéd_FC

I guess the track could have been around the football pitch. The old stadium was re done a couple of years back now

Edited January 26, 2022 by iris123

[chunky 6,087]

Not that it's really an anecdote, but it was about 1989 or 90, and I had just got on a cross-channel ferry to go to France. I parked the car, and I was just getting out when I heard, "Are you a speedway fan?" I looked round, and it was Sandor! He saw the stickers in my back window.

We had a little chat, and that was the last time I ever saw him...

[E I Addio 15,843]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

I don't have any particular Sandor story or even memory. I only saw him a coupleof times . But he is definitely one of those in the category that i was surprised later to learn that he was such an accomplished rider before i had seen him. No bad thing, as he is in good company with the likes of Hurri-Ken  McKinlay

Obviously a fascinating story of his time in Hungary, which having the Who's, who of world speedway has a fairly decent section on his career. The Honved Budapest club where he started out, still remaining something of a mystery to this day

I didn’t see much of him but he was chalk and cheese against the world class Hurri-Ken McKinlay. It’s like comparing,Claud Vissing to Leigh Adams.

I have to admit that my opinion is based on not seeing much of much of him but whereas Tony Mac described him as a hard man I would say that is a euphemism for “ dirty rider”. 

The memory etched in my memory is of him with leading Olle Nygren, doing all he could to keep,Olle behind when he suddenly snapped the throttle shut on the back straight causing Olle,to hit the back of him and go head first over the handlebars. A stupidly dangerous move against a superior rider he was never going to beat by fair means, and one for which he was immediately excluded.  

[iris123 20,939]

I don't see how anyone can mis-understand how i was grouping them together. But hey-ho, this is the BSF. I wasn't comparing their riding style or level. Just that they were better in days before i got to see them, and it came as a surprise when i found out. More a judgement on my lack of speedway knowledge at the time than anything else

[salty 2,200]

Pretty sure John Hyam (who occasionally graces us with his presence) told a tale about when Sandor first came over here. Maybe he could re-tell it here?

Apologies if I am mistaken.

[BOBBATH 466]

I wonder if Sandor actually participated in the Hungarian revolution- I guess he was born in the mid thirties and would have remembered  Admiral Horthy, who was deposed in about 1943 or 44.  Replaced by Ferenc Salazi and the Arrow Cross- Jewish Hungarians were ok until that point but then they became the last major victim group of the Holocaust. I thought Horthy did the best he could- he survived the war and retired to Spain-wrote a most interesting auto biography. I wonder if Sandor with a last name - Levai-was Jewish, and Levai was just a derivation of Levy. Anyway-he really helped out Newport.. A most interesting guy.