lucifer sam

Yes, tonight (September 5) represents the 25th anniversary of what is largely regarded as the best-ever Speedway meeting, with a mix of superb racing, a great atmosphere, plus the nostalgia value of being the last-ever meeting at Wembley. It was my first-ever World Final at the age of eight. I can still vividly remember all the races involving my childhood hero, Bruce Penhall. Not only the well-remembered classic races against Olsen & Knudsen, but also Dave Jessup hounding him for 4 laps, before DJ locked up on the final bend, lost a jubilee clip (a part on the bike worth a matter of pence) and suffered the first of two heartbreaking engine failures. There was also engine failure agony for Carter or Gundersen (Carter in the same race as Jessup, Olsen was mighty lucky in that one!). Although Penhall dropped his only point of the entire evening to Carter (already Mr. Bad Guy for me, after his overeaction to the incident with Penhall at White City in the Overseas Final) when he knew a second place in Heat 20 was enough, before pulling the mother of all wheelies as he crossed the line. As for the sheer atmosphere, only the 1989 Final at Munich compares, although Cardiff is good. I also remember studying the programme for a couple of hours before the meeting at Wembley, memorising all the World Champions! And those were the days when Speedway was on terrestial TV. So we got back to my grandparents and then saw just how CLOSE the Penhall v Olsen and, in particular, the Penhall v Knudsen (very near a dead heat) clashes were. A meeting that fully deserves its classic status. All the best Rob Peasley

Sunday, September 24, 2006 START GNIEZNO 57 STAL GORZOW 33 (Polish First Division, play-off match) A day after a thrilling Polish Grand Prix at Bydgoszcz (Tomasz Gollob is something amazing around that place!!), I experienced my second-ever taste of Polish league Speedway at Gniezno. The match had been arranged as part of our Travel Plus tour, and after last year's eyebrow-raising meeting at Leszno (where the racing was good, but the main attraction was watching the Zielona Gora fans on the second bend spending almost the whole meeting ripping up the seating and lobbing it at the police!!), I wondered exactly what to expect this time. However, Brian White, the courier for the Stansted coach (my mum and myself flew from Heathrow) was sure that there wouldn't be any crowd trouble this time, as Gniezno and Gorzow are not local rivals, and that although this was a play-off match, nothing rested on it, with Gniezno already assured of third and Gorzow of fourth place in the Polish First Division table (the second tier of the sport in Poland, after the Extraleague). On arrival to the stadium, we marvelled yet again at the standard of Polish stadia. Gniezno Speedway Club are not a top-flight team, but their stadium still consisted of a covered grandstand on the home straight, while access to the back straight came via a long flight of steps, with the seating on a banked area, therefore giving excellent viewing. As we arrived, a crowd which would have made most Elite League promoters weep (the official attendance given was 3000) was filing into the stadium. I decided to watch the first set of races from the covered grandstand, and then make my way around to the back straight to watch the rest of the racing. In Polish league racing, the home side are numbered 9-15 and the away team 1-7. The riders at 14 & 15 for the home side and 6 & 7 for the away team have to be Polish Under-21 riders, and it is these riders who compete in HEAT 1. The race turned out to be an easy 5-1 for the Gniezno pairing of Adrian Gomolski & Miroslaw Jablonski over Andrzej Glucky & Mateusz Mikorski (5-1). The visitors had travelled with only five riders, with R/R (or rather Z/Z!!) at No. 2 for David Ruud and no rider at No. 4, where Adrian Szewczykowski was programmed. In HEAT 2, Michal Rajkowski came in for Ruud, and he passed Dariusz Staniszewski for third on the final bends to ensure a 3-3 result, with the race winner being Oxford asset Lukasz Jankowski (who looked very disappointing when I saw him a year before at Leszno, but he appears revitalised by his move to Gniezno) and with Piotr Paluch in second (8-4). Gniezno's Dawid Cieslewicz and Gorzow's Jaroslaw Lukaszewski were having a right battle for the lead in HEAT 3, when fourth-placed Glucky fell on the fourth bend, causing a stoppage. With Glucky excluded, David Cieslewicz gated in the re-run, then brother (I assume they're brothers!!) Marek Cieslewicz came through into second on the second bend, after Lukaszewski slowed dramatically. Lukaszewski then got going again (suggesting that riders also forget to turn their fuel on in Poland), but the home boys were long gone to their way to a 5-1 (13-5). In HEAT 4, Rajkowski was the early leader, but there was a tremendous roar from the home fans as Jablonski flew around him on the third turn to take the lead. With Krzysztof Pecyna in third, the home side took a 4-2 that extended their lead to ten points (17-7). At this point, I decided to make my way to the back straight. On reaching the top of the flight of steps, I was greeted by a Gniezno fan who wanted to try out the horn I had bought from Bydgoszcz the previous night. He proved to be as about as useless as I am at getting a sound out of it, apparently you need to blow into it like a musical instrument. I watched HEAT 5 as I was still walking around to the back straight, or to be more accurate, the second bend, where most of the Travel Plus group had settled. This race was a real battle, with Lukaszewski fighting his way into the lead early on, only for Marek Cieslewicz to sweep past Lukaszewski later on to win the race, as the Cieslewicz borthers took a 4-2, with away No. 1 Paluch in last place (21-9). There was then a break for track grading, as I took a seat by Brian White, who had cheated somewhat, by having one of the Polish guides from our trip sat next to him, translating all the PA announcements!! With Brian's help, I sorted out my programme for the opening races, as it had been difficult to make out the numbers on the back of the riders from the shaded grandstand, the key to keeping up with a Polish league match. Brian mentioned he had seen Chris Durno, the British referee, who had also been present at the meeting we had seen at Gorican, Croatia, a day after the Slovenian GP, in April of this year. On that occasion, Mr. Durno had shared the announcing duties, so that any following Brits could keep up with the meeting and get race times, etc. However, it was a complicated programme, and Chris had got the scores wrong a couple of times, leading to myself & Brian (who were about the only ones trying to fill in the programme, I tell a lie I think Brian Collins was filling in the programme as well) turning around to Chris (he was almost directly behind us, as we had prime seats in the new, plush Gorican stadium) and shaking our heads, miming "that's wrong" through the glass!! Chris had been a great sport in Croatia, and it was a shame he wasn't announcing again at Gniezno, especially as we would have again taken great pleasure in pointing out any mistakes!!! Anyway back to Gniezno, and around this point, I bumped into the "Chivsy Travel" group, containing such BSF luminaries as Rico, Matt D ("I travel all the way to Poland and I bump into bloody Peasley!!"), F4E, Addy (the lovely Julie from Manchester, who had travelled all the way down to see Linda D the previous Wednesday), and of course, Chivs himself. Paluch was introduced into HEAT 6 as a tactical substitute, as the abomination that is the tactical ride doesn't exist in Polish Speedway. Pecyna, off the outside, fell in a tight first bend, and the home crowd roared its displeasure at, presumably, Paluch off gate 3, but the referee decided on a re-run with all 4 riders. Paluch & Lukaszewski took a 5-1 for the visitors in the re-start, ahead of Gomolski & Pecyna (22-14). Jankowski made it two wins out of two by winning HEAT 7, ahead of Rajkowski, Staniszewski and Mikorski in an uneventful 4-2 to the home side (26-16). HEAT 8 certainly was eventful!! Gomolski & Pecyna hit the front, but Paluch was soon on their tail, and he swept around Pecyna on the second bend of lap 2 and then set his sights on Gomolski. However, Pecyna wasn't finished and he cut across in front of Paluch on the second bend of lap 3, with Paluch lucky not to be collected by the drifting Pecyna. Paluch saw red and as he charged back inside Pecyna down the back straight, he stuck up his right leg almost horizontally and tried to kick Pecyna off his bike in a style that would have not been out of place in a Bruce Lee movie!! The back straight crowd, enraged by Pecyna's "kung-fu" kick, rushed down towards the track as stewards struggled to keep them at bay. As the final lap took place, with Pecyna & Paluch both in "road rage" mood, trying to cause the other to fall, various objects started to rein down onto the track from the outraged fans. From my vantage point on the second bend, Paluch seemed to take the verdict for second place, but after a delay the result was announced as a 5-1 to Gniezno - much to the delight of the home fans!! Meanwhile, Paluch had left the track, avoiding bottles and other objects thrown at him!! It again showed the sheer passion of Polish Speedway, a sharp contrast to its British cousin, which has become so sanitised in recent years... I remember a time twenty years ago when fights (always handbags at 20 paces, nothing serious!!) at the pits gate where common at Oxford!!... the large crowds then inside Sandy Lane lapped it up!! (31-17). Jankowski maintained his unbeaten record in HEAT 9, while the travelling Gorzow fans had further confirmation that it just wasn't their day when Rajkowski (in as a T/S) suffered an engine on lap 2, and a 3-3 turned into a 4-2 for the home side (35-19). Dawid Cieslewicz won HEAT 10 ahead of Rajkowski, while Marek Cieslewicz snatched third, after getting inside Glucky on the third turn of lap 4 (39-21). With the home side winning at a canter, young Miroslaw Jablonski was given an extra ride in place of Jankowski in HEAT 11. Jablonski was a popular winner of the race, with team-mate Gomolski joining him for a 5-1 (44-22). Paluch was back on track in HEAT 12, to a chorus of boos. Marek Cieslewicz lead the race, and Paluch in his pursuit, got too close on the second bend of lap 3 and had to shut off slightly. It was all the opportunity that Dawid Cieslewicz needed, who swept inside Paluch down the back straight, in a move that delighted the home fans, as Gniezno took yet another 5-1 (49-23). Paluch took the R/R ride in HEAT 13, but home team manager Lech Kedziora avoided further fireworks between Paluch & Pecyna, by replacing Pecyna with Jablonski. A common sense move, I suppose, although I'd have loved to have seen another clash between the two riders!! Paluch gated from Jablonski and Rajkowski, but fourth-placed Staniszewski mounted the kerb on the second bend, and fell, prompting a stoppage. With Staniszewski excluded, the visiting pair of Rajkowski & Paluch took a 5-1 from the re-run (50-28). The last two heats in Polish Speedway are nominated, with Heat 15 the top scorers race and Heat 14 featuring any riders not in Heat 15. In HEAT 14, Lukaszewski finished his afternoon in style, winning from Pecyna & Staniszewski in a shared heat (53-31). HEAT 15 looked like a final 5-1 to the home side, but Rajkowski continued to pester the Gniezno pair of Marek Cieslewicz and Jankowski. He was rewarded when he managed to sneak around Jankowski coming off the final bend, therefore ruining Jankowski's maximum, which was tough on Jankowski as he appeared to be team-riding with the slower Cieslewicz (57-33). And so a very entertaining afternoon of Speedway came to an end. While I'm proud to be British, it's not difficult to see how better Polish Speedway is run. There's no guests, no blasted tactical rides and no green helmet colour (still the way most people identity riders, and under floodlights, easy to mix up with blue or yellow depending on the shade of green!!). As a result, Polish Speedway receives far better press coverage. It's an example that British Speedway would do well to follow. Meanwhile, the clash between Gniezno and Gorzow was just part of a very enjoyable weekend on the Travel Plus tour. Thanks to our couriers Claire & Eileen and our Polish guide Marcin; the whole bunch on the coach were a friendly lot (although the "guess the time we arrive back at the airport" sweepstake did get highly competitive!!), and the Bydgoszcz GP was a classic just like Krsko - I seem to have made the right choices this year!! START GNIEZNO 57 Lukasz Jankowski 10 (4), Dariusz Staniszewski 3+1 (5), Dawid Cieslewicz 9+1 (4), Marek Cieslewicz 12+1 (5), Krzysztof Pecyna 5+1 (4), Adrian Gomolski 9+1 (4), Miroslaw Jablonski 9+1 (4). Team manager: Lech Kedziora. STAL GORZOW 33 Piotr Paluch 9+1 (7), David Ruud R/R, Jaroslaw Lukaszewski 11+1 (6), Adrian Szewczykowski DNR, Michal Rajkowski 12+1 (7), Mateusz Mikorski 0 (5), Andrzej Lucky 1 (5). Team manager: Stanislaw Chomski. HEAT DETAILS: 1: Gomolski (GN), Jablonski (GN), Glucky (GO), Mikorski (GO) (5-1). 2: Jankowski (GN), Paluch (GO), Rajkowski (GO) (R/R), Staniszewski (GN) (8-4). 3: (Re-run) D. Cieslewicz (GN), M. Cieslewicz (GN), Lukaszewski (GO), Glucky (GO) (fell, excluded) (13-5). 4: Jablonski (GN), Rajkowski (GO), Pecyna (GN), Glucky (GO) (17-7). 5: M. Cieslewicz (GN), Lukaszewski (GO) (R/R), D. Cieslewicz (GN), Paluch (GO) (21-9). 6: (Re-run) Paluch (GO) (T/S), Lukaszewski (GO), Gomolski (GN), Pecyna (GN) (22-14). 7: Jankowski (GN), Rajkowski (GO), Staniszewski (GN), Mikorski (GO) (26-16). 8: Gomolski (GN), Pecyna (GN), Paluch (GO), Glucky (GO) (R/R) (31-17). 9: Jankowski (GN), Lukaszewski (GO), Staniszewski (GN), Rajkowski (GO) (T/S) (ret) (35-19). 10: D. Cieslewicz (GN), Rajkowski (GO), M. Cieslewicz (GN), Glucky (GO) (39-21). 11: Jablonski (GN), Gomolski (GN), Lukaszewski (GO), Mikorski (T/S) (GO) (44-22). 12: M. Cieslewicz (GN), D. Cieslewicz (GN), Paluch (GO), Mikorski (GO) (49-23). 13: (Re-run) Rajkowski (GO), Paluch (GO) (R/R), Jablonski (GN), Staniszewski (GN) (fell, excluded) (50-28). 14: Lukaszewski (GO), Pecyna (GN), Staniszewski (GN), Mikorski (GO) (53-31). 15: M. Cieslewicz (GN), Rajkowski (GO), Jankowski (GN), Paluch (GO) (57-33). FOOTNOTE: I checked a couple of Polish websites, and they had first and second the other way around for both Heats 11 & 12. However, I double-checked my programme with others there on the day, who have the same as me, so I'm sticking with the above!! All the best Rob

F4E, Actually, I was thinking of writing a match report to this meeting, attended by both the "Travel Plus" and "Chivsy Travel" groups. And Mr. Snackette, I will give acknowledgement, although I think a certain person was cheating slightly by having their very own Polish translator to interprete the track announcements All the best Rob

Tony Rickardsson's Visa, to stop him being able to get into this country again!! All the best Rob

Dekker, Not at all, you can't take away the fact that Rickardsson was the greatest of his era in individual events. However, his attitude to British Speedway stinks. All the best Rob

Really sorry to hear of the accident - get well soon Chris and make sure you let the leg heal properly. All the best Rob

Kevin, Replace "realistic" with "pessimistic" and you'd be about right. If you want me to tell it how it is, then here we go. Yes, it's a very tough start to the season, especially out on the track, yet some excellent racing at Oxford and the return of Todd Wiltshire (and what a return!) have kept my spirits up. Also, the imcoming promoter Aaron Lanney has geniunely impressed me. He comes across as a honest, straight-talking guy, and moves such as the purchase of a scoreboard suggest that, at last, we might have a promoter who sticks around. I certainly hope so. There you go, Kevin, all my own words, as is everything I post on here. Yes, it may be a touch optimistic, etc, but that's my way. But I can see the efforts being made to make Oxford Speedway thrive again and I sincerely hope that these efforts are successful. All the best Rob

And it was also Todd's first meeting back and Ales wasn't in the line-up. So I think it'll be much closer this time. How you EVER got anything positive to say????? All the best Rob

Anders, Eastbourne v Ipswich is not listed on July 24 on Eastbourne's official website, so I assume it's off. All the best Rob

F4E, Richardson wan't in the meeting - he'd withdrawn and been replaced by David Howe. Well done to Ales, also congrats to Stead from a British perspective, shame that David didn't make it. All the best Rob

Any news on the result from Hungary? All the best Rob

Rob B, Last year's British Final at Oxford had 31 passes (after the second bend) in 21 races... and the track was in superb nick despite a sweltering hot day. Maybe the British Final should return to Cowley next year... was there any attempt by Ian Thomas to give anything but the bog-standard presentation today? This meeting needs to go to a younger promoter, less stuck in his ways and more likely to actually PROMOTE what should be one of the biggest meetings of the British Speedway calendar. All the best Rob

Could someone please confirm the World Championship qualifiers. Thanks. All the best Rob

Steve T, Yep, Cradley's toilets were the pits!! 1990 World Final? Great racing, although Bradford lacked the atmosphere of Wembley in 1981 or Munich in 1989, both of which were breathtaking nights (even though the racing at Munich was non-existent, barring Roman Matousek's hitch it over the white line ride!!) Brilliant trip to Blackpool for the 1990 final. A fantastic four days, including paddling on the beach at 3.00am on the night of the final, and a rounders game on the beach in heavy wind using a softball!! All the best Rob

Does anyone seriously expect Mr. Shovlar expect to come onto this thread? I'm started to get a bit worried about some of the people on this forum. They seem to be taking some of the mickey taking on the forum rather too seriously, and then becoming obessed with other forum members. Shovvy's a wind-up merchant, par excellence. I can only remember him really losing it once, and that was at the height of the Oxford v Poole arguments over Lukas Dryml's absences in 2001, which was pre-Speedway Forum on the old discussion lists. Now Shovvy just receives personal insult after personal insult. Sometimes I wonder why he still comes on here. It seems people are more interested in him than in the actual results of the Speedway meetings. I've noticed the number of personal insults increasing on this forum. Just this evening I've been called various names such as "Rob Peahead", because people couldn't take me taking the mickey out of their team losing a match. Not that it really bothers me, but it's just getting harder to trawl through all the crap sometimes to find the actual results. Personally, I like Steve Shovlar. We argue like cat & dog on here, but I know that when I bump into him on Wednesday & Thursday, I can have an intellgient conversation about Speedway with him. He's dedicated to his club and has strong views on the sport. All the best Rob

No, the one we beat a certain team from Wiltshire to win on Wednesday. All the best Rob

Steve, As daft as the rules were, they were printed on the centre pages of the programme. Lindback clearly knew he needed to win Heat 25, the way he was desperate to pass Kylmakorpi, so he knew the score. I would doubt if the Poole promotion have much of a gripe - and it may be Mr. Ford who wrote the tie-break rules in the first place. So stop the sour grapes. You're going to have to get used to losing this week, as we're going to turn you over home and away!! All the best Rob

Frigbo, It's a consolidaton year - but next year we'll kick your asses :D And remind me, have many trophies super-ambitious Swindon have won this year. One less than Oxford I think you will find All the best Rob

Steve S, You bad loser!!!! The rules were CLEARLY printed in the programme (yes, the rules for a tie were daft, but they were also clear). Belle Vue qualified fair and square, and then were deserving winners of the final. So both of your teams, Poole and Swindon, were beaten today. A sour note was Ian Thomas when interviewed, telling the fans of ALL the other tracks "to get stuffed, because this is our day". Didn't he realise that most of the neutrals had been cheering on his team in the final, to prevent the home win all too prevalent in shared events. And Rosco was AGAIN the loser, for the second time in four days - what a crying shame (also means I don't have to change my sig) So a great result. Swindon didn't win, and Oxford didn't finish last in Group B. All the best Rob Peasley

Can't be bothered with Bonnie Tyler. I'll stay in the Spoons until about 6.30pm. All the best Rob

Well, he's not too popular with some of the Ippo fans I've spoken to, so maybe that's why!!! And the Lynn fans don't seem to like him either - seems Mr. Rickardsson is only loved at Poole, where the fans have turned a blind eye to his selfish, individual ways. All the best Rob Peasley