The Tomasz Gollob Appreciation Society From Edinburgh

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The Polonia Bydgoszcz Stadium grandstands during the Grand Prix tournaments are filled to the brim with not only the Polish fans. A

large part of the audience are foreign supporters, who highly appreciate the visit to the city on the Brda river. This Saturday the

Polonia Bydgoszcz grandstands will include a large group of fans from Edinburgh,

 

Foreign spectators to the Bydgoszcz GP descend on Friday to have a good time, feel the atmosphere of a real speedway festivity.

 

Traditionally, one of the larger group will arrive from Edinburgh, which each year comes with a growing number of Scottish fans.

Organizer of the trip is Tomasz Gollob's faithful supporter, Steve Gilroy, who especially for the SportoweFakty.pl website shared

his memories of visits to Bydgoszcz Grand Prix tournaments.

 

"This year it will be my sixth visit to the Bydgoszcz Speedway Grand Prix tournament, and each time my experience of the city and

the people I meet is getting better and better"- said the Tomasz Gollob's loyal supporter from Edinburgh. "It all began in 2004

when I arrived at the Grand Prix in a cast of plaster of Paris, after a major football accident, which ended with a broken arm. I

was little afraid to participate in such a large event with my arm in a cast, but the Bydgoszcz spectators whom I met were very

friendly and took care of me ... "A Friendship Day" was born - fondly reminiscing Steve Gilroy.

 

This year, Steve brings to Bydgoszcz a team of 40 supporters. Initially, the group of his companions were not so numerous. - "

During the first visit to the Grand Prix in Bydgoszcz, only one person accompanied me, but the gained experience and enthusiasm I

saw after Tomasz Gollob's victory meant that since 2006 I decided to organize visits of larger groups of supporters. In 2006, six

people participated in the trip to Bydgoszcz, but this number increased to thirty-six by 2009, and this year reached a record - of

forty people participating in the trip - said Stevie. I don't make any money by doing this and for the supporters from Scotland, I

promote it as a visit to the "home of world speedway." None of the participants have had any bad experiences so far.

 

The Scottish supporter well remembers his visits to Bydgoszcz, which already turned into a ritual. - " Arriving in Bydgoszcz, we

always stay at the local "Hotel Pomorski" in which we are well cared for . On Friday evenings, we usually spend several hours in the

hotel bar, and then go to the city centre, where after visiting the premises at the Old Town we hold an annual "pilgrimage" to the

Savoy Club, where we slowly build an atmosphere for Saturday's feast of speedway. No matter where we eat or drink, we are met with

great hospitality from the locals. I can honestly say that this is a key factor that makes coming back here every year so

enjoyable - praised the Bydgoszcz hospitality Stevie Gilroy.

 

In the story of the Scottish fan there is his favorite theme, which is the main reason for his visits to Bydgoszcz. - This year is

obviously unique, and I would describe it by using a very British saying "The king has been crowned" - Stevie says with zest. - The

King is of course Tomasz Gollob - my hero for many years. The hero, who finally achieved his life's goal of being the Polish world

champion. How great it is to repeat these words! My admiration for Gollob started in 1999, when I first visited Poland,

participating in the cycle speedway in Rawicz. In that year Tomek won the Grand Prix in Wroclaw, and from that moment I became one

of his biggest fans in the UK. Currently, we have the Edinburgh group of fans called "The Tomasz Gollob Appreciation Society", which

organizes two or three events at the Edinburgh speedway stadium, during which we celebrate the great ride of the new World

Champion - said Tomasz Gollob's loyal supporter from Scotland .

 

I'm not sure if I wanted Tomasz to secure the title before the Bydgoszcz tournament, but I think the way it happened, is the best in

the world - admits Steve Gilroy. - Our forty members group from Scotland can no longer wait to meet with residents of Bydgoszcz and

show that the Scots and Poles can have fun together like no other!

It certainly will be a poignant evening and I am confident that Tomasz will want to win, and symbolically pass next year's Grand

Prix tournament to Gorzow - says the fan from Scotland.

 

British fans do not stop their visits to Poland at Bydgoszcz. Usually, with the help of friendly supporters of the Polonia Bydgoszcz

team, on Sunday after the Grand Prix they organize trips to speedway meetings in other Polish cities. In this way, they attended

Individual Junior World Final at Ostrow the Grand Prix Challenge, at Zielona Gora, or the match at Grudziadz. This year they will

direct their steps to Leszno, where together with Polish fans they want to say goodbye to Leigh Adams.

 

source: sportowefakty.pl

author: Andrzej "Mama" Matkowski

translated by : PolskiZuzel

Edited October 7, 2010 by PolskiZuzel