They Came, They Saw, They Conquered, They Never Came Back

[waiheke1 4,295]

Eastbourne in a 5/6 year period to be quite honest had a few very poor imports.Slabon,Ring,Davidsson,Klingberg, Hammerberg, Johansson, Ericksson,Columbo,Tuorniemi,Tryvainen to name a few.Saying that they were always a very good home side and Kennett,Preston,Kelly,Schwartz,Woods,(one of my favourite English riders we're my favourie Eastie riders Dugard and Buck in the NL.

Have a programme from 1984 (the meeting belle vue hammered them 64-14) and it lists 30(!) imports they had used over the previous 5 seasons!

Obviously Moran Preston Schwartz were top riders, but most were utter dross. Certainly the 1983 Eastborne side must rank as one of the weakest ever top flight sides. Wheras in 82 with a top 4 of moran kennett Preston woods they actually had a very decent team.

[steve roberts 9,246]

Have a programme from 1984 (the meeting belle vue hammered them 64-14) and it lists 30(!) imports they had used over the previous 5 seasons!

Obviously Moran Preston Schwartz were top riders, but most were utter dross. Certainly the 1983 Eastborne side must rank as one of the weakest ever top flight sides. Wheras in 82 with a top 4 of moran kennett Preston woods they actually had a very decent team.

Your Forgetting Kai Niemi...a quality rider in his time.

 

I think that you are being particularly hard on the 1983 version. Gordon Kennett put in, and was granted, a transfer (King's Lynn) and it was expected that Kelly Moran and Ron Preston would continue where they left off in 1982...but both decided not to return so 'The Eagles' lost all its heat leaders from the previous season. Paul Woods was promoted from Number Four in the team to Number One in 1983.

 

It also has to be remembered that Eastbourne riding on a Sunday was always going to cause a problem attracting riders of quality.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Not disputing there were issues which caused the team to be effectively 3 hl short, but that 83 eastborne side WAS awful. Though Paul woods did have by far his best ever season.

[frigbo 522]

Have a programme from 1984 (the meeting belle vue hammered them 64-14) and it lists 30(!) imports they had used over the previous 5 seasons!

Obviously Moran Preston Schwartz were top riders, but most were utter dross. Certainly the 1983 Eastborne side must rank as one of the weakest ever top flight sides. Wheras in 82 with a top 4 of moran kennett Preston woods they actually had a very decent team.

Eastbourne 1983 was a dire side. Still finished above Swindon though!!

 

The constrant stream of guff foreignersin the BL was one of my favourite things about speedway in the late 70's and 1980's.

 

The top league just doesn't get the same level of unknown dross nowadays - the PL (in old money) has that nailed.

Edited January 18, 2017 by frigbo

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Have a programme from 1984 (the meeting belle vue hammered them 64-14) and it lists 30(!) imports they had used over the previous 5 seasons!

Obviously Moran Preston Schwartz were top riders, but most were utter dross. Certainly the 1983 Eastborne side must rank as one of the weakest ever top flight sides. Wheras in 82 with a top 4 of moran kennett Preston woods they actually had a very decent team.

Forgot Nani Righetto the Italian a very poor rider indeed, Eastbourne did have some very poor teams.

[frigbo 522]

They had Danes called Rene Christiansen and Finn Jensen in 1983 too - both did nothing, in fact Jensen never scored a point.

 

Peter Schroeck also turned out for them that year.

 

The Poles Jan Puk and Jozef Kafel were probably worst of the lot.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Forgot Nani Righetto the Italian a very poor rider indeed, Eastbourne did have some very poor teams.

And that's saying something coming from a Swindon fan from that era!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

And that's saying something coming from a Swindon fan from that era!

Yes we have had some poor teams 1983 was dire, the 1980 side in my opinion was capable of winning the league.But we underachieved Crump did not come over until August so we really missed him and though Autrey was very good he was not up to his best Exeter form.1980 was a great season Reading walked away with the Bonus and Ashby got one over Wally Mawdsley.

[chunky 6,112]

 

The Poles Jan Puk and Jozef Kafel were probably worst of the lot.

You beat me to it!!!

 

Steve

[steve roberts 9,246]

You beat me to it!!!

 

Steve

Was it in 1976 when a number of Poles were introduced to the British League and all failed miserably? There was Leonard Raba at Swindon together with a Pole who had taken out Swedish citizenship. Another at Leicester and, I think, Halifax? Of course Zenon Plech rode with distinction at Hackney that season followed by both Marek Cieslak (one of my favourites) and Edward Jancarz the following year.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Not quite a maximum, but I believe lars munkedal dropped only a point from four rides in his only visit to Hyde rd.

[steve roberts 9,246]

Not quite a maximum, but I believe lars munkedal dropped only a point from four rides in his only visit to Hyde rd.

Strewth! The competition couldn't have been that hot? He was less than impressive during his short time riding for 'The Cheetahs!'

[waiheke1 4,295]

Strewth! The competition couldn't have been that hot? He was less than impressive during his short time riding for 'The Cheetahs!'

In fairness he did beat Paul thorp, Kenny mckinna and Carl blackbird (twice), as well as gordon whittakers and Glenn hornby (twice). Beaten only by Chris morton, helping wolves to what I believe was the only away team victory at belle vue that season (87).

Worth noting that the wolves match was the first meeting in a double header, with thorp going on to beat Hans Nielsen in the 2nd meeting.

[frigbo 522]

Was it in 1976 when a number of Poles were introduced to the British League and all failed miserably? There was Leonard Raba at Swindon together with a Pole who had taken out Swedish citizenship. Another at Leicester and, I think, Halifax? Of course Zenon Plech rode with distinction at Hackney that season followed by both Marek Cieslak (one of my favourites) and Edward Jancarz the following year.

Raba and Jerzy Trzeszkowski came over in 1978.

 

Raba never scored a point in 5 meetings but did go on to be one of Poland's top riders in the 1980's and is a club legend at Opole. He rode in a World Team Cup Final and was second in the Polish Championship.

 

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2409/leonard-raba

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2869/jerzy-trzeszkowski

 

1976 did see an influx of really poor Poles:

 

Kazimierz Adamczak - Newport, Exeter and Hull

Grzegorz Szczepanik at Leicester

Adam Olkiewicz at Halifax

Eugeniusz Blaszak at Reading. Blaszak did slightly better than the others but got sent home after a shop-lifting offence!

 

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/141/kazimierz-adamczak

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2603/grzegorz-szczepanik

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2090/adam-olkiewicz

http://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/304/eugeniusz-blaszak

Edited January 20, 2017 by frigbo

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Andrzej Jurczyski the pole at White City.1978.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Sidney the robin