Post by coombes on Aug 15, 2018 20:11:02 GMT 1
It's now fifty years ago since Prague came to the White City during their second tour in the UK and quite a night it was too.
Russian tanks were invading Czechoslovakia, ruthlessly crushing the Dubcek regime and its liberal reforms and the visitors could have been excused if their thoughts were elsewhere that night. The Glasgow fans were aware of what was happening in their homeland and sportingly gave them a warm welcome. In the World Team Cup at Wembley in September the Czechs were similarly encouraged while the Russians, perhaps unfairly, were roundly booed.
The meeting was in severe doubt after a cloud burst, a couple of hours before the start. Sterling work by the Glasgow Water Department cleared the water and the meeting got underway only about ten minutes late. Charlie Monk guested for the Tigers, replacing the still absent Bo Josefsson and Ake Andersson. It was just like old times!
The visitors found the White City bends hard to handle and their only successes were in heats four and eight, races where the Tigers “big three” weren't programmed. Berg, Jim McMillan and Monk were all unbeaten by the opposition, while Bill McMillan and Templeton , both had a good pay nights. Volf and Ledecky were the pick of the visitors, with the latter qualifying for the trophy final as fastest second.
Tigers Scorers
Berg 11, J McMillan 11, Monk 11, B McMillan 7, W Templeton 7, Dent 4, Whaley 0:
Prague Scorers
Volf 7, Ledecky 6, Holub 4, Svab 4, M Verner 3, V Verner 2, Tomicek 1:
The real highlight of the meeting was that it was later reported that Charlie Monk had said that he wouldn't be averse to rejoining the Tigers, a real chink of light after a truly traumatic year. Although not known at the time, the Prague meeting was the last "Classic" staged at the White City, still considered by those of my generation as our spiritual home,
Happy days from almost a lifetime ago.
Russian tanks were invading Czechoslovakia, ruthlessly crushing the Dubcek regime and its liberal reforms and the visitors could have been excused if their thoughts were elsewhere that night. The Glasgow fans were aware of what was happening in their homeland and sportingly gave them a warm welcome. In the World Team Cup at Wembley in September the Czechs were similarly encouraged while the Russians, perhaps unfairly, were roundly booed.
The meeting was in severe doubt after a cloud burst, a couple of hours before the start. Sterling work by the Glasgow Water Department cleared the water and the meeting got underway only about ten minutes late. Charlie Monk guested for the Tigers, replacing the still absent Bo Josefsson and Ake Andersson. It was just like old times!
The visitors found the White City bends hard to handle and their only successes were in heats four and eight, races where the Tigers “big three” weren't programmed. Berg, Jim McMillan and Monk were all unbeaten by the opposition, while Bill McMillan and Templeton , both had a good pay nights. Volf and Ledecky were the pick of the visitors, with the latter qualifying for the trophy final as fastest second.
Tigers Scorers
Berg 11, J McMillan 11, Monk 11, B McMillan 7, W Templeton 7, Dent 4, Whaley 0:
Prague Scorers
Volf 7, Ledecky 6, Holub 4, Svab 4, M Verner 3, V Verner 2, Tomicek 1:
The real highlight of the meeting was that it was later reported that Charlie Monk had said that he wouldn't be averse to rejoining the Tigers, a real chink of light after a truly traumatic year. Although not known at the time, the Prague meeting was the last "Classic" staged at the White City, still considered by those of my generation as our spiritual home,
Happy days from almost a lifetime ago.