Orzeł Łódź

Orzeł Łódź
Club information
Track addressMoto Arena Łódź
Łódź
CountryPoland
Founded2006
Team managerMichael Widera
LeagueEkstraliga 2
WebsiteOfficial website
Club facts
Track size321 metres (351 yd)
Track record time58.48
Track record date19 September 2020
Track record holderJack Holder
Major team honours
2. Liga2010

Orzeł Łódź (Eagle Lodz) is a Polish motorcycle speedway team based in Łódź who currently race in the Polish Speedway First League (1. Liga).[1][2] The club's full name is H. Skrzydlewska Eagle Lodz.[3]

Stadium

The new stadium under construction in 2017

The club hold their meetings at the Moto Arena Łódź, which opened in July 2018.[4]

History of speedway in Łódź

Tramwajarz Łódź and DKS Łódź

Speedway in Łódź began in 1948 with two clubs called Tramwajarz Łódź (tram drivers) and DKS Łódź. Both Tramwajarz and DKS competed in the inaugural 1948 Polish speedway season.[5][6]

Three years later the club moved to Bytom and changed their name to Ogniwo, before returning a year later. In 1954, the club became Sparta before but changed again to its original name of Tramwajarz before the club disbanded in 1964.[7]

Tadeusz Kołeczek of Ogniwo Łódź finished second in Polish Individual Speedway Championship in 1950, Włodzimierz Szwendrowski of Sparta Łódź, won the title in 1955.[8]

Gwardia Łódź

Gwardia Łódź was formed in 1967 and ran for 14 years until 1980; they stayed in the second division and often languished in the lower half.[9]

JAG Speedway Club

After 15 years without speedway in the city a team was formed with the name JAG or Holiday Club Łódź. They competed from 1995 to 1998.

ŁTŻ Łódź

In 1999, ŁTŻ Łódź joined the speedway league and when the Ekstraliga was introduced in 2000, ŁTŻ Łódź were in the 1. Liga.[10] In 2001 they were relegated to the 2. Liga.[11]

TŻ Łódź

From 2002 until 2005 Towarzystwo Żużlowe Łódź competed in the leagues.

Orzeł Łódź

Orzeł Łódź versus AK Marketa Prague in 2007

In 2006, the Skrzydlewski family founded Orzeł Łódź. The club won the 2. Liga title in 2010.

In 2016, the team topped the 1. Liga table to complete their best season for many years. They lost in the play off final to Lokomotiv Daugavpils but the Latvian club were unable to be promoted. Orzeł declined a move to the Ekstraliga, despite winning 16 out of 18 matches that season.[9]

In July 2018, the team moved to a new stadium called the Moto Arena Łódź.[9]

Previous teams

Notable riders

References

  1. ^ "Speedway from Around the Globe – Poland". Speedway Star. 10 September 2022. p. 42.
  2. ^ "Home". Orzeł Łódź speedway. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. ^ "H. Skrzydlewska Eagle Lodz". Speedway News. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Stadion". Orzel Lodz speedway. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. ^ "HISTORICAL RESULTS 1948-2023". Speedway History. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Historia Speedway Polsce 1948". Speedway History. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Historia Speedway Polsce 1964". Speedway History. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  8. ^ Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 101. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
  9. ^ a b c "History". Orzel Lodz speedway. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Historia Drużynowych Mistrzostw Polski". Zuzeland.com. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Historia Speedway Polsce 2001". Speedway History. Retrieved 17 February 2023.