Ludek Smelik #11
Full Name: Ludek Smelik
Nickname: Ludwig or Ludski
Date of Birth: 28th November 1971
Place of Birth: Usti Nad Labem (Czechoslovakia)
Colour of Eyes: Brown
Shoe Size: 9/ 9 1/2
Height: 6’3″ (190cm)
Weight: 12st (76kg)
School Life: Still there! I like German, Games and History
Family: I live with my parents
Home: Hampstead
Newspaper: Guardian
Favourite Food: Knedlo-Vepro-Zelo, the Czech national dish, pork, cooked cabbage and Czech dumplings
Worst Food: Eggs
Hobbies: Reading, Tennis, Cycling
Favourite Room in the House: My bedroom
Top TV Programme: Cosby Show and comedies
TV Switch-Off: Crossroads
Pets: I had a hamster in Czechoslovakia
Top Music Taste: Eurythmics, Dire Straits and classical
Last Record/Tape Bought: Nostalgic Piano of Jiri Malasek
First Record/Tape Bought: Michael David, a Czech singer
Favourite Sweets/Chocolate: Boost and my Mum’s cakes
Best Film: Back to the Future
Top Actor/Actress: Kathleen Turner, in Jewel on the Nile
Best Thing That Ever Happened to You: When I was born!
Favourite Colour: Yellow
First Thing You Do When You Get Up in the Morning: Rub my eyes!
Former Clubs: Slovan Usti Nad Labem (Juniors)
Favourite Equipment: Bauer, CCM
Favourite Player: (Czech) Petr Rosol, (British) Andy Leggatt… and Vesa, of course!
Favourite Rink: Lee Valley
Worst Rink: Blackpool and Bournemouth
Biggest Influence: My Stepfather and my Grandparents
Best Game: Against Litvinov in Czechoslovakia. The weather was terrible, it was an outdoor rink!
Worst Game: At Blackpool
Worst Injury: Broken ankle
Best Stadium: Usti Nad Labem (15,000)
Favourite Shirt Number: 11
Transport: LRT or bicycle
Player(s) for the Future: Danny, Andy and Chris (Ludek was referring to Danny O’Hanlon and the Leggatt brothers)
Advice for Youngsters Starting in Hockey: Train hard
All-Star Team (World): Kralik (Cz), Fitisov (USSR), Kasatonov (USSR), Marakov (USSR), Krutov (USSR) and Ruzicka (Cz)
Best Game Watched: Czech 3 USSR 2 (WCF)
Worst Thing About Hockey: Politics
Which Day of the week do you most dislike? Wednesdays, at school!
If you were on Mastermind what would your specialist subject be? Sport or History
Which other sportsman would you most like to be? Lendl! (Ivan Lendl, tennis player)
If you were given £50,000 tomorrow what would you do with it? Put part into my parents’ restaurant and save the rest in a bank
Favourite Cartoon Character: Popeye
Most Admired Female: My Mum and Grandmother
(NB Info taken from the match programme of 27th September 1986)