Lee Valley Lions Player Profile

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)