Siklódi Csilla szerk.: Sport Anno (A Sportmúzeum Kincsei 1. Budapest, 1993)

Vermes Lajos a „gáncsos lovag" (Siklóssy László)

the time, reported for newspapers. These were the activités which drew many complaints about him. Other people would have broken their necks becuse of them. He had better stayed at his stunts, which he had performed with his bicycle. Because there were no competions without these stunts at the end of them, as it was impossible to leave out the Rákóczi-march at a ball. The competitions in Palics had a very specific atmosphere, we could call them mass-holiday. The newspapers reported as follows: „The trains from Szeged and Szabadka brought people to the afternoon competition in so much number that many elegant ladies, who had bought tickets for the second class had to take a seat in coatches with a notice on them: „For 36 people" or ,,For 6 horses". „The whole competition was very familiar, as only 3-5 sportsmen toed the line in each event. Being aware of this it is very surprizing that fantastical records were born at almost every occassion — as far as Vermes's enthusiastic reports. But the propfessional public opinion accepted these results with reservations and they had good reasons to do that as it was written in one of the journals: „Talking about these championships we declared that the results of four competitions had to be considered void because of the wrong measuring of the distance; we reprimanded this unfair method in a considerate way, without expressing our reservations agains the results themselves. But though it was ascertained that during the one-mile distance running competition the winner had run only 1056 meters and 85 centimeters, now the result is taken as if it was for 1609 meters. In connection with this it is salutary to quote the following passage from a sports-newspaper of Vienne: „We have to call this result (1 Eng. mile 4 min. 26 sec.) in question very frankly, because or the time measuring was not correct, or the track was not long enough. There is no man in Hungary, who could get close to the 10sec, world record in one-mile running. Buttheese things are taken easy in Hungary, so that they could show upa a good result"." Rohonczy Aladár's 1 min. 9 sec. record at 100 meters swimming at the competition of the Gymnastics Club of Szabadka also belonged to the confessed impossibilités. This record — according to Lajos Vermes's own paper — was considered to be impossible by the official communication of the London Athletic Club dated from January 10th, 1886, as at that time world record was 1 min. 29 sec. Sometimes it happened, that jokes were played on Lajos Vermes himself, about which he reported very offendedly: „A health-resort, like Palics can suit its own fame only with taking in consideration the rules of goodwill and education towards the guests: we saw the contrary at the gimnastics celebration; it was added to the inconveniences that the director of the baths had the track dug up so the result of the bicyle race were wors than the ones of the walk!" Then how is it possible to announce a result, which is worth for the London Athletic Club if not accepting, then at least deigning to protest against?" Later he was attacked more seriously, so he decided to move to a place where his activity was welcomed and honoured enthusiastically. He explained his moving from Szabadka with interesting reasons. He put a newsitem in the local paper: „Lajos Vermes resigned from the position of teacher at the main secondary school of Szabadka, which he had occupied for four years. His reason was the fact, that the Cyclist Touring Club had appointed him the competition organizing consul for the whole territory of Hungary, Roumania and Serbia; a consul must be amateur by gentlemen's approach." Vermes was convinced that people -• not knowing what it means — would fall on their knees before him as a competition organizing consul with aurthority valid in three countries. But instead of this people were smiling. Vermes wanted to win by voice and pen again. He was not successful. But he could make his way using the skills and abilities which he had. There was a place where his sports-skills were honoured.