Oldest Surviving World Finalists

[BOBBATH]

Since this was last discussed, we have sadly lost a few of the 18 (16+2 reserves) oldest world finalists e.g. Cyril Roger, Fred Williams, Brian Elliott etc. Can anyone figure out an updated list-guess that old reprobate Split is now top of the list.

[steve roberts]

Since this was last discussed, we have sadly lost a few of the 18 (16+2 reserves) oldest world finalists e.g. Cyril Roger, Fred Williams, Brian Elliott etc. Can anyone figure out an updated list-guess that old reprobate Split is now top of the list.

I guess that Ronnie Moore must be up there somewhere?

[Guest]

Since this was last discussed, we have sadly lost a few of the 18 (16+2 reserves) oldest world finalists e.g. Cyril Roger, Fred Williams, Brian Elliott etc. Can anyone figure out an updated list-guess that old reprobate Split is now top of the list.

 

 

I guess that Ronnie Moore must be up there somewhere?

 

Without doing major research at the moment - very busy with Facebook - I agree that Split Waterman and Ronnie Moore are qualifiers as possible oldest surviving world finalists, while another who springs to mind is Olle Nygren. At a guess in age order I think it is Split, Olle, then Ronnie.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Guest

[moomin man 76]

I would imagine that Fred Brand would be very much near the top of the list.

[Guest]

Here are the results of world championships since the inaugural official event was staged in 1936, Click on each year for the results - and possibly find a solution to what this thread is all about in regard to the oldest surviving world finalist. Have fun!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Individual_Speedway_World_Championship

Edited April 25, 2016 by Guest

[tigerowl]

I reckon it would look something like this:

 

1. Split Waterman (England) 92 years - born 27/7/23

2. Arthur Payne (Australia) 91 years - born 30/8/24

3. Dick Bradley (England) 91 years - born 28/11/24

4. Fred Brand (England) 91 years - born 3/2/25

5. Chum Taylor (Australia) 89 years - born 4/4/27

6. Eric Boothroyd (England) 89 years tomorrow - born 26/4/27

7. Derick Close (England) 88 years - born 13/5/27

8. Henry Long (South Africa) 88 years - born 26/7/27

9. Billy Bales (England) 86 years - born 6/6/29

10. Olle Nygren (Sweden) - 86 years - born 11/11/29

11. Rune Sormander (Sweden) - 86 years - born 29/11/29

12. Jack Geran (Australia) - 86 years - born 10/12/29

13. George White (England) - 84 years - born 24/5/31

14. Ian Williams (Wales) - 84 years - born 4/8/31

15. Per Tage Svensson (Sweden) - 84 years - born 16/10/31

16. Peo Soedermann (Sweden) - 83 years - born - 29/10/32

 

17. Ronnie Moore (New Zealand) 83 years - born 8/3/33

18. Ove Fundin (Sweden) - 82 years - born 23/5/33

19. Dan Forsberg (Sweden) - 82 years - born 25/3/34

 

Apologies to anyone left out. Any new information and I will correct the list.

[Guest]

 

 

 

 

Without doing major research at the moment - very busy with Facebook - I agree that Split Waterman and Ronnie Moore are qualifiers as possible oldest surviving world finalists, while another who springs to mind is Olle Nygren. At a guess in age order I think it is Split, Olle, then Ronnie.

 

 

 

I reckon it would look something like this:

 

1. Split Waterman (England) 92 years - born 27/7/23

2. Arthur Payne (Australia) 91 years - born 30/8/24

3. Dick Bradley (England) 91 years - born 28/11/24

4. Fred Brand (England) 91 years - born 3/2/25

5. Chum Taylor (Australia) 89 years - born 4/4/27

6. Eric Boothroyd (England) 89 years tomorrow - born 26/4/27

7. Derick Close (England) 88 years - born 13/5/27

8. Henry Long (South Africa) 88 years - born 26/7/27

9. Billy Bales (England) 86 years - born 6/6/29

10. Olle Nygren (Sweden) - 86 years - born 11/11/29

11. Rune Sormander (Sweden) - 86 years - born 29/11/29

12. Jack Geran (Australia) - 86 years - born 10/12/29

13. George White (England) - 84 years - born 24/5/31

14. Ian Williams (Wales) - 84 years - born 4/8/31

15. Per Tage Svensson (Sweden) - 84 years - born 16/10/31

16. Peo Soedermann (Sweden) - 83 years - born - 29/10/32

 

17. Ronnie Moore (New Zealand) 83 years - born 8/3/33

18. Ove Fundin (Sweden) - 82 years - born 23/5/33

19. Dan Forsberg (Sweden) - 82 years - born 25/3/34

 

Apologies to anyone left out. Any new information and I will correct the list.

 

What a superb list tigerowl. And I was well out in my assessment. Your data also shows how many of my old speedway heroes are still with us, which is great to see.

[mickthemuppet]

Considering what a dangerous sport Speedway is there is a quite a lot of riders who live to a good old age compared to other sports. Has anybody for instance players in footballs world cups that are still alive

[BOBBATH]

Thanks so much Tigerowl-echoing previous comments there is amazing longevity for these riders who were involved in a dangerous sport-and in Split's case some dangerous other things as well!!!. Lets hope this list stays this way for a long time and we don't need to update it for a good few years. The rider in this list I saw most often was Dick Bradley who rode for Newport in the mid sixties until the injury that ended his career-still a heat leader at 40 years of age. Also Happy 89th today to Eric Boothroyd-and may he have many more.

[steve roberts]

I took part in an Olle Nygren Training School many years ago at King's Lynn. A real character. My brother also went (wearing Briggo Team Leathers) prior to me and shared a bike with Chris Prime who was later killed at Brough Park.

[iris123]

Considering what a dangerous sport Speedway is there is a quite a lot of riders who live to a good old age compared to other sports. Has anybody for instance players in footballs world cups that are still alive

Two of the German 1954 world cup winners are still alive,i think. Hans Schäfer born in 1927 and Horst Eckel born in 1932

[BOBBATH]

I got thinking about how many of the 19 riders listed, I had actually seen ride.. There are 8 of them: Bradley, Taylor, Boothroyd, Bales, Nygren, Geran, Moore, Fundin. Would be interested in the numbers other forumlanders can put up-I'm sure there are a hell of a lot who have seen more than 8-would be interested if anybody could claim all 19. P.S. Re Iris 123 post re World Cup survivors-somebody might be interested that the last player who participated in the 1930 World Cup passed away on 30 Aug. 2010-his name was Francisco Varallo(Argentina) who was aged 100-died 80 years after the tournament , amazing (Thank you Wikipaedia and their section on the 1930 World Cup)!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

Re surviving world speedway finalists: I have been passed this information for another qualifier:

Bob Andrews

born 27/10/35

World Finalist 60,61,62 and 64

Edited April 27, 2016 by Guest

[iris123]

I got thinking about how many of the 19 riders listed, I had actually seen ride.. There are 8 of them: Bradley, Taylor, Boothroyd, Bales, Nygren, Geran, Moore, Fundin. Would be interested in the numbers other forumlanders can put up-I'm sure there are a hell of a lot who have seen more than 8-would be interested if anybody could claim all 19. P.S. Re Iris 123 post re World Cup survivors-somebody might be interested that the last player who participated in the 1930 World Cup passed away on 30 Aug. 2010-his name was Francisco Varallo(Argentina) who was aged 100-died 80 years after the tournament , amazing (Thank you Wikipaedia and their section on the 1930 World Cup)!!!!!!!!

Saw a little film and interview with Alcides Ghiggia(Uruguay) during the last world cup.He was the oldest living world cup winner at the time and scored the goal in the final to beat Brazil on their home ground

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/uruguay/10900135/World-Cup-2014-Meet-Uruguays-Alcides-Ghiggia-the-man-who-broke-Brazils-heart.html

 

An interesting list of sporting centenarians.

)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_centenarians_(sportspeople) Not sure why the link doesn't work,but you have to click on the alternative given grrrr

Edited April 27, 2016 by iris123

[Guest]

I have had the name of Arthur Wright (Bradford and Belle Vue) put forward. He was a world finalist in the late 1950s but I am unsure if he is - and I hope he is - still alive?

 

Edited November 17, 2018 by Guest

[Split]

I reckon it would look something like this:

 

1. Split Waterman (England) 92 years - born 27/7/23

2. Arthur Payne (Australia) 91 years - born 30/8/24

3. Dick Bradley (England) 91 years - born 28/11/24

4. Fred Brand (England) 91 years - born 3/2/25

5. Chum Taylor (Australia) 89 years - born 4/4/27

6. Eric Boothroyd (England) 89 years tomorrow - born 26/4/27

7. Derick Close (England) 88 years - born 13/5/27

8. Henry Long (South Africa) 88 years - born 26/7/27

9. Billy Bales (England) 86 years - born 6/6/29

10. Olle Nygren (Sweden) - 86 years - born 11/11/29

11. Rune Sormander (Sweden) - 86 years - born 29/11/29

12. Jack Geran (Australia) - 86 years - born 10/12/29

13. George White (England) - 84 years - born 24/5/31

14. Ian Williams (Wales) - 84 years - born 4/8/31

15. Per Tage Svensson (Sweden) - 84 years - born 16/10/31

16. Peo Soedermann (Sweden) - 83 years - born - 29/10/32

 

17. Ronnie Moore (New Zealand) 83 years - born 8/3/33

18. Ove Fundin (Sweden) - 82 years - born 23/5/33

19. Dan Forsberg (Sweden) - 82 years - born 25/3/34

 

Apologies to anyone left out. Any new information and I will correct the list.

 

 

It looks like we could get a team from both England and Sweden from that list. I know it's never going to happen but I would love to see an over 80's test match featuring those riders.

[Guest]

More world finalist names passed on to me are Aage Hansen (Norway) and England's Jim Lightfoot and Mike Broadbank.

[tigerowl]

I think Arthur Wright should be 3rd reserve at 19 and not Dan Forsberg.

 

1. Split Waterman (England) 92 years - born 27/7/23

2. Arthur Payne (Australia) 91 years - born 30/8/24

3. Dick Bradley (England) 91 years - born 28/11/24

4. Fred Brand (England) 91 years - born 3/2/25

5. Chum Taylor (Australia) 89 years - born 4/4/27

6. Eric Boothroyd (England) 89 years tomorrow - born 26/4/27

7. Derick Close (England) 88 years - born 13/5/27

8. Henry Long (South Africa) 88 years - born 26/7/27

9. Billy Bales (England) 86 years - born 6/6/29

10. Olle Nygren (Sweden) - 86 years - born 11/11/29

11. Rune Sormander (Sweden) - 86 years - born 29/11/29

12. Jack Geran (Australia) - 86 years - born 10/12/29

13. George White (England) - 84 years - born 24/5/31

14. Ian Williams (Wales) - 84 years - born 4/8/31

15. Per Tage Svensson (Sweden) - 84 years - born 16/10/31

16. Peo Soedermann (Sweden) - 83 years - born - 29/10/32

17. Ronnie Moore (New Zealand) 83 years - born 8/3/33

18. Ove Fundin (Sweden) - 82 years - born 23/5/33

19. Arthur Wright (England) - 82 years - born 14/10/33

 

Jim Lightfoot and Mike Broadbank are just outside the top 19.

[BOBBATH]

Without adding extra work-there are some interesting names here -Bob Andrews, Arthur Wright, Jim Lightfoot (Capn. Jim)-Tigerowl, is there any way you could add another 6 to the list of 19-making 25-maybe even Briggo could make that list. I find this all very interesting particularly since I am getting uncomfortably close to the age of some of these names!!!! Aagh!!!!

[Guest]

Without adding extra work-there are some interesting names here -Bob Andrews, Arthur Wright, Jim Lightfoot (Capn. Jim)-Tigerowl, is there any way you could add another 6 to the list of 19-making 25-maybe even Briggo could make that list. I find this all very interesting particularly since I am getting uncomfortably close to the age of some of these names!!!! Aagh!!!!

 

On the face of it Bob Bath a good idea, but IMO the more names one adds to a list of this calibre the less meaningful it becomes. Just a thought...!