norbold

I'll see what I can do about Jack Tidbury. He was very friendly with Nobby Stock, who lived in Clacton. I know his daughter fairly well and she is still in contact with Jack. However, as I have found in the past, she is very reluctant to share her photographs!

Great stuff. I look forward to getting a copy. I'll be in touch...

Yes. Sorry, don'tknow that. I'll see if I can find out.

Vic was a Rye House discovery. His first official appearance was on 2 July 1950 when he rode for Ron Barrett's team in a challenge match against Alf Viccary's team. He scored zero from two rides. But he was to become a stalwart of the Rye House team throughout the 50s. When Rye House entered the Southern Area League in 1954 he was apponted captain and was top scorer with an average of 8.94, leading Rye House to victory in the league. He was third highest scorer in the league and also came third in the Southern Area League Riders' Championship. During 1954 he was described as the Jack Young of the Southern Area League because of his laid back armchair style. Captain again in 1955, he scored 9.54, but was eclipsed by the young Mike Broadbank as the team's top scorer, who averaged 9.73. Rye House again won the league under his captaincy. With Broadbank moving off to Wembley, Vic was once again top scorer in 1956 with 10.27, top average in the league, leading his team to victory in the league once again. He headed the qualifiers for the Southern Area League Riders' Championship and was hot favourite to take the title. By this time he had signed up for Southampton in the National League and, although he was not due to ride for them until 1957, the Control Board announced he was ineligible for the SAL Riders' Championship as he belonged to a National League team. Eventually the decision was overturned, but machine problems in the final meant he only scored six points (two heat wins) and didn't finish in his other three races. He lowered the track record to 61.6 seconds during the year. Over the winter of 1956/7, Vic travelled to South Africa where he became the only current Southern Area League rider ever to ride in a full Test match, when he rode for England in the seventh Test on 23 February 1957. He scored one point. On his return to England he decided not to move to Southampton after all and stayed with Rye House. However, shortly after the season started he decided to retire. There was talk of him going in to car racing but, as far as I know, he never did. The Speedway Star of the time made some cryptic comment about the reasons for Vic Ridgeon retiring are too well known for us to go in to here. Many years later, after I'd got to know Vic quite well, I asked him why he had retired, but he said he couldn't remember! He did, of course, make a come back and rode for Wolverhampton in the Provincial League, but I'll let others with more knowledge of his Midlands days take up the story...Although he did turn out several times for Rye House again in challenge matches and the like during Rye House's non-league days of the 1960s.

Great to see the photos, dtod. However, there is an error in the caption to Riskit Riley's photo as he is not the ONLY other pre-War rider still alive. Jack Tidbury, who rode for Hackney in 1938, is still alive.

Hi Killer Cat...no information but I put your request for more information on the Speedway History Forum and Jim Blanchard has come up with this photo I hope that helps a bit. AllI know about him by the way is that he rode for Belle Vue in 1929 and his first name was Jack.

There! I knew it all along!!!

Everyone seemed to be "flexible" in that league. As you say, WW, Wal Morton rode for both Ipswich and Weymouth, Geoff Penniket rode for Eastbourne and Newpool, Malcolm Brown for Rayleigh and Weymouth, Vic Ridgeon for Eastbourne and Rayleigh just to name a few!

Ipswich rode 6 matches Weymouth rode 5 Newpool rode 4 (although the one against Eastbourne was for double points, and the one against Exeter was expunged from the records after Exeter B withdrew from the league) Eastbourne rode 3 (See above - so technically 4) Rayleigh rode 3 Exeter B rode 1 Ipswich "won" the league with 10 points Eastbourne were second with 6 Rayleigh, Newpool and Weymouth all had 2 points Exeter B withdrew after losing at "home" to Newpool (although the match was raced at Weymouth).

The league actually had four names! It started out as the Amateur League, it was then changed to the Metropolitan League, it then became the Southern Area Training League and finally the Southern Area League. And yes, the Metropolitan League operated (after a fashion) in 1964. It originally consisted of Eastbourne, Ipswich, Rayleigh, Weymouth, Exeter B and Newpool (a joint Newport/Poole junior team). Exeter B withdrew after just one match while the others raced between 3 and 6 fixtures each. Ipswich won the league by virtue of the fact that they were the only team to race 6 matches, winning 5 of them.

Gordon McGregor was born in Dunfermline in 1921.

It should have been done by now. I'll see if I can find out what's going on.

When the Match Race Championship was first held in 1931 it was originally designated as the World Indivdual Championship. The first holder was Vic Huxley. He was beaten later in the year by Jack Parker, who finished the year as "World Individual Champion". In 1932 it became the British Match Race Championship.

Did anyone see the play about Albert Pierrepoint on television yesterday? Not a mention of Raymond Humphreys! I was most disappointed...

What? Anyway, good to see our Tom now in a substantial lead... I believe you can read more about him in a recently published book called, "Out of the Frying Pan"...

So it's not just me then!?

As you will see, I have now voted!

I must give this a go. However, there can only be one winner... TOM FARNDON

And what a cracking commentator! Well done, Dave.

Looks like it was, Diebowers...

Yes, I was at Wembley that night too. (South Stand Entrance 48 Row 11 Seat 5 - Yes, I still have my ticket!) I have nothing to add to what star ghost says about the tournament itself. It did gain a lot of publicity for the sport. As for the incident itself, I thought that the ref made the right decision on the night and, having just looked at it again, courtesy of frigbo's link, I still think it was the right decision. Incidentally, my ticket cost £1.50.

Oh, you mean sandman.

No, you are not correct! The Control Board did recognise the Provincial League in 1960. I don't know why it was held at Cradley Heath. It was the first running of the Championship of course. Maybe the Provincial League promoters wanted to show they could run a prestigious meeting on one of their own tracks. Ken Middleditch was second and Eric Hockaday third.

Firstly, two things...I think you might have miscalculated my age. I was 18 in 1965, but at the time the Inetrnationale was held I was still only 17. The PLRC final I saw was in 1961, not 1960. Having said that...As it happens, Trevor Redmond was head and shoulders above the opposition in the 1961 final as well. His final race is one I can still recall vividly as I felt - and still feel - it to be the greatest misfortune and miscarriage of justice I have ever seen (apart perhaps from Jason Crump running out of fuel!). Redmond, who as I say, had been by far and away the best rider on show that evening, was up against Reg Reeves who was also unbeaten, but had not won his races in quite such a commanding way as Redmond. Anyway, Redmond went in to an early lead and, just as in every other race, was well in front when, on the very last bend, his chain came off and he trailed in last, handing Reeves the title, which should rightfully have been his. He even had the indignity of having to ride against Maurie Mattingly for second place, which he again won convincingly.

Yes, it was awarded as a sort of consolation prize by the F.I.M. because the World Final was to be held outside Great Britain for the first time. As star ghost says there were qualifying rounds in that first year. I saw the round at New Cross which had joint winners in Ronnie Moore and Ove Fundin, both with 14 points. Bob Andrews and Split Waterman were joint third on 12. Timo Laine took part but only scored two points. I then saw the final at Harringay, which is one of only two occasions I managed to get to Harringay - the other being the Provincial League Riders' Championship final held the same year. As for Charlie Monk winning in 1965, I remember penning a rather angry letter to the Speedway Star & News about this as it was my belief that he had ridden on the grass in Heat 14 and should have been excluded in his race against Barry Briggs. Had he been excluded he would have finished equal first with Gote Nordin and Bjorn Knutsson and there would have been a run-off. My anger, of course, had nothing to with the fact that Bjorn had been the West Ham captain in 1964 and was still much revered by us Hammers fans...The letter was published and I recently came across it while researching something else. I have to say it made me cringe with embarrassment re-reading it. Still I was only 17 at the time!