norbold

I know Ove quite well. We've met and chatted on numerous occasions. He is a real gentleman. The complete opposite of his on track persona!

Interestingly, Peter Oakes book, "The Complete History of the British League", has this in reverse. He says, "The 1969 World [Pairs] Final is no longer recognised by the FIM even though gold medals were awarded at the time."

I don't know. His autobiography, Speedway Walkabout, was published in the 1970s. He, of course, repeats the claim in that. I don't know if he had any earlier books published, though he did have a regular column in the Speedway News before the War, so he probably first mentioned it there. I'll do some research.....

Yes, it was 1959. He sat nearly all of the season out but came back for just one or two matches with Wimbledon just before the World Final. He was seeded direct to the final as reigning champion.

Do we know when the Hoskins claim was first made? When it first appeared in print?

Interesting that that report is from 1938 and not a mention of Hoskins!

Good stuff, irene. What date was that item?

It was the 1965 final. I have a note in my programme that says, "Meeting started 8.35. Rain started 8.36" and then another note at the end that says "Meeting finished 11:10".

I see I've been airbrushed out of history!

Very interesting, iris, and also very interesting to see Ernie Odlum's name turn up again.

Talking of the early days of Dirt Track racing in Australia. This is from the Townsville Daily Bulletin, dated December 12, 1916. Just over seven years before Johnnie Hoskins "invented" the sport!!! It is obvious from the way the report is written that it wasn't new in Australia even then!

Only enough to win television quizzes.

When we discuss (as we do from time to time) best rider never to win the world championship, I do think that Cordy Milne should probably head this category as he was almost certainly the best rider in the world in 1939 and 1940.

Years Gone By; August 26, 2008; Un-official World Finals; Page 1. Sadly, I do not know the time.

I never went to Norwich. It closed before I managed to get there! I left school in 1965 and the year before I applied to go to Keswick Hall College of Education, near Norwich, for the simple reason that I would be able to go to Norwich speedway, but sadly Norwich closed at the end of 1964, so although I went to Keswick Hall and had three jolly good years in Norwich - A Fine City - I never did get to see speedway there!

I mentioned this in August 2008 on a thread about World Championship competitions and you replied to it!

And, of course, there was Ron Johnson unless he was 'the Flying Scotsman'.

Good question, Bavarian. Lionel Wills, a Cambridge undergraduate and keen motorcyclist, visited Australia in 1926 and witnessed speedway first hand at the Sydney Royal track. He was so enthused by what he saw that he asked Johnnie Hoskins, the promoter at Sydney Royal, if he could have a go himself. After his first outing he wrote home to the motor cycle press in this country describing his own experiences and recounting the hair-raising exploits of the likes of Charlie Datson, Paddy Dean, ‘Cyclone’ Billy Lamont and the American, Sprouts Elder, urging motor cycling clubs to take up the sport. What is not clear however is whether Wills took part in the programmed meeting or whether he just had a practice. Either way though, it seems likely he was the first domiciled Briton to ride speedway. Edit: Just found the article I was looking for. This is the part where Lionel Wills recounts his encounter with speedway racing.

As a good friend of mine, Norman Jacobs once told me that he has had 27 books published but made more money from one TV Quiz show than all his books put together!

Yes indeed. We often discuss greatest riders ever, greatest Britons and so on. Now whether Tom Farndon could be reckoned the greatest ever is, of course, open to speculation and there are many rivals for both accolades (greatest ever and greatest Briton), but what I think is not in doubt is the legendary reputation Farndon left behind him due to his personality and, to use a word that probably wasn't around in his time, sheer charisma. He was idolised in his day in a way that no other rider before or since has been. I think that has much to do with why his memory lives on.

He wasn't the promoter. He owned Wembley Stadium.

Ron How!

None of those riders appeared in GB in the 1933 season

So, in the two "normal" size speedway tracks, Tom Farndon is rated as top Briton!

Very sad news. Doug Templeton was one of the first Provincial League riders I saw. He rode in the 1960 World Championship Qualifying Round at New Cross, scoring four points. I have always loved the story Stan Stevens told me once about the time he raced Doug Templeton up in Edinburgh: "We [Rayleigh] were away against Edinburgh in the Provincial League in 1961. We were one of the favourites for the title that year as we had a strong heat leader trio of Reg Reeves, Harry Edwards and me, so we were expected to beat Edinburgh. But with one heat to go, the scores were level and I was out in the last heat with the unbeaten Reg Reeves, against George Hunter and Doug Templeton. George very soon got the better of Reg, but we were both comfortably ahead of Doug and it looked for all the world as though it would be a 3-3 and a draw. But I can still vividly recall what happened then. As I rode into the fourth bend on the last lap, thinking we had the draw, I could see the whole crowd in the main stand rise to their feet as one and it was because of this that I knew that Doug had got me. He had made an amazing manoeuvre to cut through on the inside of me. Although I came last and in effect lost the match for my team, I will never forget the sight of that crowd rising as one to cheer their own rider home."