norbold

Well, yes, that would certainly seem to rule out Pathe News as being the reason for the large attendance at High Beech. I wonder how many people actually attended the demonstration at Stamford Bridge on 18 Feb and were so enthused that they decided to go and watch a whole meeting the following day.

Thanks everyone for your comments. And, yes, of course, you are right about Bluey Wilkinson, Rob, Also I agree with your point about the year for the changeover from Rickardsson to Crump. It should be a year earlier. And, indeed, Michael Lee does have a strong claim to 1979-80. I was in two minds over the recent past. It maybe that looking back on this in another ten years if Tai continues the way he is going we will write Hancock out of the Dominant Rider History Books and be able to give a ten year dominance to Woffy to match the other greats like Fundin, Mauger, Nielsen and Rickardsson. It probably is too near in time to be certain.

Sorry this is going to be a bit long, but it's taken from an article I wrote for the Speedway Star a few years ago and shows McKay and Galloway's part in the first meeting at High Beech. Before submitting it I had both Ross Garrigan and Nigel Bird, in my opinion two of speedway's finest historians, go through it and make comments. They agreed with my final draft. So here goes! In 1927, Captain Olliver and Captain Geoffrey Malins, who were undertaking a round the world motorcycle trip sponsored by motor cycle manufacturers, C.F. Temple Motors, visited A J Hunting's new Davies Park track in Brisbane. After seeing these top riders in first class surroundings Olliver cabled his brother-in-law, Jimmy Baxter, who was the managing director of Temple Motors, saying that speedway was making big money in Australia and he felt sure it might do the same in Britain if organised properly. Baxter then got in touch with the Australian promoter Keith McKay. McKay had tried his hand at racing but had not been very successful. Instead he had turned to promoting Jack Hill-Bailey was a good friend of Jimmy Baxter’s and was therefore aware that Baxter was interested in introducing speedway to this country. Consequently, he reached an agreement with him for the meeting at High Beech, originally due to take place on 9 November 1927, to be jointly organised by his own Ilford Club and Baxter’s Metropolis Club. The ACU turned down the proposal on the grounds that 9 November was a Sunday. However, they added that if a new application was made asking permission for a closed meeting, that is one restricted to club members only, they would grant it. Consequently Hill-Bailey reapplied for permission to run a closed meeting on what has probably become the most famous date in British speedway history, 19 February 1928. In the meantime, Baxter’s Australian contact, Keith McKay, had set sail for England on the SS Oronsay on 10 December 1927 to join up with him as promoter and director of a new company dedicated to promoting speedway, Dirt Track Speedways Ltd. While on board the Oronsay, McKay met up with another speedway rider, Billy Galloway, who was working his passage as the ship’s barber. It is not known for certain whether Galloway knew about plans for the introduction of speedway in Britain or whether his involvement just came about by a chance meeting with McKay on board the Oronsay Whatever the reason for his being on board the Oronsay, Galloway joined McKay and they both went to see Baxter on their arrival. Although no longer involved as joint promoter, Baxter was still taking a prominent role in the organisation of the High Beech meeting and as a precursor to it, he arranged for McKay and Galloway to give a demonstration of the art of real speedway at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, early in 1928. This demonstration was filmed by Pathe News and must certainly have been the first time proper speedway was seen in this country. It is probable that this film, being a Pathe News feature, would have been shown in cinemas around the country and certainly in London, thus giving a massive publicity boost to the High Beech meeting and could explain why so many people turned up on that cold February day in 1928 to witness what is now generally accepted as the first speedway meeting in Great Britain. Hill-Bailey had planned for around 2000 spectators but in fact over 20,000 attended. Two of the riders at this meeting were, of course, the Australian pair, McKay and Galloway, and one of the officials was Jimmy Baxter. After these pioneering events, the Australians began to arrive. Hunting had already arranged for most of his top stars to come to Britain and on 10 April 1928, the SS Oronsay left its final port of call in Australia when it set sail from Freemantle with riders of the calibre of Vic Huxley, Frank Arthur, Frank Pearce, Charlie Spinks and Dick Smythe on board. Also on board was the other well-known promoter, Johnnie Hoskins, with his riders, Ron Johnson, Charlie Datson and Sig Schlam.

I don't know about that particular photo but there are certainly photos of both of them at High Beech.

Galloway and McKay certainly came over before the main group. They rode at the first High Beech meeting. The others didn't arrive till some time later. Ross Garrigan said that there is no record of McKay riding in Australia before coming to England. I'm not able to get hold of my references at the moment but I'll try and post a bit more about Galloway and McKay later.

As I know we all love lists, here's one I made earlier.... I thought I would make a list of the dominant rider of their time. Of course, it doesn't mean they won everything going during the period in question but they were the rider to beat. I'm sure no-one will actually agree with the list as it stands, so any comments are welcome. - 1928: Frank Arthur 29-32: Vic Huxley 33-35: Tom Farndon 36-39: Bluey Wilkinson 46-50: Vic Duggan 51-53: Jack Young 54-55: Ronnie Moore 56-63: Ove Fundin 64-67: Barry Briggs 68-79: Ivan Mauger 80-82: Bruce Penhall 83-95: Hans Nielsen 96-2006: Tony Rickardsson 07-12: Jason Crump 13- : Greg Hancock

I didn't know the McKay/Galloway 1927 film was debunked. When was that? P.S. Don't get me started on Brian Belton's Hammerin' Round!

The problem as always, Split, is who do you leave out to make way for them? Olle Nygren is certainly a good call. I would definitely put Peter Moore in a 1950s Top 20, but not sure he was good enough for long enough into the 60s to warrant inclusion in a 60s list. The same applies to Rune Sormander. But then that's what these lists are all about. Everyone will have their own opinion.

Brian Crutcher's memory of the event reminds of the time I spoke to Wally Green when I was researching for my book, "Speedway in the South East". I asked him about his winning the Division Three Match Race championship against Bert Roger. He told me he had never been Match Race Champion. He was quite adamant on the point. Yet the record books show quite clearly that he beat Bert Roger 2-1 and 2-0 to take the title and Stenner's Annual has a little write up on the two legs. Oral history and people's own memories are notoriously unreliable.......

Sorry, Grand Central. Couldn't resist it....

Rob Bamford did not produce any outstanding work. He says himself that he just took it from Wikipedia. Every programme so far discovered and quoted shows that Brian Crutcher was reserve on the night.

I have a copy of that book and it gives Brian Crutcher as no. 17 ( did not ride).

Hmmmm. That's a toughie. Speedway Researcher? Wikipedia? Wikipedia? Speedway Researcher?............

I think the concensus of opinion is that he was actually there.

Also the quotes from the following years' World Final programmes.

That's very big of you to admit you've been wrong, sidney, and to give way on your all time hero. Briggo, of course was an all-time great. There's no denying it. But, as I have been saying all along, there is no doubt in my mind that Ove was even better. And that's not just from the record books, that comes from seeing them fairly regularly throughout the early to mid 1960s in both league and big individual meetings.

Thank you, steve, and a very Happy Christmas to you and your family too. I'll keep the threads coming if you promise to keep yours coming!

Happy Chistmas to you and your family too, sydney. I always enjoy our historical chats on here.

Before I ever went to speedway I used to follow it in the newspapers and in various boys' magazines and annuals etc. When I was out playing on my bike with my friends I would always pretend to be one of my heroes from my reading, they were Split Waterman, Aub Lawson and Brian Crutcher. As I said above, the very first meeting I went to brought the news that Brian Crutcher had retired, so I was very miffed that I'd missed one of my heroes. As for the other two, by a very strange quirk of fate, Split Waterman and Aub Lawson met in the first race I ever saw live. So my first night at speedway was strangely dominated by my three heroes! As for Arthur Forrest, he retired at the very young age of 26.

Following on from steve's lists, I compiled my 60s list as I watched speedway throughout the 60s and saw all these riders. If I were to compile a 50s list it would have to be based on records and hearsay rather than seeing them during that decade. Were I to do that, Arthur Forrest would certainly be included, but I never actually saw him as he retired at the end of the 1959 season. Incidentally, another 1950s great I just missed was Brian Crutcher. At the very first speedway meeting I went to I bought a copy of Speedway World. The main headline was Crutcher announcing his retirement.

I know what you mean. I saw some real greats from speedway's Post-War Golden Age when I started going. Riders like Split Waterman, Jack Young, Aub Lawson and Graham Warren. The funny thing about both Split and Youngie though was that they did have a purple patch when they seemed to be right back to their world best, but, in each case, it only lasted a short time. The exception to this was Aub Lawson who seemed to be as good as ever every time I saw him.

Do you know, Rob, as soon as I posted the list, I metaphorically smote my brow, and thought, "Arne Pander!" Then I thought I'd wait to see who would be the first to mention my omission! Congratulations, it was you, Rob.

Following on from Steve's very interesting post on the top 20 riders of the 70s, 80s and 90s, I thought I'd make a contribution on the 60s for us oldies. I first went to speedway in May 1960, so was a keen supporter for the whole of the 1960s. Again,like Steve, this is really my own list of the top 20 in no particular order (apart from the no. 1 of course )and from the top of my head without looking up any records. Ove Fundin Barry Briggs Peter Craven Bjorn Knutson Ronnie Moore Ivan Mauger Igor Plechanov Gote Nordin Nigel Boocock Ken McKinlay Mike Broadbank Sverre Harrfeldt Eric Boocock Ron How Edward Jancarz Antoni Woryna Bengt Jansson Charlie Monk Martin Ashby Ray Wilson

They didn't even mention any speedway riders in their obit section.

There is some film of the 1957 final on YouTube but it's not very good and doesn't show the line up.