Wessex Wanderer

1 Dennis Sigalos 2 Kelly Moran 3 Bobby Schwartz

Pleased to hear this as Dennis Sigalos was one of my all time favourites.

Yes, he did ride for New Cross 'B' at Weymouth in 1963. Scored 5+1 from 5 rides on Friday 21 June in a match which was drawn 39-39. A certain Terry Stone scored 5+2 from 4 rides then beat Eddie in heat 2 of the second half to reach the final. Don't have the result of the final except that it was won by John Mills. Another interesting point about the meeting was that the second half included Edinburgh second halfer Bert Harkins who was on a self funded tour of southern tracks to gain experience. Bert reached the Final but I have him down as retiring during the race (expensive mechanical problems I seem to remember).

Hi Parsloes From memory only (so well open to correction): The only league match between Poole and Weymouth was at the Wessex in the Scorchers short 1955 NL2 season before they folded. (BobC and co are still celebrating their very lucky win that time - it was only by about 30 or 40 points!) Since then the teams have met at the Wessex for a number of challenge or fours matches but the only "League" meetings involving the pair were the Weymouth v Newpool match in the 1964 Metropolitan League and the return match which was staged at Newport. However, in the early 80's a "National League Select" team rode at Poole against a Pirates team short of a couple of their regulars. The NL team just happened to be the Weymouth team of the previous night's match at the Wessex but they could not be called Weymouth due to the inter league rules of the time!!!! Stupid bloody rules in Speedway are nothing new!!!!!! I can't offhand remember the year but it could very well be the same year as Wiggy finished 3rd in the Blue Riband (surely one of the best NL individual performances of all time). Hope this helps.

I agree with Ian. The Silver Sash was a great innovation for the Provincial League. It was a crowd puller in its own right and always brought an extra "buzz" to meetings. Tony Lewis held it for a while at Poole and the Sash defences seemed just as important as the matches. Can't remember why it was dropped in BL days but I think it lost its appeal when various "rules" were introduced which detracted from the plain and simple situation when in the PL. Might be wrong there (memory sometimes dodgy these days!) so am quite open to correction if I am wrong!!

In the early days of the BL2 someone had a look at Ramsgate dog track. Not knowing the area at all I don't know whether this would be the same as the Dumpton track. Strictly from memory I seem to remember that it was the Wally Mawdsley/Pete Lansdale duo who were doing the looking (possibly at the time they relocated Weymouth to "Rochester" and Romford). Would be a bit ironic if so, considering Wicked Wal's later objection to Dan McCormick's plans.

I went to the first one Bob. All the way up from Weymouth for a rain off! Arranged my annual leave specially around the meeting as the highlight of a "Speedway week". We only got two weeks leave then so I was well "$(^%! off.

Not sure he rode for Hackney (or that late at all) - could be wrong though! He did ride non league for Aldershot and probably rode in PL matches about that time but I cannot remember which teams. Maybe Poole - just thinking aloud, the old memory box is not what it was!!!!

I think the Wimbledon pub was the Plough and it was also a great place on NLRC days. Packed out with Weymouth and Middlesbrough supporters before the meeting every year.

Definitely English. One of Lew Coffin's training school lads who made his debut for Weymouth near the end of the 1968 season. Teens/ early 20s in 1968.

Really enjoyed this meeting despite the cold (although a drop of rum did wonders in that respect). Darcy Ward again showed he is going to be a force in the PL next season. Also very impressed with Ben Hopwood and Andrew Braithwaite - both have made tremendous progress over the past 12 months. Thanks to the Rebels promotion for putting this meeting on, it was a pleasure to watch.

Nationality was Cornish I do believe.

Don't know about Ipswich but Wal raced one match for Weymouth. He scored 3+1 at Rayleigh on 1 August. This was Weymouth's last team match until they entered BL2 in 1968. Wal had been brought into the team at number 1 in place of the programmed John Poyser. As John Pilblad was promoter at both Weymouth and Ipswich and as the inclusion of riders in team was somewhat "flexible" it is quite possible that he was an Ipswich rider whom John used as a convenient one match replacement. By the way, the original subject of this thread Tyburn Gallows also rode in this match, scoring 4+1 from the number 6 berth for Rayleigh.

Strictly from memory but I think the teams which entered the Metropolitan League that year and rode at least one match were: Weymouth, Ipswich, Newpool (combined Newport and Poole team), Exeter "B", Rayleigh (all definitely) and Eastbourne (possibly entered but did not ride a match). The fixtures were never completed. I don't think any single club completed all their fixtures. The league was part of the "black" organisation that year operating outside of Control Board jurisdiction. It all s tarted with lots of optimism but gradually fizzled out as the season progressed.

That will be interesting Shazzy. Always good to hear the facts behind a good story. I first heard it back in the 60's and have always more or less believed it although I am aware that much can be embroidered to make a situation more interesting and newsworthy. Must admit I have been guilty of that myself on occasion but the more coverage Speedway can get the better as far as I'm concerned. Bringing back the characters would be one way of attracting more people to the terraces. It is all too "correct" and "must be serious" these days.

Marcus was from the Channel Islands. Not sure which one though. Hugh Saunders pushed his bike from the ferry to the Wessex Stadium when he first came over to the training schools. That included going over a high footbridge which only had a stepped access each side! I think he was from Guernsey but not sure. He had started on sand tracks in the Channel Islands. The only other Channel Islander I can think of offhand was called Stefan Dunne. He was another Weymouth Training School rider (in the early/mid 60's this time) and I think he had some second halves at Weymouth too. Hope this helps.

For publicity. Real name Ray Humphreys. I believe he was an assistant hangman and was stopped by the control board from calling himself "Tyburn Gallows" so he officially changed his name by deed poll and was thereafter always programmed as such and there was nothing the authorities could do about it. Probably best known for his time with Canterbury. Almost inevitable I suppose that such a character would at one time be riding for Johnnie Hoskins.

He certainly did (win the Warners Grand National) - the first time Weymouth had won anything of any note at all. I drew him in the sweep on the coach but spent twice the winnings celebrating in the bar afterwards! As someone has said, he didn't take any prisoners on track. After leaving Weymouth he went on to have a decent BL career. A pity that he died so young.

Am really sorry the Young Guns meeting has been cancelled. Have thoroughly enjoyed the last two.

I think he was a local lad so that would make him English. He may have been the one to switch to go-karts and became national champion but that is all from memory only.

In reply to post 7: Ht 1. Hammond (fell) replaced Cann 5. For Billman read Edwards 7. Hammond replaced Cann 10. For Cousins read Eadon, for Edwards read Innocent 13. Wickett replaced Cann All Stars scorers: Hammond 0, Edwards 5, Wickett 5, Eadon 6, Innocent 1, Billman 1, Harris 0, Cousins 2. The Hammond brought into the All Stars team was John Hammond Not sure about Lew Philp's involvement - he was programmed as All Stars number 3 but was replaced by Ray Wickett. Lew Philp was also replaced in his second half race so I think your information has possibly got reversed. As Starghost says, the Billman was Bill Billman. The Harris in this match was Geoff Harris. As before this is from a programme completed at the meeting, not official results. Sorry, no times recorded. Hope this helps.

Totally agree with BobC about Aaron Summers - for a first time visitor to Weymouth he was very impressive indeed. Also good to see James Cockle riding so well again. Does Simon Lambert ever have any luck other than the bad variety? Jerran Hart good as always. Good display from the young Plymouth pairing (although I still feel that at least one of their heat leaders should have taken part in a prestige meeting - and I don't care what the early season averages are). Good meeting despite the unavoidable delays. Some terrific racing. Congratulations Boston.

Let me know the heat details you have and I will check them against mine. Match result was Weymouth 61 All Stars 20 and Pete Sampson won the second half. Again - all unofficial though.

27 July 1962 - Best Pairs at Weymouth: Line-up: Weymouth: Buster Brown & Lew Philp, Eastbourne: Frank Bettis & Bill Osborne, Exeter: Roy Bowers & Bob Innocent, St Austell: John Stallworthy (replacing George Major) & Roy Taylor, Weymouth: Ken Vale & Alby Smith, Plymouth: Lew Coffin & Ivor Toms (replacing Ray Wickett), Neath: Ray Harris (replacing Glyn Chandler) and Jon Erskine, Rye House: Pete Sampson & John McGill (replacing ????? Jones). 1. Brown, Bettis, Philp, Osborne, 76.2 2. Taylor, Innocent, Bowers, Stallworthy, 74.4 3. Coffin, Toms, Smith, Vale, 77.8 4. Erskine, Sampson, McGill, Harris, 76.8 5. Brown, Innocent, Philp, Bowers, 74.4 6. Taylor, Osborne, Bettis, Stallworthy, 74.0 7. Erskine, Smith, Harris, Vale, 74.0 8. Coffin, Sampson, Toms, McGill, 76.0 9. Taylor, Brown, Stallworthy, Philp, 74.6 10. Osborne, Bettis, Bowers, Innocent, 76.2 11. Sampson, Smith, McGill, Vale, 77.8 12. Erskine, Harris, Toms, Coffin, 72.4 13. Osborne, Bettis, Wilcox(res for Vale), Smith, 76.6 14. Erskine, Brown, Harris, Philp, 72.4 15. Taylor, Freeman (res for Coffin), Toms, Stallworthy, 76.0 16. Innocent, Sampson, Bowers, McGill, 75.4 Other Races: John Hammond (Y), Stallworthy ®, Graham Locke (, ??? Cumming (W), 79.0 Smith (Y), McGill (W), M Wilcox(, Freeman ®, 78.6 Top Scorers Race: Brown ®, Erskine (, Osborne (W), Sampson (Y) Won by Osborne (75.8) - other places not recorded. These are not official results but were as recorded in a programme at the meeting. Locke, Wilcox and Erskine rode in blue - seems that translates into a smiley, typed as a B in brackets!! I'm not technical enough to put it right!!!! Hope this helps.

I think (strictly from dodgy memory) that he rode for Reading in 1968. He was one of their heat leaders (again I thinK) and possibly their first captain.