speedybee

indeed. great rider. I probably missed him at his peak as I started going in 1968 and he was out injured for a long time - came back tentatively in 2nd half races early 1970 and soon broke into the team again at reserve. He never made heat leader status again but probably peaked in his later career in the very successful 1971 team alongside the likes of Boocock, Simensen, Owen, Cottrell, Hill, Harrhy and Lomas. Two meetings I remember well - away at Cradley when he made his comeback and recorded a dead heat for 1st with a certain Mr Colin Pratt in one ride! Then there was an away match at Oxford (must have been 71) in mid summer. He was riding at 7 and returned a 0 in his first ride, then proceeded to reel off three wins in a row, using his favoured outside line, to win Coventry the meeting, 37-41 if I remember correctly. Vintage stuff... In 72 he was a pale shadow of the rider from 71 and quit after the Cradley away match if I remember correctly.

What yawnfest. Really really dull racing. Apart from the Russian Emil of course How old was he again?

I don't think the 'battle was joined' tonight either

No 'the battle is joined' tonight, I don't think.... Best Millardism for me is that he always seems to miss the overtakes. Given that tonight's passes could probably be counted on one hand, SJ was left to butt in on most of them

John Harrhy Would be interesting to read his views on speedway in the 70s, how his 1973 crash affected him given that some think he could have gone all the way to the top....as well as his recent attempt to buy Brandon when the Ochiltrees put it up for sale.

can't remember a bad one, but he did seem to have ongoing niggles, not least a collar bone which kept popping out, and was regularly visiting dr carlo biagi

I remember Paulson and agree. Another one not mentioned here so far is John Harrhy, who I also remember beating Briggo a couple of times in classic races. I think it was midway through the 72 season, when John had been recalled to Coventry from Ipswich because of injuries and Ron Mountford's retirement (Ron - now there's another example!) , that he started to really click, which also coincided with the first appearance of those resplendent gold and black leathers. He popped out and beat Briggs in heat 1 riding at no2 with Nigel Boocock finishing third, and went on to have a great end of season, which peaked at home to Hackney with a 12 point max and temporarily holding the track record (which I remember Bengt Jansson also broke that night). He started 73 like a train and was averaging 8.50 or so when that fearful smash happened in early May against Cradley 'United' which Les Owen and Bruce Cribb were also involved, entering turn three when they all tangled at high speed, with Harrhy breaking his neck and ankle I think. Up to that point I really felt that John could have gone all the way, and done it very spectacularly too. Also he was forced to sit out 73, he came back - very tentatively - the following year. Now 74 was almost a carbon copy of two years earlier, with Harrhy really struggling until June, and the suddenly clicking into the sort of form that saw him account for the likes of Phil Crump and other top riders at Brandon as he started riding wider and wider, and delivering some quite spectacular racing, especially on the faster away tracks such as Halifax. I think he finished 74 on 6.68 average, and certainly took some more knocks - on one occasion riding being flipped into the crowd at the start of the back straight in Heat 13 versus Exeter at Brandon. 75 - the year the 4 valve came in big time - was even more enigmatic, struggling in the the third heat leader berth and only occasionally showing glimpses of form, such as the home match with Hackney in July when he went through the card unbeaten. The away meeting at Wimbledon was a case in point, a track where he'd done diddly squat before (he even named it as his bogey track) and I think he'd scored two from three rides in another Bees away mauling, and then he goes out at the end and ruins Briggo's maximum.....That year, John was having some problems with his riding technique, and at one stage even had Ken McKinlay studying his style looking for ways to turn it around. 76 saw a further slide, starting as third heat leader and ending the season in and out of the team, before quitting at the end of the year (although he came back later with Stoke for a couple of years). As I say, a rider who quite possibly may have gone all the way, but ended up more as a great team servant. Other riders? Rick France was one, as was Roger Hill. And quite possibly Andy Smith, who must have broken most bones in his body. Tony Briggs?

Jsut brilliant ... absolutely brilliant! The most exciting rider in a long time...long may it continue!!!

let's face it, the man has given us some of the most exciting, spectacular racing I can remember in nearly 40 years of watching speedway ... long may it continue!

world of sport from 1983 when we beat the rivals Cradley 40-38.

The "flying farmer" John Harrhy - one of the most exciting racers ever seen in the yellow and black, especially in 72/73 and even after June 74. was he the rumoured ex Bee in negotiations with the Ochiltrees before Sandhu stepped in? anyone else remember his amazing round the boards tussles with Phil Crump, Norman Hunter etc at Brandon and his fighting performances at tracks such as Cradley, Wolves, Halifax...