speedyguy

HUNGARY I am certain now that Zeke Zoltan - who fled from Hungary with Sandor Levai in 1956 after the Budapest uprising against the Russians - besides second-half races at Belle Vue may have ridden at the old Sun Street Stadium in Stoke.

I remember a Les Spilsbury from the late 1950s maybe early 1960s. Not getting confused as I see a John Spilsbury is named.

Not quite made it. Gerrit Kops, the 1938 Dutch speedway champion, signed to ride for Sheffield in the last week of August 1939. He never made his debut - WW2 started on Sunday September 3 1939. Kops next went to Sheffield for a world championship qualifier in 1949. His bid to ride round Owlerton ended when he had engine failure on the starting gate in his first ride and withdrew from the meeting.

Zeke Zoltan, Belle Vue junior 1956. He came to Britain with Sandor Levai.

More on Phil Hart. In 1938, he rode for the Dominions against England - but the records (on Brian Collins' excellent site) make it clear that he was listed as England! And - it could only happen in speedway! - in 1939 Hart rode in several tests for England against the Dominions!

Two names in Australian list I query. (1) Bill Landels. Was he not Scottish? (2) Phil 'Tiger' Hart. He was from Balham, south London. Went to Oz as a teenager around 1926, met up with Steve Langton and took to speedway at Toowoomba, Queensland in 1927. Both were in the first wave of Aussie riders to Britain in 1928. Later, Hart was selected to ride for Australia but insisted he was English. In the later 1930s I am certain he was selected for England at Division Two level.

There was an article in the VSM on this some years ago. I believe one of the riders was Charlie 'Ginger' Pashley, later well known at Belle Vue. Thimk the meeting date may have been November 1927 - not certain.

Wasn't Roy Trigg - like Bob Andrews - a Londoner before becoming a kiwi?

I am pretty certain that Harold Tapscott at Hastings in 1948/49 was an Australian. Can anyone confirm? Any info as yet on what happened when Owen Gyles had his accident at Easter 1948?

Two more pre-1939 Canadian riders. Harold Blain - probably at Birmingham around 1937. Fred Belliveau - Wembley and Stoke 1939?

Quite agree. There are references to alternative forms of track motorcycling - on dirt and boards - in the USA and South Africa, going back to around 1905. An often mentioned meeting was at Pietermaritzburg in South Africa in 1905. And there was certainly some influence by USA board racers in Australia during the early 1920s. Lloyd 'Sprouts" Elder, Ray Tauser and Art Pechar probably graduated from this type of racing to speedway. Besides Aussie speedway, in the early 1920 there was other forms of track motorcycle racing like grass track racing taking place there. The photos of riders, bikes and tracks for this racing are mind-boggling.

I think you will find that Chris Slabon was born of Polish parents in Canada and did in fact start his speedway career there around the mid to late 1990s. He came to Europe to further his speedway career - did he have trials with Ipswich at one time? - but then moved on to join a Polish club.

Jack Baxter, Gary/Garry Middleton, Laurie Packer, Jack Bibby.

Ray Thackwell who later turned to big circuit car racing. But please, NOT Jimmy Tannock and Doug Templeton.

Frank Young, Clem Mitchell, Lindsay Mitchell. There must be many more that will come to mind for those following this subject.

More 1940s and 1950s Bob Leverenz, Bill Harris, Gundy Harris, Johnnie Gronow, Bluey Thorpe, George MacPherson. and 1930s Ray Taylor, Andy Menzies And isn't it: Gary GUGLIELMI - my spelling may be wrong but I also think the list is.

Frank DOLAN not Doolan. He was an Australian champion.

I remember Ray Cresp riding for Rye House in the Southern Area League and later signing for Wembley. I think he was a protege of Jack Biggs - another great Aussie rider. Can anyone confirm what did happen to Owen Gyles in 1948 - did he die or just seriously injured and forced into retirement. A tragedy either way. And there was also an Australian who was killed in a practice session at Exeter in the late 1950s.

Yes. He was a brave little rider. Deserved more success. The brothers at Eastbourne in the late 1950s were Maurice and Noel Conway. And in 1948 at Bradford/Halifax I remember Owen Gyles who I think was killed or certainly seriously injured at his first meeting in Britain.

I remember both of them. Bernard 'Bat" Byrnes briefly at Harringay in 1947.

Probably I have been replying wrongly! Why does everyone hate me - or is it paranoia?

Then can you enlighten me please? I am intrigued by this. Many thanks indeed.

I am certain that I have completely screwed up on the Camderon brothers. I know there were two Australian brothers at Eastbourne around 1958 one of whom went on to have rides at Swindon. I was wrong to give that surname - age creeping up on me I guess!

Thanks for the mention but as an oldie I don't quite get this!

Let's get this clear. Steve LangTon and Steve LangDon are different riders. I accept the facts on Steve LangDon. Steve LangTon was an old pal of mine at Southampton in the early 1950s. he started speedway at Toowoomba in Queensland along with Phil 'Tiger" Hart around 1926-27. Both came to England and were firm friends. Pre-war Langton rode for among other tracks Southampton, Walthamstow and Birmingham. After the 1939-45 war (he served as a Sgt-Major in Australian Army) he rode from 1947 to 1951 firstly at Tamworth then at Southampton again. He went back to Brisbane Australia and raced there until late 1950s.