QUIZ TIME!

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Some are quite difficult, a couple are much easier...

 

and all questions relate to speedway in the British Isles.

 

 

1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final?

 

2. When was the starting gate introduced? And at which track?

 

3. Who said in 1989 "God told me to retire"? And from which team?

 

4. Who is the only rider to have been the subject of TV's "This Is Your Life"?

 

5. Who was the first rider to be awarded a Testimonial meeting? And when?

 

6. Which track had the first Supporters' Club?

 

7. Which two British clubs have raced in Russia/Soviet Union?

 

8. For which team have Mick Powell, Jack Young, Oyvind Berg, Charlie Monk, and Bruce Cribb all ridden?

 

9. Which teams' nickname was the Lizods?

 

10. When were Tactical Substitutes introduced into league racing?

 

11. When and what was the last meeting at Wembley?

 

12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself?

 

Good luck!

[sandman]

Number 4 was Barry Briggs? Number 11 was 81 World Final?

Edited December 15, 2004 by sandman

[YTS]

1 - Shawn Moran?

[TwoMinuteWarning]

I'll post the answers in a few days.

 

Meanwhile- YTS - errrr ... well .... kinda ....

[Grachan]

.

 

 

1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final?

 

Nobody - it was declared void after Shawn Moran failed a drugs test. (Although he did, I suppose, finish second on the day so that could be the correct answer)

 

 

 

 

12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself?

 

John Davis, for Oxford.

 

11 - 1981 World Final

Edited December 15, 2004 by Grachan

[Tigerblade]

No. 5. Eric Boocock, 1974, presumably at Halifax.

 

No. 8. Edinburgh?

[salty]

3. Jamie Luckhurst?

[iris123]

9.Chapel Lizod(Dublin)

Edit looked it up and it's Chapelizod,but in Speedway 72 they spell it Chapel Lizard so excuse my spelling

Edited December 16, 2004 by iris123

[SCB]

1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final?

 

Nobody - it was declared void after Shawn Moran failed a drugs test. (Although he did, I suppose, finish second on the day so that could be the correct answer)

I believe he actually failed the drugs test at the Overseas final after taking medication the track doctor gave him. Or so he claimed.

[Tigerblade]

1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final?

 

Nobody - it was declared void after Shawn Moran failed a drugs test. (Although he did, I suppose, finish second on the day so that could be the correct answer)

 

I believe he actually failed the drugs test at the Overseas final after taking medication the track doctor gave him.  Or so he claimed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, although quite why it took about 4 months to come to light I have no idea!! If it had done so and they'd thrown him out before the Inter Continental final, it wouldn't have looked so ridiculous. If memory serves me correctly he claimed it was a sore throat or a cold.

[cyclone]

2. Fred Mockford introduced the starting gate - think it was at Crystal Place about 1932, though he could have done it later at New Cross in 1934 ??

 

6. Johnnie Hoskins claimed it was him @ Wembley in 1929

 

7. Belle Vue & Exeter

 

12. I seem to recall it was Canterbury vs Rye House & it was Ted Hubbard with the split personality

Edited December 16, 2004 by cyclone

[TwoMinuteWarning]

ANSWERS ...

... though all except nos. 8 and 10 were answered correctly!

 

1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final?

Shawn Moran, as discussed, was disqualified for failing drugs test. FIM failed to move other riders up a place, so there was no 2nd place rider. (Grachan got it first!)

 

2. When was the starting gate introduced? And at which track?

Hand operated : 17 June 1933 at Crystal Palace (cyclone)

Electric : 29 March 1934 at West Ham

 

3. Who said in 1989 "God told me to retire"? And from which team?

Jamie Luckhurst, from Edinburgh. A few weeks later, God apparently told Jamie that it was OK to ride for Middlesbrough. (salty)

 

4. Who is the only rider to have been the subject of TV's "This Is Your Life"?

Barry Briggs (sandman)

 

5. Who was the first rider to be awarded a Testimonial meeting? And when?

Eric Boocock 14 July 1974 at Halifax (Tigerblade)

 

6. Which track had the first Supporters' Club?

Wembley, started by Johnnie S Hoskins. Reason for its' success was that it offered discounts on admission prices! (cyclone)

 

7. Which two British clubs have raced in Russia/Soviet Union?

Belle Vue (to Leningrad, 1967,69, & 71) & Exeter (to Togliatti 1996) (cyclone)

 

8. For which team have Mick Powell, Jack Young, Oyvind Berg, Charlie Monk, and Bruce Cribb all ridden?

Scotland! (I did say "team", not "club"...)

 

9. Which teams' nickname was the Lizods?

Chapelizod, Dublin (iris123)

 

10. When were Tactical Substitutes introduced into league racing?

1955

 

11. When and what was the last meeting at Wembley?

1981 World Final (sandman)

 

12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself?

John Davis was allocated to Oxford in 1975, but on the day of his debut, a move to Reading was approved. So he guested, in place of himself, for Oxford at Coventry. (Grachan)

Interesting about Ted Hubbard, cyclone, any chance of a year?

 

Well done all!

[norbold]

12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself?

      John Davis was allocated to Oxford in 1975, but on the day of his debut, a move to Reading was approved. So he guested, in place of himself, for Oxford at Coventry. (Grachan)

      Interesting about Ted Hubbard, cyclone, any chance of a year?

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think cyclone may be referring to Alan Mogridge in 1986. Mogridge had signed for Canterbury at the beginning of 1986 but had asked for a transfer to Rye House. As a result of this Canterbury were given dispensation to use rider replacement. When Canterbury raced against Rye House, Mogridge was riding for Rye House while Canterbury were using r/r for him, so effectively he was riding for both teams. Not quite the question you asked, but an interesting anomaly all the same.

[Tony]

I think cyclone may be referring to Alan Mogridge in 1986. Mogridge had signed for Canterbury at the beginning of 1986 but had asked for a transfer to Rye House. As a result of this Canterbury were given dispensation to use rider replacement. When Canterbury raced against Rye House, Mogridge was riding for Rye House while Canterbury were using r/r for him, so effectively he was riding for both teams. Not quite the question you asked, but an interesting anomaly all the same.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's comforting to know that the current pickles we see in the sport are simply a continuation of a long tradition of speedway getting it's knickers in a twist. Cock-ups to you you and me

 

Chapelizod - any info on line about this old club?

[Tigerblade]

8. For which team have Mick Powell, Jack Young, Oyvind Berg, Charlie Monk, and Bruce Cribb all ridden?

    Scotland! (I did say "team", not "club"...)

 

I did actually wonder if it was something like this, as wasn't it only about the mid 70's that the Anzacs went off into their own qualifiers? I know that Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger used to ride for GB in the team cups. But then I discounted it due to being unsure about Mick Powell and I'd never heard of Oyvind Berg, and I knew that Mick, Jack Young and Charlie Monk had ridden for Edinburgh at some time.

[cyclone]

Thanks for correcting my ossified memory Norbold.

 

It's one of those things that stuck out at the time but obviously I mixed up Ted with Alan.

 

As it involved Rye House, wonder if this was the inspiration for Uncle Len to inflict his silly double point TR/TS rules on us last year

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Chapelizod - any info on line about this old club?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not a thing. Would be good to have a website on Irish speedway history (there's a challenge for someone!)

 

Small piece (under D for Dublin) in the "Homes Of British Speedway" book. Track ran 1950, 51, 52, 54. Team known as the Dublin Lizods in 1950.

[Tony]

Chapelizod - any info on line about this old club?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not a thing. Would be good to have a website on Irish speedway history (there's a challenge for someone!)

 

Small piece (under D for Dublin) in the "Homes Of British Speedway" book. Track ran 1950, 51, 52, 54. Team known as the Dublin Lizods in 1950.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

With Easyjet fares so cheap and Raynair based out of Dublin this looks viable these days, I was just wondering if there was still any interest.

 

But if no-one's bothered to put any history on line in this day and age when there's a website about just about every subject it doesn't look like there's a market.

 

Thanks for the reply anyway TMW.

[dublin duke]

I guess the job of finding out more about Chapelizod should fall to me, seeing as it's my patch.

 

I know that there were a few teams/tracks in Ireland (mainly Dublin) in the 1950's.

 

There was one at Chapelizod (as you already know) which is a suburb of Dublin (3 or 4 miles outside of the city centre), there was one at Shelbourne Park (which is a 10 minute walk from the city centre), there was also one in a town called Drogheda (which is about 25/30 miles north of Dublin).

 

Shelbourne Park is still a dog track today, and some of the 3rd and 4th turns of the speedway track is still there.

 

I also think that someone once told me that there was a team in Harolds Cross (which, again, is a suburb of Dublin and is still a dog track) but I'm not 100% on that one.

 

I'll see what I can find out about these teams/tracks and report back in the new year.

 

Happy Christmas to you all.

[iris123]

Well the basics as Twominutewarning are to be found in the "Homes of British Speedway"

Drogheda-Probably only one meeting(1968) open

Harold's Cross-4 meetings(1928)

Santry-Number of meetings between 1948-50 and 1968 including Ireland vs England and even Santry vs Belle Vue Starlets

Chapelizod-1950-52,54

Shelbourne Park-1950-54,61,70-71.This was the track that Ronnie Greene used as a base for a group of riders from California in the 50's