Ian Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 Listening to today's news of the tragic events in the Uzbeqi town of Azbizhan, I got to wondering whether there has ever been an Uzbeqi rider in speedway. I may be completely wrong about this, but I think that one member of the superb Russian touring sides of the mid-sixties was from the capital, Tashkent. Was it Gab Kadirov? I'd be pleased to hear if anyone knows the answer to this, as it's the sort of question which will annoy me now for days on end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndBender Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 Gabdrahkman Kadirov was a Tartar, but I'm not sure which republic he came from. The Tartar race, (I think), is fairly widespread over most of what was Soviet Central Asia, so he maybe was an Uzbek. Good Speedway rider and World Ice Racing Champion on more than one occasion, if I remember right. Just goes to show how vast the old Soviet Union was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Thanks for that 2ndbender. I think it must have been Gab who was from Tashkent after all. Excellent little rider, along with team-mates like Plechanov, Samorodov (rode like a man possessed!), Kurilenko, Trofimov etc. These were also the days of the terrific Polish touring teams - Wyglenda, Migos, Pogorzelski, Huszsa etc. Anybody support the reintroduction of the Cold War so we can have some of them back? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerTom Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Listening to today's news of the tragic events in the Uzbeqi town of Azbizhan, I got to wondering whether there has ever been an Uzbeqi rider in speedway. I may be completely wrong about this, but I think that one member of the superb Russian touring sides of the mid-sixties was from the capital, Tashkent. Was it Gab Kadirov? I'd be pleased to hear if anyone knows the answer to this, as it's the sort of question which will annoy me now for days on end. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ian, In 1964 touring with the Russian side was Anatoly Gruzinsev Born in 1941 in the town of Termes in Uzbekistan. It says In a 1964 programme he is very difficult to beat once in front. Sadly looking at his scores at Belle Vue (the real Belle Vue that is, Hyde Road) 0,0,0,0,1,0, he wasn't in front too often! ( I guess it does pay to collect speedway programmes!) And before anybody corrects me I know that Kirky Lane was used before Hyde Road but I am from the Hyde Road Era and that will always be Belle Vue to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 I must say I don't remember the name Gruzinsev at all, TigerTom, but there you go. I suspect most people on this section of the forum would agree with you that Belle Vue will forever mean Hyde Road. My memories of it go back to 1963 and the days of the Provincial League Riders Championship. Ahhhhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIWIPIRATE Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Aaah, Gab Kadirov - ISTR he was known as the Russian (sic) "Beatle" because of his hair cut at the time..... or was that Gennady Kurilenko?? Both exciting riders to watch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Yes, Kiwipirate, that was Gab Kadirov. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerTom Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 I must say I don't remember the name Gruzinsev at all, TigerTom, but there you go. I suspect most people on this section of the forum would agree with you that Belle Vue will forever mean Hyde Road. My memories of it go back to 1963 and the days of the Provincial League Riders Championship. Ahhhhh! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don't worry neither did I untill I dug out the old programme! ...we used to go to Hyde Road from Sheffield. It always seemed to be raining hard and even though we could not see the road ahead we always went to the track with the god given belief the meeting would be on. Oh well, you had to have faith. Also went for the stock cars the odd time. One of my favorite riders we stole of Belle Vue, Jack Kitchen. Off topic again I am oh well........I am getting old so I guess it's o.k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Isn't Sergei Darkin originally from the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan? Of course he now lives and rides for Russia, (or rather Arena Essex) but as far as I know he's from Uzbekistan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Adam Smith Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 Yes, Darkin was born in Uzbekistan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted June 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 Having just looked at the more recent updates to this thread, I got to wondering which other unlikely places may have produced speedway riders over the years. I know it's off the original topic, but the most unlikely one I have heard of recently was that great "Australian", Graham Warren. According to a posting on the Monarchs Chatzone, he was born in Fiji! Does anyone else have a less likely country of origin for a rider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 Malta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedyguy Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Having just looked at the more recent updates to this thread, I got to wondering which other unlikely places may have produced speedway riders over the years. I know it's off the original topic, but the most unlikely one I have heard of recently was that great "Australian", Graham Warren. According to a posting on the Monarchs Chatzone, he was born in Fiji! Does anyone else have a less likely country of origin for a rider? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wasn't there (not racist!) a black rider from Abbysinia (now Eithopia) who rode in meetings in Eastern Europe (maybe also in France) in the early 1930s. He was probably also aregular in the 'Golden Helmet of Pardubice" meetings in what is now the Czech Republic. Any idea where historical details of the 'Golden Helmet' can be found? After the war I believe Bill Kitchen, Wilf Plant. Phil Bishop and - possibly - Ron Johnson were among starters in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richspeedway Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 It shows how powerful the Soviet was though when people from Uzbekistan could become speedway riders as now it is broken up places like that and Tajikistan etc are very poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted September 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 It shows how powerful the Soviet was though when people from Uzbekistan could become speedway riders as now it is broken up places like that and Tajikistan etc are very poor. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I suspect that many Soviet citrizens were always por, but the state tended to keep that well-hidden! When I went to Moscow in 1979 or 1980 I couldn't believe just how poor most folk actually seemed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richspeedway Posted September 4, 2005 Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 Yeah thats the main reason for countries like that not having riders anymore because of the cost. I know this is going little off the subject but I remember a couple of years ago they were talking to a tennis player who comes from Armenia and he his their top player. It took him back to where he lived as a child and it was unbelievable to think that he would become a top sportsman from his humble backgrounds. Just shows if you put your mind to it what can happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedyguy Posted September 4, 2005 Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 Yeah thats the main reason for countries like that not having riders anymore because of the cost. I know this is going little off the subject but I remember a couple of years ago they were talking to a tennis player who comes from Armenia and he his their top player. It took him back to where he lived as a child and it was unbelievable to think that he would become a top sportsman from his humble backgrounds. Just shows if you put your mind to it what can happen. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Off the thread - back to strange countries where riders come from. I previously mentioned pre-war Abbsynia (Eithiopia) but didn't know the guy's name, and somewhere I saw Malta listed. I'm fairly certain that Ian Hoskins brought a rider from Malta to Glasgow White City for trials. His name was "Zipp" Zammitt and he took up speedway when there were Army tracks in the Middle East, probably about 1949. He didn't make a meeting and went home after his trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted September 4, 2005 Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 speedyguy I think iris123 was referring to the birth place of our own Mark Loram. Just to confirm that Kadirov was the Russian 'Beatle'. Kurilenko I think became European champion, had a more Euro style and used conventional bars rather than the clip handles they used to use for easier transportation. Interesting when the bikes were lined up they were all identical except for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted September 4, 2005 Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 I think iris123 was referring to the birth place of our own Mark Loram. Lets not forget Papua New Guinness.Were a few riders from Port Moreton.One came over for second half rides.And of course Brazil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted September 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2005 I think you mean Port Moresby, Iris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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