Wiggy!-new Book In Tribute To Simon

[TonyMac]

Readers of Backtrack magazine, who have seen the current issue (No.10), will already be aware that we at Retro Speedway are in a very advanced stage of publishing a book in tribute and memory of the late Simon Wigg, called WIGGY! (what else!) which will go on sale before the end of October.

 

We have slightly delayed the publication date because it was felt that we should also give speedway supporters, from all over the world, the opportunity to contribute their own few words to what we believe will be a brilliant book on probably the world's greatest all round tracksport rider.

 

So what we're please asking now is for you to email us a few words on Simon - they can be a simple, one line message or perhaps a slightly longer account of your own personal memory from having met Simon, who was so popular wherever he went to ride speedway, longtrack or grasstrack. We want to know what Simon Wigg meant to you. It is coming up to nearly five years since he sadly left us, but it's not too late for you to be a part of his life story.

 

You can post your message here on this thread, for us to simply download for the book, or if you'd prefer to email your words direct to us at editorial@retro-speedway.com. We can't guarantee that every message will be printed but we will endeavour to use as many as possible. But please get writing quickly, as the book must go to press very shortly. Also, it would be helpful if you could also state your real name, and home town (ie. John Smith, Oxford) rather than your forum alias!

 

The book has the full co-operation and support of Simon's family – his brother Julian has contributed the foreword and widow, Charlie, has written her own very personal and heart-rending account of her life with Simon. Even Simon's daughter, Abi, has written her own personal tribute to 'Daddy Simon'.

 

Indeed, Simon's children, Abi and Ricki, will receive a donation from the sale of EVERY book.

 

Wiggy! will be great value at just £15.99, with 252 pages - 16 in glossy full colour - and around 200 pictures that will evoke many happy memories for all readers.

 

As well as those in-depth contributions from close members of the Wigg family, the book also includes previously unpublished interviews from Simon himself, running to some 30,000 words, plus unique tributes from the following people, who all have their own favourite Simon Wigg story to tell:

 

World Speedway Champions – Peter Collins, Gary Havelock, Michael Lee, Erik Gundersen, Ivan Mauger, Barry Briggs, Egon Muller, Jason Crump, Mark Loram

 

England Speedway team-mates & management – Chris Morton, Kelvin Tatum, Malcolm Simmons

Hans Nielsen, Simon Cross, Jeremy Doncaster, Andy Smith, Carl Glover, Eric Boocock, Colin Pratt

 

Speedway Team Mates & Friends – Martin Yeates, Troy Butler, Steve Johnston, Armando Castagna, Olli Tyrvainen, Graeme Gordon, Phil Collins

 

Promoters & Team Managers – Neil Street, Pete Adams, Bernard Crapper, John Payne, John Louis, Allan Ham, Keith Chapman, Chris Van Straaten, David Tapp

 

Long-Track & Grass-Track – Karl Maier, Lew Coffin, Trevor Banks, Steve Schofield, Martin Hagon, Paul Hurry, Dickie Staff

 

Friends & Sponsors – Clint Gunn, Nigel Wagstaffe, Pete Webb (Windsor Comp)

John Gillard, Brian Griffin, Jeff Bing, Steve Brandon, Paul Cross, Christopher Eyes

 

Engine Tuners & Mechanics – Otto Lantenhammer, Hans Zierk, Don Godden, Brett Walton, Greg Williamson

 

Media – Richard Clark, John Gaisford, Peter York, Tony Lethbridge

Thomas Schiffner (Bahnspoirt Aktuell).

 

The Fans' section will appear at the back of the book.

 

It is possible to order a copy of WIGGY! in advance now by phoning our credit card hotline on 01708 734 502 – as many of you have already done. If you would prefer to pay by cheque (payable to Retro Speedway), then post your order to:

Retro Speedway (Wiggy!), 103 Douglas Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1AW, England. However, I assure anyone who does order before publication that your payment will not be processed until the book is despatched later next month.

 

So come on, let's have your words for WIGGY!..... Please note: Deadline for supporters' copy is next Thursday, October 6, 2005.

 

Many thanks for your support and I'm sorry that this message is so long, but we didn't want you to miss out on this unique chance to add your own personal message to a wonderful tribute to a great racer...

 

Tony McDonald

Retro Speedway

Edited October 2, 2005 by tmc

[stevehone]

So come on, let's have your words for WIGGY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

absolute star .... how many more words do we need?

[stevehone]

here are some PICTURES of Wiggy that i took at the 1995 Longtrack final at Scheessel ...

 

top bloke

[TonyMac]

here are some PICTURES of Wiggy that i took at the 1995 Longtrack final at Scheessel ...

 

top bloke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Nice on, Steve. They're excellent - any chance of us using a few in the book? If so, would you mind emailing slightly larger j.pegs to me, as the ones on the site are not quite large enough for print quality?

 

Sorry to be a pain... and obviously we'll credit you in the book!

 

By the way, keep the copy to a max of 300 words, please.

 

Cheers

Tony Mac

[stevehone]

you are more than welcome to use the pictures ...

 

if you let me know your email address i will send the pictures, or alternatively i can post my original prints to you so you can reproduce to whatever size you see fit.

 

it was a fantastic weekend at Scheessel in '95 ... with Wiggy and Tatum level on 20 points each it meant a run-off for the title ... England 1st and 2nd in front of all those Germans

 

 

steve

[Guest Jim Blanchard]

Really good pictures Steve. I wished I had taken them. Especially #9. That is photo journalist quality. Bit of hustler I think here. Brilliant.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Jim Blanchard

[TonyMac]

you are more than welcome to use the pictures ...

 

if you let me know your email address i will send the pictures, or alternatively i can post my original prints to you so you can reproduce to whatever size you see fit.

 

it was a fantastic weekend at Scheessel in '95 ... with Wiggy and Tatum level on 20 points each it meant a run-off for the title ... England 1st and 2nd in front of all those Germans 

steve

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's very good of you, cheers. Sounds like a weekend to remember at Scheessel.

 

Ideally, can you please Email pics to: editorial@retro-speedway.com

 

Tony Mac

[stevehone]

i dug out the video of the first ever GP round at Wroclaw ... Wigg and Briggs were in the studio and Wigg was pretty vocal and extremely annoyed by the way the qualifiers were sorted for the series that year ... wonder how he would feel about the situation now!!!

 

 

 

Tony ... pictures emailed

 

 

Jim ... thanks for the words there

Edited September 29, 2005 by stevehone

[badge wearer]

i thought that the donation from each book to simons kids was a great idea.(sorry to change the subject)

[Brian L]

So come on, let's have your words for WIGGY!.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Simon Wigg - Speedway with a smile!

Brian Longman - Hackney

[robpeasley]

Oxford fans have many happy memories of Wiggy's time with the Cheetahs, it was a great time for both club and rider.

 

One such memory comes from a bank holiday meeting at Reading in 1990. The Cheetahs are getting hammered in a Gold Cup clash by their local rivals, when suddenly the lights go out! There has been an explosion at the local electricity substation, plunging that whole area of Reading into darkness, and the meeting has to be abandoned.

 

But as the fans are waiting for that decision to be made, a light suddenly appears. It's Wiggy going around the Smallmead track, holding a green glow stick in his hand!

 

Wiggy was always great fun, and it was hard not to enjoy Speedway when he was around.

 

Rob Peasley - Woodstock, Oxfordshire

[TonyMac]

Many thanks to all those who have emailed or posted tributes so far, but shame on you if you haven't done so already.

 

We've extended the deadline, so if you're reading this, don't log off without typing a few appropriate words in memory of a great all round motorcyclist...

 

C'mon, imagine how nice it will be for Wiggy's young children, Abi & Ricki, to read many, many thoughtful tributes about their Dad in this book? There are nearly 4,000 members of this forum, so where are you all?

 

How long does it take, for God's sake, to write a one or two line message, if you can't come up with anything more substantial?

 

So instead of wasting time squabbling over silly issues, or boring most of us with innane postings about nothing of any great importance to anyone but yourself (I appreciate it's a free world, but some of the drivel here could be confined to personal email), why not do something worthwhile . . . and GIVE US SOME WORDS ON WIGGY!

 

Thanks for taking the time, and please don't take this personally (unless the cap fits!)

 

Tony Mac

Edited October 6, 2005 by tmc

[robpeasley]

Still no more posts on this thread, despite Tony Mac's plea.

 

Come on forum members... let's be having you!!!

 

All the best

Rob

[mark cox]

From memory I think Wiggy rode for Weymouth in 1982, before stepping up into the big league a year later, when he joined Cradley and became a heat leader in the greatest league side ever!

In a brilliant year, he started at reserve & finished on a 9 point average, second only to Erik G.

It wasn't only his brilliant riding ability, but his capacity to want to entertain the fans. I remember he went on the local Beacon Radio show during that year on the Pat Foley show to promote the sport, and didn't mind all the mickey taking. The bloke always had a smile on his face. He was only sold at the end of '83 because of the points limit & to pay some bills probably.

A brilliant & funny bloke/rider, who is sadly missed.

[moxey63]

Simon came with Exeter to Belle Vue in the mid-90s. In one heat, he came out wearing an entirely yellow helmet colour and not the regulated yellow and black. Over the pa, the announcer informed Wiggy that he must wear a yellow and black cover or face being fined. Anyway, Simon took the warning and rode off back to the pits, moments later returning to the start line with the words “Hi ref” on the same yellow cover, customized in black sticky tape.

Edited October 10, 2005 by moxey63

[salty]

When Bruce Penhall walked out on Cradley in 1982 he left a massive hole, both in terms of points scoring ability and personality.

That Simon Wigg was able to fill that void (in both categories) when he rode full time in 1983 is a testament to the qualities of the man.

He just had one of the best smiles didn't he?

[rami]

My best memory of Wiggy was back in 1983, Part of the deal that bought wiggy to Cradley was that Cradley had to agree to take a full strength team to Weymouth for a challenge match, As per normal A coach load of heathens made there way to weymouth for a day out followed by the meeting. When we arrived in weymouth who do we bump into on the go karts - wiggy and Phil collins probably 2 of the nicest and funniest guys ive ever had the pleasure of meeting anyway after wrecking the go karts and taking the mickey out of the attendant Wiggy and Flyer (Phil Collins) decided to go into the joke shop and purchase policemens helmets they then proceded to direct the traffic in weymouth high street and managed to bring it to a standstill !!! one of the funniest things i have ever seen.

 

Wiggy - A super, funny guy, and propbably the most naturally talented alround motorcyclist this country has ever seen - Greatly missed but very very fondly remembered

[Guest cheetahhawk]

Here is the piece that I wrote to tmc to put in the book about Wiggy.

 

 

 

I first really came across Wiggy when he rode for Hackney in 1987. I always found him to be very approachable and was always willing to sign autographs for my children and me.

However my best memory of Wiggy is after we moved from London to High Wycombe after Hackney's closure in 1991.My twin sons passed the exams to go to John Hampden Grammar school in High Wycombe and in our local paper around the same time,there was an article about Wiggy visiting his old school which was John Hampden.I wrote to Wiggy,who was riding for Coventry that year to tell him about my twins going to that school and also to tell him about the centenary celebrations that the school were holding. A few weeks later Simon very kindly answered my letter and enclosed a couple of signed photographs of himself in action. He said in the letter that he hoped that my sons would do well at the school.

Considering that he had a very busy schedule I thought this was really nice of him.

I really miss seeing Wiggy round the tracks as he was always cheerful and smiling even when he was ill. I have been very ill myself this year but like Wiggy I have always tried to keep smiling and stay positive.

A lovely guy who will always be missed .

RIP Simon.

[keepturningleft]

I took my log in name from a comment made by Simon Wigg.

He was being interviewed by a magazine (can't remember when or for what mag), and was asked something like 'What's the best way to ride speedway?, to which he replied, 'drop the clutch and keep turning left'.

 

I thought that was brilliant and never forgot it!

[Ruby Tuesday]

Wiggy - A true English sportsman, who will never be forgotten. He was a world-wide name on longtack, shale & grass and someone who was not only respected for his racing but also for who he was and what he stood for. His distinctive green leathers and white wheels made him so easy to see when you were stood on the 2nd bend at a grasstrack, he always had a smile on his face and seemed at home on the rostrum. Real sadness was felt when he was taken away from the sport he loved and the people who loved him. May he be resting in peace, with a smile on his face.

Edited October 13, 2005 by Ruby Tuesday