Former Riders

[iris123]

1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

Mark Courtney used to love watching him ride a really talented motorcyclist.Does anyone know who Mark regularly mechanics for now? does he do the UK or just Europe.( not that it will matter this year no Speedway until 2021.)

Think I saw him in Germany a few years ago for the U21 SWC along with Smudger. If I remember rightly Courtney was spannering for one of the young Aussie riders. Not sure though

Haven't heard about Shawn Moran for a few years. Anyone know what he is up to ? Is he still involved in speedway in South Germany ?

[Sidney the robin]

3 hours ago, iris123 said:

Think I saw him in Germany a few years ago for the U21 SWC along with Smudger. If I remember rightly Courtney was spannering for one of the young Aussie riders. Not sure though

Haven't heard about Shawn Moran for a few years. Anyone know what he is up to ? Is he still involved in speedway in South Germany ?

Don't know what Shawn is doing now a great rider who was box office just like Kelly(RIP). I  have seen his DVD and was amazed and shocked on how Shawn said he lost his nerve it just shows how we all forget  just how dangerous speedway is.

[chunky]

15 hours ago, gustix said:

1950s. Wally and Harry Wilson, Wimbledon juniors and Eastbourne.  

  

Sorry John, the name was "Willson", not "Wilson". Wally and Winnie Willson emigrated to Canada, and used to keep in touch with my late grandmother.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, chunky said:

Sorry John, the name was "Willson", not "Wilson". Wally and Winnie Willson emigrated to Canada, and used to keep in touch with my late grandmother.

Thanks Steve. I have just looked on Speedway Researcher and they like me spell the surname as Wilson. But I concede you are correct as Wally Willson and wife were down to your grandmother. https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/eastbourne1954.pdf    

 

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chunky]

1 hour ago, gustix said:

Thanks Steve. I have just looked on Speedway Researcher and they like me spell the surname as Wilson. But I concede you are correct as Wally Willson and wife were down to your grandmother. https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/eastbourne1954.pdf    

 

 

Obviously, Willson is not a common spelling. We did have a large photo of Harry Willson on his bike. Not sure where it is right now; it may still be in storage, so I don't have access to that at the moment.

I know you are probably wondering how I know some of this stuff. I really am not the antagonistic troll you think I am; I told you, I just have trouble dealing with stupidity.

I was born into speedway. My mum started going to Plough Lane in 1950, and she soon started taking her parents. They used to go to all the London tracks regularly. Their interest waned, but my mum (her maiden name was Valerie Phillips) really got involved and became the Secretary of the Wimbledon Supporters Club, and organised a lot of functions, like the old dinner/dances. She became good friends with a lot of riders.

My dad started going in 1958, he met my mum, and then I came along. My dad also got heavily involved, and used to help out riders. When Sverre Harrfeldt would go home, my dad would drive him to and from the airport, and would have use of his car while he was in Norway.

We got to know a lot of the riders over the years, including juniors like the Willsons, Bob Warner, and Freddie Sweet. When I was older, we would often spend time with Jim and Jill Tebby, and end up playing darts at Ron How's pub.

So, it probably surprises you, but I have a true lifetime of "involvement" in speedway...

[iris123]

Of course we know the famous case of Björn Knutson having his name spelt wrong all over the shop and the now notorious case of Mason Weir(Wear)or is It now Mayson 

I know I have made some blunders if there was a late replacement that I didn’t know and only had the stadium announcers pronounciation over a dodgy tannoy to go by

Wonder how many in the early days wrote Ivan Major in their Programmes ?

Edited April 3, 2020 by iris123

[norbold]

53 minutes ago, iris123 said:

Of course we know the famous case of Björn Knutson having his name spelt wrong all over the shop and the now notorious case of Mason Weir(Wear)or is It now Mayson 

I know I have made some blunders if there was a late replacement that I didn’t know and only had the stadium announcers pronounciation over a dodgy tannoy to go by

Wonder how many in the early days wrote Ivan Major in their Programmes ?

And also Mike Broadbank(s).

[steve roberts]

49 minutes ago, norbold said:

And also Mike Broadbank(s).

Hasse Holmkvist and Hasse Holmqvist.

[norbold]

Malcolm Simmons was another who had his name spelled wrongly in the early days as Malcolm Simmonds.

[chunky]

4 hours ago, norbold said:

Malcolm Simmons was another who had his name spelled wrongly in the early days as Malcolm Simmonds.

Nor just in the early days. I was watching the video (on YouTube) last week of the 1986 NLRC; it was "Simmonds" on there...

[chunky]

4 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Hasse Holmkvist and Hasse Holmqvist.

I've actually seen the same for Christer Lofqvist and Gunnar Malmqvist. 

[Guest]

On 3/28/2020 at 1:02 PM, chunky said:

I am NOT anti-gustix, just anti-stupidity (whoever posts it).

 I think you have me in that capacity? You frequently use it when commentating on my Posts!

[BL65]

6 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Hasse Holmkvist and Hasse Holmqvist.

The letter Q is rare in Swedish.  It was commonly used in ordinary words until the late 19^th century, when it was replaced by K.  Since about 1900 Swedish dictionaries only show common words with a k rather than q.  However, proper names kept their Q despite the change made to common words.  I recall looking into this in the late 1960s, principally because there were occasional spellings of (Tommy) Bergqvist as Berqkvist and (Hasse) Holmqvist as Holmkvist, whereas when they arrived at Cradley Heath and Wolverhampton respectively their names were recorded in programmes, magazines and newspapers as Bergquist and Holmquist, quickly becoming Bergqvist and Holmqvist.  I understand quist is an older version of qvist.  As they are proper names the correct version should presumably be Bergqvist and Holmqvist, with the same applying to Malmqvist and Lofqvist.

[steve roberts]

40 minutes ago, BL65 said:

The letter Q is rare in Swedish.  It was commonly used in ordinary words until the late 19^th century, when it was replaced by K.  Since about 1900 Swedish dictionaries only show common words with a k rather than q.  However, proper names kept their Q despite the change made to common words.  I recall looking into this in the late 1960s, principally because there were occasional spellings of (Tommy) Bergqvist as Berqkvist and (Hasse) Holmqvist as Holmkvist, whereas when they arrived at Cradley Heath and Wolverhampton respectively their names were recorded in programmes, magazines and newspapers as Bergquist and Holmquist, quickly becoming Bergqvist and Holmqvist.  I understand quist is an older version of qvist.  As they are proper names the correct version should presumably be Bergqvist and Holmqvist, with the same applying to Malmqvist and Lofqvist.

Fascinating...thanks for that!

[chunky]

1 hour ago, BL65 said:

The letter Q is rare in Swedish.  It was commonly used in ordinary words until the late 19^th century, when it was replaced by K.  Since about 1900 Swedish dictionaries only show common words with a k rather than q.  However, proper names kept their Q despite the change made to common words. 

Thanks! I did wonder about that, because Q doesn't seem common, and I was hoping that someone here would know.

Edited April 3, 2020 by chunky