25 Years Since Wembley '81

[lucifer sam]

Yes, tonight (September 5) represents the 25th anniversary of what is largely regarded as the best-ever Speedway meeting, with a mix of superb racing, a great atmosphere, plus the nostalgia value of being the last-ever meeting at Wembley.

 

It was my first-ever World Final at the age of eight. I can still vividly remember all the races involving my childhood hero, Bruce Penhall. Not only the well-remembered classic races against Olsen & Knudsen, but also Dave Jessup hounding him for 4 laps, before DJ locked up on the final bend, lost a jubilee clip (a part on the bike worth a matter of pence) and suffered the first of two heartbreaking engine failures.

 

There was also engine failure agony for Carter or Gundersen (Carter in the same race as Jessup, Olsen was mighty lucky in that one!). Although Penhall dropped his only point of the entire evening to Carter (already Mr. Bad Guy for me, after his overeaction to the incident with Penhall at White City in the Overseas Final) when he knew a second place in Heat 20 was enough, before pulling the mother of all wheelies as he crossed the line.

 

As for the sheer atmosphere, only the 1989 Final at Munich compares, although Cardiff is good.

 

I also remember studying the programme for a couple of hours before the meeting at Wembley, memorising all the World Champions!

 

And those were the days when Speedway was on terrestial TV. So we got back to my grandparents and then saw just how CLOSE the Penhall v Olsen and, in particular, the Penhall v Knudsen (very near a dead heat) clashes were.

 

A meeting that fully deserves its classic status.

 

All the best

Rob Peasley

Edited September 5, 2006 by lucifer sam

[stevehone]

i certainly miss the old one-off world finals ... it was something the whole season geared up to, unlike now where it's just about an invitation event with the same riders all year.

 

the cut and thrust of the qualifiers made for some exciting speedway, and very often the Inter Continental final was regarded as a better line-up than the final itself.

 

i was very lucky to go to world finals at Wembley 72, 75, 78, 81, Los Angeles 82, Norden 83, Gothenburg 84, and Bradford 85.

having since been to GP's, i don't think they quite beat knowing you will see the new world champion at the end of the night.

[Grachan]

I was also there in 1981. My third Wembley Final along with 1975 and 1978, and the only one I saw where Ole Olsen didn't win it.

 

The one off World Finals were fantastic, but unfortunately they did start to go downhill with meetings like the Amsterdam 2 day effort, which was pretty embarassing. One section full of British fans and, apart from that, an almost empty stadium.

 

Which other finals did Igo to? 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985. After that I start to lose track of what year it was! I went to one at Vojens where Per Jonsson came off and Erik Gundersen won it in a run-off against Hans Nielsen.

 

Saw Per win at Bradford. I think that was 1990. Plus, I was one of the elite few at Amsterdam.

 

I think that's all. Never got to see one at Ullevi.

 

It's all very well mourning their loss, but the damn things weren't even on television in the end!

[czechhero]

25 years???????????? Bloody hell!!

Remember it well, 90 mph down the M1 on the back of my mates BMW 1000, with Finilec (remember that?) in the back tyre 'cos he'd had a puncture the week before and couldn't be *rsed to fix it (you were only supposed to do 40mph for a max of 30 miles or so). Anyway, mustn't digress. We all thought that Hans was a dead cert for the title as he'd scored a 12 point max the night before against Sheffield and looked in fantastic form, little did we know..............

Also remember the Warwickshire fans in the services on the way home, p*ssed up because they'd won the B&H trophy, I think.

The week after my mate and me both had severe throat infections and funnily enough found out that another 5 supporters we knew of had suffered the same, strange.

A great, great meeting and I don't think a British GP could come close to that night, seeing as it's held so early in the season.

[Bryn]

I was also there in 1981. My third Wembley Final along with 1975 and 1978, and the only one I saw where Ole Olsen didn't win it.

 

The one off World Finals were fantastic, but unfortunately they did start to go downhill with meetings like the Amsterdam 2 day effort, which was pretty embarassing. One section full of British fans and, apart from that, an almost empty stadium.

 

Which other finals did Igo to? 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985. After that I start to lose track of what year it was! I went to one at Vojens where Per Jonsson came off and Erik Gundersen won it in a run-off against Hans Nielsen.

 

Saw Per win at Bradford. I think that was 1990. Plus, I was one of the elite few at Amsterdam.

 

I think that's all. Never got to see one at Ullevi.

 

It's all very well mourning their loss, but the damn things weren't even on television in the end!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My daughter was just five months old when she went to her first World Final that day with myself and her mother, my ex! We were part of the Crayford Supporters Club trip - five bus loads and, trust me, five red London Transport Double Decker Buses parked side by side were very easy to spot in the Car Park amidst the chaos after the meeting!

 

We had a supporter at Crayford who was a bus driver and we shared profits between his Plumstead Garage Social Club and the CSSC - not bad as I think we only charged a pound (er that MAY have been a pound each way mind you!) Loved playing bus conductor on one of them Routemasters and had to laugh at some elderly lady pedestrian got really stroppy when I wouldn't let her get on when we stopped at traffic lights in Oxford Street en route to Wembley! Can't remember if I said, "Don't worry luv, there'll be another one along in a minute!" but I probably did!

 

Ah.. um....er.....the Amsterdam Two dayer - happy memories! (was young then!)

Edited September 5, 2006 by Bryn

[whowasthatberntpersson]

I remember it as if it was yesterday...well almost.

 

The masses of coaches heading from the North/Midlands, and every second car showing off a speedway scarf or car sticker.

 

The big lineups outside the turnstiles, the roar when the riders peeped out of the pits (particularly for the two Cradley riders)

 

The great racing (as mentioned previously)

 

The presentations,..yes I did get on the dog track by the start/finish line.

 

The air horns, the banners, .....ahhhhh those were the days

[chunky]

I remember it as if it was yesterday...well almost.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Me too! I was sitting at the start of the back straight. I can still remember the wonderful atmosphere... My first Wembley Final was in'69, when Toby Harrysson broke his leg. After that I did '78 & '81 at Wembley, '82 in L.A., '83 in Norden, '85 at Bradford, and '87 in Amsterdam. My faves have to be '69 and '81.

 

Yep, those were the days...

 

Steve

Edited September 5, 2006 by chunky

[Tigerblade]

My god - 25 years ago??? Stuff like that makes me feel old.....

 

We had a chaotic build up to it - we had booked on one of the Sheffield coaches, and it broke down at Manor Top (presumably must have been going to junction 30 for it to have been there!). They couldn't guarantee when/if a replacement would come out, in the end someone knew someone who drove a few people, including my dad, back to the stadium for their cars, so us 3 ended up going by car. Only trouble was my dad had taken travel sickness tablets which made him drowsy, and we had to pull in at just about every services on the way down for him to have 10 minutes' or so break, as he was the only one who could drive then!! We still made it in bags of time though.

 

I think I was a bit overwhelmed with it all, as I don't remember a massive lot about the racing, except for thinking Tommy Knudsen did actually beat Bruce Penhall in that race. Not to mention Dave Jessup and his jubilee clip, and Kenny Carter having EF which ruined his chances, although it does make you speculate what might have happened had Bruce had to beat him in that Heat 20. Although being a Sheffield supporter, I'd be lying if I said I was sympathetic to KC's engine trouble!!!

 

That was my first World Final - I also went to USA in 1982, Norden in 1983, Bradford in 1985 and 1990, Katowice in 1986, Amsterdam in 1987 and Vojens in 1988.

 

I too miss the "one offs", to me the GP's give you too many chances to redeem yourself if you have EF etc.

[star ghost]

I went to that final also but I thought I would see Michael Lee beat everyone in sight. It didn't happen. He should have been a multiple Champion but things didn't work out that way.

Incidentally this is the 50th Anniversary of Ove Fundin's first World title this month also.

Time really does fly.

[AndyM]

Don't agree that it was the best-ever meeting, though it was certainly up there and the atmosphere was electric. I was there too!

[Andrew]

My god - 25 years ago???  Stuff like that makes me feel old..... 

 

We had a chaotic build up to it - we had booked on one of the Sheffield coaches, and it broke down at Manor Top (presumably must have been going to junction 30 for it to have been there!). 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Lol me and my dad were on that coach aswell TB,the front wheel went on the Parkway,after a few hours one of the other coaches came back up the m1 to pick us up and we made it to Wembley about an hour before the start.

 

I remember being high up over the entrance to the 3rd turn,Erik breaking the track record and breaking down while leading a race that would have given him 14 points...

 

After the meeting I legged it right up to the top of the stand just to see how high it was and then it was time to find the coach back down Wembley way,think we got back home at 3am.

 

Also did Norden 83( cough fix cough) wandrering round a certain part of Amsterdam on the monday after was fun especially when all my mates where back in school doing maths.

 

Gothenburg 84 by coach was fun a few smashed Coventry fans came along.Hamburg replaced Amsterdam that year

 

Bradford,wet,Shawn

 

87 back to Amsterdam . Funny when the Poles started trashing the seating on the 4th turn though

 

88 Vojens,Per Jonsson gets excluded cos Hans Neilsen rides straight into the back of him outta turn 2...always wondered about that one!

 

89 Munich,IF only Roman had done what he did in the last race first time out it might not have been the bore fest it was,which was put three quarters of his bike over the white line and use the wooden boarding on the inside of the bends thus changing the racing line totally!

 

And thats it,I never went to any more World finals,dad did 1990 though.

Berlin 93 was on the cards but it got switched to a field and we've never been inclined to go to a GP.

[frigbo]

Am i really the only person in the world who thinks the '81 Final is overrated??

 

The Olsen and Knudsen v Penhall races are both top drawer, but the rest of the racing is pretty mediocre i'd say.

 

Rosey Specs for most i suspect.

[Custom House Kid]

I went on the off chance! a bit of a blip for me as I stopped going to speedway in 1971! and did'nt go again until Arena 2002

 

Did see a few finals in the 60's

 

As a bit of a floater I thought it was ok not sure about most of the riders except O Olsen and Dave Jessup as I recall.

 

Was Impressed with Penhall but not that much with the meeting, or i would have come back sooner!

[Joanne]

I remember it well as though it was yesterday. Nearly not being allowed by my form teacher to get the Friday off. Travelling down by train, what hotel we stayed in etc. It was a hot day that day but I wouldn't take off my Tommy Knudsen sweatshirt because I had just had it made up. What a brilliant weekend

[The Third Man]

Am i really the only person in the world who thinks the '81 Final is overrated??

 

The Olsen and Knudsen v Penhall races are both top drawer, but the rest of the racing is pretty mediocre i'd say.

 

Rosey Specs for most i suspect.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

must be i thought it was great at the time and i still do, the atmosphere everything, and the last time you will get nearly 80000 people at a speedway meeting in this country

Edited September 6, 2006 by The Third Man

[norbold]

Am i really the only person in the world who thinks the '81 Final is overrated??

 

The Olsen and Knudsen v Penhall races are both top drawer, but the rest of the racing is pretty mediocre i'd say.

 

Rosey Specs for most i suspect.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No, I agree with you frigbo. The 1981 Final was my 9th World Final - all the Wembley finals from 1963 plus Ullevi, 1971. It was also my last visit to a one-off final. I remember coming home from the meeting thinking that the racing had been nothing special apart from the races you mention. I have been surprised by the praise it has received in subsequent years.

 

I have to say, as an old-timer, that I also prefer the one-off finals. The anticipation leading up to it, the qualifying rounds, the chance of an unfancied rider qualifying. And then, of course, the all-or-nothing aspect of the final itself. The Grand Prix may be a better way of finding the best rider in the world but it just doesn't compare to the excitement of that evening, even the 1981 final!

[stevehone]

Am i really the only person in the world who thinks the '81 Final is overrated??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

nope

 

 

the 54-54 draw between England and USA was much better racing.

 

 

wish i had that on video

Edited September 6, 2006 by stevehone

[Grachan]

For racing, incident and drama, the 1972 Final certainly beats it in my opinion.

[stevehone]

For racing, incident and drama, the 1972 Final certainly beats it in my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

bit too young to remember that one

 

although the result was perfick (the injuries were a big downer though)

[Grachan]

bit too young to remember that one 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Me too. I have it on video!