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Former Crayford Riders


Kent Boy

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All I have is

 

1981 - 1 match ridden, two rides, zero points (Away @ Canterbury on 7/11)

1982 - 1 match ridden, two rides, zero points (Unknown)

 

You can't knock his consistency. :wink:

 

Well, this is certainly news to me..!!!!

Neither could've been League fixtures as Martin Goodwin defo didn't appear for the Kestrels in any NL matches.

Late in November in '81 must have been a leg of the Kent/Herts Trophy: a 'triangle-event' with a traditionally uninspired name involving, er, the two Kent sides and that bunch from Herts!!!

Does seem a tad early in Martin's career though, as he didn't made a pukka debut until Arena Essex did in '84..

We need help from the boyo Williams here...!!! :unsure:

 

EDIT:

Or are we talking about Keith Cornell here..?? He DID have two NL matches in '81 & '82 without scoring. I'm confused!!!!!! ;)

Edited by Parsloes 1928 nearly
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On the subject of the greatest living Kentishman, Sagey..

 

My pal, namesake and near neighbour (he keeps telling people he's my grand-father but then they retort I look older than 'im..!!! :D ), 'Gentleman' George Barclay told me the other day that Alan was round his gaf (as we say here in Dagenham!!!!) the other day fixing, I think it was the boiler..: or perhaps another plumbing job...

 

Am hoping to organise a Crayford reunion (along the lines of the one expertly put together by shazzy bird the season before last..) at the Old Gun Site sometime this summer.

Bryn tells me a regular visitor there is Jack Bibby but that he's lost his flowing locks and so difficult to recognise..

I don't know, premature hair loss..?? Might happen to me one day!!?? :D:D

Edited by Parsloes 1928 nearly
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QUOTE(spin king @ Dec 18 2006, 08:56 PM)

Did Martin Goodwin ever ride for Crayford?

 

Nope!

 

QUOTE(Kent Boy @ Dec 19 2006, 12:32 AM)

If my memory serves me right he had second halves at Canterbury and Crayford without making the first bend :cry: Proves that you can make it after the first bend :rolleyes:

 

quote=KevH,Dec 19 2006, 08:48 PM]

:D To be fair he did actually have two senior appearances for the Kestrels too.

 

Er, this was your posting, Kev following on from the chain above….

Perhaps no wonder that KB and I both assumed you were talking about Martin Goodwin…??!! :unsure:;)

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Which included Brad Dowsett, Richard Newnham, Keith Cornell, Nick Smith and Mark Terry. What ever happened to them :blink:

 

Putting aside the controversy of 'Goodwingate' ;) , there are a few obscure-ish names in that list, KB..!!

 

Here’s a challenge..: what about, whatever happened to the 14 riders in Highwaymen/Kestrels history with three or fewer league appearances..??!

 

You’ve already mentioned Richard Newnham and Keith Cornell with just two official appearances each as Kestrels; as did Richard Willis in ‘75. In the earlier incarnation, someone called Ian Spencer appeared twice for the Highwaymen..: did he pop up later at Kingsmead..??

 

Those with three appearances only are Tony Brooks and three far more famous names: Arthur Price who went onto to win the Second Division Riders champs with Boston; Dingle Brown ( a recent associate of mine in Womble-land but soon, I hear, heading for sunnier climes..!!) and the late Vic Harding.

 

There were a handful riders in Crayford league history with just a solitary appearance to their names. Anyone know what happened to this famous (or maybe not so..!!) five: Peter Gay, Cyril Hathaway, Terry Barclay, Nigel Sparshott and Ian Fletcher. I can fill in details of Terry..: he’s one of the brave boys in blue in Sussex. No, not a Brighton & Hove Albion footballer…!!!!

 

Which leaves just one on the list and this is THE enigma I’ve puzzled over for over thirty years!!

In the Kestrels’ opening two matches in ’75 (away at Crewe, home to Boston) the rider at number seven (scoreless in both matches) was named as Dave Howard.

Yet when the team photo was taken at that same opening NNL home fixture the guy wearing the no. 7 race-jacket is most certainly the rider who appeared there for most of the rest of that opening season, Bill Archer.

 

Whilst I can understand why Howard lost his slot to Archer, I could never fathom out how come the team photo taken that day before the match included Bill and not Dave Howard..!! And I seem to recall when the Star printed the team pic on the inside back cover some weeks later he was named as Howard.

I’ve always wondered, were they, in fact ,one & the same person; and for some reason Archer called himself Howard in those first two matches…!!

Any thoughts..??!!

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On the subject of the greatest living Kentishman, Sagey..

 

My pal, namesake and near neighbour (he keeps telling people he's my grand-father but then they retort I look older than 'im..!!! :D ), 'Gentleman' George Barclay told me the other day that Alan was round his gaf (as we say here in Dagenham!!!!) the other day fixing, I think it was the boiler..: or perhaps another plumbing job...

 

Am hoping to organise a Crayford reunion (along the lines of the one expertly put together by shazzy bird the season before last..) at the Old Gun Site sometime this summer.

Bryn tells me a regular visitor there is Jack Bibby but that he's lost his flowing locks and so difficult to recognise..

I don't know, premature hair loss..??  Might happen to me one day!!?? :D  :D

 

 

I take it this is Jack Bibby Mark Two and not the Australian rider of that name?

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Nigel Sparshott went on to have a good speedway career with numerous clubs before sadly being killed in a car accident. Ian Fletcher had brief spells with Canterbury and Eastbourne. Whatever happened to riders who appeared in more appearances ie Les 'Red' Ott, Richard Davey, JOhn Hooper but were never the highest of scorers.

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Nigel Sparshott rode for Kings Lynn in the top division for some time and was a rider who might have done even better as I think he was held back by using inferior equipment.

Richard Davey was a Kings Lynn trainee who rode numerous matches for Crayford.

Peter Gay was, I think, a Coventry junior when he started out in Speedway along with Les Owen and Wee Bill McGregor.

Jack Bibby was not the same rider who rode for Sheffield in the 40's.

This Jack Bibby was in the same Anglian Junior League team as Nigel Sparshott for Crayford.

Edited by star ghost
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Pete Gay did start with Norm Unger and Wee Mcgregor at Coventry. At sometime, either late 1950s or early 1960s, they also raced in France for the Victor Boston Troupe. They were later followed by George Bason, Pete Rogers, Geoff Harris and Stan Tebby.

 

What's this got to do with Crayford? Well Bason, along with Mick Mitchell and Keith Harvey, I was nonce told, raced 'on a speedway at Crayford' in 1938 or 1939.

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Nigel Sparshott went on to have a good speedway career with numerous clubs before sadly being killed in a car accident. Ian Fletcher had brief spells with Canterbury and Eastbourne. Whatever happened to riders who appeared in more appearances ie Les 'Red' Ott, Richard Davey, John Hooper but were never the highest of scorers.

 

That's awful: I never knew that Nigel had been killed.. When was this??

 

John Hooper was a great fav. of mine back in the late '70s. He actually made 135 appearances for Crayford: his only club, I think... Richard Davey is 4th. in the all-time appearance list, one place ahead of Hooper.

 

'Red' Ott on the other hand, managed only eight appearances for the Kestrels..: memorable more for his name than any exploits on the track... I can't recall Les riding again after that early season spell with Crayford in '75, though he was into other motor sport so maybe that took his attentions..??

 

I’ll ask George, as I understand Ott at the time they rode together for the Kestrels worked for him…

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Nigel was killed about 6 or 7 years ago although im sure somebody has the exact date. John Hooper has been seen watching Whitstable Town in the Kent League as his son is playing for the Under 18 side.Another rider i remember that nobody has mentioned is Garry May who also had a spell with Weymouth.

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1980 Trackstar Anglia Junior League Averages

 

Tony Brooks 13 26 48 2 50 7.69

Chris Tritton 12 22 22 9 31 5.64

Martin Goodwin 10 19 22 2 24 5.05

Also Rode

Mike Pither 2 4 11 0 11 11.00

Paul Hollingsbee 4 8 18 0 18 9.00

Keith Pritchard 1 2 3 1 4 8.00

Jack Bibby 3 6 8 1 9 6.00

Steve Brooker 1 2 1 1 2 4.00

Dean Barton 2 2 0 0 0 0.00

 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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1980 Trackstar Anglia Junior League Averages

Tony Brooks            13  26  48  2  50    7.69

etc., etc.

 

I'm massively impressed KB!!

Have you similar for '83 when the Mighty (Junior) Kestrels actually won this competition..??!!

 

Incidentally, that fella over in Oz surrounded by an ever-growing pile of empty beer-cans, might like to note that his then club managed to track sides in a southern-based Junior League competition WITHOUT putting in established League riders and Kiwi mercenaries and still came out on top..!!??

 

Times sure have changed..!!! ;):lol:

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