Issue 18

[djp]

Received issue 18 this morning and very pleased to see an article on Ray Wilson which was long overdue.Enjoyed many nights at Blackbird Road watching Ray,JB and the many other great riders the Lions had.For what he did for England it should be Sir Ray.

[TonyMac]

Glad you enjoyed the interview with Ray - a genuine English speedway legend in a world where the term is thrown around too easily.

 

For those whose copy hasn't yet arrived, and for non-subscribers who don't know what they're missing(!), here's an outline of what Issue 18 has to offer...

 

 

 

MAIN MAN – RAY WILSON

He was England’s first World Cup hero, former national captain and the pride of Leicester Lions. Now Ray Wilson looks back on the highlights of his illustrious career at the top in this exclusive interview with Ray from his Leicester home.

 

Ray, 60, reflects on what he calls the "defining meeting of his career", when he was called up as the unsung member of Great Britain’s 1971 World Team Cup squad and ended that famous day in Poland as a national hero and the enduring nickname of ‘World Cup Willie’. But for a rider of his class, Ray admits he should have done better than a best-ever fourth in the World Final. Read why the memory of Gothenburg ’71 still troubles him.

 

He looks back at what it meant to be the home-town hero at Leicester, where he skippered the team for most of his nine seasons at Blackbird Road. What were those hard-fought, Leicester-Coventry derby matches really like from the riders’ perspective? Ray talks candidly, too, about the problems caused by working for his father, promoter Ron Wilson, and how their relationship sometimes became strained.

 

Ray also reveals why he finally decided to retire from racing after a bad crash while riding for Birmingham in 1979.

 

Our lead columnist JOHN BERRY also gives us his take on the fiercely patriotic and loyal Ray Wilson and gives his reasons why he rated him a genuine superstar of his generation.

 

If you can’t get enough of Ray Wilson, you may also like to check out our sister publication, Vintage Speedway Magazine, where ‘Willie’ talks about his early racing days with Long Eaton in the 60s, as well as the people who helped him to reach the top.

 

DEFUNCT TRACK: LONG EATON

The Nottinghamshire track has endured a chequered existence and in this issue we re-visit what was once home to the Archers, Outlaws and Invaders from the early 70s until the track’s unfortunate closure in 1997. Geoff Bouchard, Alan Molyneux, Dave Perks, Richard Hellsen, Jan Staechmann and Carl Stonehewer are all covered and if you can bare it, there are pictures of the derelict Station Road site today.

 

Plus exclusive, new interviews with:

 

JAN ANDERSSON

The cool Swede would have been World Champion had the title ever been officially raced for indoors, either on ice or concrete, but here we must also recognise that Jan was a big star with both Swindon and, in particular, Reading, where he spent his British League days and won a championship medal in 1980. On the international scene, Jan reached his peak when his country was in the doldrums in the early 80s – and, as he explains, the national federation did little to help the cause.

 

TOMMY JOHANSSON

Another former Swedish international star who sparkled then fizzled out too quickly in the years before Jan Andersson emerged, Tommy looks back on his time with Newport, Ipswich and Hull in the BL and wonders what might have been. Especially if a wild Russian hadn’t managed to almost wipe him out in the 1974 World Final on home soil after he had already beaten Ivan Mauger! Tommy’s career was seriously disrupted by a mystery illness that, today, he knows was stress-related.

 

BERNIE COLLIER

Talking of illness, former Middlesbrough and Newcastle favourite Bernie Collier reveals why he considers himself lucky to be alive. The 1981 National League title winner with the Tigers from Teesside explains about the serious illness that has left him with epilepsy and unable to work.

 

JERZY SZCZAKIEL

Almost everybody said he was lucky to the 1973 World Championship from Ivan Mauger after the mighty Kiwi crashed in the decisive run-off at Katowice. . . and now Jerzy himself has admitted to Backtrack: "I was lucky on that day." Read what Poland’s only individual World Champion says about the greatest day in his life and what happened to him afterwards.

 

BOB YOUNG

The tall Aussie, who started at second division Reading and became a firm favourite and No.1 points scorer for Rayleigh Rockets, on why he regrets having started speedway so late.

 

ALAN KNAPKIN

He once rubbed shoulders with Manchester United’s Busby Babes, went on to become a speedway star at Bradford and then experienced tough times on the other side of the fence as promoter. His riders even went on strike!

 

TONY FEATHERSTONE

Whatever happened to this lively East Anglian character who hit the heights with Boston, Bradford and Peterborough before less successful spells with Hackney, Crayford, Milton Keynes and Long Eaton.

 

IN MY DAY: MARTIN ROGERS

The former Leicester, King’s Lynn and Peterborough boss is first under the spotlight in our new series where a former promoter looks back on his time in the sport. Who was the big name star he most regrets not signing?

 

Plus…

 

Tribute to the late JOHN SMITH, EASTBOURNE DVD review and the latest questions in our MASTERMIND quiz.

 

And colour pictures of:

Barry Thomas, Lance King, Troy Butler and John Barker.

Edited February 9, 2007 by tmc

[TonyMac]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THOSE ***@!!! PRINTERS!

 

Before anybody else tells us, it's come to our attention that there is a bad printing error on page 28 of this issue, where the intro to the Bernie Collier interview from page 26 has, inexplicably, been repeated on page 28.

 

We have checked our original file and the interview flows as it should do, but something has gone horribly wrong between here and the printers.

 

We can only apologise for this and say that we will include the 'missing' half page of the Collier interview in our next issue, whcih will be out relatively shortly in early March.

 

In the meantime, for those who can't wait that long, here (below) is the missing text that should have appeared on the left-hand side of p28...

 

Sincere apologies for having spoiled your enjoyment.

 

I'm seething, but I suppose worse things happen at sea (and printers)!

 

________________________

 

didn’t ride because he had booked his flight back to Australia and I had a nightmare because I’d twisted my knee. If that hadn’t happened to me, I’m sure we would have won the league.”

 

Throughout his career Bernie doubled up with parent club Belle Vue in the top flight, and he was proud to be associated with the famous Aces.

 

“Hyde Road was the racing track,” he said. “I rode in the very last meeting there and that was very sad. I’d started my career there – it was heartbreaking knowing that the bulldozers were more or less waiting in the car park to knock the place down.

 

“I enjoyed working with Eric Boocock at Belle Vue. He looked after me and, in fact, he got me a job in the circus during the close season. I was on the high wire! No, not really, I used to operate one of the spotlights.

 

“Unfortunately Booey didn’t get on with Stuart Bamforth so he left almost straight after Bammy arrived. That was a shame but I was a good friend of Stuart’s.”

 

Bernie was never a superstar during his riding days, but he was a dedicated team man who always gave 100 per cent.

 

But his battles on the track paled into significance compared to the one he found himself fighting in retirement.

 

SERIOUSLY ILL

 

“I was seriously ill about 10 years ago," he explained. “I had a brain abscess. I hadn’t felt well for a while and it started to get worse.

 

“I used to get a paper every day but it got to the stage where they were all stacked up because I didn’t have the concentration to read them.

 

“One day a friend came round, took one look at me and phoned an ambulance. When I got to hospital they asked me to put my fingers to my nose but I was nowhere near – my co-ordination

had gone.

 

“I had a scan and they told me it was bad news. They told me they had found a growth and I asked them how big it was. They said it didn’t matter how big it was, but where it was.

 

“Eventually I got them to tell me. They said it was the size of a nectarine. I said what’s one of those?!

 

“It was full of poison and they told me that, if it burst, I would probably die of meningitis. The pain was unbelievable and I was being sick all the time. Bright lights made it 10 times worse.”

 

A scan after his first brain op revealed that not all the abscess had been taken away, so surgeons had to open him up again – this time at the back of his skull, a particularly tricky place to perform surgery.

 

Even then there was more to come. The abscess shifted and that meant a third visit to the operating table was necessary.

 

The surgery that finally did the trick involved surgeons drilling into the back of Bernie’s head – while he was still awake!

 

You’d better skip this paragraph if you’re squeamish, because Bernie explained: “I could hear a crunching sound at the back of my skull where the drill was going in.

 

“I was talking to people all the way through and I wasn’t even frightened, although I got a bit shaky when the surgeon said ‘we’re nearly there’.”

 

This time the op was a total success and the poison was drained away. “I’d never felt pain like it,” admitted Bernie, "but about an hour after the operation I was up and walking around."

 

Soon afterwards Bernie was given the all-clear, although he explained: “They told me there was a 20 per cent chance I’d be epileptic.

 

“Unfortunately I am, which is a bit of a bastard! I’ve had seizures and I’ll have to take tablets for the rest of my life.

 

“I was in hospital for two months and it was a couple of years before I was right again. But, as Mike Spink said to me, I always was daft!

 

“And I’m still here! All my arms and legs work and I’m happy as I am. I can’t work but I just get on with it. I’ve got a good standard of life and I look forward to the future.

 

“I see people in wheelchairs and hear about people who have died and I think ‘that could have been me’. I’m the luckiest lad.”

Edited February 9, 2007 by tmc

[KenB1]

This must be the best mag out by far, brings back fantastic memories, only problem with it is it makes me feel so blooming old!

[JC!]

This must be the best mag out by far, brings back fantastic memories, only problem with it is it makes me feel so blooming old!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Especially trying to dust off the grey matter and do the quiz!

[Kent Boy]

Would love to email Bernie Collier has anyone got an address for him?

[Liontamer]

Thank you for the Ray Wilson interview. I'm not ashamed to say he was my first real sporting hero. He was the sportsman who I most wanted to emulate & he inspired me to try my hand at speedway. I bought the leathers off him that he wore when he lead England to victory in the world cup at Wembley & I wore them with pride as I wobbled round trying to be a proper speedway rider even when I used to get booed at Coventry lol. My biggest regret is selling them.

 

Thank you Ray for being my hero & an inspiration, you are a true legend & you are still my hero.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Liontamer

[tiger74]

This must be the best mag out by far, brings back fantastic memories, only problem with it is it makes me feel so blooming old!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Totally agree this mag is fantastic and is now my only contact with speedway, i find todays speedway completely boring and this coming from someone who used to go to 4 tracks a week in the 70s , Too many bl---y foreigners here with scrabble word names no wonder England dont win, sorry GB . anyway back to the good times what about a story on Bob Valentine i know he had some sort of accident but has any other rider gone from a 9 point man to virtual novice so quick

[Chris-P]

Thank you for the Ray Wilson interview. I'm not ashamed to say he was my first real sporting hero. He was the sportsman  who I most wanted to emulate & he inspired me to try my hand at speedway. I bought the leathers off him that he wore when he lead England to victory in the world cup at Wembley & I wore them with pride as I wobbled round trying to be a proper speedway rider even when I used to get booed at Coventry lol. My biggest regret is selling them.

 

Thank you Ray for being my hero & an inspiration, you are a true legend & you are still my hero. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ray Wison was my boyhood hero too. I made a return to folowing speedway 4 years ago after a 30 odd year absence, and my first meeting after all those years bought the memories flooding back, i often take any opportunity to bang on about Ray to my new speedway friends, and im sure most of it goes over their heads with respect to how big a rider he was in those days, and not enough has been documented about him, im really glad that this article has put that to rights, and also the article in vintage, im now goin to try and obtain copies of both, even if it means a subscription.

I have just bought a bike and plan to live out my fantasy of tootling round a track soon, and then show the bike in the future.

I would dearly love to write or email Ray, would anyone have an adress or email at all ?

Chris-P ( Bring back the Leicester Lions) !

[uk_martin]

The fans of Birmingham Brummies have lots to thank Ray Wilson for, as well as the fellow fans of Leicester. Ray was instrumental in pulling the Brummies out of the "First Division" doldrums by their bootlaces.

 

Ray has many friends in Birmingham, and we all hope that he will be there on our Opening Night on 21 March, to celebrate our return.