A Legend Amongst Legends - An Ace Amongst Aces

[Ron Butler]

Here is the best brief biography I have read of a man it was my privilege to watch on many occasions.

 

 

http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6499...rderField=alpha

 

 

There you have a man who could teach many riders of today a great deal - starting with an ongoing demonstration of real and true sportsmanship.

 

Ron.

[speedyguy]

Here is the best brief biography I have read of a man it was my privilege to watch on many occasions.

http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6499...rderField=alpha

There you have a man who could teach many riders of today a great deal - starting with an ongoing demonstration of real and true sportsmanship.

 

Ron.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would love to find out what this is all about. It look intriguing. When I click on the link however it appears to just be a membership application for the Oxford Library.

 

More guidance please.

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

[norbold]

Same here.

[blocktread]

And 'ere

[salty]

Come on Ron tell us who it is!

[speedyguy]

Come on Ron tell us who it is!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

I am glad to see that I am not alone in trying to find out what the original posting is all about.

 

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Edited September 25, 2007 by speedyguy

[BOBBATH]

Greetings from Canada--same for me-who is it Ron-my guess is Peter Craven?

[Ron Butler]

My sincere apologies, guys - slipped up big time there! The article - a biography - is taken from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. You can subscribe to this online by paying a fee. On the other hand if, like me, you're thrifty, [aka tight-fisted], you can gain free admittance simply by typing your library card number, without spaces, into the appropriate box

 

Congratulations, Bobbath!. The subject is Peter Craven. You have won a major prize. You have won a season ticket to Blackpool eliminations. Now, here by courtesy of the dynamic duo, I Kutt and E Paysts, is the article:

 

 

Craven, Peter Theodore (1934–1963), speedway rider, was born at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital, Liverpool, on 21 June 1934, the second son of Benjamin Harold Craven (1902–1999), master window cleaner, later biscuit packing-machine operator, and his wife, Edna May, née Stevens (1905–1976), florist, of 24 Prestbury Road, West Derby, Liverpool. He was one of twins, though the other died aged three-and-a-half; he also had an elder brother and four sisters. After attending Ranworth Square infant and junior schools, Norris Green, and then Abbotsford Road senior school, he entered Walton Technical College at the age of thirteen.

 

Craven first rode a speedway motorcycle the day after his sixteenth birthday, in 1950, when he borrowed his brother Brian's machine at the newly reopened Stanley Park stadium in Liverpool. He crashed after a dozen laps, sustaining concussion, but returned to the saddle several months later at Ainsdale Sands practice circuit for training under one of the team sponsors of the Liverpool Chads, the former rider Charlie Oates, at whose Liverpool garage Craven worked as a motorcycle mechanic. After progressing he made eight appearances for Liverpool in division two in 1951, and the following year five appearances apiece for Liverpool and, after the Chads went defunct, for the first division Belle Vue Aces of the Zoological Gardens, Hyde Road, Manchester. After a brief spell with Fleetwood, Craven joined Belle Vue officially in 1953; he travelled from army camp at weekends in the course of the first of his two years of national service in order to fulfil twelve league appearances in that year for the Aces.

 

Though Craven's raw talent was obvious, at this stage ‘the problem with the wee fellow was that he could not stop falling off’ (Rogers, 87). But guided by the Belle Vue manager, Johnnie Hoskins, the New Zealander who had introduced speedway to Britain in 1928, and equipped with machinery which his father had worked overtime for four years to provide, he improved hugely in 1954. He twice broke the Belle Vue lap record and qualified for the individual world final, the first of his ten successive appearances, though after falling in his first ride he scored three points, finishing only above another débutant, the later multiple world champion and legendary Swedish rider Ove Fundin. Out of uniform Craven's ascent was complete. He rode in all twenty-four of Belle Vue's matches in 1955, topping the club's averages for the first of nine successive seasons, and replaced the great Jack Parker as the team's ace as they finished runners-up in the league. Craven again broke the Manchester track record, and caused a sensation at the end of that season when as a rank outsider and at the age of only twenty-one he won the world title on 15 September before a crowd of 54,000 at Wembley Stadium.

 

Craven finished fourth when defending the title in 1956, after unluckily blowing a motor while leading in his second ride, but won his first Golden Helmet match race title, awarded on a challenge basis to the best rider in the domestic leagues. At the end of that season, on 17 October 1956, he married at St Lawrence's Church, Kirkdale, Brenda Pauline Williams (b. 1934), a typist, the daughter of Arthur Williams, a freight clerk; they had a son and a daughter, born in 1957 and 1961 respectively. In the winter of 1956–7 Craven went on a honeymoon tour of South Africa, where he was outstandingly successful, breaking numerous track records and winning the prestigious West Rand title. He returned for the 1957 season an improved rider for his experience on different surfaces, but was disappointed to finish third in the world championship after finishing joint top scorer, with Ove Fundin and the great New Zealander Ronnie Moore, but last of the three in the consequent run-off heat. Having finished fourth in 1958, and third again in 1960, Craven won the world championship for a second time on 8 September 1962 in front of 62,000 spectators at Wembley.

 

Craven first rode for England in 1954, and was the country's top scorer in the series of annual tests against Australasia held between that year and 1960; he also proved almost unbeatable in tests against Poland in 1958 and 1960. Representing England (after 1962, Britain) in the world team cup inaugurated in 1960, Craven was also the side's top scorer in 1960 and 1961. In a total of forty-seven career internationals, he amassed 621 points at an incredible 13.2 average, top-scoring for his country in ten of the fourteen series. Among the myriad domestic titles and trophies which Craven also accumulated were the Golden Helmet match race title (variously between 1956 and 1963), the British championship (1962, 1963), the Champagne Derby (1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960), Pride of the Midlands (1957, 1959), the Kings of Oxford trophy (1957, 1961, 1962), Pride of the East (1958, 1959, 1961), the Northern cup (1959), the CTS trophy (1959), the Tom Farndon memorial trophy (1959, 1960, 1961), the Champion of Champions cup (1959), the Internationale Derby (1959), the Metropolitan cup (1960), and Best Pairs (with Gerald Jackson, 1962). As well as the league title in 1963, his Belle Vue side won the national trophy in 1958 and the Britannia trophy in 1957, 1958, and 1960, with Craven making a total of 218 appearances and scoring 2318 points. He was one of the ‘big five’ world riders, and the only Englishman, to ride off the maximum 20 yard handicap introduced in the British leagues in 1962.

 

In 1963 Belle Vue finally broke the stranglehold of the metropolitan clubs Wimbledon and Wembley and won the national league, but their success that season was eclipsed by one of speedway's greatest tragedies. On Friday 20 September Craven was racing for the Aces in a challenge match at the Old Meadowbank stadium in Edinburgh. In heat twelve, having already won his first three heats in style, Craven lined up with his Belle Vue team-mate Billy Powell against the Edinburgh riders George Hunter and Willie Templeton. Hunter had a slight lead over Craven on the first bend of the second lap when his engine seized, locking the rear wheel, and as he tried to swerve Craven clipped Hunter's machine and crashed heavily into the safety fence. He was rushed to Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary, where he lay unconscious in an iron lung, his wife at his bedside, until his death at 9.10 p.m. on the following Tuesday, 24 September 1963. The cause of death was certified as severe head and brain stem injuries. There was a large attendance and over 250 wreaths were received at Craven's funeral; he was buried on 30 September at the West Derby cemetery, Liverpool. His brother, Brian, then riding for the Newcastle Diamonds, retired from speedway. Some thirty years later, on 11 April 1992, Craven's widow, Brenda, married his former friend and pit helper, Leon Leat.

 

Peter Craven was arguably the country's best ever speedway rider, and, of the five Englishmen to win the individual world championship since its inauguration in 1936, the only one to do so twice. Unusually diminutive, at 5 feet 2 inches and under 8 stone, he also differed from most racers of his era in that he rarely drank, never smoked, and went regularly to the gym. But Craven's real distinction was his fearlessness, fine throttle control, and exceptional balance, permitting a daring and spectacular style which was hugely popular with fans both at home and abroad, by whom he was known variously as the Mighty Atom, the Pocket Rocket, and, most appositely, the Wizard of Balance. Off the track he was known for his gentle manners, modesty, and kindness to fans and fellow riders, and it was universally noted that he died trying to avoid another rider. His name was immortalized in the sport's Peter Craven memorial trophy, raced for annually at Belle Vue and presented by his widow, Brenda, and the Craven shield, the prestigious knock-out trophy for which British speedway's élite teams have competed since its inception in 1997. A plaque in his memory was unveiled in a ceremony at the Old Meadowbank stadium, Edinburgh, on 7 March 1998.

 

S. A. Skinner

 

 

Hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I did. It was always a privilege to watch Peter in action. A legend amongst legends. An ace amongst many Aces. His true greatness, though, lay in his natural humility.

 

Ron.

Edited September 25, 2007 by Ron Butler

[speedyguy]

Thanks Ron. Quite agree that Peter Craven was indeed one of the true greats of speedway. Thanks for helping those who could 'crash' the site you posted.

 

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

[colin]

I always remember seeing his name in the Oxford programme as the Oxford track record holder 63 seconds if I recall correctly & set in the year he passed away. Think it was never beaten, would have loved to have seen him race.

 

Colin

[BOBBATH]

Hi Ronbutler-takes a Canuck to get this right!!!!I know you said my prize was a ticket to the Blackpool ELIMINATIONS-but I think you must have meant(hopefully) the Blackpool ILLUMINATIONS-the Blackpool eliminations are something to do with going to the washroom(toilet). Either way see you at Oxford speedway someday mate!!!!!

[Jeff.]

 

Craven lined up with his Belle Vue team-mate Billy Powell against the Edinburgh riders George Hunter and

Willie Templeton.

 

 

Ron.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Quite a good little potted history Ron, although it wasn't actually Templeton in the heat it was Dudley McKean. Question is did Craven start fro scratch or nor?!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited September 26, 2007 by Jeff.

[norbold]

Don't start that again!

 

Anyway, Dudley McKean wasn't in the race - he was watching from the centre green. George Hunter's partner was Willie Templeton. See here. In particular the last entry on the first page from Dud McKean's son.

Edited September 26, 2007 by norbold

[Ron Butler]

Hi Ronbutler-takes a Canuck to get this right!!!!I know you said my prize was a ticket  to the Blackpool ELIMINATIONS-but I think you must have meant(hopefully) the Blackpool ILLUMINATIONS-the Blackpool eliminations are something to do with going to the washroom(toilet). Either way see you at Oxford speedway someday mate!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Bob,

 

I said 'eliminations' and I meant...........eliminations. You can apply your own interpretation to it but if you knew Blackpool at this time of year.............!

 

Ron.

[Al Stewart]

Quite a good little potted history Ron

 

It's more than quite good, it is outstandingly good.

[Ron Butler]

It's more than quite good, it is outstandingly good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

All credit must be given to S. A. Skinner. I just stumbled across it whilst browsing the ODNB website.

 

I thought it worth sharing with my fellow Belle Vue supporters, and with the wider speedway fellowship on here.

 

Ron.

Edited September 27, 2007 by Ron Butler

[Dean]

Its a great article, worthy of a true legend. Being too young i never got to see the mighty atom at hyde road, but ive been imformed many times by my dad that he was quite simply awesome. Britians greatest speedway rider, yeah you better believe it..The sad thing is, some of our current side dont deserve to wear our famous jacket.

[spin king]

Its a great article, worthy of a true legend. Being too young i never got to see the mighty atom at hyde road, but ive been imformed many times by my dad that he was quite simply awesome. Britians greatest speedway rider, yeah you better believe it..The sad thing is, some of our current side dont deserve to wear our famous jacket.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Like Dean I was born in 1964, so I never got too see the Great Peter Craven, but my Dad used to tell me all about him, and somewhere in there house they have a photo of Peter.

Great article Ron and one that throughly enjoyed reading.

[iron mike]

It's more than quite good, it is outstandingly good.

I can confirm that the book is an excellent read. Unfortunately I didn't start going to speedway until 1965, so I never saw the Great man ride. For those of you good people out there who would like to see some film of him in action, it is included on a set of DVD's by Roy Nicholl entitled, "Aces of Yesteryear". There isn't a huge ammount, but as they say, something is better than nothing! Regards to you all.

[Linda Mckean]

Hi all new to site from Australia Perth Western Australia and I'm DUDLEY MCKEANS daughter Linda just wanted to know if you all wanted some pictures put up of the old boy dad has now passed on to the great oval track in the sky two years ago he died of a heart attack in his sleep so at least it was peaceful for him it was on Fathers Day that I found him. But i can post pic of his good old days let me know and i will thanks all