Bridson

[dlprezes]

Where they went G. Bridson.

 

dlprezes

[star ghost]

Gerry Bridson who rode for Southampton and Poole I think

[speedyguy]

Gerry Bridson who rode for Southampton and Poole I think

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I think that he may also have riddem at SAL level for Ringwood and Eastbourne? Not certain offhand, but the name rings a bell from my links with that league in the late 1950s.

 

 

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

[chunky]

I think that he may also have riddem at SAL level for Ringwood and Eastbourne? Not certain offhand, but the name rings a bell from my links with that league in the late 1950s.

 

 

You are indeed correct. He rode for Ringwood in 1954 and 1955, with some appearances for Eastbourne in '55 also.

 

Steve

[dlprezes]

You are indeed correct.  He rode for Ringwood in 1954 and 1955, with some appearances for Eastbourne in '55 also.

 

Steve

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He went in WCQR 1959 .

 

dlprezes

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Rode for Young Overseas v Young England 1958 Eastbourne - details at

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/intspeedway/yengvyov.htm

where you will also see that he was a New Zealander

 

Sometimes called Gerry, sometimes Jerry

[speedyguy]

Rode for Young Overseas v Young England 1958 Eastbourne - details at

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/intspeedway/yengvyov.htm

where you will also see that he was a New Zealander

 

Sometimes called Gerry, sometimes Jerry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Yes I remember that match well. Bob Warner was forced into action for Young England using borrowed equioment after Leo McAuliffe broke down on the way to the track. As it turned out, dear old Bob was Young England's match winner.

 

And riding for Young Overseas was one Ivan Mauger!

 

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

Edited October 26, 2007 by speedyguy

[Claremont]

I knew a Gerry Bridson here in Perth years ago. He rode a few seasons at Claremont around the late 60's - early 70's. There was a little bio of him in the local track programme or a magazine back then. I have to rely on my memory about this, so please forgive any wrong info. I think Gerry was actually born in the UK and immigrated to New Zealand in the early 50's. He was a friend of Barry Briggs' and travelled back to the UK with him and had something of a career there as a speedway rider. Sometime later, he moved to Perth, Western Australia and while I don't know much about his involvement in speedway after that, I do remember him making a reappearance at Claremont around the time above....late 60's - early 70's.

 

He sticks in my memory mostly because of two of the funniest things I've ever seen in speedway. The first was of Gerry making a copy book lay down to miss a fallen rider, right outside the pit gates at Claremont. After the race was over and he was walking across the track to the pits, everyone watching from the pits gave him a standing ovation and Gerry stopped and with helmet in one hand and gloves in the other, made a very elaborate bow to us all. I reckon if he had seen it, it would have even cracked the stone-like visage of Chum Taylor!

 

The second story is something that might have been very serious, but turned out to be something else altogether. As he was coming out of the top bend at Claremont, Gerry and a rider named Ian Clifton clashed. Unbeknowst to Gerry, Ian's foot and leg had been picked up by Gerry's rear wheel and been dragged over the tyre and down the mudguard, behind the counter-shaft. We all watched from the pits at the strange sight of two men and two machines locked together and gradually going slower and slower until finally they both stopped and fell in a heap on the track. Gerry said later that he couldn't work out what was wrong with the bike...he was just about screwing the throttle off the handlebars and the bike just keep going slower and slower. Then he turned around and saw Ian, who had somehow been twisted around on his bike into such a position that the handlebars were across his throat and slowly choking him! Amazingly, Ian suffered no serious damage at all. His boot and leathers were nearly worn through, but he had no damage to himself at all. I don't know if Kevlar would stand up to that sort of treatment! lol

[oddfossengen]

I knew a Gerry Bridson here in Perth years ago. He rode a few seasons at Claremont around the late 60's - early 70's. There was a little bio of him in the local track programme or a magazine back then. I have to rely on my memory about this, so please forgive any wrong info. I think Gerry was actually born in the UK and immigrated to New Zealand in the early 50's. He was a friend of Barry Briggs' and travelled back to the UK with him and had something of a career there as a speedway rider. Sometime later, he moved to Perth, Western Australia and while I don't know much about his involvement in speedway after that, I do remember him making a reappearance at Claremont around the time above....late 60's - early 70's.

 

He sticks in my memory mostly because of two of the funniest things I've ever seen in speedway. The first was of Gerry making a copy book lay down to miss a fallen rider, right outside the pit gates at Claremont. After the race was over and he was walking across the track to the pits, everyone watching from the pits gave him a standing ovation and Gerry stopped and with helmet in one hand and gloves in the other, made a very elaborate bow to us all. I reckon if he had seen it, it would have even cracked the stone-like visage of Chum Taylor!

 

The second story is something that might have been very serious, but turned out to be something else altogether. As he was coming out of the top bend at Claremont, Gerry and a rider named Ian Clifton clashed. Unbeknowst to Gerry, Ian's foot and leg had been picked up by Gerry's rear wheel and been dragged over the tyre and down the mudguard, behind the counter-shaft. We all watched from the pits at the strange sight of two men and two machines locked together and gradually going slower and slower until finally they both stopped and fell in a heap on the track. Gerry said later that he couldn't work out what was wrong with the bike...he was just about screwing the throttle off the handlebars and the bike just keep going slower and slower. Then he turned around and saw Ian, who had somehow been twisted around on his bike into such a position that the handlebars were across his throat and slowly choking him! Amazingly, Ian suffered no serious damage at all. His boot and leathers were nearly worn through, but he had no damage to himself at all. I don't know if Kevlar would stand up to that sort of treatment! lol

gerry now lives in the channel islands and i last saw him at maury mattingleys funnneral last year but is alive and well

[Mimmo]

Sadly, Gerry died on the 24 December 2018.