Rider Fashion

[asturmer]

I,m sure the spectacular Mike Broadbanks wore red leathers when everyone else was in black!!

[spin king]

Was not Frank Varey the first to where no black leathers, sure his nickname was the red devil.

[chunky]

Frank Varey was dubbed the "Red Devil" by the Argentinian press during tours there in the early 30's.

 

The reason was his red painted machine.

 

This storey was related to me by another member of the tour party Sid Newiss

 

I never saw him race and have only seen black and white photos but I do not believe he wore red leathers; at least not on a regular basis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I believe that to be the case also.

 

Steve

[spin king]

Frank Varey was dubbed the "Red Devil" by the Argentinian press during tours there in the early 30's.

 

The reason was his red painted machine.

 

This storey was related to me by another member of the tour party Sid Newiss

 

I never saw him race and have only seen black and white photos but I do not believe he wore red leathers; at least not on a regular basis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You are probably right about Frank, I did know that there was a story about the Argies calling him the Red Devil, but I could not quite remember how the nickname came about.

[Brian Hamilton]

When Barry Briggs joined the Saints he wore a black and white jumper over his leathers.  Some Saints fans decided to knit him a new one in red and white.  Unfortunately, his wearing of the red and white jumper seemed to spark a run of bad luck for him and he ceremoniously set fire to the jumper - on the centre green if I recall correctly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Old Saint,

If I remember correctly, when I was a lad in about 1958/59 I read somewhere that Barry Briggs used to train with Millwall Football Club and supersticiously wore a Football boot on his right foot when riding.

 

Any thoughts on this one?

 

Brian

[star ghost]

I thought he trained with Chelsea. His big mate was David Webb.

[star ghost]

Simmo wore "Kawasaki Green" leathers when with Kings Lynn for a time.

[FAST GATER]

I know that he never raced in it but Jack Millen used wear a cape on his parade laps at Crewe ( think he had a crown on aswell) only he would get away with it .How we miss these characters in the sport today Sky would lap it up Millian the Villian you can just see the head lines now .

[Barcroftlad]

Ken le Breton,the White Ghost, was probably the first to breakaway from the norm with his white leathers,probably about 1950-51. Arthur Forrest at Halifax in the early '50's was known as the Black Prince. His black leathers were so shiny they might have been patent leather. As a teen I earned my pocket money by cleaning the riding leathers of Norman Hargreaves,captain of Fleetwood Flyers. Try as I might, I could never match the shine on Arthurs leathers. Norman was one of natures gentlemen who died in 2003 aged 90.Cheers.

[Old Saint]

Old Saint,

If I remember correctly, when I was a lad in about 1958/59 I read somewhere that Barry Briggs used to train with Millwall Football Club and supersticiously wore a Football boot on his right foot when riding.

 

Any thoughts on this one?

 

Brian

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I am afraid that I cannot comment on that one as it was before Briggo joined the Saints. I cannot recall seeing him wearing anything other than normal speedway boots. To be honest, he was usually riding too fast to be able to notice his boots anyway

 

Possibly a Dons fan could help out on this question?

[norbold]

Ken le Breton,the White Ghost, was probably the first to breakaway from the norm with his white leathers,probably about 1950-51. A

Yes, and also Merv Harding, the Red Devil, at about the same time with his red leathers.

[tele52]

He may well have worn black leathers at Wembley in 1972, but he definitely wore them in 1969.

 

Steve

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are correct Ivan wore black in 1969 but his first venture into coloured leathers in the Uk was at the Wills Internationale at Wimbledon, a meeting won by Trevor Hedge.

I remember comments from the crowd because of the colours in the leathers.

Briggo was also wearing coloured leathers at the same meeting.

Pictures in the 1970 Speedway Star Parade book show the leathers but unfortunately in B/w.

 

Ronnie Moore wore black leathers with a double red stripe down the leg and yellow stars on the sleeves

In the same book there is a picture of Graham Plant in what looks like the Leicester team leathers of Yellow or Gold top and Red bottom half

 

So in one way or another colour was certainly starting to come in in 1969

[sandman]

nobody has mentioned that in the 70's the proliferation of the Ian Dury & the Blockheads look hair cuts.. that.. was chillin cool... polyester suits, platform shoes.. kinda oils up the ol insides doesnt it..

Edited December 21, 2007 by sandman

[Killer Cat from Mars]

All the Aces turned out in silver team leathers i think it was in 77, didn't last long tho

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I believe the leathers were donated by a sponsor - the story I have heard is that they were worn until PC injured his foot on the drain cover at Hyde Road just before the World Final in '77, and the leathers were then considered unlucky and all the riders got rid of them. Someone told me that the riders were actually presented with them at that match, which makes them a one match wonder, but I don't know if that is true. That was also the year that a competition winner in the Manchester Evening News designed a dreadful body colour that the Aces were saddled with all year. The riders and fans hated it!! Do you remember, the one with the diagonal stripe, and the Ace on one side and the number on the other.....urghh!!

[chunky]

You are correct Ivan wore black in 1969 but his first venture into coloured leathers in the Uk was at the Wills Internationale at Wimbledon, a meeting won by Trevor Hedge.

 

Ah, Trevor's finest moment... It was just that I wanted to clarify that Ivan wore black leathers at the World Final.

 

Pictures in the 1970 Speedway Star Parade book show the leathers but unfortunately in B/w.

 

Ronnie Moore wore black leathers with a double red stripe down the leg and yellow stars on the sleeves

 

So did Maido. Ronnie was more commonly seen with the two yellow/one red stripes on both arms and legs, as shown on pages 18, 36, and 79 in the above book. Briggo also wore them occasionally (p18 and p76), and so did Hasse Holmkvist (p40) and Geoff Maloney (p51). They weren't uncommon at the time, and I thought they looked pretty smart.

 

Steve

[spinkox]

It was just that I wanted to clarify that Ivan wore black leathers at the World Final.

 

Steve

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Didnt Ivan wear black leathers for his last World Final for good luck - when everyone else wore coloured??

[chunky]

Didnt Ivan wear black leathers for his last World Final for good luck - when everyone else wore coloured??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

His last World Final was in 1979 (which he won, of course), and he wore coloured leathers then.

 

Steve

[Guest Steve Dixon]

Didnt Ivan wear black leathers for his last World Final for good luck - when everyone else wore coloured??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was for the 72 final.

[tele52]

[so did Maido. Ronnie was more commonly seen with the two yellow/one red stripes on both arms and legs, as shown on pages 18, 36, and 79 in the above book. Briggo also wore them occasionally (p18 and p76), and so did Hasse Holmkvist (p40) and Geoff Maloney (p51). They weren't uncommon at the time, and I thought they looked pretty smart.

 

Steve

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes you are quite correct and I agree Steve,they did look good. I also believe the whole Wimbledon team had the " Stars and Stripes" at one time and coupled with the famous Wimbledon body colour they too looked good.

Unfortunatly body colours today with the sponsors logos etc don't have the same effect

[T Jugg]

I remember the whole Poole team being equipped for one season with blue leathers. It must have been in the late 60s or very early 70s. Has anyone a clue as to which year it was? Unfortunately most of the photos of that era were in black and white so no clues there! They wore blue and white squared football type shirts in the early 60s and striped shirts in the British League in the mid 60s.