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Wimbledon Memories


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On 2/28/2022 at 1:46 PM, JohnHyam said:

Who won the first ever race at Wimbledon's opening speedway meeting in 1929?

 

 

As andout says, the first meeting at Wimbledon was in 1928, 28 May (Whit Monday). I don't know who won the first race but there is a great description of the evening's Gold Helmet final, in the Speedway News:

"As two riders, one wearing red and the other yellow, tore to the front, a startled gasp went up from the thousands of spectators: "Would they weather the bend?" Even while the question was being asked, a figure in blue tore through on the inside of the track and passed the leaders like a flash of light. Desperately Lamont and Huxley attempted to hold off the challenger. Three determined riders broadsided in a terrifying manner round the bend and into the back straight. Neck-and-neck Frank Arthur and Billy Lamont drove their screaming motors up the straight with Vic Huxley only a few feet behind."

Speedway was, of course very much in its infancy in Britain at the time, so this could have been the most exciting race ever seen up to that point. Sadly, Lamont blew a tyre, though he continued with the race, while Arthur and Huxley continued their battle, with Arthur just proving the victor. The fourth rider was Cec Brown who passed Lamont following the latter's blown tyre.

The final event of the evening saw Vic Huxley beating Roger Frogley 2-1 in a series of match races.

Other events that evening included the Wimbledon Handicap, won by Frank Arthur from Jim Kempster and Eric Spencer, and the Sidecar Scratch, won by Freddie Brackpool. Jack Parker also rode in the meeting, which was held before a crowd of 11,000.

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19 hours ago, JohnHyam said:

Over its many seasons how many brothers rode for Wimbledon?

Excuse me for part answering my own query. In the 1950s possibly Dick and Basil Harris?

Edited by Guest
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On 3/3/2022 at 3:45 PM, chunky said:

For a start...

Roger, Peter, and Alan Johns

Jamie and Jeremy Luckhurst

Tommy and Bo Jansson

Bob and Eric Dugard

Kelvin and Neville Tatum

In the 1950s rider Cyril Brine's brother Ted (?) was involved in team management.

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On 3/4/2022 at 6:36 PM, JohnHyam said:

In the 1950s rider Cyril Brine's brother Ted (?) was involved in team management.

Yes, Ted was team manager, but you asked how many "rode" for Wimbledon.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Just looking through some old programmes, and one from the poor 1937 season is intriguing

Ronnie Greene's first at Plough Lane got off to a disastrous start with the Dons rooted to the bottom of the league. It mentions that he turned to Max Grosskreutz for help !!!

Max had retired the previous season and i think was managing Norwich at the time. No mention as far as i can see in any of the books n the Dons. I wonder what sort of assistance Max was giving the team ? Mechanical help is my first thought, as i think he was fairly good at least in some aspects . Anyone know ?

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Another question

I see there was a Jack Hobbs Trophy meeting

Now i have never heard of him, not being a cricket fan. So looked him up and he was one of the greatest ever in that sport. Seems like he lived locally. Clapham Common  etc. Just wondering if this meeting was a one off or whether it was held on a few ocassions ?

Second thoughts. Took a look on speedway researcher and guess it was a one off

Edited by iris123
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1 hour ago, iris123 said:

Another question

I see there was a Jack Hobbs Trophy meeting

Now i have never heard of him, not being a cricket fan. So looked him up and he was one of the greatest ever in that sport. Seems like he lived locally. Clapham Common  etc. Just wondering if this meeting was a one off or whether it was held on a few ocassions ?

Second thoughts. Took a look on speedway researcher and guess it was a one off

Must admit, I'd never heard of that! I looked, and it's mentioned here...

http://www.guskuhn.net/GKuhn/Wimbledon/WimbledonSpeedway.htm

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On 4/7/2022 at 6:03 PM, chunky said:

Must admit, I'd never heard of that! I looked, and it's mentioned here...

http://www.guskuhn.net/GKuhn/Wimbledon/WimbledonSpeedway.htm

Browsing the newspaper archive, there are several Jack Hobbs Trophies - greyhound racing (throughout the 1930s), cricket (of course), and the Wimbledon Speedway Championship in 1935.

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8 hours ago, Midland Red said:

Browsing the newspaper archive, there are several Jack Hobbs Trophies - greyhound racing (throughout the 1930s), cricket (of course), and the Wimbledon Speedway Championship in 1935.

Would the Greyhound meetings also be at Wimbledon ?

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2 hours ago, JohnHyam said:

Wal Morton rode for Wimbledon pre- and post war. Did any other rider also do this?

Not Wimbledon related but besides his pre- and post-war Wimbledon stints Wal Morton also rode more than twice in various seasons for West Ham and Norwich pre- and post-war.

Edited by Guest
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59 minutes ago, JohnHyam said:

Wal Morton rode for Wimbledon pre- and post war. Did any other rider also do this?

You asked that question last month, and nobody knows of any...

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