What A Sweat-also Ken Vale.

[BOBBATH]

Thank God the site is back up-I thought it was gone forever-I kept trying to sign on and was really sweating it.I would really miss this site as I greatly enjoy other folks reminiscences who share the same interest in old time(50's-60's) speedway, particularly the postings on the riders of that time..It was like I lost all my forumland friends.Anyway now it is back up have been trying to catch up on all posts.So saw Ken Vale mentioned by Odd Fossengen-not the real one I presume or am I wrong-.I recall Ken extremely well-for Newport in the mid sixties-66?? and also Long Eaton.Ken seemed old even then-anybody else have any memories of him-how old is Ken now.I think he started in about 61/62 and went on till about 68/69?? Re Crouch's excellent post on Brian Hanham etc(which I thought led to a great thread by the way).-the riders at that time seemed such regular guys-sounds like it is different today.Guess its the same in all sports tho' e.g. Tom Finney who had a regular job as a plumber.Even here in Canada,years ago the ice hockey stars were guys who had to get jobs in the summer to survive.Not like that today in ice hockey,speedway or football.Incidentally do any forumland people remember when the Speedway Star used to have a regular feature on Ice Hockey-think they took over from a defunct ice hockey mag.Even earlier in about 1957 they had a section on films and records too, I guess because the interest in speedway was declining and their circulation ditto. Anyway glad we are all back on line.

[speedyguy]

Thank God the site is back up-I thought it was gone forever-I kept trying to sign on and was really sweating it.I would really miss this site as I greatly enjoy other folks reminiscences who share the same interest in old time(50's-60's) speedway, particularly the postings on the riders of that time..It was like I lost all my forumland friends.Anyway now it is back up have been trying to catch up on all posts.So saw Ken Vale mentioned by Odd Fossengen-not the real one I presume or am I wrong-.I recall Ken extremely well-for Newport in the mid sixties-66?? and also Long Eaton.Ken seemed old even then-anybody else have any memories of him-how old is Ken now.I think he started in about 61/62 and went on till about 68/69?? Re Crouch's excellent post on Brian Hanham etc(which I thought led to a great thread by the way).-the riders at that time seemed such regular guys-sounds like it is different today.Guess its the same in all sports tho' e.g. Tom Finney who had a regular job as a plumber.Even here in Canada,years ago the ice hockey stars were guys who had to get jobs in the summer to survive.Not like that today in ice hockey,speedway or football.Incidentally do any forumland people remember when the Speedway Star used to have a regular feature on Ice Hockey-think they took over from a defunct ice hockey mag.Even earlier in about 1957 they had a section on films and records too, I guess because the interest in speedway was declining and their circulation ditto. Anyway glad we are all back on line.

 

1957 - I remember that era of Speedway Star very well! It also covered midget car racing. Your last few words well sum up what was happening. I won't tell you how I know though!

[T.N.T.]

Thank God the site is back up-I thought it was gone forever-I kept trying to sign on and was really sweating it.

 

I would really miss this site as I greatly enjoy other folks reminiscences who share the same interest in old time(50's-60's) speedway, particularly the postings on the riders of that time..It was like I lost all my forumland friends.

 

Anyway now it is back up have been trying to catch up on all posts.So saw Ken Vale mentioned by Odd Fossengen-not the real one I presume or am I wrong-.I recall Ken extremely well-for Newport in the mid sixties-66?? and also Long Eaton.

 

Ken seemed old even then-anybody else have any memories of him-how old is Ken now.I think he started in about 61/62 and went on till about 68/69?? Re Crouch's excellent post on Brian Hanham etc(which I thought led to a great thread by the way).-the riders at that time seemed such regular guys-sounds like it is different today.

 

Guess its the same in all sports tho' e.g. Tom Finney who had a regular job as a plumber.Even here in Canada,years ago the ice hockey stars were guys who had to get jobs in the summer to survive.Not like that today in ice hockey,speedway or football.

 

Incidentally do any forumland people remember when the Speedway Star used to have a regular feature on Ice Hockey-think they took over from a defunct ice hockey mag.Even earlier in about 1957 they had a section on films and records too, I guess because the interest in speedway was declining and their circulation ditto. Anyway glad we are all back on line.

 

Much easier to read

 

[KevH]

Does anyone have any info on where and when Ken was born?

[Wessex Wanderer]

Ken was a regular for the Weymouth Royals non league team from 1962 to 1964. He probably rode in more matches (and scored more points) than any other rider during that time. He was captain in 1964 and won the Wessex Championship in 1963 (beating Charlie Monk and Jon Erskine in the final - terrific race by the way). I think he had previously ridden for John Pilblad at Aldershot.

 

He also rode for Long Eaton and for Johnnie Hoskins' Canterbury amongst others. From memory I think he was skipper of the Crusaders when they won the Division 2 Cup (in 1968?).

[star ghost]

On the defunct track site Ken is in the Glasgow Tigers Hampden Park team photo