dantodan Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 I remember Martin as a visiting rider at Brough Park, heading home the Owens and lowering our track record. Problem was geography we never got to see Martin apart from league matches. Can anyone supply a bit of info about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 I remember he qualified from the British final one year. I think it was the Carter broken leg one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 He rode for a year or 2 in the mid 70's for Eastbourne in the National League. He was signed as a reserve & I remember him as a reserve breaking the track record. Great rider. Think he nearly drowned in the Well on the center green at Eastbourne as part of an end of season celebration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miro Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Martin Yeates was at Oxford in the National League in 1977 on loan from Poole, and was immaculate all season for the Cheetahs finishing with a 10+ average. Highlight was seeing him win the Warners Grand National at Hackney with a full house, Oxford fans running on the dog track to celebrate. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Main Man Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 His first track was actually Stoke (then Chesterton) in 1973. I saw him practice at Weymouth when I went there with Bryan Woodward and introduced him to Russ Bragg and Pete Lansdale. He never really settled in at Loomer Road and transfered to Eastbourne later in the season. Became one of the top men in the National League. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Hamilton Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Martin Yeates was at Oxford in the National League in 1977 on loan from Poole, and was immaculate all season for the Cheetahs finishing with a 10+ average. Highlight was seeing him win the Warners Grand National at Hackney with a full house, Oxford fans running on the dog track to celebrate. Happy days. I agree, he was a class act!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 i remember super stevie lawson relieving him of his silver helmet but i also recall something that stuck in my mind that i had never noticed previously to that and that was yeates' bike it seemed so shiny with stickers and purred along which was a trait of southern based riders i always thought their machines seemed superior to the old rattlers the northern based riders rode but everyone is right he was a class act i always had a soft spot for weymouth and enjoyed them visiting blantyre with the likes of yeates,wigg,schofield,bear,woodward,cross,biles etc and grachan you are right about the british final in 84 and i think he went all the way to the commonwealth and overseas final Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevH Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 His first track was actually Stoke (then Chesterton) in 1973. I saw him practice at Weymouth when I went there with Bryan Woodward and introduced him to Russ Bragg and Pete Lansdale. He never really settled in at Loomer Road and transfered to Eastbourne later in the season. Became one of the top men in the National League. Actually, he made his league debut for Poole one year before that in 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wessex Wanderer Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Martin started Speedway at the Weymouth and Matchams training schools. His early appearances for Poole were probably as an "emergency reserve" (though I stand to be corrected there) and he then joined Stoke before moving on to Eastbourne for a couple of seasons. Bob Hughes signed him for Weymouth in 1975 (along with Brian Woodward and Vic Harding - Bob had a great eye for talent). He moved to Oxford in 1977 and, I think, then had one or two seasons with Poole before Mervyn Stewkesbury brought him "home" to Weymouth in 1980. Apart from a couple of months in early 1984 (with Swindon) he remained a Wildcat until his retirement, moving with the team to Poole in 1985. He is way out on his own as Weymouth's all-time top scorer and won both the Silver Helmet and National League Pairs as a Wildcat. His NL Pairs title with Simon Wigg in 1982 remains the only time a pair has scored 5-1's in all 3 heats and then done the same in both semi-final and final. I notice the track record at Newcastle has been mentioned. I was there that night and seem to remember that the track had been specially prepared that night as the Newcastle number 1 of the time (Rod Hunter or Dave Bargh?) had been getting close to the track record. The Newcastle rider did actually beat that record but not Yeatsy who set a new one (I think some 1- 1.5 seconds faster than the old one!). Wonderful memories. Thank you for starting this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WATigerman Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 (edited) ......................in 84 and i think he went all the way to the commonwealth and overseas final Indeed! - and here is said Mr Yeates leading the way at a dusty Hyde Road click here Edited February 29, 2008 by WATigerman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigbo Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 MARTIN YEATES Poole(72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,85,86,87),Chesterton(73),Eastbourne(73,74),Oxfo rd(74,77,84),Weymouth(75,76,80,81,82,83,84),Wolves(76),Swindon(80,81,82,83,84,85) SALISBURY ENG 24.11.1953 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeyenz Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 It's not often you see the Track Record broken in Heat 2 of a League match but he did it at Arlington in 1974. He won by about half a lap!!!!!!! Always good to watch with a spectacular style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 And a pic Martin Yeates in full flow for the Wildcats here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Only saw him a couple of times..but thought he was really spectacular at NL level. I saw him win the NL pairs at Hyde Road virtually on his own in 83. First he beat the previously undefeated Newcastle pair Owen and Hunter to knock them out in the semi and then in the final, took Jimmy MacMillan of Glasgow - who'd spent the last two seasons riding for the Aces - on the final bend to win it for Weymouth. Great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Only saw him a couple of times..but thought he was really spectacular at NL level. I saw him win the NL pairs at Hyde Road virtually on his own in 83. First he beat the previously undefeated Newcastle pair Owen and Hunter to knock them out in the semi and then in the final, took Jimmy MacMillan of Glasgow - who'd spent the last two seasons riding for the Aces - on the final bend to win it for Weymouth. Great stuff! only because jimmy macs engine gave up the ghost yards from the line whilst well clear falcace stevie lawson had already started celebrating at the back a sad day for the tigers fans but i take nothing away from yeates as i have said he was a rider i always enjoyed watching at blantyre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 only because jimmy macs engine gave up the ghost yards from the line whilst well clear falcace stevie lawson had already started celebrating at the back a sad day for the tigers fans but i take nothing away from yeates as i have said he was a rider i always enjoyed watching at blantyre Hmmm. ...I don't recall it that way at all. Can anyone clarify? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Hmmm. ...I don't recall it that way at all. Can anyone clarify? a report from glasgow promoter dave thomson in the home prog dated 11 june 1983 against weymouth funnily enough "on saturday many supporters travelled down to belle vue for the nl pairs and how close our representatives jimmy and steve came to lifting the title let me tell you how it went in the heats we met middlesbrough canterbury and peterborough and superb riding by jimmy with excellent support from steve saw us take 5 - 1 5 - 1 and 4 - 2 respectivley with jimmy unbeaten so we were through to the semi and that saw us meet mildenhall and again a winning ride by jimmy and we were in the final favourites newcastle had lost to weymouth in the other semi so like tonights match it was the wildcats we had to beat we lost the toss for gate positions and martin yeates made a superb gate with jimmy chasing and passing him twice on lap two so into lap four and jimmy leading fairly comfortably as he entered the third bend when his bike failed and although the motor managed to take him over the line in second place martin yeates was through to win the title for the wildcats we could never have come closer without winning so tonight give a big cheer to the new pairs champions martin yeates and simon cross and the ryunners up jimmy and steve......oh the pain and for the record the wildcats beat us on the night 54 - 41 in the ko cup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Ach, well fair enough. Didn't seem that way to me at the time. I'm happy to give Jimmy Mac the benefit of the doubt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenB1 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 It's not often you see the Track Record broken in Heat 2 of a League match but he did it at Arlington in 1974. He won by about half a lap!!!!!!! Always good to watch with a spectacular style. he did indeed and he was a great friend of mine, lost his place at Arlington because eric Dugard became old enough to ride and that was it! Trapper was a class rider and I remmeber him returning with Oxford and knocking the eagles out of the cup in 1976? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burton Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 an all time national league great was martin yeates,i remember him and wiggy riding at stoke in 1982,wiggy got 18 point max and martin got 16 plus 2 paid max,and the match still finished 48 48 great days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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