star ghost Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I think Billy Bales should be mentioned here. Despite a long time in the game his only World Final was as a Reserve replacing the injured Aub Lawson. It seemed as if Billy always suffered a serious crash every time he was about to make the big breakthrough. These injuries definitely kept him from the real top bracket of Speedway. Arne Pander is a definite entry here as well. And who knows what Malcolm Flood might have achieved in time. Joe Owen also a possibility Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I agree with you starghost-after I did my post I thought of Billy Bales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Len Read, ex-Norwich Stars, Plymouth Devils and Liverpool Chads had his belated 90th birthday party last week and Billy Bales was there. He still looks good enough to be on the track. Others attending included Phil Clarke, Trevor Hedge & Tich Read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted March 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 (edited) Again, some more interesting names, and I was pleased to see Chris Louis and Steve Clarke mentioned. As I said though, this topic isn't really about the Alan Wilkinsons and Joe Owens who had their careers ended in a track crash; it's about the riders who just seemed to suffer an injury (or injuries) that simply seemed to knock them back. Thanks to everyone for their input though, and let's keep the names coming! Steve Edited March 24, 2008 by chunky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekker Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Bjorn Andersson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century heathen Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Jan O. Pedersen. I believe he was given 'the nod' to race again, but chose not to. He started '92 in superb form, but was injured in May. I remember reading that years later CVS saw Jan ride in Denmark in some sort of testimonial or demonstration race. He was, reportedly, so impressed by the way he (Jan O) rode that he was close to trying to tempt him over to cover for an injury crisis Wolves were facing. Whether or not he could have been world champion again is open to debate, but I'm sure we'll all agree that the league was robbed of one of its all-time great racers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacca Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 There was young Aussie at Newcastle called Kevin McDonald who looked to have a massive future but never rode in the UK again after breaking a thigh. On the subject of Joe Owen I would make the point that it was his crash at Hull early in his career that prevented him achieving what he may have done prior to his career ending smash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Norwegian Basse Hveem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted March 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 On the subject of Joe Owen I would make the point that it was his crash at Hull early in his career that prevented him achieving what he may have done prior to his career ending smash. I certainly agree with you there. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple.H. Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Mikael Blixt was quality till the day Rodney put him in the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 another rider who was making good progress until injury was my posting namesake odd fossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC! Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Dave Morton looked to be a great prospect until he broke his leg in '77, he was already a British League number 1. I really expect he would have progressed far but for this accident. Todd Wiltshire and Tommy Knudsen both spring to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted March 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Dave Morton looked to be a great prospect until he broke his leg in '77, he was already a British League number 1. I really expect he would have progressed far but for this accident. Dave was another I thought of this morning, but you managed to post it before me. He was a little overshadowed by Chris, but after such a brilliant 1976, I thought he was really going to hit the big time. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massey Harris Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Agree re Allen Emmett, he did try to ride again after his injury, but struggled in second half races at Rye House. Steve Clarke was another rider who was extremely promising, but 2 bad crashes, both resulting in serious head injuries, finished his career. Andy Fines also had a run of bad injuries, after a very promising start. Any idea what Steve is up to these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Hamilton Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Seeing the thread on Wayne Briggs prompted me to start this. Who do you think could have gone on to much greater things had it not been for injury. I'm not talking about career-ending tragedies, more along the lines of unlucky riders who often suffered niggling little injuries, enough hurt one's confidence, or maybe a broken limb or two at the wrong time, from which they didn't really seem to recover. Wayne Briggs is a prime example, particularly with regard to his wrist injuries. Another would be Ronnie Genz. Although his injuries were often a little more serious, he still bounced back reasonably well. However, what would he have achieved had he stayed relatively injury free? Even though he went on to enjoy some very successful international results toward the end of his career, I often wonder how good Toni Kasper might have been without that broken leg? Even Kevin Jolly, I feel, was never quite the rider he was before breaking his leg. What do you think??? Steve Steve, Genno is a good example. He was injured in South Africa in a car crash I think 1956 when touring with an English team. I believe that it was the crash that Gery Hussey was Killed in. He then had serious eye problems in 1959 and then qualified as reserve for the World Final 1960 in Gothenberg bu bwas unable to travel because he needed an operation. In the late 60s of course he fractured his skull in a crash at cradley, but to be fair that was towards the twilght of his career. However, previously he had been 'a points machine' for Oxford and Poole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Hamilton Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 To me the three champions of this thread must be 1)Torbjorn Harrysson-should have been World Champion 2) Arne Pander 3)Sverre Harrfeldt-I know these guys had great careers but I reckon they would have done even more-and while I'm on the subject -farther back -what about Graham Warren?? Yet again Norman Hunter who I thought was just about to achieve his potential in 1969.Thanx for making me think of this my Illinois friend!! Bobbath, I know what you mean about Graham Warren, but he had achieved already. Was it the 1950 World final what he could have won? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 (edited) no potential world champs up here at glasgow but i always thought martin mckinna was going to be the best of the brothers but he was always getting into scrapes and hardly a season went by when he wasnt on the injured list at some point and most of his crashes were through no fault of his own he was just one of these riders who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time another was jim beaton who many thought was going to be as good if not better than his brother bobby until he had his accident where he nearly lost his arm and wouldnt let the doctors amputate it because he still wanted to ride and we all know what happened a few seasons later all speedway riders are obviously brave and are a different breed but i think the bold jimbos exploits take some beating another tiger that springs to mind is graeme dawson and wee merv janke had a troublesome shoulder which i believe hampered his career Edited March 26, 2008 by mervjankefanclub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Hamilton Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 One former Oxford rider of the 1950s that has never been mentioned on this site is Pat Clarke. He retired before I started going to speedway in 1959. Legend has it that he was almost unbeatable around Cowley and I understand that he had some bad injuries before he called it a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Brown Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 From my early days I thought Alistair Stevens had the lot. He and Gary Havelock were very much the shining lights in the mid 80's. Sadly Ali broke his arm at Cowley in the Easter Triangle in 1986 (I think) and was never the same rider again. He could have gone on to be very special I still cannot help but wonder what would have happened to Lukas Dryml's career had he not had that hideous crash in Slovenia in the GP. He was right at the top of the GP series at the time and looking like a World Champion in waiting. There is no doubt in my mind that the accident stopped this becoming a reality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 From my early days I thought Alistair Stevens had the lot. He and Gary Havelock were very much the shining lights in the mid 80's. Sadly Ali broke his arm at Cowley in the Easter Triangle in 1986 (I think) and was never the same rider again. He could have gone on to be very special was it ali stevens who suffered a serious back injury when he fell through a ceiling or a roof whilst working or was it paul bosley or is my mind playing tricks i just seem to remember this happening to a rider around the mid eighties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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