TonyMac Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 (edited) Here's a taster of just some of what's in store in Issue 25, out early April... OLE OLSEN - Part 2. Read what he has to say about the Great Danes who followed him...Gundersen, his rift with Hans Nielsen, why he is critical of Tommy Knudsen...his past world finals...THAT race in 1977 that decided everything in the slime at Ullevi... JOHN DAVIS - outspoken and controversial as ever...why he would kick "idiot foreigners" out of British speedway...the attitudes of riders today...why he didn't care about being called 'Mavis'...the fall outs at Reading and Poole...Michanek, Jessup, Andersson, Schwartz and co...what he thought of Dave Lanning...why Wimbledon was his dream track...why he needed Simmo's help...what he has to say about the British fans who supported the Americans...Lee Richardson...and much, much more... LARRY ROSS - racing again at 53...looking back at his days from unknown to No.l at Wimbledon...why he left for Belle Vue...Halifax, Bradford and more... STEVE LOMAS - the 'Bionic Cucumber' who started at Weymouth and was an overnight sensation at Hackney before finding his feet in NL with Edinburgh and Boston... KNOW WHO'S BOSS IN THE NORTH - Mike Parker, Frank Varey, Jack Fearnley, Ian Thomas, Eric Boothroyd, Eric Boocock, Stuart Bamforth, etc, etc. SUNDERLAND...our latest Defunct Track feature... DICK BARRIE...our man on the mic Two minutes with...PAUL EVITTS MICK FIELDING... and lots more... Edited March 26, 2008 by tmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Here's a taster of just some of what's in store in Issue 25, out early April... OLE OLSEN - Part 2. Read what he has to say about the Great Danes who followed him...Gundersen, his rift with Hans Nielsen, why he is critical of Tommy Knudsen...his past world finals...THAT race in 1977 that decided everything in the slime at Ullevi... JOHN DAVIS - outspoken and controversial as ever...why he would kick "idiot foreigners" out of British speedway...the attitudes of riders today...why he didn't care about being called 'Mavis'...the fall outs at Reading and Poole...Michanek, Jessup, Andersson, Schwartz and co...what he thought of Dave Lanning...why Wimbledon was his dream track...why he needed Simmo's help...what he has to say about the British fans who supported the Americans...Lee Richardson...and much, much more... LARRY ROSS - racing again at 53...looking back at his days from unknown to No.l at Wimbledon...why he left for Belle Vue...Halifax, Bradford and more... STEVE LOMAS - the 'Bionic Cucumber' who started at Weymouth and was an overnight sensation at Hackney before finding his feet in NL with Edinburgh and Boston... KNOW WHO'S BOSS IN THE NORTH - Mike Parker, Frank Varey, Jack Fearnley, Ian Thomas, Eric Boothroyd, Eric Boocock, Stuart Bamforth, etc, etc. SUNDERLAND...our latest Defunct Track feature... DICK BARRIE...our man on the mic Two minutes with...PAUL EVITTS MICK FIELDING... and lots more... Looks like a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shazzybird Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Two minutes with...PAUL EVITTS I used to clean his leathers for £2.50 a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 Nice work Tony. We asked for Larry Ross and you've delivered! Well done. I'm sure the Mavis piece should also be a good read. I'm sure I'm far from alone in being amused by his bleached blonde, medallion man image during his riding days. Also thought he was probably one of the most overtakeable riders at international level ever..check him out on YouTube..chances are you'll see somebody flying past him! On the plus side, despite limited natural ability, he was always well turned out and always seemed very professional. Just gotta prise my Dad away from his copy now :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 Looks like it will be an interesting read as ever. John Davis should make an entertaining subject. We remember the bleached hair and medallions from the end of his career, but from memory his rise to the top end of the sport was quite methodical, breaking through to World level by about 1977?. He certainly was a good gater who was ideal for a track like Wimbledon. What would we give for a rider of his ability to be part of the current British set up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Looks like it will be an interesting read as ever. John Davis should make an entertaining subject. We remember the bleached hair and medallions from the end of his career, but from memory his rise to the top end of the sport was quite methodical, breaking through to World level by about 1977?. He certainly was a good gater who was ideal for a track like Wimbledon. What would we give for a rider of his ability to be part of the current British set up? I don't think that we are that badly of at this moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 I don't think that we are that badly of at this moment. I know he wasn't everyones cup of tea and wasn't known for his overtaking but at least he could hold his own on the world stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shazzybird Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 (edited) I know he wasn't everyones cup of tea He certainly was mine!!! Had a Speedway Star poster of him on my wall for ages!!!! How sad is that!!!!!! and do know what apart from a slightly dirtier blonde hair now, he's like Peter Pan he's not aged that much either! (Oh he's gonna love me for that one roflmao was that ok JD did I get the wording about right ) What is even more weird is that when I go to the WSRA the riders that are there none of them have aged that much from when I was a kid, Chris and Dave Morton, JD, Middlo (well he's lost that ginger hair so ok maybe not all riders stayed the same ) Joe Owen, Graham Miles, Chalky even Briggo, Ivan Mauger and Bert Harkins the look the same now as they did then Edited March 29, 2008 by shazzybird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 i think JD, at his peak was certainly a world class racer. he was 100% dedicated, and very patriotic. true he could be a bit hot and cold, but he was fast. remember too that in 77 he severely injured his arm on the safety fence at bristol (its a wonder he didnt cut it off.) as bad as it was others may have retired, but he came back. i think some comments on here are off the mark. he was good for speedway, the sport could use more personalities like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellers101 Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Sounds as interesting as ever. Can't wait for it to fall through the letter box! Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff. Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Wonder if he will give his thoughts on his exclusion in the 1977 Inter Continental Final when the sixteen riders, all the officials and the 37,000 crowd all knew Ivan Mauger caused his own fall, not JD, everyone in the stadium except the referee. It cost JD a place at Gotheburg and ironically Mauger who shoul not have even qualified went on to become World Champion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Wonder if he will give his thoughts on his exclusion in the 1977 Inter Continental Final when the sixteen riders, all the officials and the 37,000 crowd all knew Ivan Mauger caused his own fall, not JD, everyone in the stadium except the referee. It cost JD a place at Gotheburg and ironically Mauger who shoul not have even qualified went on to become World Champion If my memory serves me well I seem to remember that he did not make much of a protest about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 i think some comments on here are off the mark. he was good for speedway, the sport could use more personalities like him. Maybe you're right. Mavis was never a true top-liner, but he was dedicated and professional and although I found his image a little comical, at least he had an image! To me, not having an image is an image-problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Maybe you're right. Mavis was never a true top-liner, but he was dedicated and professional and although I found his image a little comical, at least he had an image! To me, not having an image is an image-problem. I think too here was a man who absolutely had a passion for the sport. He gave a lot years to the sport, and he certainly didnt do it for the money. Always had eally good equiptment and was good with the press and good for his sponsors. He came along when the sport was an extremely tough nut to crack. Look at the depth of the competition he faced trying to reach the top. Did he win a world final, no. but personally i think he should feel very proud of his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 I think too here was a man who absolutely had a passion for the sport. He gave a lot years to the sport, and he certainly didnt do it for the money. Always had eally good equiptment and was good with the press and good for his sponsors. He came along when the sport was an extremely tough nut to crack. Look at the depth of the competition he faced trying to reach the top. Did he win a world final, no. but personally i think he should feel very proud of his career. Are you his mum by any chance? You are right though about his image and press.He was of course a rider and personality in his own right,but he does in a way compare with Wiggy in that sense.Although no-one can really be compared to Wiggy.I do mean it favourably though. Just look at the competition he had just in the England squad at the time.But i always liked John Davis.More so than Simmo or DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Are you his mum by any chance? You are right though about his image and press.He was of course a rider and personality in his own right,but he does in a way compare with Wiggy in that sense.Although no-one can really be compared to Wiggy.I do mean it favourably though. Just look at the competition he had just in the England squad at the time.But i always liked John Davis.More so than Simmo or DJ if i was his mum i would have talked to him a bit more about humility at the time, but hey! these kids now-a-days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerblade Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 If my memory serves me well I seem to remember that he did not make much of a protest about it. Have you missed a joking smiley off this sentence? I wasn't there but I know from reading the Star etc. and books that he argued for ages and eventually had to be led back to the pits. Do you remember his brief couple of months at Sheffield in late 1983? Maybe you're right. Mavis was never a true top-liner, but he was dedicated and professional and although I found his image a little comical, at least he had an image! To me, not having an image is an image-problem. I think his image did precede him a bit, but he was a good professional rider for a long time, look forward to reading about him, and also Larry Ross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Have you missed a joking smiley off this sentence? I wasn't there but I know from reading the Star etc. and books that he argued for ages and eventually had to be led back to the pits. Do you remember his brief couple of months at Sheffield in late 1983? I think his image did precede him a bit, but he was a good professional rider for a long time, look forward to reading about him, and also Larry Ross. I must say that my memory must have been playing tricks with me on that one, and yes I do remember turning out for the Tigers, signed by Ray Glover if I remember correctly, I think Ray did try to get him to return back to Sheffield the following season, seem to remember he was looking at flying up. I also seem to remember in the Speedway Star, some young girl writing to a Dave Jessop weekly column, asking if JD was a natural blonde or was it dyed, cannot remember DJ's answer. Have to admit that he was not a favourite of mine, I always thought he was a bit flash, but there is no doubting that he was a good rider though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Who did John Davis transfer to Sheffield from? Was it Poole during the season they hit money troubles? I know he spent 1984 at Plough Lane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Who did John Davis transfer to Sheffield from? Was it Poole during the season they hit money troubles? I know he spent 1984 at Plough Lane. Yes it was Poole, he did fall out with the Promotion, but I don't know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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