Pl Riders Championship 1960

[BOBBATH]

In the Internatinale thread was interested in Norbold's posting.First he let slip that he is 2 years younger than me-aaghh!!!-I can't be that old can I(no problem 60 is the new 40). Secondly and more interestingly wonder if you could share us your recollection of that night Norbold e.g. was there a big crowd-did Trev Redmond really stand out , who else made an impression etc. Am v. interested in PLRC and its great to hear from someone who was at the first one at Harringay.

[norbold]

Firstly, two things...I think you might have miscalculated my age. I was 18 in 1965, but at the time the Inetrnationale was held I was still only 17. The PLRC final I saw was in 1961, not 1960.

 

Having said that...As it happens, Trevor Redmond was head and shoulders above the opposition in the 1961 final as well. His final race is one I can still recall vividly as I felt - and still feel - it to be the greatest misfortune and miscarriage of justice I have ever seen (apart perhaps from Jason Crump running out of fuel!). Redmond, who as I say, had been by far and away the best rider on show that evening, was up against Reg Reeves who was also unbeaten, but had not won his races in quite such a commanding way as Redmond. Anyway, Redmond went in to an early lead and, just as in every other race, was well in front when, on the very last bend, his chain came off and he trailed in last, handing Reeves the title, which should rightfully have been his. He even had the indignity of having to ride against Maurie Mattingly for second place, which he again won convincingly.

[BOBBATH]

Thanx Norbold-you are still younger than me-just not by as much as I thought!!!.One point- if you saw the 61 PLRC at Harringay-where was the 1960 one held-was that at Harringay also??Anyway despite your letter to SS and N all those years ago, am still glad , as a PL supporter that Charlie won the Internationale in 1965!!!!!The fates conspired against him in the Brit Final at West Ham later that year-he should have qualified for the World Final!!

[star ghost]

1960 Provincial Final

I think it was at the end of September at Cradley Heath

[BOBBATH]

OK that must be the one that Trevor Redmond won-anyone know who was second and third.Also why it was held at CH-after that the venue was always neutral

[speedyguy]

OK that must be the one that Trevor Redmond won-anyone know who was second and third.Also why it was held at CH-after that the venue was always neutral

 

 

I doubt if there was neutral track available. At that time the Provincial League was not recognised by the Speedway Control Board - therefore no National League track could run it - I hope I am correct?

[norbold]

No, you are not correct! The Control Board did recognise the Provincial League in 1960. I don't know why it was held at Cradley Heath. It was the first running of the Championship of course. Maybe the Provincial League promoters wanted to show they could run a prestigious meeting on one of their own tracks.

 

Ken Middleditch was second and Eric Hockaday third.

[Ron Butler]

In the Internatinale thread was interested in Norbold's posting.First he let slip that he is 2 years younger than me-aaghh!!!-I can't be that old can I(no problem 60 is the new 40). Secondly and more interestingly wonder if you could share us your recollection of that night Norbold e.g. was there a big crowd-did Trev Redmond really stand out , who else made an impression etc. Am v. interested in PLRC and its great to hear from someone who was at the first one at Harringay.

 

 

I sincerely hope not! Presumably that would mean that 75 is the new 55.

 

That being so I will have to give up my very comfortable and pleasant retirement apartment. [minimum age for occupation is sixty]; this would mean that I would agin have to do my own gardening and outdoor maintenance. I will lose my free national local bus travel facility and have to pay the full adult fare on all public transport. I will lose my free television licence and my entitlement to free medication. Worst of all though, I will have to return to gainful [?] employment in a stuffy Inland Revenue office.

 

Even though my income is far from generous now, Bobbath, I would like to remain 75....please!

 

Ron.

 

 

 

[BOBBATH]

OK RONBUTLER-in your case we will make an exception and just knock 10 years off -making you 65 so you get to keep all your privileges-having said that even tho you claim to be only 75-do you recall anything about Ron Mountford or Jim Lightfoot as per other thread??

[britmet]

PROVINCIAL LGE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP, 1960 – Cradley Heath !

I was a teenage schoolboy at that first PLRC, and attended every one, i.e. ’60 to ’64, as well as the follow-on BLRCs at Belle Vue over the rest of the ‘60s decade.

As rightly picked up, the first PLRC was indeed in 1960 at Cradley Heath. ! The league was ACU-SCB approved, 1959 having been the year of the ‘pirate’ mtgs, at Bradford, Liverpool and Cradley, as well as a student-union run mtg at Edinburgh Old Meadowbank, which may have been ACU-licensed.

LOCATION: Cradley was chosen for this first PL championship for 2 reasons, (- neutrality didn’t arise, but see below,) i) it was a Saturday night track, ii) being in the Midlands, it was considered central, clubs that year ranging from Poole in the South to Edinburgh in the North. The fact that it was also pretty much a ‘fair’ track, at 367yds (when 320yds was considered a small track, and ‘large’ tracks then were over 400yds.) probably had some consideration. At the time that it would have been being considered, earlier in the season, viability of the new league would have been uncertain, so keeping riders travelling expenses down and optimising supporter attendance - to the Midlands; on a Saturday evening - , would have been paramount in the PSLPA’s mind. Stadium facilities would have been less important, (Cradley’s never progressed beyond those put in in1947. For the following year the Final went to the South, (London,) and in ’62 it went in turn to the North, to Manchester. This rotation about the country brought in track neutrality, Harringay club racing having finished in 1954, and Belle Vue being a National Lge track. Most importantly of all, the B.V. Zoological Gardens and fairground, together with their regular October firework displays made PLRC day, and subsequent BLRC days, a full day out for the whole family and ensured excellent support for many years: even non-speedway grandmothers were taken along !

RESULTS. So though not strictly ‘neutral’, Cradley in 1960 was still an even venue for all the riders that day! Local star Harry Bastable had returned mid-season from Nat’l Lge racing with amazing success to the track of his upbringing and was practically unbeatable around Dudley Wood. After the qualifying rounds in the South, (incl’g at non-lge Plymouth,) - Northern tracks had nominated their top scorers whilst a few others, Reg Reeves and Clive Featherby, were considered deserved ‘opt-ins’ to fill non-availabilities - , qualifier Bastable couldn’t get a return flight from Spain from a pre-booked end-of-season holiday. The field was open ! As we’ve heard, ex-Wembley Lion Trevor Redmond went thru thru card, Ken Middleditch beat Eric Hockaday in run-off for 2nd place, and Tony Robinson followed up with 11pts.

In ’61 at Harringay TR looked to be set to repeat his success but a shed chain in ht 17 handed the trophy to another veteran, Reg Reeves. Maurie Mattingley, noted frame builder, was 3rd, also on 12pts..

These mtgs had been the conventional 16 rider/20 heat format of the World Championship, but in ’62 at Belle Vue, with the increasing size of the Prov’l Lge, a unique 24-rider/ 24-heats-plus-a-final format was operated. With just 4 rides each, the top 4 qualifiers, Craven, Featherby, Bagley and Silver were seeded not to meet in the heats, and the 4 top-scorers to meet in the final. Result: Silver, Briggs, Craven, Allott . (All family names with a speedway pedigree, siblings and descendents, these particular 4 being Len, Wayne, Brian and Guy respectively! - Qualifier Featherby was father Clive F. )

The 24/24 format was repeated in ’63, but reverted to 16riders/20hts for the last PLRC in 1964. The only ever-presents in the 5 PLRCs were Redmond (for Bristol, Wolves, Neath, St.Austell, Glasgow in turn) and Ivor Brown, (Yarmouth,-1960, and Cradley.) Winner in both '63 and '64 Finals was a certain PL newcomer, I. Mauger

Having it’s genesis in unlicensed mtgs back in 1959, this final Prov'l Lge Riders Chmpshp was concluded without an ACU-SCB license, ’64 being the break-away year for the Provincal Lge., out of which rose the 18-team British Lge which ran successfully, later with a second division, right up until 1990.

 

[BOBBATH]

Hi Britmet-thanx for the comprehensive info-wish I could have been at a few PLRC finals-partic the 64 one !!