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1973 International Series


Halifaxtiger

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Coatbridge were probably excluded from having a match because it was too far North.Certainly the programmes from that time were scathing of the fact we were the only track not to stage an international

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Tough on Michanek I thought-why not re run it??

 

There's no rule which then (or now..) could possibly have allowed a simple rerun with both riders..

The call had to be either that PC fell in a normal racing incident or that Michanek's manoeuvre was illegal meaning the Swede had to be excluded.

Of course the latter was the case... :approve:

 

 

Was it the next year we was back at wembley to see an all english riders win in the world team cup.

 

Well, no actually it was the same year: 1973....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally got to see England v Sweden at Wembley on a DVD I got off t'internet. Finally? When it was initially shown on the box it was on too late for me to stay up, something like that can seriously mess a kid up. Query: What was Ole Olsen doing in the pits all suited and booted? I know riders often pop in various meets to watch, help their mates, catch up on goss (!), but Olsen was in his Wolves leathers wearing his red neckscarf like he was ready to ride: a possible international guest? Curious....

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Finally got to see England v Sweden at Wembley on a DVD I got off t'internet. Finally? When it was initially shown on the box it was on too late for me to stay up, something like that can seriously mess a kid up. Query: What was Ole Olsen doing in the pits all suited and booted? I know riders often pop in various meets to watch, help their mates, catch up on goss (!), but Olsen was in his Wolves leathers wearing his red neckscarf like he was ready to ride: a possible international guest? Curious....

Was Olsen riding in the second half? :unsure:

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Query: What was Ole Olsen doing in the pits all suited and booted? I know riders often pop in various meets to watch, help their mates, catch up on goss (!), but Olsen was in his Wolves leathers wearing his red neckscarf like he was ready to ride: a possible international guest? Curious....

 

That's because following the Final there was a second match, "Great Britain" (sic) vs, the Rest of the World.

 

What fantastic vfm this meeting was..! :approve: No wonder for so many of us it's the early '70s that's the golden age of Speedway..!!

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That's because following the Final there was a second match, "Great Britain" (sic) vs, the Rest of the World.

 

What fantastic vfm this meeting was..! :approve: No wonder for so many of us it's the early '70s that's the golden age of Speedway..!!

 

Cheers for that, makes sense a rider like Olsen wouldn't be there just for a 2nd half. For a long time I thought any speedway competiion was called a tournament. It's true about the so-called Golden Age of Speedway, Wembley was used for loads of diff meets: European Final, test matches, Inter-Continental Final as well as World Finals and there was nearly always a huge crowd. By huge I mean 10's of 1,000's....

 

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I know that quite a lot of the old Speedway Videos that had been available on YouTube seem to have disappeared recently so I have started to re-upload some of these ... I have started with the 1973 International Tournament Final which I have uploaded in five parts, so the whole TV recording is there not just the odd race.

 

All five parts can be viewed on the following page of my blogsite ...

 

Wembley 1973

Edited by speedwayondisc
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I know that quite a lot of the old Speedway Videos that had been available on YouTube seem to have disappeared recently so I have started to re-upload some of these ... I have started with the 1973 International Tournament Final which I have uploaded in five parts, so the whole TV recording is there not just the odd race.

 

All five parts can be viewed on the following page of my blogsite ...

 

Wembley 1973

 

Can I just say that this site of yours is literally awesome!! :approve:

Fantastic!! :approve:

Many thanks for this.. :approve:

 

Don't suppose you've got my favourite ever meeting, the 1977 Inter-Continental Final at White City have you..??!! :unsure:

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Can I just say that this site of yours is literally awesome!! :approve:

Fantastic!! :approve:

Many thanks for this.. :approve:

 

Don't suppose you've got my favourite ever meeting, the 1977 Inter-Continental Final at White City have you..??!! :unsure:

 

Thanks for those kind words ...

Yes, I have got the 1977 Inter Continental Final I uploaded one copy of this to be downloaded as a Windows Media File and you will find the links on this page

1977 Inter Continental Final

However, I think I now have a better copy that I can put up for download ... over the weekend I shal perhaps put that one on YouTube if people prefer.

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Remarkable that people still talk about this tournement and the Michanek / Collins run off in particular after all these years.

 

As a kid I remember seeing Norway and Denmark v Russia at Cradley, a very rare opportunity to see the Ruskies in action. Infact before the meeting one of the Russian contingent walked up to me and attempted to swap one of my Cradley badges for a Russian one...I crapped myself, he couldn't speak English and I had to ask my Dad what was going on....they were mysterious characters back then.

 

Turns out one of the Russian team members was a huge badge collector (Plechanov?), so my brush with fame as he turned out to be one of the greatest Russian Speedway riders of all time.

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Thanks for those kind words ...

Yes, I have got the 1977 Inter Continental Final I uploaded one copy of this to be downloaded as a Windows Media File and you will find the links on this page

1977 Inter Continental Final

However, I think I now have a better copy that I can put up for download ... over the weekend I shal perhaps put that one on YouTube if people prefer.

 

Absolutely brilliant.

 

Took the day off to go to Somerset but with the weather I chose not to go and she who must be obeyed has given me a list of chores.

 

They might be forgotten (and risking getting my ears bent) for a day on your site.

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Turns out one of the Russian team members was a huge badge collector (Plechanov?), so my brush with fame as he turned out to be one of the greatest Russian Speedway riders of all time.

 

1973 was after Plechanov's time (though perhaps he was Team Manager..?? :unsure: )

 

I reckon the badge collector may have been Victor Trofimov, coz I swapped badges with him after the 1976 WTC Final at White City and he was clearly very keen on giving out USSR badges for British Speedway ones.

I still have the badges he gave me and he remains my all-time fav. Eastern European rider..!! :approve:

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1973 was after Plechanov's time (though perhaps he was Team Manager..?? :unsure: )

 

I reckon the badge collector may have been Victor Trofimov, coz I swapped badges with him after the 1976 WTC Final at White City and he was clearly very keen on giving out USSR badges for British Speedway ones.

I still have the badges he gave me and he remains my all-time fav. Eastern European rider..!! :approve:

 

Could well have been Trofimov, I was only about 8 years old at the time. I read somewhere that one of the Ruskies was a big badge collector, maybe a few of them were?

 

What great names though, Tofimov, Gordeev, etc, etc, names that will stick in my mind forever.

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Don't suppose you've got my favourite ever meeting, the 1977 Inter-Continental Final at White City have you..??!! :unsure:

 

As requested I have uploaded a copy of the 1977 Inter Continental Final ... It can be seen in four parts at YouTube or downloaded in much better quality from rapidshare at the following blog page

 

1977 Inter Continental Final Video

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  • 1 year later...
1973 was after Plechanov's time (though perhaps he was Team Manager..?? :unsure: )

 

I reckon the badge collector may have been Victor Trofimov, coz I swapped badges with him after the 1976 WTC Final at White City and he was clearly very keen on giving out USSR badges for British Speedway ones.

I still have the badges he gave me and he remains my all-time fav. Eastern European rider..!! :approve:

 

Victor Trofimov – greatest rider from Rovno.

50 years are carried out in April of this year, as he began to come forward on the cinder-paths of mototracks!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

There is no doubt this is how the World Cup should be staged, teams of 7, 15 heats in one country, no 3 countrys, no race off, no jokers, 2 groups of 4, straight knock out, best two teams in final, over a 2 week period. It was awsome and if the World cup was staged like this every 2 years, it would gain some credibility, attract the Media and attract BIG crowds (Remember them?). and we would see the REAL WORLD CHAMPIONS!

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Given the huge success of the 1973 tournament (apparently sponsors Daily Mirror gave it back page coverage for the two weeks), why wasn't it repeated? And, no, I'm not counting the rather half-hearted 1975 competition consisting of just 6 meetings and with no final.

 

Was it another sign of the rather blase attitude of the 1970s promoters, who thought that speedway's popularity would stay no matter what?

 

All the best

Rob

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