Mike Litrus Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Whilst browsing the net I have discovered that the great Joe Owen (Newcastle and Ellesmere Port) had a life threataning accident in 1996. I was not aware of this and being out of the speedway 'loop' for many years am interested to know if Joe recovered and what became of him and his brother Tom. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Litrus Posted January 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Sorry date should be 1986 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 If it's the one I'm thinking of, the accident happened in the Birmingham v Newcastle National League fixture at the Bordesley Green track. I think I've been told about this accident, although I wasn't there at the time. Scroll down to "Issue 3" here - http://www.retro-speedway.com/page.php?14 - and maybe buy the magazine! There are also other threads on here discussing Joe Owen - e.g. http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=40567 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Litrus Posted January 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Thanks. I have read further into the article on the net and it states he was paralised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) First of all it was Birmingham vs Ellesmere Port (not Newcastle as stated above). Joe was riding for Ellesmere Port at the time and it was 1985 not 1986. As far as Tom is concerned, he has his own Plant Hire business (also races pigeons I think!), which is doing very well. Also Tom's daughter (Emma) is married Mark Lemon. Edited January 18, 2010 by The Abbott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Litrus Posted January 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 I have put the site address below. It does say 1986 on here. http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Ellesmere...%20Speedway.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 I have put the site address below. It does say 1986 on here. http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Ellesmere...%20Speedway.htm They have got the year wrong! Louis Carr & Joe Owen won the Pairs in '85. '86 Pairs Champs were Les Collins and Doug Wyer for Edinburgh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Leslie Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) I have put the site address below. It does say 1986 on here. http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Ellesmere...%20Speedway.htm Yes, it's wrong. Joe Owen and Louis Carr won the pairs for Ellesmere Port in 1985. Joe's crash was later that year in the Birmingham v Ellesmere match. Ellesmere Port closed at the end of 1985. There was a benefit meeting for Joe Owen on Boxing Day in 1985 the last ever meeting at Thornton Road...and it was freezing! (Edinburgh won the pairs in 1986). Edited January 18, 2010 by John Leslie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackofdiamonds Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) They have got the year wrong! Louis Carr & Joe Owen won the Pairs in '85. '86 Pairs Champs were Les Collins and Doug Wyer for Edinburgh. You are correct Abbott, Joe's terrible accident was on 20/10/1995 at Bordesley Green. Joe had moved to Ellesmere Port following Newcastle's closure and was incidental in bringing the league title to the Gunners, ending with a magnificent 10.5 average. Ellesmere Port closed before the 1995 season and has not re-opened. A benefit meeting was held for Joe on Boxing Day at Thornton Road, the last ever meeting. Joe was not lost to speedway entirely as he was Newcastle's Team Manager in 1987. Certainly one of the finest riders ever to don a Newcastle race jacket. Edited January 18, 2010 by jackofdiamonds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriG Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Great, great rider always a joy to watch when Newcastle visted Weymouth in the early 80s, some of his battles with Martin Yeates were simply superb. Bri G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 You are correct Abbott, Joe's terrible accident was on 20/10/1995 at Bordesley Green. Joe had moved to Ellesmere Port following Newcastle's closure and was incidental in bringing the league title to the Gunners, ending with a magnificent 10.5 average. Ellesmere Port closed before the 1995 season and has not re-opened. A benefit meeting was held for Joe on Boxing Day at Thornton Road, the last ever meeting. Joe was not lost to speedway entirely as he was Newcastle's Team Manager in 1987. Certainly one of the finest riders ever to don a Newcastle race jacket. Let's not confuse things eh?? 85 not 95!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackofdiamonds Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Sorry John, must have been typing at the same time Have to get onto my old mate John to amend his website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGT Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Remember Joe's terrible crash at Bordesley, still the worst crash I've seen at a meeting. As I recall he clipped Reg Wilson's back wheel and was flipped up into the air a fair old way, landing awkwardly on his back. A think a lot of people were relieved that it wasn't worse that it was, obviously though still a big big shame that the poor guy ended up paralysed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Not forgetting that he also survived an earlier life-threatening crash while riding for Hull. It must have taken taken immense character and will for him to continue after that, and at a good standard too, only to fall victim the the crash discussed here. Joe was a rider I always looked forward to watching, not least for his unusual 'elbows out' style which I have yet to see replicated. Also, like others who have been left paralysed, he has never seemed bitter about his lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 I remember that sad day very well and the terrible crash involving Joe. He was indeed a very fine and entertaining rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) After having admired both Joe and Tom as respected opponents in the seventies I finally got to know Joe in 1985 with him rejoining the NL with Ellesmere Port just at the time when I had my strongest association with the league at its top level. Over the year I'd got to know the promoter Mervyn Porter quite well and when the Gunners were in London I arranged a hotel for the team and led a convoy from Wimbledon to the hotel in east London. As you can imagine it was a quite a queue of cars and vans and most of the time we were making sure that Dave Morton in the rear van had made it through the many traffic lights. Eventually I got them to Forest Gate and it was time to feed the horde. Despite holding down a fairly official role with the National League I was still very much a fan and delighted to be sent off to the chippy with my old hero, Joe. Now in those days kebabs weren't that common outside London and so neither was chili sauce. Joe's first move was to ask for the nearest kebab shop where he made sure that the food was smothered in the hottest sauce possible and returned with me to the hotel looking forward with child-like delight to seeing the faces of his team-mates struggling with their food. I got quite attached to the Gunners that year and was delighted that they took the league title in their one season back in speedway. Then the season ended in tragedy, Joe was paralysed and the sport for me was never the same again... Joe was the greatest D2/NL rider of his era and yet never seemed to lose any respect in the process. Not many winners can achieve that. Rob McCaffery. Edited January 18, 2010 by rmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAST GATER Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 After having admired both Joe and Tom as respected opponents in the seventies I finally got to know Joe in 1985 with him rejoining the NL with Ellesmere Port just at the time when I had my strongest association with the league at its top level. Over the year I'd got to know the promoter Mervyn Porter quite well and when the Gunners were in London I arranged a hotel for the team and led a convoy from Wimbledon to the hotel in east London. As you can imagine it was a quite a queue of cars and vans and most of the time we were making sure that Dave Morton in the rear van had made it through the many traffic lights. Eventually I got them to Forest Gate and it was time to feed the horde. Despite holding down a fairly official role with the National League I was still very much a fan and delighted to be sent off to the chippy with my old hero, Joe. Now in those days kebabs weren't that common outside London and so neither was chili sauce. Joe's first move was to ask for the nearest kebab shop where he made sure that the food was smothered in the hottest sauce possible and returned with me to the hotel looking forward with child-like delight to seeing the faces of his team-mates struggling with their food. I got quite attached to the Gunners that year and was delighted that they took the league title in their one season back in speedway. Then the season ended in tragedy, Joe was paralysed and the sport for me was never the same again... Joe was the greatest D2/NL rider of his era and yet never seemed to lose any respect in the process. Not many winners can achieve that. Rob McCaffery. Rob I think IMO as to the greatest D2/NL rider of that era John Jackson would be my choice but Joe was a great rider strong and brave without doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Rob I think IMO as to the greatest D2/NL rider of that era John Jackson would be my choice but Joe was a great rider strong and brave without doubt. John was an NL great and stayed loyal to the league but I feel Joe had the edge overall. Perhaps it was in part due to the wonderful Newcastle teams that Joe & Tom led. I used to watch John a lot at Ellesmere Port and wonder if his starts would have been quite so impressive there if the ref could see gate 4 Rob McCaffery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Dont want to hi-jack the thread, but one's mans record sees him stand alone as the National League's greatest ever rider As for Joe, I had a conversation with someone on here before and I mentioned how another rider in an interview said he had never seen scars like those Joe was left with after that life threatening accident at the Boulevard in 1978. I believe he had what it took to have become a top performer on the world stage, if it hadnt been for that crash. He was still only 21 when it happened and had a CMA of over nine points at the time. He actually showed amazing resolve to come back from it as well as he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve19620 Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Having been an Ellesmere Port fan I got to see both John Jackson and Joe Owen wear a Gunners racejacket. I never got the opportunity to see Joe Owen ride in the powerful Newcastle 1976 side but his record speaks for itself and based on the his NL average and his individual preformances there are can't be any doubt that Joe Owen was THE NL superstar of all time. I recall watching Joe ride for the Diamonds in 1982 and remember the excitement when he appeared at Thornton Road and wondering whether any of the Gunners could beat him, this also happened when Joe rode for the Gunners in 1985 when the home fans willed the local favourites to try and beat Joe on their own patch on the Gunners travels. Regarding John Jackson he was also a NL superstar and like his great rival Tom Owen they both preferred to ply their trade in NL. "Jacko" was probably the one rider in NL in the mid 70's that both Owen's considered their nearest rival. However for consistancy Joe Owen wins the award as he was "top dog" in NL averages in the 1975,1976,1982,1983 & 1985 seasons and NL Champion 1976 & 1982, Something that Jacko didn't achieve (his best was third in the 1978 NL averages and second place in the NL Riders championship in 1976 & 1978). However in terms of performance at Thornton Road, there is no doubt that Jacko was the "man". Joe never achieved the home mastery at Thornton Road of Jacko in his only Gunners season, while for Jacko defeats at NL level particularly during the 1976 -1978 seasons at Thornton Road were extremely rare. So my vote goes to Joe "Burger" Owen. Bring back the Gunners ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.