Tracks Of Yesteryear

[stratton]

Well, I can't tell you from personal experience, sidney, as he retired in 1959 and I started going to speedway in 1960. However, from his record he was certainly very good indeed. Between 1955 and 1965, only four riders managed to break the "big 5" dominance of the World Championship rostrum places and Arthur was one of them, so that mist say something.

Back in 2010, Tony McDonald asked me to write an article on the Top 20 British riders of the 1950s. I placed him 6th.

Bloody hell a hell of a placement, some tribute eh some great riders then bits i have seen I see he wore a white scarf and the ladies loved him but ( ie) he could race so exciting to watch.

[BOBBATH]

Off topic a bit- re this tracks of yesteryear but Arthur Forrest from my reading would rank about the same as other great Brits like Ron How and Ken McKinlay. BTW Norbold re your previous post which riders did you rank as the best six of the 50's Brits?

[norbold]

My nos 1-5 were:

1. Peter Craven

2. Freddie Williams

3. Split Waterman

4. Brian Crutcher

5. Ken McKinlay

 

The first four more or less picked themselves. It was much closer for the next four places with Hurri-Ken and the Black Prince just shading 5 & 6 over Alan Hunt and Tommy Price.

 

Oh, P.S., I had Ron How at no.11. I think his best years were the early 60s. In a similar article I put him at no. 6 in the 60s.

Edited December 25, 2014 by norbold

[BOBBATH]

Ta Norbold -that ranking is tough to argue with-the only one I was ever privileged to see ride was Hurriken

Don't wanna be a pest but what was your top 6 for the sixties-guess Wilson, Betts, would be there somewhere?? Maybe Hedge/Simmons?? merry xmas by the way-amazingly no snow in Toronto this Christmas day.

[mickthemuppet]

As I saw all the riders in the 1950's I would rank Freddie Williams top and Peter Craven second Freddie Williams won two world titles and once runner up compared to Peter Craven's one win and one third. So in terms of achievement Freddie Williams should be top.

[norbold]

1. Nigel Boocock

2. Ken McKinlay

3. Peter Craven

4. Mike Broadbank

5. Eric Boocock

6. Ron How

 

I had Ray Wilson at 8, Terry Betts at 9, Trevor Hedge at 11 and Malcolm Simmons didn't make the top 20. I think Wilson, Betts and Simmons best decade was the 70s.

 

Just to fill in the couple of blanks, I had Martin Ashby at 7 and Dave Younghusband at 10.

 

And a Merry Christmas to you too. No snow in Clacton either!

 

It's not just how they performed in World Championships though, Mick. Peter Craven had a far superior record in League, Test and Golden Helmet to Freddie Williams.

Edited December 25, 2014 by norbold

[Blackbird]

1. Nigel Boocock

2. Ken McKinlay

3. Peter Craven

4. Mike Broadbank

5. Eric Boocock

6. Ron How

 

I had Ray Wilson at 8, Terry Betts at 9, Trevor Hedge at 11 and Malcolm Simmons didn't make the top 20. I think Wilson, Betts and Simmons best decade was the 70s.

 

Just to fill in the couple of blanks, I had Martin Ashby at 7 and Dave Younghusband at 10.

 

And a Merry Christmas to you too. No snow in Clacton either!

 

It's not just how they performed in World Championships though, Mick. Peter Craven had a far superior record in League, Test and Golden Helmet to Freddie Williams.

I'm confused.. You said '50s but that list looks more like one pertaining to the '60s..?

[mickthemuppet]

1. Nigel Boocock

2. Ken McKinlay

3. Peter Craven

4. Mike Broadbank

5. Eric Boocock

6. Ron How

 

 

 

It's not just how they performed in World Championships though, Mick. Peter Craven had a far superior record in League, Test and Golden Helmet to Freddie Williams.

Not really correct though that Peter Craven had a far better record in the league

Surely you can only compare their records in the years they both rode and the points they scored which were

1951 FW 279 PC 0

1952 FW 333 PC 3

1953 FW 161 PC 70

1954 FW 240 PC 194

1955 FW 182 PC 255

1956 FW 38 PC 194

 

That makes a points total of Freddie Williams 1233 and Peter Craven 716

 

Not only did Freddie Williams have the best British World Final finishes of 2 firsts and one second in the 1950's ,no other Britain ever did that well in three finals in the history of Speedway in Individual Finals or even Grand Prix.

[BOBBATH]

Hi Blackbird-Norbold's second post related to the sixties because having read his 50's post, I asked him what his 60's favourites were -so he was kindly replying to my request, and its my fault for the confusion-hope this helps.Merry xmas to you.

[norbold]

Oh, I'm sorry, Mick, I must have misunderstood Tony's request. I hadn't realised he only asked me to compile a Top Ten of 1951 - 1956. I thought it was of the whole 1950s.

Oh, by the way, you can't count Freddie Williams's 1950 World Championship because surely you can only compare the records in the years they both rode. So that's one win each.

Edited December 26, 2014 by norbold

[Penny Cross]

Pennycross is the Champ-did you keep all the programmes?

Yes Bob, I did indeed!

 

However, I lost over 90 %of them in a fire, along with 1000's of photos. A fire in a neighbours house swept through the roof of the terraced housing, causing water damage. It was almost a week before I could get back up there to sort it out. By then, the damage had been done.

 

It was not a pleasant sight. Oh not the damage, the fact I stood there and cried my heart out!

 

I was lucky that as a kid, Mum and Dad were speedway nuts and took me everywhere with them. We even took holidays to take in a meeting or two.

 

Until a few years ago, I used to go all over Europe to take in a couple of meetings over the weekends as well.In the UK, I have watched racing at every current venue, with the exception of Northside. Ive been there, but not seen even a lap of practice!

[BOBBATH]

Well pennycross I kept all mine also-my late mom sent 'em over in a trunk with various other stuff after I emigrated then I lugged them around thru moves around various parts of Canada. My firstmeeting prog. says Friday 12 June 1964-but it was actually rained off and run on Saturday 13th June and me and a friend were at a loose end-so we went. I was hooked. It was Newport v. Long Eaton(Southern league). First race ended up 5-1 to Wasps: Golden, Erskine, Adams, Mills with Alby Golden breaking the track record. It occurs to me that Jon Erskine is the only one of these folks still alive. Three members of the L.E. team that night are still with us- Norman Storer, Ray Wilson and Howard Cole(riding as Kid Bodie).Four members of the Wasps are still with us-apart from Erskine, there's Dick Bradley(scored a max that night), Geoff Penniket and Vic White. Had a pint of Whitbread Trophy(what happened to that beer!!) at half time in the Newport County Supporters Club bar-which we had to join to get in-I think it was half a crown. Oh happy days!!!!

[van wolfswinkel]

Can only say for riders I saw mid/late 60s and the Boocock Bros. Ashby, Broady, Betts, Wilson, McKinlay, were superb British riders.

[mickthemuppet]

Can only say for riders I saw mid/late 60s and the Boocock Bros. Ashby, Broady, Betts, Wilson, McKinlay, were superb British riders.

Unbelievable as it may sound Norbold gives his opinion of who were the best riders in the 1950's yet never saw a race during that period. You could not make it up could you!

[BOBBATH]

Yeh, but Norbold has access and knowledge of things like riders averages, statistics and all printed materials-so I don't reckon you have to see them to rank them e.g. I never saw Luton town play in Div. 1 in the fifties but am pretty sure they were not as good as Arsenal-I always enjoy norbold's insights and hope he keeps posting them!!!

[The White Knight]

I totally agree with you BOBBATH.

 

The Forum would be a much poorer place without Norbold's input - and yours too for that matter.

[Split]

Unbelievable as it may sound Norbold gives his opinion of who were the best riders in the 1950's yet never saw a race during that period. You could not make it up could you!

I never saw Tom Farndon ride but I'm certain that he was one of the finest speedway riders the world has ever seen. He would have turned 40 in 1950 and if he had survived and kept riding there is every chance that he would still have made Norbold’s top 20. Yes, he was that good!

Edited December 31, 2014 by Split

[Paulco]

Most missed - Hyde Road , may the new Belle Vue track come close . Coatbridge - you just don't get banking like that anymore .

[customhouseregular]

I never saw Tom Farndon ride but I'm certain that he was one of the finest speedway riders the world has ever seen. He would have turned 40 in 1950 and if he had survived and kept riding there is every chance that he would still have made Norbold’s top 20. Yes, he was that good!

Sadly I never saw Peter Craven race but that does not stop me knowing for certain he was one of the greats. Keep up the good work Norbold...you probably know more than most of us put together.

[cityrebel]

The last world champion I never saw ride was Knutsson (one S or two). I saw fundin ride in his last season for wembley in 1970, does anyone remember the boos at the world team cup final!