Cock-ups & Walk-outs To Remember

[TonyMac]

IN the next issue of Backtrack we'll be looking closely at some of low points of the 1970-90 era, the classic cock-ups, controversies, dubious decisions and walk-outs that made headlines in British speedway for all the wrong reasons.

 

The 'Warsaw 2015' calamities of days gone by, if you will.

 

And we'd welcome your input.

 

Tell us what you recall as the worst, most embarrassing and damaging moments that that sport suffered in the Backtrack era (we're not interested in anything that happened before 1970 or after 1990).

 

* Maybe it was a rider(s) or team walking out of a meeting in protest.

 

* A major decision by a ref who got it hopelessly wrong.

 

* Poor track preparation that caused a meeting to be called off or abandoned.

 

* Starting gate problems that led to green light starts.

 

* An administrative cock-up(s) by the BSPA, SCB or FIM.

 

For the sake of debate, it would be good if you'd post your stories here. But if you would prefer to email me, we're at editorial@retro-speedway.com

 

Many thanks.

Tony Mac

 

[Grand Central]

Now, now Tony.

You really are being a little naughty, aren't you.?

 

Asking for recollections of the five bullet points you mention spread over a TWENTY YEAR time frame.

When ALL five occurred on April 18th simultaneously.

 

Slap on the wrist!

[bruno]

This could get loads of replies

[TonyMac]

Now, now Tony.

You really are being a little naughty, aren't you.?

 

Asking for recollections of the five bullet points you mention spread over a TWENTY YEAR time frame.

When ALL five occurred on April 18th simultaneously.

 

Slap on the wrist!

 

It really hadn't occurred to me - honest!

 

Seriously, though, even for us dinosaurs from pre-historic times, we have to concede that quite a lot of diabolical things happened back in the 'good old days' too.

 

In fact, far too many to recall.

 

Which is why we need the collective help of the masses...

Edited May 13, 2015 by tmc

[BRITISHSPEEDPOWER]

Remember when Belle Vue didnt bother to turn up at Berwick in 1991. Big crowd in the stadium, think they arranged a mini meeting with berwick riders and second halfers!

[Dons67]

Eric Boocock walking out of a British Final.

Angy at being excluded on TV evidence.

Think 74 but not sure.

[Grand Central]

Remember when Belle Vue didnt bother to turn up at Berwick in 1991. Big crowd in the stadium, think they arranged a mini meeting with berwick riders and second halfers!

 

'Didn't bother to turn up' is nothing like the story. Berwick were well aware that the Aces were not coming that night.

That was during the time when Berwick were becoming renowned for issuing rather rubberised cheques. If any at all.

Home riders, including Kelvin Tatum, were none too happy and John Perrin was having none of it.

 

This would be a very good one for Tony Mac to get his teeth into.

 

Eric Boocock walking out of a British Final.

Angy at being excluded on TV evidence.

Think 74 but not sure.

 

This was the British Nordic Final in 1973.

Another good one to go back to, but I think Eric covered it pretty well in the Retro Book 'Booey'

[The White Knight]

This should be a very interesting Thread.

 

I will have to have a think............................

[Penny Cross]

Bob Kilby at Poole 30th June 1971.Southern Riders Champs.

 

Scored a 3 and 2 in his first 2 rides, then excluded for tapes. Ranted and raved that it wasn't his fault. He then decided to walk out of the meeting.

 

Walking across the centre green to the changing rooms, he stopped to allow a race to finish. As an Exeter Falcon, he was soundly booed for his actions. He calmly smiled, turned his back to the crowd, bent over and between his legs came a 2 fingered salute!

 

Needless to say he was 'welcomed' at Poole in a similar fashion for many seasons after!

Edited May 14, 2015 by Penny Cross

[bruno]

redcar tonight by the sounds of it

[TonyMac]

 

'Didn't bother to turn up' is nothing like the story. Berwick were well aware that the Aces were not coming that night.

That was during the time when Berwick were becoming renowned for issuing rather rubberised cheques. If any at all.

Home riders, including Kelvin Tatum, were none too happy and John Perrin was having none of it.

 

This would be a very good one for Tony Mac to get his teeth into.

 

 

1991 is just outside our basic Backtrack time-frame of 1970-90. Feel confident we can fill 50 pages with fiascos from that period.

Bob Kilby at Poole 30th June 1971.Southern Riders Champs.

 

Scored a 3 and 2 in his first 2 rides, then excluded for tapes. Ranted and raved that it wasn't his fault. He then decided to walk out of the meeting.

 

Walking across the centre green to the changing rooms, he stopped to allow a race to finish. As an Exeter Falcon, he was soundly booed for his actions. He calmly smiled, turned his back to the crowd, bent over and between his legs came a 2 fingered salute!

 

Needless to say he was 'welcomed' at Poole in a similar fashion for many seasons after!

 

Good, ol' Kilb - that's just the kind of showmanship the sport is sadly lacking today.

[TonyMac]

If my memory isn't playing tricks, I'm pretty sure that Heat 10 of the Romford v Hull match in 1971 was actually run AFTER Heat 13!

There had been a series of reruns, crashes and controversies (Tony Childs being in the thick of it all) and to give the riders in Heat 10 more time to get their bikes repaired, the ref decided to press on with Heats 11, 12 & 13.

Bizarre, but think it's true.

[arnieg]

If my memory isn't playing tricks, I'm pretty sure that Heat 10 of the Romford v Hull match in 1971 was actually run AFTER Heat 13!

 

There had been a series of reruns, crashes and controversies (Tony Childs being in the thick of it all) and to give the riders in Heat 10 more time to get their bikes repaired, the ref decided to press on with Heats 11, 12 & 13.

 

Bizarre, but think it's true.

Something similar happened at King's Lynn in 1969. Heat one was rerun at the end of the match after it became apparent that Reading's Mike Vernam, who had been excluded for breaking the tapes in the opening race, took part in the original rerun.

[moxey63]

In my time attending speedway, the only match which ended in mayhem was the 1982 Belle Vue v Reading KO Cup clash. The track was in a rare old state due to the infamous Manchester wet-stuff, and the Berkshire boys were less than enamored to continue their night's work.

 

All sorts of fun and games in the pits, as Aces' boss Ian Thomas was allegedly struck in the tender parts by Reading's American Steve Gresham.

 

Reading eventually pulled out and set off for home , and the Aces rode unopposed for the latter part, but needing the addition of the now defunct boiler suit to help protect their leathers from the wet.

 

Ian Thomas, the stories go, spent part of the evening... head buried between his legs!

 

We lads know that feeling...

Edited May 15, 2015 by moxey63

[TonyMac]

Something similar happened at King's Lynn in 1969. Heat one was rerun at the end of the match after it became apparent that Reading's Mike Vernam, who had been excluded for breaking the tapes in the opening race, took part in the original rerun.

 

Great story, just wish it had happened in 1970 (or later!). Although, at this rate, we might have to run the same feature, using pre-70s examples, in Classic Speedway mag.

 

The 1967 British Final at West Ham, when the riders threatened to strike over pay just before the start, was a major story at the time. 'Night of Shame' Speedway Star editor Paul Parish called it.

 

They only agreed to ride after the West Ham management, fearing their public would be the main victims of the riders' threat, coughed up the extra cash to ensure the meeting went ahead. Caused a big furore at the time.

[The White Knight]

 

If my memory isn't playing tricks, I'm pretty sure that Heat 10 of the Romford v Hull match in 1971 was actually run AFTER Heat 13!

There had been a series of reruns, crashes and controversies (Tony Childs being in the thick of it all) and to give the riders in Heat 10 more time to get their bikes repaired, the ref decided to press on with Heats 11, 12 & 13.

Bizarre, but think it's true.

 

As usual..

 

A hard man was Tony. I remember him and Jack Millen coming together at Sunderland a couple of times.

 

If my memory serves me right.

 

In my time attending speedway, the only match which ended in mayhem was the 1982 Belle Vue v Reading KO Cup clash. The track was in a rare old state due to the infamous Manchester wet-stuff, and the Berkshire boys were less than enamored to continue their night's work.

 

All sorts of fun and games in the pits, as Aces' boss Ian Thomas was allegedly struck in the tender parts by Reading's American Steve Gresham.

 

Reading eventually pulled out and set off for home , and the Aces rode unopposed for the latter part, but needing the addition of the now defunct boiler suit to help protect their leathers from the wet.

 

Ian Thomas, the stories go, spent part of the evening... head buried between his legs!

 

We've lads know that feeling...

We certainly do...................................

 

I got hit by a hard hit Cricket Ball once.................

 

I still wince when I think about it. That was fifty five years ago now.

Edited May 15, 2015 by The White Knight

[Grachan]

My own favourite was the Oxford v Cardley match on 3 April 1975. The meeting was held in snow, and Cradley walked out after heat 7 leaving Oxford to ride round on their own to win 58-14.

 

I remember a couple of matches at Oxford being called off in good weather due to an over watered track. I actually gave up going to Oxford every week as a result.

[moxey63]

My own favourite was the Oxford v Cardley match on 3 April 1975. The meeting was held in snow, and Cradley walked out after heat 7 leaving Oxford to ride round on their own to win 58-14.

 

I remember a couple of matches at Oxford being called off in good weather due to an over watered track. I actually gave up going to Oxford every week as a result.

 

And that pic of Dave Perks on the cover of the Speedway Star... having written "snow" on the windsreen of a car.

 

Forty years on and I still see it.

 

Today's Star, I have to recheck the date before seeing it isn't last week's or a week before that!

 

They do look the same... that boy band sort of way.

[arnieg]

In my time attending speedway, the only match which ended in mayhem was the 1982 Belle Vue v Reading KO Cup clash. The track was in a rare old state due to the infamous Manchester wet-stuff, and the Berkshire boys were less than enamored to continue their night's work.

 

All sorts of fun and games in the pits, as Aces' boss Ian Thomas was allegedly struck in the tender parts by Reading's American Steve Gresham.

 

Reading eventually pulled out and set off for home , and the Aces rode unopposed for the latter part, but needing the addition of the now defunct boiler suit to help protect their leathers from the wet.

 

Ian Thomas, the stories go, spent part of the evening... head buried between his legs!

 

We lads know that feeling...

I was there for that one - a hell of a way to travel to see your team concede a series of nil-5s.

 

One detail that really needs to be included in any description of that evening is that Gresham went on to fight on track with Bobby Schwartz... his team mate!!

[moxey63]

I was there for that one - a hell of a way to travel to see your team concede a series of nil-5s.

 

One detail that really needs to be included in any description of that evening is that Gresham went on to fight on track with Bobby Schwartz... his team mate!!

 

Yes, Arnie, you are spot on. I knew Bobby Schwartz was involved in something but didn't want to mention until my memory really kicked in.

 

Where have all the characters gone?

 

I think Steve Gresham and Ian Thomas had some previous dealings at Hull in the seventies...