customhouseregular Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 This may seem an odd choice but how about Bruce Penhall?. Yes, he won back to back World titles but what if he had not retired. Had he continued riding throughout the 1980's would he be up there with Mauger, Rickardsson, Fundin, Briggs and Nielsen?. I think quite possibly yes which is I say Bruce Penhall did not realise his full potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 At the same time, could penhall have ever ridden better than he did in 81? I'd argue he fulfilled his potential, even if he didn't win as many titles as he could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Ah but...would he have needed to ride better than he did in 1981 to win more titles?. Maybe he did reach his full potential but failed to capitalise on it. I was privileged to be at Wembley in 1981 and sorely missed watching him following his, to me premature retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Jack Parker - he missed out on being world champion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Karol Zabik - lack of commitment and poor attitude ruined what looked a promising career. + injuries like broken thigh 2 years in a row and several bad bangs to the head. If I remember correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Another great rider who should have been a world champion but never achieved it was Australian legend Vic Duggan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Jack Parker - he missed out on being world champion. Spot on. Another great rider who should have been a world champion but never achieved it was Australian legend Vic Duggan. Spot on again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Spot on. Spot on again. Duggan what a riding style! and " Custom how many titles could of Tommy Farndon won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) Duggan what a riding style! and " Custom how many titles could of Tommy Farndon won. What a trio of great names - three riders all of whom had the talent and ability to be world champions but never achieved it for various reasons: Jack Parker, Vic Duggan, Tommy Farndon. And riders with a different character and bearing to some - even in very recent times - who have achieved winning speedway's most coveted individual title. Edited May 8, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you have not read Norman Jacobs' book on Tom Farndon you really should. Loving your trio of great names but make it a quartet with Bluey Wilkinson. The war and an early death cut short what surely would have been an illustrious career. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you have not read Norman Jacobs' book on Tom Farndon you really should. Loving your trio of great names but make it a quartet with Bluey Wilkinson. The war and an early death cut short what surely would have been an illustrious career. My uncle who first took me to speedway he is 86 now always mentioned Farndon,Huxley, Duggan also he was a fan of Hunt/ Warren.You or Gustix have you any real memories of Jack Young, Ernie Roccio. Eric Langton? i am doing some research books pictures memorabilia (ect) on all those riders any info would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Except that Bluey Wilkinson did win the World Championship..... If you have not read Norman Jacobs' book on Tom Farndon you really should. Loving your trio of great names but make it a quartet with Bluey Wilkinson. The war and an early death cut short what surely would have been an illustrious career. My uncle who first took me to speedway he is 86 now always mentioned Farndon,Huxley, Duggan also he was a fan of Hunt/ Warren.You or Gustix have you any real memories of Jack Young, Ernie Roccio. Eric Langton? i am doing some research books pictures memorabilia (ect) on all those riders any info would be great. Just to be helpful, Sidney...: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tom-Farndon-Greatest-Speedway-Rider/dp/0752451405?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you have not read Norman Jacobs' book on Tom Farndon you really should. Now that is a blast from the past,wonder what Norman is up to nowadays???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) Except that Bluey Wilkinson did win the World Championship..... Just to be helpful, Sidney...: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tom-Farndon-Greatest-Speedway-Rider/dp/0752451405?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc Thanks "Norbold"😀 Edited May 8, 2016 by Sidney the robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) My uncle who first took me to speedway he is 86 now always mentioned Farndon,Huxley, Duggan also he was a fan of Hunt/ Warren.You or Gustix have you any real memories of Jack Young, Ernie Roccio. Eric Langton? i am doing some research books pictures memorabilia (ect) on all those riders any info would be great. I would help you if I could Sidney the robin but cannot. So far as Eric Langton is concerned the only seasons that he rode in when I followed speedway was 1946 and 1947. But in that era I was only a 13-year-old follower of New Cross while Langton was a towering personality in the Belle Vue side and the only time I saw him was when he appeared at "the frying pan" (as the 262-yard New Cross track was known). Ernie Roccio, the American became involved with nearby Wimbledon in the same period of the 1950s that I was doing RAF National Service at Preston, Lancs, then tragically died in a 1953 accident at West Ham just after my National Service ended. When I did start involvement writing bits and pieces about speedway circa 1953 onwards, Jack Young was a dominant figure in the West Ham side, whereas I was living in South London and mainly centred my attentions on Wimbledon after New Cross closed midway through 1953. My writings for various speedway publications (before becoming involved at 'Speedway Star') from 1954 onwards were mainly on the six tracks then in the Southern Area League. By the time I did participate full-time in speedway writing, Jack Young had moved to Coventry while the main London concentration for me (apart from domestic office duties at the 'Star') was Wimbledon, in which Barry Briggs was the rider I mainly dealt with. So it's regrets in regard to your request Sidney the robin, but I wish you well in your research. It could well be that I might be able to help you in regard to any queries you may have in regard to Langton, Roccio and Young, but so far as first-hand contact comments about them are concerned I regret I cannot help you. Edited May 8, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Mentioned him on a thread before and Philip Rising mentioned Briggo said he was the best rider never to win a world title in his opinion,i think,Brian Crutcher.Could also mention Tommy Miller.Both seem to burts on the scene and blew out almost as quickly.But that may be down to my faulty memory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted May 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 How about Allen Emmett and Tommy Johansson? Saw Allen ride to a fantastic maximum at Eastbourne in 1972. He also won the Junior Championship that year but was involved in a bad smash with Dave Kennett at Hackney at that appeared to end his career although not sure if I am right but I think that he did try a comeback? Tommy had two very good years (1971 Newport & 1972 Ipswich) competing in the British League.Illness forced him to miss 1973 in Britain but he did go on to win the Swedish Championship that year. Had a good World Final appearance in 1974 (beating Ivan Mauger from behind) but it all went wrong for him in 1975 when he signed for Hull and picked up a nasty injury. He didn't appear in England again after that and faded from the international scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 There was also Lewis Bridger,who Parsloes I think hailed as a future world champ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin man 76 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 In my opinion, you could add Kai Niemi to the list. A rider with enough talent to get to the top echelons of the sport, but was arguably more motivated by financial gain than World Championship success. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytripper Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Nobody has mentioned Bjorn Knutsson yet. He broke into the world top ten rankings at 22 years old and was never ranked lower. Than fourth for the rest of his career. One of the "Big 5" along with Moore, Briggo, Fundin and Craven, so he had some tough competition in that era. He was under 30 years old when he retired so had a lot of potential left. He was a few years younger than the rest of the big 5 and coukd we'll have stayed at the top when they started to decline. Bjorn was also only about a year younger then Ivan Mauger and if he had continued into the 1970's he was, in my opinion the only rider who could have consistently challenged Ivan and, again in my opinion might well have taken some of the world titles eventually won by Mauger , Olsen, Michanek , and Szczakiel. We shall n ever know but he was certainly a class act and Speedwáy was the loser when he retired at such a relatively young age. In more recent times, Adam Shields. Every time he started to go well he seemed to collect a serious injury, and in the end a couple of head injuries finished him off. Not a world beater but could have made a much bigger impact than he did , if he had more of an injury free run. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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