Rip Bryn

[Trees]

Oh that is soo sad to read, RIP Bryn, you will not be forgotten by the speedway family!!

[Bryce]

RIP mate. I'll miss our chats, as the whole speedway world will miss you.

[Vincent Vega]

Just seen this very sad news. Bryn was Mr Speedway. Remember back in the late 80s early 90s he did the London Speedway Hotline where he would be at meetings and you could phone up and get the scores with Bryns match report. This was the best way of getting the info as ceefax back then was terrible. He would be at all Hackneys home and away meetings sometimes as team manager. Would also see him at Wimbledon every week and he must have done all the Rye and Arena home matches aswell.

 

When Wimbledon and Hackney closed in 1991 he was at all Arenas home and away matches for years never knew him to miss one. He must have been at speedway at least 4/5 times a week. Thoughts with his family and friends at this sad time.

 

Top fella RIP Bryn.

[Star Lady]

So sad to hear this. I got to know Bryn like most on here thro speedway. I used to sell raffle tickets with Carys, his daughter. When myself and a few others set up KREST to raise funds for the Lynn riders, Bryn was the first to offer his support. Without his help, advice and support we could never have helped the riders as much as we did. But that was Bryn, if he could help you out he would, if it helped speedway too so much the better. I came to regard him as a friend and it was thanks to him that I was able to watch racing from a referees perspective (when he was actually doing the refereeing for STRs) one of the many ways he helped the sport. He was always at the end of the phone, or more often emails when advice was needed. He IMHO was the best announcer in the business. He did so much behind the scenes that many were unaware of but he did it for the love of the sport and speedway will much poorer without him.

 

RIP Bryn

Edited December 28, 2016 by Star Lady

[lucifer sam]

RIP Bryn. While it's a sad day today, I feel privileged to have known you. Thanks very much for accepting me down the pits for the away meetings in 2005, as we plotted victory towards the Conference League title. I learnt so much from you. While today is sad, I remember the good times, in particular the day the Oxford Academy secured the league title. You were a smashing chap, speedway mad and a font of knowledge. RIP mate.

 

All the best

Rob

[Gambo]

So sad to hear of the passing of Bryn (AKA The Dark Knight and others).

He always gave the 'Coventry Press Mafia' a mention in some way in his programme notes when the Bees were visiting Kings Lynn, Oxford or Lakeside, and caused me great embarrassment at the Isle of Wight this year by announcing my attendance over the microphone!

Top Man, that Bryn!

 

R.I.P.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Gambo

[salty]

RIP Bryn.

[steve roberts]

Remember his days spent at Oxford.

 

RIP

[Terry]

R.I.P Bryn, our fantastic sport will be the poorer without you.

[John Leslie]

Sad news.

Bryn was one of the good guys that speedway relies on so heavily. I should imagine every speedway supporter will have crossed paths with him at some point. Although he was South East, based and I frequent more Midlands and Northern tracks, I still used to bump into him a few times a year. He was always happy to chat...usually about the meeting he'd been at the previous night and the one he was going to the next day.

Enthusiastic and knowledgable, he loved his speedway, and was equally clued up on the riders of yesteryear and the stars of tomorrow.

A big loss to the sport.

[stevebrum]

RIP Bryn.

[Guest]

From the Kent Kings website: http://www.kentkings.co/news.php?extend.828.1

 

 

BRYN WILLIAMS

WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2016

Kent Speedway are very sad to hear the news of the passing today (28/12/16) of Bryn Williams.

Bryn is well known to almost everyone in British Speedway (riders, promoters and fans alike) after decades of involvement in the sport that he loved and has been a regular at Central Park since the Speedway opened in 2013.

Welsh-born Bryn who has lived in north west Kent for many, many years, first discovered Speedway when taken to the old West Ham track in Custom House by a then girl-friend in the 1960s – beginning a life-long love affair with the sport. He first came to prominence when running the Supporters Club at Crayford Speedway in the 1970s when so many of us here at Central Park first got to know him. Working then in Insurance, Bryn cut a very dapper figure in his suit.

The suit was jettisoned many years ago after he retired from his ‘day job’ but Bryn never stopped his tireless work for countless tracks over the years: particularly Hackney, Arena Essex/Lakeside, Eastbourne, King’s Lynn, Oxford and ever since they opened, as Announcer & Press Officer at the Isle of Wight.

A highlight in Bryn’s career in Speedway administration was when he Team Managed the Oxford side to the Conference League title in 2005.

Bryn travelled more or less constantly (including often to Australia) to visit Speedway, on it seemed more or less every day of the week – surely no-one who has never driven himself has ever covered more miles watching any sport! As a journalist, manager, administrator, helper and announcer (with his distinctive voice and wicked sense of humour) Bryn will be always be remembered. Despite being in ill health for a number of years Bryn literally never eased up once in following the sport he was so totally committed to.

All at Kent Speedway sent our condolences to his daughter Carys, son in law Andy and rest of his family and many friends at this sad time. We will post details of the funeral on here when available.

RIP BRYN WILLIAMS

Edited December 28, 2016 by Guest

[Dickie Head]

Race day weather check at 15.00. A large black cloud hangs over Erith on the Kent side of the River. But the rays of sunshine that Bryn delivers will soon banish the gloom and leave glowing memories of a truely great man. RIP my friend.

[Guest]

FORWARDED ITEM:

:::::

 

Chris Popple

5 hrs ·

I am so saddened to learn of the passing of a speedway legend today, Bryn Williams, who I worked alongside at the Isle of Wight all of last season. I was humbled and honoured to be working with Bryn, who was the original Mr Speedway, with experience & knowledge of the sport second to none. You will be sadly missed by all who knew, and came in contact with you. My sincere thoughts go out to Bryn's family at this very sad time. God bless you mate, and God rest your soul. Untill we meet again my Warrior friend.

[tomcat]

RIP Bryn.

What a sad sad day, not just personally, but for the speedway world

as a whole.

I first met Bryn at Ipswich, then went on to see and speak to him at

numerous tracks around the country, always it seemed with that

trademark SuperKings stuck in his mouth. Polite and with a wicked

sense of humour, Bryn always had time for a natter, which we all

appreciated.

My sincerest condolences to family and friends at this sad time.

Edited December 29, 2016 by tomcat

[Deano]

Awful news, RIP fella. I think we have lost Mr Speedway.

[RobMcCaffery]

It's never easy to deal with a situation like this, especially at this time of year, and my heart goes out to Bryn's family. As for his friends, well there are simply too many to mention within the sport for there are few people who have not benefitted from his work, usually behind the scenes at speedway.

 

Walking into a speedway office and finding Bryn helping out was just too regular a sight to register sometimes, especially in London. You knew he'd be helping out somewhere.

 

Our paths crossed many times and despite our respective Rye House and Crayford sympathies I think we reached a truce a long way back.

 

It was at London Road where I first noticed this smart-looking chap in a suit looking rather out of place in the supporters' club kiosk, Bryn having not had the time to change out of his office garb on those Tuesday nights. There was a fair bit of verbal rivalry between him and the Rockets' supporters, especially after we'd won yet again at the 'budgies' home.

 

Then I got involved in speedway on a more formal basis and inevitably grew to know Bryn properly. I remember turning up at the Speedway Mail offices clutching my first copy for the magazine, only top find Bryn beavering away, helping out Tony and John.

 

When Crayford moved into Hackney I got to see just how much work Bryn was doing behind the scenes, not just editing and selling 'Kestrel News' which someone mentioned earlier did so much to smooth over the merger pains with Hawks fans upset at losing their team and the Kestrels' equivalent distraught at losing their track. It can't have been an easy marriage and it took people who cared about the sport like Bryn to help make it happen.

 

I probably got to know Bryn best when we would share the train to Rye House on Sundays in the early nineties. Often we had a two minute connection at Broxbourne. He always managed to fit a quick Superkings in...

 

Bryn's abilities as an announcer and presenter have been rightly praised as he rightly earned a reputation as a 'safe pair of hands'. I well recall his huge and thankless efforts to get some atmosphere going in the rebuilt London Stadium during the London Lions' brief existence.

 

In 2001 my wife and I escaped London to find refuge in the west, seeking to build a new life away from the stresses of life in the capital. I was determined to keep involved in speedway. My first meeting was at Swindon - announcer Bryn Williams. My second meeting was at Wolverhampton. First in the queue, Bryn Williams. There really was no escape.

 

The last time I met Bryn was a couple of years ago at Blunsdon. You knew even if the Hammers weren't going to put on much of a show it was a chance to see an old friend. Shocked and saddened by how the ravages of illness had claimed him it was good to talk over old times and get some insight into what was going on behind the scenes. Bryn though was never indiscreet - always loyal to the sport he loved.

 

Bryn Williams probably loved speedway more than anyone I've ever met in the sport. Realistic but never cynical he retained an ability to see the good side of the sport he served and I can't remember him every complaining about it or writing it off as so many feel compelled to do. That's not to say he couldn't see its faults - he just put them in perspective and kept on helping.

 

Bryn, it's hard to accept that I won't be bumping into you in some speedway office somewhere, just doing something useful, usually in the background. No more quick Superkings, no more reassurance that the sport at its heart was still worth fighting for, and no more requests for a lift. I wish I could have offered more of the latter. I can't think of too many non-drivers who managed to get about as much as you.

 

Thanks for being one of the good guys and I hope you now have a season ticket and free travel to every track on the planet up there.

 

It's true that so often you don't know what you had until they're gone.

 

Thank you for so much. Goodbye.

[screm]

Condolences to all family and friends.

 

RIP Bryn.

[Ray Stadia]

Sad news. RIP Bryn.

[The White Knight]

It's never easy to deal with a situation like this, especially at this time of year, and my heart goes out to Bryn's family. As for his friends, well there are simply too many to mention within the sport for there are few people who have not benefitted from his work, usually behind the scenes at speedway.

 

Walking into a speedway office and finding Bryn helping out was just too regular a sight to register sometimes, especially in London. You knew he'd be helping out somewhere.

 

Our paths crossed many times and despite our respective Rye House and Crayford sympathies I think we reached a truce a long way back.

 

It was at London Road where I first noticed this smart-looking chap in a suit looking rather out of place in the supporters' club kiosk, Bryn having not had the time to change out of his office garb on those Tuesday nights. There was a fair bit of verbal rivalry between him and the Rockets' supporters, especially after we'd won yet again at the 'budgies' home.

 

Then I got involved in speedway on a more formal basis and inevitably grew to know Bryn properly. I remember turning up at the Speedway Mail offices clutching my first copy for the magazine, only top find Bryn beavering away, helping out Tony and John.

 

When Crayford moved into Hackney I got to see just how much work Bryn was doing behind the scenes, not just editing and selling 'Kestrel News' which someone mentioned earlier did so much to smooth over the merger pains with Hawks fans upset at losing their team and the Kestrels' equivalent distraught at losing their track. It can't have been an easy marriage and it took people who cared about the sport like Bryn to help make it happen.

 

I probably got to know Bryn best when we would share the train to Rye House on Sundays in the early nineties. Often we had a two minute connection at Broxbourne. He always managed to fit a quick Superkings in...

 

Bryn's abilities as an announcer and presenter have been rightly praised as he rightly earned a reputation as a 'safe pair of hands'. I well recall his huge and thankless efforts to get some atmosphere going in the rebuilt London Stadium during the London Lions' brief existence.

 

In 2001 my wife and I escaped London to find refuge in the west, seeking to build a new life away from the stresses of life in the capital. I was determined to keep involved in speedway. My first meeting was at Swindon - announcer Bryn Williams. My second meeting was at Wolverhampton. First in the queue, Bryn Williams. There really was no escape.

 

The last time I met Bryn was a couple of years ago at Blunsdon. You knew even if the Hammers weren't going to put on much of a show it was a chance to see an old friend. Shocked and saddened by how the ravages of illness had claimed him it was good to talk over old times and get some insight into what was going on behind the scenes. Bryn though was never indiscreet - always loyal to the sport he loved.

 

Bryn Williams probably loved speedway more than anyone I've ever met in the sport. Realistic but never cynical he retained an ability to see the good side of the sport he served and I can't remember him every complaining about it or writing it off as so many feel compelled to do. That's not to say he couldn't see its faults - he just put them in perspective and kept on helping.

 

Bryn, it's hard to accept that I won't be bumping into you in some speedway office somewhere, just doing something useful, usually in the background. No more quick Superkings, no more reassurance that the sport at its heart was still worth fighting for, and no more requests for a lift. I wish I could have offered more of the latter. I can't think of too many non-drivers who managed to get about as much as you.

 

Thanks for being one of the good guys and I hope you now have a season ticket and free travel to every track on the planet up there.

 

It's true that so often you don't know what you had until they're gone.

 

Thank you for so much. Goodbye.

A beautiful and moving tribute Rob.