Odsal V Leicester 14th Sept 1957 Query

[Guest compost]

Hi,

 

Long shot but can anyway provide the result of heat 11 of this League match ?

 

The Speedway Researcher files state heat 11 finished 2-4 to Leicester (a result which tally's with the meeting score of 61-35 to Odsal). However, the finishing order of the 4 riders is given as McKinlay (L), Forrest (O), Allott (O), Bradley (L) - a 3-3. So did Bradley finish 3rd or what ?

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Thanks

[BL65]

Hi,

 

Long shot but can anyway provide the result of heat 11 of this League match ?

 

The Speedway Researcher files state heat 11 finished 2-4 to Leicester (a result which tally's with the meeting score of 61-35 to Odsal). However, the finishing order of the 4 riders is given as McKinlay (L), Forrest (O), Allott (O), Bradley (L) - a 3-3. So did Bradley finish 3rd or what ?

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Thanks

According to my programme, the result was McKinlay, Forrest, Bradley, Allott, giving Leicester a 4-2 heat win.

[Guest compost]

According to my programme, the result was McKinlay, Forrest, Bradley, Allott, giving Leicester a 4-2 heat win.

 

Many thanks BL65 you have confirmed what I suspected.

[BOBBATH]

Is the Bradley referred to the great Dick Bradley- I think he was riding for Soton then-was he guesting for Leicester, didn't realise they had guests in 57??

[BL65]

It was indeed Dick Bradley guesting for the Hunters. Leicester used several guests in the 1957 season, with others including Barry Briggs, Jack Biggs, Peo Soederman, Ian Williams and Ron How. Bradley also rode for Leicester against Belle Vue in the Britannia Cup and against Rayleigh in the National League, both meetings at Blackbird Road.

Edited December 30, 2016 by BL65

[BOBBATH]

Thanks BL65-didn't realise the guest rider situation was around in 1957-was that the first year they were used in the League? Maybe you were watching speedway that famous season where the NL collapsed into just one division. I know that Swindon of the second division surprisingly won it breaking the dominance of Wimbledon-if you were a spectator then assume you would have been as surprised as anyone else-what are your thoughts on how this team of Div 2 riders were able to pull it off-although I guess to be fair Halifax achieved a similar feat in 66 with a group of PL products (excepting Eric Boothroyd of course.)

[BL65]

Thanks BL65-didn't realise the guest rider situation was around in 1957-was that the first year they were used in the League? Maybe you were watching speedway that famous season where the NL collapsed into just one division. I know that Swindon of the second division surprisingly won it breaking the dominance of Wimbledon-if you were a spectator then assume you would have been as surprised as anyone else-what are your thoughts on how this team of Div 2 riders were able to pull it off-although I guess to be fair Halifax achieved a similar feat in 66 with a group of PL products (excepting Eric Boothroyd of course.)

Guest rider and tactical substitute schemes were introduced by the Speedway Control Board for the 1955 season.

 

The use of guest riders was intended to ease the hardship when a team was weakened by injury to a rider. The original rules were:

1. If any rider in a First Division team team suffered an injury which prevented him from riding for his team then his place could be taken by a guest rider selected from a previously determined list of Second Division riders.

2, If any rider in a Second Division team team suffered an injury which prevented him from riding for his team then his place could be taken by a guest rider selected from a previously determined list of First Division riders.

3. The guest rider would be one whose ability was not greater than that of the replaced rider.

4. The Control Board would publish the pre-determined lists.

5. A promoter requiring the services of a guest rider would obtain the agreement of the rider's promoter.

6. In the event of a dispute between the promoters the matter would be referred to the Control Board for a decision.

7. The Control Board would be advised of all guest replacements, time permitting, in order that the A.C.U Steward could be advised.

8. Where time did not permit prior notification to the Control Board then both of the opposing promoters in the fixture would notify the A.C.U. Steward of their agreement, in order that the Steward could permit the guest rider to substitute for the injured rider.

9. A guest rider could not ride in the same competition within a consecutive period of two weeks against a team for which he had already ridden as a guest rider.

10. If a promoter required the services of a guest rider for more than one meeting he had to engage a different rider from the pre-determined list until the list was exhausted, following which riders may be engaged again but not in successive meetings.

11. Accidents reported by the promoter to his Insurance Company also had to be reported to the Control Board at the same time.

 

This scheme had merit and some safeguards to prevent abuse and manipulation. Unfortunately, over time the scheme was widened to cover riders missing for reasons other than injury. Guest riders were banned at the beginning of the 1957 season, but the scheme was very quickly reinstated with relaxed rules. In any event, the amalgamation to form one league in 1957 meant that guests had to come from rival teams in the same division, which at any time is at the least unfortunate and at worst farcical.

 

The tactical substitute scheme introduced at that time was straightforward. It was described as a challenge to team managers when their team was six or more points in arrears, allowing them to make an 'intelligent switch of riders' aimed at reducing the deficit. The rules were:

1. If after the fourth heat in a National League match a team was 6 or more points in arrears the team manager could substitute a rider in the next or succeeding heats with another rider in his team.

2. All riders in a team could be used as a tactical substitute only once.

3. Substitutions had to cease as soon as the deficit was reduced to less than 6 points.

 

This scheme also had merit and was used to good effect for many years.

 

As for Swindon 's success in 1957, although many thought it surprising there were underlying reasons. Added to their 1956 second division title winning line-up were Ken Middleditch from Poole, Mike Broadbank from Wembley and Neil Streeet, formerly of Exeter. Speedway was affected by petrol rationing at the beginning of 1957 due to the Suez Crisis and this was one of the reasons why Poole dropped out of the league. Wembley, runners-up in 1956, closed for speedway, with the announcement following shortly after the death of Sir Arthur Elvin, the pro-speedway managing director and chairman of the stadium. Wimbledon had been champions in 1956, but for 1957 Ronnie Moore decided not to ride, Peter Moore had moved to Ipswich and although Split Waterman joined from Wembley his stay was very short lived, leaving after a falling out with the promoter Ronnie Greene. Birmingham had finished third in the league in 1956 but their chances for 1957 were ruined by events in South Africa, where Alan Hunt was killed in a track crash. South African Doug Davies did not return to Birmingham and other members of the Brummies team, Ron Mountford and Eric Boothroyd, were eventually suspended for having ridden on blacklisted tracks. This led to Birmingham closing down mid-season and fixtures being completed at Bradford.

 

The success of Halifax in 1966 owed a lot to the signing of Tommy Roper. The previous season's team had a good trio of heat leaders in Eric Boocock, Dave Younghusband and Eric Boothroyd. Their combined scoring power increased in 1966 and the addition of Roper, whose scores effectively made him a fourth heat leader class rider, were a huge factor, in a similar vein to the contribution of Malcom Simmons at West Ham, in support of McKinlay, Harrfeldt and Hunter in the latter part of 1965 and Bob Kilby's back-up to Briggs, Broadbank and Ashby in Swindon's title winning team of 1967.

Edited January 1, 2017 by BL65

[britmet]

Well put, very succinct, and a well reasoned explanation of how Swindon came to jump to the top of Div.1 (okay, the only Div'n,) after being a Div.2 team.

Edited January 1, 2017 by britmet

[BOBBATH]

Great response BL65, was very interested re the introduction of guest riders. As they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions and while the initial restrictions made sense it developed into a total curse on the sport and I detested its use. It did nothing for the credibility of the sport. Thanks also for the discussion re the 1957 table. I guess that was the lowest time in the sport, but does anybody out there think its in even worse shape now?