BOBBATH Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 I was looking at one of my old Speedway Stars from 1966. Two things caught my eye- an article by Robin Martakies on Graham Coombes predicting great things for him in 1967- does anybody know whether and where Graham is? While the prediction was incorrect as Graham never progressed from a good mid order guy-nothing wrong with , always a great trier. Think he was with Newcastle and CH maybe? Other name that popped up was Doug Dearden of Exeter- I recall him as a slightly built guy but I think he dropped out of speedway pretty soon-did he go to jail for a while? Anybody in forumland recall either or both of these gents?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 I was looking at one of my old Speedway Stars from 1966. Two things caught my eye- an article by Robin Martakies on Graham Coombes predicting great things for him in 1967- does anybody know whether and where Graham is? While the prediction was incorrect as Graham never progressed from a good mid order guy-nothing wrong with , always a great trier. Think he was with Newcastle and CH maybe? Other name that popped up was Doug Dearden of Exeter- I recall him as a slightly built guy but I think he dropped out of speedway pretty soon-did he go to jail for a while? Anybody in forumland recall either or both of these gents?? I think Graham finished at Cradley in 69? and died in 1995 aged 56 myself never see him ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) I was looking at one of my old Speedway Stars from 1966. Two things caught my eye- an article by Robin Martakies on Graham Coombes predicting great things for him in 1967- does anybody know whether and where Graham is? While the prediction was incorrect as Graham never progressed from a good mid order guy-nothing wrong with , always a great trier. Think he was with Newcastle and CH maybe? Other name that popped up was Doug Dearden of Exeter- I recall him as a slightly built guy but I think he dropped out of speedway pretty soon-did he go to jail for a while? Anybody in forumland recall either or both of these gents?? Graham Coombes rode for Sunderland 'Saints' back in 1964. http://www.sunderlandspeedway.co.uk/stats/1964/1964_Season.html Scroll down for picture of the man himself. Edited February 13, 2017 by The White Knight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Dearden rode 13 matches in 1965 and 16 matches in 1966 for Exeter by all accounts he underachieved badly.Rode 1 match also for the Swindon Robins in 1965 born in 1943 he is still alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Graham won the first race I ever saw. Cradley v Newport at the back end of the 1968 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Graham rode for Belle Vue in 1959 and 60, then came back to Sunderland in 64. He also rode for Newcastle, Glasgow, and finally Cradley. Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 The Speedway Star Annual for 1961 predicted great things for Cradley's Errol Brook I seem to recall, who they dubbed "The Wonder Boy".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 The Speedway Star Annual for 1961 predicted great things for Cradley's Errol Brook I seem to recall, who they dubbed "The Wonder Boy".... Was always good entertainment in the second halves at Dudley Wood in the late 60's/early 70's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Was always good entertainment in the second halves at Dudley Wood in the late 60's/early 70's. Early 70s? He spent a long time not getting very far then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Early 70s? He spent a long time not getting very far then. He's probably thinking of Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate, norbold!!! Steve 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 He's probably thinking of Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate, norbold!!! Steve Maybe! Apparently Erol Brook's best year was in 1960 where he drifted in and out of the reserve berth for eight official matches, his best against Sheffield in August when he scored 3 and 2 bonus points from 3 rides. He was talked into coming back in 1964 and again in 1969 but struggled and didn't ride for Cradley again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 He's probably thinking of Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate, norbold!!! Steve How very dare you!! Now I might often stand in a room trying to remember why I entered it, but I can definitely remember my Cradley stuff! A cursory glance at my Heathens programmes shows Errol riding quite regularly in 1969, but also a couple of second half rides in the early part of 1970. Haven't got the time to trawl through any more seasons, but I suspect that might have been it for the "Red Devil" - known for his flowing red scarf and red bke. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted February 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 I was sorry to hear that Graham died so young. As regards Errol Brook, a look thru my old programs for the meetings I attended (all of which I kept, eat your heart out all ye who didn't), I notice Errol was in a second half of the 1964 Prov. league Cup Final at good old Dudley Wood. He was in the first heat of the second half with Fred Priest, Ron Cooper and Dai Evans-Dai of course had quite a good career in the late sixties-I also recall Ron Cooper riding in second halves for a couple of seasons, and maybe appearing a few times for CH-don't know what happened to Fred Priest though. Sadly I didn't fill out the race result- I know why , I was celebrating in a bar with other Newport fans after winning the Cup by a couple of points on aggregate-wot a night!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 I was sorry to hear that Graham died so young. As regards Errol Brook, a look thru my old programs for the meetings I attended (all of which I kept, eat your heart out all ye who didn't), I notice Errol was in a second half of the 1964 Prov. league Cup Final at good old Dudley Wood. He was in the first heat of the second half with Fred Priest, Ron Cooper and Dai Evans-Dai of course had quite a good career in the late sixties-I also recall Ron Cooper riding in second halves for a couple of seasons, and maybe appearing a few times for CH-don't know what happened to Fred Priest though. Sadly I didn't fill out the race result- I know why , I was celebrating in a bar with other Newport fans after winning the Cup by a couple of points on aggregate-wot a night!!! Also in the Seventies with Crewe 'Kings'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BL65 Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 I was sorry to hear that Graham died so young. As regards Errol Brook, a look thru my old programs for the meetings I attended (all of which I kept, eat your heart out all ye who didn't), I notice Errol was in a second half of the 1964 Prov. league Cup Final at good old Dudley Wood. He was in the first heat of the second half with Fred Priest, Ron Cooper and Dai Evans-Dai of course had quite a good career in the late sixties-I also recall Ron Cooper riding in second halves for a couple of seasons, and maybe appearing a few times for CH-don't know what happened to Fred Priest though. Sadly I didn't fill out the race result- I know why , I was celebrating in a bar with other Newport fans after winning the Cup by a couple of points on aggregate-wot a night!!! The finishing order in that second half race was Brook, Cooper, Evans, Priest. Just a couple of days ago an acquaintance related a story to me about the time he accompanied Fred Priest to Norwich to collect a speedway machine he had purchased. So the story goes, Fred was impatient to test the machine and on the way back, in the early hours of the morning, he unloaded it from the back of the car and rode it along the deserted Halesowen by-pass. Apparently not long after that Fred decided he was never going to make the grade and retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BL65 Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 Maybe! Apparently Erol Brook's best year was in 1960 where he drifted in and out of the reserve berth for eight official matches, his best against Sheffield in August when he scored 3 and 2 bonus points from 3 rides. He was talked into coming back in 1964 and again in 1969 but struggled and didn't ride for Cradley again. Errol Brook appeared in several matches for Wolverhampton in 1961 and 1962, with just one appearance in 1963. I believe his first meeting for Wolves was at Cradley Heath in a Northern League match, inflicting Harry Bastable's only defeat in a race when he finished second, also ahead of Tommy Sweetman. Two other highlights that season were teaming up with young Terry Betts for a 5-1 over Ronnie Rolfe at Sheffield and being undefeated in a second half junior match against Cradley at Monmore Green. In 1962, despite having earlier qualified for two second half scratch race finals, Errol didn't get a chance in the Wolves team until mid-July. He had a good run of success, with paid 5 from two rides at Stoke, which included two defeats of Ray Harris, followed by paid 4 from two rides at home to Sheffield and a paid win at home to Plymouth before a crash in his second ride. He did not maintain that form but in his time with Wolves he achieved an average of around three and a half points per match in the league. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 The Speedway Star Annual for 1961 predicted great things for Cradley's Errol Brook I seem to recall, who they dubbed "The Wonder Boy".... Didn't he "second-half" at Brandon for a while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BL65 Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 Didn't he "second-half" at Brandon for a while? Yes, he did have a few second half outings at Brandon in 1961. I am sure I saw him spectating there in later years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclone Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I was sorry to hear that Graham died so young. As regards Errol Brook, a look thru my old programs for the meetings I attended (all of which I kept, eat your heart out all ye who didn't), I notice Errol was in a second half of the 1964 Prov. league Cup Final at good old Dudley Wood. He was in the first heat of the second half with Fred Priest, Ron Cooper and Dai Evans-Dai of course had quite a good career in the late sixties-I also recall Ron Cooper riding in second halves for a couple of seasons, and maybe appearing a few times for CH-don't know what happened to Fred Priest though. Sadly I didn't fill out the race result- I know why , I was celebrating in a bar with other Newport fans after winning the Cup by a couple of points on aggregate-wot a night!!! Re Fred Priest, I remember hearing the anecdote about the time he appeared for a short handed Edinburgh team at Cradley. Apparently after the match, Ian Hoskins commented "that they (Cradley) gave us a Priest but we would have preferred a Monk" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BL65 Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 Re Fred Priest, I remember hearing the anecdote about the time he appeared for a short handed Edinburgh team at Cradley. Apparently after the match, Ian Hoskins commented "that they (Cradley) gave us a Priest but we would have preferred a Monk" I remember that meeting well. Fred managed a second place in the Rosewood Stakes in the second half, ahead of Ivor Hughes and Dave Schofield, before going on to win the final by beating Derek Timms, Ron Cooper and Errol Brook, who fell. Fred's winning time was only 9 seconds outside the track record. In the next meeting, two days later, he won the Triers Stakes in a time that was more than another 10 seconds slower, beating Errol Brook, the only other finisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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