iris123 Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 (edited) Well we have had the first ever meeting and the first ever league meeting you saw,and as i was looking through my old programmes and noticed on the 2nd of August 1973 i saw Trevor Hedge challenge and lose to Halifax's Eric Boocock in the golden helmet match race,i thought wouldn't it be great to have a thread about the first time......not wanting to be elitist it could also be the silver helmet Edited March 15, 2017 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 I think mine was Barry Briggs v. Ove Fundin in 1960 at New Cross. Fundin absolutely destroyed Briggo, breaking the track record and also breaking the old track record in the second race. The time of 57.0 stood till New Cross closed in 1963. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 I think mine was Barry Briggs v. Ove Fundin in 1960 at New Cross. Fundin absolutely destroyed Briggo, breaking the track record and also breaking the old track record in the second race. The time of 57.0 stood till New Cross closed in 1963. Lucky so and so.What a classic race to have seen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 The first match race clash I saw was at New Cross, May 15, 1946 - although I think it was only the Match Race Championship in those days. I am certain the 'Golden Helmet' was added later. Here's the results of a clash between home rider Ron Johnson and Bill Kitchen (Wembley). Match Race Championship Ht1 Bill Kitchen bt Ron Johnson 61.0 Ht2 Bill Kitchen bt Ron Johnson 62.0 I think mine was Barry Briggs v. Ove Fundin in 1960 at New Cross. Fundin absolutely destroyed Briggo, breaking the track record and also breaking the old track record in the second race. The time of 57.0 stood till New Cross closed in 1963. I was also at New Cross for this epic clash. Two of my all-time favourite riders opposed to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Garry Middleton challenging the holder, Nigel Boocock, and succeeding at Cowley in 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Cant remember what year I first saw the Golden Helmet races at Hyde Road, maybe late fifties when I was 12-13 but defo remember those in the 60's, especially Craven v Fundin, and what cracking races they were. Two completely different riding styles, yet so much trust between them to be able to ride so close at the speeds they were doing. Amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 This query deviates from the actual 'Golden Helmet' title, but it does I think qualify as a match race query - probably norbold will be able to supply the needed answer? At the time of his fatal accident in 1935, was Tom Farndon the holder of the then match race championship? Following the tragedy the competition was then suspended as a mark of respect to Farndon and not resumed until the first post-war season in 1946? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 This query deviates from the actual 'Golden Helmet' title, but it does I think qualify as a match race query - probably norbold will be able to supply the needed answer? At the time of his fatal accident in 1935, was Tom Farndon the holder of the then match race championship? Following the tragedy the competition was then suspended as a mark of respect to Farndon and not resumed until the first post-war season in 1946? Yes, that's correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 1946 and first holder after the war was Bill Kitchen of Wembley who defeated Ron Johnson of New Cross 0-2 at Wembley in front of 65,000 people then 2-0 at New Cross and 2-0 in the decider at Wimbledon. He did not hold it for long as Jack Parker relieved him of it 0-2, 2-0 0-2. Both match races the home riders were beaten by their opponents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Pretty sure it was the Martin Ashby/Tommy Jansson one at Swindon. If I saw one before then, which is possible, I can't recall it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Carter/Morton in 1982. Saw the legs at the shay and Hyde Rd but not the tie breaker at a neutral track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Carter/Morton in 1982. Saw the legs at the shay and Hyde Rd but not the tie breaker at a neutral track. Brings up the question of what was the better system,the one-off race or the home and away best of 3 heats i think it was? The one off best rider of the night challenges the golden helmet holder was imo not as good as the nominated rider of the month challenging.Was often difficult to even know if the rider who had the helmet the week before had retained it and was coming to your track or had maybe lost it at a meeting the previous night or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Pretty sure it was the Martin Ashby/Tommy Jansson one at Swindon. If I saw one before then, which is possible, I can't recall it. Last time I saw Tommy ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybikespeedway Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 I prefered the monthly nominated best of 3 at each riders home track plus a decider on a neutral track if needed I saw a Decider in 65 at Newport between Barry Briggs and Charlie Monk , they got rides in the second half as well, Because the Golden Helmet was before the match, as far as I can remember it was Briggs 2-0 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Jack Parker, then Belle Vue and England captain, dominated the 'Golden Helmet' Match Race Championship throughout the late 1940s and into the early 1950s. His grip on the title was such that the Press dubbed the championship "Parker's Pension." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Jack Parker, then Belle Vue and England captain, dominated the 'Golden Helmet' Match Race Championship throughout the late 1940s and into the early 1950s. His grip on the title was such that the Press dubbed the championship "Parker's Pension." Parker had i think 19 wins in the golden helmet.Seems to have been beaten by Vic Duggan but then Duggan must have been injured and never had the chance to keep the title? On the other hand Ole Olsen won the helmet 33 times between 1970-1972.He also won 19 times on the trot from the back end of 1972 -the start of the 1973 season.Quite some record,but then again Ole was also a multiple world champion,so the golden helmet wasn't the main title to his name As an extra to Oles string of titles you can also add a record number of Zlata Prilba wins.The Golden Helmet meeting in Pardubice.Ole won 7 times,compared to Tony Rickardsson who won 3 times or Igor Plechanov who won twice and then Ove Fundin won only once.To put it into perspective Briggo and Ivan Mauger never managed a single win.Briggo finished runner-up twice and Ivan came second 4 times!!!! Edited March 14, 2017 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney the robin Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Last time I saw Tommy ride.Yes counted Steve i only see Jansson ride six times,To think he could of been a mega player in speedway until the late eighties we were robbed as fans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Parker had i think 19 wins in the golden helmet.Seems to have been beaten by Vic Duggan but then Duggan must have been injured and never had the chance to keep the title? On the other hand Ole Olsen won the helmet 33 times between 1970-1972.He also won 19 times on the trot from the back end of 1972 -the start of the 1973 season.Quite some record.... Yes, but as you already pointed out above, these were under two different systems. You can't compare them just by numbers. In answer to you previous question I believe the old monthly 2 out of 3 challenge was best. You could build up the excitement, you knew you were going to have two riders worthy of the challenge, whereas under the newer system, the best rider in the world might never get a chance. Edited March 14, 2017 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Yes, but as you already pointed out above, these were under two different systems. You can't compare them just by numbers. No,but as i say Parker lost the title to Duggan and seemingly because Duggan couldn't defend the title got another chance.....But as i also point out Olsen not nly won a fantastic number of Golden Helmet match races he also won World titles and 7 Golden Helmets at Pardubice.Whereas Parker is really mainly known for his "pension" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) No,but as i say Parker lost the title to Duggan and seemingly because Duggan couldn't defend the title got another chance.....But as i also point out Olsen not nly won a fantastic number of Golden Helmet match races he also won World titles and 7 Golden Helmets at Pardubice.Whereas Parker is really mainly known for his "pension" Sadly you cannot equate the two. When Jack Parker won the match race title the competition was only 5 matches per season. When Ole Olen won it there could be 30 matches per season or even more. The latter competition turned out to be a Mickey Mouse event , then it eventually died out Edited March 14, 2017 by mickthemuppet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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