The Riders Who Never Took Your Imagination Over The Years.?

[Sidney the robin]

I always felt that he could have been given some sort of role within the sport after he retired as he was always well presented and articulate...but the powers that be had/have a history of not utilising riders in a way that could had/have benefited the sport certainly within the media sector.

Good point and JD was great value to speedway the modern day rider his aquipment immaculate later on as we all know he did a great job with the late Lee Richardsson (never forgotten).

[Tigerblade]

Jan Andersson is definitely one I would put into this category - I began going to speedway at the same time as the Americans were emerging in the late 70s, and Jan was one of the least flamboyant riders of that era.

 

Although I took him seriously, Dave Jessup also fell into the unflamboyant category - how I wish Team GB had 4 like him now, though.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for him, but the summer of 1982 apart, Les Collins never really struck me as being consistently world class, and had he won in LA, for me it would have been a bigger shock than Jerzy Szczakiel or Egon Muller.

 

From more recent times, I grant you I have only seen him at Sheffield and Cardiff mostly, but I always thought even at his peak that Chris Harris seemed to have a fall or a last place in him at least once during a meeting.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Tigerblade

[lucifer sam]

 

I know where you're coming from. Although Kelvin became a renowned gater who won most of his races from the front, he was very good to watch in his early, harem scarem days as a raw rookie at Wimbledon in 1983-84. I've always liked him for being 'different', the public schoolboy persona and his ability to articulate.

 

I mainly saw Kelvin when he was riding for Coventry. He was a good gater who scored a lot of points, but lacked any ‘wow’ factor, which is why he’s one of my choices for riders who failed to grab my imagination.

 

I’ve never really had a chance to speak to him, but dear old Bryn told me Kelvin is a likeable and personable chap. But on track, he just didn’t do anything for me.

 

All the best

Rob

[Andrew]

Jimmy Nilsen,supposedly the new star of Swedish speedway in the mid 80s (and he did have a decent career) but was dull to watch.I was never sold on Bobby Schwartz either,possibly because he never looked comfortable around Owlerton and I never saw him on smaller circuits.

[lucifer sam]

...definitely Mikael Teurnberg and Lars Munkedal come to that!

 

Teurnberg was a dull-as-ditchwater white liner, who was simply embarrassing when the Cheetahs went to Exeter. He rode the inside and nearly got lapped!!

 

I wouldn't include Munkedal. He didn't have a great time (to say the least) at Cowley, but he wasn't dull to watch. In particular, before he signed for us, I remember a double-header at Hyde Road in 1987. Wolves were on both Oxford, and Lars got double-figures with some fairly spectacular riding for Wolves.

 

All the best

Rob

[steve roberts]

 

Teurnberg was a dull-as-ditchwater white liner, who was simply embarrassing when the Cheetahs went to Exeter. He rode the inside and nearly got lapped!!

 

I wouldn't include Munkedal. He didn't have a great time (to say the least) at Cowley, but he wasn't dull to watch. In particular, before he signed for us, I remember a double-header at Hyde Road in 1987. Wolves were on both Oxford, and Lars got double-figures with some fairly spectacular riding for Wolves.

 

All the best

Rob

...Each to their own Rob but I found his performances riding for Oxford generally embarrassing and vividly recall him attempting to negotiate a heavy Cowley circuit on one occasion in particular.

 

PS Don't mention Teurnberg to Chris Brown!

Edited May 24, 2017 by steve roberts

[lucifer sam]

...Each to their own Rob but I found his performances riding for Oxford generally embarrassing and vividly recall him attempting to negotiate a heavy Cowley circuit on one occasion in particular.

 

PS Don't mention Teurnberg to Chris Brown!

 

Oh, Lars (or to give him the slightly unkind nickname he gained, 'Last'! ) would definitely be in my list of embarrassing Oxford riders, but not in my dull list.

 

I think Teurnberg's mechanic once went on the warpath, looking for Chris Brown at Reading one night.

 

All the best

Rob

Edited May 24, 2017 by lucifer sam

[steve roberts]

 

Oh, Lars (or to give him the slightly unkind nickname he gained, 'Last'! ) would definitely be in my last of embarrassing Oxford riders, but not in my dull list.

 

I think Teurnberg's mechanic once went on the warpath, looking for Chris Brown at Reading one night.

 

All the best

Rob

...Yes I recall Chris telling that story!

[Sidney the robin]

Jimmy Nilsen,supposedly the new star of Swedish speedway in the mid 80s (and he did have a decent career) but was dull to watch.I was never sold on Bobby Schwartz either,possibly because he never looked comfortable around Owlerton and I never saw him on smaller circuits.

Nilsen was world class and i see him everyweek but like Bo Petersen i was never a big fan preferrred Jonsson/Henka over him.

[steve roberts]

Nilsen was world class and i see him everyweek but like Bo Petersen i was never a big fan preferrred Jonsson/Henka over him.

Jimmy Nilsen spent two years at Cowley (with gaps in between) and I often felt that he didn't ride to his full potential whilst gracing Oxford. I know that during his developing years he received a number of injuries which appeared to slow him down. Should have achieved more on the domestic front but one can't argue with his international form.

 

First saw Bo Petersen when he joined Hackney...in fact I believe I witnessed his first meeting in 1978 at White City (?) Always thought that he was a class act and another who failed to live up to his early potential and the closure of Hackney seemed to take the wind out of his sails despite a couple of useful years at Swindon. Around Hackney he was superb and was a master of the art of overtaking when required.

[Sidney the robin]

Jimmy Nilsen spent two years at Cowley (with gaps in between) and I often felt that he didn't ride to his full potential whilst gracing Oxford. I know that during his developing years he received a number of injuries which appeared to slow him down. Should have achieved more on the domestic front but one can't argue with his international form.

 

First saw Bo Petersen when he joined Hackney...in fact I believe I witnessed his first meeting in 1978 at White City (?) Always thought that he was a class act and another who failed to live up to his early potential and the closure of Hackney seemed to take the wind out of his sails despite a couple of useful years at Swindon. Around Hackney he was superb and was a master of the art of overtaking when required.

When Petersen came to Swindon Crump senior was on the way down ( wrist injury? ) so to see him take that no 1 mantle was hard.He was was a class act though and at Hackney was very hard to beat Barry Thomas still my favourite ever Hawk.

[lucifer sam]

Jimmy Nilsen,supposedly the new star of Swedish speedway in the mid 80s (and he did have a decent career) but was dull to watch.I was never sold on Bobby Schwartz either,possibly because he never looked comfortable around Owlerton and I never saw him on smaller circuits.

 

Jimmy Nilsen wasn't that dull to watch to begin with. I think he had a couple of injuries (in 1988?) and he changed a bit after that. To begin with, he was a bit harum-scarum, from what I recall.

 

He had two years at Oxford. 2000 was nothing to write home about, but 1995 was a bit different. He started that year under a cloud, following the injury to Per Jonsson the previous year, but rediscovered his 'mojo' in a Oxford v Swindon meeting, when he started really attacking and picking off the Robins riders for fun. He was a different man for the rest of the year.

 

The following year he went back to Blunsdon and within a couple of years, he was World No 2.

 

All the best

Rob

Edited May 25, 2017 by lucifer sam

[frigbo]

Jimmy was pretty raw when he first came over and was edge-of-the-seat stuff.

 

He did become pretty dull from the late eighties onwards and was pretty reliant on his gating. He was also somewhat embarrassing to watch at Exeter (bar one standout meeting)

[lucifer sam]

Jimmy was pretty raw when he first came over and was edge-of-the-seat stuff.

 

He did become pretty dull from the late eighties onwards and was pretty reliant on his gating. He was also somewhat embarrassing to watch at Exeter (bar one standout meeting)

 

Frigbo, you'll know better than me. Wasn't there a big pile-up involving Jimmy in 1988? He was a changed rider around that point - the slightly scary version disappeared.

 

All the best

Rob

[Wiseguy]

Riders that don't /didn't get me excited were Robert Maxfield, Bob Coles, Nigel Sparshott, David Mason, AJ, Hancock, Bjarne Pedersen, Richie Worrall

[Tigerblade]

Jimmy Nilsen,supposedly the new star of Swedish speedway in the mid 80s (and he did have a decent career) but was dull to watch.I was never sold on Bobby Schwartz either,possibly because he never looked comfortable around Owlerton and I never saw him on smaller circuits.

I'm with you on that one - I know he reached World Pairs/WTCs etc, but Penhall, Sigalos and the Morans definitely seemed to outshine him. Having said that, you and I could write a book on top riders/potential world beaters who have been brilliant everywhere except Owlerton!

 

Bo Petersen has been mentioned by other people, I guess I didn't take him too seriously either, as in 1984 Shawn Moran went unbeaten at home by an opponent until the 24th May against Swindon - obviously we'd had Carter, Sigalos, Morton (Chris) etc in opposition before this, and I remember thinking "he's beaten all of those and then loses it to Bo Petersen!"

[TonyMac]

Having seen a lot of Bo Petersen at Hackney between 1978 and '83, I'm surprised by his inclusion in this debate, which mainly features one-paced riders.

 

Bo was fast and though a decent enough gater, he could pass the very best - inside or out.

 

And he had a tough streak too.

 

From a rigid-looking, upright riding style when he first arrived, he developed into a more spectacular racer who looked good on a bike for one so tall.

 

Remember the night Olsen rode him into the fence on the first bend when Coventry came to Waterden Road (1980?).

 

To be honest, I didn't see much of him - except in Test matches - after '83, so maybe he lost much of his hunger?

 

Definitely one who failed to fulfil his potential and retired from UK speedway all too soon. Would like to catch up with him in Denmark for a Backtrack interview...

Edited May 25, 2017 by tmc

[Tigerblade]

I'm only speaking for me of course, but I think it depends on what meetings you saw them in - for instance Sheffield had League, Northern Trophy, Challenges, Individual meetings, so PC, Mort, Carter etc seemed to be there every other week so you knew how good they were. Whereas Wimbledon, Ipswich, Hackney, Poole etc would only be there once, so you only ever saw certain riders once a season. I daresay there's fans of especially Wimbledon and Ipswich who wouldn't have thought much of Doug Wyer or Reg Wilson as being a force.

[Sidney the robin]

I'm only speaking for me of course, but I think it depends on what meetings you saw them in - for instance Sheffield had League, Northern Trophy, Challenges, Individual meetings, so PC, Mort, Carter etc seemed to be there every other week so you knew how good they were. Whereas Wimbledon, Ipswich, Hackney, Poole etc would only be there once, so you only ever saw certain riders once a season. I daresay there's fans of especially Wimbledon and Ipswich who wouldn't have thought much of Doug Wyer or Reg Wilson as being a force.

 

That's why it was a treat to see the Northern riders at the Abbey.Because unless they were in individual meeting's or a guest somewhere you might only see some riders once a year.

[frigbo]

 

Frigbo, you'll know better than me. Wasn't there a big pile-up involving Jimmy in 1988? He was a changed rider around that point - the slightly scary version disappeared.

 

All the best

Rob

He had a big pile-up with Per Jonsson and Jan Andersson in the opening meeting of 1988 against Getingarna. He broke a wrist and dislocated a shoulder, it definitely made him a more circumspect rider from then on,