Grachan Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 You are kidding? Nope. It was in 1975, I believe. JD signed for Reading and Oxford were granted a guest facility to cover for him. Who better to call on, eh? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 You could add those riders who were sent to a club they didn't want to ride for.Ole Olsen for one refused a move somewhere that the BSPA said he would go to Plus Wimbledon promoter Ronnie Greene telling reigning world champion Barry Briggs he wouldn't be allowed to defend the title if he didn't ride for Wimbledon....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Nope. It was in 1975, I believe. JD signed for Reading and Oxford were granted a guest facility to cover for him. Who better to call on, eh? Thank you for the explanation Grachan. Only in Speedway. You could add those riders who were sent to a club they didn't want to ride for.Ole Olsen for one refused a move somewhere that the BSPA said he would go to Plus Wimbledon promoter Ronnie Greene telling reigning world champion Barry Briggs he wouldn't be allowed to defend the title if he didn't ride for Wimbledon....... Ole Olsen refused to ride for Hull if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Coventry were promised an inspection after heat 9 v Poole because of the weather, inspection didn't happen so Bees riders were told by Havvy not to go out. They ran heat 10 (HOLDER (😂) nearly took out Davey Watt) then they abandoned the meeting due to unsafe track as they got a result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 I wouldn't know what you are talking about. I don't do Twitter, Facebook etc. I avoid them like the plague. Perhaps you could explain in a bit more detail for us dinosaurs what it is about? :unsure: So you avoid them like the plaque, but you want to know what's been said on them....................... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 So you avoid them like the plaque, but you want to know what's been said on them....................... 'Fraid so - I'm just nosey. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) Gelsenkirchen year two The Riga SGP that never took place The first Warsaw SGP Edited August 4, 2017 by WembleyLion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) Thank you for the explanation Grachan. Only in Speedway. Ole Olsen refused to ride for Hull if I remember correctly. Indeed it was, in 1976. We signed Barry Briggs though so: swings & roundabouts. All the above +: A GP live on TV, I forget exactly where and when (1998 ?) but a rider went through the fnece, ended up in the 2m safety zone. He rider was dealt & treated fairly quickly, but the meeting held up for around 30 mins for fence repairs, still live on TV - they nailed in a piece of 4 X 8 board, which the entire fence was made from in any case. An Elite League match, at Eastbourne I believe (2000 ?) the away team walked out before a wheel was turned in a row over team strengths, Eagles rode alone for minumum points for the win followed by junior racing, mercifully it wasn't televised. 1974: infamously Belle Vue walked out of a match at Hull over track condidtions, resulting in that 60-9 'victory' to Hull. My first ever meeting was week or two afterwards. 1977: Hull & White City rode the entire season with R/R for riders who never turned wheel for the clubs: Egon Muller (Hull) & Dag Lovas (White City). White City won the league in that seasson too. There are probably more.... Edited August 4, 2017 by Martin Mauger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 1974: infamously Belle Vue walked out of a match at Hull over track condidtions, resulting in that 60-9 'victory' to Hull. My first ever meeting was week or two afterwards. This is probably one of the meetings i have in mind when it comes to riders pulling out because of bad conditions.I think at the time Belle Vue had quite a reputation,so must have been another meeting or two,though i do remember going to Hull for the Briggo fareweel and the conditions weren't great,but if i am correct Belle Vue were the opponents that night.At least i seem to remember the challenge races included Fundin and PC!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 This is probably one of the meetings i have in mind when it comes to riders pulling out because of bad conditions.I think at the time Belle Vue had quite a reputation,so must have been another meeting or two,though i do remember going to Hull for the Briggo fareweel and the conditions weren't great,but if i am correct Belle Vue were the opponents that night.At least i seem to remember the challenge races included Fundin and PC!! Indeed x 2, Belle Vue threatened not ride then too. Mind they did kinda have a point as in addition PC, Briggo, Ivan Mauger & Ove Fundin rode in World Champion's Exhibition races (slid around desperately keeping upright in the slop).... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Oxford v Cradley in 1975 - another walk out. Cradley walked out in the snow. I think it ended up 58-14 as Oxford went round on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted August 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) John Davis riding as a guest for Oxford to cover the absent John Davis.Copycats. Birmingham were allowed to have R/R for Bob Valentine whilst Bob Valentine was also in the team.Or in recent times, "Plumbingate" and the restaged Belle Vue v Poole meeting which the authorities refused to abandon despite the pouring rain until Poole had enough points for an aggregate win and it got past heat 10. Edited August 4, 2017 by uk martin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Oxford v Cradley in 1975 - another walk out. Cradley walked out in the snow. I think it ended up 58-14 as Oxford went round on their own. Remember it well...and John Boulger was christened 'Snowflake' by some of the Cowley faithful! Nope. It was in 1975, I believe. JD signed for Reading and Oxford were granted a guest facility to cover for him. Who better to call on, eh? Oxford were allocated first Eric Boocock (who retired) and then Ole Olsen (who refused to ride for Oxford...thank goodness) and eventually Dag Lovaas came to Oxford and John Davis went the other way...but, as usual, Oxford rode at Coventry early in the season before the move was made hence the anomaly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Remember it well...and John Boulger was christened 'Snowflake' by some of the Cowley faithful! Oxford were allocated first Eric Boocock (who retired) and then Ole Olsen (who refused to ride for Oxford...thank goodness) and eventually Dag Lovaas came to Oxford and John Davis went the other way...but, as usual, Oxford rode at Coventry early in the season before the move was made hence the anomaly. I never knew about Eric Boocock. That would have been weird. I always assumed Dag Lovaas had been a replacement for Bob Kilby, but with Lovaas formerly being a Reading rider I guess that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepturningleft Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 World Final Wembley 1975 - track not watered properly, so fans decide to do it themselves with a hosepipe, resulting in a swimming pool on turn one which possibly cost Peter Collins the title. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 I never knew about Eric Boocock. That would have been weird. I always assumed Dag Lovaas had been a replacement for Bob Kilby, but with Lovaas formerly being a Reading rider I guess that makes sense. Bob Kilby was a strange one...Long winded saga but Garry Middleton (who Oxford paid a fee for) was swapped for Tony Lomas (Coventry) who was swapped for Bob Kilby (Exeter) so technically Bob was an Oxford asset. However when he re-signed for 'The Budgies' prior to the 1975 season Swindon claimed that he was one of their's having been allocated to Exeter in 1971 and therefore Oxford lost out and never received a penny for him! John Davis wanted away and Dag making it well known that he wanted to ride at Cowley a swap was struck...not sure if any money changed hands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) Trailing down to the East Midlands from Teesside to report on a Long Eaton v Middlesbrough match in the (I think) 1995 season. Glorious summer evening, not a cloud in the sky, yet the meeting was called off. When I queried the ref's decision, he took me out on the track. It was like a ploughed field! Too dangerous for push bikes, let alone speedway bikes, was his summation. Similarly frustrating, a few seasons earlier, was watching an hour of tractor racing at Odsal before the referee gave up and called off a Bradford versus Poole match. Crowd in the stadium, not a wheel turned. Almost every meeting Glasgow staged at Derwent Park during their 1987 'season in exile'. I was living in Cumbria at the time, and went to most of the matches. The track - bumpy, rutted and dusty - was a disgrace. Nobody did any work on it between matches. In the end, after one pile-up and/or visitors' complaint too many, Glasgow (or, as they became, Workington Tigers) were kicked out of the league, halfway through the season. One of the worst crashes involved Troy Butler, of Milton Keynes. Left him with a gash in the neck, I recall. Edited August 4, 2017 by Piotr Pyszny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 I went to the last ever workington tigers home meeting in 1987 against Wimbledon. The track was rough to say the least! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Berwick v Belle Vue in what was the last meeting of the season during Berwick`s one and only season in the then British League. Belle Vue refused to turn up to the meeting as they were having their end of season bash the night before. Berwick completed the meeting on their own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 I have to admit, I love speedway for its strange happenings. Sort of makes you want to cuddle it! Someone should write a book about them all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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