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R.i.p. Tom Farndon


norbold

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Eighty two years ago today, in the scratch race final at New Cross, Ron Johnson ran into the fence on the back straight and fell. With less than two yards separating him and second man, Tom Farndon, the latter had little time to take avoiding action, though those that were there that night say that Tom deliberately tried his best to turn away from his fallen skipper, choosing instead to plough into his machine. Tom and his bike were thrown into the air and flung a considerable distance before Tom landed on his head. Both riders were rushed to hospital.

 

Sadly, Tom never recovered consciousness and died two days later. A sad and tragic end for the rider who, at the age of just 24, had achieved everything there was to achieve in speedway and who seemed unbelievably to be growing in stature and getting even better. Of course, we will never know what the future might have held in store for him - there are those who are certain that the way he was progressing he could well have won all three pre-War World Championships and come back for more afterwards - but already he had achieved enough to be counted amongst those who always find themselves listed amongst "the greatest ever".

Was he as good as Vic Duggan, Jack Young, Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, Peter Craven, Ivan Mauger, Hans Nielsen, Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock? We will never know of course and everyone will have their own opinions but to take his place on that list at the age of just 24 is a major achievement in itself.

R.I.P., Tom.

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Eighty two years ago today, in the scratch race final at New Cross, Ron Johnson ran into the fence on the back straight and fell. With less than two yards separating him and second man, Tom Farndon, the latter had little time to take avoiding action, though those that were there that night say that Tom deliberately tried his best to turn away from his fallen skipper, choosing instead to plough into his machine. Tom and his bike were thrown into the air and flung a considerable distance before Tom landed on his head. Both riders were rushed to hospital.

 

Sadly, Tom never recovered consciousness and died two days later. A sad and tragic end for the rider who, at the age of just 24, had achieved everything there was to achieve in speedway and who seemed unbelievably to be growing in stature and getting even better. Of course, we will never know what the future might have held in store for him - there are those who are certain that the way he was progressing he could well have won all three pre-War World Championships and come back for more afterwards - but already he had achieved enough to be counted amongst those who always find themselves listed amongst "the greatest ever".

 

Was he as good as Vic Duggan, Jack Young, Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, Peter Craven, Ivan Mauger, Hans Nielsen, Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock? We will never know of course and everyone will have their own opinions but to take his place on that list at the age of just 24 is a major achievement in itself.

 

R.I.P., Tom.

A rider I would very much liked to have seen.

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Eighty two years ago today, in the scratch race final at New Cross, Ron Johnson ran into the fence on the back straight and fell. With less than two yards separating him and second man, Tom Farndon, the latter had little time to take avoiding action, though those that were there that night say that Tom deliberately tried his best to turn away from his fallen skipper, choosing instead to plough into his machine. Tom and his bike were thrown into the air and flung a considerable distance before Tom landed on his head. Both riders were rushed to hospital.

 

Sadly, Tom never recovered consciousness and died two days later. A sad and tragic end for the rider who, at the age of just 24, had achieved everything there was to achieve in speedway and who seemed unbelievably to be growing in stature and getting even better. Of course, we will never know what the future might have held in store for him - there are those who are certain that the way he was progressing he could well have won all three pre-War World Championships and come back for more afterwards - but already he had achieved enough to be counted amongst those who always find themselves listed amongst "the greatest ever".

 

Was he as good as Vic Duggan, Jack Young, Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, Peter Craven, Ivan Mauger, Hans Nielsen, Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock? We will never know of course and everyone will have their own opinions but to take his place on that list at the age of just 24 is a major achievement in itself.

 

R.I.P., Tom.

 

 

Sadly, both the English riders on your list lost their lives while racing,

Edited by Split
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  • 1 year later...
17 hours ago, Split said:

My mother was there that night and was so upset that she couldn't bring herself to ever attend another meeting.

My Mother and Father were there too......and for the Memorial Service......Must have been a very sad time for all Speedway.

My parents continued to go four or five times a week and of course take me to New Cross when they reopened in 1959.

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  • 4 months later...
2 hours ago, Celticman said:

Seems odd to think that he would be 109 years old now....yet still remembered with reverence

Yes indeed. We often discuss greatest riders ever, greatest Britons and so on. Now whether Tom Farndon could be reckoned the greatest ever is, of course, open to speculation and there are many rivals for both accolades (greatest ever and greatest Briton), but what I think is not in doubt is the legendary reputation Farndon left behind him due to his personality and, to use a word that probably wasn't around in his time, sheer charisma. He was idolised in his day in a way that no other rider before or since has been. I think that has much to do with why his memory lives on.

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51 minutes ago, norbold said:

Yes indeed. We often discuss greatest riders ever, greatest Britons and so on. Now whether Tom Farndon could be reckoned the greatest ever is, of course, open to speculation and there are many rivals for both accolades (greatest ever and greatest Briton), but what I think is not in doubt is the legendary reputation Farndon left behind him due to his personality and, to use a word that probably wasn't around in his time, sheer charisma. He was idolised in his day in a way that no other rider before or since has been. I think that has much to do with why his memory lives on.

On a real longshot I checked youtube to see if there was a clip of him racing. No luck. Too bad as there are clips of boxing going back before then

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22 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

nothing on YouTube, but there is a book about him

FarndonBook.jpg

Norman Jacobs? I'm sure I know that name. :icon_smile_clown:

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3 minutes ago, racers and royals said:

TV quiz contestant extraordinaire :)

You have to wonder why he bothers with TV game shows with all the money he makes writing books :rolleyes:

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40 minutes ago, False dawn said:

You have to wonder why he bothers with TV game shows with all the money he makes writing books :rolleyes:

As a good friend of mine, Norman Jacobs once told me that he has had 27 books published but made more money from one TV Quiz show than all his books put together!

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11 hours ago, norbold said:

As a good friend of mine, Norman Jacobs once told me that he has had 27 books published but made more money from one TV Quiz show than all his books put together!

Don't believe a word of it! Books about Clacton-on-Sea must be a guaranteed gold-mine! :t:

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