Best ever Spanish rider

[Guest]

Since the mid-1950s, there has only been one known - at least to me!! - Spanish speedway rider. He was Aberto Sirvan who did most of his racing in France in meetings promoted by Victor Boston. In speedway's early years from 1928 until about 1933, there was activity in Spain and a group of Spanish riders also raced at West Ham and Wembley at this time. Another major effort to stage speedway in Madrid took place in the late 1940s. The small image shows Alberto Sirvan active in the mid-1950s.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Guest
spelling error in name

[norbold]

Well, if he was the only one, I'd certainly go along with him being the best. 

Mind you, he was also the worst.

[Grachan]

9 hours ago, norbold said:

Well, if he was the only one, I'd certainly go along with him being the best. 

Mind you, he was also the worst.

 

I always thought he was pretty average personally.

[Guest]

Early 1930s mention of Spanish speedway riders: http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/spainveng.htm

[Guest]

This clipping is from the early 1930s and shows Spanish riders having a joke when they competed at West Ham and Wembley.

[Guest]

This item re John Hayles and speedway racing in Spain in the late 1940s-ealy 1950s appears on the Hastings Speedway website. I have no update on the information which was made on site several years ago:

 

John Hayles left the team in late 1948. By his own admission he was not a lot of good on the rectangular track, mostly second string and reserve. He accepted a contract to race for Estadio Metrapolitano, Madrid in  1949/50, where he did rather better, but ended up with a broken left kneecap after a spill which finished his racing career. I am very happy to report that John is still fit and well, in his mid-80's and has lived the last 25 years or so in Spain.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Guest

[Lenny]

A Spanish rider brought across by Reg Luckhurst raced at Canterbury (1973 I think). He used to practice at Iwade, but I cant remember his name. He struggled some what and didn't stick around for long.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, MLB said:

A Spanish rider brought across by Reg Luckhurst raced at Canterbury (1973 I think). He used to practice at Iwade, but I cant remember his name. He struggled some what and didn't stick around for long.

I think the rider you refer to was Marshall Pugh? Actually he was English but living in Majorca when Ian Hoskins and Reg Buckhurst tried to promote speedway in that part of Spain. Apart from Luckhurst and Pugh, the other riders were Spanish. My recollections of the venture are rather hazy but I seem to recall that the native Spanish riders bikes were fitted with 250cc engines - but not positive.

There were two other British-orientated efforts to promote speedway in Spain - racing on tracks laid in bull rings. Both ventures in 1950 and 1953 were organised by the former Tamworth and Plymouth rider Ted Gibson. No Spanish riders were involved in these meetings - Gibson used British riders for both tours.

[buckie]

I think this would have been Marshall Pugh - but I'm not sure he was a Spaniard. He did well in meetings held in Majorca but struggled at Canterbury and soon disappeared.

[iris123]

18 hours ago, MLB said:

A Spanish rider brought across by Reg Luckhurst raced at Canterbury (1973 I think). He used to practice at Iwade, but I cant remember his name. He struggled some what and didn't stick around for long.

Search the forum as this topic has been raised a number of times.But I did put this on one thread before and there is more stuff if you google

 

 

[mickthemuppet]

I was at this meeting and certainly do not remember Reg Luckhurst riding in the meeting. I can remember that there was a good crowd there around 5,000 and except Marshall Pugh who won the meeting in a canter most of the Spaniards were quite hopeless

[Guest]

44 minutes ago, mickthemuppet said:

I was at this meeting and certainly do not remember Reg Luckhurst riding in the meeting. I can remember that there was a good crowd there around 5,000 and except Marshall Pugh who won the meeting in a canter most of the Spaniards were quite hopeless

...but Marshall Pugh was NOT Spanish. As previously mentioned in this thread, his parents were British.

[Puma23]

For me Angel Arche