Ivan Mauger 1972 unreal.!!!

[Sidney the robin]

Being out of season i have just finished filling out most of Belle Vue's 1972 fixtures. Ivan  Mauger his stats are unreal the programmes i have ( maybe a few missing..?) In  home and away and individual meeting's he posted 19  - full maximums and plus 4  -   paid maximums.  In that 23  he won the Northern riders Championship, The Derek Warbuton trophy      scored a 15 max in the Australia v New Zealand.  International and     -  A 15 max in a WC round.    :    N.Boocock 2). - E.Boocock 1) - Olsen2).  -    Persson 1) - Moore 1) - T. Johansson2) -  Kilby 1) - Humphrey's 1) -     B.Jansson 2)  -  Nordin 1 ) Thomas 1 ) they  were the only riders to beat him on merit in amongst my programmes.   Also he had 21 other rides scoring  45 points out of a possible 63  having lost 18 points through engine failures  a brilliant season.What astounds me was i always thought 1968/71 was by far his real peak years but how wrong i was a total legend. The greatest.!!!

Edited February 14, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts]

Totally agree Sid! 

1972 was my first year and Ivan stood above all others...although Ole Olsen may lay a claim...and was the rider others tried to emulate and largely failed. A great rider (the best of all time in my view) and although not the most popular amongst fans what has become known in recent years he was well liked by his opponents (except a few no doubt) and together with Raye were thoroughly nice people. It's a shame that Ivan's illness has robbed him of his memory but he will never be forgotten as long as speedway exists.

[Red Flag]

Was that the year he went about 2 months unbeaten until he got 5-1'd at Kings Lynn by I think Betts and Featherby?

[Sidney the robin]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

 

 

 

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Totally agree Sid! 

1972 was my first year and Ivan stood above all others...although Ole Olsen may lay a claim...and was the rider others tried to emulate and largely failed. A great rider (the best of all time in my view) and although not the most popular amongst fans what has become known in recent years he was well liked by his opponents (except a few no doubt) and together with Raye were thoroughly nice people. It's a shame that Ivan's illness has robbed him of his memory but he will never be forgotten as long as speedway exists.

God he was not always flavour of the month at Swindon Steve, one incident with Kilby comes  to mind but all fans had to sit back and admire him.He was booed but  fans stood up and realised just how good he was. I  can always remember someone asking Mike Tyson was   he hurt when he was booed badly  at the Holyfield 1 fight he answered  no i take it all as a compliment i believe Ivan felt the same he shrived on pressure.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[Sidney the robin]

30 minutes ago, Red Flag said:

Was that the year he went about 2 months unbeaten until he got 5-1'd at Kings Lynn by I think Betts and Featherby?

1969  King's Lynn Red flag          Simmons/Featherby got a 5/1 against Ivan and believe it not 1970  at Wimbledon Hedge/Tebby            Moore/ Maidment got two consecutive 5.1 s against Ivan in heats  1 and 5.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[Guest]

The 2 Dons 5-1’s were in the 1st leg of the KOC final, sadly the last major silverware won by Wimbledon. Mauger was the real deal though. What a leader and inspiration for Newcastle, Belle Vue, Exeter and Hull.

[False dawn]

2 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

1969  King's Lynn Red flag          Simmons/Featherby got a 5/1 against Ivan and believe it not 1970  at Wimbledon Hedge/Tebby            Moore/ Maidment got two consecutive 5.1 s against Ivan in heats  1 and 5.

Something so remarkable, almost unbelievable that we're still talking about it nearly 50 years on. He was good wasn't he?

[steve roberts]

7 hours ago, False dawn said:

Something so remarkable, almost unbelievable that we're still talking about it nearly 50 years on. He was good wasn't he?

...a true champion and icon of the sport. Even people who weren't particularly aware or interested in the sport had heard of the likes of Mauger and Briggs unlike, I'm sure, the riders of today.

[bruno]

And Olsen I reckon Steve and a fair few of a certain age even outside the sport would have heard of PC maybe?

[steve roberts]

4 minutes ago, bruno said:

And Olsen I reckon Steve and a fair few of a certain age even outside the sport would have heard of PC maybe?

...yes I'd agree. PC was often the hero on ITV's "World of Sport' when winning key races and also featuring in the tabloids when they took a keen interest in the sport.

How times have changed whereby speedway doesn't get a look in on terrestrial TV and coverage of other sports have dominated the schedules. 

[Grachan]

Mauger was top man a bit later, too. I started going in 74 and remember him as the best. One of my speedway highlights is seeing him at Exeter and leaning over the fence as he came hurtling down the home straight.

The only rider who has dominated league racing in the same way, for me, is Hans Neilsen. Those two were remarkable, but Mauger had a World Championship edge that Hans never quite had, despite winning 4 titles.

 

[Grachan]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...yes I'd agree. PC was often the hero on ITV's "World of Sport' when winning key races and also featuring in the tabloids when they took a keen interest in the sport.

How times have changed whereby speedway doesn't get a look in on terrestrial TV and coverage of other sports have dominated the schedules. 

 

Peter Collins' win in 1976 made front page news in the Daily Mirror.

[steve roberts]

26 minutes ago, Grachan said:

 

Peter Collins' win in 1976 made front page news in the Daily Mirror.

...imagine that happening now!

[norbold]

Going back to 1947.....Vic Duggan won 85 out of 96 races in the National League plus nine second places, recording an average of 11.46. He also won 23 out of 24 races in the London Cup and National Trophy. 12 wins out of 18 in Test matches, scoring a paid 47 out a possible 54. He won the London Riders' Championship with a 15 point maximum. This latter was the climax to a five week period to the end of May when he scored 254 out of a possible 261. This period was followed by winning 55 races out of 59 in June. He also took the Match Race title from the Match Race king, Jack Parker (he of Parker's Pension), successfully defended it against Bill Kitchen before relinquishing it unbeaten. In addition to all of this, he qualified for the British Riders' Championship final with a maximum 60 out of 60 points.

It was an incredible year, marred sadly only by his failure to win the British Riders' Championship, falling in his fourth ride and not taking part in his fifth.

[False dawn]

4 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Even people who weren't particularly aware or interested in the sport had heard of the likes of Mauger and Briggs......

And the whole of Coventry, speedway fans or not, had heard of Nigel Boocock. 18 years in the same team will do that for you.

[Sidney the robin]

47 minutes ago, norbold said:

Going back to 1947.....Vic Duggan won 85 out of 96 races in the National League plus nine second places, recording an average of 11.46. He also won 23 out of 24 races in the London Cup and National Trophy. 12 wins out of 18 in Test matches, scoring a paid 47 out a possible 54. He won the London Riders' Championship with a 15 point maximum. This latter was the climax to a five week period to the end of May when he scored 254 out of a possible 261. This period was followed by winning 55 races out of 59 in June. He also took the Match Race title from the Match Race king, Jack Parker (he of Parker's Pension), successfully defended it against Bill Kitchen before relinquishing it unbeaten. In addition to all of this, he qualified for the British Riders' Championship final with a maximum 60 out of 60 points.

It was an incredible year, marred sadly only by his failure to win the British Riders' Championship, falling in his fourth ride and not taking part in his fifth.

Great post interesting reading, does Duggan often get forgotten norbold? going back to Ivan does that 11.74 average still stand ? i thought someone said it was changed in later years because of a tape exclusion.If so would HANS have the top figure.? Mauger again his 1973/77 spell at Exeter was terrific posting two  averages. well over 11 and his lowest average was only 10.50!!! 

[Grachan]

Just now, Sidney the robin said:

Great post interesting reading, does Duggan often get forgotten norbold? going back to Ivan does that 11.74 average still stand ? i thought someone said it was changed in later years because of a tape exclusion.If so would HANS have the top figure.? Mauger again his 1973/77 spell at Exeter was terrific posting two  averages. well over 11 and his lowest average was only 10.50!!! 

Hans must be top, in 85 or 86, when he scored that remarkable 12.00 average away from home. When you rode against Oxford in those days, it was as much about whether or not anyone could beat Hans as it was against actually winning.

I think Jimmy Nilsen beat him a few times if memory serves me correct. Plus, of course, Carl Blackbird!

[Sidney the robin]

13 minutes ago, Grachan said:

Hans must be top, in 85 or 86, when he scored that remarkable 12.00 average away from home. When you rode against Oxford in those days, it was as much about whether or not anyone could beat Hans as it was against actually winning.

I think Jimmy Nilsen beat him a few times if memory serves me correct. Plus, of course, Carl Blackbird!

I can remember Blackbird beating him Knudsen and Erik both had good head to head records against Hans also Doncaster, Nilsen ,S.Moran P.Thorp,  beat him.But as you said for a couple of seasons in the league he hardly dropped a point unbelievable and in my view actually helped the ex robin Per Sorensen and Martin Dugard  become  better riders NEILSEN 1986 figure 11.57.??

Edited February 15, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts]

5 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

I can remember Blackbird beating him Knudsen and Erik both had good head to head records against Hans also Doncaster, Nilsen ,S.Moran P.Thorp,  beat him.But as you said for a couple of seasons in the league he hardly dropped a point unbelievable and in my view actually helped the ex robin Per Sorensen and Martin Dugard  become  better riders NEILSEN 1986 figure 11.57.??

...as usual, Sid, another good thread with lots of memories!

[B.V 72]

1972 was my 1st season Mauger was a God.The Belle vue team of that year was I m o the best I have seen to date only lost 2 and drew 1 away all season.What an introduction to the sport I was hooked then and still am today.45 season later and in my mind 1972 has never been bettered the memories of that season will be with me for the rest of my life.