Memories of Norwich

[racers and royals]

Have been on you tube and this video came up- i wasn`t going to link it in fairness to Retro but then realised that they had put this trailer video up themselves. Norwich closed before i started watching Speedway in 68 and really enjoyed seeing the track and the racing. I know Trevor Hedge and it was good to hear him talking about when he started at "the firs"

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by racers and royals

[racers and royals]

Also have found this other video 

 

[cityrebel]

Well before my time. I didn't go to my first meeting until September 1968. The firs looked like a good track though.

[steve roberts]

...another track I would have liked to have visited. Before my time unfortunately.

[norbold]

I left school in 1965 and went on to Teacher Training College. I had to make my choice in 1964, so for my first choice I chose Keswick Hall, which is about three miles south of Norwich. I was fortunate enough to win my place there. I chose it specifically so I could go to Norwich speedway. Of course, they closed at the end of 1964, between my successful application and going there!

[OveFundinFan]

If I remember rightly Norwich was just a bit bigger then Belle Vue version 1 - Norwich 433 (Ithink) and BV 418 yards.  No wonder Peter Craven and Ove Fundin always had ding dong races including Golden Helmet.  Never got to Norwich speedway - wish I had.

Thank you R&R for the clips.

[Sidney the robin]

19 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

If I remember rightly Norwich was just a bit bigger then Belle Vue version 1 - Norwich 433 (Ithink) and BV 418 yards.  No wonder Peter Craven and Ove Fundin always had ding dong races including Golden Helmet.  Never got to Norwich speedway i  wish I had.

Thank you R&R for the clips.

Looks a terrific racetrack i  wished i had of gone there it was  before my time.    Interesting reading the 1961 head to head results between two of the greats OVE and PETER.      It was  7. -  7 overall from league, International, Open meetings ,  Scratch finals. Golden Helmet, Challenge meetings.   OVE did beat Peter 2.0 at Norwich in the Golden Helmet though and he  also won 2.0 at Belle Vue i  bet they were great duels.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[OveFundinFan]

A very good chance I would have been at BV in 1961, I was 14 year old and going with mum and dad. We always stood on the entry the 3rd bend. The races at BV between Fundin and nCraven were always close, 2 very different styles due to big difference in height, but so much trust and respect between them.

Really sad when Peter got killed at Edinburgh, he was so fan friendly, and his wife Brenda was really nice too. Those were the days when you go go in the pits after the meeting, get autographs, chat with the riders etc. Can/does this happen today?

[Sidney the robin]

1 hour ago, OveFundinFan said:

A very good chance I would have been at BV in 1961, I was 14 year old and going with mum and dad. We always stood on the entry the 3rd bend. The races at BV between Fundin and nCraven were always close, 2 very different styles due to big difference in height, but so much trust and respect between them.

Really sad when Peter got killed at Edinburgh, he was so fan friendly, and his wife Brenda was really nice too. Those were the days when you go go in the pits after the meeting, get autographs, chat with the riders etc. Can/does this happen today?

How good was Fundin  around Hyde Rd  Ove? i always had the impression it was not one of his favourite tracks.Saying that his results show he was still pretty damn good  there when you name Ove, Ronnie, Peter, Bjorn, Barry what a special era that was a golden time.

[steve roberts]

4 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Looks a terrific racetrack i  wished i had of gone there it was  before my time.    Interesting reading the 1961 head to head results between two of the greats OVE and PETER.      It was  7. -  7 overall from league, International, Open meetings ,  Scratch finals. Golden Helmet, Challenge meetings.   OVE did beat Peter 2.0 at Norwich in the Golden Helmet though and he  also won 2.0 at Belle Vue i  bet they were great duels.

...on another occasion Peter and Ove met at Cowley during a Golden Helmet decider and if I recall Peter won 2-1 and set the track record (63secs) that was to remain in place for 13 years!

[Sidney the robin]

51 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...on another occasion Peter and Ove met at Cowley during a Golden Helmet decider and if I recall Peter won 2-1 and set the track record (63secs) that was to remain in place for 13 years!

Peter obviously loved Cowley Steve , because he won the King of Oxford trophy in 1961 and 62.  He also won a WC round at Cowley in 62  with a 15 point max.The meeting you referred to was a Oxford v Provincial league select 09/05/63  winning 2 -0 v OVE and the times were amazing how different? ?  heat 1. 63.0 - TRACK (RECORD)      heat 2 - 63.8.

[steve roberts]

1 minute ago, Sidney the robin said:

Peter obviously loved Cowley Steve , because he won the King of Oxford trophy in 1961 and 62.  He also won a WC round at Cowley in 62  with a 15 point max.The meeting you referred to was a Oxford v Provincial league select 09/05/63  winning 2 -0 v OVE and the times were amazing how different? ?  heat 1. 63.0 - TRACK (RECORD)      heat 2 - 63.8.

...a rider who I would have enjoyed watching but sadly was never to be. Saw Ove ride in Barry Briggs' 1988 Golden Greats Meeting and he still showed class but to have watched him at his height would have been something else!

Wished I had been around to see the 'big five' compete....Craven, Fundin, Briggs, Moore and Knutsson although Ronnie missed some seasons but I did see him during my first season (1972) which was Ronnie's last at Wimbledon.

[wealdstone]

Quote

 

Brian Crutcher  was on a par with the above

[Chadster]

I first started going properly to speedway at Belle Vue in 1967, because my uncle wanted to watch Ove Fundin ride after he signed for the Aces. He averaged over 9 points a match for the Aces so was obviously effective and of course, he won the world final that season.

[Sidney the robin]

2 hours ago, wealdstone said:

Brian Crutcher  was on a par with the above

He was not far off Wealdstone  but did he have other interests business wise.

[Sidney the robin]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...a rider who I would have enjoyed watching but sadly was never to be. Saw Ove ride in Barry Briggs' 1988 Golden Greats Meeting and he still showed class but to have watched him at his height would have been something else!

Wished I had been around to see the 'big five' compete....Craven, Fundin, Briggs, Moore and Knutsson although Ronnie missed some seasons but I did see him during my first season (1972) which was Ronnie's last at Wimbledon.

I never see  Craven ( wish I had) got an autograph from my uncle handed down in pencil  that is prized would never get rid of it.Moore Mirac was a class act  i think I see Ronnie ride four times.People forget he had that lay/off off six or seven years but was still a class act on a par with Barry/and later Ivan.

[norbold]

2 hours ago, wealdstone said:

Brian Crutcher  was on a par with the above

I'd say that was only true for a v ery limited period. His best years were really before and just at the start of the Big Five's dominance, from 1953-1954, when he was, indeed, one of the world's best riders along with Ronnie Moore and Jack Young and maybe just into the early days of Fundin, Craven and Briggo, 1955-1956. After that the Big Four of Moore, Craven, Fundin and Briggs began to dominate and Crutcher was left a little behind. Still a great rider but not quite in their league any more.

[wealdstone]

23 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

He was not far off Wealdstone  but did he have other interests business wise.

Brian retired early as he I believe lost a bit of interest as he also had by that time a car business which was doing well. Although he subsequently rode for Southampton he was later to claim that his interest began to wane when Wembley closed.

[OveFundinFan]

4 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

How good was Fundin  around Hyde Rd  Ove? i always had the impression it was not one of his favourite tracks.Saying that his results show he was still pretty damn good  there when you name Ove, Ronnie, Peter, Bjorn, Barry what a special era that was a golden time.

I thought Fundin rode Hyde Road well. When he and Craven raced it was white line, whobetied the first to drift a bit, cause the other would go for the gap.

as for “a special era that was a golden time”, has there been such a time since? I’m not sure there has, though the 70’s with Collins Wilson Jessup Louis Simmons Ashby Kennet plus any one else you want to throw in the mix (they are just the Brits) will be special in their own way but I think different to the famous 5 of Ove, Peter, Bjorn, Barry and Ronnie. Peter left us too soon, and Bjorn retired too early.

 

 

[Sidney the robin]

11 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

I thought Fundin rode Hyde Road well. When he and Craven raced it was white line, whobetied the first to drift a bit, cause the other would go for the gap.

as for “a special era that was a golden time”, has there been such a time since? I’m not sure there has, though the 70’s with Collins Wilson Jessup Louis Simmons Ashby Kennet plus any one else you want to throw in the mix (they are just the Brits) will be special in their own way but I think different to the famous 5 of Ove, Peter, Bjorn, Barry and Ronnie. Peter left us too soon, and Bjorn retired too early.

 

 

Great post and Knutsson  i believe he was a real threat to anybody.I never see him ride but for me he is like ( Penhall ) could  of  really been a force in speedway  long term  both had a longterm vision apart from speedway so the public missed out.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Sidney the robin