Celebrity fans

[Barney Rabbit]

On The Chase yesterday, after the question 'what sport uses motorcycles with only one gear and no brakes' (which was answered correctly), Bradley Walsh added that he used to go.

[Robbie B]

1970s pop group Mud were Wimbledon fans back in the day. They even sponsored a second half at Wimbledon in 1976 a picture take at the meeting appeared on the back cover of 22 May 1976 edition of the Speedway Star. They are seen sitting on bikes whilst in the background are Martin Ashby, Tommy Jansson and Peter Collins.

The picture was taken at the Wimbledon Vs Belle Vue (Speedway Star KO Cup) (35-43) match on 8 April 1976. The Mud Challenge Final result was Peter Collins, Martin Ashby, Tommy Jansson with Chris Morton (retiring). Martin Ashby was at Wimbledon due to his Golden Helmet challenge match against Tommy Jansson which Tommy won 2-0. Sadly, the Speedway Star was printed and published with a date 2 days after Tommy's tragic fatal accident in Sweden and was his last image printed on a cover of the Speedway Star magazine.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Robbie B

[Skodaman]

Amen Corner used to go to Newport!

[adonis]

13 minutes ago, Skodaman said:

Amen Corner used to go to Newport!

Andy Fairweather Lowe ? 

[adonis]

I have heard that Robert Plant used to go to Wolves occasionally  , no idea whether thats correct or not 

[WalterPlinge]

5 hours ago, NickRushbrook said:

I remember on the show 'they think it's all over', Gary Lineker won guess the sportsman while blindfolded although I can't remember who the rider was....maybe Mark Loram but not sure.

Then divulged that he used to attend Leicester speedway back in the day.

It was the long since retired Peter Collins.  They probably thought Lineker wouldn't know the name of a current rider.

[WembleyLion]

Sophie Blake  

[brianbuck]

George Formby and his wife Beryl used to own the land on which the Tamworth track at Fazeley was built, and I believe that Formby was the guest of honour at the opening of the track in 1947 and rode round for a lap.

Honor Blackman also attended a meeting at West Ham and she also had a couple of laps.

Peter York persuaded Suzie Quatro to come to a meeting at Perry Barr in the late 1970's. She was so impressed that she told the crowd that she would give £100 "to the winner of the next race" - which happened to be the Junior Jaunt! Whether the winner ever got his £100 I wouldn't know!

[moomin man 76]

9 hours ago, adonis said:

I have heard that Robert Plant used to go to Wolves occasionally  , no idea whether thats correct or not 

Robert Plant grew up in Stourbridge...there's more than a passing possibility that he went to meetings at Dudley Wood in his earlier pre- Led Zeppelin days. I do remember reading an interview with him a few years ago, where he allegedly claimed that if he had known that Dudley Wood was under threat from housing development he would have bought the place.

A few years back, there was quite a range of Wolverhampton Wanderers players used to appear at Monmore Green, usually as guests of the promotion, but the only one who could be labelled as a fan was Alex Rae.

It has probably been covered elsewhere, but I have definitely seen Paul Scholes and Johnny Marr at Kirky Lane watching Belle Vue.

As a footnote, Robert Plant was (possibly still is) a regular at Molineux watching Wolverhampton Wanderers and did attend games at Kidderminster Harriers - a genuinely nice guy.

Edited September 20, 2018 by moomin man 76

[Guest compost]

21 hours ago, Robbie B said:

1970s pop group Mud were Wimbledon fans back in the day. They even sponsored a second half at Wimbledon in 1976 a picture take at the meeting appeared on the back cover of 22 May 1976 edition of the Speedway Star. They are seen sitting on bikes whilst in the background are Martin Ashby, Tommy Jansson and Peter Collins. 

Les Grey of Mud was a Hackney Hawks fan.  Apparently they also played under the group name of 'Speedway' after Mud faded from popularity.

[Robbie B]

3 hours ago, compost said:

Les Grey of Mud was a Hackney Hawks fan.  Apparently they also played under the group name of 'Speedway' after Mud faded from popularity.

You may well be right, as 1976 was my first year of attending live speedway meetings. I'm sure Les Grey as Hackney suporter hand more importantly as a speedway fan would also attend meetings at other London tracks and maybe further afield. Personally I often used to go to meetings at White City, Hackney and Crayford even though I'm a Wimbledon fan.

if I remember right I saw seeing Dennis Waterman at a Hackney meeting in 1976 it might have been the Superama.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Robbie B

[iris123]

Denis Waterman would probably have been a Dons fan.Think his family were well know boxers from Earlsfield and I was at school just around the corner from his girlfriend at the time Rula Lenska who lived near Wimbledon Theatre

[JanAndersen]

Everyone USED to go. Says a lot.

[gee jay]

On 9/20/2018 at 10:56 AM, Robbie B said:

1970s pop group Mud were Wimbledon fans back in the day. They even sponsored a second half at Wimbledon in 1976 a picture take at the meeting appeared on the back cover of 22 May 1976 edition of the Speedway Star. They are seen sitting on bikes whilst in the background are Martin Ashby, Tommy Jansson and Peter Collins.

The picture was taken at the Wimbledon Vs Belle Vue (Speedway Star KO Cup) (35-43) match on 8 April 1976. The Mud Challenge Final result was Peter Collins, Martin Ashby, Tommy Jansson with Chris Morton (retiring). Martin Ashby was at Wimbledon due to his Golden Helmet challenge match against Tommy Jansson which Tommy won 2-0. Sadly, the Speedway Star was printed and published with a date 2 days after Tommy's tragic fatal accident in Sweden and was his last image printed on a cover of the Speedway Star magazine.

does anyone know who the photographer was ? or if this might be in the sommerville collection . would love to get this print to put on a t-shirt for my other arf .

[shalefan]

Scot Malone the footballer currently with Derby is a big speedway fan

[Steve Shovlar]

On 9/17/2018 at 8:51 AM, MARK246 said:

In the 70's, the pop group Mud were photographed by SS at Wimbledon, the picture Was a colour back page from memory. Was that just a promotional shoot or were they fans ?

I remember going to Wimbledon back in the mid 70’s and Mud were there. I recall they rode around the track on mini bikes?

[Steve Shovlar]

Darts man Phil Taylor was paraded around Poole a few years back waiving a pirates scarf. So was boxing guy Joe Calzagi. I spoke to ex Spurs player Darren Anderton at a meeting a couple of years back as well.  Scott Mitchell is a regular.

[zlata prilba]

If you like punk rock GBH singer Colin can be seen on bends 1+2 at Perry Barr

[cityrebel]

4 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said:

I remember going to Wimbledon back in the mid 70’s and Mud were there. I recall they rode around the track on mini bikes?

I remember it well. I also recall seeing Alvin Stardust there. They were pretty big names at the time.

[Robbie B]

Seeing that the BBc TV Blue Peter is celebrating its 60th birthday it jogged my memory about a clip on YouTube featuring John Noakes and Peter Purvis at Hackney speedway that some of you might enjoy https://youtu.be/nsKQIihffE8

Shame that I can't find clip of the programme featuring Gordon Kennett riding around White City before their March 1976 opening meeting.

Does anyone know whether they featured Wimbledon speedway or any other UK tracks?

 

Edited October 21, 2018 by Robbie B