Les "muscles"Owen

[BOBBATH]

In the Colin Gooddy (RIP) thread, the name of Les was mentioned. This got me thinking about "Muscles"- I remember him riding in early sixties NL for Coventry. A tough customer indeed. I recall he suffered serious head injuries from an on track accident-anyone recall where or when. He was never the same afterwards. I think he died after walking on some train tracks -an accident or suicide.!!

[norbold]

His accident was in 1973 at Coventry. He suffered brain damage and never really recovered. Les was one of the few riders to ride for one team all his career.

[steve roberts]

He was never really forgiven at Cowley for the serious injury suffered to Arne Pander when they once met on track.

[BOBBATH]

Does anyone remember the circumstances of his passing?? And the reason??

[E I Addio]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

He was never really forgiven at Cowley for the serious injury suffered to Arne Pander when they once met on track.

What happened then ? I never saw Arne Ride but obviously his accident was well known. I never knew anyone else was involved.

[steve roberts]

38 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

What happened then ? I never saw Arne Ride but obviously his accident was well known. I never knew anyone else was involved.

During 1961 in a match at Coventry Arne was thrown from his machine in an accident involving Les Owen and suffered a fractured skull. Obviously before my time but some I have spoken to who witnessed the accident blamed Owen and never forgave him.

[chunky]

3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Does anyone remember the circumstances of his passing?? And the reason??

You were correct in your initial post, Bob. I don't believe anyone has any definitive answers why, if it was indeed intentional. I saw Les at the British GP at Brandon not too long before then, and quite honestly, he didn't look good at all.

The sad thing for me is that whenever I think of him, I will always remember how he looked that last time.

Steve

Edited April 18, 2019 by chunky

[Guest compost]

The BBC website has an article on his death -

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/3406143.stm

[andout]

5 hours ago, compost said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/3406143.stm

Link does not seem to work but I did find this.

 

Tributes have been pouring in after the death of a popular former Coventry Speedway rider.

Les Owen, 64, who was the Coventry Bees longest serving rider, died after being hit by a train at a level crossing in Canley on Thursday.

The father of three was an England International, riding with the Bees between 1957 and 1973.

His best friend Col Smith, of Lower Eastern Green Lane, Eastern Green, Coventry, attended Coundon and Barker Butts schools with Les before joining the cycle speedway team, the Alvis Aces, in the 1950s.

Mr Smith, 65, who went on to become a test driver for Jaguar, remembers how he started out in the sport with Les, saving up from their paper rounds to buy a bike and pushing it seven miles to the race track at Brandon to steal some practice time.

He said: ?When we got to the stadium we knew only one of us would get a chance to practise before the manager came out and stopped us. We tossed a coin and Les won and got about three minutes before being caught.

 

?The next week I had about five minutes before Mr Ochiltree came out and gave us a right dressing down. But he did tell us if we went to a proper training school he would consider us.?

Mr Ochiltree signed both men to the Bees.

Mr Smith, who still organises veteran demonstrations at Brandon, added: ?He had a massive following. I believe he could have been a world champion in 1961 but he broke his collar bone. He was a really brave rider.?

In 1973, after an amazing 17 consecutive seasons with the Bees, Les had a crash which left him paralysed down one side and with brain injuries and short term memory loss.

He lived with his brother Arthur in Denbigh Road, Coundon, and then in George Rowley House in Canley.

Martin Ochiltree, whose father Charles Ochiltree was Les? promoter, recalls seeing him immaculately dressed at the track.

He said: ?You could almost see your face in Les? leathers they were so pristine.

?He was a hard racer, like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the racing world.

?He was great fun to watch.? John Owen, 54, whose wife was Les? niece, also remembers watching the rider - nicknamed muscles - on the track.

He said: ?He was a great racer - he never raced dirty but he was a very hard rider and very popular.?

An inquest is being held into Les? death.

 

 

 

 

 

[adonis]

I remember Les causing a near riot  at Leicester after Ray Wilson put Nigel Boocock  through the home straight fence ,and then stopped to have a look and when he moved off showered Nigel and the ambulance men in shale , Les was wating for him by the pits gate and landed one right oin his chin that would have made Boycies effort on gollob look tame . the rest of the Leicester team came out and set about Les and then the rest of the bees joined in , by this time the whole crowd was round by the first turn  wanting to get involved , nothing happened between the 2 sets of fans but it was the nearest thing I ever saw to a football riot I ever saw at speedway

 

[Midland Red]

It was a horrific accident which involved John Harrhy as both Bees riders came to grief

I met Les several times in later years, he used to shuffle up to the trade counter at the place I worked and would always shake your hand - but his hand was always as cold as ice

To think back to the big strong man he had been previously and see what he had become was so sad

I also met John Harrhy a couple of years ago - he "survived" the crash and did return to the track, but he still suffers physically to this day