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Most Unpopular Rider


Andy Downes

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12 hours ago, ch958 said:

Loram rode Div 2

Mark made his league debut in the top division, the then British League as a 16 year old at number 7 for what was the Hackney Hawks.....each team in the top flight had to have effectively a junior at number 7

12 hours ago, homer said:

Hackney wasn`t it remember him and Galvin turning up at Cleveland Park

He rode with Galvin in 1988 when Hackney dropped back down to the National League...........before leaving along with Louis and Moggo to go Ipswich in 1989

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11 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

I never saw  Ole as a ogre,  he had the spat with Hans over Erik and in hindsight that should of never happened.He was a great rider a real class act who for me is certainly in the top 10 riders of all-time.

Ole was my favourite rider as a nipper. I've still got the rosette of him I wore at the 78 world final. Although I did go off him when he purposely put Bo Petersen into the fence at the Wick a few years later..I remember an incensed Bo running the length of the track to get to him.

It was only Bo and Hans Nielsen that didn't worship the ground Olsen walked on. The other Danes seemed in awe of him!

 

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8 hours ago, Gavan said:

Mark made his league debut in the top division, the then British League as a 16 year old at number 7 for what was the Hackney Hawks.....each team in the top flight had to have effectively a junior at number 7

 

Still the Kestrels in 87. Hackney reverted back to the Hawks in 91 for their ill-fated final (half) season.

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59 minutes ago, Terry said:

Ole was my favourite rider as a nipper. I've still got the rosette of him I wore at the 78 world final. Although I did go off him when he purposely put Bo Petersen into the fence at the Wick a few years later..I remember an incensed Bo running the length of the track to get to him.

It was only Bo and Hans Nielsen that didn't worship the ground Olsen walked on. The other Danes seemed in awe of him!

 

Preben Eriksen also had issues with him during his early career. Basically riders who could stand up to Olsen and not be dominated by him grew to distrust him. Olsen enjoyed his dominance as the leading Dane and when Nielsen came along and began to beat him on a regular basis Olsen took a dislike to him...especially as Hans was very much his own man and didn't want to be dominated by Olsen's overbearing presense (Nielsen touches upon the subject in his autobiography "The Main Dane") Steve Bastable was another who didn't get on with him whilst team mates at Coventry..

Edited by steve roberts
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39 minutes ago, Terry said:

Still the Kestrels in 87. Hackney reverted back to the Hawks in 91 for their ill-fated final (half) season.

Terry it was  the Kestrels from 1984/90? they will always be the Hawks to me i loved my odd don't be late Friday at 8 visit do you remember Ashby winning the Superama.? 

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19 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Terry it was  the Kestrels from 1984/90? they will always be the Hawks to me i loved my odd don't be late Friday at 8 visit do you remember Ashby winning the Superama.? 

Checking my Hackney book I see he won it in 75. I was only 6 at the time so I don't really remember, although I'm sure I was there. I remember the Superama was held when the Hawks were away at fellow Friday nighters Wolverhampton and it was always a fantastic line-up.

I often wondered what the Wolves management thought about it because it probably affected their gate, although I don't think we had a large away support because we lost a lot on the road!

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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Preben Eriksen also had issues with him during his early career. Basically riders who could stand up to Olsen and not be dominated by him grew to distrust him. Olsen enjoyed his dominance as the leading Dane and when Nielsen came along and began to beat him on a regular basis Olsen took a dislike to him...especially as Hans was very much his own man and didn't want to be dominated by Olsen's overbearing presense (Nielsen touches upon the subject in his autobiography "The Main Dane") Steve Bastable was another who didn't get on with him whilst team mates at Coventry..

And what about Finn Thompsen!

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To return to the original topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned Ivor Brown who was universally disliked in the Provincial League. Everyone it seemed wanted to see him have his pristine white jersey covered in shale by an opposition rider. Probably his uncompromising style went a long way to making him unpopular. 

 

Only one rider was ever ever unpopular over a long period at Weymouth and that was Mike Sampson. An incident where he retired and waited for Kelvin  Mullarkey to come round and somehow grabbed him and pulled him off his bike just as Kelvin was coming out of the second bend was never forgotten. I did once suggest some sort of rider exchange at a meeting which would have brought Mike to Weymouth and I instantly found out what it is like to be heckled and the subject of hostile booing! 

:)

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9 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Was John Davis popular at Oxford Steve.?

Yes I would say he was Sid when he doubled up during 1973 and full time in 1974. His gating prowess saved the "Rebels"from a much worse defeat during an early season defeat at Newport. He also managed to beat none other than 'Briggo' both at Cowley and at Wimbledon during the same season...but he was very much a gater unlike Gordon Kennett who had a similar rise to fame at Oxford and overall was the better rider in my opinion. However John is a very articulate individual and how British speedway could do with someone like him now!

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On 9/5/2019 at 5:19 PM, Wessex Wanderer said:

To return to the original topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned Ivor Brown who was universally disliked in the Provincial League. Everyone it seemed wanted to see him have his pristine white jersey covered in shale by an opposition rider. Probably his uncompromising style went a long way to making him unpopular. 

 

Only one rider was ever ever unpopular over a long period at Weymouth and that was Mike Sampson. An incident where he retired and waited for Kelvin  Mullarkey to come round and somehow grabbed him and pulled him off his bike just as Kelvin was coming out of the second bend was never forgotten. I did once suggest some sort of rider exchange at a meeting which would have brought Mike to Weymouth and I instantly found out what it is like to be heckled and the subject of hostile booing! 

:)

Mike's one of my favourites and was very much instrumental in helping White City win the league in 1977. Wasn't popular at Milton Keynes however if I recall but someone who once attempted to run down Ian Thomas gets my admiration!

Edited by steve roberts
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I was thinking of mentioning Ivor Brown myself-the man all non Cradley Heath fans loved to hate. Always good box office, always called upon for Open meetings.  On a side note loved the old Harum-Scarum Provincial League-great racing and great personalities.

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14 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

I was thinking of mentioning Ivor Brown myself-the man all non Cradley Heath fans loved to hate. Always good box office, always called upon for Open meetings.  On a side note loved the old Harum-Scarum Provincial League-great racing and great personalities.

Ivor Brown was a mild-mannered quietly spoken man, pleasant to meet and speak with.
It's only envy by rival supporters, whipped up by press and ghost writers of a certain biography, that gave rise to Ivor's title. Most top successful riders have gone thru that phase, - e.g. Fundin, and even Mauger himself, who was one of the least accommodating of fans. 
That said, Brown was never successful as an individual, - i.e. in individual mtgs. It was his consistent team performances and scoring, which put him at the top of Prov'l Lge averages until Mauger rose to the fore, that made his name and reputation.
3-Ivor-Brown-Ove-Fundin-1963-Ox-v-Plg.jp 

Edited by britmet
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I met Ivor Brown a few times in later life when he played bowls for Loughborough BC - a very quiet and polite gentleman, always a pleasure to meet

Of course, when he rode for Cradley Heath in his pristine white jersey, off track he wore a pristine white coat when behind the counter of his store in Wymeswold 

Edited by Midland Red
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On 9/5/2019 at 5:19 PM, Wessex Wanderer said:

To return to the original topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned Ivor Brown who was universally disliked in the Provincial League. Everyone it seemed wanted to see him have his pristine white jersey covered in shale by an opposition rider. Probably his uncompromising style went a long way to making him unpopular. 

 

Only one rider was ever ever unpopular over a long period at Weymouth and that was Mike Sampson. An incident where he retired and waited for Kelvin  Mullarkey to come round and somehow grabbed him and pulled him off his bike just as Kelvin was coming out of the second bend was never forgotten. I did once suggest some sort of rider exchange at a meeting which would have brought Mike to Weymouth and I instantly found out what it is like to be heckled and the subject of hostile booing! 

:)

Remember that meeting,was that the meeting when the track resembled Weymouth beach?i remember the seyco championship in 1977 when mal corradine stalked him for 3 laps  before passing Sampson on his way to winning the meeting,we should have signed Sampson when Eastbourne moved up

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