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Riders and Closed Tracks


steve roberts

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I'm sure many can come up with examples of riders having ridden at tracks that have since closed?

Greg Hancock is one that comes to mind - Cradley Heath, Stoke, Coventry, Oxford & Reading.

Being associated with five closed tracks seems unfortunate but are there any out there who have ridden for more 'closed' tracks and I'm not including riders that have ridden for both closed and current tracks...I guess that Neil & Les Collins may fall into that category?

Edited by steve roberts
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MIght be best to look at those who've ridden for the most times in their careers (didn't we cover that one a few years back ?) ?

Jimmy Squibb rode for Southampton, Harringay, Oxford, Plymouth (Pennycross), Exeter, New Cross, Cradley & Canterbury in his career (plus non-defunct Poole & Eastbourne).

I'll have a quick look to see if there's anyone else who can beat 8.

Actually, add Bristol & St. Austell to Jimmy's list as I hadn't included non-League tracks in the initial list (both in 1959).

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14 minutes ago, shippy22 said:

Alan Mogridge, 9 tracks.   Wimbledon, Crayford, Canterbury, Hackney/London, Rye House, Arena Essex, Swindon, Stoke & Workington.   Sadly, the first 6 are all tracks that I used to go to regularly.   !

 

He definitively rode for Berwick- because his 1st home meeting was against Reading and his exhaust fell off during a race and the ref was blind and deaf - and a certain Mr Waite smuggled it back to the pits under his Jacket- the cheating git- hope it burned him !!! The Clerk of the course  wasn`t watching of course - he was at the tea bar chatting with his mates !!! After all these years am i angry- you bet i am :D

Wouldn`t be surprised if a certain Dick Barrie wasn`t involved in it somewhere :)

Edited by racers and royals
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13 minutes ago, racers and royals said:

He definitively rode for Berwick- because his 1st home meeting was against Reading and his exhaust fell off during a race and the ref was blind and deaf - and a certain Mr Waite smuggled it back to the pits under his Jacket- the cheating git- hope it burned him !!! The Clerk of the course  wasn`t watching of course - he was at the tea bar chatting with his mates !!! After all these years am i angry- you bet i am :D

Wouldn`t be surprised if a certain Dick Barrie wasn`t involved in it somewhere :)

Thought it was closed tracks ?

Squibb's on 10 BTW (see my note re non-league tracks he rode for).

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Have come across Bob Lovell's record.

He manged to ride for - Harringay, Nottingham, Southampton, Hall Green, Rye House, Bristol, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh (Marine), Glasgow (White City), Birmingham ('46-'47 is that the current venue ?) & Bradford.

I make that 11

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2 hours ago, compost said:

Have come across Bob Lovell's record.

He manged to ride for - Harringay, Nottingham, Southampton, Hall Green, Rye House, Bristol, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh (Marine), Glasgow (White City), Birmingham ('46-'47 is that the current venue ?) & Bradford.

I make that 11

Bob Lovell also rode for Eastbourne and Ashfield.  The 1946-47 Birmingham track and the current stadium are at the same location.

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31 minutes ago, BL65 said:

Bob Lovell also rode for Eastbourne and Ashfield.  The 1946-47 Birmingham track and the current stadium are at the same location.

Thanks BL. So Lovell rode for 10 tracks then (Eastbourne & Ashfield, as well as Brum, aren't defunct tracks so not counted).

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George Major rode for Aldershot, Oxford, Neath, St Austell, Coventry, Cradley Heath, Norwich, Leicester (Blackbird Road), Doncaster, Newport (Somerton Park), Belle Vue (Hyde Road), Birmingham (Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium), Glasgow (Hampden Park), making 13 teams/tracks.  However, his appearances for Coventry and Belle Vue were only away from home.

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Stan Stevens rode for Rye House, Yarmouth, Rayleigh, Cradley Heath, New Cross, Southampton, West Ham, Oxford, Exeter, Wembley, Romford, Barrow and Hull, which totals 13.  He also made a single appearance for Newport in an away meeting (which if counted would make 14).  The appearances for Wembley were all away.

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On ‎7‎/‎23‎/‎2021 at 9:46 AM, compost said:

MIght be best to look at those who've ridden for the most times in their careers (didn't we cover that one a few years back ?) ?

Jimmy Squibb rode for Southampton, Harringay, Oxford, Plymouth (Pennycross), Exeter, New Cross, Cradley & Canterbury in his career (plus non-defunct Poole & Eastbourne).

I'll have a quick look to see if there's anyone else who can beat 8.

Actually, add Bristol & St. Austell to Jimmy's list as I hadn't included non-League tracks in the initial list (both in 1959).

I think Jimmy Squibb also rode for Ipswich in the 60's.

I didn't miss any of the New Cross home meetings in 1963 and although some visiting riders did get the better of him, Jimmy was generally in a class of his own around the "frying pan".

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1 hour ago, BOBBATH said:

I think the champ looks like Stan Stevens (great guy).

...he did ride for Mildenhall however which is outside my initial remit but who am I to argue? Some great responses from some very knowledgeable posters!

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42 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...he did ride for Mildenhall however which is outside my initial remit but who am I to argue? Some great responses from some very knowledgeable posters!

He also appeared for two other current tracks, King's Lynn and Poole.  His name was in the programme for Ellesmere Port at Barrow in 1973, but he didn't ride and the Gunners used rider replacement for him.

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On 7/24/2021 at 1:40 PM, Split said:

I think Jimmy Squibb also rode for Ipswich in the 60's.

I didn't miss any of the New Cross home meetings in 1963 and although some visiting riders did get the better of him, Jimmy was generally in a class of his own around the "frying pan".

My first season of watching speedway, aged 7, have all the progs from New Cross 1963.. Squibbo was top rider, my fave was Penniket.

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Glad to see a mention of Geoff Penniket (Plunket as we used to call him). Key part of Newport in mid sixties-think he went to Poole after that. I recall him getting his first max in the BL. Great character-armchair style of riding, think he lost a finger in a racing accident. Anyone know if "Plunket" is still with us?

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