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Name your favourite five riders.


Sidney the robin

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My favourite riders, not the best in the world but here goes:

Jim Airey

Gordon Guasco

Jack Millen

Graeme Smith

and finally, the one and only 'Briggo'.

You did ask.

You may notice a little Sunderland bias here. :wink:

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8 hours ago, The White Knight said:

My favourite riders, not the best in the world but here goes:

Jim Airey

Gordon Guasco

Jack Millen

Graeme Smith

and finally, the one and only 'Briggo'.

You did ask.

You may notice a little Sunderland bias here. :wink:

No gentleman George Barclay  WK ?  you have probably missed endless others that you admired.For me i admire any rider of any ability that has the guts to ride a speedway bike.

Edited by Sidney the robin
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22 hours ago, BL65 said:

Ronnie Moore, Bob Andrews, Jack Scott, Stefan Kwoczala, Ivor Hughes

Good to see Stefan Kwoczala get a mention. A world class rider whose  career was cut short after suffering a fractured skull in a crash at Krakow in 1961. That was after winning the Polish championship in 1959 and finishing 7th at the World final the following year.

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21 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

The obvious four in your list speak for themselves Falcace .But i did see Richard Green twice at Exeter and by god he was exciting to watch.

He was everything that was good about the National League. Not the most professional, not the most talented, always approachable, often chaotic, but always exciting and 100% effort.

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8 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

No gentleman George Barclay  WK ?  you have probably missed endless others that you admired.For me i admire any rider of any ability that has the guts to ride a speedway bike.

Never were truer words spoken Sidney. :t::approve:

Edited by The White Knight
Error on my part.
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On 8/10/2021 at 7:42 AM, BL65 said:

Ronnie Moore, Bob Andrews, Jack Scott, Stefan Kwoczala, Ivor Hughes

Weren't there two Jack Scotts'-is this the one who was a star in the Prov. League. Also great to see  a mention of Ivor Hughes , I watched him in1966 when he was just starting to really take off!!

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3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Weren't there two Jack Scotts'-is this the one who was a star in the Prov. League. Also great to see  a mention of Ivor Hughes , I watched him in1966 when he was just starting to really take off!!

The one and only Jack Scott came over from Australia to join Southampton in 1959 and was a Saints rider for 3 seasons, although he was loaned to Plymouth in 1961.  His progress was aided by a football pools win which enabled him to invest in good machinery.  Covering for missing riders, he also rode several times for Southampton during that season, averaging just under 9 points per match and recording two paid maximums.  He was one of the top riders in the Provincial League with Plymouth, recording 13 maximums and averaging just over 11 points per match.  He stayed in Australia from 1962 to 1966 but after being crowned Australian Champion he agreed to join Cradley Heath in 1967.  Mechanical problems led to him quitting mid-season and returning to Australia.  In the World Championship in 1961 Jack Scott progressed through the British rounds as far as the British Final at Wembley.  He should not be confused with Eric ('Bluey') Scott, a fellow Australian who also rode for Southampton for a season in the 1950s before finishing his British career with Glasgow.

Mounted on new machinery, Ivor Hughes was transformed from a reserve to heat leader in 1966 before his tragic accident on 20th August.  In the month before his untimely death he had shown real potential.  Top scoring with 10 points at home to Newcastle he beat Ivan Mauger 3 times, although Mauger eventually pulled up, already beaten, in one of those heats.  Hughes then beat Mauger again in the second half to make it 4 wins in a row, before Mauger gained his only success in the scratch race final.  A couple of weeks later he scored a 12 point maximum and remained unbeaten in the second half against a Hackney team containing Colin Pratt and Roy Trigg.  His finest moment came when, after scoring 10 points against the touring Vargarna team, he defeated the previously unbeaten reigning World Champion Bjorn Knutson in the scratch race final.  A few days later he top scored with 10 against Swindon, losing only to the team riding Martin Ashby-Mike Broadbank combination.  Sadly, he crashed in heat 13 of the meeting against Sheffield when heading for another 12 point maximum.

Edited by BL65
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6 hours ago, BL65 said:

The one and only Jack Scott came over from Australia to join Southampton in 1959 and was a Saints rider for 3 seasons, although he was loaned to Plymouth in 1961.  His progress was aided by a football pools win which enabled him to invest in good machinery.  Covering for missing riders, he also rode several times for Southampton during that season, averaging just under 9 points per match and recording two paid maximums.  He was one of the top riders in the Provincial League with Plymouth, recording 13 maximums and averaging just over 11 points per match.  He stayed in Australia from 1962 to 1966 but after being crowned Australian Champion he agreed to join Cradley Heath in 1967.  Mechanical problems led to him quitting mid-season and returning to Australia.  In the World Championship in 1961 Jack Scott progressed through the British rounds as far as the British Final at Wembley.  He should not be confused with Eric ('Bluey') Scott, a fellow Australian who also rode for Southampton for a season in the 1950s before finishing his British career with Glasgow.

Mounted on new machinery, Ivor Hughes was transformed from a reserve to heat leader in 1966 before his tragic accident on 20th August.  In the month before his untimely death he had shown real potential.  Top scoring with 10 points at home to Newcastle he beat Ivan Mauger 3 times, although Mauger eventually pulled up, already beaten, in one of those heats.  Hughes then beat Mauger again in the second half to make it 4 wins in a row, before Mauger gained his only success in the scratch race final.  A couple of weeks later he scored a 12 point maximum and remained unbeaten in the second half against a Hackney team containing Colin Pratt and Roy Trigg.  His finest moment came when, after scoring 10 points against the touring Vargarna team, he defeated the previously unbeaten reigning World Champion Bjorn Knutson in the scratch race final.  A few days later he top scored with 10 against Swindon, losing only to the team riding Martin Ashby-Mike Broadbank combination.  Sadly, he crashed in heat 13 of the meeting against Sheffield when heading for another 12 point maximum.

Thanks BL 65 re Jack Scott answer-anyone know if Jack is still with us??. I agree with you  re Ivor Hughes and remember him beating Ivan. As always BL65 I learn something new every time you post-your contributions are much valued.

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