chunky Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 Strange, but one thing that stands out in my memory is the appearance of Steve Waplington at Plough Lane in 1969. He was a Belle Vue Colts star, who was pressed into service by a short-handed Aces side at Wimbledon. He scored 9 points, and provided the only support for Ivan Mauger. He finished the season with a near 8-point average, and even had an outing for Young England against Young Czechoslovakia at Doncaster. He spent 1970 at Rochdale when the Colts moved over, and improved his average. He then retired at the age of 23, and seemed to be forgotten. Does anyone know what happened to him? I assume he's still alive? He really was one that impressed me, and I thought he had a bright future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 I certainly remember Steve- I think he rode second half at some tracks and then just drifted away. Don't know anything else sadly. I think he also rode somewhere in 1968 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) There is about a six page article in Classic Speedway Issue 21 Summer 2013.......he chose between Speedway and a job and the Job won. He also went to Leningrad with the Aces in 1969 Edited January 24, 2022 by andout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 1 hour ago, chunky said: Strange, but one thing that stands out in my memory is the appearance of Steve Waplington at Plough Lane in 1969. He was a Belle Vue Colts star, who was pressed into service by a short-handed Aces side at Wimbledon. He scored 9 points, and provided the only support for Ivan Mauger. He finished the season with a near 8-point average, and even had an outing for Young England against Young Czechoslovakia at Doncaster. He spent 1970 at Rochdale when the Colts moved over, and improved his average. He then retired at the age of 23, and seemed to be forgotten. Does anyone know what happened to him? I assume he's still alive? He really was one that impressed me, and I thought he had a bright future. Alive and well in 2017Â Â https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/91530/page/21 https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/3133/steve-waplington 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted January 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 28 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Alive and well in 2017Â Â https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/91530/page/21 https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/3133/steve-waplington Thanks for that! Must admit, he hasn't really changed that much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 7 minutes ago, chunky said: Thanks for that! Must admit, he hasn't really changed that much! https://www.facebook.com/stephen.waplington  ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 Steve is looking good, as Art Garfunkel would say "Still crazy after all these years"!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 Went to the link- saw Chris Bailey, Steve, Eric Broadbelt , Taffy Owen etc. Anyone know how Ken Moss, Ken Eyre and Peter Thompson are doing these days- the 1968 Colts were unstoppable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted January 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) 54 minutes ago, BOBBATH said: Went to the link- saw Chris Bailey, Steve, Eric Broadbelt , Taffy Owen etc. Anyone know how Ken Moss, Ken Eyre and Peter Thompson are doing these days- the 1968 Colts were unstoppable Ken Moss passed away a few years ago, and we lost Taffy Owen last August. Edit: Peter Thompson passed away last April. I thought so, but wanted to make sure before I replied. Edited January 25, 2022 by chunky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted January 25, 2022 Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 Looks like he was very promising. Another i have never heard of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022  Thanks Chunky, Is Ken Eyre still with us-he was the runner up in the first ever Second Division Riders Championship-behind I think Graham Plant-how is Graham doing these days, I saw a photo of him as part of a Newport reunion-still had all that long hair!! Hope you are surviving the winter in Ohio better than us up here-we had 60 cms. of snow last week and temps in the minus twenties!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted January 26, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:  Thanks Chunky, Is Ken Eyre still with us-he was the runner up in the first ever Second Division Riders Championship-behind I think Graham Plant-how is Graham doing these days, I saw a photo of him as part of a Newport reunion-still had all that long hair!! Hope you are surviving the winter in Ohio better than us up here-we had 60 cms. of snow last week and temps in the minus twenties!! I'm pretty sure that Ken is still going strong, and I think Graham is too. The trouble here at the moment is that the temps are fluctuating wildly - and everyone is getting sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 Hi chunky it's around -10 up here and expecting another 10 cms. tonight. No problem for us Canucks we are sitting out in the backyard in shorts drinking margaritas (well I may be exaggerating a bit). Hope you are ok too Andout!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw42 Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 7 hours ago, BOBBATH said:  Thanks Chunky, Is Ken Eyre still with us-he was the runner up in the first ever Second Division Riders Championship-behind I think Graham Plant-how is Graham doing these days, I saw a photo of him as part of a Newport reunion-still had all that long hair!! Hope you are surviving the winter in Ohio better than us up here-we had 60 cms. of snow last week and temps in the minus twenties!! Here's a recently taken pic of Ken at Buxton for the ride n slide day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 11:40 PM, BOBBATH said: Steve is looking good, as Art Garfunkel would say "Still crazy after all these years"!! Paul Simon would not appreciate you getting that so wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 27, 2022 Report Share Posted January 27, 2022 Hi Sotonian, Sorry for mixing up Simon with Garfunkel-you are right of course -mea culpa!! Put it down to age!! Also NW42- great picture of Ken Eyre at Buxton, looking like he is enjoying life to the full. Good on Ken. Did he go on to have a career in the British League post 1968.. Would folks say he was the most successful rider of the 1968 Belle Vue Colts. They really mopped up everyone else that year as I recall.  I regret that having left the UK in1968 -I never went to a Second Division meeting, until I came back on vacation in 1970 when I got to see Doncaster v. Reading at York Road. I recall Gordon McGregor still going strong for the Stallions as Doncaster then were known. I think also George Major was riding for Doncaster-have to check my programs though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted January 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2022 33 minutes ago, BOBBATH said: Hi Sotonian, Sorry for mixing up Simon with Garfunkel-you are right of course -mea culpa!! Put it down to age!! Also NW42- great picture of Ken Eyre at Buxton, looking like he is enjoying life to the full. Good on Ken. Did he go on to have a career in the British League post 1968.. Would folks say he was the most successful rider of the 1968 Belle Vue Colts. They really mopped up everyone else that year as I recall.  I regret that having left the UK in1968 -I never went to a Second Division meeting, until I came back on vacation in 1970 when I got to see Doncaster v. Reading at York Road. I recall Gordon McGregor still going strong for the Stallions as Doncaster then were known. I think also George Major was riding for Doncaster-have to check my programs though. You do realize that you don't have to check your programs in most cases; the info is usually found online. Speedway Researcher is the best, while speedway proboards is great for the BL era. Ken Eyre stayed with Belle Vue until the end of 1972, when he switched to Wolves for a couple of seasons. McGregor and Major both rode for Doncaster in 1970. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted January 27, 2022 Report Share Posted January 27, 2022 2 hours ago, chunky said: You do realize that you don't have to check your programs in most cases; the info is usually found online. Speedway Researcher is the best, while speedway proboards is great for the BL era. Ken Eyre stayed with Belle Vue until the end of 1972, when he switched to Wolves for a couple of seasons. McGregor and Major both rode for Doncaster in 1970. ...a school friend of my mother married Gordon McGregor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 Yes Chunky, but I like any excuse to check my old programs-thumbing through them brings back lots of associated memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 16 minutes ago, BOBBATH said: Yes Chunky, but I like any excuse to check my old programs-thumbing through them brings back lots of associated memories. One of my eternal regrets was selling all my programes...such memories held within them. I used to place comments in them covering each race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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