Your favourites Swedish riders (1950s-1994)

[TonyMac]

Who were your favourite Swedish speedway riders that rode for UK clubs pre-1995, and why?

Or what memories of watching Swedish riders in British racing spring to mind?

 

Best responses received before this weekend will be included in my piece for next week's Speedway Star.

 

A reminder of the 39 featured on our brand new SWEDES IN BRITAIN RACING DVD . . .

 

OVE FUNDIN
BJORN KNUTSON
ANDERS MICHANEK
PER JONSSON
TONY RICKARDSSON

OLLE NYGREN
GOTE NORDIN
SOREN SJOSTEN
BERNT PERSSON
BENGT JANSSON
CHRISTER LOFQVIST
HASSE HOLMQVIST
TOMMY JANSSON
CHRISTER SJOSTEN
JAN ANDERSSON
RICHARD HELLSEN
TOMMY NILSSON
BORGE RING
LARS HAMMARBERG
LILLEBROR JOHANSSON
PIERRE BRANNEFORS
ANDERS ERIKSSON
ERIK STENLUND
LEIF WAHLMANN
JIMMY NILSEN
TONY OLSSON
ROLAND DANNO
CONNY IVARSSON
PETER NAHLIN
MIKAEL BLIXT
DENNIS LOFQVIST
HENRIK GUSTAFSSON
PETER KARLSSON
MIKAEL KARLSSON
JORGEN JOHANSSON
STEFAN DANNO
JONATHAN FORSGREN
MIKAEL TEURNBERG
CHRISTER ROHLEN
 

To order this DVD for £18 + £2 UK P&P, simply visit us at www.retro-speedway.com

 

Personally, my two schoolboy heroes when I first started going to speedway in 1971, aged 11, were always classy Bengt 'Benga' Jansson (Hackney) and spectacular Christer Lofqvist (West Ham). Both great to watch.

Thanks in advance.

Edited March 14, 2023 by TonyMac

[Chadster]

No Torbjorn Harryson? Remember seeing him scoring a 15 point maximum at Belle Vue in 1967 and was the only rider to beat Ove Fundin that night. He only rode two seasons in Britain but was regarded as perhaps the next big thing until he broke his leg in the 1969 Worlf Final and never got over the injury.

[steve roberts]

Hasse Holmqvist was my all-time favourite Swedish rider. He rode as a "Cheetah" before my time but the excitment generated when it was known he was to become a "Rebel" in 1973...his signing certainly caught the Cowley faithfull's imagination. His first meeting at Oxford that year he registered a maximum against Coventry and although he never continued in that vein his point scoring however was invaluable. My abiding memory was when he rode up to the tapes he always had this habit of kicking his clutch plate with his right heel. He used to ride some terrific tight bends and I remember on one occasion that he "closed down" Cowley specialist Terry Betts by leaning all over him with that very distinctive style. The "Rebels" that year were issued with team leathers (long before team suits became the norm) and Hasse's were too short...don't think he ever did wear them that year relying on his custom blue and white leathers. Last saw him when I made the trip to Crayford in the most awful weather in 1983 when he was touring with his club team...wish I could say that he signed off with a maximum but alas no.

[chunky]

As a Don, Tommy was my hero. I still remember picking up the Daily Mirror on the Friday morning to see the headline, "Speed Star Killed"; seems like yesterday.

I was at West Ham for Christer Lofqvist's first meeting, and immediately took a liking to him.

There are so many others not mentioned here that I remember well; Leif Soderberg, Soren Karlsson, Stefan Salomonsson, Bo Jansson, Bo Wirebrand, Haase Danielsson...

[BL65]

Gote Nordin was one of the best riders in the world in the mid-1960s and a big favourite of mine.  I watched him cruise to two consecutive wins with sublime displays in the Internationale at Wimbledon in 1966 and 1967, each time against a field of world-class riders.  He also claimed second place in the event in 1965 and but for a fall he might have secured a top three finish in 1964.  In 1961 Nordin joined Ove Fundin and Bjorn Knutson on the rostrum to complete a Swedish 1-2-3 in the World Final.  Between 1964 and 1967 he had three seasons in Britain, averaging over 10 points per match for National League Wimbledon, then in the British League for Newport and Poole.

[briggo]

The first Swede I saw ride for the Robins was a young long haired blond lad called Jan Andersson. I was there at his Abbey debut against Sheffield I think. His first ride he was first out of the gate, hotly pursued by Carl Glover, held him off for a debut win. He struggled the rest of the meeting but you could see he was quality. Gutted when he moved on to the Racers, but proved me right as to his world class ability.

Also had a soft spot for Soren Karlsson, although never in the same class as Jan Anderson, he was a really good team rider and on his day you felt he could beat anybody. Always seemed to get injured, but a real battler and in his first season with the Robins he was in heat leader class.

Edited March 15, 2023 by briggo

[arnieg]

1 Anders Michanek

2 Per Jonsson

3 Jan Andersson

4 Tony Olsson

5 Pierre Brannefors

6 Bengt Jansson

 ... anyone spotting a theme here?

[steve roberts]

25 minutes ago, arnieg said:

1 Anders Michanek

2 Per Jonsson

3 Jan Andersson

4 Tony Olsson

5 Pierre Brannefors

6 Bengt Jansson

 ... anyone spotting a theme here?

Quite an impressive line up however there was Uno Johansson? Not one of the Reading "Berks" better Swedish acquisitions!

Edited March 14, 2023 by steve roberts

[norbold]

Ove has been my favourite since my very first speedway meeting in 1960, even though he was riding for the opposition! He scored an 18 point maximum for Norwich against New Cross that night. His sheer class put him head and shoulders above the other riders and he continued to be far and away the best rider at New Cross in 1960 and 1961 (apart from two memorable nights when Jack Young somehow found his early 50s form). There was also the memorable occasion in 1967 when I took a group of fellow students from Norwich, who knew very little about speedway, to the World Final and said I was supporting Ove, and, as none of them knew much about speedway, they duly joined me and did so as well. Of course, as we know, he won in spite of being past his best by then. It was quite a party we had that night!

It is still my opinion that of all the riders I have actually seen, Ove is the greatest. His sheer determination, skill and will to win, in my opinion puts him above Mauger, Rickardsson and anyone else.

In the last 20/25 years or so, I have come to know Ove personally and count him as a good friend. He is a real gentleman and very modest about his own achievements. He continues to show a real interest in the sport and is willing to spend hours talking to fans and supporters in general.

The only other Swede I would speak of as a favourite of mine is Bjorn Knutson. I only really saw him for the one year he was West Ham captain, but, again, for that year, he was class personified and a firm fan favourite.

Edited March 15, 2023 by norbold

[salty]

As a Cradley fan it has to be Bernie. Was more or less an instant hero at Dudley Wood when he joined in 1969 and gave great service certainly for the first few seasons. Slightly sullied by the last couple of seasons as a Heathen where his appearances were sporadic to say the least. However, I would guess to many Heathens fans of my vintage he is our childhood hero. Will never forget Wembley 1972 and how close he came to the ultimate prize.

Others worthy of mention are Christer Lofqvist - always spectacular and in later days Peter Nahlin who made a huge impression in a short time at Cradley.

[arnieg]

9 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Quite an impressive line up however there was Uno Johansson? Not one of the Reading "Berks" better Swedish acquisitions!

Also Bo Jansson and Kenneth Nystrom.

Then post 95 we had Jonas Davidsson, Anders Henriksson, Per Wester

 

Plus a couple of near misses (e.g. Peter Karlsson)

[Beirao]

Ollie Nygren was one of my favourite riders and certainly my favourite Swede. His white boots and flowing green scarf got my attention on Wimbledon's first visit to Glasgow in 1965, along with him being prepared to sign autographs and talk to supporters, in stark contrast to the brusque treatment we got from Charlie Monk. And he backed it up on the track, with ten points that night in the Dons 41-37 win. He subsequently won the Glasgow Open Championship in 1966, having finished third the previous year and his booking for the last ever meeting at Edinburgh's Old Meadowbank in 1967 shows the high regard in which he was held in Scotland. 

Other Swedish memories were more of a mixed bag. Neither Tommy Berquist nor Bengt Brannefors, signing targets in early 1966, were allowed to join Glasgow, though Brannefors actually attended a rained off meeting. Nils Ringstrom flattered to deceive. After a promising start with a match winning second place in the last heat at Edinburgh, his form sloped off alarmingly and he eventually lost his team place. Ake Andersson was much the same, although without the good start! 

Bo Josefsson improved steadily in his first season in 1967 and had an unforgettable night at Poole scoring 14 points and losing out to Gote Nordin in the Silver Sash. He started off 1968 with a maximum at Kings Lynn, the first by an away rider but was the innocent party in the spectacular crash with George Hunter at The White City and was never really the same after that. Gunnar Malmquist gave the Tigers the run around about signing for them - he was to be the replacement for Charlie Monk - and promoter Les Whaley went out and signed Lars Jansson. He started well and looked like being an astute signing but lost his way as the tracks became slicker and was replaced by Ake Andersson ...and that didn't turn out well!

[steve roberts]

Just now, Beirao said:

Ollie Nygren was one of my favourite riders and certainly my favourite Swede. His white boots and flowing green scarf got my attention on Wimbledon's first visit to Glasgow in 1965, along with him being prepared to sign autographs and talk to supporters, in stark contrast to the brusque treatment we got from Charlie Monk. And he backed it up on the track, with ten points that night in the Dons 41-37 win. He subsequently won the Glasgow Open Championship in 1966, having finished third the previous year and his booking for the last ever meeting at Edinburgh's Old Meadowbank in 1967 shows the high regard in which he was held in Scotland. 

Other Swedish memories were more of a mixed bag. Neither Tommy Berquist nor Bengt Brannefors, signing targets in early 1966, were allowed to join Glasgow, though Brannefors actually attended a rained off meeting. Nils Ringstrom flattered to deceive. After a promising start with a match winning second place in the last heat at Edinburgh, his form sloped off alarmingly and he eventually lost his team place. Ake Andersson was much the same, although without the good start! 

Bo Josefsson improved steadily in his first season in 1967 and had an unforgettable night at Poole scoring 14 points and losing out to Gote Nordin in the Silver Sash. He started off 1968 with a maximum at Kings Lynn, the first by an away rider but was the innocent party in the spectacular crash with George Hunter at The White City and was never really the same after that. Gunnar Malmquist gave the Tigers the run around about signing for them - he was to be the replacement for Charlie Monk - and promoter Les Whaley went out and signed Lars Jansson. He started well and looked like being an astute signing but lost his way as the tracks became slicker and was replaced by Ake Andersson ...and that didn't turn out well!

I attended one of Olle's Training Schools at King's Lynn back in the early 80's...a real character but I think that he soon realised he was going to get nowhere with me!

[TonyMac]

19 hours ago, Chadster said:

No Torbjorn Harryson? Remember seeing him scoring a 15 point maximum at Belle Vue in 1967 and was the only rider to beat Ove Fundin that night. He only rode two seasons in Britain but was regarded as perhaps the next big thing until he broke his leg in the 1969 Worlf Final and never got over the injury.

The list includes all those we show footage of on the DVD. Apart from a few fleeting seconds showing the actual crash you refer to in the 1969 World Final, sadly Toby does not feature. I wish he did, as he was renowned as a spectacular performer.

[TonyMac]

18 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Hasse Holmqvist was my all-time favourite Swedish rider. He rode as a "Cheetah" before my time but the excitment generated when it was known he was to become a "Rebel" in 1973...his signing certainly caught the Cowley faithfull's imagination. His first meeting at Oxford that year he registered a maximum against Coventry and although he never continued in that vein his point scoring however was invaluable. My abiding memory was when he rode up to the tapes he always had this habit of kicking his clutch plate with his right heel. He used to ride some terrific tight bends and I remember on one occasion that he "closed down" Cowley specialist Terry Betts by leaning all over him with that very distinctive style. The "Rebels" that year were issued with team leathers (long before team suits became the norm) and Hasse's were too short...don't think he ever did wear them that year relying on his custom blue and white leathers. Last saw him when I made the trip to Crayford in the most awful weather in 1983 when he was touring with his club team...wish I could say that he signed off with a maximum but alas no.

On our DVD, we show previously unseen 8mm colour cine clips (taken from the Smallmead terraces) of Hasse riding for Oxford against Reading in 1975. He is wearing all-white leathers. He also features in the coverage of the 1973 International Tournament Final at Wembley.

[TonyMac]

16 hours ago, BL65 said:

Gote Nordin was one of the best riders in the world in the mid-1960s and a big favourite of mine.  I watched him cruise to two consecutive wins with sublime displays in the Internationale at Wimbledon in 1966 and 1967, each time against a field of world-class riders.  He also claimed second place in the event in 1965 and but for a fall he might have secured a top three finish in 1964.  In 1961 Nordin joined Ove Fundin and Bjorn Knutson on the rostrum to complete a Swedish 1-2-3 in the World Final.  Between 1964 and 1967 he had three seasons in Britain, averaging over 10 points per match for National League Wimbledon, then in the British League for Newport and Poole.

On the DVD we show previously unseen 8mm cine clips of Gote passing Olle Nygren on his way to victory in the 1966 Internationale. Admittedly, the footage is grainy but his bolt upright style (and Olle's white painted boots) are unmistakable.

[TonyMac]

16 hours ago, arnieg said:

1 Anders Michanek

2 Per Jonsson

3 Jan Andersson

4 Tony Olsson

5 Pierre Brannefors

6 Bengt Jansson

 ... anyone spotting a theme here?

Yep, we have colour film of them all racing at Smallmead on the DVD.

[steve roberts]

4 hours ago, TonyMac said:

On our DVD, we show previously unseen 8mm colour cine clips (taken from the Smallmead terraces) of Hasse riding for Oxford against Reading in 1975. He is wearing all-white leathers. He also features in the coverage of the 1973 International Tournament Final at Wembley.

....that sounds great! Unfortunately Hasse only put in three appearances for the "Rebels" that season...at home to Hull, at Swindon and the meeting that you mention which incidently the "Rebels" won being the first team to beat Reading at Smallmead albeit in a challenge!

Edited March 15, 2023 by steve roberts

[steve roberts]

Conny Samuelsson could have become the next big star when he joined the "Cheetahs" in 1969 however he just couldn't get on with the Cowley circuit but registerd useful points at Swindon, Coventry and I believe Cradley?. Shame that he wasn't perservered with because he could have made it in the UK with the right track but I guess it was his own decision that he never re-appeared  but he did go on to excell at Ice Racing finishing on the rostrum twice (?) and had a long shale career riding for his club team in Sweden.

[arnieg]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Conny Samuelsson could have become the next big star when he joined the "Cheetahs" in 1969 however he just couldn't get on with the Cowley circuit but registerd useful points at Swindon, Coventry and I believe Cradley?. Shame that he wasn't perservered with because he could have made it in the UK with the right track but I guess it was his own decision that he never re-appeared  but he did go on to excell at Ice Racing finishing on the rostrum twice (?) and had a long shale career riding for his club team in Sweden.

A mere 36 seasons for Vetlanda! [1964-1999]

Quite an achievement