Your Favourite Danes (Pre-1995)

[TonyMac]

Who were your favourite Danish speedway riders that rode for UK clubs in the pre-1995 upright era, and why?

And what memories of watching Danish riders in British racing spring to mind?

If you'd prefer to email me, send your comments to retroeditorial@gmail.com

 

Best responses will be included in my Backtracking piece for Speedway Star.

 

We have just launched our latest DVD, DANES IN BRITAIN RACING.

 

* Double-disc, 4-hour set
* Featuring 41 Danish riders
* 140+ races
* 30 UK tracks

WELCOME to this nostalgic double-disc set spanning four hours in which we feature more than 40 Danes who graced British league racing from the 1970s up to the end of ‘The Upright Years’ in 1994.

They include past world champions OLE OLSEN, ERIK GUNDERSEN, HANS NIELSEN and JAN O. PEDERSEN.

World Team Cup winners TOMMY KNUDSEN, FINN THOMSEN, BO PETERSEN, PREBEN ERIKSEN, PETER RAVN, JOHN JORGENSEN, MIKE LOHMANN, KRISTIAN PRAESTBRO, BRIAN KARGER and GERT HANDBERG.

Plus fellow former favourites BENT RASMUSSEN, ALF BUSK, FINN JENSEN, STEEN MASTRUP, JOHN ESKILDSEN, JENS RASMUSSEN, SAM NIKOLAJSEN, PER SORENSEN, KENT NOER, PETER GLANZ, FRANK ANDERSEN, KURT HANSEN, JAN STAECHMANN, ALLAN JOHANSEN, LARS MUNKEDAL, HENRIK KRISTENSEN, TOM KNUDSEN, FREDE SCHOTT, JESPER OLSEN, MORTEN ANDERSEN, JAN PEDERSEN, CARSTEN SCHOTT, RICHARD JUUL, BRIAN ANDERSEN, JAKOB OLSEN, RENE MADSEN, JAN ANDERSEN, etc.

As well as thrilling action footage from a golden era, this evocative feast includes contemporary interviews with Ole Olsen, Erik Gundersen, Hans Nielsen, Tommy Knudsen, Jan O. Pedersen, Finn Thomsen, Bo Petersen, John Jorgensen, Peter Ravn, John Eskildsen, Brian Karger, Gert Handberg, Sam Nikolajsen, Peter Glanz, Jan Staechmann, Frede Schott, Morten Andersen, Brian Andersen, Jakob Olsen, Jan Pedersen, Jesper Olsen, Richard Juul and Rene Madsen.

Action footage from 30 UK tracks: Arena-Essex, Belle Vue (Hyde Road & Kirky Lane), Birmingham (Perry Barr), Bradford, Coventry, Cradley Heath, Eastbourne, Edinburgh (Powderhall), Glasgow (Shawfield), Halifax, Hull (Boulevard), Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Leicester, Long Eaton, Milton Keynes (Elfield Park), Newcastle, Oxford, Peterborough, Poole, Reading (Smallmead), Rye House, Sheffield, Stoke, Swindon, Stoke, Wembley, Wimbledon, Wolverhampton.

Also featuring as opponents (trailing Danes – it’s a long and illustrious list!):
From ENGLAND – Kenny Carter, Simon Wigg, Jeremy Doncaster, Chris Morton, Kelvin Tatum, Phil Collins, Neil Collins, Simon Cross, Marvyn Cox, Carl Blackbird, Gary Havelock, Martin Dugard, Richard Knight, Andy Smith, Alan & Andy Grahame, Gordon Kennett, John Davis, Paul Thorp, Joe Screen, Mark Loram, Chris Louis, Dean Barker, Andrew Silver, Kevin Smith, Kevin Jolly, Rob Woffinden, etc.
From the USA – Bruce Penhall, Sam Ermolenko, Shawn & Kelly Moran, John Cook, Lance King, Ronnie Correy, Rick Miller, Charles Ermolenko.
From SWEDEN – Per Jonsson, Jimmy Nilsen, Jan Andersson, Tony Olsson, Peter Nahlin, Richard Hellsen, Henka Gustafsson, Tony Rickardsson.
From AUSTRALIA – Phil Crump, Billy Sanders, Gary Guglielmi, Leigh Adams, Jason Crump, Shane Parker, Shane Bowes, Glenn Doyle.
From NEW ZEALAND – Ivan Mauger, Mitch Shirra, Mark Thorpe.
Plus . . . Kai Niemi & Olli Tyrvainen (Finland), Armando Castagna (Italy), Einar Kyllingstad (Norway), etc.

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

Thank you for reading.

 

[steve roberts]

Jens Rasmussen who twice suffered under the points limit at Cowley and then proceeded to change the course of speedway history by signing for Rye House. He never gave up on the track and unfortunately held back by injuries when he promised so much.

Per Sorensen who was a master-stroke signing by the "Cheetahs" and who helped turn a good side into a great one when Oxford reigned supreme in 1986. Who could forget his wonderful paid maximum when he returned to Blunsden as a "Cheetah" when Oxford hammered the "Robins"...Per must have been so delighted with that particular performance! A great shame that he didn't return the following season.

[Technik]

Preben Eriksen was always a hard rider, never really the star in the Danish set up but played his part as an enforcer & gave more favored opponents a rough ride.

Jan Steachmann always had imaculate kit always reliable on & off the track I remember him from Long Eaton & Stoke mainly. But since his retirement from racing his input into the young Danish riders as Manager has been remarkable.

[Beirao]

Jesper Olsen by a mile. Not a superstar but arguably the most exciting rider we had during the Shawfield era. All action, great entertainer, it was a huge disappointment that he didn't come back when the Tigers reformed in 1997. 

[steve roberts]

3 hours ago, Technik said:

Preben Eriksen was always a hard rider, never really the star in the Danish set up but played his part as an enforcer & gave more favored opponents a rough ride.

Jan Steachmann always had imaculate kit always reliable on & off the track I remember him from Long Eaton & Stoke mainly. But since his retirement from racing his input into the young Danish riders as Manager has been remarkable.

Great team rider when with Oxford...used to ride "shot gun" covering Todd Wiltshire.

[Ovalman]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:04 PM, steve roberts said:

Jens Rasmussen who twice suffered under the points limit at Cowley and then proceeded to change the course of speedway history by signing for Rye House. He never gave up on the track and unfortunately held back by injuries when he promised so much.

Per Sorensen who was a master-stroke signing by the "Cheetahs" and who helped turn a good side into a great one when Oxford reigned supreme in 1986. Who could forget his wonderful paid maximum when he returned to Blunsden as a "Cheetah" when Oxford hammered the "Robins"...Per must have been so delighted with that particular performance! A great shame that he didn't return the following season.

Not speedway related steve, but was chatting to my relative, Josh Abbott, the Oxfam City Star ice hockey striker, said half the Oxfam team are from Swindon. Some relation to Steve, ex- Oxfam speedway.

[salty]

Predictable afraid, but as a Cradley fan i have to go with Erik and Janno. 

Erik was a Dudley Wood legend with 3 World titles under his belt, but also blessed with a lovely character which meant he was (afaik) popular with most in the sport. His accident at Odsal finished his career but in typical Erik fashion he has maintained a great outlook on life and it is good to see him still involved in the sport.

Janno took a bit longer to get to World class status but by the time of clinching his World title was clearly well deserving of the Championship. Sadly we will never know how many other titles he could have accrued as he was another who retired prematurely through injury.

Finally, special mention to Kristian Praestbro, who was, (for Dan McCormick) a fairly unsung signing from Belle Vue in 1978. Not only did he have 2 excellent point scoring seasons as a Heathen, he also played a massive role in helping Erik in his formative time at Cradley.

 

[chunky]

I remember a lot of the early Danes, like Godtfred Andreasen at Oxford, Erik Tilgaard (Newcastle), the Boghs, Kurt and Ernst, King's Lynn's Jan Henningsen, and Finn Thomsen's buddy at Wolves, Leif Berlin. Amazing to think that in those days, we needed a combined Norway/Denmark team as the Norwegians greatly outnumbered the Danes!

Later on, we had world-beaters like Sheffield's Flemming Rasmussen, Rene Christiansen (Eastbourne), and the worst speedway rider most of us have seen, Claes Jensen.

Surprised there is no mention of Klaus Lohmann above...

Edited May 11, 2023 by chunky

[BOBBATH]

Before I left the UK in 1968-the only Dane was Ole Olsen riding for Newcastle-what a champ he became. Later when I came back to Englnd on vacation I saw Erik Gunderson  at Cradley. How would forumlanders rank Erik v. Hans Nielsen-.a tough call I know>>

[BL65]

7 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Before I left the UK in 1968-the only Dane was Ole Olsen riding for Newcastle

You would also have seen the great Arne Pander a few times between 1965 and 1967.  He was still riding in 1968, although badly affected by injuries by then.

[steve roberts]

6 hours ago, BL65 said:

You would also have seen the great Arne Pander a few times between 1965 and 1967.  He was still riding in 1968, although badly affected by injuries by then.

The great Arne Pander...unfortunatley neve saw him ride but mum recalls him visiting the local Health Centre where she worked after one of his many injuries.

[BOBBATH]

Yup I forgot about Arne Pander, saw him when he was n Oxford rider in 1965.

[steve roberts]

On 5/11/2023 at 11:49 AM, chunky said:

I remember a lot of the early Danes, like Godtfred Andreasen at Oxford, Erik Tilgaard (Newcastle), the Boghs, Kurt and Ernst, King's Lynn's Jan Henningsen, and Finn Thomsen's buddy at Wolves, Leif Berlin. Amazing to think that in those days, we needed a combined Norway/Denmark team as the Norwegians greatly outnumbered the Danes!

Later on, we had world-beaters like Sheffield's Flemming Rasmussen, Rene Christiansen (Eastbourne), and the worst speedway rider most of us have seen, Claes Jensen.

Surprised there is no mention of Klaus Lohmann above...

Lars Munkedal...signed by Oxford with a hope of bolstering the tail end. Simply awful!

[Split]

On 5/12/2023 at 11:21 AM, BL65 said:

You would also have seen the great Arne Pander a few times between 1965 and 1967.  He was still riding in 1968, although badly affected by injuries by then.

I was lucky enough to see Arne Pander ride when he was at his peak but he was never the same after he suffered that fractured skull in 1961. There is little doubt in my mind that he if he had remained injury free, he could have become world champion - yes, he was that good!  

[steve roberts]

10 minutes ago, Split said:

I was lucky enough to see Arne Pander ride when he was at his peak but he was never the same after he suffered that fractured skull in 1961. There is little doubt in my mind that he if he had remained injury free, he could have become world champion - yes, he was that good!  

Was it a "coming together" with Les Owen as Owen was one who was never that well received at Cowley from what I remember in the latter years.

[chunky]

3 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Lars Munkedal...signed by Oxford with a hope of bolstering the tail end. Simply awful!

Don't know what you're complaining about. He averaged nearly three points a meeting for you!

[steve roberts]

2 hours ago, chunky said:

Don't know what you're complaining about. He averaged nearly three points a meeting for you!

...not a bad average for a second string! Couldn't cope with the Cowley  bends and considering he used to ride at Monmore Green defies any logic!

[chunky]

24 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...not a bad average for a second string! Couldn't cope with the Cowley  bends and considering he used to ride at Monmore Green defies any logic!

You sure? Those were still the days where second strings averaged 5-6 points a match ..

[steve roberts]

55 minutes ago, chunky said:

You sure? Those were still the days where second strings averaged 5-6 points a match ..

...I was being facetious! Einar Kyllingstad proceeded him and was equally unsuccessful but at least looked classy on a bike!

[chunky]

15 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...I was being facetious! Einar Kyllingstad proceeded him and was equally unsuccessful but at least looked classy on a bike!

Okay, I hadn't really woken up when I responded! Still, that average would make him a heat leader today!

EDIT: Just checked, and I didn't realise Einar only averaged 0.63 for you. Scored 3 points in 19 rides...

Edited May 14, 2023 by chunky