TonyMac Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 YOUR IPSWICH For my regular retro column in Speedway Star I'm asking fans of different clubs – past and present – for their personal thoughts on what immediately springs to mind whenever your team is mentioned. This time we're talking...IPSWICH. Over the years which riders, meetings, incidents and people associated with this track stand out – and why? It’s not only open to home fans – visitors’ recollections of Foxhall Heath are also welcome. You can mention as many different aspects as you like but please don’t simply type names – add some supporting comment explaining exactly what they mean to you. Best contributions will appear in print. Thank you for taking part. To help prompt you, here are several suggestions… * The 1975-76 and 1998 double-winning teams * Berry, Thurley, Bagley, * Harrhy, J Louis, Davey, Sanders, Nygren, Sigalos, Cook, Doncaster, Loram, Gollob, Rickardsson, C Louis, Nicholls, etc. * A Walk in the Black Forest * John Earrey: ‘So long as we know’ * The back straight bugler * Star of Anglia * The KO Cup finals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldhawk Posted June 25 Report Share Posted June 25 16 Lapper ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted June 25 Report Share Posted June 25 My good friend Dave Gooderham. Still missed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racin Jason 72 Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 My memory goes back to 1985. We had lost Billy in April which ripped the heart out of the club. Kai niemi returned and we were due to face the mighty cradley heath but we were going to be missing John cook I believe for a compulsory trip home. John berry hated using guests so we actually used double rider replacement!!! Not only that but we beat cradley too. it’s the only time I witnessed double rider replacement but it was a incredible performance from the witches after so much adversity. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 (edited) We were Mark Loram fans my uncle used to sponsor him as a 16 year old so when he moved there in 1989 we started to go to foxhall every week from our Essex base …. And I can happily say we have gone every season since then are Witches fans 1989 16 lapper … Schoey being excluded after falling off to avoid a hare and then Mark Lorams forks breaking entering the last corner giving victory to Andy Galvin Can’t remember the season but at home to Edinburgh and 2 horror crashes involving Brett Saunders and then Frede Schott Finally Marks horror career ending smash where Simota drove him through the fence an awful night Edited June 26 by Gavan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siggytastic Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 1 hour ago, Gavan said: We were Mark Loram fans my uncle used to sponsor him as a 16 year old so when he moved there in 1989 we started to go to foxhall every week from our Essex base …. And I can happily say we have gone every season since then are Witches fans 1989 16 lapper … Schoey being excluded after falling off to avoid a hare and then Mark Lorams forks breaking entering the last corner giving victory to Andy Galvin Can’t remember the season but at home to Edinburgh and 2 horror crashes involving Brett Saunders and then Frede Schott Finally Marks horror career ending smash where Simota drove him through the fence an awful night I can remember Brett Saunders coming towards us through the fence on his back wheel and hitting the concrete barrier and when Fred Schott crashed, pretty sure his helmet came off and we thought He had lost his head!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 For me, the standout incident was the suicide of Billy Sanders in 1985, as this put a cloud over the speedway for some time, particularly because as a fan, I had no idea this was a possibility and he was almost unbeaten at that point of the season. Other memories/incidents (it's a long list): Michael Lee and John Cook coming out naked and doing a lap or two, again mid-eighties; John Louis breaking the track record to 60.8s and it being beaten I think by John Cook who went under 60s for the first time; Kevin Jolly ploughing through the 4th bend fence and going end over end and landing on his feet (early 80s); me beating Scott Nicholls in a second half race (admittedly he fell off ); me practising at Foxhall alongside my idol at the time Jeremy Doncaster (mid 90s); Jeremy pulling off his dirt deflector from the bike by hand at the frustration of being excluded I think; me and friends as children riding bicycles around the woods/car park, skidding like we were speedway riders; winning the KO cup in 1985 given the loss of Billy; Preben Eriksen wheelieing a big enduro-style bike at the last meeting of the season and all the japes that used to go on at those meetings; Eriksen getting in trouble with the law for the seductive artwork on the rear of his van; John Cook riding around Foxhall clockwise (silencer & footrest swapped over/removed) and managing to slide the bike around the turns as well, far better than anyone else. Hans Nielsen winning the Star of Anglia or Golden Sovereign every year it seemed; JL being run over by Doncaster at the start of a 16 lapper; the people sitting in the tree watching the action for free; the great collapsible safety fence; Good Friday home & away against King's Lynn. I'm old 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racin Jason 72 Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 3 hours ago, Gavan said: We were Mark Loram fans my uncle used to sponsor him as a 16 year old so when he moved there in 1989 we started to go to foxhall every week from our Essex base …. And I can happily say we have gone every season since then are Witches fans 1989 16 lapper … Schoey being excluded after falling off to avoid a hare and then Mark Lorams forks breaking entering the last corner giving victory to Andy Galvin Can’t remember the season but at home to Edinburgh and 2 horror crashes involving Brett Saunders and then Frede Schott Finally Marks horror career ending smash where Simota drove him through the fence an awful night I think the Edinburgh meeting was 1989. Frede schott crashed on the back straight and it looked like he had been decapitated as the crash helmet rolled down the track. And Brett Saunders crash in the same meeting was just as horrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldhawk Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 Was at the opening BL 1 match at Foxhall on Good Friday in 1972 v Hackney - PACKED !! James Easter told me there were c 14,000 fans there ( The Hawks won : ) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdave Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 First division Ipswich getting beat 40-38 by Workington in the Inter-League Knock Out Cup in May 1976 with Lou Sansom beating John Louis 3 times in that meeting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 1 hour ago, bigdave said: First division Ipswich getting beat 40-38 by Workington in the Inter-League Knock Out Cup in May 1976 with Lou Sansom beating John Louis 3 times in that meeting And that was a double winning year for the Witches, with John Louis topping the averages on 11.10 ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Goddard Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 8 hours ago, Racin Jason 72 said: I think the Edinburgh meeting was 1989. Frede schott crashed on the back straight and it looked like he had been decapitated as the crash helmet rolled down the track. And Brett Saunders crash in the same meeting was just as horrific. It was 1990, I used to have those moments on an old edition of Crashes and Cockups. Saunders' crash was one of the worst I've ever seen, his bike seemed to pick up speed as it hit the safety fence with him caught up in the bike and then it slammed him into the outer wall of the stock car track. Awful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Never been to 'Ippo', thing is they've (pretty much) always come to the tapes since 1970 (I think it was), so must be 'doing something right' (!). Good luck to the Witches I say.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldhawk Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Much improved stadium now. Track still needs to produce better racing from what ive seen when going there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 28 Report Share Posted June 28 21 hours ago, martinmauger said: Never been to 'Ippo', That surprises me! Funny thing is, while we both used to be Thursday night tracks, I've actually been there a helluva lot. Wasn't always great racing, but I like the size and shape of the place. Saw Moggo have a bad one there (actually, seen him do that at most tracks) when he went through the fence on the home straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted June 28 Report Share Posted June 28 (edited) 2 hours ago, chunky said: That surprises me! Funny thing is, while we both used to be Thursday night tracks, I've actually been there a helluva lot. Wasn't always great racing, but I like the size and shape of the place. Saw Moggo have a bad one there (actually, seen him do that at most tracks) when he went through the fence on the home straight. Bit of a distance from Hull: not always had money or nowadays the time. Or a team to support, it means waaay more, trust me. In early days of away coach trips folks wouldn't let me go such relatively far off places as they didn't want me returning at 'stupid o clock' & waking everyone up. I got away with trips to likes of Halifax home 11.30pm-ish, Belle Vue (told 'em it wasn't actually in Manchester, bit nearer !) back 12 - 1am-ish, same with Birmingham, Coventry & Cradley 'they're outside of the cities, in villages, so also quite a bit nearer (!)' so got away with 2.30am-ish returns 'due to roadworks, honest' - almost every Saturday away trip (!), but Swindon away & a 4am return, waking up the dog & therefore everyone else didn't make me at all popular. Anyhoo good on Ippo, still sucessfully running speedway.... Edited June 28 by martinmauger added away trip humour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted June 28 Report Share Posted June 28 For me, I think the highlight was the 1975 season. John Berry assembled a team of completely local riders - John Louis, Tony Davey, Mike Lanham, Mick Hines, Trevor Jones, Ted Howgego, Dave Gooderham and Billy Sanders, by now fully domiciled in Suffolk. Just those eight riders were used all season and they carried all before them, with Ipswich winning the league for the first time in its history. I can't think there has ever been a team anywhere made up completely of local riders that so completely dominated the league. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboy cookie returns? Posted June 28 Report Share Posted June 28 On 6/26/2024 at 1:03 PM, Siggytastic said: I can remember Brett Saunders coming towards us through the fence on his back wheel and hitting the concrete barrier and when Fred Schott crashed, pretty sure his helmet came off and we thought He had lost his head!! I think that was 1990 but could be wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted June 29 Report Share Posted June 29 I first visited Foxhall in 1970 when on holiday and staying with my Aunt and Uncle who lived two miles from the track. The Witches rode against Bradford and Ron Bagley won heat one in a time of 75.4. It was also the first time I saw John Louis ride. JL was soon to become my favourite rider (of all time). Many happy memories come to mind, particularly from the 70’s. My overall stand out is the 1976 cup and league double culminating with the Witches putting in a victory parade lap around Portman Road before Ipswich Town played Manchester City! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted June 30 Report Share Posted June 30 John "Tiger" Louis getting better almost lap to lap in his formative years 1969 - 1972! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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