Ian 24 Posted May 16, 2005 Listening to today's news of the tragic events in the Uzbeqi town of Azbizhan, I got to wondering whether there has ever been an Uzbeqi rider in speedway. I may be completely wrong about this, but I think that one member of the superb Russian touring sides of the mid-sixties was from the capital, Tashkent. Was it Gab Kadirov? I'd be pleased to hear if anyone knows the answer to this, as it's the sort of question which will annoy me now for days on end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2ndBender 28 Posted May 16, 2005 Gabdrahkman Kadirov was a Tartar, but I'm not sure which republic he came from. The Tartar race, (I think), is fairly widespread over most of what was Soviet Central Asia, so he maybe was an Uzbek. Good Speedway rider and World Ice Racing Champion on more than one occasion, if I remember right. Just goes to show how vast the old Soviet Union was! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 24 Posted May 18, 2005 Thanks for that 2ndbender. I think it must have been Gab who was from Tashkent after all. Excellent little rider, along with team-mates like Plechanov, Samorodov (rode like a man possessed!), Kurilenko, Trofimov etc. These were also the days of the terrific Polish touring teams - Wyglenda, Migos, Pogorzelski, Huszsa etc. Anybody support the reintroduction of the Cold War so we can have some of them back? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TigerTom 0 Posted May 19, 2005 Listening to today's news of the tragic events in the Uzbeqi town of Azbizhan, I got to wondering whether there has ever been an Uzbeqi rider in speedway. I may be completely wrong about this, but I think that one member of the superb Russian touring sides of the mid-sixties was from the capital, Tashkent. Was it Gab Kadirov? I'd be pleased to hear if anyone knows the answer to this, as it's the sort of question which will annoy me now for days on end. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ian, In 1964 touring with the Russian side was Anatoly Gruzinsev Born in 1941 in the town of Termes in Uzbekistan. It says In a 1964 programme he is very difficult to beat once in front. Sadly looking at his scores at Belle Vue (the real Belle Vue that is, Hyde Road) 0,0,0,0,1,0, he wasn't in front too often! ( I guess it does pay to collect speedway programmes!) And before anybody corrects me I know that Kirky Lane was used before Hyde Road but I am from the Hyde Road Era and that will always be Belle Vue to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 24 Posted May 19, 2005 I must say I don't remember the name Gruzinsev at all, TigerTom, but there you go. I suspect most people on this section of the forum would agree with you that Belle Vue will forever mean Hyde Road. My memories of it go back to 1963 and the days of the Provincial League Riders Championship. Ahhhhh! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KIWIPIRATE 0 Posted May 25, 2005 Aaah, Gab Kadirov - ISTR he was known as the Russian (sic) "Beatle" because of his hair cut at the time..... or was that Gennady Kurilenko?? Both exciting riders to watch... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 24 Posted May 25, 2005 Yes, Kiwipirate, that was Gab Kadirov. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TigerTom 0 Posted May 29, 2005 I must say I don't remember the name Gruzinsev at all, TigerTom, but there you go. I suspect most people on this section of the forum would agree with you that Belle Vue will forever mean Hyde Road. My memories of it go back to 1963 and the days of the Provincial League Riders Championship. Ahhhhh! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don't worry neither did I untill I dug out the old programme! ...we used to go to Hyde Road from Sheffield. It always seemed to be raining hard and even though we could not see the road ahead we always went to the track with the god given belief the meeting would be on. Oh well, you had to have faith. Also went for the stock cars the odd time. One of my favorite riders we stole of Belle Vue, Jack Kitchen. Off topic again I am oh well........I am getting old so I guess it's o.k. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bavarian 766 Posted June 22, 2005 Isn't Sergei Darkin originally from the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan? Of course he now lives and rides for Russia, (or rather Arena Essex) but as far as I know he's from Uzbekistan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Adam Smith Posted June 24, 2005 Yes, Darkin was born in Uzbekistan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 24 Posted June 24, 2005 Having just looked at the more recent updates to this thread, I got to wondering which other unlikely places may have produced speedway riders over the years. I know it's off the original topic, but the most unlikely one I have heard of recently was that great "Australian", Graham Warren. According to a posting on the Monarchs Chatzone, he was born in Fiji! Does anyone else have a less likely country of origin for a rider? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest speedyguy Posted September 3, 2005 Having just looked at the more recent updates to this thread, I got to wondering which other unlikely places may have produced speedway riders over the years. I know it's off the original topic, but the most unlikely one I have heard of recently was that great "Australian", Graham Warren. According to a posting on the Monarchs Chatzone, he was born in Fiji! Does anyone else have a less likely country of origin for a rider? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wasn't there (not racist!) a black rider from Abbysinia (now Eithopia) who rode in meetings in Eastern Europe (maybe also in France) in the early 1930s. He was probably also aregular in the 'Golden Helmet of Pardubice" meetings in what is now the Czech Republic. Any idea where historical details of the 'Golden Helmet' can be found? After the war I believe Bill Kitchen, Wilf Plant. Phil Bishop and - possibly - Ron Johnson were among starters in them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Richspeedway 327 Posted September 3, 2005 It shows how powerful the Soviet was though when people from Uzbekistan could become speedway riders as now it is broken up places like that and Tajikistan etc are very poor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 24 Posted September 4, 2005 It shows how powerful the Soviet was though when people from Uzbekistan could become speedway riders as now it is broken up places like that and Tajikistan etc are very poor. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I suspect that many Soviet citrizens were always por, but the state tended to keep that well-hidden! When I went to Moscow in 1979 or 1980 I couldn't believe just how poor most folk actually seemed to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
