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From ryehouse.com

Plans are rapidly falling into place for next Saturday’s (July 1st) Vic Harding Memorial Meeting. The event, which was won last year by Tommy Allen, commemorates the life and riding career of the former Hackney, Weymouth and Sunderland [plus a hand full of matches for Crayford] star who was sadly killed in a track crash in June 1979.

The full line-up for the individual Trophy event is now confirmed, and, for added local derby spice, features both a strong Rye and Mildenhall flavour. Tommy Allen will defend his title against a Rye House contingent that includes Chris Neath and Steve Boxall, plus former Rockets captain “American Express” Brent Werner, World U-21 Finalist Daniel King, former Grand Prix star Jason Lyons, Elite League star Richard Hall (Peterborough) and Steve Masters, who will be returning to the saddle after nearly a year’s absence.

 

The full line-up (not in riding order) Tommy Allen, Chris Neath, Steve Boxall, Ben Powell, Danny Betson, Robert Mear, Daniel King, Jon Armstrong, Jason Lyons, Richard Hall, Brent Werner, Steve Masters. The meeting reserve is Harland Cook.

 

In addition to the main event, several special added attractions have already been confirmed. The first will be an attempt on the Hoddesdon track record by British No.1 Graham Halsall on his ice speedway machine, complete with those inch long spikes.

 

The vintage bikes will also be in action, while the race that many of us are particularly looking forward to is the one-off and never-to-be-repeated match race between Rye House Len Silver and former World Champion Michael Lee! “Uncle Len”, the 1962 Provincial League Riders Champion -he was a very good rider in his day- will step out of a 32 year retirement to ride two laps of the circuit against four by the rider universally recognised as “Mike the Bike” the former Kings Lynn, Poole and Boston star now 47, was probably the fastest rising star in the sports history, scoring his first top flight maximum at the age of 16, going on to reach five World Finals and winning gold itself at the age of just 21. It should be something special.

 

The meeting begins at Rye’s usual start time of 7pm. You can read more about this meeting at the

Hackney Reunion Website, www.hackneyreunion.com

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Steve Masters

 

Where has steve been hiding

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Where has steve been hiding

 

Well to my knowledge Steve has been frozen out because his average was not suitable to fit in with teams. Crazy! I know it's not a debate for this particular thread but surely with all these conitental no hopers he would have fitted in somwhere, oh I forgot he's English!

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Leigh Lanham has come in but i dont know who for

 

(from meeting tonight)

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Well to my knowledge Steve has been frozen out because his average was not suitable to fit in with teams. Crazy! I know it's not a debate for this particular thread but surely with all these conitental no hopers he would have fitted in somwhere, oh I forgot he's English!

He should perfect an Aussie accent, then the Chapmans will come sniffing around, arms swinging, picking and eating the nits out of each others hair.

 

The full line-up (not in riding order) Tommy Allen, Chris Neath, Steve Boxall, Ben Powell, Danny Betson, Robert Mear, Daniel King, Jon Armstrong, Jason Lyons, Richard Hall, Brent Werner, Steve Masters. The meeting reserve is Harland Cook.

Hardly a mouthwatering line up is it.

Edited by The Wizard Of SHADWELL

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Hardly a mouthwatering line up is it.

 

Looking at it .......... could be my 1st meeting to miss this year at Rye! :blink:

 

Will have to see what other meetings are on :rolleyes:

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Looking at it .......... could be my 1st meeting to miss this year at Rye!  :blink:

 

Will have to see what other meetings are on  :rolleyes:

I expected to see something a little different for this. I haven't been to previous Vic Harding meets, so don't know what the line ups have been, but looking at the winners over the last three years since it's return-Tommy Allen, Jack Gledhill, James Theobold-I'd say pretty lame.

There's the Len Silver/Michael Lee match race, the ice bike track record attempt and the men in black, that's hardly gonna pull the crowd in. Saying that I'll most probably go, cos the kids will want to.

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He should perfect an Aussie accent, then the Chapmans will come sniffing around, arms swinging, picking and eating the nits out of each others hair.

Hardly a mouthwatering line up is it.

 

 

dont you just love a sore loser :D ....

 

For once Shaddy i have to agee with ya, thats a poor line -up. Mind to see Lee ride again is tempting

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Mind to see Lee ride again is tempting

 

Very tempting! I might have to phone my favourite relative see if he's going to this one :approve:

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I expected to see something a little different for this. I haven't been to previous Vic Harding meets, so don't know what the line ups have been, but looking at the winners over the last three years since it's return-Tommy Allen, Jack Gledhill, James Theobold-I'd say pretty lame.

There's the Len Silver/Michael Lee match race, the ice bike track record attempt and the men in black, that's hardly gonna pull the crowd in. Saying that I'll most probably go, cos the kids will want to.

 

Mr Shadwell, you should never judge a book by its cover. What would you like to see that’s a little different. I’ve been trying for four years to come up with something different.

In 2002 Sittingbourne [iwade as it is really known] where going to run the Vic Harding Memorial Trophy. For several reasons, which I do not intend to go into here, the meeting was never run. I must stress this was no fault of Sittingbourne Speedway Club.

Chris Fenn and myself thought it was extremely unfair on Vic’s family this meeting was not run and decided with the co-operation of Vic’s mum and sister to run the meeting at Iwade in 2003. Naturally they where delighted Vic had not been forgotten by speedway fans, especially Hackney fans. Which of course Chris and I where, are!

The meeting at Iwade on that very hot June afternoon [yes you have read it right] was a great meeting and duly one by James Theobald. Yes it was Conference standard, grass routes speedway if you like. But it was speedway.

The 2004 Harding Trophy would have been held at Sittingbourne but because of planning applications problems they had to decline to host the meeting. Weymouth jumped in to run the meeting. Vic rode there very successfully in the mid seventies. Plus it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Vic’s death, so Weymouth I believe was the idea place to run the meeting that took the form of a three-team tournament. It was contested by Vic’s former clubs Sunderland, Weymouth and Hackney, won incidentally by Sunderland. In the individual second half the son of the former British League Division Two Riders Champion Ian Gledhill, James Gledhill convincingly won the final, mind due Ben Powell may have something to say about that!

With last years Hackney reunion it seemed right to run the meeting after the reunion, this time closer to home, just around the corner from Hackney at Rye House. Len Silver was of course the promoter at Hackney when Vic was so tragically killed. Tommy Allen dually won last year a former Conference League rider. He beat David Howe, an Elite League rider in the final. Would it make it any better if his name had been on the roll of honour and not Allen’s?

Of course the VHMT has not got a line-up like Superama had in the seventies when it seemed like former World Champions in every other race. The Harding meeting has never had a former World Champion ride in it. Eric Gundersen did go on to win the championship [after his second place] a couple of years later. But this time Michael Lee will be there, yes only in a match race, but he’s a former world champion riding, so that’s a first. Jason Lyons a former GP rider, that’s another first.

 

My rather long point is TWOS this meeting does actually mean something to a lot of people. Yes it probably won’t bring in the biggest crowd in the history of Rye House Speedway on Saturday night.

Edna Harding will see riders racing in memory of her son. At whatever level of speedway, if it’s grass routes Conference or Elite League GP super stars, it is still speedway.

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Whats it matter whos in the line up ur ment to be going to support Vic's family.

well at lest thats why im going.

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