Careers Ruined By Injury

[oddfossengen 1]

another rider who was making good progress until injury was my posting namesake odd fossengen

[JC! 142]

Dave Morton looked to be a great prospect until he broke his leg in '77, he was already a British League number 1. I really expect he would have progressed far but for this accident.

 

Todd Wiltshire and Tommy Knudsen both spring to mind.

[chunky 6,090]

Dave Morton looked to be a great prospect until he broke his leg in '77, he was already a British League number 1. I really expect he would have progressed far but for this accident.

 

Dave was another I thought of this morning, but you managed to post it before me. He was a little overshadowed by Chris, but after such a brilliant 1976, I thought he was really going to hit the big time.

 

Steve

[Massey Harris 47]

Agree re Allen Emmett, he did try to ride again after his injury, but struggled in second half races at Rye House.

 

Steve Clarke was another rider who was extremely promising, but 2 bad crashes, both resulting in serious head injuries, finished his career.

 

Andy Fines also had a run of bad injuries, after a very promising start.

 

Any idea what Steve is up to these days?

[Brian Hamilton 1]

Seeing the thread on Wayne Briggs prompted me to start this. Who do you think could have gone on to much greater things had it not been for injury. I'm not talking about career-ending tragedies, more along the lines of unlucky riders who often suffered niggling little injuries, enough hurt one's confidence, or maybe a broken limb or two at the wrong time, from which they didn't really seem to recover.

 

Wayne Briggs is a prime example, particularly with regard to his wrist injuries. Another would be Ronnie Genz. Although his injuries were often a little more serious, he still bounced back reasonably well. However, what would he have achieved had he stayed relatively injury free?

 

Even though he went on to enjoy some very successful international results toward the end of his career, I often wonder how good Toni Kasper might have been without that broken leg? Even Kevin Jolly, I feel, was never quite the rider he was before breaking his leg.

 

What do you think???

 

Steve

 

Steve,

Genno is a good example.

 

He was injured in South Africa in a car crash I think 1956 when touring with an English team. I believe that it was the crash that Gery Hussey was Killed in. He then had serious eye problems in 1959 and then qualified as reserve for the World Final 1960 in Gothenberg bu bwas unable to travel because he needed an operation.

 

In the late 60s of course he fractured his skull in a crash at cradley, but to be fair that was towards the twilght of his career.

 

However, previously he had been 'a points machine' for Oxford and Poole.

[Brian Hamilton 1]

To me the three champions of this thread must be 1)Torbjorn Harrysson-should have been World Champion 2) Arne Pander 3)Sverre Harrfeldt-I know these guys had great careers but I reckon they would have done even more-and while I'm on the subject -farther back -what about Graham Warren?? Yet again Norman Hunter who I thought was just about to achieve his potential in 1969.Thanx for making me think of this my Illinois friend!!

Bobbath, I know what you mean about Graham Warren, but he had achieved already. Was it the 1950 World final what he could have won?

[mervjankefanclub 48]

no potential world champs up here at glasgow but i always thought martin mckinna was going to be the best of the brothers but he was always getting into scrapes and hardly a season went by when he wasnt on the injured list at some point and most of his crashes were through no fault of his own he was just one of these riders who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time

 

another was jim beaton who many thought was going to be as good if not better than his brother bobby until he had his accident where he nearly lost his arm and wouldnt let the doctors amputate it because he still wanted to ride and we all know what happened a few seasons later all speedway riders are obviously brave and are a different breed but i think the bold jimbos exploits take some beating

 

another tiger that springs to mind is graeme dawson and wee merv janke had a troublesome shoulder which i believe hampered his career

Edited March 26, 2008 by mervjankefanclub

[Brian Hamilton 1]

One former Oxford rider of the 1950s that has never been mentioned on this site is Pat Clarke. He retired before I started going to speedway in 1959. Legend has it that he was almost unbeatable around Cowley and I understand that he had some bad injuries before he called it a day.

[Chris Brown 542]

From my early days I thought Alistair Stevens had the lot. He and Gary Havelock were very much the shining lights in the mid 80's. Sadly Ali broke his arm at Cowley in the Easter Triangle in 1986 (I think) and was never the same rider again.

 

He could have gone on to be very special

 

I still cannot help but wonder what would have happened to Lukas Dryml's career had he not had that hideous crash in Slovenia in the GP. He was right at the top of the GP series at the time and looking like a World Champion in waiting. There is no doubt in my mind that the accident stopped this becoming a reality

[mervjankefanclub 48]

From my early days I thought Alistair Stevens had the lot. He and Gary Havelock were very much the shining lights in the mid 80's. Sadly Ali broke his arm at Cowley in the Easter Triangle in 1986 (I think) and was never the same rider again.

 

He could have gone on to be very special

 

was it ali stevens who suffered a serious back injury when he fell through a ceiling or a roof whilst working or was it paul bosley or is my mind playing tricks i just seem to remember this happening to a rider around the mid eighties

 

[Paulco 7,075]

Joe Owen most definently . Also Robert Nagy , who career was ended by that Czechoslovakian nutjob .

[miro 9]

Steve,

Genno is a good example.

 

He was injured in South Africa in a car crash I think 1956 when touring with an English team. I believe that it was the crash that Gery Hussey was Killed in. He then had serious eye problems in 1959 and then qualified as reserve for the World Final 1960 in Gothenberg bu bwas unable to travel because he needed an operation.

 

In the late 60s of course he fractured his skull in a crash at cradley, but to be fair that was towards the twilght of his career.

 

However, previously he had been 'a points machine' for Oxford and Poole.

 

 

 

 

Brian I think the chap who lost his life in that car crash was Terry Courtnell, other passengers alongside Genno I believe were Howdy Byford and Dennis Newton who were on tour together.

 

Arne Pander had some terrible knocks and had his skull fractured too which really did for his career - in 1966 v Coventry?

 

Pip Lamb and John Hack were promising young Oxford riders who both suffered terrible injuries.

Edited March 26, 2008 by miro

[norbold 7,106]

Bobbath, I know what you mean about Graham Warren, but he had achieved already. Was it the 1950 World final what he could have won?

Graham Warren could have won many world finals. He shot in to prominence in 1949 and by 1950 was ranked no. 1 in the world by the authoratative Stenner's Annual. It was thought he would prove to be one of the greatest riders of all time with many World Championships ahead of him. Unfortunately his injury put paid to that and although he was still a good rider, he never regained the "greatness" that he had in 1950.

 

[Chris Brown 542]

was it ali stevens who suffered a serious back injury when he fell through a ceiling or a roof whilst working or was it paul bosley or is my mind playing tricks i just seem to remember this happening to a rider around the mid eighties

 

Yes it was Ali

 

He did come back from the arm injury and rode for Oxford, Wimbledon and Milton Keynes but never really got back to where he looked like he going to get to. He then did have an industrial injury. Pretty sure he opened a clothes store with the proceeds which ultimately went bust. Hadn't seen him around speedway again until Waggy's reunion in 2006

[mervjankefanclub 48]

Yes it was Ali

 

He did come back from the arm injury and rode for Oxford, Wimbledon and Milton Keynes but never really got back to where he looked like he going to get to. He then did have an industrial injury. Pretty sure he opened a clothes store with the proceeds which ultimately went bust. Hadn't seen him around speedway again until Waggy's reunion in 2006

 

cheers chris i also remember those rider profiles in the speedway star in the mid eighties and when asked for riders for the future alis name was usually mentioned along with havvy,silver,biles and dugard

 

if i remember right chris pidcock and david tyler at long eaton are another two who looked to be going places until injury intervened