Punch Up's

[chunky 6,091]

Not sure it was Dave Kennett, I know he knock Kai Neimi out cold at Eastbourne.

 

You're absolutely right, it was Shirra and Niemi.

 

Don't forget that Kelvin Mullarkey decked the starting marshal at Plough Lane!

 

Steve

[Tsunami 10,219]

A mate told me a story once about Mitch Shirra decking Dave Kennett (Eddie's dad) in the pits at Eastbourne. Kennett's false teeth apparently came flying out.

 

The best one I heard was Grieves and Fry up at Newcastle a couple of seasons ago, when Zetterstrom was chucked out of the meeting for smashing into Christian Henry.

 

It got a bit heated but had calmed down until Grieves (who apparently suffers from some sort of bad circulation) was shaking his hands and Fry thought it was an accusation that he was a self abuser, making it kick off again.

 

As a lot of riders do, James held his arm down to restore the circulation in his left hand. Fry's mechanic told Paul that James was making a "jerky" movement with his hand and Paul waded in when James returned to the pits. A few got kicked in the ensueing melee including Paul's mechanic and the Pits Marshall Brian McBean.

Happy days.

 

Edited April 2, 2008 by Tsunami

[shazzybird 10]

Awwww we don't have punch ups like we used to do we

 

I remember Andrew Silver and "Uncle Len" both getting thumped at Canterbury

 

Ashley Pullen he was another fiery little fella was good at winding it up as well

[spin king 1,923]

You're absolutely right, it was Shirra and Niemi.

 

Don't forget that Kelvin Mullarkey decked the starting marshal at Plough Lane!

 

Steve

 

I also seem to remember that Neimi was due to ride in World Final.

[spin king 1,923]

Also what about the famous Martin Dugard decking Stefan Anderssen

[mervjankefanclub 48]

i remember james grieves and peter oakes rolling about the centre green when peterborough were at shawfield one year after an incident with ronni pedersen surprise surprise but that was more funny than anything else i mean peter oakes for fcuks sake!

 

john jack the machine examiner at glasgow for many years was a bit of a stickler for the rules i think and i remember phil white and dave jackson to name two having a go at him

 

big lee dicken also cracked frede schott on the jaw in the ashfield pits a few seasons back

 

also remember seeing a photo of a big ruck in the star years ago must have been rye v eastbourne because kelvin mullarkey and bob dugard were in the thick of it as usual

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

Stand corrected on the Kennett story; the mate concerned was a great bloke but he did like his ale.

 

Saw an interview with Reg Fearman once and he said that if two blokes were fighting in the pits he would break it up and tell them to do it on the track.

 

Another second hand tale involving the Kennett brothers was the quiet one, Gordon (always one of my favourite riders). In 1984 Preben Eriksen put Kelvin Tatum through the fence at Wolverhampton (breaking Tatum's leg in the process) but Eriksen lost his lunch when Kennett, who was always pretty well built (still is, I believe), went for him in the pits.

 

My mate at Sheffield told me when Vissing knocked Cooper off last year there was a mass brawl on the track at Owlerton and I saw one there in 2002 when Sean Wilson knocked Danny Bird off in the YS Final. Saw another at Newport in 2005 with Danny Norton of Scunthorpe right in the middle.

 

Its strange, because not all punch ups can looked back at with some amusement. I remember Lubos Tomicek going for Rob Grant at Stoke (remember that one, Dave ?) because that was anything but funny.

 

The Des Wilson one takes the cake. Absolutely priceless.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Halifaxtiger

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

also remember seeing a photo of a big ruck in the star years ago must have been rye v eastbourne because kelvin mullarkey and bob dugard were in the thick of it as usual

 

Got a picture of that in old Speedy Star somewhere - 1978 KO Cup Final, I think. Mullarkey has his fists up ready for action and Bob Dugard is being restrained by the track staff.

[shazzybird 10]

Saw an interview with Reg Fearman once and he said that if two blokes were fighting in the pits he would break it up and tell them to do it on the track.

 

I know someone that would of taken him on the track at one point

[mervjankefanclub 48]

Got a picture of that in old Speedy Star somewhere - 1978 KO Cup Final, I think. Mullarkey has his fists up ready for action and Bob Dugard is being restrained by the track staff.

 

thats the one

[salty 2,202]

My first season watching back in 1969. Mike Gardner (Cradley reserve) got fenced by the one and only Garry Middleton on the first bend. Gardner sprung up and started to run across the centre green towards Middleton who had stopped on the 4th bend. Gardner stopped after about 10 yards then ran back and collected his crash helmet. Ran the length of the track and when he reached Middleton bought the helmet smack down on his head.

That was the night Middleton supposedly drew a pistol out of his toolbox and threatened Roy Trigg and was smuggled out of the stadium in the back of Uncle Lens car. With excitement like that no wonder I became hooked.

[cyclone 943]

Re Niemi & Shirra at Eastbourne, maybe it was a different meeting, but I was at an Eastbourne vs Coventry match where they had a run in.

 

However Shirra never completed the meeting and the word was that Bob Dugard "intervened" in the pits and flattened Shirra who was out stone cold.

 

Also recall an epic stramash at Coatbridge during the Tigers reign, when Canterbury came a visiting and after Derek Richardson had beaten Steve Koppe after a tousy encounter, Richardson went to shake hands and Koppe pulled Richardson off his bike as he passed by.

 

All hell then erupted at the pits gate and Terry Casserly pinned some guy up against the fence with his front wheel and was promptly dragged off his bike and given a good kicking. Ah we do have fun !

[Tigerblade 221]

Reg Wilson giving Tommy Knudsen, a good slapping at Sheffield in the 80's.

 

Oh yes, remember that one well, Tommy had ridden a rather, ahem, fierce first corner and Reg shot past on the slow down lap to get back to the pits before him, they both disappeared into a crowd of people at the pits gate, and next thing Tommy is going backwards over the gate

 

We had a bit of needle with Coventry in those days full stop for some reason, the following season (1982) we refused to take part of the re-run of Heat 13 and the full second half after some incident at Brandon.

 

Not necessarily a punch up, but there was the famous Ivan Mauger incident in September 1979 when he refused to leave the track after being left at the gate after a ragged start, and the referee didn't stop the race. He needed a police escort out of the stadium after that one.

 

I don't know if any Boro fans can substantiate this one but years ago I was penpals with a Boro fan, and she told me of an incident with Rob Woffinden, he got into a fight with someone at Cleveland Park, and his mother had been sat near the pits knitting, and she apparently started whacking the other chap with her knitting!!! (I am not imagining this, honestly)

[star ghost 7]

Jimmy Gooch was quite good with his fists. He laid another rider out in the pits one night. Oddly enough "Gentleman Aub" Lawson got involved at Wimbledon one night. Maybe with Cyril Brine from memory. Cyril Roger was another of the Norwich riders who could handle himself well. Many rumours went around about Clive Featherby as well.

[sandman 0]

I'd be surprised if it was Dave Kennett (fiery little bugga)

 

Shirra head butted (he was wearin his helmet,) Dave (who was not wearin his helmet) and knocked his front tooth or teeth out, which Dave, by all accounts, thought was funny. i mean, in this corner, weighin 9 stone, we have little polite Mitch Shirra.. in the other corner, standin ? weighing ?, Dave Kennett. now havin said that, which one is tougher.. ol short-stack for takin on such a big opponnet or big dave for thinkin it was funny that such a little fella could knock out his front teeth? you decide.