Peter Collins

[gary o'hare 2]

peter collins. enough said.

[BOBBATH 466]

what's this mean??????????

[gary o'hare 2]

what's this mean??????????

sorry i meant to post in things i miss about the 70s. and thats what i miss. top man dont you agree.

 

[iris123 20,979]

Oh i agree.Absolutely fantastic on his day.And that seemed to be most days.Although he was superb at Hyde Road,he still seemed to be just as good and very exciting at the much different Plough Lane.He was just so exciting to watch.At least in the period i saw him regularly 73-77.I sort of drifted away for a while what with exams and taking a degree.When i got back into speedway again he was still going well(84).I remember going to Hyde Road and seeing him Mort and a young Andy Smith demolish the oppo.But what happened to him in that 78-84 period?.I would have expected him to maybe add a title or so to his collection.At least be on the rostrum a few times.

[Jeff. 2]

Oh i agree.Absolutely fantastic on his day.And that seemed to be most days.Although he was superb at Hyde Road,he still seemed to be just as good and very exciting at the much different Plough Lane.He was just so exciting to watch.At least in the period i saw him regularly 73-77.I sort of drifted away for a while what with exams and taking a degree.When i got back into speedway again he was still going well(84).I remember going to Hyde Road and seeing him Mort and a young Andy Smith demolish the oppo.But what happened to him in that 78-84 period?.I would have expected him to maybe add a title or so to his collection.At least be on the rostrum a few times.

 

Peter Collins' best years were 1973 to 1977, altough still right at the top of the averages he wasn't the same PC in the years 1978 to 1980, maybe just because he had learned to gate a bit by then.

 

Right at the end of 1980 in the KO Cup at Cradley he badly damaged his left shoulder/arm and announced his retirement from the sport.

 

Coming back at the end of 1981 he was an 8 point plus man gradually declining to only 6+ before retiring for good at the end of 86

 

As regards world finals, 1978 was the sugar in the tank year at the British Final and he didn't make Wembley, 1979 at Katowice he went int the meeting as favourite but flopped badly, similar story in 1980, top of the national averages but a poor world final. In 1981 he was barred from competing in the World Title chase, but was back in 1982 at LA were but for leading the infamous heat 14 for 3 laps he had a pretty miserable final. That was it as far as speedway individual finals went although he was still a contender on the long tracks for another 5 or so years

 

[iris123 20,979]

Thanks for that Peter.So i was lucky enough to see PC's best years

[AndyM 1]

Indeed so - he was never quite the same after the shoulder injury, though he was always a joy to watch. At his best he was without equal, so it's a great shame that circumstances conspired to rob him of at least one more world title to add to Katowice 76. My teenage hero!

[norbold 7,109]

I thought your teenage idol was Sprouts Elder...

[AndyM 1]

I thought your teenage idol was Sprouts Elder...

Yes, I'm old.... but not quite as old as you!

[Tatums Left Nut 0]

MegaVideo

 

 

 

 

[shazzybird 10]

I love your name Tatums Left Nut ..... always makes me laugh as did someone else in the chatroom called Hunglikeamouse pmsl

[asturmer 0]

Thanks for that Peter.So i was lucky enough to see PC's best years

 

Last year at the Ron Johnson International Meeting in Perth, Peter did a few laps on a modern lay down and was running at the same lap times as the International riders! Racing conditions would of course be different on such a small track as Pinjar Park!

[sandman 0]

Last year at the Ron Johnson International Meeting in Perth, Peter did a few laps on a modern lay down and was running at the same lap times as the International riders! Racing conditions would of course be different on such a small track as Pinjar Park!

the extra pounds that come with age gave him an advantage.

[liverpool chad 2]

Peter Collins was truly great to watch in the 1970's and IMO was largly responsable for making speedway popular on itv in the mid seventys, with his dashing moves from the back. I was fortunate enough to see Collins from his days at Rochdale to his retirement in the mid eightys and i can honestly say whilst not a Belle Vue supporter he was the main reason for me going to see the aces more than any other side throughout those years. The night he snapped his handlebar in two and still won the race, his run off with Michanek in the KO cup final, Katowice '76, Ullevi '77, are just some of the first memories that come flooding back.

For me PC was the most naturally gifted rider of that era or any since and no english rider has come anywhere near replacing him!

[kaiser 3]

Sadly i only started going to BV in 1982, when PC was coming to the later stages of his career (still brilliant at hyde road though). So i never watched him at his peak, my dad watched him in the early 70s and said he was just unbelievable passing top riders for fun. For me Mort was my hero around BV, as between 82-87 he was probably at his peak, i just wish id been around too have seen PC in full flight in the 70s. You only have to watch the 76 world final to realise he was a fantastic rider, his natural abillity deserved more than 1 world title, although im pretty sure if it hadnt been for a broken leg in 77 he would have won another(well thats what my dad says and thats good enough for me!!!). PC still looked pretty good when he did a few laps at the 80th anniversary last year, we even joked he could have done a job at reserve in the current team!!!!