mIcK50 3 Posted September 30, 2003 I have just found an old photograph taken at New Cross before the running of the 3rd Test between England and Australia, won by England, 62 - 46. How is this for a line-up of post-war speedway super stars? For Australia, Ron Johnson, Ray Duggan, Vic Duggan, Frank Dolan, Bill Longley, Max Grosskreutz, Aub Lawson and Jack Biggs. For England, Jack Parker, Norm Parker, Split Waterman, Bob Oakley, Jeff Lloyd, Alex Stratham, Tommy Price and Malcolm Craven. Two interesting things about this photo. One is the concrete start / finish area and the other is the crowd. The place is absolutely packed! I sincerely hope we don't need another war to be fought and won so we get crowds like that back to speedway! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KevH 257 Posted September 30, 2003 I'm a bit confused on this one Mick50. As you rightly say England won the 3rd Test at New Cross 62-46 in 1949, but my records show the top scorers to be Jack Parker, Dent Oliver, Tommy Price and Bill Gilbert. So where were Bill Gilbert and Dent Oliver in the photo you have? Has anyone got the full scorers for this match or have any explanation please? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mIcK50 3 Posted October 1, 2003 Kevin, you could be dead right and I could be dead wrong. The photo was in an old Claremont Speedway program and I'm going by the info in the photo caption. At least I got most of the Aussies names right! Vic Duggan is obscured in the shot, as is most of the English team, but there is certainly no mistaking Ron Johnson, Bill Longley, Aub Lawson and Jack Biggs. Jack Parker can be seen between Max Grosskreutz and Lawson. The right people are in the picture, it must just be the wrong date! Probably not even at New Cross either! But as I said, the crowd is the thing that most caught my eye. Part of one stand is visible, all of another and most of a third one, and they are packed to the rafters! Wherever the photo was taken, its enough to make most promoters green with envy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KIWIPIRATE 0 Posted October 1, 2003 It is certainly true that in the post-war years speedway in the UK was the 2nd most popular spectator sport after soccer... and quite lucrative for the top riders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
