Notoriously Dirty Riders

[Tsunami 10,219]

1 minute ago, Vince said:

You also see novices sometimes get so fixated on looking at a fallen rider because they are trying to miss him that instead they head towards him. I went to quite a few amateur meetings with a lad a few years back and saw that quite often. We also see it regularly in the rookie class at flat track.

I have the same experiences One rider I know has run over the same rider twice now, but it won't happen again as the fallen rider has now retired. He's feeling rundown   (only joking)

[old bob at herne bay 828]

I saw the Ivor Brown Ove Fundin incident at Wimbledon.  6 of one half a dozen of the other in my opinion.   Brown had a reputation as a "hard rider" in the Provincial League but unfortunately came up against an even harder rider in Fundin.  My memory is that Brown on the outside gate tried to move across onto Fundin, expecting Ove to give way .... Ove was never going to shut off ... and hit Ivor hard who was catapulted into the safety fence. Sadly, it effectively ended Ivor's career.  

Back to the present day .... my vote has to be firmly with Mr N. Pedersen who quite honestly, is lucky to be still riding , given the number of riders he has managed to  knock off.  Bad tempered , hot headed, lacking  judgement or just plain dirty ..... to Mr N. Pedersen its always the other guy's fault.  

My lasting memory of Mr N. Pedersen is when one evening at Eastbourne he  rode into Adam Shields and sent him flying on the the 3rd bend at Arlington.  Pedersen just looked on and nonchalantly rode back into the pits adjusting his gloves as though nothing had happened. Only problem ...... Adam Shields was his Eastbourne race partner.  I am not/never will be an Eastbourne supporter, but how Mr N Pedersen continued riding for Eastbourne after that dreadful incident amazes me.   

So many of these dirty riders listed are not "dirty" at all , just bad tempered and usually lacking machine control.   e.g. Sean Wilson, Andre Compton. 

 

 

[Shrub 1,109]

4 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I seem to recall a fallen rider was killed by someone who was some way behind who failed to drop the bike?

Maybe a situation the other way round? I saw Brett Alderton tragically killed at King's Lynn back in '82 and my memory of that was he had a very young and speedway wise inexperienced Jeremy Doncaster fall in front of him entering the third bend and Brett, though not miles behind but also not overly close just ploughed into the stricken machine , there appeared to be no attempt to lay the bike down, and ended up hitting the fence head first. I'm sure most of us have seen riders drop on a sixpence to avoid fallen riders, to me sometimes it happens so fast it must be an instant natural reaction as there'd be no time to think and then react.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

A different scenario but seeing the demise of  a young Martin Hewlett in 1982 it was a huge shock totally out of the blue really shook me up.For me yes a dirty rider seemed a clear view  but some of these posts have made me maybe think about things differently.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts 9,242]

16 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I seem to recall a fallen rider was killed by someone who was some way behind who failed to drop the bike?

I checked it up. It was Dave Wills of West Ham who was sadly killed as described in Simmo's book.

[Chris 439]

Always thought Garry Steads terrible injury could have been avoided. Jordan Frampton was a fair way behind the action as I recall and just piled into Stead who was laying on the track rather than dropping the bike on a six pence. 

[chunky 6,087]

On 2/11/2021 at 1:07 PM, old bob at herne bay said:

My memory is that Brown on the outside gate tried to move across onto Fundin, expecting Ove to give way .... Ove was never going to shut off ... and hit Ivor hard who was catapulted into the safety fence. Sadly, it effectively ended Ivor's career.  

Pretty much how my dad explained it to me; Ove just didn't budge, and Ivor paid the price...

On 2/11/2021 at 1:07 PM, old bob at herne bay said:

So many of these dirty riders listed are not "dirty" at all , just bad tempered and usually lacking machine control.   e.g. Sean Wilson, Andre Compton. 

Agree 100%. I am VERY reluctant to claim that a rider intentionally tried to crock another. Most of the time they are just "wild", and "hairy", and the worst thing they can be accused of is "over-riding".

Someone of whom I wasn't a fan (for obvious reasons), but I just came to accept that he wasn't always in full control - was Preben Eriksen.

[chunky 6,087]

On 2/11/2021 at 7:18 AM, Tsunami said:

The problem is when they don't drop it, but freeze and continue to hit the fallen rider. 

I remember one like that at a winter junior match between Hackney and Belle Vue. What made this one really bad was that the rider fell, got up, and was standing on the outside of the bend - and THEN he got run down by the guy behind him!

[Najjer 2,884]

On 2/13/2021 at 11:33 AM, Chris said:

Always thought Garry Steads terrible injury could have been avoided. Jordan Frampton was a fair way behind the action as I recall and just piled into Stead who was laying on the track rather than dropping the bike on a six pence. 

That’s incorrect - Jordan stood next to no chance of avoiding Garry Stead, due to the way Stead bounced back off the fence right into Jordan’s path.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Najjer

[steve roberts 9,242]

13 hours ago, chunky said:

I remember one like that at a winter junior match between Hackney and Belle Vue. What made this one really bad was that the rider fell, got up, and was standing on the outside of the bend - and THEN he got run down by the guy behind him!

I recall on one of  my "History of Speedway" DVD's a rider having fallen got up and started to adjust his goggles and a back marker ploughed straight into him!

[Pinny 2,536]

On 2/12/2021 at 5:07 AM, old bob at herne bay said:

I saw the Ivor Brown Ove Fundin incident at Wimbledon.  6 of one half a dozen of the other in my opinion.   Brown had a reputation as a "hard rider" in the Provincial League but unfortunately came up against an even harder rider in Fundin.  My memory is that Brown on the outside gate tried to move across onto Fundin, expecting Ove to give way .... Ove was never going to shut off ... and hit Ivor hard who was catapulted into the safety fence. Sadly, it effectively ended Ivor's career.  

Back to the present day .... my vote has to be firmly with Mr N. Pedersen who quite honestly, is lucky to be still riding , given the number of riders he has managed to  knock off.  Bad tempered , hot headed, lacking  judgement or just plain dirty ..... to Mr N. Pedersen its always the other guy's fault.  

My lasting memory of Mr N. Pedersen is when one evening at Eastbourne he  rode into Adam Shields and sent him flying on the the 3rd bend at Arlington.  Pedersen just looked on and nonchalantly rode back into the pits adjusting his gloves as though nothing had happened. Only problem ...... Adam Shields was his Eastbourne race partner.  I am not/never will be an Eastbourne supporter, but how Mr N Pedersen continued riding for Eastbourne after that dreadful incident amazes me.   

So many of these dirty riders listed are not "dirty" at all , just bad tempered and usually lacking machine control.   e.g. Sean Wilson, Andre Compton. 

 

 

 Compton at least was extremely dirty, seen him on a few occasions stuff riders up into the fence . I did always enjoy watching him race, mind you. But seen some extremely crazy moves from him. Ask Dave Mullett and Simon Stead.

 

class rider none the less. What amazed me more was how he put it all on the line in each race despite being an extremely wealthy business man off track. 
 

Wilson was another who i would consider dirty but box office to watch. Same as Schott.

[Tsunami 10,219]

8 hours ago, Pinny said:

 Compton at least was extremely dirty, seen him on a few occasions stuff riders up into the fence . I did always enjoy watching him race, mind you. But seen some extremely crazy moves from him. Ask Dave Mullett and Simon Stead.

 

class rider none the less. What amazed me more was how he put it all on the line in each race despite being an extremely wealthy business man off track. 
 

Wilson was another who i would consider dirty but box office to watch. Same as Schott.

Andre was Newports favourite guest for your Northern tours. Used to shack up in the hotels that the team were using, as he wanted to be part of the team. Always gave his best for you. 

[Dave_minall 232]

On 2/10/2021 at 8:35 PM, TheWatcher said:

There was an article in Speedway Star in the early 70s about Ivan running training schools in New Zealand during the UK winter. He said the first thing the novices were taught was how to lay it down safely.

it's funny you mention Ivan's training schools in this thread.

I did one with Ivan WAAAAAY back in (what was probably) 2002 at Newport and I distinctly remember him telling me that if a rider gets a bit too close on the way to the first turn to 'give him a kick' and that will put him off on the way into the first corner

[Pinny 2,536]

17 hours ago, Tsunami said:

Andre was Newports favourite guest for your Northern tours. Used to shack up in the hotels that the team were using, as he wanted to be part of the team. Always gave his best for you. 

I remember him causing carnage one year at Glasgow and had to be escorted from the stadium by the police

[uk_martin 1,606]

On 2/7/2021 at 6:50 PM, steve roberts said:

Damn awful commentator!

You'll love this one then...