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BOBBATH

Oldest Surviving World Finalists

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I've just noticed from your list - it was Split's 96th birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Squire!

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Hi Steve-great list, had forgotten about Cap'n Jim-also thanks for reminder re Stefan Kwoczala. To be honest am not sure about Ray Cresp-  my good friend Reg Fearman was certainly in touch with him in recent years and have asked Reg -who has a compendious knowledge of this era and knows probably  everybody on this list -to let me know. Thanks for the work you did Steve. P.S. Looks like you've moved from Illinois to Ohio

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I looked back over some of the comments, and thought I would do some checking. Ray Cresp hasn't been mentioned, and as I said, I'd totally forgotten about him. Last I heard, he was still alive, and I wasn't able to find anything online to make me think otherwise.

Yeah, I moved - six years ago!

Steve

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Just heard from Reg Fearman- you will be glad to know that Ray Cresp is indeed still with us (thanks for mentioning him Steve)-he's 91  but has been ill recently with heart problems-hope he is around for many years to come. A real battler on the track- I recall him for Long Eaton in1965. I think before that he was in the NL with West Ham

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2 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Just heard from Reg Fearman- you will be glad to know that Ray Cresp is indeed still with us (thanks for mentioning him Steve)-he's 91  but has been ill recently with heart problems-hope he is around for many years to come. A real battler on the track- I recall him for Long Eaton in1965. I think before that he was in the NL with West Ham

That is good to hear!  I was just sure I hadn't heard otherwise...  

Other than the Archers and Hammers, Ray also rode for Eastbourne, Wembley, Oxford, Ipswich, Poole, Norwich, and St. Austell.

Steve

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Yes, that is good news. I remember Ray at West Ham well. Whenever Dave Lanning mentioned him in the programme notes, he would invariably prefix his name with, "droll, leathery-faced slick gating Aussie...."

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Bit off topic maybe but went to Maurice Jones excellent book "World Speedway Finals  A History from 1929" which finishes with the 1978 WF to see the earliest final which still has survivors-no surprise that all of the 1949 Finalist have passed, however there are two survivors of the 1950 Final -Split Waterman and Arthur Payne, two survivors of 1951 Final-Split of course and Dick Bradley latter had one ride as reserve. Amazing to think that these guys are still with almost  70 years after their first World Finals.

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On 7/28/2019 at 7:46 AM, chunky said:

Sad thing is that Stefan Kwoczala (who passed away a couple of weeks ago) should have been on the list (b. 15/6/34), but was never actually named.

Stefan Kwoczała was a rider whose career was sadly cut short by injury after suffering a fractured skull in a crash at Kraków in 1961. I saw him ride once and remember being impressed by his spectacular riding style.  He was a rider of undoubted world class. Having won the Polish championship in 1959 he reached the World Final in 1960, and finished 7th.

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Very sorry to hear of the passing of Split Waterman-as somebody said -a great age for a great rider. Split was the oldest surviving World Finalist for quite a few years.As the last updated list (thanx chunky) indicates Arthur Payne is now the oldest followed by Dick Bradley-hope there are no more changes for a while. RIP Split.

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Any other updates for this very important list- I know for sure  Dick Bradley is still with us-but can anyone confirm Arthur Payne is also-Art seems to have disappeared into the ether. Did any forumlander see Arthur ride- I think he was a Division One heat leader with  Birmingham in the early fifties.. Reckon he may be living in Oz.

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