Riders Who Never Quite Fulfilled Their Full Potential

[steve roberts 9,242]

I'm sure that many of us could list candidates but the rider that instantly springs to my mind is Andrew Silver. He was a huge star in the National League with Arena Essex (even riding for the national team while still competing in the Lower Division) but seemed to mark time when he eventually moved up full time with Swindon and later Eastbourne. I got the impression that he just lost interest in the sport and looked towards other opportunities (didn't he become a big snowboarding competitor?) I recall that he made a come back some years ago with Rye House but I had ceased to follow speedway closely at that time and am therefore not sure how successful his return to speedway was.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Loads that we could name here's a few Finn Jensen, Michael Graves,Sean Willmott, Lewis Bridger,Mickael Blixt,Morten Risager Mike Bast(in Europe would have done well at Wimbledon)Ron Henderson,James Wright.

[Grachan 7,314]

When I saw the title I did think of Andrew Silver, although in his first few seasons at Swindon he was brilliant but seemed to see it ad a bit of a hobby.

 

Thinking of others, Mike Ferreira was more of a disappointment than Andrew.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Kelly Moran. Carl blackbird. Neil evitts. Steve Baker.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Kelly i would put in the same bracket as Michael Lee, both still had great careers but could of achieved so much more.

[arnieg 3,624]

Martin Scarisbrick is the first name that comes to mind, remember his heroics in the fours final?

 

Anders Mellgren, the only non-Dane to win the Youth Gold Trophy, is a more contemporary choice.

 

Going back further how about Bobby McNeil?

[customhouseregular 1,651]

Two riders who in my opinion should have been World Champion, and not just once either...Gote Nordin and Soren Sjosten.

 

Sverre Harrfeldt made World no. 2 but was good enough to go one better I feel. Had the World Final been held at Custom House I'm sure Sverre would have won it.

[norbold 7,100]

Savalas Clouting, Eddie Kennett.

 

Not sure I agree about Sverre Harrfeldt, chr. He was, of course, a brilliant rider, especially round Custome House, but I was pleasantly surprised when he made no. 2 in the world. I don't think he was quite as good as the likes of Fundin and Briggo. I agree about Gote Nordin though. He did have the real potential to win the World Championship.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

Savalas Clouting, Eddie Kennett.

 

Not sure I agree about Sverre Harrfeldt, chr. He was, of course, a brilliant rider, especially round Custome House, but I was pleasantly surprised when he made no. 2 in the world. I don't think he was quite as good as the likes of Fundin and Briggo. I agree about Gote Nordin though. He did have the real potential to win the World Championship.

As it is sunny Norbold I am wearing my rose coloured spectacles

[daveallan81 330]

Jon Jon White

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Two riders who in my opinion should have been World Champion, and not just once either...Gote Nordin and Soren Sjosten.

 

Sverre Harrfeldt made World no. 2 but was good enough to go one better I feel. Had the World Final been held at Custom House I'm sure Sverre would have won it.

Sjosten certainly was good anough to be World Champion even thought he had a chance in 74 to win it.Sigalos,Adams,Nordin,are others that spring to mind that were good anough to be WC.

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

I will go along with CHR re Sverre Harrfeldt. Agree he wasn't in the Fundin/Briggs class, not quite, but neither was I surprised when he came 2nd, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had won it.

[Daytripper 1,123]

I'm sure that many of us could list candidates but the rider that instantly springs to my mind is Andrew Silver. He was a huge star in the National League with Arena Essex (even riding for the national team while still competing in the Lower Division) but seemed to mark time when he eventually moved up full time with Swindon and later Eastbourne. I got the impression that he just lost interest in the sport and looked towards other opportunities (didn't he become a big snowboarding competitor?) I recall that he made a come back some years ago with Rye House but I had ceased to follow speedway closely at that time and am therefore not sure how successful his return to speedway was.

The story according to Len Silver ( if my memory can more or less bring up the facts) is that at the peak of Andrews career he started to have some sort of bike proble. I can't remember the details but it was something like exhaust gasses escaping through a hairline crack that didn't show when the engine cooled down and he was losing power. Because there was no obvious fault he began to think it was in his mind and lost confidence. Speedwáy is such a confidence sport that even when the problem was sorted (after several months) the confidence never came back. My memory is a bit vague but that's roughly Lens version I think.

 

His return to Rye House was curtailed by a head injury that left him concussed and ar age 42 it was a bit later to make another comeback when he recovered 18 months later

[steve roberts 9,242]

'Mad' Malcolm Ballard comes to mind. Ex-scrambler who came from no where to top Eastbourne's averages. Went on to Oxford and had two relatively good seasons before transferring to Poole and ultimately Leicester before giving it away. Last I heard he was part of Lewis Bridger's pit crew?

[BL65 655]

Two riders who in my opinion should have been World Champion, and not just once either...Gote Nordin and Soren Sjosten.

 

Sverre Harrfeldt made World no. 2 but was good enough to go one better I feel. Had the World Final been held at Custom House I'm sure Sverre would have won it.

Although Gote was third in the 1961 World Final I think he was probably riding better than ever when he won the Internationale at Wimbledon in 1966 and 1967, with a 15 point maximum on both occasions. His 1967 performance was one of the most emphatic victories I have witnessed, it was a wonderful achievement to finish 4 points ahead of Ivan Mauger, Torbjorn Harrysson and Eric Boocock. Unfortunately, he didn't qualify for the World Final that year.