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Dave Rattenberry Rip

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Was only talking with him not that long ago at Scunny, reminiscing about the days he ran the track shop at Hull, Craven Park.

A very interesting guy for sure, RIP Dave....

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Very sad news. Only saw him at the last Wolves football home game to say hello from a distance. Shocker. RIP Dave, will miss you at the green.

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A great character and part of the speedway 'family'.

 

It was a great pleasure meeting up with 'The Rat' on Tee Mill Tours trips to foreign venues in the late 70s and early 80s, when we'd indulge our passion for speedway and football. I recall him once dragging me off to a Dutch Division 3 football game at VVV. On another occasion in Holland (think indoor speedway was on at the AHOY Arena) we saw the derby, Sparta Rotterdam v Feyenoord, starring the veteran Johan Cruyff and young starlet Ruud Gullit.

 

Dave had a great knowledge of football, as well as speedway, and travelled all over the world to watch the most obscure teams. He'd go to far flung grounds in Africa to watch African Cup of Nations matches. God knows how many grounds he visited over the years - it must have been well into four figures - and I remember once mentioning to him that he should have taken photos wherever he went and turned it into what would have been a great illustrative book.

 

I think he had the good fortune some years back to win a substantial six-figure sum on the football pools, but he never boasted about it. I guess it helped him to get around the world and see places most of us can only dream about, and others we'd never even heard of!

 

Of course, Dave handled sales of Speedway Mail back in the day, and for the past 14 years or so Backtrack and Classic Speedway as well as our various books.

 

I'll always have this image of him munching on a bacon sarnie while chatting about 'The Wolves'.

 

RIP, Dave.

Edited by tmc
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Dave missed the wolves leg of the play off final because of another marathon journey to watch football. I reckon his grounds visited total must have been At least 4000.

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Guest GiveusaB

Condolences to Dave's family/friends.

 

I didn't know Dave, but my late father did and I remember when I was about 5 years old, Dave gave me a poster of Ole Olsen (who was riding for Wolves at the time....) and Dave signed Ole's autograph on the poster ! : )

 

God Bless.

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Very sad to learn of Dave's passing.

 

He was responsible for my most embarassing moment in Speedway.

 

I took my lad and his mate to a Wolves v Oxford match when Greg Hancock was riding. Now I've known Greg pretty well since he first came to Cradley in '89 and I knew I could get them an autograph. So off I went to the 'Rat' for a couple of action photos. This was in the Silver Machine era, I think, when the team all wore black race suits. So he sold me a couple of photos and I looked long and hard at them and said that doesn't look much like Greg but he assured me it was. Off to the pits we went and Greg was his usual accommodating self and I thrust the pics into his hand and said "Can you sign these please?". With the customary Grin, he replied "Sure ......but that's Nicki".

 

We had a chuckle when I took them back to the Rat's stand. I still don't know if it was a mistake or a deliberate set up!

 

He will be missed by many genuine fans.

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Very shocked and saddened to hear this News. I got to know Dave at Redcar when he was running the Souvenir Shop there. Always had a friendly word for me, and a sympathetic ear on occasions too.

 

A wonderful man who I wish I had know a lot longer than I did. A Gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

 

My condolences to his Family and to his, obviously, very many friends.

 

R.I.P. + Dave. Thank you.

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Is this the chap who used to run the track shop at Long Eaton? If it's the guy I am thinking of, a lovely chap. Thoughts with his family.

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Hi guys no doubt you will have covered daves passing away by now but here are the funeral details for anyone from the speedway family wishing to attend

FRIDAY DECEMBER 1ST AT 1.30PM

STREETLY CREMATORIUM

296 LITTLE HARDWICK ROAD

WALSALL

WS9 0SG

Then back to Rushall Olympic FC, Dales Lane Rushall,Walsall, WS4 1LJ

Family flowers only but donations to the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund cheques to SRBF C/O PAUL ACKROYD 14 AMBLE WAY HOLLAND HOUSE FARM WALTON LE DALE PRESTON LANCS PR5 4JF IF anyone wants to make a donation via paypal or bank transfer contact steve davies direct on e mail walsall1888@aol.com or 07799835388 for account details

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Thanks for the details, much appreciated.

Curiously my last decent chat with Dave was at a cricket match — he turned up at all sorts of sports and of course his devotion to football has been remarked upon here. Dave would always nip round the corner from the shop at Wolves for a chat with our group, and inevitably would be eating something (frequently ice cream, pretty much whatever the weather)!

Just a great, lovely guy and a huge miss from the scene.

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Lovely man, sorry to hear the news, maybe we should be think about a award that either Wolves/Redcar or even Scunthorpe can hold in memory of him, don't know maybe a senior/junior trophy or something like that. One of the sports nice guys.

Edited by STEPHEN 333

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I’ve know Dave since I bought merchandise for Brett Saunders Testimonial in 1991 and it was a pleasure to bump into him for a chat at speedway tracks up & down the country...... always smiling and full of stories, top bloke

 

RIP big guy

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Just a reminder, for those interested in attending, that Dave's funeral is tomorrow afternoon (Friday). Details in Phil The Ace's post above.

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Had every intention of paying my respects to an old friend..sadly I have to take my lady wife to hospital now, and simply cannot get to Wolverhampton on time

 

Will miss the old rogue, bet he's flogging souvenirs somewhere today !!

 

always good company..miss ya old friend

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