Gavan 5,049 Posted September 4, 2019 12 hours ago, ch958 said: Loram rode Div 2 Mark made his league debut in the top division, the then British League as a 16 year old at number 7 for what was the Hackney Hawks.....each team in the top flight had to have effectively a junior at number 7 12 hours ago, homer said: Hackney wasn`t it remember him and Galvin turning up at Cleveland Park He rode with Galvin in 1988 when Hackney dropped back down to the National League...........before leaving along with Louis and Moggo to go Ipswich in 1989 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry 1,319 Posted September 4, 2019 11 hours ago, Sidney the robin said: I never saw Ole as a ogre, he had the spat with Hans over Erik and in hindsight that should of never happened.He was a great rider a real class act who for me is certainly in the top 10 riders of all-time. Ole was my favourite rider as a nipper. I've still got the rosette of him I wore at the 78 world final. Although I did go off him when he purposely put Bo Petersen into the fence at the Wick a few years later..I remember an incensed Bo running the length of the track to get to him. It was only Bo and Hans Nielsen that didn't worship the ground Olsen walked on. The other Danes seemed in awe of him! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry 1,319 Posted September 4, 2019 8 hours ago, Gavan said: Mark made his league debut in the top division, the then British League as a 16 year old at number 7 for what was the Hackney Hawks.....each team in the top flight had to have effectively a junior at number 7 Still the Kestrels in 87. Hackney reverted back to the Hawks in 91 for their ill-fated final (half) season. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted September 4, 2019 (edited) 59 minutes ago, Terry said: Ole was my favourite rider as a nipper. I've still got the rosette of him I wore at the 78 world final. Although I did go off him when he purposely put Bo Petersen into the fence at the Wick a few years later..I remember an incensed Bo running the length of the track to get to him. It was only Bo and Hans Nielsen that didn't worship the ground Olsen walked on. The other Danes seemed in awe of him! Preben Eriksen also had issues with him during his early career. Basically riders who could stand up to Olsen and not be dominated by him grew to distrust him. Olsen enjoyed his dominance as the leading Dane and when Nielsen came along and began to beat him on a regular basis Olsen took a dislike to him...especially as Hans was very much his own man and didn't want to be dominated by Olsen's overbearing presense (Nielsen touches upon the subject in his autobiography "The Main Dane") Steve Bastable was another who didn't get on with him whilst team mates at Coventry.. Edited September 4, 2019 by steve roberts 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted September 4, 2019 39 minutes ago, Terry said: Still the Kestrels in 87. Hackney reverted back to the Hawks in 91 for their ill-fated final (half) season. Terry it was the Kestrels from 1984/90? they will always be the Hawks to me i loved my odd don't be late Friday at 8 visit do you remember Ashby winning the Superama.? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry 1,319 Posted September 4, 2019 19 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said: Terry it was the Kestrels from 1984/90? they will always be the Hawks to me i loved my odd don't be late Friday at 8 visit do you remember Ashby winning the Superama.? Checking my Hackney book I see he won it in 75. I was only 6 at the time so I don't really remember, although I'm sure I was there. I remember the Superama was held when the Hawks were away at fellow Friday nighters Wolverhampton and it was always a fantastic line-up. I often wondered what the Wolves management thought about it because it probably affected their gate, although I don't think we had a large away support because we lost a lot on the road! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted September 4, 2019 1 hour ago, steve roberts said: Preben Eriksen also had issues with him during his early career. Basically riders who could stand up to Olsen and not be dominated by him grew to distrust him. Olsen enjoyed his dominance as the leading Dane and when Nielsen came along and began to beat him on a regular basis Olsen took a dislike to him...especially as Hans was very much his own man and didn't want to be dominated by Olsen's overbearing presense (Nielsen touches upon the subject in his autobiography "The Main Dane") Steve Bastable was another who didn't get on with him whilst team mates at Coventry.. And what about Finn Thompsen! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted September 4, 2019 1 minute ago, sommelier said: And what about Finn Thompsen! Thomsen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted September 4, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, sommelier said: And what about Finn Thompsen! Ah yes! Billy Sanders' 'mate'! Edited September 4, 2019 by steve roberts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted September 4, 2019 8 minutes ago, steve roberts said: Ah yes! Billy Sanders' 'mate'! ???? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted September 4, 2019 35 minutes ago, sommelier said: ???? Apparently there was a general dislike for each other as was explained by Finn some years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted September 5, 2019 11 hours ago, steve roberts said: Apparently there was a general dislike for each other as was explained by Finn some years ago. Was John Davis popular at Oxford Steve.? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wessex Wanderer 148 Posted September 5, 2019 To return to the original topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned Ivor Brown who was universally disliked in the Provincial League. Everyone it seemed wanted to see him have his pristine white jersey covered in shale by an opposition rider. Probably his uncompromising style went a long way to making him unpopular. Only one rider was ever ever unpopular over a long period at Weymouth and that was Mike Sampson. An incident where he retired and waited for Kelvin Mullarkey to come round and somehow grabbed him and pulled him off his bike just as Kelvin was coming out of the second bend was never forgotten. I did once suggest some sort of rider exchange at a meeting which would have brought Mike to Weymouth and I instantly found out what it is like to be heckled and the subject of hostile booing! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted September 5, 2019 9 hours ago, Sidney the robin said: Was John Davis popular at Oxford Steve.? Yes I would say he was Sid when he doubled up during 1973 and full time in 1974. His gating prowess saved the "Rebels"from a much worse defeat during an early season defeat at Newport. He also managed to beat none other than 'Briggo' both at Cowley and at Wimbledon during the same season...but he was very much a gater unlike Gordon Kennett who had a similar rise to fame at Oxford and overall was the better rider in my opinion. However John is a very articulate individual and how British speedway could do with someone like him now! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) On 9/5/2019 at 5:19 PM, Wessex Wanderer said: To return to the original topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned Ivor Brown who was universally disliked in the Provincial League. Everyone it seemed wanted to see him have his pristine white jersey covered in shale by an opposition rider. Probably his uncompromising style went a long way to making him unpopular. Only one rider was ever ever unpopular over a long period at Weymouth and that was Mike Sampson. An incident where he retired and waited for Kelvin Mullarkey to come round and somehow grabbed him and pulled him off his bike just as Kelvin was coming out of the second bend was never forgotten. I did once suggest some sort of rider exchange at a meeting which would have brought Mike to Weymouth and I instantly found out what it is like to be heckled and the subject of hostile booing! Mike's one of my favourites and was very much instrumental in helping White City win the league in 1977. Wasn't popular at Milton Keynes however if I recall but someone who once attempted to run down Ian Thomas gets my admiration! Edited September 6, 2019 by steve roberts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
