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auntie doris

Mcgillvray Bros.

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Anyone have any info on Les and Sandy? Saw Mike Broadbanks crash and break leg around 1969 at the Abbey against Ackney Awks. I'm sure Les was blamed for the crash. My younger bruv now in Adelaide was there but doesnt remember there were two brothers, but it was 50 years ago?!

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I remember Les riding for the Wick when i first started going in the late 1960's. He looked too tall to be a speedway rider.

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I recall Les very well, he was the third heat leader (Colin Pratt and Roy Trigg the other two) in a very strong Hackney Prov. League track in the PL 1964.In fact it looked for a while that they might finish champions, but in the end finished behind the Mauger led Diamonds. I recall that in the first BL season of 1965 Les was still a valued team member, but then was the top second string as Gerry Jackson had joined from NL Wimbledon (I think) and topped the Hawks averages along with Colin and Roy.

 BTW am glad to hear that Sandy is still going strong-think his career was cut short by some bad injuries.

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Anybody know when Les passed and how  old he was, also how old is Sandy? I can see Les in my mind now, with his leg stuck out- another nice guy who should never be forgotten. I know he rode at numerous tracks-where did he have his best performances-at Leicester Hunters maybe??

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I am on a roll here -thinking of Les made me think of Hackney 1964-what is forumlanders consensus of whose career was best-Roy Trigg or Colin Pratt(I know this is off topic and will wait for all the brickbats)- I vote for Triggy although Reg F. would vote for Colin!!!

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24 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Anybody know when Les passed and how  old he was, also how old is Sandy? I can see Les in my mind now, with his leg stuck out- another nice guy who should never be forgotten. I know he rode at numerous tracks-where did he have his best performances-at Leicester Hunters maybe??

Les had his best year in the National League with Rayleigh in 1957, with an impressive season at Hackney in 1964 his most successful at the lower level (Provincial League).  He was consistently good in his 10 seasons at The Weir.

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Les was also Captain of Rayleigh Pirates! At least thats how its billed on the front of the programme.

2nd September 1957, he led a team v Norwich at Poole.They lost 46-50.

This is one of the Challenge matches to test the water for a full time return of Poole in 1958.

They did of course , with most of the Rayleigh riders becoming full time Pirates.

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Rayleigh Pirates?? Were they called that when Poole dropped out of the  league-thought they were always the Rockets..

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7 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Anybody know when Les passed and how  old he was

it said in the article that he passed away in 1977 from MS. I don't have the exact date, but I am sure he was just 47.

Steve

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On 9/10/2019 at 7:43 PM, BOBBATH said:

I am on a roll here -thinking of Les made me think of Hackney 1964-what is forumlanders consensus of whose career was best-Roy Trigg or Colin Pratt(I know this is off topic and will wait for all the brickbats)- I vote for Triggy although Reg F. would vote for Colin!!!

I never saw their whole careers but my memory tells me that in their Hackney days Pratt’s was easily best, almost un beatable round Waterden Road. Not surprising because he always got there early to make sure Len Silver prepared the track the way he wanted it round his favourite inside line. I never saw him smile though , even after scoring a maximum.

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On 9/7/2019 at 2:28 PM, cityrebel said:

I remember Les riding for the Wick when i first started going in the late 1960's. He looked too tall to be a speedway rider.

I remember both Les and Sandy seeming to be too tall for a speedway rider. Sandys style was completely ungainly, arms and legs all over the place and he was never really more than a reserve. Les had a most perculiar style, difficult to describe but kind of laying backwardson the bends, almost like sitting i  a bath I thought. Quite a  boring rider and  never seemed to do much passing.

I believe Len Silver persuaded him to come out of retirement to ride for the Hawks after he had suffered serious internal injuries riding for Wimbledon ( I think it was ) a few years earlier. Can anyone throw any light on this.

What happened to the McGilvrays when they left Hackney ? Did they retire?

 

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2 hours ago, E I Addio said:

What happened to the McGilvrays when they left Hackney ? Did they retire?

 

I know Les definitely retired. I never really knew so much about Sandy or his career. Funny thing is - and this is probably going back almost 30 years - but I saw a photo of Sandy in Darts World magazine! Every month, the Essex page would include a pic of a team in their local league, and one month, it was Sandy's team.

Steve

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10 hours ago, E I Addio said:

I remember both Les and Sandy seeming to be too tall for a speedway rider. Sandys style was completely ungainly, arms and legs all over the place and he was never really more than a reserve. Les had a most perculiar style, difficult to describe but kind of laying backwardson the bends, almost like sitting i  a bath I thought. Quite a  boring rider and  never seemed to do much passing.

I believe Len Silver persuaded him to come out of retirement to ride for the Hawks after he had suffered serious internal injuries riding for Wimbledon ( I think it was ) a few years earlier. Can anyone throw any light on this.

What happened to the McGilvrays when they left Hackney ? Did they retire?

 

I have got a photo of Les in Wimbledon colours in my collection. I beleive he made a few appearances for the Dons in 1960, give or take a year.

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