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iris123

Strikes, bans and protests

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28 minutes ago, Robbie B said:

I was not speculating but asking whether Star Riders Champions were considered to be World Champions not, as I do not the answer to this. You mentioning the Golden Helmet match Race championship is the most likely event the article was talking, but it not state the Golden Helmet Match Race Championship only that Vic Huxley is now World Champion. And as my post stated this is something for discussion. Afterall the text was written by Tom Stenner a well respected speedway writer of the time.

Yes, because at the time the Golden Helmet was being touted as the World Championship, that's why the article mentioned the World Championship and not the Golden Helmet.  

You say the Daily Mail article said, "With it mentioning Eric Langton and Haig as outstanding northern riders , and Burton, Jack Parker and Dicky Case having a strong for the south. And as Tom Stenner writes the committee should start arranging eliminating races between these riders." If you think about it, that is exactly how the Match Race Championship was run, i.e., by finding challengers and was not how the Star Riders Championship was run.

Edited by norbold
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1 hour ago, norbold said:

Yes, because at the time the Golden Helmet was being touted as the World Championship, that's why the article mentioned the World Championship and not the Golden Helmet.  

You say the Daily Mail article said, "With it mentioning Eric Langton and Haig as outstanding northern riders , and Burton, Jack Parker and Dicky Case having a strong for the south. And as Tom Stenner writes the committee should start arranging eliminating races between these riders." If you think about it, that is exactly how the Match Race Championship was run, i.e., by finding challengers and was not how the Star Riders Championship was run.

That I bow to your knowledge of pre-war speedway. And after looking on the speedway champions website I can see that it states the match Race Championship was promoted as World Championship but could not get recognistition. 

At the time I was searching for stories to add to iris123 excellent topic regarding strikes, bans and protest that I considered has uncovered some extremely interesting information that has been long forgotten about. And if at the time of my earlier post I forgot that the Match Race Championship started in 1931 it was something that slipped my mind at the time, and this is why I asked whether the Star Riders Champions were considered as World Champions, an easy mistake to make, and now you have supplied me with the answer I required.

so now back to strikes, bans and protests when I have in the next few days.

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Last one for a couple of days that is living memory of some on here.

The Daily Mail reported 1 September 1965 that the British Final of the World Speedway Championship at West Ham was held up for 45 minutes, due to riders striking and demanding more money. The meeting went ahead only because the riders terms were agreed to.

In the Daily Mail 12 February 1937 the Ministry of Labour stated that they would restrict the number of foreign riders racing in British league to prevent a strike by speedway riders. And that only in special circumstances would the ministry allow foreign riders to be signed and I quote "a track will have to be in a plight when a star rider from abroad can prevent a shutting down and the sacking of British employees before the ministry would grant a labour permit".

So the riders have beaten the Speedway Control Board's ruling that tracks could each sign an extra foreign rider.

Edited by Robbie B

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Interesting post again Robbie.

Yes, the threat of a ban on foreign riders obviously failed in 1937. I mean the Dons had a few through the door that season, with Miny Waln, Alfred Rumrich and then Byrd McKinney alongside Wilbur Lamoreaux

But there was I think a ban in 1934. Of course 'foreign' meant non Commonwealth rider, so it meant for instance Morian Hansen of Denmark and Sebastian Roth (who had a decent spell for Plymouth late in 1933 and they wanted him back) of Germany, plus it was said Ray Tauser

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Bit of two for one here, which will really confuse one of our forumites, I think !!!:rofl:

In 1947 as a protest at what they thought was a weak selection, Aub Lawson, Vic Duggan and evergreen Max Grosskreutz pulled out of the first Australia v England test. They were unhappy that Ray Duggan for instance was left out for 'poorer' riders. Seems they were then subsequently banned from the 2nd test

In another move, the Board of Control banned riders from imbibing intoxicating drink 24 hours before a test !!! The penalty for infringement was disqualification, plus the penalty for bringing alcohol to the pits would be a life ban!!!

 

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There was, it seems the threat of a riders strike at the last meeting to be staged at the Hall Green track in Birmingham, in October 1938, when the match between Birmingham and Sheffield was subject to a lengthy delay when the Birmingham riders confronted the promoter Arthur Westwood about unpaid wages. 

Apparently, Westwood, on the pretex of going out of the stadium to collect his cheque book from his car, decided to do a runner and drove off. The dispute was then left to the stadium manager A.H.Marriott to try and resolve which he did by going to each turnstile in turn, collecting the proceeds and giving this to one of the 8 Birmingham riders in turn as lieu of their unpaid wages, and after a very lengthy hold up, the meeting did finally get underway.

After the meeting, Mr Marriott (who was a greyhound man and who had no connection with the speedway operation) took it on himself to take the microphone and tell the crowd that despite the prospect of a court action by local Hall Green residents, there would "definitely" be speedway at the stadium in 1939 - a prediction which failed to materialise with the venue never staging speedway again.

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Just about the earliest strike I have found happened at the so called by some, birth place of the sport West Maitland in February 1926.

Apparently just as the meeting was supposed to start the riders left the pits and marched over to the secretary's office and demanded more money or they wouldn't ride. "We want 50 pounds or nothing", was their demand. The officials were taken by surprise and also said there was an official way to make a complaint and that none had been made and the prize money was known at the time each rider had agreed to enter the meeting, but as the crowd was waiting after a debate agreed to up the prize money from the 'agreed 40' to 50 pounds and the bikes started up almost immediately

Just to add Mr Hoskins had left Maitland by this time

Did actually find a strike by motorcycle riders at Brooklands in 1924, because neighbours of the track had complained about the noise and so motorcycles were ordered to have silencers fitted !!!!
 

Edited by iris123

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On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2020 at 5:21 PM, iris123 said:

After the strike in December 1926 things rumbled on into the new year, despite the apology from Pearce. The management elected Yenson to be spokesman for the riders. But it seems the money promised the riders after the strike wasn't paid and so a Union was formed. The Racing Motorcycle Rider's Association of Queensland' and Frank Pearce was elected chairman.

 

Peace didn't last long in Brisbane and by April 1927 6 of the top riders were yet again on strike. Pearce and Spinks again involved along with Dick Smythe, Jock Hollis, Syd Bayley and Vic Huxley. They were after a new distribution of the prize money. More for the scratch riders, who they stated started at the back in the handicap races and had to go all out to get through the field, taking risks in doing so. 18 riders were on retainers of 10 pounds and 10 shillings. Their idea was that all riders should get a retainer of 5 pounds and the rest of the money given out in prize money. The managements side was that all riders had the same expenses in looking after their bikes and they wanted to be fair to all. They also said they had a number of riders from the South who were willing to ride, if the 6 wouldn't

There was a few letters to the press including one from Huxley's father denying rumours that his son would ride and break the strike, but he had to miss the next meeting anyway due to military training and by the time A J Hunting wrote a reply to Pearce's 'tirade of abuse' it seems Huxley was no longer on strike and Hunting made public the wages the strikers had earned and Huxley wasn't included and stated Vic was taking the advice of his father and honouring his contract.....

In the meantime Hollis had also returned, but the others were finding employment elsewhere such as Ipswich and Pearce also won the Queensland 10 mile Championship at the Deagon Racecourse and not long after the season was over at the Brisbane track.

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Not technically speedway, but a couple of the US riders withdrew from the Scratch race final at the Melbourne Motordrome in 1924

Johnny Seymour and Ralph Hepburn refused to ride as they said it wasn't safe for more than 5 riders to race each other. They were subjected to a 'hostile demonstration' from a section of the crowd, but a number of other riders shared their view.

Hepburn stated 'We always believe in safety first '

Not long after, Hepburn was involved in a nasty accident at the track( he seemed to blame letting amateur and inexperienced riders in races), that might have made his mind up to swap bikes for auto racing, where he became one of the top drivers in the US with a couple of podium places at the Indy 500, but some 22 years later would lose his life in a track crash whilst practicing

Edited by iris123

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See van Praag was suspended in 1934 after coming to blows with Norman Parker at New Cross

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On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2020 at 6:27 PM, iris123 said:

See van Praag was suspended in 1934 after coming to blows with Norman Parker at New Cross

Also read that Lionel got a one year ban from driving soon after winning his world title

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I seem to remember the wolves riders having a sit down protest at Reading, complaining about track conditions at Smallmead.

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49 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I seem to remember the wolves riders having a sit down protest at Reading, complaining about track conditions at Smallmead.

And some of us fans as well

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10 hours ago, cityrebel said:

I seem to remember the wolves riders having a sit down protest at Reading, complaining about track conditions at Smallmead.

1985 if I remember.

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