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Midland Red

Les Owen

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Was always remembered at Cowley when involved in a crash with Arne Pander.

However thta's part of speedway and a character lost tragically when stepping in front of a train if I recall?

RIP

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Yes R.I.P. Les- I recall seeing  Les ride in 65,66,67- I recall him beating Martin Ashby in a Midland Riders Championship Qualifying Round  at Long Eaton in 1966-had to check my programs. When did he have that terrible accident which both finished his career and gave him longstanding brain issues?Well "muscles" we all remember you. Maybe today there would have been better medical treatment for your health issues. Any other memories of Les -we can't be allowed to forget him.

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Les Owen rode from 1957- 1973 for the  Coventry Bees a real stalwart for the club which is nearly unheard of these days.I read that Les and Col Smith both used to turn up at the Brandon stadium and try to get a few laps in until the great Charles Ochiltree chucked them out.Mr Ochiltree told them both if they went through the right channels ( i.e.) the training school they would both be considered the rest is history.I know when you think of Coventry you think of the great Booey boy blue and rightly so and in later years Olsen/ Knudsen but LesOwen, Roger Hill, Ron Mountford, always make me remember that brilliant Coventry race jacket RIP Les.

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3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Yes R.I.P. Les- I recall seeing  Les ride in 65,66,67- I recall him beating Martin Ashby in a Midland Riders Championship Qualifying Round  at Long Eaton in 1966-had to check my programs. When did he have that terrible accident which both finished his career and gave him longstanding brain issues?Well "muscles" we all remember you. Maybe today there would have been better medical treatment for your health issues. Any other memories of Les -we can't be allowed to forget him.

I think it was in 1973 involving John Harrhy?

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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

I think it was in 1973 involving John Harrhy?

Coventry v Cradley midland cup 16/05/73.   John Harrhy and Les Owen were involved in a horrific crash in which Harrhy was excluded.This crash gave Les Owen life threatening injuries and Harrhy ended up with a broken neck in which resulted in Coventry running R/R for Harrhy in most of the remaining fixtures of that season.

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4 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Les Owen rode from 1957- 1973 for the  Coventry Bees a real stalwart for the club which is nearly unheard of these days.I read that Les and Col Smith both used to turn up at the Brandon stadium and try to get a few laps in until the great Charles Ochiltree chucked them out.Mr Ochiltree told them both if they went through the right channels ( i.e.) the training school they would both be considered the rest is history.I know when you think of Coventry you think of the great Booey boy blue and rightly so and in later years Olsen/ Knudsen but LesOwen, Roger Hill, Ron Mountford, always make me remember that brilliant Coventry race jacket RIP Les.

Yes, Sid, the 'Stars' are all very well but speedway wouldn't have exisited without the middle order men. Classic example at Cowley was Rick Timmo...a good servant to Oxford.

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1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

Coventry v Cradley midland cup 16/05/73.   John Harrhy and Les Owen were involved in a horrific crash in which Harrhy was excluded.This crash gave Les Owen life threatening injuries and Harrhy ended up with a broken neck in which resulted in Coventry running R/R for Harrhy in most of the remaining fixtures of that season.

Wasn’t Les Owens entire career plagued by injury? I think he lost the sight of one eye in a workshop accident, and I believe he had one leg a bit shorter than the other as a result of a track crash. I think he was one of those riders like Paul Hurry who spent more time on the injury list than he did on the track . Is that correct Sid ?

Did John Harrhy race again after that crash?

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26 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

Wasn’t Les Owens entire career plagued by injury? I think he lost the sight of one eye in a workshop accident, and I believe he had one leg a bit shorter than the other as a result of a track crash. I think he was one of those riders like Paul Hurry who spent more time on the injury list than he did on the track . Is that correct Sid ?

Did John Harrhy race again after that crash?

I did not know that about Les Owen Addio the eye injury !!! he did get 3 England caps and in the early 60s especialy1961 was going really well before breaking his collarbone badly.Harrhy had three more seasons at Brandon 1974/75/76 and one season at Stoke in 1978 after his serious injury.

Edited by Sidney the robin
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47 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

Wasn’t Les Owens entire career plagued by injury? I think he lost the sight of one eye in a workshop accident, and I believe he had one leg a bit shorter than the other as a result of a track crash. I think he was one of those riders like Paul Hurry who spent more time on the injury list than he did on the track . Is that correct Sid ?

Did John Harrhy race again after that crash?

It was Ron Mountford who lost the sight in one eye.

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1 hour ago, Gambo said:

It was Ron Mountford who lost the sight in one eye.

Yes thanks for that correction. I had forgotten about Ron Mountford. Now I come to think about it, was Ron Mountford, rather than Les Owen that seemed to be regularly getting injured , or were they both somewhat injury prone ?

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18 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

Yes thanks for that correction. I had forgotten about Ron Mountford. Now I come to think about it, was Ron Mountford, rather than Les Owen that seemed to be regularly getting injured , or were they both somewhat injury prone ?

Could not be bothered to go through both rider's race record's before 1965 Addio  but here are a few interesting facts Les Owen 1965-73    - rode in  235 matches.   Ron Mountford 1965-72  - rode in 158  matches  so your hunch on Mountford was right averaging less than twenty meeting's a year.

Edited by Sidney the robin

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8 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Could not be bothered to go through both rider's race record's before 1965 Addio  but here are a few interesting facts Les Owen 1965-73    - rode in  235 matches.   Ron Mountford 1965-72  - rode in 158  matches  so your hunch on Mountford was right averaging less than twenty meeting's a year.

Thanks Sid.

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No problem Addio, funny thing is i had forgotten just how good a rider Ron Mountford was .My uncle who first took me to speedway had his favourites and  his favourite bee from the late 60s was Col Cottrell.I could not quite understand that as Boy Blue was the man and he has to be one of the most exciting riders i have ever seen ride.

 

Edited by Sidney the robin

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51 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

Yes thanks for that correction. I had forgotten about Ron Mountford. Now I come to think about it, was Ron Mountford, rather than Les Owen that seemed to be regularly getting injured , or were they both somewhat injury prone ?

Tough as nails was Ron. I remember seeing him racing with a plaster cast on his lower leg , didn't slow him down though.

I had a few dealings with him after he retired, via  his garage business, and  always  found him a great guy to chat with. When the ESO engine hit the UK in the mid 60's Ron was always keen to tell everyone how many more races he could get out of the engine before any servicing was required in comparison to the old JAP motors.:)

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