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Midland Red

Les Owen

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Thanks. I love when these old memories come back. I am not sure if I ever saw Ron Mountford ride but I knew of him. Coventry in those days  seemed to have a very stable team back then, keeping the same riders year on year. 

While we have Coventry under the spotlight,  what memories do fans have of Tony Lomas and Ken McKinlay. Tony Lomas was a tester for Triumphs in Meriden. I only saw him a couple of times but if I recall correctly he was an all round motorcyclist, who came to speedway a bit later than most and if my memory is right he was a road racer before that. As for Hurri-Ken McKinlay I loved watching him at West Ham. Probably the best tactician and team rider I can remember, on a par with Leigh Adams. What was he like at Coventry ?

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Ron Mountford suffered a bad leg break early on in the 1968 season, which meant he missed all of the rest of that season and was never the same rider when he came back.

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2 hours ago, E I Addio said:

Thanks. I love when these old memories come back. I am not sure if I ever saw Ron Mountford ride but I knew of him. Coventry in those days  seemed to have a very stable team back then, keeping the same riders year on year. 

While we have Coventry under the spotlight,  what memories do fans have of Tony Lomas and Ken McKinlay. Tony Lomas was a tester for Triumphs in Meriden. I only saw him a couple of times but if I recall correctly he was an all round motorcyclist, who came to speedway a bit later than most and if my memory is right he was a road racer before that. As for Hurri-Ken McKinlay I loved watching him at West Ham. Probably the best tactician and team rider I can remember, on a par with Leigh Adams. What was he like at Coventry ?

There was a great feature on Tony Lomas when he was interviewed in 'Backtrack' a couple of years ago. Apparently he lives in Reeth which is a lovely village I visit regularly in the Yorkshire Dales...yet to bump into him but I have enquired when in the area. Unfortunately my speedway memories of Tony are not particularly good. He was forced to join Oxford and the moved proved unsuccessful and he quickly joined Exeter in a swap involving Bob Kilby. Both riders benefitted from the move. Tony joining a track that he was more adapted for and for Bob to get away from Ivan Mauger! Great days!

Edited by steve roberts
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34 minutes ago, Chadster said:

Ron Mountford suffered a bad leg break early on in the 1968 season, which meant he missed all of the rest of that season and was never the same rider when he came back.

Was that when he came back with one leg shorter than the other ?

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3 hours ago, E I Addio said:

Thanks. I love when these old memories come back. I am not sure if I ever saw Ron Mountford ride but I knew of him. Coventry in those days  seemed to have a very stable team back then, keeping the same riders year on year. 

While we have Coventry under the spotlight,  what memories do fans have of Tony Lomas and Ken McKinlay. Tony Lomas was a tester for Triumphs in Meriden. I only saw him a couple of times but if I recall correctly he was an all round motorcyclist, who came to speedway a bit later than most and if my memory is right he was a road racer before that. As for Hurri-Ken McKinlay I loved watching him at West Ham. Probably the best tactician and team rider I can remember, on a par with Leigh Adams. What was he like at Coventry ?

From 1964- 68  the Coventry top four or five was always from a pool of the same riders, Boocock,Mountford,Lightfoot,France,Cottrell,.Then in the late 60s when Lightfoot and Mountford retired Mckinlay and Lomas came on board.

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1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

From 1964- 68  the Coventry top four or five was always from a pool of the same riders, Boocock,Mountford,Lightfoot,France,Cottrell,.Then in the late 60s when Lightfoot and Mountford retired Mckinlay and Lomas came on board.

Unlike today Sid when the makeup of teams often change from season to season. One reason my brother stopped attending.

Edited by steve roberts

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11 hours 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?

Yes he did, but continues to this day to suffer ill-effects from the crash well over 40 years ago

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8 minutes ago, Midland Red said:

Yes he did, but continues to this day to suffer ill-effects from the crash well over 40 years ago

Owns a Country Club and Golf Course if I recall?

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I was glad someone finally remembered to mention Rick France and Jim Lightfoot. I think I recall Boocock, France, Mountford and  Lightfoot as the 3 or 4 heat leaders in 65-67. Clearly Nigel was the outstanding superstar-but lets not forget that Ron (62) Jim (63) and Rick (67) all made the World Final. How would other forumlanders rank those three???? - I think I would make it Rick, then Ron and then Jim. Pretty sure Ron and Rick worked together -a garage and repair shop maybe?. Ron was a tough customer -no question. I think he wore contact lenses. Jim I recall at the end of his career maybe riding for Long Eaton?. I attended the British Final in 1967 at West Ham where Rick qualified for the World Final-bit of an outsider to qualify I thought before the meeting. I would consider Rick as a Prov. league graduate. He advanced  from West Ham at that British Final while more favoured riders e.g. Terry Betts did not. The 1967 British Final was a great meeting- a very warm evening as I recall-am sure maybe Norbold, Andoutt and Celticman could have been there.

Of the Bees second strings mentioned I tended to think Col Cottrell was the best, I certainly recall Roger Hill starting out.

 I know that Ron Mountford has passed away, also that Rick France has been quite ill. Is Cap'n Jim still around? Think Col Cottrell has passed away-not sure re Roger Hill.

 The Bees were always great visitors to Somerton Park, Station Road Long Eaton and of course Leicester-always smartly turned out and always ready for a great night's racing- I think their closure was a tremendous loss to British speedway.

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Unlike today Sid when the makeup of teams often change from season to season. One reason my brother stopped attending.

Totally agree Steve that is why the core of the 2020 Robins team of Doyle,Batchelor,Jensen,Ellis, Perks is refreshing to see some sort of continuity from last season.

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2 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

I was glad someone finally remembered to mention Rick France and Jim Lightfoot. I think I recall Boocock, France, Mountford and  Lightfoot as the 3 or 4 heat leaders in 65-67. Clearly Nigel was the outstanding superstar-but lets not forget that Ron (62) Jim (63) and Rick (67) all made the World Final. How would other forumlanders rank those three???? - I think I would make it Rick, then Ron and then Jim. Pretty sure Ron and Rick worked together -a garage and repair shop maybe?. Ron was a tough customer -no question. I think he wore contact lenses. Jim I recall at the end of his career maybe riding for Long Eaton?. I attended the British Final in 1967 at West Ham where Rick qualified for the World Final-bit of an outsider to qualify I thought before the meeting. I would consider Rick as a Prov. league graduate. He advanced  from West Ham at that British Final while more favoured riders e.g. Terry Betts did not. The 1967 British Final was a great meeting- a very warm evening as I recall-am sure maybe Norbold, Andoutt and Celticman could have been there.

Of the Bees second strings mentioned I tended to think Col Cottrell was the best, I certainly recall Roger Hill starting out.

 I know that Ron Mountford has passed away, also that Rick France has been quite ill. Is Cap'n Jim still around? Think Col Cottrell has passed away-not sure re Roger Hill.

 The Bees were always great visitors to Somerton Park, Station Road Long Eaton and of course Leicester-always smartly turned out and always ready for a great night's racing- I think their closure was a tremendous loss to British speedway.

 

 

 

It was one hell of a achievement BOBBATH for Rick to quality from the 1967 West Ham British Final for the  world final.In a way it was an equivalent of Martin Yeates qualifying from Coventry to the Overseas final at Belle Vue in 1984 the underdog prevailing Rick did achieve more though. Briggs 15, France, Mauger, Wilson. E.Boocock, Pratt ( did brilliant) qualified---  non qualifiers were Trigg, Ashby, Maidment, Betts, Hedge, Airey, Luckhurst, N.Boocock,Broadbank, Hunter great days.

 

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45 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

It was one hell of a achievement BOBBATH for Rick to quality from the 1967 West Ham British Final for the  world final.In a way it was an equivalent of Martin Yeates qualifying from Coventry to the Overseas final at Belle Vue in 1984 the underdog prevailing Rick did achieve more though. Briggs 15, France, Mauger, Wilson. E.Boocock, Pratt ( did brilliant) qualified---  non qualifiers were Trigg, Ashby, Maidment, Betts, Hedge, Airey, Luckhurst, N.Boocock,Broadbank, Hunter great days.

 

Remember Rick riding for Halifax in 1975 (his last season?) and he was still a class act averaging over eight points a meeting.

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19 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Remember Rick riding for Halifax in 1975 (his last season?) and he was still a class act averaging over eight points a meeting.

In 1973 Rick finished on a 6.85 average  for Sheffield he finished seventh in the averages behind Paulson 6.92. Larsson 7.08 what a strong one to seven they were.

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4 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

In 1973 Rick finished on a 6.85 average  for Sheffield he finished seventh in the averages behind Paulson 6.92. Larsson 7.08 what a strong one to seven they were.

I always remember Sheffield fielding a strong 1-7 during the early middle seventies but not necessarily an out an out number one. I recall Doug Wyer at reserve! Arnold Haley proved a trump card at Ipswich in 1974 when "The Tigers" won the first leg of the Final of the Knock Out Cup...super competition in my view and left many memories to look back on!

Edited by steve roberts
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8 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I always remember Sheffield fielding a strong 1-7 during the early middle seventies but not necessarily an out an out number one. I recall Doug Wyer at reserve! Arnold Haley proved a trump card at Ipswich in 1974 when "The Tigers" won the first leg of the Final of the Knock Out Cup...super competition in my view and left many memories to look back on!

Yes you are right Steve,   Wilson/Wyer came through the system from div two Reg at Worky Doug at Berwick.Then Bob Valentine came along he was a very good rider until he got injured can't remember how  ??  hand gliding i think?  he was never the same rider after that.

Edited by Sidney the robin
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