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customhouseregular

Your best speedway year

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Were the East End derbies Ackney v West Am as feisty?

My dad, a Wembley fan, said Arringay matches were feisty affairs in norf London.

Edited by auntie doris

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On 5/8/2020 at 6:02 AM, Sidney the robin said:

You had the pleasure of seeing Tommy defeat Ashby in the helmet at Cradley in 1976 Salty.!!!

Just spotted this Sid I was there only 15 but I remember it, I think we were riding Swindon that night which makes sense but I'd have to check it out. Strange isn't it the golden helmet meant so much back then but today wouldn't mean a thing today

Edited by bruno
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7 hours ago, bruno said:

Just spotted this Sid I was there only 15 but I remember it, I think we were riding Swindon that night which makes sense but I'd have to check it out. Strange isn't it the golden helmet meant so much back then but today wouldn't mean a thing today

Yes I remember when the Golden Helmet was a match race between the holder and the highest scoring opposition rider...infact the very first meeting I attended Garry Middleton relieved holder Nigel Boocock of the tifter! Then, of course, it was decided to run a monthly challenge which caught the imagination at the time. I witnessed many memorable challenges over the years before it reverted back to the on-off and finally disappearing (together with the helmet!) altogether.

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Steve, just want to clarify your last post re  the best speedway year (1965 of course). I just want to respectfully note that in 1965 both the Golden Helmet and Silver Sash match races  ran in tandem. The Golden Helmet was  a best of three races on the holders and challengers home tracks. If after two meetings on this basis there was a tie, a third best of three races at a neutral track occurred. This was a continuation of the Golden Helmet Match Races  which were in the old pre-amalgamation National League. The monthly challenger was nominated by the promoters committee ( I think).

The competition you refer to which  involved the highest opposition rider against the holder -if they met in the same meeting -was the Silver Sash. This was a continuation  of the pre-amalgamation Provincial League match race championship. The  Golden Helmet was run on a monthly basis so in 1965 there was a Golden Helmet  championship in each of the months of May, June, July, August, September, and  October. Barry Briggs won every one over 2 legs-the guys he beat over 2 legs -(nobody took him to a third leg decider)  were in order; May- Charlie Monk: June -Ken Mckinlay (I saw the second leg of that at Newport on June 11th): July-George Hunter: August- Nigel Boocock:, September- Sverre Harrfeldt: and October- Olle Nygren So Barry kept the Golden helmet over the close season and was the holder when 1966 started. I was interested to see that Charlie Monk was the first nominee for Barry to ride against-this shows the high regard which Charlie was held in-but also maybe because the logical first PL challenger would have been Ivan Mauger who unfortunately had an accident very early in the season and was unavailable

As regards the Silver Sash that year-that was competed for far more frequently ( 7 times in May alone) of course depending on the schedule, there were various holders-in order Pete Jarman, Olle Nygren, Jim Lighfoot,, Ken McKinlay, Bob Andrews Eric Boocock, Jimmy Gooch and Colin Pratt-who was the holder at the end of the season. I got to see one of those races. In the Newport v. Wolves fixture on April 19th Pete Jarman was the holder, Jack Biggs was the highest Newport scorer -so the Silver sash match race was Pete v. Jackie- Pete won. Pete Jarman was the first holder in 1965 because the pre season champ was Ivan -who lost to Pete by default because of his injury (see above).

The only reason I know all this is because I kept (and still have)  The British Speedway Handbook -1966 Edition which covered the 1965 season. Hope this post brings back some memories of other forumlanders who can say about 1965 "I woz there"!!!!!

 

 

 

 

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On 5/29/2020 at 7:18 PM, BOBBATH said:

Steve, just want to clarify your last post re  the best speedway year (1965 of course). I just want to respectfully note that in 1965 both the Golden Helmet and Silver Sash match races  ran in tandem. The Golden Helmet was  a best of three races on the holders and challengers home tracks. If after two meetings on this basis there was a tie, a third best of three races at a neutral track occurred. This was a continuation of the Golden Helmet Match Races  which were in the old pre-amalgamation National League. The monthly challenger was nominated by the promoters committee ( I think).

The competition you refer to which  involved the highest opposition rider against the holder -if they met in the same meeting -was the Silver Sash. This was a continuation  of the pre-amalgamation Provincial League match race championship. The  Golden Helmet was run on a monthly basis so in 1965 there was a Golden Helmet  championship in each of the months of May, June, July, August, September, and  October. Barry Briggs won every one over 2 legs-the guys he beat over 2 legs -(nobody took him to a third leg decider)  were in order; May- Charlie Monk: June -Ken Mckinlay (I saw the second leg of that at Newport on June 11th): July-George Hunter: August- Nigel Boocock:, September- Sverre Harrfeldt: and October- Olle Nygren So Barry kept the Golden helmet over the close season and was the holder when 1966 started. I was interested to see that Charlie Monk was the first nominee for Barry to ride against-this shows the high regard which Charlie was held in-but also maybe because the logical first PL challenger would have been Ivan Mauger who unfortunately had an accident very early in the season and was unavailable

As regards the Silver Sash that year-that was competed for far more frequently ( 7 times in May alone) of course depending on the schedule, there were various holders-in order Pete Jarman, Olle Nygren, Jim Lighfoot,, Ken McKinlay, Bob Andrews Eric Boocock, Jimmy Gooch and Colin Pratt-who was the holder at the end of the season. I got to see one of those races. In the Newport v. Wolves fixture on April 19th Pete Jarman was the holder, Jack Biggs was the highest Newport scorer -so the Silver sash match race was Pete v. Jackie- Pete won. Pete Jarman was the first holder in 1965 because the pre season champ was Ivan -who lost to Pete by default because of his injury (see above).

The only reason I know all this is because I kept (and still have)  The British Speedway Handbook -1966 Edition which covered the 1965 season. Hope this post brings back some memories of other forumlanders who can say about 1965 "I woz there"!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Great post and many thanks. I am having trouble accepting 1965, my best speedway year was 55 years ago. Good Lord I feel old.

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27 minutes ago, customhouseregular said:

Great post and many thanks. I am having trouble accepting 1965, my best speedway year was 55 years ago. Good Lord I feel old.

Mine was 51 years ago, and I remember it like yesterday. 51 years before that, and we were still fighting in WWI. That does make make us feel old, eh?

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For a Birmingham fan, 1974 has to be the favourite year. Double winners, beating Eastbourne in the KOC final 2nd leg in front of the Lord Mayor. And most of the team lived within a mile radius of Perry Barr.

Perfect.

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