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Bavarian

England speedway team managers

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Does anyone have a chronological list of all the official England (and GB) speedway team managers we ever had through the years since 1930?  

Who was the longest serving, who was the most successful, who was the worst ?

 

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21 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

Does anyone have a chronological list of all the official England (and GB) speedway team managers we ever had through the years since 1930?  

Who was the longest serving, who was the most successful, who was the worst ?

 

I know of Len Silver, Reg Fearman, John Berry, Ian Thomas & Eric Boocock, Colin Pratt & Eric Boocock, Wally Mawdsley, Carl Glover of those during the seventies & eighties.

Edited by steve roberts
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59 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

Are there no records kept of who was England Team Manager from year to year ? 

I think that I'm right that Len became the first "official Team Manager" as prior to that it was on an ad hoc basis?

Len became manager between 1973 - 76 and again in 1981 -1983. 

John Berry was manager in 1977 - 79 and again in 1985.

Ian Thomas and Eric Boocock in 1980.

Eric Boocock and John Berry in 1981 but John resigned.

Wally Mawdesly in 1984.

Carl Glover in 1986.

Colin Pratt and Eric Boocock in 1987 - 1989.

Reg Fearman took charge on trips "Down Under" I recall as did John Berry (certainly during 1975/76)

I'm only going on memory but I'm sure there are many out there who can provide a more comprehensive and/or accurate list?

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Thanks @steve roberts I'm surprised to learn that there were no "official" England / GB team managers before 1973.

I wonder who managed the England teams in the famous test series against  Australia and other nations during  the 1930s, '40s, '50s and 60's then ? 

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12 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

Thanks @steve roberts I'm surprised to learn that there were no "official" England / GB team managers before 1973.

I wonder who managed the England teams in the famous test series against  Australia and other nations during  the 1930s, '40s, '50s and 60's then ? 

I think that Dent Oliver's name was mentioned and Jack Parker rode as Captain and Team Manager (?) and Frank Varey may have played a role but I'm really not sure. Having read John Berry's book he did quote that when England/Great Britain rode it was often the Home Promoter/Team Manager who took charge?

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I seem to recall that Dent Oliver "looked after" the England team for a while, but agree re John Berry's comment that it was often just the home promoter

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For the division 2 test series of the early 1970's, a horses for courses manager was appointed for every meeting.

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21 hours ago, Bavarian said:

Thanks @steve roberts I'm surprised to learn that there were no "official" England / GB team managers before 1973.

I wonder who managed the England teams in the famous test series against  Australia and other nations during  the 1930s, '40s, '50s and 60's then ? 

Think the England captain pre-war was basically the man in charge. At least on the trips to Oz. Think even with the football team there was no proper manager until after WW2

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39 minutes ago, iris123 said:

Think even with the football team there was no proper manager until after WW2

Yes, Walter Winterbottom was the first England manager. Appointed in 1946.

 

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Dave Jessup was TM for a while. And, from a fading memory, Wimbledon promoter Ronnie Greene

Edited by PHILIPRISING
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2 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

Dave Jessup was TM for a while. And, from a fading memory, Wimbledon promoter Ronnie Greene

I also thought Ronnie had a stint, but wasn't sure on that at all

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The mid-1960s saw a number of team managers for Great Britain and England.

In 1964 Tommy Price was team manager for the tests against USSR, which GB won 3-0.

During 1965, when GB defeated USSR 5-0, Charles Foot took charge at Wimbledon and Coventry, Charles Ochiltree at Sheffield, Mike Parker at Belle Vue and Ronnie Greene at Newport.

Vic Gooden was team manager when GB beat Poland 3-0 in 1966. The same year, England defeated USSR 4-1, managed by Bill Bridgett at Newcastle, Frank Varey at Halifax, Mike Parker at Wolverhampton and Charles Ochiltree at West Ham.  I don't have a note of the team manager for the test at Exeter.  Bill Bridgett was the losing team manager.

Charles Foot managed the England team beaten by Sweden at Exeter in 1967.  GB beat Poland 3-2 that year, managed by Wally Mawdsley at West Ham (lost), Ronnie Greene at Poole, Charles Ochiltree at Wolverhampton, Ron Wilson at Halifax (lost) and Ian Hoskins at Newcastle,

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Well done BL65-excellent research or excellent memory- Big thank you for clearing this up and taking the trouble to find this information.

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21 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Well done BL65-excellent research or excellent memory- Big thank you for clearing this up and taking the trouble to find this information.

Thanks.  Not too difficult, I kept the programmes from all of them.  The team manager wasn't named in the Exeter programme for some reason.

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