spiegal 294 Posted August 14, 2020 A real old time favourite of mine as a school kid..is the old boy still with us ?...what was he like as a rider/person ??? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,086 Posted August 14, 2020 Sadly, Jimmy passed away on 18th June, 2011, at the age of 83. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOBBATH 466 Posted August 14, 2020 One of my all time greats- always a popular visitor to Somerton Park with Oxford, and then O joy! he joined Newport in 1967. Was privileged to see him appear in his only World Final in 1965- guess he was 37 then-what seemed an ancient age to me. Didn't he famously have a punch up with Ove at Norwich? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Split 177 Posted August 14, 2020 (edited) Along with Reg Luckhurst and Leo McAuliffe, Jimmy (James Everard) Gooch was one of the three second strings at New Cross when I started watching speedway back in 1960. They all went on to become world finalists and represent their country. Edited August 14, 2020 by Split correction 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,100 Posted August 14, 2020 He was my first favourite rider. On the night I first went to speedway, New Cross were racing against Norwich in the Britannia Shield. They had had a poor start to the season. On that night Ove Fundin and Aub Lawson were almost unbeatable. Ove scored an 18 point maximum, while Aub scored 16 paid 17. The only New Cross rider to beat him was Jimmy Gooch. He instantly became my favourite. Especially as he top scored for New Cross and the Rangers won their first match for several weeks. At that time, the final heat was a nominated riders' heat and New Cross nominated Split Waterman and Eric Williams to loud boos from the New Cross supporters who thought the hero of the night, Jimmy Gooch, should be nominated in place of Split. As the race started, Split reared at the start and a re-run was ordered. Split was unable to take part, so, in true poetic justice fashion, Jimmy Gooch replaced him. Although Ove and Aub scored a 5-1, Jimmy came third, beating Eric Williams. He remained my favourite until New Cross closed at the end of 1961....though Reg Luckhurst did run him close when he became a regular Ranger. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted August 24, 2020 He was riding for Hackney, when i first went to the Wick in 1970. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted August 25, 2020 First saw him at Wembley in the fifties. Family legend has it that he was once the boyfriend of my late Aunt Cissie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
