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Olle Nygren

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Very sad news breaking of the passing, this morning, of Olle Nygren...

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58 minutes ago, frigbo said:

Very sad news breaking of the passing, this morning, of Olle Nygren...

That's very sad news. One of the greats in my opinion and helped greatly to get Sweden on the map speedway wise. Will always cherish my time when I attended one of his training schools at King's Lynn.

RIP Varg-Olle.

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Very sad news. One of the all-time greats who also put a lot back into the sport. 

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Extremely sad to hear this , not sure who now moves into the oldest World Finalist list 

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The phrase 'legend' is banded about all to freely, but in Olle Nygren's case, it is fully deserved for his exploits both on and off the speedway track.

RIP Olle.

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Very sad news, Olle was a "one off" who gave so much to the sport.

RIP Olle

 

 

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RIP Olle.

 

NYGREN, Harald-Olof Ingemar (Olle)

 

Born: November 11, 1929, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

The success of Sweden as a speedway nation was one of the stories of the 1950s, as the country emerged as the main power in the sport. Riders like Fundin, Sormander, Soederman and Knutsson dominated the headlines along with a rider who was the pioneer of this transition, Olle Nygren. A fantastic all round motor cyclist who excelled at any two wheeled discipline, Olle came to the attention of the British public in 1949 when he showed impressive form in the World Championship rounds held in the U.K. and almost reached the final qualifying stages of the competition.

 He was a much sought after rider with the British promoters and, in 1951, became the first Swede to race in the National League when he signed a short term contract with the Harringay ‘Racers’. For fans brought up on a diet of British and Commonwealth riders, with the occasional American thrown in, the arrival of Olle was like a breath of fresh air and his appearances showed that a new force in speedway was developing across the North Sea. He ended his eleven match stint with the ‘Racers’ with a paid 18 point maximum against Norwich in the National Trophy, and an average approaching nine points per match was a brilliant effort.

 His next appearances in the National League came with Bristol in 1953, showing sensational form in the West Country, and his average at the end of the season was the second highest in the league, with only Ronnie Moore achieving better figures. Despite his undoubted position as the number one rider in Sweden, the honour of being the first Swedish World finalist fell to Dan Forsberg, but Olle reached his first final in 1953 and lost a run-off with Geoff Mardon for a place on the rostrum, finishing fourth with twelve points. He covered for the injured Ronnie Moore at Wimbledon in 1954, but for the next few years British fans had to be content with seeing Olle ride in World Championship and international events as he refused numerous approaches from league clubs. He was not a rider to give speedway his full attention as he competed in other forms of motorcycle sport, even missing the 1956 World Final to compete in a T.T. event in Sweden, but he was so talented that he could still live with the best in the sport and was a consistent threat in World Championship finals. His best effort came in 1954 when he finished third but, surprisingly, he did not reach another final after his appearance in the 1959 event at Wembley.

 A notable 1960 season saw Olle return to league racing with Southampton and he scored a maximum as the Swedes won the inaugural World Team Cup at Gothenburg. Eventually, past his peak and well into his 30s, Olle became a regular in league action in the U.K., initially with Norwich, but more memorably with Wimbledon. Joining the ‘Dons’ in 1965 for the first season of the British League, Olle was immediately a hero at Plough Lane, topping the ‘Dons’ averages and proving himself to be amongst the top ten in the league. He had four glorious years with the ‘Dons’ and, when he led the club to a knock-out cup triumph in 1968, it was the first trophy the fans had seen since the glory days of the early part of the decade. Nearing 40, Olle joined West Ham but his enthusiasm and point scoring capabilities showed little sign of decreasing for a number of years. He finally called it a day in 1975 after a spell at King’s Lynn and his long and illustrious career was at an end. The development of Sweden as the major power in speedway would have probably happened without Olle, but he was the leader of the revolution and their transition from also ran to World Champions would have taken a lot longer without his influence. Had he followed the path of Ove Fundin and had a complete dedication to speedway, combined with regular league rides in Britain at the pinnacle of his career, Olle could well have become World Champion.

 

Year

Club

Division

M

R

P

BP

TP

CMA

FM

PM

1951

Harringay

NL1

11

45

91

9

100

8.89

1

1

1953

Bristol

NL1

11

50

128

6

134

10.72

2

2

1954

Wimbledon

NL1

7

31

57

5

62

8.00

-

-

1960

Southampton

NL

12

60

134

7

141

9.40

-

1

1962

Swindon

NL

2

8

19

1

20

10.00

-

-

1962

Norwich

NL

5

20

46

3

49

9.80

1

-

1963

Norwich

NL

27

118

251

9

260

8.81

1

3

1964

Norwich

NL

14

62

128.5

4

132.5

8.55

-

-

1965

Wimbledon

BL

37

157

386

15

401

10.22

8

2

1966

Wimbledon

BL

41

182

463

10

473

10.40

13

2

1967

Wimbledon

BL

36

158

367

9

376

9.52

7

1

1968

Wimbledon

BL1

40

180

408

11

419

9.31

9

-

1969

West Ham

BL1

21

94

180

6

186

7.91

2

-

1970

West Ham

BL1

34

150

332

19

351

9.36

1

1

1971

West Ham

BL1

36

170

333

13

346

8.14

1

1

1972

Ipswich

BL1

36

144

262

18

280

7.78

2

1

1973

Ipswich

BL1

35

128

171

17

188

5.88

-

1

1974

Ipswich

BL1

26

97

120

30

150

6.19

-

-

1974

Coventry

BL1

9

33

28

13

41

4.97

-

-

1975

King’s Lynn

BL

9

32

27

11

38

4.75

-

-

 

Individual Honours: World finalist 1953 (4th), 1954 (3rd), 1955 (8th), 1958 (7th), 1959 (4th), Swedish Champion 1949.

International Honours: World Team Cup winner 1960, World Team Cup finalist 1968, Swedish international – 90 caps, 798 points.

Team Honours: National Trophy winner 1963, British League Division One Knock-Out Cup winner 1968.

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Followed the Dons in 66, Olle at number 1 along with Luckhurst, Hedge, etc., only Briggo the World Champion, The Boococks, and Nordin were ahead of him.

R.I.P

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4 hours ago, tigerowl said:

Year

Club

Division

M

R

P

BP

TP

CMA

FM

PM

1951

Harringay

NL1

11

45

91

9

100

8.89

1

1

1953

Bristol

NL1

11

50

128

6

134

10.72

2

2

1954

Wimbledon

NL1

7

31

57

5

62

8.00

-

-

1960

Southampton

NL

12

60

134

7

141

9.40

-

1

1962

Swindon

NL

2

8

19

1

20

10.00

-

-

1962

Norwich

NL

5

20

46

3

49

9.80

1

-

1963

Norwich

NL

27

118

251

9

260

8.81

1

3

1964

Norwich

NL

14

62

128.5

4

132.5

8.55

-

-

1965

Wimbledon

BL

37

157

386

15

401

10.22

8

2

1966

Wimbledon

BL

41

182

463

10

473

10.40

13

2

1967

Wimbledon

BL

36

158

367

9

376

9.52

7

1

1968

Wimbledon

BL1

40

180

408

11

419

9.31

9

-

1969

West Ham

BL1

21

94

180

6

186

7.91

2

-

1970

West Ham

BL1

34

150

332

19

351

9.36

1

1

1971

West Ham

BL1

36

170

333

13

346

8.14

1

1

1972

Ipswich

BL1

36

144

262

18

280

7.78

2

1

1973

Ipswich

BL1

35

128

171

17

188

5.88

-

1

1974

Ipswich

BL1

26

97

120

30

150

6.19

-

-

1974

Coventry

BL1

9

33

28

13

41

4.97

-

-

1975

King’s Lynn

BL

9

32

27

11

38

4.75

-

-

 Also 1953 New Cross     NL             10      40        94        10       104      10.40      -        1

 

 

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15 hours ago, tigerowl said:

RIP Olle.

 

NYGREN, Harald-Olof Ingemar (Olle)

 

Born: November 11, 1929, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

The success of Sweden as a speedway nation was one of the stories of the 1950s, as the country emerged as the main power in the sport. Riders like Fundin, Sormander, Soederman and Knutsson dominated the headlines along with a rider who was the pioneer of this transition, Olle Nygren. A fantastic all round motor cyclist who excelled at any two wheeled discipline, Olle came to the attention of the British public in 1949 when he showed impressive form in the World Championship rounds held in the U.K. and almost reached the final qualifying stages of the competition.

 He was a much sought after rider with the British promoters and, in 1951, became the first Swede to race in the National League when he signed a short term contract with the Harringay ‘Racers’. For fans brought up on a diet of British and Commonwealth riders, with the occasional American thrown in, the arrival of Olle was like a breath of fresh air and his appearances showed that a new force in speedway was developing across the North Sea. He ended his eleven match stint with the ‘Racers’ with a paid 18 point maximum against Norwich in the National Trophy, and an average approaching nine points per match was a brilliant effort.

 His next appearances in the National League came with Bristol in 1953, showing sensational form in the West Country, and his average at the end of the season was the second highest in the league, with only Ronnie Moore achieving better figures. Despite his undoubted position as the number one rider in Sweden, the honour of being the first Swedish World finalist fell to Dan Forsberg, but Olle reached his first final in 1953 and lost a run-off with Geoff Mardon for a place on the rostrum, finishing fourth with twelve points. He covered for the injured Ronnie Moore at Wimbledon in 1954, but for the next few years British fans had to be content with seeing Olle ride in World Championship and international events as he refused numerous approaches from league clubs. He was not a rider to give speedway his full attention as he competed in other forms of motorcycle sport, even missing the 1956 World Final to compete in a T.T. event in Sweden, but he was so talented that he could still live with the best in the sport and was a consistent threat in World Championship finals. His best effort came in 1954 when he finished third but, surprisingly, he did not reach another final after his appearance in the 1959 event at Wembley.

 A notable 1960 season saw Olle return to league racing with Southampton and he scored a maximum as the Swedes won the inaugural World Team Cup at Gothenburg. Eventually, past his peak and well into his 30s, Olle became a regular in league action in the U.K., initially with Norwich, but more memorably with Wimbledon. Joining the ‘Dons’ in 1965 for the first season of the British League, Olle was immediately a hero at Plough Lane, topping the ‘Dons’ averages and proving himself to be amongst the top ten in the league. He had four glorious years with the ‘Dons’ and, when he led the club to a knock-out cup triumph in 1968, it was the first trophy the fans had seen since the glory days of the early part of the decade. Nearing 40, Olle joined West Ham but his enthusiasm and point scoring capabilities showed little sign of decreasing for a number of years. He finally called it a day in 1975 after a spell at King’s Lynn and his long and illustrious career was at an end. The development of Sweden as the major power in speedway would have probably happened without Olle, but he was the leader of the revolution and their transition from also ran to World Champions would have taken a lot longer without his influence. Had he followed the path of Ove Fundin and had a complete dedication to speedway, combined with regular league rides in Britain at the pinnacle of his career, Olle could well have become World Champion.

 

Year

Club

Division

M

R

P

BP

TP

CMA

FM

PM

1951

Harringay

NL1

11

45

91

9

100

8.89

1

1

1953

Bristol

NL1

11

50

128

6

134

10.72

2

2

1954

Wimbledon

NL1

7

31

57

5

62

8.00

-

-

1960

Southampton

NL

12

60

134

7

141

9.40

-

1

1962

Swindon

NL

2

8

19

1

20

10.00

-

-

1962

Norwich

NL

5

20

46

3

49

9.80

1

-

1963

Norwich

NL

27

118

251

9

260

8.81

1

3

1964

Norwich

NL

14

62

128.5

4

132.5

8.55

-

-

1965

Wimbledon

BL

37

157

386

15

401

10.22

8

2

1966

Wimbledon

BL

41

182

463

10

473

10.40

13

2

1967

Wimbledon

BL

36

158

367

9

376

9.52

7

1

1968

Wimbledon

BL1

40

180

408

11

419

9.31

9

-

1969

West Ham

BL1

21

94

180

6

186

7.91

2

-

1970

West Ham

BL1

34

150

332

19

351

9.36

1

1

1971

West Ham

BL1

36

170

333

13

346

8.14

1

1

1972

Ipswich

BL1

36

144

262

18

280

7.78

2

1

1973

Ipswich

BL1

35

128

171

17

188

5.88

-

1

1974

Ipswich

BL1

26

97

120

30

150

6.19

-

-

1974

Coventry

BL1

9

33

28

13

41

4.97

-

-

1975

King’s Lynn

BL

9

32

27

11

38

4.75

-

-

 

Individual Honours: World finalist 1953 (4th), 1954 (3rd), 1955 (8th), 1958 (7th), 1959 (4th), Swedish Champion 1949.

International Honours: World Team Cup winner 1960, World Team Cup finalist 1968, Swedish international – 90 caps, 798 points.

Team Honours: National Trophy winner 1963, British League Division One Knock-Out Cup winner 1968.

Brilliant analysis on one of the best riders never to have won the Individual World Championship.

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A nice pictorial look back at the career of Varg-Olle

 

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Amongst the last  that those of my vintage that we can relate to as  Speedway as we first knew it

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Sad news. A real stalwart of the sport over an incredibly long time. Always a star man who gave his all for his impressive number of clubs. Somehow I always envisage him wearing the number one race jacket and stamping his presence on a meeting from the very start. A true legend. 
 

RIP Olle

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