AndyO 39 Posted April 10, 2021 Just wanted to note the recent passing of Pat. Whilst never a star he was riding for Canterbury when I attended my first ever meeting as a 10 year old in 1968 and even then to me he looked like someone from the past with his WW2 goggles and his long scarf over his face, pretty sure he had white boots at the time also. Always had time for the kids and was usually smiling broadly.. Its riders like Pat that make speedway and he left a lasting impression on me at the time. R.I.P. 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted April 10, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, AndyO said: Just wanted to note the recent passing of Pat. Whilst never a star he was riding for Canterbury when I attended my first ever meeting as a 10 year old in 1968 and even then to me he looked like someone from the past with his WW2 goggles and his long scarf over his face, pretty sure he had white boots at the time also. Always had time for the kids and was usually smiling broadly.. Its riders like Pat that make speedway and he left a lasting impression on me at the time. R.I.P. Pat came up to Newcastle with my favourite Gil Goldfinch in 1961 to strengthen us and gave us a much better team. I think that used to come up on the train, and we had to take vehicles to get them and their gear to the track. They stayed overnight and did the return the following morning. RIP Pat Edited April 10, 2021 by Tsunami 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,242 Posted April 10, 2021 Yes supporters often get somewhat engrossed with the 'star' riders but it's often the bread and butter riders who made the sport what it was/is. RIP 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted April 10, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, steve roberts said: Yes supporters often get somewhat engrossed with the 'star' riders but it's often the bread and butter riders who made the sport what it was/is. RIP Yes. Gil was about a 5 at our level but had flitted between Wimbledon and the Southern League. Pat was probably a 2 and held his own riding in Southern teams/leagues. Edited April 10, 2021 by Tsunami 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,086 Posted April 10, 2021 16 minutes ago, Tsunami said: Pat was probably a 2 and held his own riding in Southern teams/leagues. And an important member of the Speedway Riders XI football team... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E I Addio 15,843 Posted April 10, 2021 5 hours ago, AndyO said: Just wanted to note the recent passing of Pat. Whilst never a star he was riding for Canterbury when I attended my first ever meeting as a 10 year old in 1968 and even then to me he looked like someone from the past with his WW2 goggles and his long scarf over his face, pretty sure he had white boots at the time also. Always had time for the kids and was usually smiling broadly.. Its riders like Pat that make speedway and he left a lasting impression on me at the time. R.I.P. If my information and my arithmetic is correct he must have been about 97 or 98 years old. I hope he was in good health to the dead. I never saw Len Silver ride but from photographs I think Len started the white boot craze, and Pat was, of course at Exeter with him. I think Alan Cowland may also have been a white booter and Norman Hunter certainly was for a while. Sad to hear of his passing . Riders like him were the backbone of the sport. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,086 Posted April 10, 2021 27 minutes ago, E I Addio said: If my information and my arithmetic is correct he must have been about 97 or 98 years old. Yep; born 13th September, 1923. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOBBATH 466 Posted April 10, 2021 R.I.P Pat-I recall him riding for Exeter in the early sixties. As others have said, riders like Pat were (are) the backbone of the sport. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,938 Posted April 11, 2021 Would this be the same Pat Flanagan that made an appearance for Ireland in 1948 ? http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/ireveng.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyO 39 Posted April 11, 2021 16 minutes ago, iris123 said: Would this be the same Pat Flanagan that made an appearance for Ireland in 1948 ? http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/ireveng.htm Classic Speedway magazine had him down as starting his riding career with Aldershot in 1950 however he would have been 24/25 in 1948 so I guess it's possible? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,938 Posted April 11, 2021 Seems quite possible it is the same rider Looking at the link with Hastings, I can find a 'Bud' Flanagan riding on 17th May 1948 at Hastings. Then a Pat Flanagan is riding for Hastings in Ireland on 11th July that year https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/hastings1948.pdf 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,086 Posted April 11, 2021 4 hours ago, AndyO said: Classic Speedway magazine had him down as starting his riding career with Aldershot in 1950 however he would have been 24/25 in 1948 so I guess it's possible? The Speedway proboards site also has him starting in 1950. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,938 Posted April 11, 2021 Is this 1950 thing the work of speedway historian John Hyam by any chance ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,086 Posted April 11, 2021 1 hour ago, iris123 said: Is this 1950 thing the work of speedway historian John Hyam by any chance ? Well, I did find a couple of items online that were attributed to the poster from Penge... I did have a look to see if I could find any other info, but I have mislaid my copy of "British Speedway Leagues 1946-1964". If anyone has a copy to hand, there might be something in there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,938 Posted April 12, 2021 On 4/11/2021 at 5:55 PM, AndyO said: Classic Speedway magazine had him down as starting his riding career with Aldershot in 1950 however he would have been 24/25 in 1948 so I guess it's possible? I'd now go so far as to say a lot of these pieces on Pat Flanagan are wrong Fairly sure it is the same rider who rode at Hastings in 1948 and then the next year turns up at Harringay https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/harringay1949.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites