Fathers and Sons

[steve roberts 9,242]

24 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

I only went to  the rain soddened Reading world team cup round,  White City 1982  Kings Lynn 1984  as i said was never a real fan of the competition.

I, too, took in the Reading meeting...a heroic Gordon Kennett pulling out all the stops and just failing to beat Kelly Moran who hung on for grim death!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

10 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I, too, took in the Reading meeting...a heroic Gordon Kennett pulling out all the stops and just failing to beat Kelly Moran who hung on for grim death!

I don’t know what you think Steve but this meeting, the Mike Keen benefit meeting, 1983 BLRC at Belle Vue and Swindon v Reading 1984 are the four wettest meetings i have ever witnessed.Off the subject a tad did you take in any of the Evening Advertiser meetings at Swindon in which Hans rode in Steve.?

[steve roberts 9,242]

7 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

I don’t know what you think Steve but this meeting, the Mike Keen benefit meeting, 1983 BLRC at Belle Vue and Swindon v Reading 1984 are the four wettest meetings i have ever witnessed.Off the subject a tad did you take in any of the Evening Advertiser meetings at Swindon in which Hans rode in Steve.?

I witnessed the Mike Keen Meeting and, boy, was it wet! Two memories stick out from that meeting...a sublime five ride maximum from Dag Lovaas and Gordon Kennett hosing his bike down on the centre green after the meeting. Felt sorry for Mike but was told that if the meeting didn't go ahead he wouldn't get another chance!

Unfortunatley Sid I sold off my programmes but I must have gone to an Evening Advertiser or two? I never made a BLRC at Hyde Road much to my regret.

Great memories from speedway's last Golden Age!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

5 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I witnessed the Mike Keen Meeting and, boy, was it wet! Two memories stick out from that meeting...a sublime five ride maximum from Dag Lovaas and Gordon Kennett hosing his bike down on the centre green after the meeting. Felt sorry for Mike but was told that if the meeting didn't go ahead he wouldn't get another chance!

Unfortunatley Sid I sold off my programmes but I must have gone to an Evening Advertiser or two? I never made a BLRC at Hyde Road much to my regret.

Great memories from speedway's last Golden Age!

Nielsen was just beginning to blossom then Steve he was terrific at the Abbey but god it could be bumpy at times.Nielsen was one of the first riders along with Crump( snr) / Lee that rode flat out never shutting off at the bends you could hear it in the engine.I would say Nielsen and Lee are the quickest riders i have seen before the modern day age rider came along then Crump ( jnr) Gollob took it forward never a fan of Ricko.

[steve roberts 9,242]

8 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Nielsen was just beginning to blossom then Steve he was terrific at the Abbey but god it could be bumpy at times.Nielsen was one of the first riders along with Crump( snr) / Lee that rode flat out never shutting off at the bends you could hear it in the engine.I would say Nielsen and Lee are the quickest riders i have seen before the modern day age rider came along then Crump ( jnr) Gollob took it forward never a fan of Ricko.

Remember a race at Swindon when Crumpie and Hans passed and re-passed each other numerous times each giving the other plenty of room...a great race! I think Hans was riding for Birmingham then?

Yes I recall the bumpy track...don't think Martin Ashby would have put up with it!

Edited August 8, 2021 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

12 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Remember a race at Swindon when Crumpie and Hans passed and re-passed each other numerous times each giving the other plenty of room...a great race! I think Hans was riding for Birmingham then?

Yes I recall the bumpy track...don't think Martin Ashby would have put up with it!

I was never a fan of Cowley to be honest usually only went to that Supporters individual meeting  there and  the Swindon  fixtures and  that was it.Started then going to alot of the NL fixtures ( ie) Shields, Perks, Hunter, Hack, Lamb ( ect) and when Hans arrived most weeks from 84/89.I was then envious of Oxford because most weeks there track was superbly prepared (unlike the Abbey) and with that beautiful restaurant they had it was a great night out.Hans v Erik, Tommy, Sam, Blackbird stick in the memory.

[steve roberts 9,242]

Did the Olsen's ever ride in the same meeting? I guess the only opportunity would have been in an exhibtion race?

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

41 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Did the Olsen's ever ride in the same meeting? I guess the only opportunity would have been in an exhibtion race?

Not in competition Ole retired in 1983 , Jacob aged 21 started his British league career in 1993.If I remember rightly Olsen did not ride that much over the years at Cowley? i did see him ride in that Champions  individual meeting there .Did  he REFUSE to sign for Oxford and Hull.? once upon a time.

[steve roberts 9,242]

2 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Not in competition Ole retired in 1983 , Jacob aged 21 started his British league career in 1993.If I remember rightly Olsen did not ride that much over the years at Cowley? i did see him ride in that Champions  individual meeting there .Did  he REFUSE to sign for Oxford and Hull.? once upon a time.

I'm afraid don't get me going again Sid! Yes Olsen was 'allocated' to Oxford in 1975 but refused to come, thankfully, because that meant we got the immaculate Dag Lovass instead...a very classy act!

[BL65 656]

2 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

If I remember rightly Olsen did not ride that much over the years at Cowley? 

Olsen appeared in 10 out of 11 scheduled meetings that I am aware of between 1967 and 1973, missing the British League match on 5th June 1969 due to being required to represent Denmark in the World Team Cup qualifying round against Sweden, Finland and Norway in Oslo on that date.  In addition to the league matches he also rode at Oxford in two 4 team tournaments and 3 Champions Trophy events during that period, gaining two second places and a third place finish.

Olsen then won the Champions Trophy in 1974 and also competed in a Best Pairs event, but he failed to arrive for the league encounter as he was stranded for several hours behind a major pile-up on the M6 in which two people were killed, after an articulated lorry crossed the central reservation and collided with several cars and a coach. 

In 1975, Olsen missed both the league match and the Midland Cup Final 1st leg at Oxford.  On the occasion of the league encounter he was on his way to Yugoslavia for the World Long Track Final.  The cup final took place on a Sunday near the end of the season and I understand the date clashed with a prior continental booking.  He had also missed the rearranged Wolverhampton home league match on the previous Sunday for the same reason.

The final visit of which I am aware was in 1976, when he rode for Coventry in an inter-league 4 team event.  

After originally linking up with his mentor Ivan Mauger at Newcastle, Olsen moved on to another Mike Parker track at Wolverhampton when Parker relinquished his interest in the north-east.  By the mid-70s he was unsettled at Wolverhampton and had his heart set on joining Coventry, with a move there eventually coming to fruition in 1976.  There was never any real prospect of him accepting allocation or transfer to any other British track.

Were there any other occasions on which Olsen was due to ride at Oxford but was not present?

[steve roberts 9,242]

1 hour ago, BL65 said:

Olsen appeared in 10 out of 11 scheduled meetings that I am aware of between 1967 and 1973, missing the British League match on 5th June 1969 due to being required to represent Denmark in the World Team Cup qualifying round against Sweden, Finland and Norway in Oslo on that date.  In addition to the league matches he also rode at Oxford in two 4 team tournaments and 3 Champions Trophy events during that period, gaining two second places and a third place finish.

Olsen then won the Champions Trophy in 1974 and also competed in a Best Pairs event, but he failed to arrive for the league encounter as he was stranded for several hours behind a major pile-up on the M6 in which two people were killed, after an articulated lorry crossed the central reservation and collided with several cars and a coach. 

In 1975, Olsen missed both the league match and the Midland Cup Final 1st leg at Oxford.  On the occasion of the league encounter he was on his way to Yugoslavia for the World Long Track Final.  The cup final took place on a Sunday near the end of the season and I understand the date clashed with a prior continental booking.  He had also missed the rearranged Wolverhampton home league match on the previous Sunday for the same reason.

The final visit of which I am aware was in 1976, when he rode for Coventry in an inter-league 4 team event.  

After originally linking up with his mentor Ivan Mauger at Newcastle, Olsen moved on to another Mike Parker track at Wolverhampton when Parker relinquished his interest in the north-east.  By the mid-70s he was unsettled at Wolverhampton and had his heart set on joining Coventry, with a move there eventually coming to fruition in 1976.  There was never any real prospect of him accepting allocation or transfer to any other British track.

Were there any other occasions on which Olsen was due to ride at Oxford but was not present?

In the Oxford programme notes (Swindon 18th September 1975) under the "Promoter's Piece" it quotes

"Of course many of you were disappointed as indeed your promoters were at the non-appearance of the 1975 World Champion Ole Olsen. There was as you know some conflicting reports in the press about whether or not Olsen would ride, and I am very sorry about this, but can assure you it was not of our making. The position as as we understood it was as follows - when we received the Wolves team from their promoters, we were informed that Olsen would not be present, and agreed that they could use a guest rider. Later we were informed that Olsen had been told officially he had to ride and was expected to do so but of course he didn't arrive. Hence the conflicting reports. It is in my view a great pity that a man who was crowned such a worthy World Champion on 6th September should treat the speedway in this way, and I can ssure you that the Wolves team manager was as fed with the whole business as we were."

Further under the "Rebel Browsing" notes it quotes

"The non-appearance of the new World Champion after he had been instructed by the BSPA that he must honour his agreement with Wolves and ride at Oxford is bound to have repercusions and one wonders if we have seen the last of the 'Flying' Dane in this country. Ole was competing in the World Long Track Finals in Poland on Sunday in which he finished third, but with the rest of the BL qualifiers not leaving until Friday morning Olsen would seem to have no valid reason for not appearing at Oxford the previous night. In view of of the pressure on the BSPA by the Oxford promoters and the pressure put on Olsen by the BSPA the Oxford promoters now insist that some action be taken against Olsen"

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by steve roberts

[BL65 656]

23 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

"The non-appearance of the new World Champion after he had been instructed by the BSPA that he must honour his agreement with Wolves and ride at Oxford is bound to have repercusions and one wonders if we have seen the last of the 'Flying' Dane in this country. Ole was competing in the World Long Track Finals in Poland on Sunday in which he finished third, but with the rest of the BL qualifiers not leaving until Friday morning Olsen would seem to have no valid reason for not appearing at Oxford the previous night. In view of of the pressure on the BSPA by the Oxford promoters and the pressure put on Olsen by the BSPA the Oxford promoters now insist that some action be taken against Olsen"

As Olsen was based in this country during the speedway season there certainly does not appear to be any reason why he could not have made similar travel arrangements for the Long Track Final as other riders travelling from Britain, so it seems that one can certainly be chalked up as a black mark against him.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, BL65 said:

As Olsen was based in this country during the speedway season there certainly does not appear to be any reason why he could not have made similar travel arrangements for the Long Track Final as other riders travelling from Britain, so it seems that one can certainly be chalked up as a black mark against him.

BL no slur on Ole he was truelly  a great great rider one of the best i have ever seen.

[steve roberts 9,242]

19 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

BL no slur on Ole he was truelly  a great great rider one of the best i have ever seen.

I admit that Olsen was one of the greats during my time following speedway but I didn't appreciate his manipulated powers off the track in trying to influence others. Nielsen is a well documented case  but I know that Vic White whislt team manager at Coventry had problems with him (interview in "Backtrack") and the likes of Steve Bastable tell of his antics as well as many others. he was a control freak and unless you fell in with him you were always going to be on the wrong side of him.

Edited August 8, 2021 by steve roberts

[BL65 656]

13 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I admit that Olsen was one of the greats during my time following speedway but I didn't appreciate his manipulated powers off the track in trying to influence others. Nielsen is a well documented case  but I know that Vic White whislt team manager at Coventry had problems with him (interview in "Backtrack") and the likes of Steve Bastable tell of his antics as well as many others. he was a control freak and unless you fell in with him you were always going to be on the wrong side of him.

He was also a very busy person during the autumn of 1975, as his new track at Vojens was completed and opened in September that year.