Coventry 1965 Rick France et al

[BOBBATH 466]

Coventry-always attractive visitors everywhere particularly Somerton Park. I recall the Heat Leaders being Nigel B., Ron Mountford, Rick France, Jim Lightfoot-I also think this was before Les Owens' tragic injury. First four names were all World Finalists at one time or another. Can't believe the track is gone. Col Cottrell always a good second string. I know that Nigel, Les and Ron have passed-any news on those other greats-I think both Rick and Jim must be getting up there (aren't we all!!)

[chunky 6,091]

As far as I know, they are both still with us. Rick is 83, and Jim is 87.

[False dawn 2,298]

17 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Coventry-always attractive visitors everywhere particularly Somerton Park. I recall the Heat Leaders being Nigel B., Ron Mountford, Rick France, Jim Lightfoot-I also think this was before Les Owens' tragic injury. First four names were all World Finalists at one time or another. Can't believe the track is gone. Col Cottrell always a good second string. I know that Nigel, Les and Ron have passed-any news on those other greats-I think both Rick and Jim must be getting up there (aren't we all!!)

Great post about a great era in Coventry's history.

But I have to take issue with your, "Can't believe the track is gone" comment. The track is still there and there are some persistent and talented people fighting very hard to get it reopened. There's even a potential buyer.
And before anyone says that I'm living in a dream world, I know the odds are stacked heavily against ever seeing the Bees at Brandon again. But there is a chance and the faithful still believe we might just see that dream come true.

[BOBBATH 466]

Sorry False Dawn-my only excuse is that I live in Canada and have not quite kept up to date.  I greatly hope it gets re-opened. I see I only had six names for the 7 man team-trying to recall who I missed-I think it might be Col Smith, Roger Hill or Howie Booton(?)-or did Howie ride elsewhere.? Great memories of Brandon although  my last visit there was 1967 (MRC Final).

[False dawn 2,298]

7 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Sorry False dawn-my only excuse is that I live in Canada and have not quite kept up to date.  I greatly hope it gets re-opened. I see I only had six names for the 7 man team-trying to recall who I missed-I think it might be Col Smith, Roger Hill or Howie Booton(?)-or did Howie ride elsewhere.? Great memories of Brandon although  my last visit there was 1967 (MRC Final).

As you're not on the doorstep, I'll forgive you
1967 Midland Riders?! Crikey, you go back farther than me (well sort of). I count my support of the illustrious Bees from only 1970. But that's not the entire story. I'm reliably informed that my late Dad took me to Brandon at quite a young age. I do vaguely remember a rider on his celebration lap coming down the back straight where we were standing and he had both arms in the air. I remember thinking, "How can he ride a motorbike with no hands on the handlebars?". No spring-loaded throttles or cut-outs in those day eh? Anyway, near as I can tell, that must have been in the 50's. 
Might be time to grow up soon.

Footnote: According to my records there were 13 (contracted) riders who rode for Coventry in 1965....

NIGEL BOOCOCK (England) 1959-1976

LES OWEN (England) 1957-1973 

RON MOUNTFORD (England) 1957-1968, 1970-1972

JIM LIGHTFOOT (England) 1953-1966

RICK FRANCE (England) 1960-1972

ROGER HILL (England) 1965-1975

COL COTTRELL (England) 1962-1971

HOWIE BOOTON (England) 1962-1965

CHRIS HARRISON (England) 1965-1968

COL SMITH (England) 1960-1961, 1965

FRED HODDER (England) 1965-1966 

RON BAGLEY (England) 1965

PETER GAY (England) 1965

[BOBBATH 466]

Thanks FD- I got three of them right-I remember  both the names of Fred Hodder and Chris Harrison also. I didn't know Ron Bagley turned out for them or Pete Gay- I wish you had been there to see 'em in 1965 when the two leagues combined to form the BL- so many different riders and tracks for us to see. If they ever invent Time Travel you oughta go back to 65 and take in some of the meetings!!!!

[norbold 7,106]

11 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Thanks FD- I got three of them right-I remember  both the names of Fred Hodder and Chris Harrison also. I didn't know Ron Bagley turned out for them or Pete Gay- I wish you had been there to see 'em in 1965 when the two leagues combined to form the BL- so many different riders and tracks for us to see. If they ever invent Time Travel you oughta go back to 65 and take in some of the meetings!!!!

A great year, 1965. The year West Ham won the treble, captained by former Coventry Bee, the only and only Hurri-Ken.

[chunky 6,091]

21 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Thanks FD- I got three of them right-I remember  both the names of Fred Hodder and Chris Harrison also. I didn't know Ron Bagley turned out for them or Pete Gay- I wish you had been there to see 'em in 1965 when the two leagues combined to form the BL- so many different riders and tracks for us to see. If they ever invent Time Travel you oughta go back to 65 and take in some of the meetings!!!!

Well, there is a well-known team photo with Chris Harrison and Ron Bagley in it (with Mountford, Lightfoot, Boocock, France, and Cottrell). That was a photo I knew as kid, and I still have it. You can check out out on the Retro Speedway website.

Edited September 20, 2021 by chunky

[BL65 656]

Boocock, Cottrell, Mountford, France and Lightfoot were the mainstay of the Coventry team in 1965.  Hodder and Booton were given opportunities in the opening weeks of the sesson but struggled for points, so Bees tried Smith, Gay and Bagley, with little success.  Chris Harrison was unable to break into the Wolverhampton team and moved to Brandon in May.  Les Owen couldn't be fitted in to the team at the beginning of the season and was asked to move elsewhere, including to help out injury-hit Cradley Heath, but Les remained loyal to the Bees and was prepared to sit out the season. He then covered for the injured Ron Mountford in two meetings at the beginning of June.  When Ron returned to the team there was no budging Owen and Charles Ochiltree managed to strengthen the team with his permanent addition.  Chris Harrison's scores also turned out to be an improvement on the other reserves that were tried.

[False dawn 2,298]

10 hours ago, norbold said:

A great year, 1965. The year West Ham won the treble, captained by former Coventry Bee, the only and only Hurri-Ken.

Funny that. I guess you always remember the riders in your first year. Ken rejoined the Bees in 1970 for one season. I remember he was a super face gater and it was said that he mentored Tony Lomas who was also hot from the gate. In fact, I remember that Tony worked for Triumph Motorcycles as some sort of test rider. He reckoned he was constantly sharpening his gating at traffic lights.

[steve roberts 9,246]

5 hours ago, False dawn said:

Funny that. I guess you always remember the riders in your first year. Ken rejoined the Bees in 1970 for one season. I remember he was a super face gater and it was said that he mentored Tony Lomas who was also hot from the gate. In fact, I remember that Tony worked for Triumph Motorcycles as some sort of test rider. He reckoned he was constantly sharpening his gating at traffic lights.

Ken was one of my first heroes when I first went to speedway in 1972 at Cowley. Tony joined Oxford in 1973 as a replacement for Garry Middleton (as if you could?) and failed miserably before moving down to Exeter. Now lives at Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales...may well bump into him one day as I visit that area quite often!

[Midland Red 2,383]

On 9/19/2021 at 9:58 PM, BOBBATH said:

Coventry-always attractive visitors everywhere particularly Somerton Park. I recall the Heat Leaders being Nigel B., Ron Mountford, Rick France, Jim Lightfoot-I also think this was before Les Owens' tragic injury. First four names were all World Finalists at one time or another. Can't believe the track is gone. Col Cottrell always a good second string. I know that Nigel, Les and Ron have passed-any news on those other greats-I think both Rick and Jim must be getting up there (aren't we all!!)

Col Cottrell died in 1982

[hurriken1 1]

Hurriken was my first and favorite rider along with World cup Willy . Super heroes at Blackbird road. Ken was a wizard with the Jap Engine .  Both super professional .

[BOBBATH 466]

If you go to  youtube and enter Ken Mckinlay speedway rider you will see a 3.30 minute video interview with Wally Loak(is Wally still with us?) Apparently it was the last interview Ken gave before he passed away-worth a watch. He reflects on beating Fundin 2-0 in the Golden helmet at Leicester and recalls his 1958 World Final appearance when he was in a 3 man run off for third place on 11 points  against Craven and Lawson, sadly he fell. However I think his best ever performance was in 1956-when he beat some of the really top riders - Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and  Peter Craven. After 4 rides he was joint top with 10-but sadly fell  while riding in  his final race . It was arguably his easiest race against Peo Soderman, Peter Moore and Alan Hunt. If he had won that-he would have tied with Ove Fundin on 13 and would have finished either as Champion or runner -up (probably the latter as Ove had beaten him in the meeting) . The other rider to beat Ken in completed races was the great Arthur Forrest-who had his best ever World Final after winning a third place runoff against Peter Craven. Ken at that time was a second division rider and this performance showed his class. 1956 sounded like a good World Final. Were any forumlanders there on that Saturday night-I'm not hopeful -after all it was 65 years ago!!!!!!!. That's like asking someone in 1956 if they attended the 1891 Cup Final...

[steve roberts 9,246]

5 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

If you go to  youtube and enter Ken Mckinlay speedway rider you will see a 3.30 minute video interview with Wally Loak(is Wally still with us?) Apparently it was the last interview Ken gave before he passed away-worth a watch. He reflects on beating Fundin 2-0 in the Golden helmet at Leicester and recalls his 1958 World Final appearance when he was in a 3 man run off for third place on 11 points  against Craven and Lawson, sadly he fell. However I think his best ever performance was in 1956-when he beat some of the really top riders - Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and  Peter Craven. After 4 rides he was joint top with 10-but sadly fell  while riding in  his final race . It was arguably his easiest race against Peo Soderman, Peter Moore and Alan Hunt. If he had won that-he would have tied with Ove Fundin on 13 and would have finished either as Champion or runner -up (probably the latter as Ove had beaten him in the meeting) . The other rider to beat Ken in completed races was the great Arthur Forrest-who had his best ever World Final after winning a third place runoff against Peter Craven. Ken at that time was a second division rider and this performance showed his class. 1956 sounded like a good World Final. Were any forumlanders there on that Saturday night-I'm not hopeful -after all it was 65 years ago!!!!!!!. That's like asking someone in 1956 if they attended the 1891 Cup Final...

I watched the interview many years ago and hardly recognised Ken?