Oxford v Swindon 55 Year Celebration 23 July

[Chris Brown 542]

Taken from the latest Press Release and a real treat for fans of Oxford anbd Swindon from years gone by with some of the clubs all time heroes being present at Fridays meeting. Time to bring friends who used to watch these once great riders back to Cowley on Friday for what is a great coup for Oxford Speedway

 

 

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR CLASH WITH LOCAL RIVALS

 

 

 

The Oxford Silver Machine face their oldest enemy this Friday, July 23rd, 2004 when they take on the Swindon Robins in Elite League action at Oxford Stadium. The meeting is sponsored by Oxford Harley Davidson and there will be a parade of riders and Harley Davidson’s at 7.30pm with the first race scheduled for 7.45pm.

 

 

 

The meeting has special significance as it will mark the 55th anniversary of the date that the two teams first met, when the Oxford ‘Cheetahs’ travelled to Blunsdon for Swindon’s first ever speedway meeting, with Oxford running out eventual winners. To mark the occasion ex Oxford and Swindon Press Officer Glynn Shailes, along with Pete Seaton, has invited a host of former riders to celebrate the anniversary.

 

 

 

A full list of expected riders is below however, a few highlights include double World Champion Freddie Williams as well as Oxford all time highest points scorer, Ronnie Genz. Add to that the likes of Bob ‘Killer’ Kilby, Mike Broadbanks, Ron How, Jimmy Gooch and you can see that it will be a real celebration for both sets of fans.

 

Full list of invited riders are

 

 

Ivor Atkinson, Martin Ashby, David Ashby, Dennis Gray, Jim Wright, Alf Viccary, John Bishop, Roy Bowers, Mick Handley, Buster Brown, Malcolm Holloway, Freddie Williams, Ian Williams, Mike Broadbanks, Reg Duval, Ronnie Genz, Colin Goody, Jimmy Gooch, Trwevor Geer, Richard Greer, Malcolm Woolfrod, Jim Gregory, Eric Hockaday, Ron How, Eric Irosn, Bob Kilby, Leo McAuliffe, John Poyser, Oyvind Berg, Peter Saunders, Stan Stevens, Ken Vale

Edited July 21, 2004 by Chris Brown

[robpeasley 0]

You beat to me it Chris!!!

 

Great list of guests... should be quite a night!!

 

All the best

Rob

[robpeasley 0]

Just to follow up... a bit of info on matches between Oxford & Swindon....

 

On Friday, Oxford celebrate the 55th anniversary of one of the most keenly contested derby matches in Speedway - that between themselves and arch-rivals Swindon.

 

It was exactly 55 years ago from Friday's date, on Saturday, July 23, 1949, that the two clubs clashed in what was the first-ever meeting at the Abbey Stadium in Blunsdon.

 

The first meeting at Oxford Stadium had come over 10 ten years before on Saturday, April 8, 1939, in the shape of an individual meeting won by Roy Duke. However, it wasn't until 1949 until league racing came to Cowley, with the stadium transformed (with a new track built) in the early months of that year, to allow Third Division racing at Cowley. The Cheetahs roared into action for the first time ever at Exeter on Monday, April 18, crashing to a 24-60 defeat, before making their home debut three days later on Thursday, April 21, losing 37-47 to Hastings.

 

Meanwhile, the Swindon Robins also entered the fray in 1949, but only in mid-season and initially as only a non-league club. That opening challenge match that took place exactly 55 years ago resulted in a 45-39 win for visitors Oxford and the scorers for the two sides were as follows:

 

Swindon 39: Bill Downton 5 (from 4 rides), Ginger Nicholls 11 (4), Reg Lambourne 7+1 (4), Harry Hughes 6+3 (4), Bob Jones 0 (4), Ivor Atkinson 4 (4), Paul Best 0 (1), Tom Wilson 6+1 (3).

Oxford 45: Dennis Gray 6 (4), Ernie Rawlins 8+1 (4), Alf Viccary 4 (4), Bert # Name Removed # 11 (4), Alf Elliot 3 (4), Jim Wright 10+1 (4), Oz Osborne 3 (4).

 

Later in the season, Hull were forced to shutdown and Swindon replaced them in the Third Division. The first-ever league match between Swindon and Oxford came on Saturday, September 24, 1949 at Blunsdon, when the Robins won a highly-charged match 42-41 after a 3-2 in a dramatic final race, in which Dennis Gray (after a collision) attempted to push home for a point for Oxford, only to be ruled out by the time limit.

 

That first league match was strangely prophetic. Firstly, it set a standard of excitement that has often been matched in subsequent clashes between the two clubs. Secondly, though it grieves me to mention it, it also showed that Swindon had the edge. In fact, with the 104th league match between the two clubs coming up tonight, the current record is:

 

At Oxford: Matches 51 Oxford wins 30 Swindon wins 16 Drawn matches 5

At Swindon: Matches 52 Oxford wins 13 Swindon wins 37 Drawn matches 2

Overall: Matches 103 Oxford wins 43 Swindon wins 53 Drawn matches 7

 

Biggest wins:

By Oxford at home to Swindon: 58-20 (1986)

By Oxford away to Swindon: 56-21 (1986)

By Swindon at home to Oxford: 71-25 (1955)

By Swindon away to Oxford: 59-37 (1957)

 

However, before the Swindon fans get too carried away, it should be pointed out that when it comes to winning league titles, Oxford have won 6 league championships (5 in the top-flight), while Swindon have won just 3 (2 in the top-flight).

 

Swindon triumphed in back-to-back championships, winning the National League Division Two title in 1956, and then the National League in 1957, after the top two divisions merged. The Robins then won the 1967 British League, led by all-time Swindon legend Barry Briggs (twice a World Champion with the Robins) but incredibly have not won another league championship since - a wait of 37 years! The nearest that they have came was in the 2000 Premier League, when they were beaten into second place on race points by Exeter, but only after Paul Fry lost a run-off for the bonus point to Newcastle's Bjarne Pedersen in Swindon's final league meeting of the season!

 

Oxford won the National League Division Three in 1950, then collected the National League (at that point, the title for the top division) as part of the treble in 1964. The Cheetahs, led by Hans Nielsen (who won three of his four World titles while at Oxford) & Simon Wigg, then hit a purple patch in the late eighties, taking three British League titles in 1985, 1986 and 1989, while more recently Oxford won the 2001 Sky Sports Elite League.

 

While still on the subject of championship wins, Oxford have clinched THREE of their six titles against the Robins! In 1964, Oxford defeated Swindon 45-39 at Cowley on September 17 to put themselves out of reach of Coventry, while a 45-33 home win against the Robins on October 11, 1985 saw Oxford home and dry in the eighteenth out of 20 league matches. The 1986 Oxford side (arguably the strongest ever British club team) clinched the league title with a 56-21 win AT Swindon on October 11, with Per Sorensen (sacked by Swindon earlier that season) returning to Blunsdon and scoring a paid maximum in Oxford colours!

 

So what will the 104th league clash between the two sides bring on Friday? Hopefully plenty of excitement - and, a win for Oxford, of course!

 

All the best

Rob

[Grachan 7,364]

Just in case anyone missed it the first time, there is brief footage from that first ever Swindon v Oxford match HERE.

[Laser558 0]

Grachan, Thanks for the clip. Absolutely brilliant.

 

Do you have any more archive material. If you do I suggest you open your own website.

 

Thanks again