Strange, But True

[Guest Steve Dixon]

Maybe a Leicester fan could help here, i remember Les Collins being excluded for looking back to much during a heat.

[BobC 664]

I remember waiting outside the plush Dudley Wood Stadium ,to watch Cradley v Poole on the 70's,when all hell was let loose with Police outriders and sirens blazing away.Cars and people going in all directions.

It turned out to be none other than the colourful in the extreme John Langfield,who had lost his way to the stadium and had orchestrated his entrance with the police!!

A grander entrance I have yet to witness.Poole lost heavily,but that kept us all laughing for months!

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The night that Kelvin Mullarkey and Mike Sampson had a coming together at Weymouth.They clashed coming off the 3rd turn,and Sampson didnt like it and pulled on to the centre green.With that,Sampson waited for Mullarkey to come round on the next lap,and proceeded to run out in front of him and quite literally pull him from his machine.Unfortunately,Kelvin damaged his ankle.Samspon was just shaken,and all he got was a warning from the referee!I maintain to this day,he should have been banned for life.Idiot.

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It had been raining heavily in Weymouth for days,but to get the meeting on,the promoters decided to use sand to help soak up the water.Too much ruddy sand though! When Pete Jarman and fellow Eastbourne riders saw it,they all stopped on the then 1st turn,and proceeded to make sandcastles!This was very quickly followed by protests,and Eastbourne hammering a very poor Weymouth by 23-55(I think)

[bulldog 77 / 78 0]

In 1977 at Eastville Stadium I remember the time Nigel Boococks silencer came off his bike "bounced"off the shale, flew over a 10 foot fence and hit a woman cleanly on the head - it must of hurt, but it was funny

[BobC 664]

Exeter's Colin Cook doing a practice start on the back straight at Poole,and looping it.

 

Got back up and dusted himself down,and did it all over again,only this time exiting the 4th turn!

 

Good to see him again at Exeter's final meeting.

Edited November 11, 2005 by BobC

[WATigerman 1]

Maybe a Leicester fan could help here, i remember Les Collins being excluded for looking back to much during a heat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Not a Leicester fan but I can certainly remember this one too Steve..............

[WATigerman 1]

I remember in 1975 there was a bomb scare at Owlerton in a match againt Ipswich; if memory serves me correctly the spectators ended up on the centre green whilst police searched the stadium.................

Edited November 20, 2005 by WATigerman

[WATigerman 1]

Here's one for you. I remember reading in the Speedway Star about how the then world champ. Anders Michanek( 1974) was once washing his hair when the water went off, so he promptly stuck his head in the loo and flushed it to rinse the shampoo off................

Edited November 20, 2005 by WATigerman

[WATigerman 1]

......................or the time Wimbledon came to Sheffield in 1981 when the entire team came on a coach - bikes and all!! (I thought it was the supporters who were supposed to do this.........). Click here see Brad Oxley and Rudy Muts unloading a bike from the coach.

Edited November 20, 2005 by WATigerman

[AndyM 1]

Must have saved a fortune in petrol costs. Shame you wouldn't see that happening nowadays!

[Tsunami 10,219]

The Reading team, under Geoff Mudge, used to do their Northern tour in an adapted bus in the early 60's.

 

In about 1961, a rider called Jimmy Cox(the Buckskin Kid), was riding at Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh and after the finish rode to the backstraight fence. In a lightening single move he stopped the bike and then punched a supporter in the face who had been barracking him during the race.

 

[badge wearer 0]

was once at a match where frank ebdon awarded a race after 1/2 a lap.

[Ian 24]

In about 1961, a rider called Jimmy Cox(the Buckskin Kid), was riding at Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh and after the finish rode to the backstraight fence. In a lightening single move he stopped the bike and then punched a supporter in the face who had been barracking him during the race.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Now there's a blast from the past Tsunami - Jimmy Cox. He was the Buckskin Boy, by the way. Ian Hoskins was always one for alliteration. The name came from a tassled buckskin jacket which he always wore over his leathers.

 

I bumped into Jimmy in Edinburgh in about 1968 - some years after he stopped riding. Once he started talking speedway he wouldn't stop. He particularly recalled his days in the early 1950s when he was paired with Jack Young, and how Youngie would help him score more points.

 

In these relatively bland and sanitised days I often think how much more crowded the terraces might be if only we had larger-then-life characters like Jimmy back in the sport. Oh yes - and promoters who knew how to extract maximum value from them.

 

Wouldn't you agree, Tsunami?

[Tsunami 10,219]

Ian

 

Certainly would. Used to love going to Old Meadowbank for our usual arguements. All the riders then were personalities.

Never thought that Berto would ever make a speedway rider then ends up riding for Wembley.

Young Briggo was interesting to watch, you never knew which race was going to kill him. He must have had more injuries in the early days than the rest of the team put together.

Jimmy Tannock never looked like a speedway rider more like a young grandad.

Dick Campbell was a canny rider.

The Temps were rough and ready especially Dougie and I would not have liked to race against him.

Lastly, the Ladybank Express. Unfortunately in his meetings with Mauger he was so geed up that he either broke the tapes or made mistakes that he did not do against say Brian Craven or Bill Andrew. I liked Georgie, good honest rider with a bit of flair about him. Always seemed happy to be with fans and always seemed to have a tab in his mouth.

Didn't realise you were as old as me, it certainly was a great time to follow speedway and all of my holidays were spent going round the tracks living in the car for about 12 days at a time.

 

[Ian 24]

Thanks for the memories, Tsunami.

 

A few weeks ago I started a thread called "Meadowbank Memories" on the Monarchs Chatzone. From the response it would appear that most of my (our) contemporaries are either dead or suffering from amnesia. Would you mind if I posted your comments on there?

 

You're right about Dougie Templeton - probably the hardest rider I can ever remember seeing. As for Bert, I seem to recall it took him at least two seasons in the second halves before he sould even slide a bike. My recollection is that a winter in Oz made all the difference.

 

Jimmy Tannock was born at the age of fifty-two.

 

George was a wonderful natural rider. My first season (1962) was the year he started to score maximums at home. The following year he could score them home and away. As you recall, always seemed to have a fag hanging out his mouth when he came round on the parade. Probably encouraged me to smoke!

 

Some of your guys were pretty good too. Remember the Mudlark, Mike Watkin? To the Meadowbank faithful Mauger was a gater, but Brian Craven was a hero. We used to vote for who to invite to the Scottish Open, and Craven was tops, followed by Middlesbrough's Eric Boothroyd, Sheffield's Guy Allott and Plymouth's Jimmy Squibb.

 

Amazingly, in all the years I've watched speedway I've never been to Brough Park. First I couldn't afford the money, now I'm pushed to afford the time. I think I'll try to rectify that next season. Fancy a pint?

[Tsunami 10,219]

Ian

 

Of course you can use them.

My day at Edinburgh always used to start with a visit to Princes Street, game of putt beside the station, more walking along Princes Street then late tea in Woolies cafe where the pillars were covered in different tartans. Being a Campbell on both sides we always looked for that one. Off to Old Meadowbank to sit in the main stand and try to avoid being beside, or getting into an argument with, that mother and son who used to abide there. After exchanging 'pleasantries' with some home fans it was off to the chip shop just up from the stadium or down to the sitin chip shop in Mussleborough. 2 hours later home and to bed. Great days.

BTW Mike Watkin was at Sunday School and in the same boys club as me. We both worked for Parsons as apprentices and he married a girl I was at school with. Spoke to him in about February and he is now a Swimming coach at a Middlesex Swimming Club. He was a county swimmer as was Paul Bentley.

 

I would be delighted if you could make it to Brough next year and I will show you around the joint and have a pint. Either that or I could see you at Armadale.

 

Edited November 24, 2005 by Tsunami