Bob Humphreys

[asturmer 0]

Anyone remember Bob Humphreys (Australian International) who last rode at Arena Essex and previously Milton Keynes and maybe Reading before that !

He has proven that life begins at 60, as at 61 yrs of age he is leading the 125 gp class of the West Australian Road Racing Championships. He competes against 20 yr olds in Perth, who cant beat him, and of course he still gets a flyer from the starts and overtakes several riders at the first tight right hander, He is as comfortable on the outside as he is the inside line, and he kept fit until recently at his local boxing club!!! Amazing stuff!!!

[MARK246 243]

No maybe about Reading, he rode there with Bernie Leigh who was riding enduros but in poor health last I heard.

[star ghost 7]

Pre-Reading Bob was at KingsLynn with Terry, Simmo, Barry Crowson, Eddie Reeves and Tiddler Turner where he was a regular in the team for a number of seasons.

[Kent Boy 2]

A member of the very first Arena Essex team

[DW 11]

Always remember him being a difficult opponent, for Milton Keynes(did he not ride in their first season also?)

[stevehone 3,429]

and a real nice bloke too ... owned the Elfield Park Training Track where i used to go most weekends.

[star ghost 7]

Yes Bob was a great bloke but like everyone else he had moments when he had to "sort someone out". He certainly did one night beside the Pits at Lynn when this "yob-gob" gave Bob a mouthful as he came in after a last placing.

A bit along the lines of Aub Lawson I would think

Edited July 27, 2007 by star ghost

[Shortcrust 0]

I remember one meeting back in the 70's at King's Lynn, some geezer gave Bob some lip from the crowd whilst Bob was on the parade truck. Bob jumped off the truck, and over fence and into the crowd and punched the bloke smack in the chops!!!

 

He also opened my village fete one year. What a true Star he was.

[Team Man 32]

Great bloke, good Speedway rider, Team Captain, team rider, he had the art of getting to the front and then slowing the racing down to get his partner through.

 

Martin Goodwin said when he was at Arena Essex Bob Humphreys taught him how to win races without going fast.

 

I had the pleasure of being mechanic for Bob, his wife Jane and my wife Jackie got on well together so the four of us used to travel around together track to track, in 1980 he was not only Milton Keynes No 1 in the NL, but also rode at No 4 for Swindon in the BL, we did quite a lot of traveling then but enjoyed every minute of it, that time was some of my happiest times in Speedway, everybody liked Bob

[5426jaycee 0]

I remember one meeting back in the 70's at King's Lynn, some geezer gave Bob some lip from the crowd whilst Bob was on the parade truck. Bob jumped off the truck, and over fence and into the crowd and punched the bloke smack in the chops!!!

 

He also opened my village fete one year. What a true Star he was.

I'll go with that, really nice guy who had a lot of time for the young riders. When my ex hubby was moaning about the supporters wanting to talk to him after the match, Bob told him that he should remember that those people paid his wages and without them coming through the gate each week he wouldn't be paid (first to the bank next morning before the cheque bounced under Ron Wilson!!!) so a few minutes of his time cost nothing.

Can I also say that I have been kissed by him!!! When I got married, he couldn't come to the reception as he was otherwise occupied at the NL riders championship. When we saw him at Elfield he came up and apologised and gave me a kiss - swooon!

 

[BOBBATH 467]

Good for Bob-he proves 60 is the new 40!!!

[Brian Hamilton 1]

Pre-Reading Bob was at KingsLynn with Terry, Simmo, Barry Crowson, Eddie Reeves and Tiddler Turner where he was a regular in the team for a number of seasons.

Starghost,

I did not realise that Eddie Reeves went to KL from Oxford after they won the title!!

[star ghost 7]

Eddie came to ride for the Stars in 73, 74 & 75. I understand a fee of £4 or 5 hundred pounds was paid by Kings Lynn. Wasn't he married to a filmstar or someone like that (Maybe still is). After his time at Lynn there were rumours he was going to ride for Boston but whether he did I do not know. Also rumoured to be riding in the U S A at one time

[miro 9]

Eddie came to ride for the Stars in 73, 74 & 75. I understand a fee of £4 or 5 hundred pounds was paid by Kings Lynn. Wasn't he married to a filmstar or someone like that (Maybe still is). After his time at Lynn there were rumours he was going to ride for Boston but whether he did I do not know. Also rumoured to be riding in the U S A at one time

 

 

 

Thats right and he had a spell at Hackney after Oxford too, and returned to ride for the Rebels very briefly. I can't remember the name of the actress he married now but he was in California in the 1970s and may have ridden there - anybody confirm?

 

Eddie was a real lost talent I thought - 'the youngest captain in the British League' as he was known at Oxford at the end of the 1960s - its forgotten now that he was a proper heat leader and number one for the Cheetahs.

 

Norbold will remember him riding with his father Reg at New Cross.

Edited May 15, 2008 by miro

[star ghost 7]

I have dug out my Kings Lynn programme for 2 June 73 and it carries a welcome to Eddie Reeves. He had married Ann Michelle the previous year.

It mentions his first race in New Cross colours, with Reg Reeves his dad. Seems that Reg sent Eddie sprawling on the shale first time out. A hell of a welcome that was.