Martin Yeates

[fatface 2,554]

only because jimmy macs engine gave up the ghost yards from the line whilst well clear falcace stevie lawson had already started celebrating at the back a sad day for the tigers fans but i take nothing away from yeates as i have said he was a rider i always enjoyed watching at blantyre

 

Hmmm. ...I don't recall it that way at all. Can anyone clarify?

 

[mervjankefanclub 48]

Hmmm. ...I don't recall it that way at all. Can anyone clarify?

 

a report from glasgow promoter dave thomson in the home prog dated 11 june 1983 against weymouth funnily enough

 

"on saturday many supporters travelled down to belle vue for the nl pairs and how close our representatives jimmy and steve came to lifting the title let me tell you how it went in the heats we met middlesbrough canterbury and peterborough and superb riding by jimmy with excellent support from steve saw us take 5 - 1 5 - 1 and 4 - 2 respectivley with jimmy unbeaten so we were through to the semi and that saw us meet mildenhall and again a winning ride by jimmy and we were in the final favourites newcastle had lost to weymouth in the other semi so like tonights match it was the wildcats we had to beat we lost the toss for gate positions and martin yeates made a superb gate with jimmy chasing and passing him twice on lap two so into lap four and jimmy leading fairly comfortably as he entered the third bend when his bike failed and although the motor managed to take him over the line in second place martin yeates was through to win the title for the wildcats we could never have come closer without winning so tonight give a big cheer to the new pairs champions martin yeates and simon cross and the ryunners up jimmy and steve......oh the pain

 

and for the record the wildcats beat us on the night 54 - 41 in the ko cup

 

[fatface 2,554]

Ach, well fair enough. Didn't seem that way to me at the time. I'm happy to give Jimmy Mac the benefit of the doubt

[KenB1 23]

It's not often you see the Track Record broken in Heat 2 of a League match but he did it at Arlington in 1974. He won by about half a lap!!!!!!!

 

Always good to watch with a spectacular style.

 

he did indeed and he was a great friend of mine, lost his place at Arlington because eric Dugard became old enough to ride and that was it!

Trapper was a class rider and I remmeber him returning with Oxford and knocking the eagles out of the cup in 1976?

[burton 0]

an all time national league great was martin yeates,i remember him and wiggy riding at stoke in 1982,wiggy got 18 point max and martin got 16 plus 2 paid max,and the match still finished 48 48 great days.

[mervjankefanclub 48]

an all time national league great was martin yeates,i remember him and wiggy riding at stoke in 1982,wiggy got 18 point max and martin got 16 plus 2 paid max,and the match still finished 48 48 great days.

 

didnt they both also won the nl pairs at swindon that same year burton and it may even have been with five 5 - 1s

Edited March 10, 2008 by mervjankefanclub

[burton 0]

cannot remember 1982 pairs ,but i recall the 1983 event at belle vue ,when yeates beat hunter and owen in the final.

[Wessex Wanderer 148]

didnt they both also won the nl pairs at swindon that same year burton and it may even have been with five 5 - 1s

 

They did indeed. I don't think the 5 5-1's has ever been equalled in this competition. With a comparatively short trip home a great time was had by the Weymouth fans in the bar afterwards. Joined as always by the Middlesbrough fans of the day and a very sporting group from Long Eaton who had been beaten in the Final.

 

I still remember Wally Mawdsley "requesting" me to get back off of his dog track in the lead up to the presentaion.

[Trackman 3]

Weymouth's Best Ever.....? Wiggy, Coles,Schofield, Shakespeare...... Yeates who?

Regards.

PS.

Them were the days.

[Wessex Wanderer 148]

Hi Trackman

 

I did a "Best Ever Team" for the 50th anniversary programme. It was (in riding order):

 

1 Martin Yeates, 2 Simon Cross, 3 Simon Wigg, 4 Tony Lomas, 5 Brian Woodward, 6 Steve Schofield, 7 Vic Harding (Capt). Neil Street was Team Manager.

 

Personal opinion only and very difficult to leave out the likes of Danny Kennedy, Malcolm Corradine, Malcolm Shakespeare etc etc etc etc. Great fun drawing up the list and even greater fun "discussing" it over a pint with other Weymouth old timers.

Edited March 12, 2008 by Wessex Wanderer

[Pirate Nick 1,801]

Hi Trackman

 

I did a "Best Ever Team" for the 50th anniversary programme. It was (in riding order):

 

1 Martin Yeates, 2 Simon Cross, 3 Simon Wigg, 4 Tony Lomas, 5 Brian Woodward, 6 Steve Schofield, 7 Vic Harding (Capt). Neil Street was Team Manager.

 

Personal opinion only and very difficult to leave out the likes of Danny Kennedy, Malcolm Corradine, Malcolm Shakespeare etc etc etc etc. Great fun drawing up the list and even greater fun "discussing" it over a pint with other Weymouth old timers.

 

What about Stan Bear?

[Wessex Wanderer 148]

Stan was one of the most popular ever Weymouth riders but would not have put any of my 7 out of that team. Now if it were a "personality" team he would be right in there along with the likes of Barry Duke, Geoff Swindells, Kelvin Mullarkey, Richard Evans etc (oh - and Wiggy too of course but then he would be in any team, any time).

 

All these names are making me quite nostalgic.

 

[Parkstone Pirate 0]

Martin attended the Poole anniversary dinner last Saturday and the meeting the following day.

I hope he doesn't mind me saying but he does look very different now, grey hair and glasses replacing the once flowing dark hair but I guess age catches up with all of us!

 

I think Martin was very underrated and was a terrific servant to both Weymouth and Poole. He certainly clocked up a fantastic amount of points. I believe that the one track he really hated was Exeter but a lot of riders had a phobia about that place.