Your Most Memorable International Test Match

[bazaar3 0]

Over the years there have been some great test matches having featured the major nations but which ones have really stood out in the memory for you.

 

For me it was:

 

On the box/video: England vs Denmark 1986/87? It was at Cradley Heath and the Danes stormed into an early lead into the meeting led by Gundersen, Nielsen and Jan O whilst England scrapped for every point and Captain Wigg even lending his green machine to Jem Doncaster but led by the starting marshall who didn't like Nielsen's antics on the inside gate and the teams tenacity, they fought back from 10 points down to get back to 2 towards the final heat.

 

After a fantastic ride from Morton to pass Preben Eriksson and then both of them to cross the line nearly together and then end up collecting each other and crash into the first bend after the race, Wiggy and Collins just had to beat Hans from his favourite inside gate but he shot from the start and hung on for a 2 point vic to the Danes.

 

 

Live: England vs Sweden vs Australia at Poole in 1991/92? The Swedes were a dominant force back then with Jonsson, Olsson, Nilsen and a young Rickardsson etc but a young England went tooth and nail until the final heat where Doncaster and Cox had to earn a 5-1 against Adams and I think home track rider Mick Poole. Donkey made the start along with Adams who drifted wide and Cocker shot between Poole and Adams for a famous victory and made the crowd go wild.

 

 

Opinions...

 

 

[kaybtee 0]

For me it was a live test match in the early seventies.It was at the boulevard in Hull.Young england v Young poland.Cant recall many riders(if anyone can help thanks)it ended up 45all I just remember it as a cracking race meeting.

[Robbie B 262]

Thursday 1 May 1980 Wimbledon, the very first test match between England and the USA, it ended up 54-54, brilliant racing all the way through the meeting.

 

England 54

Chris Morton 12, John Louis 11, Peter Collins 11, Michael Lee 9, John Davis 7, Malcolm Simmons 4, Kenny Carter (res) 0, Les Collins (res) 0

USA 54

Scott Autrey 15, Bruce Penhall13, Bobby chwartz 8, Ronnie Preston 8, Dennis Sigalos 7, Steve Gresham 3, John Cook (res) & Larry Kosta (res) did not ride

 

A fair result, as much as I wanted England to win, speedway was the winner that day. I was at the meeting on the 3rd & 4th bends in the wooden boxes on the stairs, with my Union Jack (couldn't get a Cross of St.George anywhere)

 

Test series sponsored by 'Durex'.

 

Shame ITV don't repeat the meeting.

Edited February 28, 2009 by Robbie B

[From PC to KC. 25]

The best test match i ever went to was, at Sheffield in 1983 i think. England vs USA. England got 2 last heat 5-1 wins to win the match. The place was packed, there was a great atmosphere and the racing throughout was superb entertainment.

[Robbie B 262]

It would be great to a test series again , against any nation, speedway could do with it. But with the GP series now so long nowadays, I doubt it will ever happen again, mores the pity .

Edited February 28, 2009 by Robbie B

[colincooke 0]

Who can forget the England V Sweden test matches of the seventies & those Collins v Michanek races.

Edited February 28, 2009 by colincooke

[lisa-colette 6,042]

Who can forget the England V Sweden test matches of the seventies & those Collins v Michanek races.

 

Me!..............cos i've never seen them!

 

 

 

[Najjer 2,890]

Me!..............cos i've never seen them!

 

In which case, you can't forget something you don't know

[lisa-colette 6,042]

In which case, you can't forget something you don't know

 

Well i'm not gonna remember it am i?

 

 

 

[Ian 24]

The Scotland vs USSR match at Old Meadowbank in 1966 (I think). I don't remember much about the racing, or even what the score was, but the sense of occasion was massive. A huge crowd, great riders like Plechanov and Samorodov. Best of all, these weren't guys we were seeing every week in the British League.

 

 

[iris123 21,035]

I was at quite a few great tests.England v Poland at Hackney back in 74(?) when England won every heat 5-1 apart from the last heat when i think Wilson was excluded!A long time since England could do that to Poland.More chance now that they would do that to us.England v Denmark at Oxford when Nielsen was reserve.And England v USA at Plough Lane....The only test meetings i have seen in the last 20 years or so though are the Denmark v Sweden U21 tests and even they seem to be a thing of the past now....

[norbold 7,135]

I think the best International I ever saw, though not strictly a Test match, was the 1961 World Team Cup qualifying round at New Cross between England, New Zealand and Australia. Ronnie Moore scored an 18 point maximum for NZ, with Briggs scoring 14. Jack Young was Australia's top scorer with 12. England's joint top scorers were Peter Craven and Split Waterman with 13. The final score was England 44 NZ 38 Australia 26.

 

The reason it was so memorable was because of the return to form of Split Waterman. For the 1960 season and the first half of the 1961 season, Split was a reasonable heat leader but nothing like the rider he had once been in the early 50s when he twice finished runner-up in the World Championship, but suddenly, in July, he returned to the form that had once made him one of the top riders in the world and here he was mixing it with the likes of Moore, Briggs and Craven on equal terms.

 

Incidentally, although the match was 18 heats long, there was still time for a second half with Bill Osborne winning the Rangers' Scurry final from Tyburn Gallows.

Edited March 1, 2009 by norbold

[KenB1 23]

QUOTE (Robbie B @ Feb 28 2009, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thursday 1 May 1980 Wimbledon, the very first test match between England and the USA, it ended up 54-54, brilliant racing all the way through the meeting.

 

England 54

Chris Morton 12, John Louis 11, Peter Collins 11, Michael Lee 9, John Davis 7, Malcolm Simmons 4, Kenny Carter (res) 0, Les Collins (res) 0

USA 54

Scott Autrey 15, Bruce Penhall13, Bobby chwartz 8, Ronnie Preston 8, Dennis Sigalos 7, Steve Gresham 3, John Cook (res) & Larry Kosta (res) did not ride

 

A fair result, as much as I wanted England to win, speedway was the winner that day. I was at the meeting on the 3rd & 4th bends in the wooden boxes on the stairs, with my Union Jack (couldn't get a Cross of St.George anywhere)

 

Test series sponsored by 'Durex'.

 

Shame ITV don't repeat the meeting.

 

I don't think it was covered by ITV, however it ws covered by a film company and used at the cinemas as a documentary (next to Satollones First Blood), I was i the film and I have a copy from the producers that they sent me as a thank you. I also have some cine film from the meeting, it was a fantastic match and I really remember some of the team riding being exceptional.

Edited March 1, 2009 by KenB1

[Robbie B 262]

I don't think it was covered by ITV, however it ws covered by a film company and used at the cinemas as a documentary (next to Satollones First Blood), I was i the film and I have a copy from the producers that they sent me as a thank you. I also have some cine film from the meeting, it was a fantastic match and I really remember some of the team riding being exceptional.

 

I do remember the TV cameras being there, with their big Ooutside Broadcast trucks outside the stadium. The meeting was shown on ITV's 'World of Sport' the following Saturday afternoon.

 

[star ghost 7]

First Official International Test Match @ Firs Stadium, Norwich - Saturday 20 June 1953

 

England 46 - Billy Bales 13, Ken Sharples 9, Split Waterman 8, Arthur Forrest 7, Alan Hunt 3, Fred Williams 3, Fred Rogers (Res) 2 Brian Crutcher (Res) 1

 

Aussies 62 - Ronnie Moore 18 max, Jack Young 17, Aub Lawson 13, Arthur Payne 7, Jack Biggs 3, Johnnie Chamberlain (Res) 3, Peter Moore 1, Keith Gurtner (Res) did not ride

 

With Ronnie racing to a maximum it was wondered if anyone could stop Jack matching that feat and it was little Billy Bales who did it just after the midway interval. Billy then came out and beat Aub and for good measure equalled the track record later in the match. It was the first test match Billy had been selected for the full England team.

 

Another great International, with a shock result was at Plough Lane when Birger Forsberg finished alone to give the Swedes a 1 point win over England and also give the Sweden team a 2 match lead over England in their first ever full test visit here. It was limited to a 3 match series so Sweden had won a famous victory. Had it been Ove or Rune Sormander it might have been expected but Birger was only a second string rider in the Sweden team with Olle Nygren the third heat leader.