Oldest Surviving World Finalists

[BOBBATH 467]

With Peo and P.T. Svensson gone , most of the final 16 move up  2 places - it seems Doug Davies and Sverre Harrfeldt are now on the oldest 16 list -while we also have 2 new reserves at 17 and 18. Thanks for the update Jonas. 

[jrs 3,290]

37 minutes ago, Jonas H said:

Peo is definitely dead. Well before Wikipedia even existed. Was a referee for many years, but died suddenly in July, 1992, some 3 months before his 60th birthday.

Hopefully Frigbo will see these posts as he is the fountain of knowledge on this thread.

AS well as Per Olof , commonly called Peo, wasn't there another Soderman of the same era also involved in speedway ?

 

[Jonas H 10]

36 minutes ago, jrs said:

Hopefully Frigbo will see these posts as he is the fountain of knowledge on this thread.

AS well as Per Olof , commonly called Peo, wasn't there another Soderman of the same era also involved in speedway ?

 

There was no other Söderman. You might have thought about Rune Sörmander?

[BOBBATH 467]

Rune has also passed away-great rider.

[Bavarian 767]

7 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

With Peo and P.T. Svensson gone , most of the final 16 move up  2 places - it seems Doug Davies and Sverre Harrfeldt are now on the oldest 16 list -while we also have 2 new reserves at 17 and 18. Thanks for the update Jonas. 

I don't think that Doug Davies is still alive. As far as I recall it, he died in the early 2000s.

[BL65 657]

10 hours ago, Bavarian said:

I don't think that Doug Davies is still alive. As far as I recall it, he died in the early 2000s.

That is correct, Doug died 8th June 2000.

[chunky 6,093]

Well, in light of recent information - thanks peeps - here is the updated list...

 

01 - Arthur Payne - 28/08/23
02 - Chum Taylor - 04/04/27
03 - Ian Williams - 04/08/31
04 - Ove Fundin - 23/05/33
05 - Dan Forsberg - 25/03/34
06 - Josef Hofmeister - 17/06/34
07 - Brian Crutcher - 23/08/34
08 - Mike Broadbank - 25/09/34
09 - Barry Briggs - 30/12/34
10 - Aage Hansen - 13/04/35
11 - Gote Nordin - 02/07/35
12 - Bob Andrews - 27/10/1935
13 - Reg Luckhurst - 11/11/1935
14 - Sverre Harrfeldt - 23/11/1937
15 - Leif Larsson - 16/02/1938
16 - Bjorn Knutson - 27/04/38

17 - Rick France - 12/07/1938
18 - Gunnar Malmqvist - 25/12/1940

19 - Andrzej Wyglenda 04/05/1941
20 - John Louis - 14/06/1941
21 - Jim Airey - 19/08/1941
22 - Bengt Jansson - 09/01/1943
23 - Anders Michanek - 30/05/1943
24 - Trevor Hedge - 30/08/1943
25 - Terry Betts - 15/09/1943
26 - Howard Cole 29/12/1943
27 - Martin Ashby - 05/02/1944
28 - Jan Simensen - 26/07/1944
29 - Zygfryd Friedek - 19/10/1944
30 - Jerzy Trzeszkowski - 10/01/1945
31 - Eric Boocock - 02/02/1945
32 - John Boulger - 18/06/1945
33 - Hasse Holmqvist - 18/06/1945
34 - Jim McMillan - 03/12/1945
35 - Soren Karlsson - 23/10/1946
36 - Ole Olsen - 16/11/1946
37 - Ray Wilson - 12/03/1947
38 - Doug Wyer - 16/08/1947
39 - Grigori Khlinovsky - 11/11/47
40 - Egon Muller - 26/11/1948
41 - Christoph Betzl - 13/02/1949
42- Jiri Stancl - 18/11/1949
43 - Viktor Kuznetsov - 27/11/1949
44 - Georg Hack - 20/02/1950
45 - Marek Cieslak - 28/06/1950
46 - Alois Wiesbock - 31/07/1950
47 - Tommy Johansson - 21/10/1950
48 - Vladimir Gordeev - 30/11/1950
49 - John Titman - 26/01/1951
50 - Dag Lovaas - 25/02/1951

51 - Jan Verner - 03/03/1951
52 - Petr Ondrasik - 08/10/1951
53 - Phil Crump - 09/02/1952
54 - Henny Kroeze - 11/03/1952
55 - Valery Gordeev - 28/08/1952
56 - Dave Jessup - 07/03/1953
57 - Ales Dryml - 10/06/1953
58 - Scott Autrey - 09/07/1953
59 - Gordon Kennett - 02/09/1953
60 - Robert Slabon - 15/09/1953
61 - Peter Collins - 24/03/1954
62 - Larry Ross - 15/06/1954
63 - John Davis - 10/11/1954
64 - Finn Thomsen - 16/02/1955
65 - Mikhail Starostin - 24/02/1955
66 - Tommy Nilsson - 10/03/1955
67 - Jan Andersson - 07/05/1955
68 - Kai Niemi - 15/09/1955
69 - Jerzy Rembas - 18/04/1956
70 - Chris Morton - 22/07/1956
71 - Steve Bastable - 16/09/1956
72 - Bruce Penhall - 10/05/1957
73 - Karl Maier - 24/08/1957
74 - Roman Jankowski - 05/10/1957
75 - Bo Petersen - 21/02/1958
76 - Les Collins - 24/05/1958
77 - Mitch Shirra - 27/09/1958
78 - Michael Lee - 11/12/1958
79 - John Cook - 18/12/1958
80 - Dennis Sigalos - 16/08/1959
81 - Erik Gundersen - 08/10/1959
82 - Hans Nielsen - 26/12/1959

Edited July 12, 2023 by chunky

[BOBBATH 467]

Thanks again Chunky-great update

[chunky 6,093]

12 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

Thanks again Chunky-great update

Nice to see five ex-Dons in the Top 16!

[chunky 6,093]

Just for bit of fun; Jason Crump is the YOUNGEST surviving world finalist, nearly three years younger than the next - Joe Screen.

Yes, I now have the complete list of surviving world finalists...

[iris123 20,986]

18 hours ago, chunky said:

Nice to see five ex-Dons in the Top 16!

Back home and chatting to some of the older members of the family, i was told a story that i had never heard before. According to one of my uncles, when Ronnie Greene left, 3 former Dons applied to take over. Cyril, Ron How and Reg Luckhurst. Apparently he say's the job went to Cyril on the basis that he lived vlosest (Mitcham). Now my uncle thought Ron How would have been the better choice. Plus seems he held a grudge against Maidment for leaving the Dons in the lurch when Mirac retired. Then only coming back to Wimbledon when Ronnie returned to the sport.

Not sure n any of that

[chunky 6,093]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

Back home and chatting to some of the older members of the family, i was told a story that i had never heard before. According to one of my uncles, when Ronnie Greene left, 3 former Dons applied to take over. Cyril, Ron How and Reg Luckhurst. Apparently he say's the job went to Cyril on the basis that he lived vlosest (Mitcham). Now my uncle thought Ron How would have been the better choice. Plus seems he held a grudge against Maidment for leaving the Dons in the lurch when Mirac retired. Then only coming back to Wimbledon when Ronnie returned to the sport.

Not sure n any of that

Kinda makes sense, actually... Sid and Reg both retired at the end of 71. Maido went straight into management, with Reg taking a year off before coming out of retirement in 73. I do think Ron would have been a good choice.

[BL65 657]

20 hours ago, iris123 said:

 Plus seems he held a grudge against Maidment for leaving the Dons in the lurch when Mirac retired. Then only coming back to Wimbledon when Ronnie returned to the sport.

Cyril left Wimbledon and joined Belle Vue in 1962.  He was in his second season with the Aces when Ronnie was injured so didn't really leave the Dons in the lurch by moving.

[Jonas H 10]

Where's Gunnar Malmqvist? Scored 7 points to finish tenth in the 1968 world final. Gunnar is alive and well, lives at Vetlanda and celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary in February.

Born 25/12/1940 and should be number 18 on the list. 

https://www.merinfo.se/person/Vetlanda/Bo-Erik-Gunnar-Malmqvist-1940/bju2x-nhch

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Jonas H

[chunky 6,093]

3 hours ago, Jonas H said:

Where's Gunnar Malmqvist? Scored 7 points to finish tenth in the 1968 world final. Gunnar is alive and well, lives at Vetlanda and celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary in February.

Born 25/12/1940 and should be number 18 on the list. 

https://www.merinfo.se/person/Vetlanda/Bo-Erik-Gunnar-Malmqvist-1940/bju2x-nhch

 

We have been missing some info on Swedish riders, so that is great to find that out. I will update the list. Thanks again!