List Of My Top Twenty Riders From The 70s, 80s & 90s

[steve roberts 9,247]

I followed speedway exclusively during the 70s, 80s & 90s. My top twenty (I'm only including those that I actually saw compete and in no particular order) during each decade are:

 

1970s

 

Ivan Mauger

Ole Olsen

Barry Briggs

Ronnie Moore

Anders Michanek

Peter Collins

Michael Lee

Malcolm Simmons

Dave Jessup

Gordon Kennett

Dag Lovaas

Ray Wilson

John Louis

Martin Ashby

Tommy Jansson

Bruce Penhall

Scott Autrey

Phil Crump

Hans Nielsen

Terry Betts

 

1980s

 

Hans Nielsen

Erik Gundersen

Bruce Penhall

Ole Olsen

Sam Ermolenko

Bo Petersen

Tommy Knudsen

Kelvin Tatum

Simon Wigg

Gordon Kennett

John Davis

Jan Andersson

Phil Crump

Shawn Moran

Dennis Sigalos

Billy Sanders

Kenny Carter

Chris Morton

Jeremy Doncaster

Kelly Moran

Bobby Schwartz

 

1990s

 

Hans Nielsen

Sam Ermolenko

Per Jonsson

Greg Hancock

Billy Hamill

Gary Havelock

Kelvin Tatum

Martin Dugard

Jason Crump

Tony Rickardsson

Jimmy Nilsen

Todd Wiltshire

Shawn Moran

Chris Louis

Joe Screen

Tomasz Gollob

Leigh Adams

Jeremy Doncaster

Simon Wigg

 

 

It's purely a personal and subjective list. Ask me to complete a list tomorrow and I'd probably come up with a different version!

 

Riders I would have liked to have included would have been Bernie Persson, Christer Lofqvist, John Boulger, Bengt Jansson amongst many others...!

Edited December 19, 2015 by steve roberts

[waiheke1 4,295]

80s glaring omissions are Jan o, Lee and Jessup and probably Peter Collins.

Kennett Davis Peterson no way should be on that list.

Personally would have muller as well and not Schwartz and Crump

No Jan o in the 90s either?!?

[steve roberts 9,247]

80s glaring omissions are Jan o, Lee and Jessup and probably Peter Collins.

Kennett Davis Peterson no way should be on that list.

Personally would have muller as well and not Schwartz and Crump

No Jan o in the 90s either?!?

Crumbs! I'd forgotten about Jan O! As I said it's a personal list and listed are riders that left an impression on me during those years. Bo Petersen was a class act at Hackney but if I was asked to compile a list tomorrow I'm sure that it would be different!

Edited December 19, 2015 by steve roberts

[waiheke1 4,295]

Shaun moran also surely should be on the 80s list

[steve roberts 9,247]

Shaun moran also surely should be on the 80s list

He's there together with his brother! My list is drawn up from following Oxford (1972-75 & 1984-2003) remembering that they rode in the National/Premier League (1976-83, 93-94 & 97), White City (1976-78) & Eastbourne (1979-82) hence my high ranking of Gordon Kennett who was superlative around Arlington during that period and was an England regular during the 70s and early 80s.

 

As I've stated it's not an exhaustive list but riders that I grew up with and admired and who left a lasting impression. I didn't, for example, see much of Penhall (certainly not riding for Cradley but generally in Test Matches and his Wembley success) or Carter (Oxford having competed in the National League during their 'reign') and there are many who I have emitted (Dougie Wyer comes to mind who was a Wood Lane specialist as was your own particular favourite Larry Ross!)...the list is endless and I re-iterate it's not aimed to provoke debate on who was the 'greatest' within a particular decade but who, for me, left their mark for a variety of reasons. No one was bigger than Peter Collins during the seventies, for example, as he had become a household name thru' his exploits covered by the sadly missed 'World of Sport.'

Edited December 19, 2015 by steve roberts

[stratton 1,491]

I followed speedway exclusively during the 70s, 80s & 90s. My top twenty (I'm only including those that I actually saw compete and in no particular order) during each decade are:

 

1970s

 

Ivan Mauger

Ole Olsen

Barry Briggs

Ronnie Moore

Anders Michanek

Peter Collins

Michael Lee

Malcolm Simmons

Dave Jessup

Gordon Kennett

Dag Lovaas

Ray Wilson

John Louis

Martin Ashby

Tommy Jansson

Bruce Penhall

Scott Autrey

Phil Crump

Hans Nielsen

Terry Betts

 

1980s

 

Hans Nielsen

Erik Gundersen

Bruce Penhall

Ole Olsen

Sam Ermolenko

Bo Petersen

Tommy Knudsen

Kelvin Tatum

Simon Wigg

Gordon Kennett

John Davis

Jan Andersson

Phil Crump

Shawn Moran

Dennis Sigalos

Billy Sanders

Kenny Carter

Chris Morton

Jeremy Doncaster

Kelly Moran

Bobby Schwartz

 

1990s

 

Hans Nielsen

Sam Ermolenko

Per Jonsson

Greg Hancock

Billy Hamill

Gary Havelock

Kelvin Tatum

Martin Dugard

Jason Crump

Tony Rickardsson

Jimmy Nilsen

Todd Wiltshire

Shawn Moran

Chris Louis

Joe Screen

Tomasz Gollob

Leigh Adams

Jeremy Doncaster

Simon Wigg

 

 

It's purely a personal and subjective list. Ask me to complete a list tomorrow and I'd probably come up with a different version!

 

Riders I would have liked to have included would have been Bernie Persson, Christer Lofqvist, John Boulger, Bengt Jansson amongst many others...!

I think Steve your list is pretty good,alot of them i would imagine is of your exsperience on seeing them ride live.Petersen,Andersson,Doncaster,Davis,Kennett are the ones i find hard to judge all of them i have seen ride brilliantly at times but ever get in a top twenty i dunno really. Edited December 22, 2015 by sidney

[steve roberts 9,247]

Hi Sidney, yes it's all very subjective and based on my own experiences. For example I would liked to have included Bob Kilby as he was a rider I admired greatly although frustrating at times! Having seen many National League 'stars' during that time I could also expand the theme...but I'll leave that to others!?

 

Christmas greetings by the way!

[stratton 1,491]

Hi Sidney, yes it's all very subjective and based on my own experiences. For example I would liked to have included Bob Kilby as he was a rider I admired greatly although frustrating at times! Having seen many National League 'stars' during that time I could also expand the theme...but I'll leave that to others!?

 

Christmas greetings by the way!

Same to you Steve, Kilb was a rider i admired knew him to say hello to through Malc Holloway

later on in his career what a nice bloke he was terrific a great laugh.See him from the early seventies what a gater he was ,i studied his career at Exeter beat Mauger(ect in heat one that was the norm had great seasons at the county ground and was he once the fastest man ever at the County Ground.?

[steve roberts 9,247]

Can't believe that I left out the Boocock brothers! Just goes to prove how putting together a list featuring either the greatest/most entertaining/impressionable is always going to be a difficult, if not impossible task!

[stratton 1,491]

Both Booey brothers were superb team men loyal to the hilt,Nigel i suppose achieved the most on the individual front but Eric was still a British champion in a mega tough era.Nigel you could even say would of been mentioned in the fifties and certainly the sixties as well,how exciting was he a born racer and Eric was a real stylist and his record at the Shay was awesome.The three Halifax riders at the shay (awesome track unique) maybe over the years (no order) Forrest,Carter,Eric.??

[steve roberts 9,247]

Both Booey brothers were superb team men loyal to the hilt,Nigel i suppose achieved the most on the individual front but Eric was still a British champion in a mega tough era.Nigel you could even say would of been mentioned in the fifties and certainly the sixties as well,how exciting was he a born racer and Eric was a real stylist and his record at the Shay was awesome.The three Halifax riders at the shay (awesome track unique) maybe over the years (no order) Forrest,Carter,Eric.??

Wish I had seen speedway at the Shay. I popped in a few years ago when I visited Halifax and there was no evidence of speedway ever taking place at the venue.

 

Another rider I enjoyed watching was the late Chris Pusey who rode for Halifax after serving Belle Vue with distinction for a number of years. Apparently he never really got over the terrible injury suffered by Alan Wilkinson...another great character!

Edited December 23, 2015 by steve roberts

[stratton 1,491]

Wish I had scene speedway at the Shay. I popped in a few years ago when i visited Halifax and there was no evidence of speedway ever taking place at the venue.

 

Another rider I enjoyed watching was the late Chris Pusey who rode for Halifax after serving Belle Vue with distinction for a number of years. Apparently he never really got over the terrible injury suffered by Alan Wilkinson...another great character!

Pusey was a very good rider indeed,classy on his day tough as old boots remember Chris scoring a fifteen point max at the Abbey one year.The Shay for me was one of the events of the season, along with Hyde Rd and Owlerton a brilliant day out.I loved the Shay so fast like the County Ground Exeter riders flew by you like a flash.I remember Crumpy doing Kenny a few times round there and i can also remember them having a real nice clubhouse with an excellent pint of Bitter great times.

[steve roberts 9,247]

Visited Hyde Road on a number of occasions. Remember watching Hans Nielsen trying to keep both Peter Collins and Chris Morton at bay during the same race...they used all of the track! It had so many different 'racing' lines. Went to Exeter a few times and on my first visit made the mistake of sitting in the main stand and not being able to see any of the action on the home straight! Awesome track, however, and another sad loss to the sport.

[Reviresco 708]

The Shay, Hyde Road and The County Ground were always great visits and were huge losses to the sport.

 

I remember that in his programme notes after one particular visit to the Shay, John Berry wrote that Kenny Carter must be getting 'reet fed oop' with Billy Sanders tapping him on the shoulder and saying excuse me as he went past him again. Also remember driving up from East London in '84 I think and driving into the car park only for the meeting to be called off and re-scheduled for the following Saturday and then forgetting my car park ticket for the re-arranged fixture. The track was pitch black, the weather, and fog, could come in very quickly and the burgers were awful.

 

(Just looking at your original post Steve, I'd argue that Penhall shouldn't be on the '70's list as he only had two seasons in Britain and hadn't reached a World Final by then, but three great lists and many memories invoked.)

[stratton 1,491]

The Shay, Hyde Road and The County Ground were always great visits and were huge losses to the sport.

 

I remember that in his programme notes after one particular visit to the Shay, John Berry wrote that Kenny Carter must be getting 'reet fed oop' with Billy Sanders tapping him on the shoulder and saying excuse me as he went past him again. Also remember driving up from East London in '84 I think and driving into the car park only for the meeting to be called off and re-scheduled for the following Saturday and then forgetting my car park ticket for the re-arranged fixture. The track was pitch black, the weather, and fog, could come in very quickly and the burgers were awful.

 

(Just looking at your original post Steve, I'd argue that Penhall shouldn't be on the '70's list as he only had two seasons in Britain and hadn't reached a World Final by then, but three great lists and many memories invoked.)

Macca you know better than most but Billy really had raised his game before he went i noticed it as at the time i was a huge Crump fan.I loved watching Sanders ride a superb style,and it really surprises me no one really felt he could of been WC.I did he had earned his dues coming over as a young 16 year old kid and turning into a superb rider i really missed not seeing what he could of achieved.In all my memorabilia i have of Billy videos pictures (ect) i really felt he was a brilliant loser as well he showed that in the Pairs for Australia where apart from the fall he was awesome. Edited December 23, 2015 by sidney