customhouseregular 1,651 Posted February 4, 2017 Barry Briggs Sverre Harrfeldt Christer Lofqvist Bruce Penhall Kenny Carter Mike Broadbank Peter Collins Anders Michanek Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted February 4, 2017 Was that the John Jackson of Crewe 'Kings' fame Sid? Great Rider if so - along with Phil Crump, Dai Evans Gary Flood et al. Yes WK loved JJ a great Crewe side with those you named Crump to be honest really only rode on liitle tracks in Aussie Mildura where he was the king.Shows how good he was i never went to Crewe but the track was huge a real racing track Flood how good could he of been ? who knows. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FAST GATER 853 Posted February 4, 2017 Yes WK loved JJ a great Crewe side with those you named Crump to be honest really only rode on liitle tracks in Aussie Mildura where he was the king.Shows how good he was i never went to Crewe but the track was huge a real racing track Flood how good could he of been ? who knows. j j was one of the best of his day in the old NL great style and fast but safe in the PK mold Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Triple.H. 1,986 Posted February 5, 2017 I agree with John Cook...but he could be erratic sometimes which I would have found frustrating if he had ridden for my team! He rode brilliantly for Oxford in the 85 KO cup final. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nw42 2,048 Posted February 5, 2017 Alan Wilkinson...cruelly paralysed but was a whole hearted trier and entertainer. Remember when on a visit to Cowley he came storming out of the pits and ripped the starting tapes out of their sockets! You can imagine the fans reaction...but pure theatre! Wilkie was indeed all heart, a team captain in every sense of the word and a Belle Vue great. As for theatre, he also stormed through the stand at Kings Lynn and up the ladder to the referees box for a quiet word regarding an exclusion, then there was the famous on track brawl at home against Leicester, that was started when Alan Cowland forced Wilkie off his bike on the pit bend, Wilkie got up and confronted him as he was coasting towards the pits, within seconds there was a free for all in the middle of the track, riders, mechanics and fans involved. So yes, Wilkie was an entertainer, certainly a solid rider if not known for being spectacular but gave everything (and much more) to the Aces cause, if he'd not been a speedway rider he would probably have made a great professional wrestler in the bad guy role. I agree with John Cook...but he could be erratic sometimes which I would have found frustrating if he had ridden for my team! Yes he was patchy but for some reason I can remember always looking forward to seeing him ride, like most of the Californians he loved interacting with the crowd and could do some amazing things on a speedway bike when he was on song. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) Wilkie was indeed all heart, a team captain in every sense of the word and a Belle Vue great. As for theatre, he also stormed through the stand at Kings Lynn and up the ladder to the referees box for a quiet word regarding an exclusion, then there was the famous on track brawl at home against Leicester, that was started when Alan Cowland forced Wilkie off his bike on the pit bend, Wilkie got up and confronted him as he was coasting towards the pits, within seconds there was a free for all in the middle of the track, riders, mechanics and fans involved. So yes, Wilkie was an entertainer, certainly a solid rider if not known for being spectacular but gave everything (and much more) to the Aces cause, if he'd not been a speedway rider he would probably have made a great professional wrestler in the bad guy role. Yes he was patchy but for some reason I can remember always looking forward to seeing him ride, like most of the Californians he loved interacting with the crowd and could do some amazing things on a speedway bike when he was on song. Cook was a real crowd pleaser a damn good rider to in his first year he averaged just over 4.Then he was given a work permit and i think he averaged over 8? a mega improvement.A really exciting rider to watch could do with a few more Cookies riding today.😊 Edited February 5, 2017 by Sidney the robin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706 Posted February 5, 2017 Cant remember the date opposition or anything much else from the meeting but I have recollections of Cookie smashing the Foxhall track record in his first ride one night -I think he took nearly a second off it. In his next outing he was leading by a mile and fell on his own. I was convinced he was going so fast that he wouldve taken another second off had he stayed on! Would be good if someone could confirm if my memory is right or has just developed over the years in an over active imagination! I think it was at the time when he had some camoflauge leathers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nw42 2,048 Posted February 5, 2017 Cook was a real crowd pleaser a damn good rider to in his first year he averaged just over 4.Then he was given a work permit and i think he averaged over 8? a mega improvement.A really exciting rider to watch could do with a few more Cookies riding today. Couldn't agree more Sid, thrill merchant he was. There isn't an awful lot of footage of him on youtube but I've just re-watched this meeting as it has always stuck in my mind as a decent meeting, even if it was just a glorified open pairs challenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIGbKOl_08g Couple of points of note, Jeremy Doncaster was made of tough stuff, admitted he was still suffering the aftereffects of a recent knock on the head but still rode, Tatum starting his tv career all those years ago, a natural in front of the camera when giving a description of the sport for new viewers. Carter was unbeatable in this meeting but Cook was sublime, his last bend pass on Alan Grahame in ht13 was top drawer, not many riders dared go round big Al. Last point, fantastic to hear the great Dave Lanning and his controlled enthusiasm for the sport, never bettered.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) Couldn't agree more Sid, thrill merchant he was. There isn't an awful lot of footage of him on youtube but I've just re-watched this meeting as it has always stuck in my mind as a decent meeting, even if it was just a glorified open pairs challenge. Couple of points of note, Jeremy Doncaster was made of tough stuff, admitted he was still suffering the aftereffects of a recent knock on the head but still rode, Tatum starting his tv career all those years ago, a natural in front of the camera when giving a description of the sport for new viewers. Carter was unbeatable in this meeting but Cook was sublime, his last bend pass on Alan Grahame in ht13 was top drawer, not many riders dared go round big Al. Last point, fantastic to hear the great Dave Lanning and his controlled enthusiasm for the sport, never bettered.. Go on to the 16 lapper NW at Ipswich a great interview with Cookie and Phil Crump also Cookie in action in the 1984 England v Usa test match at Cradley great stuff. Edited February 5, 2017 by Sidney the robin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midland Red 2,383 Posted February 5, 2017 Ron Mountford Gary Guglielmi Chris Harris Roman Matousek Vaclav Verner Michael Lee Kenny Carter Kelly Moran Ian Turner Colin Cook Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Triple.H. 1,986 Posted February 5, 2017 I would agree about John Cook he was an always expect the unexpected type of riders A race he should win at a canter he'd come nowhere. A race against 3 tough opponents he'd win and do it the hard way Lovely bloke too. I'm sure he'd laugh at my previous post about the 85 KO cup final Bobby Ott I found entertaining to watch as well I remember in a last heat decider at Oxford he fell and remounted and won the race. Now he's retired The Fish should be mentioned too IMO Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,080 Posted February 5, 2017 Now he's retired The Fish should be mentioned too IMO Agreed , ok he was borderline dangerous at times, but his races always got the crowd going , either for or against . Scottish derbies with Parker on one side and Fisher on the other were always exciting , could be controversial , but never dull . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gavan 5,050 Posted February 6, 2017 Got to be 2 definitions of entertainment. Those riders who provided the entertainment in their racing ................Loram and Screen for example And those that provided the entertainment purely on their character................Mullarkey and Moggo as examples 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted February 6, 2017 Millen, Mullarkey, Clarke,McConnell,Goodwin,Ayres,all characters speedway could do with a few more now. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted February 6, 2017 Millen, Mullarkey, Clarke,McConnell,Goodwin, Ayres,all characters speedway could do with a few more now. Speedway could do with a lot more true 'characters' like this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
