The Riders Who Never Took Your Imagination Over The Years.?

[The White Knight 9,039]

For me i found him a bit boring considering the other riders around at the time.He was middle of the road.I did appreciate him as being a decent rider,just not a PC or Lee or Chris Morton or Ronnie Moore/Briggo or Ole Olsen.He wasn't a favourite,but also never done anything to make me dislike him either.I wouldn't cheer him and neither was he someone you'd boo,he was that for me ,boring inbetween........until he dropped down to that 'ackney and then he did brefly become interesting.But only briefly

It's all down to perception I suppose.

[iris123 21,047]

It's all down to perception I suppose.

Exactly

 

To be fair,in those days there were it seemed,so many riders about there was always a rider or two who would be someones favourite.Even some in the lower leagues that you used to love to watch.Even as a Dons fan i really liked Paul Whittacker.Never a world beater,but someone who kept me interested..

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Exactly

 

To be fair,in those days there were it seemed,so many riders about there was always a rider or two who would be someones favourite.Even some in the lower leagues that you used to love to watch.Even as a Dons fan i really liked Paul Whittacker.Never a world beater,but someone who kept me interested..

 

Clive Hitch and Norman Storer were two of the unsung heroes who i liked.

[waiheke1 4,295]

 

The riders who never got me excited were the renowned gaters, 'one trick ponies', who were hard to beat when they made the gate but rarely did anything from the back and achieved relatively little in terms of big titles . . . the likes of Larry Ross and Jan Andersson. Does Jessup deserve to be in this category? Probably. I can't decide. You look at THAT epic Heat 10 from the 1974 World Team Cup final and you would never have him down as a trapper incapable of coming from the back.

 

Larry might have been the only member of the 80s Aces sides who could gate, but anyone who watched him round Hyde Rd on a regular basis would confirm it is very harsh (in fact entirely inaccurate) to say he was incapable of passing riders.

Anyway for me G Kennett, Jessup, Schwartz, Andy Campbell, Richard Knight.

[TonyMac 720]

Larry might have been the only member of the 80s Aces sides who could gate, but anyone who watched him round Hyde Rd on a regular basis would confirm it is very harsh (in fact entirely inaccurate) to say he was incapable of passing riders.

Anyway for me G Kennett, Jessup, Schwartz, Andy Campbell, Richard Knight.

 

Fair point, I can't argue against what you say about Ross at Hyde Road, as I rarely saw him ride there and possibly never for the Aces.

 

I'm probably being influenced by the hours spent ploughing through reels of old video and cine footage and repeatedly seeing Larry pushing the tapes and trying to out-fox the ref and steal a march on his opponents. A sure sign of how much fast starting meant to him.

 

Nice bloke, though.

Edited May 23, 2017 by tmc

[norbold 7,154]

I'd say,Jessup,Simmo,Ray Wilson.Latter day Ulamek,Walasek,Hampel,Hancock and Bjarne Pedersen.I'd also go with Jan Andersson.He seemed so boring after some of the great Swedish riders who preceded him

No-one who was at the Wimbledon/West Ham Knock Out Cup Quarter Final Replay on 14 August 1965 could ever mention Simmo in this context. I still say it was the greatest performance of all time.

[iris123 21,047]

No-one who was at the Wimbledon/West Ham Knock Out Cup Quarter Final Replay on 14 August 1965 could ever mention Simmo in this context. I still say it was the greatest performance of all time.

In my defence,even if i was at the meeting i would have been too young to have taken much in.Certainly not individual performances

[steve roberts 9,247]

For Me its Peter Collins didn't Try at Somerton Park ,When he he could be bothered to turn up , so many times broke down on route,I know it was not the best track ,but other riders came with the attitude "its there to be ridden so lets get on with it "

I recall that Peter faked illness/ car breakdown when he was due to ride at Newport the day after Tommy Jansson died. He couldn't face what he thought was a dangerous track just 24 hours after Tommy's fateful crash that claimed his life.

Larry might have been the only member of the 80s Aces sides who could gate, but anyone who watched him round Hyde Rd on a regular basis would confirm it is very harsh (in fact entirely inaccurate) to say he was incapable of passing riders.

Anyway for me G Kennett, Jessup, Schwartz, Andy Campbell, Richard Knight.

You obviously never witnessed Gordon ride at Wood Lane!

 

Some strange choices there, TWK, but each to their own.

 

Between his debut season 1975 and going off the rails completely in the mid-80s, Lee was great value - not just in terms of his points scoring for King's Lynn and his individual achievements, but for making things happen in a meeting and being one of England's all-time greats. His motorcycling skill was world class.

 

The more 'new' old footage of Gordon Kennett I see (we've just uncovered a mountain of action cine film of him at his best for Oxford and White City), the more I appreciate just how good he was and also how much he always put into his racing, especially given his diabetic condition since 1979. Considering he spent most of his life with two small track teams, Eastbourne and Oxford, he learned to adapt and master the big 'uns too. I don't think him finishing second to Olsen at Wembley in '78 was a fluke and believe he has still never been given the full credit he deserved for his contribution to the sport over many years.

 

The riders who never got me excited were the renowned gaters, 'one trick ponies', who were hard to beat when they made the gate but rarely did anything from the back and achieved relatively little in terms of big titles . . . the likes of Larry Ross and Jan Andersson. Does Jessup deserve to be in this category? Probably. I can't decide. You look at THAT epic Heat 10 from the 1974 World Team Cup final and you would never have him down as a trapper incapable of coming from the back.

 

Nielsen and Gundersen were consistently quick starters but could pass people when they really needed to, and they made the most of their starting technique by winning big.

Can't wait to see this footage!

[lucifer sam 3,955]

OK, here's my list: Kelvin Tatum, Jan Andersson, Daz Sumner, Mikael Teurnberg and Edward Kennett.

 

All the best

Rob

[steve roberts 9,247]

OK, here's my list: Kelvin Tatum, Jan Andersson, Daz Sumner, Mikael Teurnberg and Edward Kennett.

 

All the best

Rob

...definitely Mikael Teurnberg and Lars Munkedal come to that!

[salty 2,208]

I get Jan Andersson was not renowned for his overtaking skills, but I liked him because of his quiet persona.

Going back to the OP - riders who didn't capture the imagination?

Spent a lot of time at Plough Lane in the 80's - never took to John Davis or David Jessup.

[TonyMac 720]

I get Jan Andersson was not renowned for his overtaking skills, but I liked him because of his quiet persona.

Going back to the OP - riders who didn't capture the imagination?

Spent a lot of time at Plough Lane in the 80's - never took to John Davis or David Jessup.

 

JD was another who relied heavily on making fast starts. Don't recall him passing too many rivals of real quality in important meetings.

 

He'll kill me if he reads this!

OK, here's my list: Kelvin Tatum, Jan Andersson, Daz Sumner, Mikael Teurnberg and Edward Kennett.

 

All the best

Rob

 

I know where you're coming from. Although Kelvin became a renowned gater who won most of his races from the front, he was very good to watch in his early, harem scarem days as a raw rookie at Wimbledon in 1983-84. I've always liked him for being 'different', the public schoolboy persona and his ability to articulate.

Edited May 24, 2017 by tmc

[steve roberts 9,247]

 

JD was another who relied heavily on making fast starts. Don't recall him passing too many rivals of real quality in important meetings.

 

He'll kill me if he reads this!

 

I know where you're coming from. Although Kelvin became a renowned gater who won most of his races from the front, he was very good to watch in his early, harem scarem days as a raw rookie at Wimbledon in 1983-84. I've always liked him for being 'different', the public schoolboy persona and his ability to articulate.

Remember watching John in his formative years riding for Peterborough and Oxford and it was clear then that his main asset was his gating expertise. Saved 'The Rebels' from a real mauling at Newport where his fast starts gave us something to cheer I recall.

 

When he moved to Reading (Dag Lovaas coming in the opposite direction) I always remember his races with Gordon Kennett whereby John would make one of his customary fast starts and Gordon would reel him in...John continually looking behind him (something that Simmo always commented upon) and going wider and wider each bend and Gordon would eventually slip thru' on the inside which he was accustomed in doing on many occasions!

 

Great days!

I'd say,Jessup,Simmo,Ray Wilson.Latter day Ulamek,Walasek,Hampel,Hancock and Bjarne Pedersen.I'd also go with Jan Andersson.He seemed so boring after some of the great Swedish riders who preceded him

I would agree with the three Poles...relied heavily on their gating prowess. Another rider was Lars Gunnerstad...when he used to finish last at Cowley (which was often) after missing the gate recall the cry from the terraces 'Lars again!' But then Poole had a succession of riders who tended to rely on their fast gating technique!

Edited May 24, 2017 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

John Davis over the years always had fast aquipment but he was never a team man though..But i do remember him being on fire when he won the Manpower against a class field credit where its due he did have a very good career he overachieved if anything.

[steve roberts 9,247]

John Davis over the years always had fast aquipment but he was never a team man though..But i do remember him being on fire when he won the Manpower against a class field credit where its due he did have a very good career he overachieved if anything.

I always felt that he could have been given some sort of role within the sport after he retired as he was always well presented and articulate...but the powers that be had/have a history of not utilising riders in a way that could had/have benefited the sport certainly within the media sector.

Edited May 24, 2017 by steve roberts