Which One Rider Would You Have Liked To Have Seen But Haven't?

[The White Knight 9,039]

Correct WK he rode for Leicester and also Exeter and your beloved Middlesborough in the old National league i liked him as a rider.Saying that i have enjoyed watching all the Aussies over the years the Aussies who never went on to greatness but were very good. Jim Ryman ,Rod Hunter,Ron Henderson,Steve Baker,Mark Fiora Rob Ashton (ect the list is endless.

:shock: Sunderland Sidney, Sunderland. :)

[Grachan 7,362]

Those iconic pictures of Peter Craven stay with you superb balance i did get to see Peter's son Robert ride . Did you see him ride for Wimbledon/Hull at the Abbey.?

Saw him ride for both, although I don't think I realised the Swindon significance at the time.

[steve roberts 9,246]

I first see him ride Steve in a second half race when Swindon were looking at Louis Carr /John Williams both Ellesmere Port .Also i can remember seeing Steve Regeling in these races as well he went on to have a good career.

Your right Sid Robert rode in the Second Half and not in the Junior Team...Swindon had some very useful juniors in those days.

Edited June 13, 2017 by steve roberts

[The White Knight 9,039]

Your right Sid Robert rode in the Second Half and not in the Junior Team...Swindon had some very useful juniors in those days.

So did a lot of Teams. There was a wealth of talent to be found among the juniors and second halfers.

 

Second Halves gone now more's the pity.

Edited June 13, 2017 by The White Knight

[Guest]

So did a lot of Teams. There was a wealth of talent to be found among the juniors ans second halfers.

 

Second Halves gone now more's the pity.

 

​TWK - speedway days that I remember so well. It takes me back to the time when speedway clubs endorsed a genuine club/team format. They were able to field eight rider teams - six team men and two reserves in 14 heat matches. Then there would be six second half races - usually a race for juniors. The rest of the second half would be qualifying heats over four qualifiers and a winners final (or something similar). Teams were GENUINE with riders only attached to one club and many signed up season-on-season. They are speedway days that will never return and I accept that fact but it's all rather sad to reflect on what has occurred.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Guest

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Your right Sid Robert rode in the Second Half and not in the Junior Team...Swindon had some very useful juniors in those days.

Swindon produced quite alot of riders who had decent career's at different levels.From Holloway ,Hewlett(bless him) Rosco,and had a huge part to play in the Smart/Chessell speedway families careers those second halves are sadly missed great days.

:shock: Sunderland Sidney, Sunderland. :)

I thought you had a soft spot for all of your area WK?😀 i once had a great weekend at Whitley Bay in the 80s a great laugh. Edited June 13, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[norbold 7,117]

I fit in to the same catagory as yourself Van der Elst. I have seen quite a few of the 'greats' since 1964 when I first became interested in Speedway. It is the greatest regret of my Speedway life that I never saw Peter Craven ride. He is still a hero to me though.

 

He and Briggo (who I have seen ride and met) are my all time favourites. It says something of the Legend of Peter Craven that he can be one of my two favourite Riders - and I never saw him actually race.

It's a strange thing, but it's probably because I did see Peter Craven on a number of occasions that I don't rate him as highly as some of the others here. He was, of course, a spectacular rider, there's no denying that, but I saw him mostly at New Cross and he never really seemed to be able to get to grips with the track like some others. I'd say he certainly wasn't as good as Ove Fundin or Ronnie Moore at the Frying Pan. Strangely, as well, although Briggo rode for New Cross in 1960, he too never really got the hang of it. I think 1960 was probably his worst season. Of course, experience of a rider is coloured by one's own experience, and that's probably why I have always rated Ove Fundin as the outstanding rider of his era. He was almost unbeatable at New Cross (apart from the memorable night when Split Waterman beat him three times!)

[billybikespeedway 75]

Has to be Peter Craven and then Bjorn Knutsson

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

It's a strange thing, but it's probably because I did see Peter Craven on a number of occasions that I don't rate him as highly as some of the others here. He was, of course, a spectacular rider, there's no denying that, but I saw him mostly at New Cross and he never really seemed to be able to get to grips with the track like some others. I'd say he certainly wasn't as good as Ove Fundin or Ronnie Moore at the Frying Pan. Strangely, as well, although Briggo rode for New Cross in 1960, he too never really got the hang of it. I think 1960 was probably his worst season. Of course, experience of a rider is coloured by one's own experience, and that's probably why I have always rated Ove Fundin as the outstanding rider of his era. He was almost unbeatable at New Cross (apart from the memorable night when Split Waterman beat him three times!)

That is what is so good about these subjects,it is all down to personnel experiences and piecing them together with the facts of there race record. My take is and my uncle told me this as well he believed if Craven had not passed on he would of won at least one more WC.Also at Hyde Rd Craven really took alot of beating and his record against Ove was very good there. Edited June 14, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[E I Addio 15,845]

Alan Hunt. From all that I have read about him it seems he was not only a hell of a nice bloke but a real tough rider and, according to his wife he was a rubbish mechanic so would have had to score all his points by pure riding skill.

 

Incidentally does anyone on here have any first hand memories of Alan, who sadly died 60 years ago this year.

[steve roberts 9,246]

Alan Hunt. From all that I have read about him it seems he was not only a hell of a nice bloke but a real tough rider and, according to his wife he was a rubbish mechanic so would have had to score all his points by pure riding skill.

 

Incidentally does anyone on here have any first hand memories of Alan, who sadly died 60 years ago this year.

One of speedway's often forgotten men...his memory deserves to be up there with the best!

[Piotr Pyszny 206]

Peter Craven. I was up at Meadowbank Stadium a few weeks ago (watching Edinburgh City play Annan Athletic), and asked a chap, who turned out to be City's chairman, to tell me where the Craven memorial was. Very kindly, he led me through a maze of corridors to the plaque. Having been moved from the foyer, it's now at the end of a particularly gloomy corridor. Whether it will survive the redevelopment of Meadowbank remains to be seen.

[The White Knight 9,039]

Peter Craven. I was up at Meadowbank Stadium a few weeks ago (watching Edinburgh City play Annan Athletic), and asked a chap, who turned out to be City's chairman, to tell me where the Craven memorial was. Very kindly, he led me through a maze of corridors to the plaque. Having been moved from the foyer, it's now at the end of a particularly gloomy corridor. Whether it will survive the redevelopment of Meadowbank remains to be seen.

That is very, very sad. I am surprised it hasn't been given more prominence. Peter deserves better than to have his Memorial hidden away.

 

Can nothing be done about this Edinburgh Fans?

[iris123 20,997]

It's a strange thing, but it's probably because I did see Peter Craven on a number of occasions that I don't rate him as highly as some of the others here

Same goes for Per Jonsson with me.When i saw him he was never that good,only getting around 6 or 7 points in those meetings

[Guest]

Arthur 'Westy' Westwood, rode mainly for Wimbledon early 1930s. Then pre- and post-war promoted in England, France and Belgium.

Edited June 17, 2017 by Guest