norbold

Sorry to be pedantic, but he was born on 2 December 1911, so he was actually a mere youngster of 42 when he appeared in the 1954 final. Wilbur Lamoreaux was also 42 when he appeared in the 1949 final.

Jack Parker was 45 when he appeared in the 1951 World Final.

Some time ago, I posted this under another topic in this Forum. "I once read in an excellent book (!) called Speedway's Classic Meetings that it has been said that Aub Lawson went to the other two riders (Split Waterman and Freddie Williams) in Biggs's fateful last heat and asked them if Jack had ‘said anything’ to them, i.e. offered a small inducement for them to let him win They replied he had not. The story goes that when Biggs said nothing to them, they decided to ‘fix’ him. Biggs said later when this story began to circulate that he hadn’t ‘said anything’ to them because he was confident he would win – or at the very least get the third place he needed to become World Champion, as one point was all he needed. He had been by far the fastest gater all evening and Lawson and Williams were having poor evenings – Lawson in particular as he was suffering from a hand injury. To him – and probably the whole crowd there that evening – it was unthinkable that he wouldn’t at least get third place. So, even if they did decide to ‘fix’ him, it wasn’t easy to see how they would be able to manage it. The book go on to say, “Nerves seem a much more plausible explanation.” He had a long gap between his fourth and fifth rides and he just sat in the pits getting more and more nervous. The book quotes Ken Taylor, a long time speedway fan who was there that evening, as saying, “It was nerves that beat him.” He said he had seen Biggs in the pits some years previously in the London Riders’ Championship Final when, again, he was in with a chance of winning and his hands were shaking so much, Ken was surprised that Biggs could even hold the bike, let alone race it. It should also be remembered that Biggs came third in the run-off as well – again a race on the previous form of the evening he should have won. But his nerves were shot to pieces by then." I don't know if Aub Lawson gets forgotten. I've never forgotten him. He won the first race I ever saw (beating Split Waterman funnily enough, given the above). There is no doubt he was one of the all-time greats and a must for consideration in the perennial topic, "Greatest Rider Never to Win the World Championship". Between 1955 and 1963 he was one of only three riders to make the podium in the World Championship other than the "Big Five". That was in 1958 and considering that his best days were in the late 1940s and early 1950s, that certainly took some doing!

Yes, Sidney. 1951 and 1994, the winners won with only winning two races, the lowest recorded. As you say, the first three in 1951 finished in reverse order to their number of wins - Young 2, Waterman 3, Biggs 4.

The top seven riders are some way ahead of the others at the moment, and I don't just mean in points. Six qualify for next year's GP, but we know that whoever comes seventh will get a pick as well, so it kind of devalues the fight for sixth place. Of course there is still time for Doyle, Vaculik, Fricke and Lambert to prove this wrong but my guess is they won't. However, the real fight is on for them to prove they are worthy of a pick next year by finishing eighth, which, more or less, takes us back to the top eight automatically qualifying.

Dunno, but it didn't faze Lambert whatever it is!

I did qualify my answer and question myself! Incidentally, I think it is one of the great mysteries of the sport why Ron Johnson never qualified for a world final apart from reserve in 1937 and then for the 1939 final that never was. He did well in the preceding Star Championship and in the immediate post-War [British] Riders' Championship but somehow missed out on world finals.

Ron Johnson qualified as reserve in 1937 but didn't ride and then rode for Edinburgh in 1960 if that counts.

I bought quite a few from him.

11 May 1960. New Cross v. Norwich. Britannia Shield. I'm not sure which season I have the most programmes from without checking, but I would guess probably 1964 as I went to West Ham and Hackney every week plus Wimbledon quite frequently as well as Rye House. But it could be any other season in the 60s or early 70s! You've given me a job to do now to find out!

So do I, BOBBATH, and I used to attend a lot of meetings actually wearing an anorak back in the day!

I still feel bad for Trevor Redmond losing the 1961 Provincial Riders' Championship (60 years ago) as he was easily the best rider on view that night, but shed his chain on the last corner of the last bend of his last race while well in front. So I wouldn't feel so bad about something that happened as recently as a mere 49 years ago, TWK!

That's a very unfair comment, Technik. the opening post talks of three fathers and sons as the topic he wanted discussed. The discussion generally follows in that vein with contributors looking to match the number of three. It is really not just chunky who took that to be the subject of the thread.

So what you mean is they didn't hold the Internationale final at the nearest track to my home just to make it easier for me to get to after all? Great work as always by the way, BL.

I don't know, but I'm glad it was as it was easier for me to get to!

Correct, steve.

Not always. Only until 1960.

Talking of Bob Dugard….there was Charlie Dugard, then Bob, John and Eric, then Martin. Are there any great grandchildren at Eastbourne?

Great work BL. The best news is that West Ham would have won anyway. Hooray!

Kelvin's not very good at arithmetic….

You couldn't very well miss it!

I went to that as well. I don't remember seeing you there! I was at college in Norwich at the time and I hired a car and managed to persuade a few (non-speedway) friends to join me and drive across to Cradley. When we got there, we joined the West Ham supporters' section of course. After the meeting, naturally, I wanted to celebrate with my fellow supporters so I stayed with them, while my college friends, who weren't really that interested, drove back to Norwich. Fortunately, there was a spare seat on the coach going back to London, so I hopped on that. Good times!

Yes, indeed. I was actually at the meeting. Even though it was over 55 years ago now, I can still remember it more vividly than any other meeting I've ever been to. It was a once in a lifetime experience for a West Ham supporter!

Thanks, BL, I knew I could rely on you. And yes, I agree about Tony Clarke as well. I think we did recognise his contribution at the time, but it always seemed that Malcolm's was the deciding factor. However, it is interesting looking at those figures that the change wasn't quite as sudden as I maybe thought and he was working his way up to that meeting on 14th August over the previous month. Many years later I spoke to both Malcolm Simmons and Dave Lanning (West Ham's manager on 14th) about the meeting and both agreed it was Malcolm's "coming of age" moment. Malcolm told me he didn't clean his bike for weeks afterwards because it was running so perfectly that day that he didn't want to risk touching anything!

Thanks as always for all your fantastic information on this thread, BL. Now, talking of 1965 and West Ham....As a supporter and regular that year, I have always put West Ham's treble success down to Malcolm Simmons' transition from second string to heat leader status. I could probably work this out myself, but I wondered if you have Malcolm's League and Cup averages up to 13 August and then from 14 August onwards (that being the day of the KO Cup Quarter Final replay against Wimbledon when he suddenly came good and became a different rider). Thanks in advance.