norbold

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.

Good old Stan - always a West Ham man at heart!

Would you not support the individual riders from your team? That was one of the good things about the old individual meetings.

So sorry to hear this, andout. Sincere condolences to you and your family.

Aub Lawson won the first race I ever saw. He beat Split Waterman in Heat One of the Britannia Shield match, New Cross v. Norwich, 11 May 1960. He went on to score 16 paid 17. The only New Cross rider to beat him was Jimmy Gooch, who instantly became my favourite rider. Another favourite, both at New Cross and West Ham, was Reg Luckhurst - though he was more of a pop star of course.

Yes. Exactly that. I'd also like to add the magnificent, the unbeatable, Bjorn Knutson - class personified - and following the rise to stardom of Malcolm Simmons. Plus my old mate, Stan Stevens. And to the old timers, Aub Lawson.

You and me both, chr. I wonder how many meetings we have both seen without knowing!

Spot on, Arnie. As a Londoner, your last point applied to me too. In the early 70s we had Wimbledon, West Ham, Hackney, Wembley, Crayford and Romford with Rye House and Rayleigh in close proximity. Twice a week (West Ham & Hackney) was regular for me. Three times was not unusual. Four on several occasions as well. Perhaps, best of all, was the idea of having mostly the same team year after year with favourite riders re-appearing each season so you really felt your team was your team and not just a collection of visiting guests that changed annually. You could buy their rosettes, safe in the knowledge they would last longer than one year!

Ivan Mauger?

Tommy Price (1949 World Champion and 1946 Riders' Champion) began his career riding for Wembley Reserves in the Reserves League.

President-elect of the WSRA, due to take over from Egon Muller in November.

They could do a lot worse!

Incidentally, Ove was 88 on 23 May. And still as fit and active as ever.

I suppose a lot of how we remember the riders is coloured by our early recollections of them. As you know, my first two speedway years were at New Cross. Fundin was a master of the Frying Pan and was virtually unbeatable (except for that one unforgettable night when Split Waterman beat him three times!). Ronnie Moore was also a top man at New Cross. Whereas for some reason, Peter Craven and Briggo (even though he rode for New Cross in 1960) never seemed comfortable on the track and were definitely behind Fundin and Moore. I didn't see Bjorn Knutson much, but after New Cross closed I moved across to West Ham, where Bjorn was the no.1. He was class personified and almost unbeatable at Custom House. So, in my memory from early days, I always put Fundin, Moore and Knutson ahead of Craven and Briggo. One other class rider I should mention is Jack Young. He was, of course, well past his best in the early 1960s but at the end of the 1961 season, he took part in two individual championships at New Cross - the King of the South Cup and the Tom Farndon Memorial Trophy. He won them both, beating every one of The Big Five in the process. I felt very privileged to see Youngie as he must have been at his peak in the early 1950s. For just those two meetings, he turned the Big Five into the Big Six - and he was the best!

How old was Peter Craven in those 18 races?

Being a New Cross supporter, I have to say that to me the biggest rivalry was between Ove and Briggo - which Ove always won - sorry Sidney! I never saw a match race between Ove and Peter Craven, but, again, when I saw them in individual meetings, Ove nearly always came out on top. However, you are correct to say that it was Peter Craven who had the best record of any of the Big Five against Ove.

Good Allan died in 1996.