Merlin

I saw Bruce Cribb ride his ice bike round Powderhall. He took something like 6 seconds off the Edinburgh track record although to be fair he didn't slide it like a speedway rider but two wheeled it with the grip coming from the spikes on the tyres. It was an awesome sight nevertheless and the speed he took the corners was quite unbelievable. Goodness knows how he wasn't jettisoned off the bike!

The Old Meadowbank stadium was completely demolished to make way for the brand new white elephant of a Commonwealth Games Stadium complete with a now decrepit velodrome. Even the road which ran alongside the track (Clockmill Lane) disappeared as did the St Margaret's locoshed (64A) which housed many of the steam engines which served the Edinburgh area. The new stadium never caught on as a major athletics venue and eventually it was used by the Ferranti Thistle football team who changed their name to Meadowbank Thistle before moving again to Livingstone where they romped through the leagues to reach Premier League status. The stadium has a number of sports halls, five a side football pitches and, no doubt, other facilites but the whole place is a financial liability to the city and was always likely to be so. There are two reminders of the speedway. The first is the plaque just inside the doorway which is in memory of the late Peter Craven who died as a result of injuries sustained at Old Meadowbank in a match between the Monarchs and Belle Vue. The second is the red brick wall which used to mark the boundary of the back straight at Old Meadowbank and still remains to this day.

How could I possibly forget that smell. I think it came from what was then Duncan's chocolate factory. At its best Powderhall was a fabulous stadium with its upmarket appearance enhanced by the immaculate centre green flower beds and the lavish care it received before it was taken over from the Greyhound Racing Authority. After that it really went to the dogs!! Unfortunately dog racing stopped and by the end of its sporting life the place was a wreck. Powderhall dated back to the 1870s if memory serves me correctly - it was built before the Forth Railway Bridge. Many famous events were held there from the athletic events such as the Powderhall sprint to International rugby matches between Scotland and England and it was also used as a football stadium in its early days. Latterly greedy property speculators couldn't wait to get their hands on it to make a fast buck from the housing market due to its central position within Edinburgh and although Edinburgh Town Council threw out planning applications for housing development an appeal was made to the Secretary of State for Scotland who overturned that decision and allowed the appeal in a decision that was as disgraceful as it was predictable where big bucks are involved. At the time it was the Labour Party's policy to protect sporting venues from just such development and, given Powderhall's history and contribution to sporting events in the city, the Secretary of State's decision was met with considerable dismay. So Edinburgh Monarchs were thrown out of the place although a similar appeal by the Edinburgh Promotion against West Lothian Council's decision to refuse permission for speedway to be held at Armadale was successful which resulted in the continuation of the Edinburgh Monarchs after a disastrous season running at Shawfield as the Scottish Monarchs.

Would my 'Blast from the Past' thread (last post 22 December 2003) be of any interest? It's only about a Provincial League match between the Edinburgh Monarchs and Rayleigh Rockets from the 1960s but for me it was one of the all time classics.

The vivid report by the visitor to your website, Dick Dastardly brought as much of the race back to me as my memory allows. I felt a chill reading it again - it goes to show, I guess, how we forget these things over time. It's only fitting that the plaque in honour of Peter Craven remains to this day just inside the entrance hall to New Meadowbank stadium and, together, with your website provides some tangible memory of that terrible time.

Didn't Odd Fossengen ride for Glasgow at one time. Then there was Shorty Shirmer and Nigel De'ath.

It probably doesn't count for the purposes of this thread but Doug Templeton rode in two races (at least) in the Barry Briggs Golden Greats meeting held at Powderhall some years ago. He was 65 years old at the time. Ove Fundin also rode in that meeting but I don't know how old he was other than that he was no Spring chicken!

Wow - maybe I'm not too old to take the sport up yet! Anyone know where I can buy a speedway bike, set of kevlars, liniment, surgical support, leg brace, truss etc. etc?

No doubt about it. The last of the great showmen. This was a guy who really knew how to promote and get the crowd involved. By the looks of the photograph he could still do it even if he is in his seventies.

So he won't want to reopen Canterbury, then? How close was I on his age?!! Have a look at this web site. There's a picture of Ian Hoskins at the 2003 Veteran Speedway Riders' Association reunion. http://www.vsra.homestead.com/index.html

Ian Hoskins is alive and well and living in New Zealand now.

I remember Ron Johnson riding for the Edinburgh Monarchs when, if I'm not mistaken (there has to be a first time!), he was in or approaching his 60s. He didn't last long however and it's just as well Ian Hoskins pulled the plug on this last chapter in his career. There was a sense of horror every time he took to the track because his arms were clearly not strong enough to hold on to the machine properly and he was a dreadful accident just waiting to happen. I think he frightened the other riders in the race as much as the spectators although you had to admire his guts for giving it a go if not his common sense!

That's a fabulous web site Dick Dastardly. I'm very impressed and pleased to see such a memorial to a rider who was not just a world champion but a great entertainer. The picture in the gallery with George Hunter is rather poignant. I had forgotten just how young George was at the time. I don't wish to prolong the discussion on the matter but I have spoken to two friends of mine both of whom were speedway riders at that time and both of whom were at the match that night. One is almost an authority on what happened and was standing only a few yards from where the accident occurred (Old Meadowbank did not have a dog track between the crowd and the track - indeed you could virtually lean over the fence and touch the riders if they came close enough!). He confirmed that Peter Craven, following a bit of rabble rousing by Ian Hoskins with the crowd, did start that fateful heat off scratch. The crash occurred on the first bend of lap three when George Hunter's bike seized solid. George did not actually fall off but Peter, who was so close behind and had been tailing George since they left the gate, had to take evasive action immediately with the tragic result that is now part of speedway history.

I was there and can recall this vividly - it was the saddest night I ever experienced at a speedway track. Peter started each of his first three races from a 20-yard handicap, and was due to do so in his last race. However, everyone in the stadium, it seemed, wanted to see local hero George Hunter in a straight head-to-head with Peter. It was an inter-league challenge match, and there was nothing at stake other than individual pride. It was therefore agreed that Peter would start from scratch, alongside George. The rest, sadly, is history... I was also at Old Meadowbank on that fateful Friday night when Peter Craven went through the saftey fence. Although time dulls the memory I'm pretty sure you're right Ian that, following requests from the spectators, Peter Craven started that heat off scratch. It was such a thrill to see George Hunter scorch into the lead from the tapes because we knew we were in for a great race. As you say, the rest, unfortunately, is history. Strange that it has been suggested that George Hunter fell on the last lap. I recollect the accident occurring on the first bend of the second lap when George's bike seized solid. I also don't recollect George actually falling although that is irrelevant as Peter Craven was forced to take evasive action to avoid rider and machine. He swerved to the outside, lost control and went through the safety fence head first with such force that his crash helmet was a complete write off. We didn't realise then just how badly Peter was injured and were absolutely stunned to learn a few days later that he had lost his life. Sometime later that same season Edinburgh went to Belle Vue in a memorial match for Peter Craven and George Hunter rode that night and top scored for the Monarchs who, needless to say, were well beaten (52-26?) by the Aces. There is a plaque inside the Meadowbank Sports Centre dedicated to Peter Craven which can be seen just to the right of the main entrance to the facility.

His name was spelt Oyvind Berg. He was brought over from Norway by Ian Hoskins in the 60s to ride for the Edinburgh Monarchs eventually to join up with Bernt Persson and Reidar Eide in the Edinburgh side. Boy, did these guys improve from raw talent to world beaters.

Very good - top of the class even though it was spelt Bernt Persson. And which Norwegian rider had a most peculiar Christian name?

Who was the Swede who sounded like the victim of a fire accident? (Clue: he was a World Finalist)

So who won and what was the final score?

Yes - saw it Norbold. What a pity Middlesborough are defunct. They were a real asset to the Northern speedway scene and over the years had some excellent teams - didn't Gary Havelock start off with them? What a fabulous nickname - crusty!! It's as good as Stormy for Matthew Wethers in the Edinburgh side.

Does anyone else have memories of a particular match with a tension packed ending. I for one would like to hear about it.

Doug Wyer's career finished following a dreadful accident at Middlesborough (I think) in a qualifying round of the fours. He was in a crash with Rob Grant of Berwick Bandits (the father not the son!) and after a lengthy spell in hospital he retired as a result of his injuries. He rode with Les Collins in the Edinburgh Monarchs team at the time and along with Les was a tremendous inspiration. In fact he and Les won the Pairs Championship at Hackney (I think). Eric Broadbelt suffered a horrendous crash at Edinburgh's Powderhall stadium which effectively ended his career. I saw the accident and I honestly thought he was dead when he landed on the track (along with most of the rest of the crowd). He came out of the second bend rather wide and down the back straight his footrest got caught up in the wire link fence. The bike made a dead stop and Eric was thrown from his machine with enormous force into the air. He hit the lamp standard full on with his back and slid to the ground unconscious. I've never seen a stadium go as quiet as it did that night. Eventually, after a long spell in hospital, he made a recovery and rode for a bit at a lower level but he was never the same. This can be such a cruel sport. Sorry if this is a bit depressing but there it is.

Thanks 2ndBender. I was beginning to think I'd imagined the whole thing but what you say is exactly right. To stop the first out the gate thing they wanted some riders to get more wheel spin. If you can find anything else I'd be grateful.

Have to agree with all those who have nominated the late Jack Millen. I well remember Ivor Brown and Harry Bastable from the Cradley Heath side of the 60s but how about Douglas 'get out ma bloody road' Templeton?

Looks like it was a figment of my imagination.

I wonder if anyone can help me. (Most think I'm beyond help!) I remember that a number of attempts were made in past years to handicap a small number of heatleaders. I know that at one time the top five or six riders used start 15 yards or so back from the tapes - Briggs Fundin Craven etc. But I also have a faint recollection that steel plates were used at the starting gates for certain heatleaders to ensure that the immediate spin on the back wheel ensured that they couldn't make fast starts. Am I correct? If so, who did it apply to and when did that take place?