speedyguy

Okay, we'll leave out the pre-war days and just take this as being the club details for Wal Morton. That puts him on a recount with a respectable 11 clubs.

In that case, there must be a deletion of one of Wal's tracks at Bradford? That would bring him down to 17. For my part, I feel recognition of different spells at tracks is justified in much the same way as King's Lynn and King's Lynn II are.

I think more teams/clubs can be added to Wal Morton's list, if the guidelines on some previous Posts are followed. The following clubs are among those included against his name - Norwich, West Ham, Ipswich and Wimbledon. Apart from Ipswich, the other three were in pre-war days (Norwich 1937-39, West Ham 1934, Wimbledon 1935-36. He was post-war at Ipswich 1951). However, in his 32 year career, Morton made some return visits to these clubs. He was back at Norwich in 1948, then again from 1956-59. He returned for a season at West Ham in 1952. And Wal also had two seasons with Wimbledon, in 1949 and then again in 1951. Besides riding in Ipswich's first season he was back for them again in their 1959 Southern Area League season. As these were obviously all separate contract deals, surely this validates them as separate clubs? If so, it adds six more clubs (teams) to his list, thus giving him a total of 24 teams/clubs that he appeared for. And if Chapelizod (RoI) are allowed (he was there in 1950) the total grows to 25. "Wandering Wal of the Raceways" indeed!

Let's not forget that Wal Morton's career spanned the years 1932-64 and that only the Canadian rider Mike Tams seems to have raced for a longer period - 1947-82 (35 seasons). Meanwhile, 59-year-old East Coast USA rider Gene Bonsignore starts his 31st season this summer. Any more details on Wal at Bristol in 1936? The missing link in my chain-of-teams for him. Thanks.

A possibility indeed, because Bristol was then a 'second division' side jointly run by senior clubs New Cross and Wimbledon. Wal Morton at Bristol is a new fact for me. Thanks.

When and for how long did Wal Morton ride for Bristol?

Dear old "Wandering Wal of the Raceways"...who gave him that nickname I wonder?

Where will this all all this talk of new facilities get speedway. I read today that the Football Association is pumping £200million into grass roots football. Where would speedway ever get that sort of cash to improve speedway from? And are the GRA such an ogre to speedway? They only have two tracks under their control (Belle Vue and Birmingham) and since 2005 have lost interest in Wimbledon and Oxford. Not really "overall control" of British speedway tracks!

Who rode at Chapelizod?

Wal Morton - a dear old chap - seems to be the overall leader. I'm too lazy but can anyone do a provisional "league table" when they get time please. Here's another: KEITH HARVEY: High Beech Stamford Bridge Wimbledon West Ham Luton Birmingham Crystal Palace Norwich New Cross

That's an interesting point!

Why don't you have a try?

Real name was Fred Curtis. After Newcastle, he rode for West Ham. Suggest that you do a google search for West Ham.

I predicted all this would happen in a letter to 'Speedway Star' about three years ago. The Spanish do not like speedway - the races are too short and not enough riders involved in the races.

There's a further update on Mike Tams' condition on the same yahoo site today.

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There's some sad new about Mike Tams being taken ill. It's on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway I am sure everyone will wish him a full recovery.

This all a long way from the exciting days of the Dutch League in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Then Holland had riders like Henk Stemen senior, Hans van der Sluis, Gerrit Kops in action. Things seem to have gone down since those days.

I did not write this piece remember. My supposition on "double tragedy" is that he twice crashed in practices at Exeter...one of them fatal?

Here's is anothe sad career, to be found on an excellent Exeter database::: EATHER, ROY - 1953 Sadly, Roy was never to make it into the full Exeter line-up following a double tragedy. Hoping to break into British speedway, Roy had come over from Australia for trials at the County Ground, but during his first practice session he crashed and suffered concussion. After he had recovered from his injuries, he returned for his second practice session only to crash again but this time he failed to recover and died in hospital that afternoon.

Who remembers Otto Holoubek, the Austrian rider with Ipswich. About 1956 I think?

But not as bad as people may think. He won the US Open Championship in New York State in 1979. And there were several top class West Coast USA riders in that field.

I remember this photo session very well. The photographer was John Goldfinch, a cousin of Wimbledon rider Gil Goldfinch. Not sure of all the riders who were there now, but certainy Stan Tebby (and possibly son Jim), George Bason and Danny Dunton, as well as Ron. There's was great fun earlier in the day when we took photos of Ron milking a cow. Happy speedway times indeed!

There was a large article on Mike Tams' career in 'Vintage Speedway Magazine' about two years ago. He was also mentioned in a feature on Canadian riders in VSM a couple of months ago. Mike started with his brother Les at Eastbourne in 1947. When they went to race in Ireland in 1948, Les rode under the name of Les Gordon.

There was a lengthy feature on Mike Tams in VSM about 18 months ago, and he was also mentioned in the most recent edition of VSM in a feature on Canadian riders who have raced in the UK. There's also a bit about Mike and his brother Les on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway which has been dealing in some depth with the career of Charlie Appleby. He was a Canadian who never raced in his homeland and died in a crash while riding for Birmingham at Newcastle in October 1946.