Oldest Surviving World Finalists

[andout]

2 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

It looks like I'm Bobbath again

I prefer Stan!!!!!   LOL

[frigbo]

7 hours ago, briggo said:

Don’t think Soren Karlsson made an Individual World Final

Meeting reserve in 1977

[frigbo]

10 hours ago, andout said:

Here is what I think is latest list (From Chunky)

01 - Arthur Payne - 28/08/23
02 -  
03 -  
04 - Ove Fundin - 23/05/33
05 - Dan Forsberg - 25/03/34
06 - Josef Hofmeister - 17/06/34
07 - Brian Crutcher - 23/08/34
08 - Mike Broadbank - 25/09/34
09 - Barry Briggs - 30/12/34
10 - Bob Andrews - 27/10/1935
11 - Reg Luckhurst - 11/11/1935
12 - Sverre Harrfeldt - 23/11/1937
13 - Leif Larsson - 16/02/1938
14 - Bjorn Knutson - 27/04/38
15 - Gunnar Malmqvist - 25/12/1940
16 - Andrzej Wyglenda 04/05/1941
17 - Jim Airey - 19/08/1941
18 - Bengt Jansson - 09/01/1943

19 - Anders Michanek - 30/05/1943
20 - Trevor Hedge - 30/08/1943
21 - Terry Betts - 15/09/1943
22 - Howard Cole 29/12/1943
23 - Martin Ashby - 05/02/1944
24 - Jan Simensen - 26/07/1944
25 - Zygfryd Friedek - 19/10/1944
26 - Jerzy Trzeszkowski - 10/01/1945
27 - Eric Boocock - 02/02/1945
28 - John Boulger - 18/06/1945
29 - Hasse Holmqvist - 18/06/1945
30 - Jim McMillan - 03/12/1945
31 - Soren Karlsson - 23/10/1946 (Not a Finalist)
32 - Ole Olsen - 16/11/1946
33 - Ray Wilson - 12/03/1947 
34 - Doug Wyer - 16/08/1947
35 - Grigori Khlinovsky - 11/11/47
36 - Egon Muller - 26/11/1948
37 - Christoph Betzl - 13/02/1949
38 - Jiri Stancl - 18/11/1949
39 - Viktor Kuznetsov - 27/11/1949

40 - Georg Hack - 20/02/1950
41 - Marek Cieslak - 28/06/1950
42 - Alois Wiesbock - 31/07/1950
43 - Tommy Johansson - 21/10/1950
44 - Vladimir Gordeev - 30/11/1950
45 - John Titman - 26/01/1951
46 - Dag Lovaas - 25/02/1951
47 - Jan Verner - 03/03/1951
48 - Petr Ondrasik - 08/10/1951
49 - Phil Crump - 09/02/1952
50 - Henny Kroeze - 11/03/1952
51 - Valery Gordeev - 28/08/1952
52 - Dave Jessup - 07/03/1953
53 - Ales Dryml - 10/06/1953
54 - Scott Autrey - 09/07/1953
55 - Robert Slabon - 15/09/1953
56 - Peter Collins - 24/03/1954
57 - Larry Ross - 15/06/1954
58 - John Davis - 10/11/1954
59 - Finn Thomsen - 16/02/1955
60 - Mikhail Starostin - 24/02/1955
61 - Tommy Nilsson - 10/03/1955
62 - Jan Andersson - 07/05/1955
63 - Kai Niemi - 15/09/1955
64 - Jerzy Rembas - 18/04/1956
65 - Chris Morton - 22/07/1956
66 - Steve Bastable - 16/09/1956
67- Bruce Penhall - 10/05/1957
68 - Karl Maier - 24/08/1957
69 - Roman Jankowski - 05/10/1957
70 - Bo Petersen - 21/02/1958
71 - Les Collins - 24/05/1958
72 - Mitch Shirra - 27/09/1958
73 - Michael Lee - 11/12/1958
74 - John Cook - 18/12/1958
75 - Richard Knight - 26/05/1959
76 - Dennis Sigalos - 16/08/1959
77 - Erik Gundersen - 08/10/1959
78 - Hans Nielsen - 26/12/1959

79 - Olli Tyrvainen - 11/01/1960
80 - Phil Collins - 02/06/1960
81 - Sam Ermolenko - 23/11/1960
82 - Rick Miller - 12/01/1961
83 - Jeremy Doncaster - 16/06/1961
84 - Tommy Knudsen - 09/11/1961
85 - Zoltan Adorjan - 15/11/1961
86 - Shawn Moran - 19/11/1961
87 - Peter Ravn - 16/03/1962
88 - Zenon Kasprzak - 10/05/1962
89 - John Jorgensen - 18/07/1962
90 - Antal Kocso - 22/12/1962
91 - Sandor Tihanyi - 28/04/1963
92 - Lance King - 13/08/1963
93 - Armando Castagna - 22/09/1963
94 - Kelvin Tatum - 08/02/1964
95 - Marvyn Cox - 11/07/1964
96 - Zdenek Tesar - 30/07/1964
97 - Mikael Blixt - 08/08/1964
98 - Paul Thorp - 09/09/1964
99 - Tony Olsson - 13/03/1965
100  Gerd Riss - 17/03/1965
101 - Conny Ivarsson - 15/04/1965
102 - Simon Cross - 31/05/1965
103 - Bohumil Brhel - 10/06/1965
104 - Slawomir Drabik - 06/02/1966
105 - Per Jonsson - 21/03/1966
106 - Andy Smith - 25/05/1966
107 - Jan Staechmann - 05/06/1966
108 - Ronnie Correy - 08/11/1966
109 - Jimmy Nilsen - 16/11/1966
110 - Brian Karger - 09/02/1967
111 - Jan O. Pedersen - 27/07/1967
112 - Craig Boyce - 02/08/1967
113 - Troy Butler - 22/09/1967 (Not a Finalist)
114 - Piotr Swist - 20/06/1968
115 - Todd Wiltshire - 26/09/1968
116 - Gary Havelock - 04/11/1968
117 - Stefan Danno - 10/02/1969
118 - Martin Dugard - 18/05/1969
119 - Gert Handberg - 30/05/1969
120 - Chris Louis - 09/07/1969

121 - Billy Hamill - 23/05/1970
122 - Greg Hancock - 03/06/1970
123 - Henrik Gustafsson - 14/08/1970
124 - Tony Rickardsson - 17/08/1970
125 - Mark Loram - 12/01/1971
126 - Tomasz Gollob - 11/04/1971
127 - Leigh Adams - 28/04/1971
128 - Josh Larsen - 12/05/1972
129 - Joe Screen - 27/11/1972
130 - Jason Crump - 06/08/1975

Troy Butler rode in the 1989 final

[norbold]

9 hours ago, frigbo said:

Troy Butler rode in the 1989 final

12th with 4 points.

[andout]

Yep you are both right.....I checked Wikipedia for those I wasn't sure of and there is NO mention of that. So when I saw yours and norbolds comment I checked my own records and yes he's definitely there.

[STANBATH]

On 5/22/2025 at 3:03 PM, andout said:

I prefer Stan!!!!!   LOL

Stan is my evil twin-only comes out at night!!!

[The White Knight]

1 hour ago, STANBATH said:

Stan is my evil twin-only comes out at night!!!

Not keen on  Stan. Bring  back Bob.😉🤣

[STANBATH]

I am having trouble getting back to being BOBBATH, sounds like the Forum Gods want me to remain STAN (as in Stan Stevens who I would be proud to share the name with!!)

[frigbo]

Speedway Star reports that Arthur Payne recently passed away.

[chunky]

2 hours ago, frigbo said:

Speedway Star reports that Arthur Payne recently passed away.

That's very sad. I've looked online for more details, but haven't found anything yet.

[chunky]

Okay, here is an updated list...

01 - Ove Fundin - 23/05/33
02 - Dan Forsberg - 25/03/34
03 - Josef Hofmeister - 17/06/34
04 - Brian Crutcher - 23/08/34
05 - Mike Broadbank - 25/09/34
06 - Barry Briggs - 30/12/34
07 - Bob Andrews - 27/10/1935
08 - Reg Luckhurst - 11/11/1935
09 - Sverre Harrfeldt - 23/11/1937
10 - Leif Larsson - 16/02/1938
11 - Bjorn Knutson - 27/04/38
12 - Gunnar Malmqvist - 25/12/1940
13 - Andrzej Wyglenda 04/05/1941
14 - Jim Airey - 19/08/1941
15 - Bengt Jansson - 09/01/1943
16 - Anders Michanek - 30/05/1943
17 - Trevor Hedge - 30/08/1943
18 - Terry Betts - 15/09/1943

19 - Howard Cole 29/12/1943
20 - Martin Ashby - 05/02/1944
21 - Jan Simensen - 26/07/1944
22 - Zygfryd Friedek - 19/10/1944
23 - Jerzy Trzeszkowski - 10/01/1945
24 - Eric Boocock - 02/02/1945
25 - John Boulger - 18/06/1945
26 - Hasse Holmqvist - 18/06/1945
27 - Jim McMillan - 03/12/1945
28 - Ole Olsen - 16/11/1946
29 - Ray Wilson - 12/03/1947
30 - Doug Wyer - 16/08/1947
31 - Grigori Khlinovsky - 11/11/47
32 - Egon Muller - 26/11/1948
33 - Christoph Betzl - 13/02/1949
34 - Jiri Stancl - 18/11/1949
35 - Viktor Kuznetsov - 27/11/1949
36 - Georg Hack - 20/02/1950
37 - Marek Cieslak - 28/06/1950
38 - Alois Wiesbock - 31/07/1950
39 - Tommy Johansson - 21/10/1950
40 - Vladimir Gordeev - 30/11/1950
41 - John Titman - 26/01/1951
42 - Dag Lovaas - 25/02/1951
43 - Jan Verner - 03/03/1951
44 - Petr Ondrasik - 08/10/1951
45 - Phil Crump - 09/02/1952
46 - Henny Kroeze - 11/03/1952
47 - Valery Gordeev - 28/08/1952
48 - Dave Jessup - 07/03/1953
49 - Ales Dryml - 10/06/1953
50 - Scott Autrey - 09/07/1953
 

51 - Robert Slabon - 15/09/1953
52 - Peter Collins - 24/03/1954
53 - Larry Ross - 15/06/1954
54 - John Davis - 10/11/1954
55 - Finn Thomsen - 16/02/1955
56 - Mikhail Starostin - 24/02/1955
57 - Tommy Nilsson - 10/03/1955
58 - Jan Andersson - 07/05/1955
59 - Kai Niemi - 15/09/1955
60 - Jerzy Rembas - 18/04/1956
61 - Chris Morton - 22/07/1956
62 - Steve Bastable - 16/09/1956
63- Bruce Penhall - 10/05/1957
64 - Karl Maier - 24/08/1957
65 - Roman Jankowski - 05/10/1957
66 - Bo Petersen - 21/02/1958
67 - Les Collins - 24/05/1958
68 - Mitch Shirra - 27/09/1958
69 - Michael Lee - 11/12/1958
70 - John Cook - 18/12/1958
71 - Richard Knight - 26/05/1959
72 - Dennis Sigalos - 16/08/1959
73 - Erik Gundersen - 08/10/1959
74 - Hans Nielsen - 26/12/1959
75 - Olli Tyrvainen - 11/01/1960
76 - Phil Collins - 02/06/1960
77 - Sam Ermolenko - 23/11/1960
78 - Rick Miller - 12/01/1961
79 - Jeremy Doncaster - 16/06/1961
80 - Tommy Knudsen - 09/11/1961
81 - Zoltan Adorjan - 15/11/1961
82 - Shawn Moran - 19/11/1961
83 - Peter Ravn - 16/03/1962
84 - Zenon Kasprzak - 10/05/1962
85 - John Jorgensen - 18/07/1962
86 - Antal Kocso - 22/12/1962
87 - Sandor Tihanyi - 28/04/1963
88 - Lance King - 13/08/1963
89 - Armando Castagna - 22/09/1963
90 - Kelvin Tatum - 08/02/1964
91 - Marvyn Cox - 11/07/1964
92 - Zdenek Tesar - 30/07/1964
93 - Mikael Blixt - 08/08/1964
94 - Paul Thorp - 09/09/1964
95 - Tony Olsson - 13/03/1965
96 - Gerd Riss - 17/03/1965
97 - Conny Ivarsson - 15/04/1965
98 - Simon Cross - 31/05/1965
99 - Bohumil Brhel - 10/06/1965
100 - Slawomir Drabik - 06/02/1966

101 - Per Jonsson - 21/03/1966
102 - Andy Smith - 25/05/1966
103 - Jan Staechmann - 05/06/1966
104 - Ronnie Correy - 08/11/1966
105 - Jimmy Nilsen - 16/11/1966
106 - Brian Karger - 09/02/1967
107 - Jan O. Pedersen - 27/07/1967
108 - Craig Boyce - 02/08/1967
109 - Troy Butler - 22/09/1967
110 - Piotr Swist - 20/06/1968
111 - Todd Wiltshire - 26/09/1968
112 - Gary Havelock - 04/11/1968
113 - Stefan Danno - 10/02/1969
114 - Martin Dugard - 18/05/1969
115 - Gert Handberg - 30/05/1969
116 - Chris Louis - 09/07/1969
117 - Billy Hamill - 23/05/1970
118 - Greg Hancock - 03/06/1970
119 - Henrik Gustafsson - 14/08/1970
120 - Tony Rickardsson - 17/08/1970
121 - Mark Loram - 12/01/1971
122 - Tomasz Gollob - 11/04/1971
123 - Leigh Adams - 28/04/1971
124 - Josh Larsen - 12/05/1972
125 - Joe Screen - 27/11/1972
126 - Jason Crump - 06/08/1975

[andout]

I am now left with only ONE rider I never saw.....I am definitely getting old!

[andout]

And Ove now number one.....he looked good carrying out "his" Trophy at Torun.

[andout]

Bob Andrews, number 7 on the list is now gone.....sad, another one bites the dust.

[frigbo]

1979 finalist and former Eastbourne rider Robert Slabon passed away on Sunday.

[steve roberts]

7 hours ago, frigbo said:

1979 finalist and former Eastbourne rider Robert Slabon passed away on Sunday.

Sad news...saw him at action at Arlington a few times. RIP

[norbold]

Just out of interest, Ove, who is now 93 and no.1 on the list has just been for a motor bike ride, starting from his home in Tranås Sweden, first to Karlskrona for an overnight ferry to Gdynia Polen, made a short break in Mragowo, then to Kaunas and a night stay, next Vilnius and Riga, where he had planned to spend the night, but the forecast was for a bad rainstorm the next day so he carried on to Tallin. He then woke up to terrible rain and got to the ferry terminal very wet for the ferry to Stockholm

He said afterwards, "After a most enjoyable trip I loved every minute on the bike. Now I am home and my wife Ioana is happy as she worries when I am away on my bike ride."

Just to repeat - he is now 93 years old!

Edited July 1 by norbold

[chunky]

So, here is the latest list, updated after the sad loss of Bob and Robert.

01 - Ove Fundin - 23/05/33
02 - Dan Forsberg - 25/03/34
03 - Josef Hofmeister - 17/06/34
04 - Brian Crutcher - 23/08/34
05 - Mike Broadbank - 25/09/34
06 - Barry Briggs - 30/12/34
07 - Reg Luckhurst - 11/11/1935
08 - Sverre Harrfeldt - 23/11/1937
09 - Leif Larsson - 16/02/1938
10 - Bjorn Knutson - 27/04/38
11 - Gunnar Malmqvist - 25/12/1940
12 - Andrzej Wyglenda 04/05/1941
13 - Jim Airey - 19/08/1941
14 - Bengt Jansson - 09/01/1943
15 - Anders Michanek - 30/05/1943
16 - Trevor Hedge - 30/08/1943
17 - Terry Betts - 15/09/1943
18 - Howard Cole 29/12/1943

19 - Martin Ashby - 05/02/1944
20 - Jan Simensen - 26/07/1944
21 - Zygfryd Friedek - 19/10/1944
22 - Jerzy Trzeszkowski - 10/01/1945
23 - Eric Boocock - 02/02/1945
24 - John Boulger - 18/06/1945
25 - Hasse Holmqvist - 18/06/1945
26 - Jim McMillan - 03/12/1945
27 - Ole Olsen - 16/11/1946
28 - Ray Wilson - 12/03/1947
29 - Doug Wyer - 16/08/1947
30 - Grigori Khlinovsky - 11/11/47
31 - Egon Muller - 26/11/1948
32 - Christoph Betzl - 13/02/1949
33 - Jiri Stancl - 18/11/1949
34 - Viktor Kuznetsov - 27/11/1949
35 - Georg Hack - 20/02/1950
36 - Marek Cieslak - 28/06/1950
37 - Alois Wiesbock - 31/07/1950
38 - Tommy Johansson - 21/10/1950
39 - Vladimir Gordeev - 30/11/1950
40 - John Titman - 26/01/1951
41 - Dag Lovaas - 25/02/1951
42 - Jan Verner - 03/03/1951
43 - Petr Ondrasik - 08/10/1951
44 - Phil Crump - 09/02/1952
45 - Henny Kroeze - 11/03/1952
46 - Valery Gordeev - 28/08/1952
47 - Dave Jessup - 07/03/1953
48 - Ales Dryml - 10/06/1953
49 - Scott Autrey - 09/07/1953
50 - Peter Collins - 24/03/1954
51 - Larry Ross - 15/06/1954
52 - John Davis - 10/11/1954
53 - Finn Thomsen - 16/02/1955
54 - Mikhail Starostin - 24/02/1955
55 - Tommy Nilsson - 10/03/1955
56 - Jan Andersson - 07/05/1955
57 - Kai Niemi - 15/09/1955
58 - Jerzy Rembas - 18/04/1956
49 - Chris Morton - 22/07/1956
60 - Steve Bastable - 16/09/1956
61- Bruce Penhall - 10/05/1957
62 - Karl Maier - 24/08/1957
63 - Roman Jankowski - 05/10/1957
64 - Bo Petersen - 21/02/1958
65 - Les Collins - 24/05/1958
66 - Mitch Shirra - 27/09/1958
67 - Michael Lee - 11/12/1958
68 - John Cook - 18/12/1958
69 - Richard Knight - 26/05/1959
70 - Dennis Sigalos - 16/08/1959
71 - Erik Gundersen - 08/10/1959
72 - Hans Nielsen - 26/12/1959
73 - Olli Tyrvainen - 11/01/1960
74 - Phil Collins - 02/06/1960
75 - Sam Ermolenko - 23/11/1960
76 - Rick Miller - 12/01/1961
77 - Jeremy Doncaster - 16/06/1961
78 - Tommy Knudsen - 09/11/1961
79 - Zoltan Adorjan - 15/11/1961
80 - Shawn Moran - 19/11/1961
81 - Peter Ravn - 16/03/1962
82 - Zenon Kasprzak - 10/05/1962
83 - John Jorgensen - 18/07/1962
84 - Antal Kocso - 22/12/1962
85 - Sandor Tihanyi - 28/04/1963
86 - Lance King - 13/08/1963
87 - Armando Castagna - 22/09/1963
88 - Kelvin Tatum - 08/02/1964
89 - Marvyn Cox - 11/07/1964
90 - Zdenek Tesar - 30/07/1964
91 - Mikael Blixt - 08/08/1964
92 - Paul Thorp - 09/09/1964
93 - Tony Olsson - 13/03/1965
94 - Gerd Riss - 17/03/1965
95 - Conny Ivarsson - 15/04/1965
96 - Simon Cross - 31/05/1965
97 - Bohumil Brhel - 10/06/1965
98 - Slawomir Drabik - 06/02/1966
99 - Per Jonsson - 21/03/1966
100 - Andy Smith - 25/05/1966

101 - Jan Staechmann - 05/06/1966
102 - Ronnie Correy - 08/11/1966
103 - Jimmy Nilsen - 16/11/1966
104 - Brian Karger - 09/02/1967
105 - Jan O. Pedersen - 27/07/1967
106 - Craig Boyce - 02/08/1967
107 - Troy Butler - 22/09/1967
108 - Piotr Swist - 20/06/1968
109 - Todd Wiltshire - 26/09/1968
110 - Gary Havelock - 04/11/1968
111 - Stefan Danno - 10/02/1969
112 - Martin Dugard - 18/05/1969
113 - Gert Handberg - 30/05/1969
114 - Chris Louis - 09/07/1969
115 - Billy Hamill - 23/05/1970
116 - Greg Hancock - 03/06/1970
117 - Henrik Gustafsson - 14/08/1970
118 - Tony Rickardsson - 17/08/1970
119 - Mark Loram - 12/01/1971
120 - Tomasz Gollob - 11/04/1971
121 - Leigh Adams - 28/04/1971
122 - Josh Larsen - 12/05/1972
123 - Joe Screen - 27/11/1972
124 - Jason Crump - 06/08/1975