coventry speedway past riders

We saw Ole Olsen's van on the way home one night and my dad hammered the car to overtake him and Ole laughed and laughed. I was eight-years-old and instantly fell in love with the whole thing - the smell, the atmosphere, the crowds, which were big then. This is a perennial problem in Speedway. That summed up Olle nicely. He looked like a bank-manager but he certainly knew how to run a Speedway track. It must have been infuriating for the away team, although they must have been aware of what was likely to happen. At the beginning of every meeting Starting Marshalls, officials, St John's Ambulance people, riders, all marched in step out onto the track to military style music, followed by presentations and then "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" by Rimsky-Korsakov. Ray Harris and Ron Swaine had moved out and Swindon used just nine riders during the domestic campaign, plus a guest appearance by Dick Bradley at Coventry (where he scored 15 points). Fixtures/Statistics. Polish Speedway Database. One night in 1975 Olle Nygren was riding in his last year for King's Lynn. The ashes of "Mr Coventry Speedway" are being interred at the club's track. The home ground is … After the war, the club became The Bees and have been involved every season from 1948 until the loss of Brandon stadium shortly before the start of the 2017 season, during which they ran a series of challenge matches at other tracks. He is a national hero in Denmark. COVENTRY STORM: Joe Jacobs, Richard Franklin, Oliver Greenwood, Brendan Johnson, James Sarjeant, Trevor Heath, Martin Knuckey. Whether you are looking for a cheap and easy way to get around, or you're looking to venture into the world of bigger bikes, we have the course for you! The riders are ex-professionals or enthusiasts, and over the years have appeared at most speedway … View on Homes.com as well as property record details, price history, local schools and refinance offers. Nigel Boocock, from Yorkshire, competed in 748 matches for Coventry Bees in 18 consecutive seasons in the 1960s and 70s. ", Ole Olsen and Coventry Bees : The Glory Days. “Olsen changed speedway at Coventry. It was in 1929 and the match againts West Ham was billed as an Inter-track Challange. Full TV coverage of the British League match of Leicester Lions v local rivals the Coventry Bees. In 1984 I moved away from Coventry. John, a farmer, was known for his fence-scraping and swashbuckling style. Arrangements are now in place for a Coventry line-up to visit Wolverhampton in a “Keep Bees On Track” challenge on Monday April 10. Back to the other Ole, Olsen, he stayed with Coventry until his retirement in 1983. There were exceptions, like Nigel at Coventry, Peter Collins at Belle Vue, Terry Betts at King's Lynn etc but they were in the minority. Home value report for 5008 Coventry Cove Dr, Bessemer, AL 35022. There's probably no better symbol of Speedway's decline. Steve Schofield (speedway rider) Mitch Shirra; Filip Šitera; Andy Smith (speedway rider) Martin Smolinski; George Štancl; Jiří Štancl; Simon Stead; Aaron Summers (speedway rider) Tommy Knudsen - perhaps the unluckiest of them all? At his farewell meeting 20,000 fans turned up on a wet night to wish him goodbye, remarkable testimony to his popularity. Jack Young - the man who made winning races look effortless. A SPEEDWAY legend deemed to be the greatest ever rider to not be crowned World Champion will be honoured at the Brandon Stadium at a free public service on Saturday (January 9) at 11am. All the latest news results & fixtures on the Buildbase Coventry Bees Speedway team - Official Club Website. Ole Olsen Tommy Knudsen, Nigel Boocock, Ken McKinaly, Rick France, Ron Mountford and finally Cov kid Les Owen, not the greatest but he sure as hell rode his heart out for the team. The Bees continued to have success in the 80's so these were great days not only for Coventry but for British speedway in general. If you remember those days or just want to know what it was like before laydowns, kevlars and 15 heat matches, then come and see Blast From The Past when we visit a track near you. Unsurprisingly the riders wear yellow and black colours. My favourite rider of all time is Nigel Boocock. CITY GEARBOXES STORM (from): Liam Carr, Mitchell Davey, Conor Dwyer, Dan Greenwood r/r, Jamie Halder, Ryan Terry-Daley, Callum Walker. It was six-heat match with West Ham winning 31-19. Remember the chant? Les, also a local lad was extremely popular. I first went to Brandon in 1952, so next year, it will be exactly sixty years - frightening! Ron Mountford and Jim Lightfoot were the overtaking stars at Brandon. He was a great rider and a nice bloke, but he was perhaps a bit selfish. He was a great ambassador not just for Coventry but for Speedway in general. It also hosted BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing on the 1st Saturday of the month from April through to November. There then developed an arm-wrestling match between Ole/Ochiltree and the SCB. Lee Richardson, who was killed in a race crash on 13 May at the age of Lee Richardson 33, was a British speedway international. ... the Coventry Bees and the White City Rebels. Ole, the "Great Dane", was a world-class rider who had already won the World Championship twice. SPEEDWAY RIDERS BENEVOLENT FUND While this site is a grim reminder of the tragedies that have occurred throughout the history of the sport, there have been countless other riders who have been injured, often very seriously. Read more... REWIND: BEES v PETERBOROUGH 2009 THIS Friday (April 30) we go back almost exactly 12 years to a 2009 clash between the Buildbase Bees and Peterborough. There was a horrific crash in 1973 involving local favourites John Harrhy and Les Owen. I was already hooked on Speedway, from the age of 8 years old, (See my article on Ove Fundin, "When Ian met Ove"), so it was only natural that my wife and I should become regulars at Brandon. All the latest news results & fixtures on the Coventry Bees Speedway team - Official Club Website. The SCB wanted to ensure competitive teams, an entirely laudable aim, except that it meant an annual musical chairs of riders moving from track to track. However he has done speedway in this country no favours since taking over the GP series & for that reason he is omitted. Brandon Stadium also known as Coventry Stadium, is located 6 miles east of Coventry in Brandon, Warwickshire, England. Ole was a great ambassador for this team is his time here. These speedway riders are made of tough stuff. BY popular demand this week (Friday May 7, 7.30pm) we are revisiting one of the most famous nights in Coventry's Elite League history. It was the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team. Speaking in 2017, Ole Olsen said British speedway was going downhill and that he feared for its future, criticizing the lack of investment in the sport. My wife was then a medical social worker at Coventry hospital so she got to see the downside of Speedway when riders came in to be treated for their injuries. Ochiltree had to pay 30,000 pounds to Hull, but this proved to be the shrewdest investment he ever made, and fortunately for us supporters at the time, Ole brought 7 glory years to Coventry Speedway. The team was called Coventry City. Captain of the Lakeside Hammers team, Richardson rode for Great Britain at senior and under-21 level, and featured in several World Cups. Danny Ayres's death was announced on 1 February . Sport, ... like the speedway riders of old - he was a "leg-trailer", keeping his left leg at all times in contact with the grit on the track. He also was a great team man. I have been watching The Bees, home & away, continuously since 1971. Call Your Local Motorcycle Training Centre on: 02476 960 237. In 1976 Charles Ochiltree tried to lure Ole Olsen from Wolverhampton to ride at Coventry. Contrast that with now. He is still going strong at 90 years old, commuting regularly between the UK and his native Sweden. He was articulate in his second language, more so than many riders were in their first. But worse, it meant Clubs and riders couldn't really establish a rapport with their fans. Perhaps not an entirely fair racing tactic. Looking back now it all seems very kitsch. In 2017 Brandon Stadium failed to open, having fallen into the hands of prospective property developers. Riders; Venues; Contact; Search. !” Facebook group. He promoted Speedway for 40 years until his death in 1998. Then he had the gall to say 'I win the race, it makes my score look better' and that goes for all his ex team so called mates. Ever-present Bob Roger's final average was a monumental 10.27, and his fantastic riding also yielded 8 full and 2 paid maximums. Les Owen, born on the 21st April 1939 in Coventry, before Les became a speedway riderhe rode for the Alvis Aces – Alvis Aces being a cycle speedway team who raced Sunday mornings in the 1950’s on a track in the Alvis Sports Ground on the corner of Holyhead Road and what is now Four Pounds Avenue, Coventry. Thanks largely to Ole there was a great atmosphere at the Stadium. No mention of Ole Olsen is given. And the winners were............ Ole and Charles Ochiltree. Corporate Fans. AdmissionRidersHistory. However the Speedway Control Board had "allocated" him to ride at Hull. Between 1973 and 1984 I lived in Coventry, not far from Brandon stadium, the home of Coventry "Bees". Jim Lightfoot lived in Binley Woods. A British speedway rider who died suddenly has been taken around a lap of a track where he competed for the last time. So Coventry Bees, a team that had been in existence since 1928, dropped out of the league. Sadly Les ended up with some brain damage and partial paralysis so his career was ended. Home Latest News. Elite League News National League News Midland Development League News. That takes skill. Brandon Stadium had big crowds and the "Bees" won two championships in 78 and 79, the second being decided by a 42-36 home win for Coventry against Hull in front of a huge crowd. First of all you have to be a good waiter then have the nuts to ride faster round the outside, sometimes on difficult tracks. We chatted about this incident after the race with another spectator who said" Ah well that's Olle Nygren for you, he would chop up his own grandmother if necessary!" I remember going to a British Final and we were season ticket holders and had to stand in front of the Main Stand. Like Ochiltree he has since shown he has organizational ability, setting up a Speedway Centre, and helping to produce subsequent Danish World Champions like Hans Neilsen. The Dane had returned to racing on the continent, but the Bees had brought in Sayfutdinov and it was stated that the Russian would remain with the … THE famous name of Coventry Speedway will continue this season with a series of challenge matches planned to benefit riders who would have appeared for the club in 2017. Alan was our No 2 and he and Ole made umpteen 5-1's so Alan was also one of our best too, It took guts to ride a bike without brakes so Alan well done for all your service to Coventry Bees, The Bees will never be forgotten. The meeting will also include Coventry’s annual National League collection for the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund. Coventry Bees Averages 1960 Season Matches Rides Points Bonus Points Average 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Retired Excluded Jack Young 17 83 184 3 9.01 39 27 13 4 0 0 Nigel Boocock 18 91 171 19 8.35 31 28 22 7 3 0 Henryk Zyto 13 56 92 11 7.36 17 15 11 6 6 1 Les Owen 18 63 87 17 6.60 12 16 19 11 5 0 Graham Warren 15 41 54 6 5.85 9 7 13 8 2 2 Ron Mountford 18 65 82 12 5.78 11 15 … CBT and Full Motorcycle Licence Courses with Riders Coventry! This article was first published on 5th January 2020, "Re your article on Olsen and his less able team mates, you haven't got a clue what it takes to team ride. DevonLive looks back at the speedway riders and the glory days of the Exeter Falcons. Coventry Bees owner Avtar Sandhu has paid tribute to the Ochiltree family following their departure from Coventry International Motor Speedway. Night to remember - that's easy, the night the Russians came to Brandon. We were packed in, you could not move. ", "I did not realise there was such animosity from Alan. Except Nigel didn't retire and came back to ride for another two or three year in British speedway although not with Coventry. 2016 Bees Team 2016 Storm Team. Former rider Martin Biddle posted the following fantastic shots from the 50s, of Trimley Tigers on the “i was a or still am a cycle speedway rider !!! My aunt was the nurse and receptionist for the track doctor (Dr Peter Kenyon Snr) whose practice was in Chace Avenue and we were given complimentary stand tickets, thus starting the addiction which has never gone away. Blast From The Past was started by Colin Smith in the early 1990s after a request to show modern day supporters what speedway was like in the 1950s and 1960s. I first went to Coventry Speedway in 1977. Read more... REWIND: BEES v POOLE 2008 I was priviliged to watch his team riding with Ole and he was superb at it and I for one did realise he was he was good enough and FAST enough to carry this off and as he says had the NUTS to do it, hats off to you Alan! Ole would then shepherd his partner for the rest of the race, taking care to continue blocking the opposition, to pass the tapes first and second for Coventry. Per-Ole Soderman - our biggest loss, who should have done far more. What endeared him particularly to the fans was that he was adept at team-riding. Ole, the "Great Dane", was a world-class rider who had already won the World Championship twice. The Rick Miller testimonial was another favourite, a great day out. I now live near Poole stadium and watch the Bees when they are the opposition. We introduced many friends to the sport and we enjoyed the chat and the banter with other supporters. My hero was Graham Warren (later to ride for the Bees). The photos are of Trimley Tigers in 1952 at the Addington Road track and Trimley Tigers in 1953 at the opening of the Station Road Track against the Felixstowe Flyers. He wanted all the dirt taken off the track and he didn’t want any grip for any of us outside boys to pass him, you know, he wanted it smooth. Nigel Boocock - the greatest trier of them all. John Harrhy got back to riding after a year out, but this accident proved that there are fewer more precarious ways of earning a living than speedway riding. In the early 70's Nigel Boocock ("Little Boy Blue") was still Number One rider at Brandon. ... DVDs. Sandhu There are some other that have stood out over the years, Les Owen, Gary Guglielmi, Tommy Knudsen, Greg Hancock, Scott Nicholls to name a few. However the Speedway Control Board had "allocated" him to ride at Hull. If Rimsky could have been a time-traveller and fast-forwarded himself to the West Midlands I'm sure he would have been astounded,not just by Speedway, but by music from one of his operas being used at such an event! "Re Coventry, they were the first team ever to race in a leauge Speedway Match in London. It was the only time Mitch overtook him - not. “With local riders like Dave Frith, Matt Lawrence, Myke Grimes and Norman Venson available, Coventry have the basis of a competitive all-round team this year”, he concluded. There have been campaigns to reinstate Speedway but so far they have come to nothing. He was old-fashioned. I had seen Olle ride for Norwich in the early 60's so that year Olle was already 46 years old. Best rider, that's hard so I would say the Cov 1960s team. THE A-Z OF BRITISH LEAGUE SPEEDWAY RIDERS (Matt Jackson) RETRO SPEEDWAY (BACKTRACK MAGAZINE) (Photos, magazines, books and DVDs from the 1970s & 80s) DEFUNCT SPEEDWAY TRACKS (Speedway tracks of yesteryear - John Skinner) SPEEDWAY PLUS (Speedway articles and pictures) SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONS (A-Z of National champions of every speedway … The Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund exists as a charity in order to assist these individuals in their times of need. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. Quite! It was a "Golden Age". Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team that was formed in 1928. Not only was Ole a great individual rider, he was also brilliant tactically. ... Riders. Taking the dirt off the track probably ruined speedway. He was a Grand Prix rider … From 1978 until early 2016 it intermittently hosted greyhound racing. He'd invariably get out of the second bend in front slowing down just enough to allow his less able team-mate to come up on the outside whilst at the same time blocking the opposing heat-leader from getting past. In 1976 Charles Ochiltree tried to lure Ole Olsen from Wolverhampton to ride at Coventry. Ole said if he couldn't ride for Coventry he wouldn't ride anywhere in the UK. On 30 June, Coventry Speedway confirmed that they had released Andersen, with the rider free to speak to other clubs. Greg Hancock - the nicest guy ever to win championships. Just as in his riding days Ole's analysis is spot on. Even getting there was an adventure, with Coventry Transport providing a fleet of buses from Wheatley Street, and charging 1s 4 1/2d RETURN - no half fares - because, I believe, the stadium was outside the city boundary and they couldn't charge to come back, starting outside the city. He had been racing since 1948, an amazing career of over 25 years at top level Speedway. My Dad was a HUGE Mitch Shirra fan and our Ford Cortina Estate car was covered in Mitch Shirra stickers. I was born in Birmingham and the Brummies were my team from 1949. Ole Olsen and Coventry Bees : The Glory DaysBy Ian Davey. The then Promoter at Coventry was Charles Ochiltree, a legend in Speedway himself. On the front was Mighty Mitch and the back window had Super Shirra. (True aficionados of the sport will probably correct my terminology.) We witnessed Nigel's last ride in Coventry colours before his retirement and emigration to Australia. The one meeting that has stood out from the rest is definetly the Bees v Vikings title showdown, 1981 that was i think. ", "Ole was a great speedway rider for our Bees but he also bought the World title to Coventry in 1978 which I had the honour to witness at Wembley (with the twin towers) plus many other honours. Riders were often sent to places they didn't want to go to. This is a perennial problem in Speedway. Coventry Speedway late 1950's film - also features Noel Gordon of Crossroads fame Edited by member, 22nd Feb 2014 12:46 pm. Brandon Stadium, for so long a mecca of speedway, is now derelict and vandalized. West Ham racing colours was white, while Coventry was described as Red & Green. Nigel Boocock spent 18 seasons with the Coventry Bees, captained England for multiple events and won the British League Championship. In one race coming out of the starting gate Olle was determined to hit the first bend in front so he stuck out his left boot in exaggerated fashion to prevent his opponent on his inside from getting into his normal cornering position. Riders. Arthur Forrest - The most immaculately turned out rider I ever saw (and good with it!).

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