Qualifying Round
Christmas Card
v West Ham
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| Mark Hedley Page |
| Mark Hedley says: At the beginning of 1966 I had only just turned 15 and went to Brough Park for the first time. I got the bug for speedway and found a sporting hero in Ivan Mauger. A pal and me decided we would go on the bus from Brough Park to London and the European Final at Wembley. Then with days to go my friend pulled out. Despite my mam being very worried I so wanted to go and I did , on my own. Never having been to London before I bought a day rover tube ticket and raced around trying to see as many things that I could and saw most of the sights and so to the famous wembley stadium on the evening. Somehow I had a seat amongst a lot of Swindon fans supporting Barry Briggs and there was I with my Ivan rosette. Of course Ivan won the meeting and as he came around on his victory lap I was standing on my seat cheering to the amusement of the robins fans who had befriended me. I didnt sleep on the coach all the way home and getting back on the sunday morning said to my parents, got to go to bed will tell you all about my amazing weekend later. Still one of the best adventures of my life and im almost 70. I loved supporting Ivan and speedway in all those golden years of the 60s, 70s, going into the 80s and the thrill of the one off world finals. I saw Ivan win two wembley world finals and lots of other successes. On his last and final time in newcastle he signed a race jacket which i'd had for many years. It's a diamonds body colour that HE WORE during the 1965 BLRC at Belle Vue. I got it framed and it has a pride of place on my staircase at home. Like many I'm sad that the sport has declined, crowds have got smaller, and a lot of excitement has gone. Marks pics etc follow below: - |
| Mark's Ivan Racejacket |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| The 1960s |
| Brian Craven |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Bill Andrew |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| 1963 Programmes |
| Newcastle v Sheffield |
| 29th April 1963 |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Sheffield's manager Frank Varey was a pioneer of the sport. He was known as "The Red Devil" back in 1929. He rode the most unusal bike a 500cc 2-stroke, watercooled Scott. |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Newcastle v Middlesbrough |
| 27th May 1963 |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Provincial Riders
Championship Qualifying Round |
| 19th August 1963 |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Newcastle v Cradley Heath |
| 30th September 1963 |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| My thanks to Mark for the 1963 programmes |
| Brian (Pommy) Brett |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Brian in Cradley Heath Colours |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Grahame Coombes |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Ivan Mauger |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Ivan & Family Christmas Card |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Mark's Christmas card from Ivan. His family are wife Raye, daughter's Julie and Debbie and Son Kym |
| World Champion |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| 1968 World Champion flanked by Runner-up Barry Briggs and Pole Edward Jancarz in 3rd place |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Ivan celebrates with Raye, world title number 1 |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Ivan Mauger v West Ham |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Mike Watkin |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Mike was a local rider from the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. He never reached heat leader status but he had his moments. I saw him defeat the current World Champion Barry Briggs to rapturous applause and on wet tracks Mike "Mudlark" Watkin had the skill to beat anyone. |
| Russ Dent |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Russ Dent born Alan Russell Dent in Consett, County Durham on the 22nd July 1940. He filled the lower order Diamond slots but Russ moved from Newcastle to Sunderland in 1971 when the son of Consett's career took off as he became a Sunderland top scorer and team captain. |
| Alan Butterfield |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Goog Allen |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Gordon Goog Allen a Newcastle rider 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 |
| Newcastle Team |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Back: Alan Butterfield, Grahame Coombes, Peter Kelly, Brian Brett, Front: Mike Watkin, Ivan Mauger & Dave Gifford |
| Ole Olsen |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| John says: Mark's pic of Ole Olsen brought back a memory for me. A scandinavian had arrived at Brough Park and had scored 4 second places 8 points to Ole on his debut. His bike caught my attention see the "clip-on handlebars" The machine was an ESO. I was used to JAPs so decided to walk through the pits to see if Olsen's bike was there. It was there and I noted in the dark in the pits his bike had clip on bars and a shorter squatter engine than the long stroke JAP. The ESO evolved into the JAWA and the end was nigh for Britains JAP. I have been told later that Ivan Mauger and Alan Butterfield had both used ESOs before Ole came over the North Sea, from Denmark with his. |
| Mike Watkin Testimonial |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| John Skinner says: I am not 100% sure of this but as Mike was in the middle of the photo I assume it was his testimonial. The photo shows Cricket's Colin Milburn, Newcastle Evening Chronicle's sports editor John Gibson, Mike Watkin, Ole Olsen, Football manager Lawrence McMenemy MBE & Ivan Mauger |
| The 1970s |
| Joe Owen |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Tom & Joe Owen |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Ron Henderson |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| Hendo's Autograph |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
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| Courtesy of Mark Hedley |
| My thanks to Mark Hedley for sending me these photographs (shown above) |
| John Spoor reminds us of the bikes in use during the period of Mark's page with the 4 photos shown below |
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| Courtesy of John Spoor |
| The bikes in use during the 1960s/early 1970s. Above left: British JAP Engines Housed in a variety of frames. Rotrax JAPs were in my opinion the best looking speedway machines of all time. Above right: The Czech built ESO which evolved into the JAWA shown below. The ESO/JAWA saw off the ageing JAP by being cheaper and more reliable but above all most riders found the Czech machines were actually easier to ride! |
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| Courtesy of John Spoor |
| Above left: Ivan's JAWA. He was a JAWA works rider. Above Right: Danish rider Ernst Bøgh restores bikes to their former glory as he has done with this fine example of a mid 1970s Weslake |
| The contents of the site are © and should not be reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site gave the pictures and information on that understanding. If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on the site please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item. Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item. |