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Post by coombes on Jun 3, 2014 11:08:56 GMT 1
When Ettienne was banned from riding in British speedway after turning out for Bert Harkins Globetrotters at Costbridge, legend has it that he still had second half there under the name of "John Smith", but e as this really true? His "name" certainly wasn't in the printed program but he m a y well have appeared in the blank spaces in the junior races. My programs aren't filled in, so can anyone help. Is this fact or fiction? After a campaign by Ronnie and Joyce Young the SRA issued a foreign riders permit for him to allow him to race. Sadly he went home that winter and never returned.
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Post by drosser on Jun 3, 2014 17:00:35 GMT 1
Etienne certainly rode second halves in the early / mid 70s. He was a hard, tenacious rider - just ask Harry McLean! Etienne showed him the quickest way to the fence in no uncertain terms one night. Harry woke up in Canniesburn with his jaw fully wired having gone face first into a lighting column. I do.not remember much about the politics or about him changing his name. I seem to recall Mike Ferreira
coming across fairly soon after and having no problems with permits.
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Post by mervjankefanclub on Jun 3, 2014 20:31:50 GMT 1
Ferreira was Zimbabwean, drosser, which was part of the Commonwealth at the time and as such I don't believe a work permit would have been a problem. A fellow Zimbabwean who also had his first rides at Glasgow, was wee Denzil Kent, who had a few second halves at Blantyre when he first arrived in Britain.....definitely two that got away!!
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Post by Coatbridge Tiger on Jun 4, 2014 14:19:07 GMT 1
I don't have a complete set of programmes for 1973, but Ettienne was programmed to ride in the second half on 27th July but was replaced by Harry Maclean. None of the other names riding that evening appear to be assumed names. He's named in the programme again from 31st August through to the end of the season. If he did ride as John Smith then it can't have been in very many meetings at all.
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Post by coombes on Jun 4, 2014 18:34:27 GMT 1
The dates that Coatbridge Tiger gave are consistent with the period that Ettienne was banned, so we're basically looking at August to see if "John Smith" was a change to second half heats.
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Post by daveallan on Jun 5, 2014 17:56:42 GMT 1
I have no programmes at all from 1973 so can't assist on the pseudonym conundrum but I took a look at the season file on Speedway Researcher and Ettienne was back in official league action on 25th August as Tigers number 8 at Halifax, his only official appearance. Here's a file of his results in the UK in 1973, including his matches for Berwick. www.dropbox.com/s/if3ogryhwcdw33f/EttienneOlivier1973.pdfI then discovered two further matches representing Mac's Marauders in Norway no less. 5 Tigers and 2 guests (Wyer & Wilson) rode in meetings at Bergen and Stavanger (Sandes) on 26 & 28 October respectively. The Marauders won in Bergen 40-38 with Dave Gifford 10(4), Doug Wyer 9(4), Reg Wilson 9(4), Bobby Beaton 6(4), Robin Adlington 3(4), Ettienne Olivier 2(3) & John Wilson 1(3). They went down by the same scoreline in Stavanger, Reg Wilson 10(4), Doug Wyer 8(4), Dave Gifford 8(4), Bobby Beaton 6(4), Robin Adlington 4(4), John Wilson 2(3)& Ettienne Olivier 0(3). These matches were his final appearances. I assume the 'Mac' in Mac's Marauders' referred to the absent Jim McMillan and for some reason it was deemed unsuitable to ride as Coatbridge? I also assume these matches were in some way connected to Svein Kaasa, the file reports them simply as challenges. None of which answers your query Coombes, but I thought it was worth adding. I must also add that mainly due to an overdose of old Taggart episodes on DVD I can't help but envisage Mark McManus slamming a 1973 copy of Speedway Star doon on the Biscuits' desk and proclaiming "That's no' John Smith, it's Ettienne Olvier." Then they aw get in mark 1 Sierras and speed home to sort their programmes.. Coatbridge was a real hotbed of intrugue when you think about it. 1973 also brought the incredible disappearing West German of course. Didn't Gary Guglielmi ride under an assumed name at Coatbridge for a time, right at the very end of Cliftonhill? There was even an underage scandal with Mitch Shirra and the mass suicide attempt by the marching band. Isn't speedway dull nowadays
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Post by tyretrax on Jun 5, 2014 22:43:51 GMT 1
It was actually (Neil) Mac(farlane's) Marauders and was indeed connected to Svein Kaasa's accident.
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Post by Flying Tiger on Jun 5, 2014 22:54:17 GMT 1
I then discovered two further matches representing Mac's Marauders in Norway no less. 5 Tigers and 2 guests (Wyer & Wilson) rode in meetings at Bergen and Stavanger (Sandes) on 26 & 28 October respectively. The Marauders won in Bergen 40-38 with Dave Gifford 10(4), Doug Wyer 9(4), Reg Wilson 9(4), Bobby Beaton 6(4), Robin Adlington 3(4), Ettienne Olivier 2(3) & John Wilson 1(3). They went down by the same scoreline in Stavanger, Reg Wilson 10(4), Doug Wyer 8(4), Dave Gifford 8(4), Bobby Beaton 6(4), Robin Adlington 4(4), John Wilson 2(3)& Ettienne Olivier 0(3). These matches were his final appearances. There aren't any instances of John Smith appearing in the second half of the August progs in my collection, but in the meeting against Wolverhampton on the 18th of August 1973 someone has noted that 'H Smith' replaced Alistair Brady in Event 2 (Reserves Race) and also filled the Y/B blank in Event 5 (Junior Tussle)... could this be EO in disguise? Incidentally, do you have more info on the two challenges in Norway? I have the prog from Sandes but it's not filled in.
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Post by daveallan on Jun 6, 2014 16:26:37 GMT 1
It was actually (Neil) Mac(farlane's) Marauders and was indeed connected to Svein Kaasa's accident. The glaringly obvious clue being 'Mac's' - I didn't even think of that, thanks TT. Nae wonder Taggart gave me the bullet... FlyingTiger, I'll speak to the files creator, see if I can get any more info. I've regurgitated everything from the file in my post, bonus points weren't shown.
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Post by coombes on Jun 6, 2014 19:52:15 GMT 1
Interesting stuff. Thanks to all who contributed. Dave, do you have the Norwegian line ups? Would presume that Tiger Kjell Gimre rode for the home sides.
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Post by drosser on Jun 7, 2014 20:49:11 GMT 1
It was actually (Neil) Mac(farlane's) Marauders and was indeed connected to Svein Kaasa's accident. Interesting days indeed. Gary Guglielmi and two of his pals rode second halves at Coatbridge in (I think) 1976 and early '77 (pre Blantyre 1). I forget the name that he rode under. I thought it may have been Mark McCoy but may be totally wrong(I did not know that it was a pseuodnym until he re-appeared a couple of years later). One of his pals was Steven Barr, a young deaf and dumb Australian with a neat style (I think that he moved to Stoke but did not progress far). The third Australian's name completely escapes me(my memory is not improving with age and I do not keep programmes). Local juniors were unhappy that they were excluded from second halves in '77 at the expense of these three as they appeared to be nothing special. I would be interested to confirm their names if any supporters have programmes from that period. 'Band On The Run' was indeed a Coatbridge special event, with very few high high marks being earned for style as many stones of band members vaulted the fence after leading heat 1 for fifty metres or so. Some opposition supporters said that Jack 'pince nez' Cuthbert's eyesight was not the best at times but, in fairness, anyone could miss a massed pipe band playing Scotland The Brave in a slight lapse of concentration. To add injury to insult, he excluded all of them from the re-run - I thought it looked like first bend bunching!! Staying on the musical theme, there was a famous German recording artist who turned up and did a few demonstration 'wheelies' on John Wilson's bike whilst viewing races from the back. Apparently, he was not totally impressed with the stadium and set-up at Cliftonhill - some people are never happy! - a rice pudding egg on and no mistake!
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Post by mervjankefanclub on Jun 7, 2014 22:03:59 GMT 1
It was the start of the 77 season at Coatbridge, Drosser and I believe Gary Williams was the name Guglielmi used I also think he might have turned out for Paisley in the SJL before disappearing down south. Mick McCoy was the Aussie you are thinking about, he did stick around and turned out for Paisley in the SJL. You are also correct about Stephen Barr heading down to Stoke, then he headed home never to return. My first speedway meeting was when the Tigers first moved to Blantyre in 1977, so I never got to see Barr, but one or two people have commented that he looked a good prospect......oh, and 1977 was also a certain Merv Janke's first season
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Post by drosser on Jun 8, 2014 12:02:05 GMT 1
Thanks for that mervjankefanclub - I am definitely a confused person. I remember Mick McCoy now - as you say he did turn out for Paisley alongside Kenny Jarvie and the late Bill Logan. I will take your word about Gary's assumed surname - it does not ring any bells.
Talking about speedway characters - Bill Logan was one of the most laid back guys that I have ever known, a 'hippie' 10 years too late. An excellent motorcyclist who competed in many classes of road racing and even tried motocross, I think. He seemed to live in his huge old converted Bank Of Scotland van sleeping with his bikes.
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Post by coombes on Jun 8, 2014 12:53:52 GMT 1
I wasn't at the Scotland v Norway meeting in 1969 with the Pipers high jump attempts, but am fairly certain Jack Cuthbert wasn't the ref that night. Jack was a kenspeckled character and in his time at Blantyre1 when he was time keeper was given to asking "who is out in the next race for us"! He also had a deep rooted dislike for Peter Thorogood, then the Crayford team manager and was reluctant to let him into the box. Thereafter he sat mumbling that PT should go away - or words to that effect!Jack once declared five consecutive heats as being won in 67.0. No amount of persuasion could convince him his watch was jammed. Mick McCoy is best remembered for his valiant attempts to get around bends one and two in the first season at Blantyre. Fortunately as an act of great humanity the bends were widen that winter.
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Post by mervjankefanclub on Jun 8, 2014 13:08:36 GMT 1
I loved staying behind to watch the SJL when I was a kid, drosser, and Bill Logan was one of my favourites at the time. I mentioned his name on Facebook a good while back and I seem to remember someone - it might well have been Niven Munro - saying that Bill was really good mates with Brian Collins and Pogo helped him out a fair bit as he was starting his speedway career. I am positive Williams was name used for Gary - because it was easier than Guglielmi!! He didn't hang around long before disappearing to Coventry, via Boston. Turned out to be a bit of a wild man didn't he? Nicking off with Billy Sanders' wife and doing a bit of porridge for drug possession.
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