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Post by coombes on Jan 2, 2022 10:18:14 GMT 1
Any one remember the first Long Track meeting at Motherwell? A bitterly cold afternoon, a wide range of ability from World Champions like Mauger and Briggs to second halfers like Tom Blackwood and George Beaton but a good afternoon out all the same. Very much of its time and we'll never see such things again.
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Post by benbulben on Jan 2, 2022 11:45:56 GMT 1
I was there ! Some speeds they could rack up.Those days are passed now. Sigh.
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Post by coombes on Jan 9, 2022 9:58:02 GMT 1
Anyone remember the ice racing at Murrayfield. It was like cycle speedway crossed with Rollerball and on ice! The huge crowd for the first night was never repeated but they managed a few meetings. A great novelty thst brightened up these dark times - remember the scheduled power cuts that sent us to bed early?- in a lot of ways speedway pantomime season but great times none the less.
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Post by drosser on Jan 10, 2022 12:01:17 GMT 1
I used to work at Motherwell stock cars along with Stan Gardner (speedway ref of the era) and occasionally helped with track construction and prep. I managed to get in to the long track meeting free as I was helping pre-meeting organisation, then helped Harry McLean in the pits. Its a shame that more use was not made of the trotting track / long track and the somewhat undersized speedway track. The organisers (Kennedys) were keen and willing to spend money - unfortunately, they were not very organised and did not have enough experience and knowledge of speedway - they were also very unlucky with the weather. They seemed to be trying to combine pony trotting, long track, stock cars and speedway without full commitment to any of the sports.
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Post by coombes on Jan 10, 2022 16:02:39 GMT 1
It was said that the unkempt circuit between the trotting and stock car tracks would be developed for moto cross. Didnt the Kennedy's company to into liquidation only to reappear with a slightly different name - might have happened twice but not sure about that. They certainly paid well. I had to cover for my brother who was a "runner" taking the results up to the control tower. Got £2 for this which seemed pretty generous.
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Post by drosser on Jan 12, 2022 1:13:57 GMT 1
The Kennedys did some civil engineering contracting. They did a small job at Anniesland which I had to sign off. It was a bit rough and needed a fair bit of snagging before I could accept it. I thought that they may suggest that I should not return to the stadium but they were okay about it. That reminds me of a road construction job that I was looking after in Edinburgh back in the seventies. Neil McFarlane's blacktop company was subcontracted to surface it. They did not realise that the Monday they chose to start was an Edinburgh holiday so all of the local quarries were closed. I think that they went to Fife and returned with a load of bitmac which I had to condemn as it had lost too much temperature (the assembled bears were not very happy). The foreman was usually in charge of the pits at Love St and knew me. Again, there were no repercussions - Neil was always pleasant (probably cursing me under his breath).
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Post by coombes on Apr 3, 2022 19:46:31 GMT 1
Just passed the 50th anniversary of our first meeting of the truly tragic 1972 season. A challenge meeting against Sheffield First the programme looked pretty austere. The cover no longer had a photo but instead had a red thistle superimposed on a Saltire, hardly an inspiring design. The printing throughout was now in black whereas it had previously been blue. This seemed quite gloomy. The listing of officials was now in a vertical panel on the editorial page, giving the impression that the editorial had been reduced.
On entering the stadium fans were aware something was missing. No music. A local resident had complained to the council during the winter and music was now banned. Les Whaley was planning to appeal this decision but that would be a few weeks off – so far so bad.
When the racing started things went from bad to worse. This was the grand opening challenge and after six heats Glasgow were 26-10 down to the visting Sheffield. Surely no one loses their opening challenge match. Scripts were given out in the pits and Glasgow made a comeback that even Lazarus would have been impressed by! However only the most gullible of fans could have believed it was for real.
Sadly little went right that year. The Templetons had retired but were subsequently persuaded to join Second Division Berwick. Brian Collins and Wayne Briggs were lined up as replacements but neither joined us. Collins went to Poole Wayne B retired. Kjell Gimre and Paul O'Neill ultimately joined up. Neither impressed nor lasted the season. A number of meetings were rained off in the first half of the season, not all justified. An unsettled and unsettling George Hunter eventually worked his passage to get a move to Wolves. The Evening Citizen stopped it's Speedway Special .
An historic highspot of Jimmy Mac riding in the 1972World Final at Wembley was put into perspective by the tragic death of Svein Kaasa in a track crash followed by George Beaton losing his life in a car accident. The final meeting held in a very subdued atmosphere was a double header which over ran badly such that some fans missed their last buses and had to walk home.
It was to prove to be our last ever season at Hampden as we moved to Coatbridge for our last stand in the top division.
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