Post by PLUSTAR on Jun 5, 2010 17:38:08 GMT 1
« on: September 23, 2009, 10:40:19 PM »
Question 1: Where did you ride your first speedway bike?
BH: Old Meadowbank in Edinburgh
Question 2: Did you like riding with Reidar Eide?
BH: Reidar was a tough guy to ride with or against. We rode together with Edinburgh Monarchs (where he referred to me as,.... "Him with bike on face", because I wore glasses and Wembley Lions and we were rival captains in the Scotland v Norway Test matches. We had our ups & downs and one time, after we had clashed on the track, he told me,..."Harkins,....I will KEEL you!" Fortunately, he didn't carry out that threat otherwise I would not be answering these questions!.
Question 3: How many Scottish tracks did you ride on?
BH: Edinburgh Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh Powderhall, Coatbridge, Glasgow White City, Glasgow Shawfield, Glasgow Hampden, Blantyre and Berwick. (we still class Berwick as being in Scotland). Also at Armadale in Briggo's Golden Greats meeting.
Question 4: Who was the best team-rider you raced with?
BH: The late, great, George Hunter. He was fast, stylish, a terrific gater and a natural Speedway rider. He always looked out for his partner and I am sure that his team mates in other teams he rde for woud say the same, he was a great team rider.
Question 5: Did you ride in nordic final with a collar-bone injury?
BH: Yes, I was riding at Wembley on the Saturday night before the final at Hampden, and at that time I could beat almost anyone around Wembley, but Ole Olsen was faster and better. I tried to follow his racing line and hit a rut on the 2nd turn and careered into the fence.
I broke my collarbone and damaged my but still went to Hampden where Doctor Carlo Biaggi strapped me up and I rode in the Final 6 days later. It certainly hurt and Ray Wilson knocked me off , but that was my own fault as I was entering the corners too cautiously. Poor Ray had to get a police escort out of Hampden Park as he had knocked off the only Scottish rider left in the World Championship that year!
Question 6: Do did you think us Scots deserved to be put out of the World Team Cup?
BH: No, we should have been left in as we still had a good International squad with Jim McMillan, George Hunter, Bobby Beaton, Brian Collins and myself all going well. Unfortunately, Scotland is no longer recognised as a separate country by the FIM, so any Scottish riders who become good enough will have to fight with English riders to get into the Great Britain team.
I keep trying to get Scotland reinstated but the FIM now say that we have to have an FIM-approved track in Scotland for that to happen. Also, we don't have the strength of riders we used to have but I still think that we could put up a good show in the qualifying rounds if we got the chance.
Question 7: Did you ever get a chance to sign for The Tigers ?
BH: When I was growing up in Govan Fire Station, just down the road from White City, I was a fanatical Tigers' fan in the days of Ken McKinlay and Junior Bainbrige and my ambition was to be a Speedway rider,.....for the Tigers! When I eventually started riding as a novice, it was at Edinburgh's Old Meadowbank and when White City reopened, I was riding at reserve for the Monarchs. I did, however, ride as a guest for Tigers later on and would still have liked to have had at least one season in the red & white.
Question 8: Are you still wearing your tartan hats?
BH: Yes, I still have a "See You Jimmy" tartan hat with long ginger wig and it makes me look like the way I was when I had long hair!
Question 9: How many clubs have you raced with in your career?
BH: Edinburgh Monarchs (at various tracks), Coatbridge Monarchs, Wembley Lions, Sheffield Tigers, Wimbledon Dons, Bakersfield Bandits (USA), Milton Keynes Knights plus various International teams such as Scotland, Great Britain, Rest of The World, and also the 'Bert Harkins Globe Trotters' and the 'Bert Harkins Haggis Bashers'!!
Question 10: When you went to Wembley, have you stayed down in London ever since?
BH: When I signed for Wembley, I was still living in Glasgow and driving up & down but I eventually kept moving south (I shared a house in Rugby with George Hunter & Jimmy Mac for a season) and eventually finished up in Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.
Question 11: Do you think Jimmy Beaton is the Tiger's no#1 Promoter?
BH: Jimmy was great and without him the Tigers would have died, so we owe a great debt to Jimmy Beaton. I think the best PROMOTER was Ian Hoskins as he always had some publicity stunt or other up his sleeve and kept the fans entertained.
Question 12: Did you ever ride for Scotland in the World Pairs Championship?
BH: Yes, Jimmy MacMillan and myself qualified from the Belle Vue round to reach the Final in Malmo, Swedem where I think we finished fourth.
Thanks to Bert for taking part and answering the questions!