Tuesday, June 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SOUTHAMPTON  49   WIMBLEDON  29

Southampton 49 points, Wimbledon 29, rare indeed is the occasion when the mighty Dons find themselves on the short end of such a result. Admittedly the League Champions were without Ronnie Moore but similarly the Saints' had Chum Taylor on the injured list.
  After two races the home team had a lead of four points, however in heat 3 Andrews trapped smartly and was shortly joined by Maidment who rode brilliantly to pass both Bradley and Roger. Then misfortune struck the luckless Dons in the shape of a seized motor and the visitors chance to level the scores had gone.
  Three races and two 5 to 1's later Southampton were twelve points ahead and from then on it was just a question of "how many." True, the Dons never stopped fighting, in fact even two of them started fighting in the pits! Peter Vandenberg made the most of his team place by getting six paid eight points and Albe Golden although only scoring three points, showed a welcome return to form and deserved a far higher tally.
SOUTHAMPTON: Bjorn Knutsson 12, Barry Briggs 11, Cyril Roger 8, Peter Vandenberg 6, D Bradley 5, P Scott 4, Albe Golden 3.
WIMBLEDON: Ron How 11,Bob Andrews 10, Cyril Brine  4, Cyril Maidment 2, Gerald Jackson 2, Gil Goldfinch 0, Roy Trigg 0.

Saturday, June 10

NATIONAL LEAGUE

COVENTRY  43   WIMBLEDON  35 

They say no man does not make a team.  But Coventry can thank their lucky stars that Winmledon's top Don Ronnie Moore was unfit to ride in this National League clash at Brandon.
  Wimbledon were  beaten 43-35.  With Moore they should - and could - have won.  But as for Joe Public's point of view it was just as well that Moore did not ride for it was a splendid meeting... fast racing, exciting finishes.
  Not that Moore, the Maestro of the slick, dusty Brandon bowl, would have slowed down the meeting.  He usually rides it so well that it may have too one-sided to have been so interesting.
  Good all-round team work gave Coventry their win, which on the night was 100 per cent deserved.  Skipper Jack Young, riding back into something like the form of the "Youngie" of old - doesn't he always near World Championshiptime? - headed the home score chart with nine, well supported by Nicholls (8) and Les Owen (8).
  Ron Howe, the flying farmer, reaped his usual harvest - 13 by this time - with Cyril Maidment weighing in with 9.
COVENTRY: Jack Young 9, Nick Nicholls 8, Les Owen 8, Ron Mountford 6, Nigel Boocock 6, Jim Lightfoot 6, Kazimierz Bentke 0.
WIMBLEDON: Ron How 13,Cyril Maidment 8, Cyril Brine  7, Gerald Jackson 4, Bob Andrews 3, Gil Goldfinch 0, Roy Trigg 0.

*   *    *
Reason for Ronnie Moore's recent absence from the Wimbledon team: he sustained a rib injury playing in a charity football match. "No more soccer for me from now onwards," says Ronnie. "It is too dangerous a game.

*   *   *

Monday, June 12

   The rain caused Wimbledon's most attractive fixture of the season, The Laurels and the match race eliminator between Ron How and Arne Pander to be cancelled.
  The rain started at midday and continued unabated until well past starting time. One glance at the track was enough for the A.C.U. referee to give the thumbs down sign and cause promoter Ronnie Greene to put the rained off boards out.

Thursday, June 15

Wimbledon looked every inch league champs when, complete with special machines and special fuel, they outgunned a spirited Ipswich team on their own Foxhall Heath raceway.
  It was the "Witches" first home reverse of the the season .  .  .  but how they fought against a "Dons" team carrying three potential maximum men in Ron Moore, Andrews and Ron How. In fact, Ipswich probably lost this match through the inability of top men Moore and Cresp to really get on terms with the Londoners' "big three."
  Certainly the Ipswich second strings - Unstead apart - were more than a match for their counterparts. And reserve Blokdyk was an inspiration. He even held off Ronnie Moore in heat 9 while Pete Moore motored up front.
  "Dons" piled on the pressure right from the off, and by heat4, the homesters were a disastrous 8 points in arrears. Then yougsters Goody and Blokdyk tore away from Brine and Goldfinch and things looked brighter.
  But the visitors simply carried too much pull and power. Only other Ipswich success was in heat 9 when Blokdyk rode a blinder, beating Ronnie Moore all ends up.
  The young South African showed his startingly best form since his re-appearance on this country's speedways. Great shame was he lost all chance in heat 8, when he reared and stalled at the gate.
  Other highspots were Mcgillivray's battle with Ronnie Moore in heat 6 and Squibb's terrific dust-up with Maidment in heat 10.
  Racing was always intriguing .  .  .  had Peter Moore and Cresp been on top form, and had not Jackson made a couple of greased lightning gates, then it might have been a very different story.
IPSWICH: Peter Moore 9, Ray Cresp 8, Colin Goody 5, Jimmy Squibb 4, Les McGillivray 4, T Blokdyk 4, J Unstead 0.
WIMBLEDON: Ron How 11,Ronnie Moore 10, Bob Andrews 10, Gerald Jackson 7, Cyril Maidment 3, Cyril Brine  2, Gil Goldfinch 1.

Saturday, June 17

A Star-studded programme for the Internationale meeting at Blunsdon on Saturday drew few spectators and even less enthusiasm. The leading riders, Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Bjorn Knutsson and Arne Pander had little difficulty winning their various heats against other riders. The only sparks that flew occured when any of the four came up against the other three. This was deadly grim speedway as far as spectators were concerned.
  Ronnie Moore was outstanding and completed a well deserved maximum 15 points. Briggs and Bob Andrews each had 13 points, Bjorn finished with 12 and Arne Pander 11. Both Arne and Bjorn were a little unlucky.
  Heat 13 was the unlucky one for Pander. In his previous three rides he had dropped only one point and that to Ronnie Moore. Pander had led for three laps over Knutsson and Andrews who were battling for second place when he suddenly raised his hand by the pits bend to signify engine trouble and let Andrews through to win with Knutsson in second place.
  Knutsson lost his first point when he and Barry Briggs bumped going into the second bend in heat 10. Briggs recovered more quickly and soon passed Teodorowicz to gain the lead. Knutsson only just made second place by beating Teo at the pits bend and crossing the finishing line half-a-length in front of the Robin.
  Bob Andrews seemed to have the gods on his side. Twice he won heats by default as it were. The one mentioned earlier when Pander dropped out and then in heat 17. Doug Davies (New Cross) who put up a very creditable performance, was in the lead for three laps with Per Tage Svensson and Andrews battling it out for the second berth.
  At the pits bend Davies took the corner a little too wide, cannoned off the fence and fell in a direct line with Svensson who was close behind.  Terrific quick reaction and a life-saving leap towards the centre of the track by Davies enabled Svensson to go through but the almost  imperceptible delay allowed Andrews, who was hugging the white line, through without hindrance to win.
  In heat 19, Moore's last ride of the evening, after a bunch up, on the second bend he came out at the tail-end behind Brian Meredith, Bjorn Knutsson and Ian Williams.  He did not stay there for long.  Soon he was past Meredith, then Williams and then on the third lap with a stylish piece of riding he caught and passed Knutsson to finish unbeaten.
  The final heat, heat 20, showed Pander and Briggs tussling wheel-to-wheel for almost the entire heat with Pander getting the verdict.
SPEEDWAY INTERNATIONALE
SCORERS: Ronnie Moore 15, Barry Briggs 13, Bob Andrews 13, Bjorn Knutsson 12, Arne Pander 11, Per Tage Svensson 10, Teo Teodorowicz 8, Doug Davies 8, Ian Williams 6, Ronnie Genz 5, Mike Broadbanks 5, Split Waterman 4, Neil Street 4, Jimmy Squibb 3, Neil Mortimer 2, George White 1, Brian Meredith 0, Jack Geran 0.

Speedway Internationale qualifying round at New Cross,

 (l to r) Peter Moore (Australia), Bob Andrews (England), Timo Laine (Finland), and Eric Williams (Wales)

Searching for it

Monday, June 26

NATIONAL LEAGUE

The unsporting section of the Wimbledon crowd gave Ove Fundin a good booing when he put in an appearance at Plough Lane for his match race clash with Ron How, followed by the Wimbledon - Norwich National League match.
  This bad behaviour by a section of the Plough Lane crowd reflects badly on the sport, and it is time for them to acknowledge the fact that as a rider, tactician and sportsman, the Swede is a credit to speedway.
  Fundin was perhaps a shade unlucky to lose the first leg of his match race clash with Ron How, for in one heat when challanged strongly, he was "filled up." In the league match that followed, Fundin saved the event from becoming a farce, with his determination to win races he put on 14 of his side's 24 points. The Swede only lost one heat, the fifth to How, but as with most riders who beat him, Fundin reversed the tables in the final heat of the match.
WIMBLEDON: Ron How 11,Ronnie Moore 10, Cyril Maidment 9, Bob Andrews 7, Gil Goldfinch 7, Gerald Jackson 7, Cyril Brine  3.
NORWICH: Ove Fundin 14, Billy Bales 5, Johnny Chamberlain 2, Reg Trott 2, John Debbage 1, Derek Struut 0, Dennis Newton 0.

Wednesday, June 28                                  WORLD CUP at COVENTRY

Although this match provided some good racing a look at the individual scorecharts will quickly reveal the troubles.  Each team contained riders who were simply out classed and most races developed into a battle between the heat leaders.  Mind you the second strings did provide one or two good races amongst themselves but they were usually nearly a quater of a lap behind their partners.
  Briggs won the opening heat with ease and Subritzky caused a big surprise by passing Peter Moore on the last lap, an effort which gave the Belle Vue rider his only points of the meeting.  How passed Ronnie Moore to win heat 2 and his partnership with Bob Andrews gave us the two best races, both against Barry Briggs  in heats 8 and 14.  In the first Briggs managed to split the pairing, but couldn't pass Andrews and the New Zealander dropped his only point.  Just to upset the scale this was the only race that Andrews won.  In their second clash Briggs again had to come from the back and this time How nearly proved to be the stumbling block for it was the last lap before Briggs could gain the final advantage.  Biggest cheer of the night was for Les Owen in heat 9 when he followed Peter Craven home for a 5-1 over Cresp and Moore.
ENGLAND: Peter Craven 17, Ron How 11, Bob Andrews 9, Ken McKinlay 2, Les Owen (res)2.
NEW ZEALAND: Barry Briggs 17, Ronnie Moore 15, Bob Duckworth 2, Bryce Subritzky 2, Dick Campbell (res)0.
AUSTRALIA: Jack Young 13, Johnny Chamberlain 11, Peter Moore 4, Jack Geran 3, Ray Cresp 0.

July 1961

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