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Post by Hodgy on Oct 2, 2021 12:38:57 GMT
Very sad to read that Colin Pratt has passed away after a long illness. Aged 82. I feared the worst after seeing a picture of him earlier this year.
A straight talking, passionate, dedicated man for Speedway as a rider, promoter and manager. RIP Colin Pratt.
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Post by rodders on Oct 2, 2021 12:56:14 GMT
Very sad to read that Colin Pratt has passed away after a long illness. Aged 82. I feared the worst after seeing a picture of him earlier this year. A straight talking, passionate, dedicated man for Speedway as a rider, promoter and manager. RIP Colin Pratt. Sorry to hear this news, I had known for some time he was terminally ill but was requested not to pass the news on |
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Post by Hodgy on Oct 2, 2021 13:05:49 GMT
Very sad to read that Colin Pratt has passed away after a long illness. Aged 82. I feared the worst after seeing a picture of him earlier this year. A straight talking, passionate, dedicated man for Speedway as a rider, promoter and manager. RIP Colin Pratt. Sorry to hear this news ,I had known for some time he was terminally ill but was requested not to pass the news on Very respectful of you Rodders. I think Riggers and I had a bad feel for the situation earlier in the year. CVS looked in a similar place a couple of years ago but looks much better. Was hoping for the same with Colin, sadly not. |
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Post by davet on Oct 2, 2021 14:50:40 GMT
Yes, very sad. Colin was the skipper of Hackney Hawks when I first supported them in 1966, and he has had an involvement in the sport ever since. RIP, Colin.
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Post by admin on Oct 2, 2021 20:02:34 GMT
Colin George Pratt (10 October 1938 – 2 October 2021)
Racing career (from Wikipedia so can't vouch for its accuracy)
Born in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, Pratt lived near to Mike Broadbank from whom he bought his first speedway bike at the age of nineteen, and practised at the nearby Rye House track. After his National Service, he returned to the Rye House training track in 1960 and had his first competitive rides, reaching the final of the Whitsun Trophy. He was signed by the Southampton Saints, where he made his National League debut against Oxford. A broken wrist sustained at Swindon brought his debut season to an early end. He had only second-half rides for Southampton in 1961, and was loaned to Poole Pirates for whom he rode in three matches, Ipswich Witches (two matches), and then Stoke Potters where he started to score well, with paid 15 points against Wolverhampton and a 12-point maximum against Cradley Heath. In 1962 he scored 177 points from 34 matches for the Potters, and improved further in 1963, scoring 141 points in his first 12 matches and winning all five races to win the Gerry Hussey Memorial Trophy at Rye House, breaking the track record during the meeting. He moved on to the Swindon Robins before joining the Hackney Hawks in 1964. He rode for the Hawks for six years until the 1970 season when he moved to the Cradley Heath Heathens. However, he was forced to retire after he was involved in a road crash near Lokeren in Belgium. Five riders and officials died. Pratt was riding as a guest for the West Ham Hammers against a Danish select side in the Netherlands (in which he gained a five ride maximum). He sustained three broken bones in his neck and was warned by doctors that if he rode again and broke it he would be paralysed. After deciding the risk was too great he retired.
Pratt was also a full England international and rode in two World Team Cup finals. He also qualified for the final of the Speedway World Championship in 1967. It was as a Hackney rider that he won the London Riders' Championship in 1967 and again in 1968.
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Post by rodders on Oct 2, 2021 21:48:45 GMT
Colin George Pratt (10 October 1938 – 2 October 2021)Racing career (from Wikipedia so can't vouch for its accuracy)Born in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, Pratt lived near to Mike Broadbank from whom he bought his first speedway bike at the age of nineteen, and practised at the nearby Rye House track. After his National Service, he returned to the Rye House training track in 1960 and had his first competitive rides, reaching the final of the Whitsun Trophy. He was signed by the Southampton Saints, where he made his National League debut against Oxford. A broken wrist sustained at Swindon brought his debut season to an early end. He had only second-half rides for Southampton in 1961, and was loaned to Poole Pirates for whom he rode in three matches, Ipswich Witches (two matches), and then Stoke Potters where he started to score well, with paid 15 points against Wolverhampton and a 12-point maximum against Cradley Heath. In 1962 he scored 177 points from 34 matches for the Potters, and improved further in 1963, scoring 141 points in his first 12 matches and winning all five races to win the Gerry Hussey Memorial Trophy at Rye House, breaking the track record during the meeting. He moved on to the Swindon Robins before joining the Hackney Hawks in 1964. He rode for the Hawks for six years until the 1970 season when he moved to the Cradley Heath Heathens. However, he was forced to retire after he was involved in a road crash near Lokeren in Belgium. Five riders and officials died. Pratt was riding as a guest for the West Ham Hammers against a Danish select side in the Netherlands (in which he gained a five ride maximum). He sustained three broken bones in his neck and was warned by doctors that if he rode again and broke it he would be paralysed. After deciding the risk was too great he retired. Pratt was also a full England international and rode in two World Team Cup finals. He also qualified for the final of the Speedway World Championship in 1967. It was as a Hackney rider that he won the London Riders' Championship in 1967 and again in 1968. I am fortunate to have seen Colin in action in a Test Match at Wimbledon in late sixties . Was fortunate to survive Lokeren disaster 1970 I believe. Very approachable chap. Have spoken to him at Cardiff, Rye House, KL and Peterborough always gave the impression that he remembered who I was. |
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Post by admin on Oct 3, 2021 10:37:33 GMT
Was fortunate to survive Lokeren disaster 1970 I believe. That's what Wikipedia says. Do you know anything more about that Rodders? It sounds horrendous. Five riders and officials, shocking outcome  Given the amount of miles speedway riders all over the world cover over the course of the year then I'm always surprised that we don't have more serious road incidents. Fortunately we don't and I can only recall 2 or 3 (not the specifics) in all my time attending speedway. |
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Post by davet on Oct 3, 2021 10:47:08 GMT
Thanks for the video, Riggers. Brought back fond memories of the Waterden Road track, now gone like so many others. I recognise Malcolm Brown and Bengt Jansson as well as Colin, and one or two familiar faces that I can't put a name to. I guess this must have been a '60s style press and practice day? Hard to believe it is over 50 years ago!
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Post by rodders on Oct 3, 2021 11:05:09 GMT
Was fortunate to survive Lokeren disaster 1970 I believe. That's what Wikipedia says. Do you know anything more about that Rodders? It sounds horrendous. Five riders and officials, shocking outcome Given the amount of miles speedway riders all over the world cover over the course of the year then I'm always surprised that we don't have more serious road incidents. Fortunately we don't and I can only recall 2 or 3 (not the specifics) in all my time attending speedway. As far as I can recall a party of mainly West Ham Riders were returning home from a weekend booking in Holland when their mini bus crashed near this town in Belgium, I may be wrong but think Colin was the only one to survive/ Colin never rode again. |
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Post by admin on Oct 4, 2021 21:15:08 GMT
Was fortunate to survive Lokeren disaster 1970 I believe. That's what Wikipedia says. Do you know anything more about that Rodders? It sounds horrendous. Five riders and officials, shocking outcome Given the amount of miles speedway riders all over the world cover over the course of the year then I'm always surprised that we don't have more serious road incidents. Fortunately we don't and I can only recall 2 or 3 (not the specifics) in all my time attending speedway. Sadly I'd put jockeys in that camp as well with the dangers unfortunately illustrated over the weekend: Grade 1-winning jockey Matt Griffiths in intensive care after car crashGrade 1-winning jockey Matt Griffiths is in a stable but critical condition after being involved in a fatal road accident on Sunday. Griffiths, 31, was travelling near the village of Exford on Exmoor in Somerset when the accident occurred and was transported to a Bristol hospital. A statement released by the Injured Jockeys' Fund on Monday evening said: "There was a fatal car accident yesterday near Exford on Exmoor. "National Hunt jockey Matt Griffiths was involved in this and having been taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol is now in a stable but critical condition. racingpost 4/10/21 |
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Post by admin on Feb 27, 2022 22:42:32 GMT
Thanks for the video, Riggers. Brought back fond memories of the Waterden Road track, now gone like so many others. I recognise Malcolm Brown and Bengt Jansson as well as Colin, and one or two familiar faces that I can't put a name to. I guess this must have been a '60s style press and practice day? Hard to believe it is over 50 years ago! I found this birthday card today. It looks like Waterden Road to me but if you know the place then you'll know better than me? Having said that, it could be Wimbledon?   |
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Post by rodders on Feb 28, 2022 13:45:00 GMT
Seems more like Wimbledon to me
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Post by davet on Feb 28, 2022 16:37:19 GMT
It's not Hackney. I don't really remember Wimbledon that well, but I recall that they laid a new speedway track inside the old track, which was then reserved for stock cars, in the late 60s. The track was so short that the start line had to be moved to the beginning of the home straight to meet the minimum race requirements. Don't see this in the picture but it depends when it was taken I guess. The scoreboard at the top right of the picture rules out Hackney, but don't know where it is!
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Post by rodders on Feb 28, 2022 18:56:13 GMT
The glass fronted stand makes it more likely to be Wimbledon.
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Post by Bigcatdiary on Feb 28, 2022 20:53:10 GMT
Seems more like Wimbledon to me I agree with Rodders, only went a few times but the start and finish seems to suggest it’s Wimbledon to me. |
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Post by admin on Feb 28, 2022 21:37:02 GMT
Seems more like Wimbledon to me I agree with Rodders, only went a few times but the start and finish seems to suggest it’s Wimbledon to me. I went to a couple of NLRC finals in the 70s (think I saw Mike Lanham & Richard Greer - Arthur Price won won of them) and saw Mick Poole's 80's Panthers. I don't recall much about the stadium but I do recall those overhead lights, hence why I had a second guess. Ivan Mauger on the left and the race jacket suggests an individual meeting of some description. |
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Post by Hodgy on Mar 1, 2022 11:26:04 GMT
I agree with Rodders, only went a few times but the start and finish seems to suggest it’s Wimbledon to me. I went to a couple of NLRC finals in the 70s (think I saw Mike Lanham & Richard Greer - Arthur Price won won of them) and saw Mick Poole's 80's Panthers. I don't recall much about the stadium but I do recall those overhead lights, hence why I had a second guess. Ivan Mauger on the left and the race jacket suggests an individual meeting of some description. Another vote for Wimbledon. I went a few times and recall the glass front and many lights. |
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Post by davet on Mar 1, 2022 16:07:20 GMT
Hackney also had a glass fronted stand, but not as posh as this one! Might have been ok for the dog racing, but destroyed the atmosphere of Speedway imo. I don't know what the London Arena which replaced the Hackney stadium was like. Would that be another possibility?
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Post by Hodgy on Mar 1, 2022 19:06:09 GMT
Hackney also had a glass fronted stand, but not as posh as this one! Might have been ok for the dog racing, but destroyed the atmosphere of Speedway imo. I don't know what the London Arena which replaced the Hackney stadium was like. Would that be another possibility? The only London Arena I can recall was when they held a GP, the famous Boyce punch meeting. Very much later than this picture. |
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Post by davet on Mar 1, 2022 20:34:32 GMT
You're right. I couldn't remember when Hackney Stadium became the London Arena, but I checked on Defunct tracks website and it was post 1990 which is well after this pic was taken. I thought Wimbledon had dog racing as well as speedway and stox though, but I don't see a dog track.
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