The 1960's - Part Five
I have waited a year before adding many pictures of Ivan to the site as I wanted nothing but the best possible shots of him and a lot of pictures I could have used had copyright issues over them. BUT....Ivan has now been in touch following a conversation he had with his friend Dave Gifford and today Ivan's own pictures are shown below with his permission. Thank you Ivan (the site now has it's pictures of the master!). If you read this Ivan then why not type up some text to go with them?
Ivan has been in touch, he says: -
A typical Spencer
Oliver shot going into the first corner with a massive crowd in background.
Hi to all the Newcastle fans.
Raye and I will always be grateful to Mike Parker for bringing us and our family to England and Newcastle in 1963.The 1963 season was very good and I won the Provincial League Riders championship in my first year for Mike and the Newcastle fans. We won the PL League for the fans in 1964 and I got the PLRC again so 1964 ended on a great note for Newcastle Speedway. I knew all the rows Mike and the other PL Promoters had over the winter of 63/64 with the Speedway Control Board. That row concerned the National League tracks insisting Wolverhampton as winners of the PL championship in 63 move to the NL in 1964.
At that time there were 14 tracks in the PL and all attracting excellent crowds and there was great racing because most of the PL riders had huge ambitions, in contrast in the NL there were only 7 and none of them were getting good crowds because the racing was boring in that league.
Bottom line is that Mike and his other PL Promoters had a meeting with the top PL guys at Cradley Heath a couple weeks before the start of 1964 to tell us they were going to run black and without licences from the Speedway Control Board. That meant we also would not have licences. They assured us that it would “all blow over before the World Championship Q/rounds began" Later we all realized that they were lying and they never intended to link up with the SCB. They were all doing well financially without paying licence or permit fees.
That in a nutshell is when Mike and I started to fall out and it compounded when he would not let me go to Practice for my first World Final in 1966 and the same for 1968.Add to that the fact that both Mike and me had very strong personalities so we were bound to fall out sooner or later. That was when I put in the transfer to Belle Vue but if the Newcastle Promotion had changed I was happy to stay with Newcastle to the end of my BL career but contrary to opinion I never ever fell out with Mike over money. He paid myself and all his riders what was quite good money for that period and Mike never owed any of the boys money.
I have to say that Mike was one of the Promoters who got the
Provincial League started in the late 50s and was the person most responsible
for the formation of the British League during the 64/65 winter. That was when
Speedway really took off and was great for the next 20 years or so. Speedway
really needs another Mike Parker who was never afraid to tell the
authorities and the other Promoters exactly where they were going wrong and
what they should be doing to get it right. Mike was also very much a visionary
and knew where he wanted the sport to progress. I accepted all that but I
still needed to get away from him.
However, despite my occasional arguments with Mike I really
enjoyed riding for Newcastle ,the fans there were great and Raye and I still
have a lot of friends there.
Within the first couple of meetings in 1963 I met Gordon
Stobbs. Soon after
meeting him, Gordon and Margaret started to go to away tracks to help
me. Later Gordon became my full time mechanic and was my main Mechanic until I
retired in 1985.They are great friends of all our family and have visited us
on the Gold Coast in Aussie. Raye and I stay with them when we are on our UK
northern trips. Gordon was absolutely the most loyal mechanic in Speedway, he
knew my moods, dislikes, likes etc and he got to know if I was going to win a
meeting or just do some experimenting for future meetings. We could go to a
track in Europe for the first time and he would put the gear on, the wheel
base, the ignition settings etc etc for me that was accurate 9 times out of
10. Gordon usually got to those Cities several hours before me and he made
sure we got rooms on the quiet side of Hotels. In the last few years Gordon
has come to my training Academies in the North. Gordon was most certainly a
plus from my Newcastle years.
Jack and Eileen McClurey became very good friends, Bob Hall who ran Lowrys Shell garage was a great help to all the team and also Les Cummings. Bob came with us to my first World Championship win in Gothenburg in 1968 so it was very much a combined Newcastle effort.
The years I spent at Brough Park were great. The Geordie fans were encouraging to all the boys and we all could feel it. There was great team spirit in the 60s and the Stadium was always full on Monday nights. Eddie Glennon was an excellent Team manager who had a rapport with all the boys. The team changed a bit from 1963 until I left at the end of 1968 but there were several who were in all those years and we quickly accepted any new guys.
Gordon
left with
my
European manager Wilfried Drygala after I won the
1976 Long Track
World Final at Marianske Lazne in Czechoslovakia
The Evening Chronicle used to have a special edition every
Monday with two back pages. They used Spencer Oliver’s photos and Sam Brook’s
done the write ups. Then Tues Morning there was half the back cover. Spencer
would go home after the meetings, develop his photos and take a selection to
the Chronicle before 1am and Sam would do the story.
Tom Graham Snr was Mikes right hand man in Newcastle ,George
English Senior and his Wife Joan with Jack Hewlett ran the supporters club,
Ivan Stephenson was the Pits Marshall.
Those were great days for Newcastle. Even today the first results I look at in the Speedway Star are Newcastle’s meetings, Then Belle Vue. Then it used to be Exeter and Hull. sadly Hull does not look like starting again but hopefully Exeter will be away again in 2010.
Best wishes from Raye and myself and our family to all the
Fans, Promoters, officials and the riders.
Ivan
Gordon Stobbs (right) and my UK manager Peter Oakes at a function at the Sportsman club in London in Nov 1977 when the Sunday Mirror presented me with the World Championship Winged Wheel to keep to mark my 5th World Championship.
Speedway King: The Ivan Mauger Story
General front view of exhibition
Ivan has given permission for me to display these pictures from
his museum display in Christchurch NZ
Thanks go to the 3 directors of the museum namely:
Anthony Wright,
Director: Lesley Colsell,
General Manager Museum Programmes:
Stephen Ruscoe, Exhibitions Manager.
If you want to see more check out Ivan's
website
www.ivanmauger.com.
Right profile of World Long track record holding bike. HZ Godden Engine in
Hagon Frame
The triple crown special gold Jawa bike - left profile.
Ivan Mauger's Famous Bikes
The following bike pics are shown with Ivan's permission they are part of the Ivan Mauger Australian Museum which you can visit here www.ivanmauger.com
Who can
forget this man and this bike too. The white mudguard and black Kiwi
emblem must have struck fear into the rest of the world's top riders because
they would have been looking at this rear mudguard almost every time he rode
against them!
The photo was taken by Wright Wood at Sheffield in the mid 60's.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
This is the actual bike shown in the above black and white picture For me it was the "trademark" Ivan Mauger machine check out Ivan's other famous bikes below: -
Ivan has been in touch. He says: I am sending you a photo of my 1968 Bike, (see above). I had hoped to restore it before Raye and I did our usual trip to London in June 2011.
We got back in late Sept 2011 from California but were very busy. We went down to Adelaide for the Ivan Mauger tribute night on 29th October 2011. Then we went to the Melbourne Cup with our good friends Kath and Jack Walker. Then we spent most of November 2011 in Christchurch. We got back on 4th Dec 2011 and that was when I finished the bike.
My 1968 Bike will go to the Sports Hall of Fame in Dunedin and it will have the stand and glass case as the 1969 Bike If any of you readers want to see it go to my website www.ivanmauger.com You are welcome to put my photo of my 1968 Bike on your Website. I am now restoring my 1969 Bike. I will send you a photo when I get it finished. I have done all the others so do not know why I left the first couple of bikes to last?
John Says: When you finish the bikes you will have to get yourself a new hobby!!
Ivan says: I posed with with my all
time hero Jack Young for the above photo's. Kym Bonython was also in the
left hand photo.
That was Jack giving me the Trophy after I won my last ever race on 1st Feb 1987
in Adelaide.
Cheers Ivan
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
1961
Ivan says: Hi John. This
is me when I won the South Australian 250cc Moto Cross Championship for 1961.
I also won the South Australian Moto Cross championship on a 500 cc in 1962.
Then we left to go to Newcastle in Feb 1963. Cheers Ivan
John says: Moto Cross's loss was Speedways gain
1963
Phrases like "living legend"," the greatest ever" and "simply the best" have been used about many riders but they all apply to "Ivan the Great". He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and first came to England in the late 50's. Wimbledon gave him some rides but didn't spot the potential he had. He was more famous for his mispronounced (Mawger) surname then than his riding and went back to NZ. Mauger (pronounced Major) was brought back to England by Mike Parker on the recommendation of Diamond Ivan Crozier and he took his place in the Diamonds side of 1963. Ivan quickly replaced the Diamonds star man Brian Craven as the darling of the Brough Park terraces.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
Ivan with Eddie Glennon in 1963
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
This Newcastle 1963 photo with my good friend Ivan Crozier, who told Mike Parker about me which led to me signing for the Diamonds. Ivan Crozier was probably the main reason I ended up at Newcastle.
1963
1963
Update: Jack Hides says:
I am almost certain that the other rider shown above is Roy Trigg of
Hackney, wearing an old Hawks 1964-65 body colour
Ivan says this was 1963
Terry Kirkup says: The rider with Ivan Mauger and Charlie Monk on your web
site is Roy Trigg.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
The 1963 Provincial Riders Championship from left is me, Jack Kitchen Sheffield 2nd and Ross Gilbertson Poole 3rd. The girl was the Miss Edinburgh Speedway. The driver is Vic Gooden who was team manager of Great Britain for my first trip to Poland in 1965.
1964
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
This 1964 Newcastle photo was taken with another very good friend, Goog Allan. I had known both Ivan (Crozier) and Goog for several years in New Zealand and Australia before meeting up with them in our Newcastle days.
1964
I remember Ivan lodging with the next door neighbour of my cousin who lived in Heaton, Newcastle. Hey Ivan do you remember an 11 year old pestering you over the fence? That was me!
Q: Who is that with number 3 on his back in the picture shown above? John
Update: Dave Rowland suggests that the number 3 rider above is Bill Andrew. Can anyone confirm that? Another email suggests that Bill Andrew only wore number 3 twice and only Ken Sharples made that jacket his own during 1964. Another 60's fan advises Peter Kelly wore it twice, Goog Allen twice and Morrie Robinson once. So was it Bill Andrew? let us know if you recognise the rider John
In the above picture, the 3rd bike along the line shows what appears to be a brake drum on the front wheel and as the following picture shows the same bike ridden by Russ Dent then bike number 3 above belongs to Russ.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
The 1964 Provincial Riders Championship from left is Roy Trigg Hackney 3rd,Charlie Monk Glasgow 2nd and me.
1965
Ivan quickly got to grips with the Provincial League (2nd Division). and by the1964 season he was winning his races by a mile. 1965 saw Newcastle become founder members of the British League and Ivan the Great was one of the reasons why the Diamonds became that years league champions. He was a devotee of the British JAP engine and he broke track records on his JAP everywhere he rode. Then he changed to ESO and was even better.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
This 1965 photo is when I rode with my leg in plaster to do the World Champ qualifying rounds in 1965. I did not have a boot on, only the plaster and we made an oversize steel shoe to go over the plaster. It hurt a lot in the three rounds and semi-final but I was young and ambitious then. In the photo I am having a bit of a struggle with Dick Fisher from Belle Vue.
Update: John Skinner says: An excellent photo which shows the plaster clearly. I remember going home after watching you ride with it and told my dad. We had a big argument about whether you were mad or not!!! But you survived. Big shame about that injury as you may have landed your first world title that year. Who knows what might have been. Modern regs. would not have allowed it I suspect.
Update Ivan Mauger says: I was not mad, just young and ambitious and ready to put up with pain!! You are correct in modern times the boys are not even allowed an Aspirin if they have a headache before a meeting as it is deemed an outside assistance. I had lots of pain killing injections while riding in plaster. I also would not have won both Speedway and Long track World Champs in1972 as I had broken scaphoid in my left wrist and broken bones in my right wrist and before and during both Finals I gave myself pain killing injections between my fingers on both hands. My Doc, who was the Belle Vue Doc showed me how and gave me a bag with syringes, etc. in 1965 and again in 1972.
1965 Team
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
The Newcastle Team taken at Sheffield by Wright Wood. Year unknown, can you say what year this was John
Update: Keith Dyer says: The team photo in part 5 (Mauger) is 1965.The clue is
Brian Craven and Ken Sharples, the only year they rode together was 1965.
Ok Keith I will name the team now, 1965 L to R Mike Parker, Mike Watkin, Russ
Dent, Ken Sharples, Goog Allen (absolutely true: my mother called him "Goo
Gallen" she wasn't a big speedway fan!) Brian Craven and Eddie Glennon and Ivan
Mauger astride his Rotrax Jap.
Courtesy of Dave Gifford
Dave Gifford, Mike Watkin (in woolly hat)
Ivan Mauger Newcastle 13-9-65.
Update: Giffy has been in touch about this picture.
I named the guy in the hat as Mike Watkin, Giffy says it is not Mike Watkin in
the hat but one of the track staff whose name I do not know. The other guy is
Ronnie Ferguson, a mate of Ivan's from Edinburgh.
I stand corrected Dave
Update: Ivan says: It is Ronnie Allan, not Ronnie Ferguson
in the photo with Giffy and I.
I met Ronnie Allan the first time I went to Edinburgh on 22nd April 1963. Ken
Cameron from Melbourne boarded with Ronnie and Norrie Allan’s Grandmother. Soon
after Ronnie came down to our house in South Manchester for holidays. Later
Norrie became my mechanic and did most of the European meetings from 1977 until
I retired at the end of 1985. But for any important meetings Gordon was there
also. Norrie did the Ivan Mauger 30 year jubilee series in Australia in 1984/85
and New Zealand in 1985/86.
Ronnie later became a SCB referee and still is today.
Cheers Ivan
Kev Ash says: The guy in the woolly hat is definitely not Mike Watkin.
It is my father Albert Ash.
Albert is still alive and kicking and I have asked his son Kev for any memories his dad has of his time working at Brough. Watch this space!
1966
1966
1966 from Wembley when I won the European Championship for the first time.
Courtesy of Dave Gifford
Ivan Mauger, Gordon Guasco, Brian Craven and Dave Gifford at a packed Old Meadowbank
Ivan Mauger is the only Newcastle rider to date, actually to bring the world title back to Brough Park whilst still a member of the Diamonds he did this in September 1968. Ivan and promoter Mike Parker had differences that they couldn't settle (not about money), So Ivan's ambitions led him to leave Newcastle at the end of 1968 for a bigger club Belle Vue. Ivan's Career took off again at BV and he went on to win four more world titles. The rest is as you say "History" and could fill this page all by itself.
1967
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
The first photo I am particularly proud of (says Ivan). I was the first ever winner of the Peter Craven Memorial Trophy at Belle Vue in 1967.
Courtesy of Ivan Mauger
This photo with Brenda Craven was at the first ever Peter Craven memorial and Brenda made the presentations.
1968
Fresh faced youngsters Ole Olsen and Ivan Mauger, they went on to dominate world speedway
Courtesy of Dave Gifford
Ivan Mauger chatting to mean and moody Dave Gifford at Old Meadowbank
Ivan after winning yet another trophy, his house must have been full of them
Ivan on his trusty JAP, I don't know the year
or the track
John
Dave Train says Ivan is
at Old Meadowbank
Ivan Mauger in Y/B. I don't recognise the track or
the other riders. Ivan was riding with a broken ankle (Right) his boot was
taped up to make it more comfortable for him.
Update: Mike Letch of Melbourne Oz says: The other riders
are Ray Cresp and Ray Wilson (Long Eaton) and the track is possibly Station
Road, Long Eaton
Ray Cresp is on the inside. He is riding a Rotrax Jap with some innovative sprung forks with rubber band shock absorbers on them a'la grass track style. There is a photo of him on this bike on one of the old West Ham sites. And I am pretty sure that is Ray Wilson bringing up the rear. I still see Crespy at speedway reunions here in Melbourne. Mike Letch
These pictures were sent to me by Dave Gifford and show Dave and Ivan and Ivan with Ian Hoskins, they date from 2003
Video Clip - Ivan 1973 world final
Video clip courtesy of http://www.grachan.co.uk
Contemporary of Ivan's. Bob Andrews has emailed me in a light-hearted debate about Ivan rolling at starts, sparked by this video clip of Ivan coming from the back.
Hi John,
I once passed someone, about 1961 I think? Might have been Bert Harkins? Ha. Ha. When I first rode at Newcastle, the "starter" used to get the visiting riders (like me) to come up to the tape and stand still, then Ivan would come up at about 10 mph. and keep going. (and win) Me being a fast learner, would do that at my next ride, but it was deemed a false start. That is how Ivan had so many maximums in his early days. Mind you the "Ref" used to wear a Newcastle scarf.
Bob (old but reliable) Andrews. 26th August 2005
Thanks Bob for shattering my memories of Ivan!! It would be great to hear from any ref from the era, I remember them holding the tapes longer when Ivan was in a race. It was a battle of wits for a ref to catch him out! I will bet they went home happy if they forced him to break the tapes eh?
The colour photo was 1975 when I did
match races with Jimmy McMillian. I put my black leathers on and my Diamonds
vest for the occasion. I also got the track record, I think 65secs on a two
valve Jawa with narrow rear tyre.
34 years later the average time is 65 seconds and that is with modern machinery
(laydown 4 valve technology) The all time Brough Park track record is 61
Seconds by Sean Wilson, then the track was altered and Kenneth Bjerre clocked
62.1 this is reckoned to be the current track record.
Photo
Courtesy of John Robson
This is the 1966 team. The riders from memory are:-
Mike Watkin, Brian "Pommie" Brett, Alan Butterfield, Ivan Mauger (on bike), Russ Dent, Peter Kelly and someone whose face I just don't recognise! Help me out there someone please. John
Update: -Dave Gifford tells me the rider on the far
right was Kiwi Graham Coombes who sadly passed away some years ago.
Update: -Ivan Mauger says he was sitting on Graham's bike in this photo
Mike, Alan and Russ were locals and very popular with the fans. Pommie Brian Brett was a Londoner who was signed to cover for an injury to Ivan. He was so good he was kept on when Ivan returned to action. I remember him quitting at a relatively young age to concentrate on a big time window cleaning business. Peter Kelly was a Merseysider I think and he did a great job for the team. He often beat the best in the world around Brough. Ivan during this period became the "Match Race" specialist. He held the Silver Sash and Silver Helmet where he took on the top scoring opponent in every match in a series of match races. Everyone got used to Mauger winning and if he slipped to 2nd once in a match we considered he had had a bad match.
Picture supplied by Pauline Percival
Another shot of the 1966 team with the crowd all around the stadium: left to right: Peter Kelly, Mike Watkin, Brian Brett, Russ Dent and Alan Butterfield, Graham Coombes, Ivan Mauger.
Ivan Mauger Stats
These figures were supplied by my friend Keith Dyer
Here is Dave Gifford's account of Ole and Ivan driving back to Geordie-land from an an open meeting at Wimbledon, a big open meeting he says, maybe it was the Internationale or the Laurels.
SPROUTS AND THE DANE
by Giffy
This happened sometime around 1968 when Ivan, Ole and I were riding for the Newcastle Diamonds.
Both Ivan and Ole were invited to ride in one of Wimbledon’s big open meetings, the Internationale or maybe the Laurels and to cut the costs they shared a car and took Ivan’s trailer.
For reasons that are still not quite clear Giffy was not invited to ride but the story is still pretty good even without me in it.
(Dantodan: We know you should have been invited too matey, an oversight and a massive blunder by Wimbledon).The meeting ran its course, I don’t know who won or any of the details but I do know that after the meeting as they were about to begin the long journey back to the North, Ivan pulled into a Service Station for petrol.
A sweet young lady came out to serve them. Ole was sitting in the passenger seat looking pretty miserable, so Ivan said to the girl "Do you think you could give my mate a quick wink as you go by, he's had a really crap night and it might cheer him up a bit?"
Well the dear wee thing got all flustered, she turned red and spilt the petrol before she was able to stammer out “This is a service station and what sort of a girl do you think I am anyway? I’ve a good mind to call the manager"
Well, poor old Sprouts! he didn't know what to make of all this, he didn't think the suggestion warranted that sort of response and it wasn't till he'd gone several miles up the road that it suddenly dawned on him what had happened.
Whether it was the Kiwi accent or the London lasses ear that was to blame, who knows, but for what ever reason the word "wink" had been misunderstood completely and the poor dear had thought that the request had been for something quite different!!
Which just goes to prove that when you’re a Dane in England and having a bad night it will always get worse before it gets any better?
Cheers the noo!
giffy
1972 World Champion, Ivan Mauger, with Ole Olsen (right) and Bernt Persson.
Ivan with a bad back or has someone stolen his roll of carpet.
Mike Watkin, Goog Allen, Alf Wells, Ole Olsen, Dave Gifford, Alan Butterfield with Ivan Mauger on his Bike
To continue Newcastle's Speedway History click 1970's