Reg Fearman..part one
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Reg Fearman..part one |
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My Story
Jack Gates' Birthday
Igor Plechanov
Reading Speedway My Story
The reason I got into speedway was that in 1946 when speedway returned after the World War of 1939 -1945 we were all speedway fans - my parents and sister from pre-1939. We all used to go to West Ham on a Tuesday evening. In March 1947 my parents were asked by the Secretary of the management if an Aussie, Cliff Watson, could stay with the family for a short time until he got sorted out. He came and a few weeks later, he asked if his friend Aub Lawson could also come and stay - he was a late signing for the Hammers. They both stayed for about three years in between going home for the Aussie season. At the end of the 1947 season Aub gave me a 1928 dirt track Douglas to practice on in the winter on the old cycle speedway track at Becton almost in the shadow of West Ham Stadium. In May 1948 my parents bought me one of Cliff Watson's machines and I practiced on that at West Ham's big silver sand track and at Rye House. I had my first public meeting at Rye House on the 1st August 1948 and scored 11 points - not bad for a beginner. The ACU banned me from racing as I was only 15 years old and at that time they laid down that the minimum age be 16 years old, the same age as obtaining a licence to ride a road machine. On Tuesday 26th April 1949 I was presented with my licence at West Ham by the captain Eric Chitty in front of 40,000 speedway fans.
During my racing career I raced for the Hammers, Stoke Potters and Leicester Hunters. At the end of the 1954 campaign and newly married to Joan, I had a contract to race at Auckland, New Zealand. Speedway in Britain was going through a down turn at that time due to the high entertainment tax of 48% and the coming of television. We decided to go to NZ with an open mind and stay as long as we wished. We returned to England in March 1956, but I raced very little until 1960 when I opened Stoke and other tracks in the new Provincial League with co- promoter Mike Parker. I raced in the 1960 season only as rider coach and for a few meetings in 1961.
My promoting career took off and I promoted and co-promoted at many venues in the UK until I retired in 1986. I also took speedway to Kuwait, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. At one time I was England World Team Cup and World Team Pairs manager, Great Britain Test Team Manager, England Test Match Rider and as Manager I took an England team to Australia in 1973/74 and 1977/78 on both occasions we brought the Ashes back to the UK. As a promoter I was Chairman of the British Speedway Promoters Association for no less than seven terms and Division Two Chairman for five terms. Amsterdam 1953
Here are some photos of a meeting at the Olympic Stadium Amsterdam in 1953 it was won by Tony Kroeze ( father of Henny ex Halifax ) he is the fourth from the left in the Dutch Colours, 5th left is Alfred Siegl. Extreme right is Jimmy Gooch, 3rd right is Phil Bisop, 4th Roy Craighead, 5th Jock Grierson, 8th Josef Hofmeister and 10th Reg Fearman.
I look forward
to sharing some of my speedway life, experiences and photos with you.
I hope you enjoy them.
Jack Gates
Aussie Jackie Gates came to race in the UK
in 1950 and during his time here saw service with Glasgow Ashfield, St
Austell and Wembley.
Jack and I became good pals during that
time and have never been out of contact for well over 50 years.
Jack would stay with us in West Ham
whenever he could and we would visit speedway tracks in London and take
the odd trip to Rayleigh - we had heaps of fun. I jumped at the
chance when I was invited to race for England in Australia for the
1950-51 season under the Captain Jack Parker. It was there in Sydney
that I met Jack's mum, sister Vera and grandpa ( Jack's father had been
killed during a gaol break - he was a warder - when Jack was quite young
). I would stay at Randwick - a Sydney suburb - with Jack and the family
when time permitted and it was Jack who taught me to surf off Bondi
Beach. He also introduced me to my first nudist beach known as Lady
Jane which was in a secluded cove. The only access was down an iron
rung ladder which I think was a relic from the war years, as an army
camp was near by. We managed the ladder OK and picked our spot to lay
out our towells - not too near other people. When I did look around it
would seem that the majority of those who had taken their clothes off
should really have kept them on. We eventually disrobed and ran into
the sea. Swimming close by was a woman who had the most beautiful
face and jet black hair. I said to Jack let's wait until she gets out
of the water and walks up the beach, I bet she's gorgeous. What a
disappointment because she was one of those that should have kept her
clothes on.
Jack's 80th Birthday was on 3rd December
2006. Around April of that year I said to my wife Eileen do you think
we could organise a secret and surprise birthday lunch for Jack near to
his home Burleigh Heads on Queenslands Gold Coast ? She thought we could
so we went into action and first contacted Bluey Scott ex rider with
Glasgow, Middlesbrough and several other tracks. Bluey lives not far
from Jack (who lives on his own) and with his wee wife Scots girl Ann
keeps an eye on Jack as he has been suffering a few ailments over the
past few years. Bluey sussed out a good waterside restaurant -
Elevations - and we took over from there. We looked at Elevations on
the web and liked the look of it and its position. We then e-mailed
the Manageress to make an open numbers booking for the 3rd December.
We obtained several menus and the wine list and made our choice. We
then set about e-mailing and telephoning many ex-riders who live on the
Gold Coast. There are very few who have not moved from Sydney up to
the year-round warm climate found there. All those invited were sworn
to secrecy so that it would be a complete surprise for Jack on the
day. We asked Bluey and Ann to tell Jack they wanted to take him out
to a nice restaurant for lunch on his 80th. He asked them more than
once why they couldn't have a BBQ in their yard as they usually did.
The secret was well kept. I spoke to Jack on the telephone two weeks
before the event and told him I would talk to him on his birthday. A
few days later, Eileen and I left for Australia calling in at Perth
where we spent a week with Colin and Trish McKee and catching up with
many of my former contracted riders and former Ipswich promoter, John
Berry. We flew to Brisbane with a couple of days to spare and were
picked up by Bluey and Ann and taken to their home in Burleigh Waters.
We had 36 friends of the speedway fraternity sit down for lunch
including Ian Hoskins (Jack's former promoter at Glasgow) who flew in
from New Zealand, Allan Quinn and some of the Lawson family from
Sydney. Also from Sydney, Jim (speedway historian) and Judith
Shepherd and, from Mackay which is 600 miles north of Brisbane, Eric
Williams, former Wembley team mate of Jack's.
You will see from the photographs the
surprise on Jack's face and the good time that was had by all those
present. It gave Eileen and me so much pleasure in arranging such a
wonderful event, without a hitch, in a very lovely location for such a
good pal.
John Titman, Eric Williams, Bill Goode, Bert Kingston, Martin Rogers, Ian Hoskins, Ivan Mauger, Bill Bryden, Allan Quinn, Nigel Boocock, Kevin Torpie, Greg Kentwell. Front Row: Jim Shepherd, Bob Sharpe, Eileen Fearman, Jack Gates, Bluey Scott, Adrian Guest and John Torpie Kevin's son.
During 2002, long-time Russian and World
speedway fan, Igor Kalashnik of Kishinev, Moldavia asked Ove Fundin - they
had been in touch for some time - if it could be arranged for Plechanov
to come to England for the Veteran Speedway Riders Association Dinner
which is usually held in March of each year. All expenses would have to
be paid as Igor had very little money. Ove discussed it with me and I
thought it would be wonderful if we could get him over for the Dinner in
2003 as Guest of Honour.
As a Committee member, at the next
Committee meeting I put forward the suggestion. The Committee agreed ,
the one stumbling block being that the VSRA funds would not stretch to
such an expense. I said that I would raise the funds by Igor being
sponsored.
The close knit fraternity of the VSRA
opened their hearts and wallets as I made phone call after phone call
and raised enough money to bring Plechanov, his grandson and Kalashnik,
who acted as interpreter, to England for ten days. It took Plechanov
three days by train from his home at the base of the Ural Mountains to
Moscow to meet up with his grandson and Kalashnik before flying to
London.
Eileen and I met them at Heathrow and took
them to the Coventry Hilton, the venue of the VSRA Dinner. Plechanov
had a tremendous reception from fellow riders and the whole evening was
a great success. The day following the Dinner, we took them back to
Henley on Thames with us and to the Hotel we had arranged for them.
From there it was day trips to the usual London and Home Counties
tourist spots for the remaining days of their visit. Eileen and I
enjoyed being their guides as much as they enjoyed the sights. I hope
you enjoy the photos that tell the tale.
The late Tony Gyselynck was a pre-War and
immediate post-War speedway rider, a junior at Coventry.
Reg Fearman
October 2008
Igor is no longer with us this is his grave in Russia Reading Speedway
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Lament For Reading Speedway - Sold
Down The Swannee
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Bill Dore and his daughter Pat Bliss have a
lot to answer for, says Reg Fearman.
Allied Presentations Ltd of which I was a
founder member and given by my co-directors the remit for Reading
Speedway which proved to be a great success. I promoted on behalf of
the company at Tilehurst Stadium from 1968 to 1973 inclusive - the
Reading Racers.
At the end of 1973 the Stadium was due for
demolition having been sold by the owners of the Greyhound
Company. They kindly gave me 12 months' notice and so with the
co-operation of the Chairman of the Supporters Club, Mick Smith, and the
fans we launched S O S Save our Speedway. I applied to the BSPA for a
leave of absence from the British League for one year which was
granted. To cut a long story short, in early 1974 I was able to sign
on behalf of A.P.L. a 99 year lease with the Reading Borough Council for
25 acres of land known as Smallmead. The drawings and plans had been
drawn up by a close business friend John Spratley of John Spratley and
Partners, Architects of Abingdon near Oxford, and work started on the
virgin site.
Come mid summer of 1974 there was blip in
the British economy. Inflation was rising and a four day working week
was in place. My co-directors thought we should abandon the Smallmead
project but it was my dream and I wanted to see the project through.
We parted company amicably and they agreed I could take the company
name, Allied Presentations Limited, with me. I asked if any of the
directors wished to come with me and Len Silver said he would, so it was
Len and me from then on.
Frank Higley had already been on the site
for some months with his earth moving machines ( he had sponsored some
riders at Tilehurst and was a keen speedway fan ). We offered him a
third share in the project which he was delighted to accept. Towards
the late autumn an approach was made to us by Bill Dore that he would
like to be involved in the project. He was W.H. Dore of the Oxfordshire
building and construction firm. He also was most interested in Greyhound
Racing being the owner of many greyhounds, racing them at Swindon and
other tracks and having his own training track at Shipton under
Whychwood. Frank, Len and I discussed the advantage of having Bill
involved and agreed to give him a quarter share, which gave each of us a
25% share in the company of Allied Presentations Ltd.
Bill moved men and machines on site and
took control as Clerk of Works. The Speedway opened in March 1975 to
great acclaim. For many weeks there were queues of traffic stretching
back to the M4 Motorway in both directions. We opened for Greyhound
racing a few weeks later. All seemed to be going well, each of us
had our duties - mine was to promote the speedway. I n 1976 Len Silver
said his position had been made untenable by Bill Dore and wished to
sell his shares in APL to the three of us. I was sorry to see Len
depart - exit Len.
In the winter of 1977 -1978 I had the
opportunity to manage the British Team in Australia. I went with the
full blessing of not only my wife Joan and son Gary but also with that
of Bill Dore and Frank Higley. I returned victorious in March 1978
having beaten the Aussies by 5 matches to 2.
Within a couple of days, at a directors
meeting between myself, Bill and Frank, I was presented with a fait a
complait. They had decided that none of us should have a day-to-day
involvement in running the business. A vote was taken and of course I
was outvoted 2 to 1. My protests were of no avail and so eventually It
was a case of either I bought them out or they bought me out. They
bought me out and I departed after promoting my last speedway meeting at
Reading on 17 July 1978 - The Jubilee Trophy.
Bill Dore I am sure always had his eye on
the Stadium becoming a family business. He drafted in Brian Constable
from his work force ( a former Swindon Speedway supporter ) as Reading
Speedway Promoter. He lasted about a year and then Bill Dore's daughter
was drafted in and they became Co - Speedway Promoters together. His
son had been drafted in as the Greyhound Manager and Greyhound
Handicapper. Frank Higley had also been bought out but I know not the
circumstances.
I understand that come the late 1980s Bill
Dore was in discussion with the Reading Borough Council. I know not
whether APL were in breach of the lease or if the RBC approached Bill
Dore to sell back to them the 99 year lease and some land. The outcome
of which was that the 99 year lease which I signed was rescinded and a
new lease which expires in October 2008 was signed. So Reading
Speedway and Greyhounds which had a safe 99 years were reduced to just
34 years in total. With that renegotiation also went some 10 acres of
the land back to the RBC. The Reading Borough Council have in turn
sold or leased - at least the part that the Stadium stands upon - to
the Prudential Assurance Company who will ( subject to the present
economical climate ) move in on the site to demolish the Stadium in
November.
If that's not enough, more recently, Pat
Bliss did a deal with Stadia U K Reading Ltd who took over the
remainder of the lease but she continued to promote the Speedway until
she sold in 2006 to the Grand Prix entrepreneur, John Postlethwaite,
who in his wisdom, having no experience of domestic speedway racing, was
going to show everyone how it should be done. Which turned out to be
just how it should not be done. I'm sure he alienated the Reading
fans on day one when he changed the name Racers to Bulldogs. We had
only been Racers since 1968 - yes nearly 40 years - when I named them
after the famous Harringay Racers who closed in the mid 1950s. Exit
John Postlethwaite after 18 months and £500, 000 the poorer.
Welcome the Swindon duo of Malcolm
Holloway and Mark Legg who hope that a new stadium will be built just
up the road from the old site by Stadia U K Reading Ltd but I
do believe there has been a problem in getting a Casino Operator on
board to make the project of a new Greyhound and Speedway stadium
viable. The first casino operator baled out and now hopefully on board
are Grosvenor casinos who with Stadia U K intend to spend £ 9 million on
developing the new site. They hope to open in the spring of 2010.
Stadia U K operate Greyhound Racing at Poole, Swindon and Reading.
It's the fans I feel sorry for - short
changed of another 65 years of speedway at Smallmead under APL, who were
in charge of their own destiny.
Looking back " I Saw And Lived My Dream
" , looking at that 25 acres of a former rubbish tip becoming such a
household name as Reading Speedway in 1974. Whoever follows in my
footsteps I wish them luck.
Reg Fearman
October 2008
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