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Cricket provides a precedent MUCH more than sentiment, a sense of natural justice accompanies the petition for the Wembley Final results of those three post-war seasons to be re-evaluated and included in the annals of sporting record. There is ample historical precedent. Cricket – another traditional sport which places much emphasis on history and statistics – accepts Test competition dates back to Melbourne in 1877 when England played Australia, and includes the famous match at The Oval in 1882 which kicked off the Ashes legend. Yet it was not until 1894 officialdom endorsed a list of such meetings. No fewer than 38 England-Australia cricket encounters were eventually conferred the title of Test matches – up to 17 years after they had been played – and that’s how the record books have read since that time. Nor was it a world or even a national body making the decision – a world governing body (now known as the ICC) didn’t even come into existence until 1909. The received wisdom came from Adelaide journalist Clarence Moody, before being given a seal of approval by Charles Alcock, who, in addition to being editor of the renowned James Lillywhite’s Cricketers’ Annual (a rival to Wisden in those days) and Cricket magazine, was one of the all-time great administrators. Alcock was secretary of Surrey, the brains behind the 1880 Test match which is regarded as the first on English soil, secretary of the Football Association and the originator of the FA Cup. He even led his Wanderers club side to victory in football’s first Cup final. BRITISH RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 12, 1946 Eric Chitty Canada 2 1 3 1 2 9 Jeff Lloyd England 0 1 0 2 1 4 Bert Spencer Australia 1 1 1 0 2 5 Malcolm Craven England 3 2 F 2 3 10 Frank Hodgson England 1 3 2 1 1 8 Jack Parker England 3 F 3 3 3 12 Alec Statham England 0 0 N N N 0 Eric Langton England 2 1 3 3 2 11 Tommy Allott England 0 0 0 1 1 2 Tommy Price England 3 3 3 3 3 15 Norman Parker England 2 3 1 2 2 10 Ernie Price England 1 0 1 0 0 2 Wally Lloyd England R 2 2 0 1 5 Ron Johnson Australia F 2 3 2 F 7 Bill Longley Australia 2 2 0 0 0 4 Bill Kitchen England 3 3 2 2 3 13 Ron Clarke (res) England 1 1 0 2 TOMMY PRICE (1911-96) is remembered as the first British World Champion, and as one of several big names whose career was interrupted by the war years. Price surprised critics by qualifying for the 1938 World Final, although 28 riders were ahead of him in the National League averages. He really blossomed into a star in a team of stars with Wembley, featuring in their seven National League title wins in eight post-war years. Even so, and allowing for the advantage of riding on his home track, he was not a standout favourite either for the 1946 British Riders’ title or the 1949 World Final, both of which he won. Less flamboyant than some, his body of work over a considerable career was that of a hardworking and resourceful character. Tommy left another important imprint on more recent history when he had a couple of years as West Ham’s team manager. In 1965, he led the Hammers to the double in the first season of the British League. He enjoyed his last few years in retirement in Perth, Western Australia, where he died on Boxing Day 27 years ago. SPEEDWAY RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 11, 1947 Les Wotton England 1 0 1 0 2 4 George Wilks England 2 2 2 1 2 9 Geoff Pymar England 0 F F 3 1 4 Norman Parker England 3 1 1 R 3 8 Frank Dolan Australia 0 R 0 0 N 0 Eric Chitty Canada 1 2 3 2 2 10 Bill Longley Australia 2 1 2 3 3 11 Jack Parker England 3 3 3 2 3 14 Ron Johnson Australia 2 F 1 3 F 6 Lionel Van Praag Australia 1 3 0 2 0 6 Tommy Price England 0 3 1 1 1 6 Vic Duggan Australia 3 2 3 F N 8 Bill Kitchen England 3 3 2 3 3 14 Eric Langton England 0 1 3 2 2 8 Ernie Price England 2 2 2 1 1 8 Bill Pitcher England 1 0 0 1 F 2 Aub Lawson (res) Australia 0 0 Dent Oliver (res) England 0 0 JACK Parker (1905-89) was arguably the standout personality in British speedway in the first quarter of a century of the sport. Journalistic doyen Basil Storey of Stenners Annual – the speedway ‘bible’ – said: “The man had no equal.” The post-war years, when he was in his 40s, were perhaps his best, although he had won the Star Riders’ Championship back in 1934 and was midway through an international career in which he won 96 caps and regularly captained England. The celebrated serial winner of the Golden Helmet (‘Parker’s Pension’), he was the most high profile rider of the time, even appearing in a Bert Hardy photo on the front page of Picture Post, with an accompanying feature inside what was the country’s top magazine. Chairman of the Speedway Riders’ Association, his captaincy of Belle Vue coincided with many team successes although on the global front, he missed out on a coveted championship win. The worldly-wise, pipe-smoking Midlander also enjoyed superstar billing in Australia, before a career-threatening crash in a midget car at Sydney Showground. He retired a year later, at 49. SPEEDWAY RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 16, 1948 Jeff Lloyd England 1 3 0 0 1 5 Bill Longle Australia 0 1 2 2 3 8 Bill Gilbert England 2 1 3 3 1 10 Oliver Hart England 3 N 2 2 2 9 Eric Chitty Canada 1 0 1 2 1 5 Lloyd Goffe England 0 1 1 1 2 5 Jack Parker England 2 R 3 1 3 9 Split Waterman England 3 2 2 1 2 10 Wilbur Lamoreaux USA 2 2 0 0 2 6 Dent Oliver England 1 0 0 0 0 1 Ron Johnson Australia 3 2 3 2 3 13 Malcolm Craven England R 3 2 1 0 6 Vic Duggan Australia 2 3 3 3 3 14 Tommy Price England 1 2 0 1 F 4 Alec Statham England 3 3 3 3 1 13 Norman Parker England 0 1 0 1 0 2 Frank Hodgson (Res) England 0 0 VIC Duggan (1915- 2007) was rated the world’s best in 1947, 1948 and 1949. Basil Storey described him as a ‘once in a generation’ rider. His reputation stands alongside the likes of Australian multi-world champions Jason Crump and Jack Young. A clear title favourite three seasons in a row, Duggan crashed out in the championship final in 1947, and a mid-season shoulder injury robbed him of a title chance in the 1949 World Final. In Britain’s Olympic year of 1948, though, he saw off all contenders. His £200 prize would amount to close to £10,000 today, and he described the occasion and moment he received the trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh as the proudest of his life. Standout statistics from the Duggan fact file quote his 297 wins from 348 races in 1947, a year in which he earned a reported £5,000 (£250,000 in today’s money). Pre-war, he had a season apiece at Hackney, Bristol and Wimbledon and his genuine superstar years were with Harringay. He, brother Ray, Frank Dolan and Cliff Parkinson were the first riders to fly from Australia to the UK, prior to the 1947 season. perhaps less adorned with success than normal, Jack was back to take out the big one, winning a run-off against Kitchen after both had scored 14 points. The competition arguably was that bit tougher too. The return of Van Praag and Duggan increased the international flavour and Duggan, pre-eminent throughout an unbelievable season, a raging pre-meeting favourite. An injured knee from a spill in his fourth ride, after dropping just the one point to Parker, wrecked his tilt at glory. Kitchen thwarted Parker’s quest for a maximum but could not repeat the performance in the runoff. The route to the final was slightly more streamlined than in the previous year. Qualifiers were held at seven tracks from the new Third Division, eight from Division Two, followed by seven at Division One venues. Duggan was consistency itself, scoring a 15-point maximum at Wimbledon, Harringay, Wembley and West Ham. Nobody else came close, Norman Parker the next best on 47 points from his four rounds, brother Jack half a dozen further back. An underwhelming Price managed just 33 and was one of a gaggle of last-gasp qualifiers. Having rewarded Jack Parker after his near miss, Lady Luck shone on Duggan in the 1948 final, when 90,000 turned up at Wembley a month after the Olympic Games closing ceremony. Another of the 1939 qualifiers denied a place in the record books, and having missed out during what probably would have been his golden years, the native of West Maitland at last found himself in the right place at the right time. It didn’t start so well, as Duggan was outpaced by Wimbledon’s Alec Statham first up. Statham then rattled off three more wins. Another, in Heat 17, would have given him the title. But taking his second ride on the trot, he was relegated into third behind Bill Longley and Split Waterman and finished on 13 points. That left Duggan with the opportunity to secure the title with victory in Heat 19 and there was no mistake this time. The 32-year-old had served notice in the 14 speedway star December 9, 2023
page 15
• Margaret Price and daughter Melanie • Grandson Glen now heads the Eco Harvest Fisheries trawler operation Vic and son John started • John Parker and wife Anne Juneau Tommy Price IN AN ERA recalled only by those of a certain age, there was no Zoom, Facetime or Skype. But Tommy Price was ahead of his time, a radio ham who regularly kept in touch with friends in Australia – where he never rode, visited on a world trip when recovering from a racing injury, and eventually settled in 1988. Margaret Price, a livewire 95, and daughter Melanie, 65, a speech pathologist, still live in Perth where there are three grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. They maintain a passing interest in speedway and believe Tommy would have been delighted by the thought of being a two-time World Champion. “Those meetings were World Finals in everything but name. He wasn’t the type to promote himself but he always was very proud about the first one,” said Melanie. “He was first and foremost a stickler for excellence, a brilliant precision engineer, and got great enjoyment from maintaining contact with friends around the world.” Margaret’s first glimpse of Tommy was as a teenager in Wembley’s boom years, and the couple met when she worked as secretary at speedway manager Alec Jackson’s famed motorcycle and engine manufacturing business. semi-finals, 57 points including full scores at Belle Vue and Bradford. Comeback man Wilbur Lamoreaux, aged 41, had been on the World Final rostrum in 1937 and 1938 and with two maximums at Wimbledon (Plough Lane doubled as Wembley’s home track while the Olympics were on) was next on 49. Norman Parker again announced his claims with 15 at West Ham and Harringay. Were the revisionist fates (and ideally, the FIM decision makers) to allow Jack Parker and Duggan a status alongside all of the World Final winners, it would be no more than either man deserved. Parker was a colossal figure who bestrode the scene for a quarter of a century and in his own mind allowed no doubt that he was the best of the lot. To authenticate the marginally more unassuming Duggan’s excellence and right to rank among the greatest of all the Aussies, he became the first rider to top the national averages three years in a row in 1947-48-49, and was an all but unbackable favourite to win the World Final of 1949 before injury ruled him out. Vic Duggan JOHN Duggan, 82, stayed at home in Sydney with his mother while father Vic raced after the war, but remains keenly aware of the impact of one of the all-time greats and conscious of what a reclassification of his 1948 Wembley victory would mean. “Obviously he was a great rider although I don’t think he ever loved it,” said John, a mechanical engineer by trade. “But in those days, it was a means of earning good money, more so than in any other walk of life open to him. Dad had been an aluminium welder in the de Havilland aeroplane factory during the war.” John was an eight-year-old spectator at Sydney Showground on the night Ray Duggan and Norman Clay were killed. It was an experience which impacted the whole family and dampened his own future racing ambitions. After he finished racing, Vic dabbled in Sydney real estate. Later, he and his son went sapphire prospecting in Emerald, before operating three fishing trawlers on the east coast. John and his wife Gwen now enjoy retirement on a 58-acre property at Maryborough, Queensland, while son Glen owns and manages Eco Harvest Fisheries. Jack Parker JOHN Parker, 83, is keen to see the outcome of a push to enshrine his father Jack in the pantheon of world speedway champions. “It makes sense to me,” says the former engineering project manager, who lives next to Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge, is enjoying marriage a second time round and spends several months of each year travelling the world. “That’s certainly the way he saw it.” John, whose wife Anne Juneau is from Quebec and has adult children Kate (a television service production manager) in New York and Hannah (a nurse) in Adelaide, presented the pick of his father’s trophies and memorabilia to the Speedway Museum. “I didn’t have so much to do with speedway at first, but saw plenty when my parents took over the promotion of Coventry in 1948,” he says. “The biggest mystery is why my dad never moved to Australia. He loved it here and was always in the thick of everything, much more so than in England even though he was such a big star, especially just after the war. We always had great times with the Aussies, and I have been in Australia since 1966.” • Tommy Price, British Riders’ Champion of 1946, celebrates with Wembley fans December 9, 2023 speedway star 15

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Cricket provides a precedent

MUCH more than sentiment, a sense of natural justice accompanies the petition for the Wembley Final results of those three post-war seasons to be re-evaluated and included in the annals of sporting record. There is ample historical precedent.

Cricket – another traditional sport which places much emphasis on history and statistics – accepts Test competition dates back to Melbourne in 1877 when England played Australia, and includes the famous match at The Oval in 1882 which kicked off the Ashes legend.

Yet it was not until 1894 officialdom endorsed a list of such meetings. No fewer than 38 England-Australia cricket encounters were eventually conferred the title of Test matches – up to 17 years after they had been played – and that’s how the record books have read since that time.

Nor was it a world or even a national body making the decision – a world governing body (now known as the ICC) didn’t even come into existence until 1909.

The received wisdom came from Adelaide journalist Clarence Moody, before being given a seal of approval by Charles Alcock, who, in addition to being editor of the renowned James Lillywhite’s Cricketers’ Annual (a rival to Wisden in those days) and Cricket magazine, was one of the all-time great administrators.

Alcock was secretary of Surrey, the brains behind the 1880 Test match which is regarded as the first on English soil, secretary of the Football Association and the originator of the FA Cup. He even led his Wanderers club side to victory in football’s first Cup final.

BRITISH RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 12, 1946 Eric Chitty Canada 2 1 3 1 2 9 Jeff Lloyd England 0 1 0 2 1 4 Bert Spencer Australia 1 1 1 0 2 5 Malcolm Craven England 3 2 F 2 3 10 Frank Hodgson England 1 3 2 1 1 8 Jack Parker England 3 F 3 3 3 12 Alec Statham England 0 0 N N N 0 Eric Langton England 2 1 3 3 2 11 Tommy Allott England 0 0 0 1 1 2 Tommy Price England 3 3 3 3 3 15 Norman Parker England 2 3 1 2 2 10 Ernie Price England 1 0 1 0 0 2 Wally Lloyd England R 2 2 0 1 5 Ron Johnson Australia F 2 3 2 F 7 Bill Longley Australia 2 2 0 0 0 4 Bill Kitchen England 3 3 2 2 3 13 Ron Clarke (res) England 1 1 0 2

TOMMY PRICE (1911-96) is remembered as the first British World Champion, and as one of several big names whose career was interrupted by the war years.

Price surprised critics by qualifying for the 1938 World Final, although 28 riders were ahead of him in the National League averages. He really blossomed into a star in a team of stars with Wembley, featuring in their seven National League title wins in eight post-war years.

Even so, and allowing for the advantage of riding on his home track, he was not a standout favourite either for the 1946 British Riders’ title or the 1949 World Final, both of which he won.

Less flamboyant than some, his body of work over a considerable career was that of a hardworking and resourceful character.

Tommy left another important imprint on more recent history when he had a couple of years as West Ham’s team manager. In 1965, he led the Hammers to the double in the first season of the British League.

He enjoyed his last few years in retirement in Perth, Western Australia, where he died on Boxing Day 27 years ago.

SPEEDWAY RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 11, 1947 Les Wotton England 1 0 1 0 2 4 George Wilks England 2 2 2 1 2 9 Geoff Pymar England 0 F F 3 1 4 Norman Parker England 3 1 1 R 3 8 Frank Dolan Australia 0 R 0 0 N 0 Eric Chitty Canada 1 2 3 2 2 10 Bill Longley Australia 2 1 2 3 3 11 Jack Parker England 3 3 3 2 3 14 Ron Johnson Australia 2 F 1 3 F 6 Lionel Van Praag Australia 1 3 0 2 0 6 Tommy Price England 0 3 1 1 1 6 Vic Duggan Australia 3 2 3 F N 8 Bill Kitchen England 3 3 2 3 3 14 Eric Langton England 0 1 3 2 2 8 Ernie Price England 2 2 2 1 1 8 Bill Pitcher England 1 0 0 1 F 2 Aub Lawson (res) Australia 0 0 Dent Oliver (res) England 0 0 JACK Parker (1905-89) was arguably the standout personality in British speedway in the first quarter of a century of the sport. Journalistic doyen Basil Storey of Stenners Annual – the speedway ‘bible’ – said: “The man had no equal.”

The post-war years, when he was in his 40s, were perhaps his best, although he had won the Star Riders’ Championship back in 1934 and was midway through an international career in which he won 96 caps and regularly captained England.

The celebrated serial winner of the Golden Helmet (‘Parker’s Pension’), he was the most high profile rider of the time, even appearing in a Bert Hardy photo on the front page of Picture Post, with an accompanying feature inside what was the country’s top magazine.

Chairman of the Speedway Riders’ Association, his captaincy of Belle Vue coincided with many team successes although on the global front, he missed out on a coveted championship win.

The worldly-wise, pipe-smoking Midlander also enjoyed superstar billing in Australia, before a career-threatening crash in a midget car at Sydney Showground. He retired a year later, at 49.

SPEEDWAY RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Wembley Thursday, September 16, 1948 Jeff Lloyd England 1 3 0 0 1 5 Bill Longle Australia 0 1 2 2 3 8 Bill Gilbert England 2 1 3 3 1 10 Oliver Hart England 3 N 2 2 2 9 Eric Chitty Canada 1 0 1 2 1 5 Lloyd Goffe England 0 1 1 1 2 5 Jack Parker England 2 R 3 1 3 9 Split Waterman England 3 2 2 1 2 10 Wilbur Lamoreaux USA 2 2 0 0 2 6 Dent Oliver England 1 0 0 0 0 1 Ron Johnson Australia 3 2 3 2 3 13 Malcolm Craven England R 3 2 1 0 6 Vic Duggan Australia 2 3 3 3 3 14 Tommy Price England 1 2 0 1 F 4 Alec Statham England 3 3 3 3 1 13 Norman Parker England 0 1 0 1 0 2 Frank Hodgson (Res) England 0 0 VIC Duggan (1915- 2007) was rated the world’s best in 1947, 1948 and 1949.

Basil Storey described him as a ‘once in a generation’ rider. His reputation stands alongside the likes of Australian multi-world champions Jason Crump and Jack Young.

A clear title favourite three seasons in a row, Duggan crashed out in the championship final in 1947, and a mid-season shoulder injury robbed him of a title chance in the 1949 World Final. In Britain’s Olympic year of 1948, though, he saw off all contenders.

His £200 prize would amount to close to £10,000 today, and he described the occasion and moment he received the trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh as the proudest of his life.

Standout statistics from the Duggan fact file quote his 297 wins from 348 races in 1947, a year in which he earned a reported £5,000 (£250,000 in today’s money).

Pre-war, he had a season apiece at Hackney, Bristol and Wimbledon and his genuine superstar years were with Harringay. He, brother Ray, Frank Dolan and Cliff Parkinson were the first riders to fly from Australia to the UK, prior to the 1947 season.

perhaps less adorned with success than normal, Jack was back to take out the big one, winning a run-off against Kitchen after both had scored 14 points.

The competition arguably was that bit tougher too. The return of Van Praag and Duggan increased the international flavour and Duggan, pre-eminent throughout an unbelievable season, a raging pre-meeting favourite.

An injured knee from a spill in his fourth ride, after dropping just the one point to Parker, wrecked his tilt at glory. Kitchen thwarted Parker’s quest for a maximum but could not repeat the performance in the runoff.

The route to the final was slightly more streamlined than in the previous year. Qualifiers were held at seven tracks from the new Third Division, eight from Division Two, followed by seven at Division One venues.

Duggan was consistency itself, scoring a 15-point maximum at Wimbledon, Harringay, Wembley and West Ham. Nobody else came close, Norman Parker the next best on 47 points from his four rounds, brother Jack half a dozen further back. An underwhelming Price managed just 33 and was one of a gaggle of last-gasp qualifiers.

Having rewarded Jack Parker after his near miss, Lady Luck shone on Duggan in the 1948 final, when 90,000 turned up at Wembley a month after the Olympic Games closing ceremony.

Another of the 1939 qualifiers denied a place in the record books, and having missed out during what probably would have been his golden years, the native of West Maitland at last found himself in the right place at the right time.

It didn’t start so well, as Duggan was outpaced by Wimbledon’s Alec Statham first up. Statham then rattled off three more wins. Another, in Heat 17, would have given him the title. But taking his second ride on the trot, he was relegated into third behind Bill Longley and Split Waterman and finished on 13 points. That left Duggan with the opportunity to secure the title with victory in Heat 19 and there was no mistake this time.

The 32-year-old had served notice in the

14 speedway star December 9, 2023

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