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The AA to ZZ of Speedway
We asked you to find a full set of riders whose forename and surname started with the same letter. Unsurprisingly, nobody managed to complete the full set with the letters F, I, Q, U, X, Y and Z proving to be particularly troublesome.
The only claims on those letters were for the following riders: Frank Facher; Ferenc Farkosz; Irving Irvinger and Zdzislaw Zerdzinski - none of whom we'd ever heard of previously.
The best effort came from Joe Andrews with a quite brilliant 22 letters completed. If you doubt that any of the 22 riders existed, as we initially did, then a quick search on google will set you right!
The submitted entries are shown below.
We're not really after any more full lists, but if you can find any riders for QQ, UU, XX or YY then drop us an email at speedwayplus@hotmail.com
| Joe Andrews (22) | |
| A | Anders Andersen |
| B | Bobby Beaton |
| C | Col Cottrell |
| D | Daniel Davidsson |
| E | Eric Eadon |
| F | Frank Facher |
| G | Gary Guglielmi |
| H | Hasse Holmqvist |
| I | Irving Irvinger |
| J | Jesper Jensen |
| K | Krzysztof Kasprzak |
| L | Leigh Lanham |
| M | Mikael Max |
| N | Nick Nicholaides |
| O | Ole Olsen |
| P | Peter Prinsloo |
| Q | |
| R | Roar Richvaldsen |
| S | Simon Stead |
| T | Tomas Topinka |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner |
| W | Willie Wilson |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | Zdzislaw Zerdzinski |
| Tracy Holmes (20) | |
| A | Alexej Antonov (Bulgaria, 71 World Cup) |
| B | Bruno Bulau (East Germany, 66 world Cup) |
| C | Col Cottrell (Coventry) |
| D | Doug Davies (South Africa) |
| E | Eric Eijbergen (Holland, 99 and 2000 World Cup) |
| F | Ferenc Farkosz (Hungary, 79 and 80 World Cup) |
| G | Gordon Guasco (Australia) |
| H | Hasse Holmqvist (Sweden) |
| I | |
| J | Janos Jakab (Hungary, mid 70s World Cup) |
| K | Krzysztof Kasprza (Poland)k |
| L | Louis Lawson (England) |
| M | Michal Makovsky (CZ) |
| N | Nedjelko Nedjelkov (Bulgaria, 72 and 73 World Cup) |
| O | Owen [Taffy] Owen |
| P | Patrick Pawson (New Zealand) |
| Q | |
| R | Robert [Bob] Bob Roger (Swindon and 57 World Finalist) |
| S | Stan Stevens (England) |
| T | Tadeusz Teodorowicz (England) |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner (CZ) |
| W | Wladislaw Wawszcyk (Poland, 65 World Cup) |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Bryan Tungate (19) | |
| A | Arthur Atkinson of West Ham |
| B | Billy Bales of Norwich |
| C | Cyril Crane of Kings Lynn |
| D | Doug Davies of Birmingham |
| E | Ernie Evans of New Cross |
| F | |
| G | George Greenwood of Leeds |
| H | Hasse Holmqvist of Oxford |
| I | |
| J | Johnny Jones of Brafield |
| K | Ken Kirby of Southampton (I think) |
| L | Lionel Levy of Coventry |
| M | Morrie Mattingley of Southampton |
| N | Nick Nicholls of Coventry |
| O | Ove Olsen of Birmingham |
| P | Piotr Pyszny of Halifax |
| Q | |
| R | Ronnie Rolfe of Rye House |
| S | Stan Stevens of West Ham |
| T | Terry Tight of Newcastle |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner of Exeter |
| W | Willie Wilson of Glasgow Ashfield |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Steve Brown (19) | |
| A | Allison, Al Allott, Adam Andersson, Ake Appleton, Alan Appleton, Andrew Armstrong, Alan Atkinson, Arthur |
| B | Bales, Billy Bast, Bast Beaton, Bobby Bentley, Brian Black, Brian Booth, Barry Brannefors, Bengt Brett, Brian Briggs, Barry Bromfield, Bruce Burton, Billy |
| C | Caffrey, Colin Cantwell, Con Clark, Colin Clarke, Carl Chalcraft, Carl Coleman, Charlie Chaplin, Chris Collins, Chris Cook, Colin Cottrell, Col Cox, Cliff Cort, Clem Crane, Cyril |
| D | Davies, Dene Davies, Doug Day, Dennis Dearden, Doug Dunton, Danny Durham, Dave |
| E | Eadon, Eric Egedius, Einar |
| F | |
| G | Gale, Geoff Goldfinch, Gil Gordon, Graeme Guasco, Gordon Greenwood, George Guglielmi, Gary |
| H | Haigh, Herbert (Dusty) Harrfeldt, Henry Holmqvist, Hasse |
| I | |
| J | Jackson, John Jakobsen, Jan Jensen, Jesper B Johansson, Jorgen Jorgensen, John |
| K | Kjaer, Krause |
| L | Lanham, Leigh Lawson, Louis Lazarus, Larry Levy, Lionel |
| M | McDermott, Maury McKeon, Mick McKinna, Martin McLuskey, Mike McPhie, Malcolm Mackay, Malcolm Martin, Mark Mattingley, Maurie Mattocks, Matt May, Mick Mellor, Mick Minett, Mark Mitchell, Mick Moore, Mick |
| N | Nevitt, Norman Newman, Nigel Nicholls, Nick |
| O | Olsen, Ole Olsen, Ove |
| P | Palfrey, Paul Pawson, Patrick Pratt, Phil Price, Paul Prinsloo, Peter Pyszny, Piotr |
| Q | |
| R | Reeves, Reg Reeves, Roy Rolfe, Ronnie |
| S | St. George, Stewie Sant, Steve Schlam, Sig Schofield, Steve Sheldrick, Sid Shirley, Stuart Sjosten, Soren Smith, Scott (Aus) Smith, Scott (Eng) Stead, Simon Stephens, Seemond Stevens, Stan Swain, Scott |
| T | Teodorowicz, Tadeusz Tulloch, Terry |
| U | |
| V | Verner, Vaclav |
| W | Willson, Wally Wilson, Willie |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Graeme Selkirk (18) | |
| A | Adam Allott |
| B | Bill Baird |
| C | Chris Collins |
| D | Dene Davies |
| E | Eric Eadon |
| F | |
| G | Gary Guglielmi |
| H | Henry Harrfeldt |
| I | |
| J | John Jorgensen |
| K | Krzysztof Kasprzak |
| L | Lionel Levy |
| M | Mick McKeon |
| N | Nick Nicholls |
| O | Ole Olsen |
| P | Phil Pratt |
| Q | |
| R | Reg Reeves |
| S | Simon Stead |
| T | |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner |
| W | Willie Wilson |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Cary Cotterman (16) | |
| A | Andrew Appleton Alan Appleton |
| B | Barry Briggs Bart Bast Bobby Beaton Billy Bales Brian Bently Brian Black Bob Bailey Blackie Bruce Bob Bender Baby Bigg |
| C | Colin Cook Colin Clark Col Cottrell Cliff Cox Cyril Crane Cyril Cooper |
| D | Dave DeTemple Dene Davies Dave Durham Don Dobbins Don Dorsey |
| E | Einar Egedius |
| F | |
| G | Gordon Guasco Geoff Gale |
| H | Horst Heilig |
| I | |
| J | Jan Jaros |
| K | Keith Kruser |
| L | Lloyd Logan |
| M | Malcolm McKay Mike Mesojednick Mike Muntean Mike Mazzacane Max Morf |
| N | |
| O | Ole Olsen |
| P | Phil Pratt |
| Q | |
| R | Rusty Roberts Rick Richards |
| S | Soren Sjosten Sid Sheldrick Scott Sivadge Swede Savage Stan Stevens Shorty Seabourne Steve Scott |
| T | |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner |
| W | |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Diane Phillips (14) | |
| A | ADAM ALLOT |
| B | BEN BARKER |
| C | CYRIL CRANE |
| D | DANIEL DAVIDSSON |
| E | |
| F | |
| G | GRAEME GORDON |
| H | HASSE HOLMQVIST |
| I | |
| J | JOHN JACKSON |
| K | KRYZYSZTOF KASPRZAK |
| L | LOUIS LAWSON |
| M | MICHAEL MAKOVSKY |
| N | |
| O | OLE OLSEN |
| P | PAUL PICKERING |
| Q | |
| R | |
| S | SOREN SJOSTEN |
| T | TOMAS TOPINKA |
| U | |
| V | |
| W | |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Alan Hodkinson (13) | |
| A | Arthur Atkinson |
| B | Bob Brewer Bill Bridgett Billy Bales Bill Booth Bengt Brannesfors |
| C | Charlie Cheshire Colin Clarke |
| D | Don Durrant Doug Deardon Danny Dunton |
| E | |
| F | |
| G | George Gower George Greenwood |
| H | Harry Hughes |
| I | |
| J | John Jepson |
| K | |
| L | Louis Lawson |
| M | Maury Mattingley |
| N | |
| O | |
| P | Peter Prinsloo |
| Q | |
| R | Reg Reeves Reg Robins Reg Robinson |
| S | |
| T | Terry Thrale Tomas Topinka |
| U | |
| V | |
| W | Willie Wilson Wilf Willstead Willie Wilshire |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| Jay Reed (12) | |
| A | Andrew Appleton Arthur Atkinson |
| B | Ben Barker Bart Bast Barry Briggs Bo Brhel |
| C | Chris Clarence Colin Cook |
| D | Daniel Davidsson |
| E | |
| F | |
| G | Gary Guglielmi |
| H | |
| I | |
| J | John Jorgensen Johnny Jorgensen Jorgen Johansson Jan Jakobsen |
| K | |
| L | |
| M | Mikael Max |
| N | |
| O | Ole Olsen |
| P | Paul Pickering |
| Q | |
| R | |
| S | Simon Stead Scott Smith Sean Stoddart |
| T | Tomas Topinka |
| U | |
| V | Vaclav Verner |
| W | |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
Not everybody took it entirely seriously....
| Ivymiri (13) | |
| A | Andrew Appleton |
| B | Barry Briggs |
| C | Colin Cook |
| D | Daniel Davidsson |
| E | Eddie "the eagle" Edwards (must have flown for Eastbourne) |
| F | Fiona Fullerton( she would have looked great in leathers) |
| G | Gary Gugliemi (probably not the correct spelling, I always just put "Gary G" if he was used as a r/r or t/s) |
| H | Hurricane Higgins; if he could have got out of the bar. |
| I | Ivor Kristen Iversen (Niels relative) |
| J | John Jorgensen |
| K | Kenny (mc) Kinna |
| L | Leigh Lanham |
| M | Mikael Max |
| N | Nobody Noes |
| O | Ole Olsen (I am fairly confident he was a real rider) |
| P | Piotr Protesiewicz (I done that without looking it up) |
| Q | Quentin Quisp |
| R | Rider Replacement |
| S | Simon Stead (get better soon!) |
| T | Tomas Topinka |
| U | U Useless piece of effluent or something, could be any rider |
| V | Vaclav Verner |
| W, X, Y and Z | The expletives uttered, sometimes highly verbally, if your team have just had a 5-1 reversal. |
This article was first published on 19th April 2007
"This might be a very small list, but it is certainly an 'original' one! Captains of the original speedway teams in 1929 as listed in the Peoples Speedway Guide 1947. Bill Bragg (Stamford Bridge), Lew Lancaster (Coventry) and Stan Spencer (Harringay). Although not the captain, West Ham had a Don Durant."
"What about Stefan Salamonsson??? Not one mention!"