Home Contact Us Stadia Pix Articles All About You Riders to Remember
DVDs Books Pictures Archive Dream Teams Programme Generator
28/01/2024
1975/76 NZ v England
Your Feedback
 
17/12/2023
DVD: Great Races of the 80s
What's Wrong With Ambition?
Your Feedback
 
29/10/2023
Book Review: Walthamstow
When the Rangers Roared
High Beech Revival of 1954
Your Feedback
 
16/10/2023
Western Springs Winged Wheels
Grand Pricks?
Your Feedback
 
01/10/2023
Blind Speedway Rider
Track Pix: Oxford
Farcical Guest
Your Feedback
 
17/09/2023
The Ole Olsen Tapes
Dream Team: Richard Cleaver
Plus Points
Your Feedback
 
23/07/2023
1974/75 BL V New Zealand
Heat Details Required
Your Feedback
 
04/06/2023
Northside Arena
 
14/05/2023
Review: Tigers at White City
Your Feedback
 
19/03/2023
How to halt the decline
 
12/03/2023
NZ v Poland - 1st Test
NZ v Poland - 2nd Test
NZ v Poland - 3rd Test
NZ v Poland - 4th Test
 
05/03/2023
Track Pictures: North Brisbane
It's All About You: Lionel King
Your Feedback
 
15/01/2023
Dream Team : Geoff Langley
Your Feedback
 
04/01/2023
Gerald Dunn's JAP
Your Feedback
 
27/12/2022
1975 World Final. Heat 20.
Your Feedback
 
11/12/2022
Peter Collins Autobiography
Your Feedback
 
23/11/2022
DVD Review: 70s - A to Z
Your Feedback


Leningrad Neva Visit Britain in 1968
By John Hyam

Maximum Man - Cyril Maidment

A FIRST for British racing came in 1968 when a Russian club side raced against Belle Vue on Saturday July 27 1968, then the following Tuesday were in action at Leicester.

But it was no fairy tale trip for the Russians - minus top rider Vladimir Smirnov. The riders from the Leningrad Neva club went down 48-30 at the old and much-loved Hyde Road track, then were completely outsmarted 60-17 at Leicester where only Anatoli Belkin won a race for the tourists.

The tour was something of a mish-mash in its arrangements, largely billed as a return for Belle Vue's 1967 racing trip to what was then the Soviet Union. And it was also inter-linked with Belle Vue's 40th anniversary and a vague arrangement with a 1968 tour of Britain by the Russian State Circus.

At Belle Vue, the Russians started strongly and scored a 5-1 in heat two through Gennnady Vyonov and Belkin. But sadly the Russians had a long tail that refused to wag. Three riders - Vyonov (9), Yuri Lambotski (7) and Belkin (7) scored 23 of their total. Belle Vue riders scored heavily with Cyril Maidment and Tommy Roper recording 12 point maximums.

At Leicester, the Russians luck ran out in the second race when Vyonov crashed heavily, suffering a shoulder injury which forced him out of the match. With Leicester in full command after that, Belkin's eight points was nearly half the Russians overall total. His seven team mates managed just nine points between them.

Maybe that shattering of the Lenningrad team was to have been expected. Leicester then had a formidable side which included such stalwarts as Anders Michanek, Ray Wilson, John Boulger and Norman Storer.

 

This article was first published on 3rd March 2018

[ Use Mobile Version ]
 

 

Comment on this Article | Contact Us | Go Back to Main Menu

   Please leave your comments on this article or on the site as a whole