Dream Team : Gerard Lynch

Hi my name is Gerard Lynch and I am 27 years old from Halifax. I started watching speedway in 1981 at the Shay and then moved my support to Odsal when the Dukes moved to Bradford. My team then as you will guess have a strong Dukes feel about it.

Gary Havelock
The first of the new breed of young English riders who just went for it. Havyy was awesome in his prime especially around the Odsal bowl. He always has time for his fans and always rode to impress, just a shame he had the nasty back injury as I think he could have threatened in the GP's if this has not happened.

Lance King
Lance brought a bit of colour to the Dukes team when he started and was one of a number of riders who did not fulfil his full potential. He was great to watch around Odasl and at all the 'big' away tracks, he surprisingly struggled for an American around the tight circuits.

Kenny Carter
What can you say about KC that has not already been said, he was English through and through and rode with his heart on his sleeve. I will never forget the inside passes he used to do at the Shay on the first turn. Kenny could pass on any track inside or out, dry or wet, slick or grippy. A natural talent and a sad loss.

Gianni Famari
Oh my God, Gianni was a star, he gave everything every time he got on a bike, one of only a few Italians to have ridden over here and some of his antics made us laugh and made us cry, he could threaten and beat the best and sometimes he could not beat a track junior, but he tried every race.

Joe Screen
The screen machine, when he moved from Belle Vue I did not like him at all (Belle Vue always sold us dummies like Larry Ross!!!) by the time speedway finished at Odal he could do no wrong. If only Screeny could gate he would have a great chance of being the next English World Champ. When watching him at Odsal you wanted him to be last out of the gate and his skill on the bike were second to none for such a big fella, he could turn the bike on a six pence no matter what the tracks condition.

Simon Wigg
When Wiggy came to Bradford he was getting over a bad neck injury that could have finished his career and did not start very well, people were calling for his head, by the end of his time with the Dukes he was legend. Simon was always there with the younger and less experience members of the team giving them tips on what to do, no matter if he was jetting off the Germany he would always have a chat with his fans and always rode to win.

Sean Wilson
Mr 100%, another Bradford rider with a serious back injury, Sean was a true Yorkshire terrier and never knew if he was beaten, some of his last lap dashed were magnificent, Sean's only problems were his inconsistency to beat the riders with less skill than him and his dodgy hats when the weather got cold at Odsal.

Others Nearly In My Team
Mark Loram, Neil Evitts, Marvyn Cox, Garry Stead, Matts Olsson, Henka Gustaffsson, Scott Nicholls

This article was first published on 29th May 2004