HUNT IS ON FOR VINTAGE PICS - posted 13 August 2010

Team Spokesman has a great track record for tracking down former riders and old friends - but now we have been presented with our biggest challenge yet.

Reader Colin LeCornu is asking the impossible - or is he?  Colin picks up the story.

"I wonder if you could publish a request for me please?  Unfortunately I only have one, poor quality, photo of myself in action during my days with Cardiff.  I wonder if anyone out there has any photos of matches with Cardiff from 1967 to 1971 in which I might appear?  Another two possibilities are the Broadbanks Trophy (Bristol, August 1969), and the Hungerford Charity Cup (May 1970).  Let's keep our fingers crossed!"

Well, surely this is a request too far - or is it?  Over to you readers!

JOSH (One word says it all) - posted 14 April 2010

Any birthday celebration for Josh Gleave, better known to his family and Manchester Constabulary as Graham Stanley Green (sounds like Fletch out of Porridge), has to have an anecdote or two!  True to form, long-time friend and team mate John Whiting recalls the early days and Josh signing for Blackley in 1965. John picks up the story.

Back in the mid-Sixties there were a lot of good riders around.  Names that spring to mind include Kev Greenhalgh, Steve Bates, Brian Murphy, Ken Taylor, Dave Kumeta, Dave McMullan, Ken Graham and the Berry boys, Mike and Steve.

I remember well my first trip to 103 Slack Road to see if Josh was in, only to be told by the redoubtable Mrs Gleave, they were up at the yard. At the top of the yard, there was Josh, complete with Dad as well as a million tons of paper and cardboard.  In another part of the yard was a dedicated bike shop where you could find a multitude of frames wheels, seats, forks and cotter-pins.  They were the important bit of the bike.

They were great days.  Many happy cups of tea at 103 Slack Road, complete with a piece of fatback and the dog resting on your toes, with Josh’s Mum and Dad always on top form. On days off many a rider had a trip out collecting paper and cardboard (craft) which gave the best return.  Then returning to the yard where all was sorted put into the binding machine and another hundredweight of profit for the Gleave Enterprise.

The rise of Bury New Road gave much paper and also added to the Gleave wardrobe.  It was also good visiting the toffee warehouse in Ardwick. The paper collecting vehicles also had another more important purpose, club transport. Garment vans to Carrswood and Wilmslow, seven-tonners to places further afield.  Who can forget being stopped by the Cops on the way home and the surprise when the back was opened and all these heads popped up out of the dark? Police escort to the services for a back light bulb.  Good job they didn’t see us earlier when we used to practise gating in the back!  Equally the first and last visit to the M62 by Mr Gleave Snr remains in Blackley folklore.

On the track we were improving and won the North of England in 1968 and the Ashtonhurst, first of many victories. Josh was still the leader of the pack and we had now learnt of the many wild animals in Blackley -  the Fox and the many breeds of Lion, Golden White and Red, not forgetting the ubiquitous Old House at Home. Whilst these were excellent hostelries, good for darts and the odd sojourn to the Bluebell, Brickies or Gardeners in Moston, the Lightbowne was the place.

Early days Friday nights when three or four would have a quiet pint, till Kumeta came in later and we all bought another round. That was strong stuff that Chester’s Mild.  Not for the feint hearted or feint stomachs.  Still there was always Holts for a really good clearout. Although a pint of “Special Brew" at Poole didn’t go down well either.

Sundays then became the club night out, along with the girls many happy nights spent there. Shaun, the waiter, loved us.  I think it was six for us and one for him. However we did have a secret assistant behind the bar, the aptly named Steve Crook, who could be relied on to serve lots of drinks and even provide change. I can’t remember who broke the cane, or who walked round with a Noddy in his pocket all night.

Racing to success, in 1970 we beat Offerton at Leicester for the BTC.  Two years later we lost at Ivy House to a nine- man Team. Josh had had enough and the team split - most of them racing in '73 for other teams. South Africa was Josh’s destination, Apartheid still existed and Josh was boss of the Tarmac gang.  Other jobs included circus driver, towing four or five trailers trailers including real lions.

1975 and Josh’s warning that Blackley would return came to fruition, a fantastic year crowned by the double in the Team Championships. The celebrations highlighted a certain streaker, great job for the Ladies TC.  We carried on that success taking another two championships in 79 and 80, losing against Wednesfield in 1978.  We were also great in the Fours, winning almost everyone we entered, including Hungerford.  However Mrs Mansbridge always felt we were uncouth, so it was back up to Edinburgh the following year. Biggest disappointment, besides being banned from most of the pubs, was in not stopping Wheeler win the cross-country. 

Domestically we won everything, the exception being the Manchester League where we split into two teams.  Always the hardest matches of the year, Manchester A versus B.  No quarter, total war really. The club eventually joined the English League (for bigger trophies) where we cleaned up much to the annoyance of the Big Hitters. Trouble was the trophies couldn’t get any smaller!! 

Josh was now very much more abroad than in England. Australia was his country of choice, very much in the outback as a swamper and camp cleaner job. Good money but nowhere to spend it. Brian Lowry and Dave Kumeta had moved out to Oz and Josh kept in touch. Cycle Speedway was racing Tests in Australia so Josh could meet up and catch up on the gossip. Sadly Josh lost both parents and moved to Alkrington, but his priority was now Belle Vue Aces and Speedway in general, visiting all the UK tracks and many abroad for all types of racing.  A great programme collector, he is only missing the odd half dozen for a full Belle Vue collection. 

1980 and Blackley finished, reborn as Manchester in 1981 at Broadhurst Fields.  The track was really good but never seemed to have the same atmosphere as Heaton Park. Over the years the riders packed in and by the late 1980s the club had finished, Josh was now back in England and taxiing.  Ladas forever!  He still saw Kevin at the garage, but generally that was it. 

Sadly it was the unexpected death of Steve Crook that brought everyone together. Josh managed to ring round and we all went to the funeral at St Joseph’s, a couple of drinks to Absent Friends in the Bluebell, and Josh suggested we have a Christmas drink. Josh might have finished managing the team many years ago, but it’s his role every year to sort out the Blackley “Do”. That’s still going strong and has even grown over the years, a very selective audience, with the odd guest allowed.

Those life long friends were there again to help Josh celebrate his 65th.  What a man, what a team, what a great sport - cycle speedway!

In the early Fifties, cigarette and chewing gum cards were all the rage.  Invariably they featured film stars of the day as well as sporting heros.

Around 1954, a series of sports cards, promoted by A & BC Chewing Gum Ltd, featured cricketers such as Dennis Compton, Jack Young and Brian Statham as well as speedway riders Bill Kitchen, Eric Williams and Split Waterman.

Amazingly, the set of highly prized collectables also included cycle speedway stars, illustrating the sport's national importance and status in the Fifties.  The cards featured Henk de Bruin, Lew Grepp and Alan Packham, each with a photo on the front and text on the reverse outlining the rider's achievements.

This portrait of Henk de Bruin contained the following write up:

Dutch Cycle Speedway Champion.  One of the best cycle speedway riders in the game.  Henk started racing in 1948 and won the Dutch Championship that year and held the title until 1953.  He captained the Holland Test Team that beat England 48-47 at London's Empress Hall.