| Leicester 'Lions' v Sheffield 'Tigers' | British League | 11th April 1972 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rider | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Tot+Bp |
| 1. Ray Wilson (c) | 2 | 2 | 2' | 3 | 2 | 11+1 | ||||||||
| 2. Geoff Ambrose | 1' | 0 | - | 0 | 1+1 | |||||||||
| 3. John Boulger | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||
| 4. Malcolm Shakespeare | 1' | 1' | 0 | 0 | 2+2 | |||||||||
| 5. Dave Jessup | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||
| 6. Alan Cowland | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | ||||||||||
| 7. Malcolm Brown | 1 | 1' | - | 1 | 3+1 | |||||||||
| Vic White | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | |
| Leicester 'Lions' | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 38 | |
| Sheffield 'Tigers' | 3 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 40 | |
| Terry Thornhill | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1. Arnold Haley | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2. Bob Paulson (c) | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 3. Reidar Eide | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | |||||||||
| 4. Reg Wilson | 0 | x | 1' | 0 | 1+1 | |||||||||
| 5. Bert Harkins | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | |||||||||
| 6. Bob Valentine | 2' | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5+1 | |||||||||
| 7. Doug Wyer | 3 | 1' | 0 | 4+1 | ||||||||||
| Track record = 65.2 Ray Wilson, June/July '71 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 67.4 | 68.2 | 68.2 | 67.4 | 68.4 | 67.8 | 68.4 | 68.6 | 68.2 | 74.4 | 71.8 | 71.2 | 72.6 |
Having lost both Jim Airey and Bengt Larsson from the previous season's side the rider allocation committee had given us Norwegian
Reidar Eide from the Poole Pirates and Scotsman Bert Harkins from the now defunct Wembley Lions. Another Wembley refugee was Dave
Jessup who had been allocated to Leicester.
The new look Tigers extended a six point lead after 7 races, but Leicester countered with a double tactical substitution in heat 8 as Ray Wilson and John Boulger combined to reduce the Lions defecit to just two points. Reidar Eide beat Dave Jessup in heat 9 and with Bob Valentine finishing ahead of Malcolm Shakespeare the Tigers lead was extended once again, but at this point nature intervened with a hailstorm which left everyone on the back straight drenched to the skin, and standing water on the circuit.
Once the hail and rain had passed over the track staff set to work with sawdust and after a short delay racing continued. Ray Wilson won heat 10 in a time six seconds slower than heat 9 but the Sheffield pair of Bert Harkins and Reg Wilson closed out Geoff Ambrose to share the points. John Boulger won heat 11 from Arnold Haley and Malcolm Brown's third place meant there were just two points seperating the teams once more. Another win by Reidar Eide and a vital third place from Bert Harkins in heat 12 set up a grandstand finale, and although John Boulger won the last heat Arnold Haley's second place ahead of Dave Jessup sealed the Tigers away victory.
There was a full page in the programme dedicated to the new Lion, 19 year-old sensation and newly wed Dave Jessup. Ipswich born Dave had joined the Eastbourne Eagles at the tender age of 16 before joining Wembley and winning the Division 2 Riders Championship. Last season had come to a premature conclusion for Dave after he had broken some bones in his right foot in a crash at Hackney. Big things were expected of Dave who alongside Ray Wilson and John Boulger formed a formidable heat-leader trio for the Leicester Lions.
Return to Sheffield Speedway Archives
Return to Sheffield Speedway
homepage