July 31 Tigers 42 Hackney 36 (Provincial League)
Tigers gained some quick revenge for their defeat a week earlier. Tigers' heatleaders all scored ten points. Colin Pratt again scored a maximum for Hackney, giving him a perfect record against the Tigers, something that even Ivan Mauger couldn’t match!
Vic Ridgeon, although programmed, didn’t ride and was replaced by Eric Hanlin who scored two from the reserve berth. Bill McMillan returned to the side and included a heat win in his score of five. Graham Coombes was unlucky to shed a chain when leading heat eight, but two heats later teamed up with Trevor Redmond for a 5-1, which put Tigers back into the lead. Charlie Monk and Maury Mattingly duly clinched the points in a last heat decider, in which Monk once again scored a bonus point, his second in two meetings.
The second half saw a “Speedway Queen Match Race” scheduled when Mary Mansfield was to defend her title against Maureen Watt of Gourock. This race wasn’t run, nor were further races of this nature staged at the White City
Tigers Scorers
Monk 10; Mattingly 10; Redmond 10; McMillan 5; Coombes 3; Ovenden 2; Hanlin 2:
Hackney Scorers
Pratt 12; Trigg 7; L McGillivray 6; Poyser 3; S McGillivray 3; Davies 3; Day 2:
August 7 PLRC Qualifying Round (White City)
Chris Julians had hoped to make his comeback at this meeting but could not get medical clearance. Maury Mattingly’s bike caused a problem in more ways than one! Usually Trevor Redmond brought Maury’s bike up by road but Trevor was drawn to ride in a qualifying round at Edinburgh the next night while Maury was due to appear at Cradley. In the end Maury decided to build another bike! However there was no happy ending as both bikes misbehaved badly and the skipper failed to score in both rounds!
Trevor Redmond won the round with fourteen while Charlie Monk scored twelve from four wins and a fall when challenging Doug Templeton. The pair clashed again the following night at Edinburgh when quite a fracas ensued after Monk was excluded for boring – all good publicity with the Scottish Cup meetings coming up!
Top Scorers:
T Redmond 14: G Hunter 13; D Templeton 12; C Monk 12; M Watkin 10; B Scott 9:
August 13 Middlesboro 41 Tigers 37 (Provincial League)
Chris Julians made a welcome, if quiet, comeback. He scored three points in his first two rides and possibly tired, failing to add to score thereafter. Middlesboro just pipped Tigers in Bears final home Provincial League meeting of the season – yes just halfway through August! It will prove to be Bears last home league meeting for nearly four years as the licence was moved to Halifax for the 1965 season. Slant Payling was injured after a heat two fall and took no further part in the meeting. In keeping with the by now widespread liberal interpretation of the Supplementary Reserve rule, Alan Butterfield was used to replace him in heat eight and scored a vital third place.
Graham Coombes had a fine meeting and included a heat win in his four paid five from his first three starts before being replaced by a tactical substitute, which was a real case of “if at first you don’t succeed”. Tigers were six points down after heat nine and brought in Trevor Redmond to partner Charlie Monk. However Boocock and Day shut him out, leaving Tigers still trailing by six points. Tigers then brought in Charlie as a tactical …as a partner to Trevor! This time the pair managed a 5-1 but Tigers could not make any further in roads on the Bears lead. In a last heat decider Bears clinched a 4-2 to win the meeting by four points.
Still, it was one of our better away meetings, and the return of Chris Julians gave hope for the remainder of the season. Charlie Monk again scored a five ride away maximum and looked to be in good form for a serious attempt at the PLRC later in the season.
Tigers Scorers
Monk 15; Mattingly 7; Redmond 7; Coombes 4; Julians 3; McMillan 1; Ovenden 0:
Middlesboro Scorers
Boocock 10; Younghusband 9; Scott 8; Hitch 7; Day 5; Butterfield 2; Payling 0:
August 14 Tigers 52 Edinburgh 43 (Scottish Cup)
Trevor Redmond’s program notes reckoned that Tigers would need a ten point lead to take to Old Meadowbank the following night. With Monarchs injury jinx biting deeply, Monarchs gave Kenny Cameron a rare outing. However the White City track failed to suit his leg trailing approach, but it gave younger fans the opportunity to see a style from years gone by.
On an overcast night an excellent crowd turned out and, for once, Tigers made a good start against the Monarchs. They led by six points after four races. However three successive 4-2 for the Monarchs levelled the scores after heat seven. Tigers won the next five heats, including a 5-0 from Bill McMillan and Bruce Ovenden against Bert Harkins and Kenny Cameron both of whom fell. With four heats remaining Tigers now had a healthy thirteen point lead but Edinburgh supplied all the heat winners for the remaining races, including a 5-1 in heat thirteen when Charlie Monk fell while challenging George Hunter. The final score was 52-43, a nine point lead. Will it be enough?
Maury Mattingley top scored with twelve and Trevor Redmond weighed in with eleven paid thirteen while a somewhat subdued Charlie Monk got ten. Chris Julians continued his comeback with a useful six paid seven.
George Hunter was Edinburgh’s top scorer with fourteen, suffering his only defeat from Maury Mattingly. The Templeton brothers each scored eleven, with Doug falling when racing Charlie Monk. Happily he just returned to the pits and there was no repeat of the unsavoury scenes from the previous week in Edinburgh. Monarchs provided nine of the sixteen heat winners and with a bit more support for their three heat leaders could have repeated their earlier Provincial League success.
Tigers Scorers
Mattingly 12; Redmond 11; Monk 10; Julians 6; McMillan 5; Ovenden 5; Coombes 3:
Edinburgh Scorers
Hunter 14; W Templeton 11; D Templeton 11; Tannock 4; Torpie 2; Harkins 1; Cameron 0:
August 15 Edinburgh 53 Tigers 43 (Scottish Cup)
Before the meeting Charlie Monk retained his Scottish Match race championship by beating George Hunter by two legs to one. Having beaten both Hunter and Doug Templeton, it now looked as though Edinburgh had run out of challengers and indeed no further challenges were staged
Once again Tigers opponents managed to sign a rider just in time to line up against them! Monarchs gained PLPA agreement to sign Dave Younghusband on temporary loan after Wayne Briggs, Alf Wells and Bill Landels were ruled out for the season. Maury Mattingly and Trevor Redmond continued their fine form from the night before and scored thirteen and fourteen respectively.
The meeting built to an exciting climax with Edinburgh leading by ten points on the night, and by one point on aggregate with two races to go. The unbeaten Trevor Redmond faced Kevin Torpie and Bert Harkins in what seemed to be his easiest race of the evening. However both Monarchs flew from the gate and, while Redmond managed to pick off Harkins, he left himself with too much ground to make up on Torpie and just failed to catch him on the line. He was quite inconsolable in the pits but, with Edinburgh leading by three points on aggregate, a 5-1 from Charlie Monk and Maury Mattingly over Dave Younghusband and George Hunter would still take the cup to Glasgow. However Hunter managed to split the Tigers, despite a desperate last lap attempt by Charlie Monk to pass him.
The cup went to Edinburgh by just one point on aggregate. Trevor Redmond was right – Tigers did need a ten-point lead! Incidentally, Tigers provided nine of the sixteen heat winners, just as Edinburgh had done at the White City, which proved there was no real home advantage at either track!
Tigers Scorers
Redmond 14; Mattingly 13; Monk 11; Ovenden 2; Coombes 1; Julians 1; McMillan 1:
Edinburgh Scorers
Hunter 13; D Templeton 8; Younghusband 8; Torpie 8; W Templeton 7; Tannock 6; Harkins 3:
August 19 Scotland 73 England 35 (Fourth Test)
Injury decimated this showcase meeting. England were without John Dews, Alby Golden, Ivor Brown and Eric Boocock, although the last two turned out the following night elsewhere! Long Eaton’s pair of Ken Adams and Norman Storer, who impressed on their league visit to White City, were drafted in as replacements but found the going considerably tougher than before.
Bizarrely, Colin Pratt turned out for England despite the fact that his title challenging Hackney side had a home league fixture against Newport. To make matters worse for the Hawks, they only scraped a draw. While it didn’t ultimately cost them the championship, it was hard to think that they were pleased about his late call up! Dave Younghusband, another late draftee, was suffering from flu and did not manage to take all his rides.
The weakened England side had little to offer, and Scotland’s heat leaders scored over fifty points between them. Charlie Monk scored an eighteen point maximum, while George Hunter tallied seventeen and Doug Templeton a paid seventeen. Jimmy Squibb spoiled the two Edinburgh riders’ maximum hopes in the second half of the meeting. With Ross Gilbertson out injured, Bruce Ovenden got his first Scottish cap but wasn’t called on to ride.
The Scotland’s final total of seventy-three beat the previous high score of 71-37, set up in 1953 also at the White City.
Scotland Scorers
Monk 18; Hunter 17; D Templeton 16; Redmond 8; W Templeton 7; Mattingly 6; Julians 1:
England Scorers
Squibb 12; Major 8; Watkin 7; Cowland 4; Younghusband 1; Pratt 1; Adams 1; Storer 1:
August 26 Tigers 41 Cradley Heath 37 (Provincial League)
Maury Mattingly blew his new engine while warming it up in the pits and borrowed second halfer Gordon Mitchell’s bike. He failed to get beyond the first bend in his first two races on it. Fortunately the rest of the Tigers rallied round. Charlie Monk again got a maximum, while Chris Julians scored seven despite a last race fall. Clearly returning to his pre injury form, Bruce Ovenden tallied six paid nine, his highest ever Provincial League total.
Scores were close throughout and Tigers were fortunate to share heat twelve 3-3 when Ivor Brown fell. This set up another last heat decider, which saw Charlie Monk and Graham Coombes, replacing the stricken Maury Mattingly, gain a 4-2 over George Major to clinch the meeting 41-37.
In an evening of fast times, Charlie Monk recorded 78.3, just 0.6 seconds outside the track record, no less than three times.
Tigers Scorers
Monk 12; Redmond 9; Julians 7; Ovenden 6; McMillan 4; Coombes 2; Mattingly 1:
Cradley Scorers
Brown 11; Major 10; Edwards 7; Hockaday 5; Chandler 3; Priest 1; Hughes 0:
Elsewhere:
At a PLPA meeting Middlesboro’s plan to transfer their heat leaders to help other tracks was discussed. It was proposed that both Bluey Scott and Eric Boocock were to go to injury stricken Long Eaton while Dave Younghusband would go to Edinburgh. After discussion, it was felt that the Bears, who had completed their home fixtures, would now be too weak for their final away meetings and it was agreed that either Bluey Scott or Eric Boocock would be transferred to Long Eaton immediately and that Dave Younghusband would only go to Edinburgh once the Bears final away meeting had been run
The war of nerves between the Provincial League and the National League continued as Exeter tracked a new signing “Reg Neal” who subsequently turned out to be National League Oxford’s Ronnie Genz - naughty, naughty!
September 4 Tigers 44 Sheffield 34 (Provincial League)
Tigers equalled their best home score in the Provincial League despite going six points down when Charlie Monk fell in heat three. Solid scoring thereafter saw the points clinched by heat twelve, so that for once there was no last heat decider. This win took Tigers off the foot of the league.
Times were tough for Sheffield with White City specialists John Dews and Jack Kitchen both on the injured list. Things were so bad that flu ridden Tommy Roper was prevailed upon to travel to Glasgow and kindly team manager Pedlar Palmer put him out for three races in a row. Bet he felt whacked after that! Clive Featherby actually came to Glasgow! His score of nine showed that he could have made a contribution to their previous hidings!
Maury Mattingly and Trevor Redmond were both paid for ten and Chris Julians continued his good form with seven paid eight. Bruce Ovenden, who normally partnered Charlie Monk, was moved to number four and scored five including a heat win. He also beat Clive Featherby in a second half heat.
Ivan Mauger beat Charlie Monk in the Champion of Champions match race and went on to win the second half trophy despite being beaten by Maury Mattingley in a qualifying heat.
Tigers Scorers
Redmond 10; Mattingly 9; Monk 8; Julians 7; Ovenden 5; McMillan 4; Coombes 1:
Sheffield Scorers
Featherby 9; Oliver 9; Jay 9; Roper 4; Bagley 1;Bruce 1; Handscombe 1:
September 9 Scotland v Rest of the World (Challenge)
Tigers had been lucky with the weather but this meeting was called off at 6pm after a day of heavy rain. The meeting will now be restaged on 30th September when it will be the finale to the season.
September 11 Newport 48 Tigers 30 (Provincial League)
Despite Newport’s top heat leader Peter Vandenberg being out injured, Tigers first ever visit to Wales failed to produce any joy. Charlie Monk, Trevor Redmond and Maury Mattingly all scored eight points and all managed at least one heat win. Tigers’ second strings again had a tough time against a solid Wasps side and again score most of their points against the hapless Vic White who had a bout of mechanical problems. Wasp’s veteran Ray Harris beat Bruce Ovenden and Graham Coombes to win heat eight and supporters tried to climb the fence to congratulate him. Crazy times in Wales!
Tigers Scorers
Monk 8; Redmond 8; Mattingly 8; Ovenden 3; Julians 2; Coombes 1; McMillan 0:
Newport Scorers
Erskine 11; Golden 10; Bradley 9; Hughes 7; Penniket 7; Harris 4; White 0:
With the Tigers riding at Newport, the White City staged a stock car meeting and was possibly the last ever staged at the venue.
Eric Boocock, now transferred to Long Eaton, top scored with eleven in their 54-24 win over Middlesboro – just whose need was greater again? “Tit for Tat” - Oxford tried to track a Provincial League rider under the name of “Freddie Falcon” in their challenge match The rider didn’t appear and his identity was not known but it seemed certain it would have been an Exeter rider
September 18 Tigers 37 Middlesboro 41 (Provincial League)
Middlesboro controversially tracked Eric Boocock, now a Long Eaton rider! His eight points were instrumental in the Bears winning the meeting. Tigers too flaunted the rule book by using eight riders, when Gordon Mitchell was drafted in before Chris Julians’ late arrival, surely the only time that this has ever happened.
Everything that can go wrong, went wrong! Chris Julians missed his flight from London and arrived after his first two programmed rides, just in time to be told he was being replaced in his third by tactical substitute Charlie Monk! Maury Mattingly had problems with his carburettor and this took three races to sort out. Bruce Ovenden was winning his first race when his engine blew and Graham Coombes was a non-finisher in his two races when his clutch packed in and he was out for the meeting. Bill McMillan had an off night and failed to score in three starts.
Throughout all this mayhem, Charlie Monk was untouchable and scored a fifteen point maximum, his best home score of the season. Trevor Redmond managed eleven paid twelve from five starts while Chris Julians got five from two races.
Bluey Scott again confirmed his liking for the White City with six paid nine points but it was Bears stuffy third pair of Ray Day and Clive Hitch who swung the meeting their way.
Charlie Monk recorded a time of 81.9 seconds in the One Mile Record attempt. White City was 430 yards long so the finish line was marked out forty yards from the starting gate. Apparently, Ron Mountford had recorded 79.0 at Coventry earlier in the summer.
Tigers Scorers
Monk 15; Redmond 11; Julians 5; Mattingly 3; Mitchell 3; Ovenden 0; McMillan 0; Coombes 0:
Middlesboro Scorers
Younghusband 8; Hitch 7; Boocock 7; Scott 6; Day 6; Butterfield 6; Swales 1:
This home defeat left Tigers facing the wooden spoon unless they can take something from their final two away fixtures.
The PLRC final qualifiers were announced. Top qualifier was Ivan Mauger with twenty-eight points followed by Charlie Monk with twenty-five. Trevor Redmond was eleventh qualifier with nineteen points and would be riding in his fifth consecutive final.
September 19 Edinburgh 39 Tigers 39 (Provincial League)
Once again Tigers opponents were strengthened immediately prior to a Tigers meeting. This time following a PLPA directive, Dave Younghusband was now available for Edinburgh, as Middlesboro completed their away fixtures at the White City the previous evening. Through in Glasgow the midnight oil was well and truly burnt as the Tigers sought to repair their bikes! Tommy Miller gave Bruce Ovenden a loan of an engine, which Bruce later said was the fastest he had ever used.
Tigers get off to a dreadful start and were eight points down after six heats. Charlie Monk and Graham Coombes won the next two heats to stop the rot, before Maury Mattingly and tactical substitute Trevor Redmond shut out Dave Younghusband for a 5-1which reduced the deficit to four points. “You’ve done it once, now go and do it again” were the words of wisdom given to Graham Coombes, brought in as a reserve replacement to line up against Bert Harkins in heat ten. Graham duly beat Harkins and the resultant 4-2 reduced the deficit to two. Monarchs took the next heat by the same margin before a Charlie Monk and Maury Mattingly 5-1 over Willie Templeton tied the scores at 36-36 going into the final heat.
Tigers tracked Trevor Redmond and Graham Coombes, who again was brought in as a reserve replacement. Monarchs were represented by George Hunter and Dave Younghusband. Trevor Redmond passed George Hunter on the first lap and thereafter all eyes were on the titanic crucial battle for third place. Graham Coombes pressed for the entire race and nearly managed to catch Dave Younghusband on the last lap but was pipped on the line. The heat was shared as were the league points – probably the right result after a pulsating meeting.
Tigers Scorers
Monk 12; Redmond 10; Mattingly 8; Coombes 5; Ovenden 3; McMillan 1; Julians 0:
Edinburgh Scorers
Hunter 10; Younghusband 7; W Templeton 6; Harkins 6; Tannock 6; Hughson 3; Torpie 1:
September 25 Supporters Best Pairs
This meeting was staged on the eve of the PLRC final at Belle Vue and most of the qualifiers rode well within themselves and with the final in mind. Only a thrown chain deprived George Hunter of a maximum. Chris Julians scored eleven beating Charlie Monk in the process and, with partner Willie Templeton getting nine, they finished as top pair pipping the Middlesboro pair of Bluey Scott and Dave Younghusband by one point. Charlie Monk and Bill McMillan were third with a total of sixteen points.
September 25 PLRC Final at Belle Vue
Ivan Mauger was the odds on favourite for this title, and had been virtually unbeatable all season, but Tigers fans travelled with real hope that Charlie Monk could cause an upset. This looked unlikely after his first ride when, after a race long tussle with Newcastle’s Bill Andrew, the pair touched coming out the last bend causing him to drop back and get passed by Jimmy Squibb on the line. Mauger’s first race, too, brought a shock, as Roy Trigg flew from the gate and won the heat.
Both Monk and Mauger won their second races and met in heat eleven with George Hunter and Colin Pratt thrown in for good measure. After two false starts, Hunter was first away but was passed by Monk on the first lap. Mauger challenged Hunter at every bend and eventually scraped past coming out the last bend.
Monk and Mauger went on to win their two remaining rides and both finished the evening tied on thirteen points. Monk must have been ruing his tangle with Andrew in heat two as a second place then would have been sufficient to win him the title.
In the run off, Mauger got his usual start and, try as he may, Monk could not reduce the leeway sufficiently to make an effective challenge. The run off for third place between Peter Kelly of Newcastle and Hackney’s Roy Trigg was a cracker, with Trigg just clinching the verdict on the line.
The other finalists who rode at the White City the previous evening met with only limited success. Trevor Redmond scored five, Bluey Scott two and George Hunter a disappointing four given how close he had come the previous year.
September 30 Scotland v Rest of the World (Challenge)
The final meeting of an eventful first season saw Scotland at less than full strength. Doug Templeton was out injured and was replaced by brother Willie whose broken finger had just about healed. Maury Mattingly failed to make it north due to his flight being fogbound. Bruce Ovenden, programmed as first reserve for the Rest of the World side changed his nationality to take Mattingly’s place in the Scotland side. This was Bruce’s second Scottish cap. Scotland, having beaten New Zealand 2-1 and England 3-2 in earlier series had a tough task with the Rest of the World drafting in Peter Kelly to replace Mike Watkin, meaning that there were no fewer than six PLRC finalists in their line up.
The main interest centred on the Charlie Monk – Ivan Mauger clashes where honours were shared. Mauger clocked an amazing 78.0 seconds in heat ten when avenging his heat one defeat. George Hunter and Trevor Redmond took their second 5-1 of the meeting to take Scotland to within two points after heat eleven, but, with Willie Templeton less than fit and toiling under the handicap of broken fingers, the Rest of the World side ran up three 5-1s against Scotland’s third pairing. This ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Charlie Monk 17 Ivan Mauger New Zealand 17
Chris Julians 0 Bill Andrew New Zealand 7
George Hunter 13 Pete Vandenberg Australia 8
Trevor Redmond 8 Bluey Scott Australia 10
Willie Templeton 9 Jimmy Squibb England 11
Bruce Ovenden 0 Peter Kelly England 8
Bill McMillan 0
Bert Harkins 0
The Rest of the World team sportingly took Trevor Redmond on a lap of honour ….on a stretcher! After the year he has had he needed it!
Bluey Scott turned out at the White City for the third consecutive week and for the seventh time in total for the season. Willie Templeton equalled this “frequent visitor” total. Note these names
Scotland v The Rest of the World action left to right Chris Julians; Bill Andrews;Charlie Monk; Ivan Mauger