"HOSKINS RIDES AGAIN!"

"A real "Blast From The Past" breezed into Glasgow's Ashfield Stadium in the summer when legendary promoter, Ian Hoskins joined fellow WSRA members for the Scottish Reunion Lunch and the individual Ashfield Classic Championship. 

Ian, whose father, Johnnie promoted the Ashfield Giants there in the 1950's,  ran the Glasgow Tigers at the White City Stadium, south of the River Clyde, and later the Edinburgh Monarchs, was on a short, nostalgic visit from his home in New Zealand to visit old friends. Nowadays the Glasgow Tigers race at the home of their old rivals, Ashfield Giants and White City is no more, such is "progress".

Fortunately, Ian's visit coincided with our Scottish Reunion, so he had a great time meeting up with old friends and team members. He proudly told us that his late father, Johnnie had been inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame in June 2008 for his services to Speedway yet Johnnie never promoted in NewZealand.

One of Johnnie's original Giants, "Wee" Willie Wilson gave an interesting speech about his days as an Ashfield Giant.   In the 50's, before the days of technicoloured leathers and later Kevlars, all  riders wore black, a bit like the Model T Ford, any colour as long as it's black!   Ever the showman, Johnnie Hoskins made sure that his team stood out from the rest as he had the great Ken LeBreton, 'The White Ghost', all in white, Keith Gurtner, "Little Boy Blue" in blue leathers (pre-Nigel Boocock!), Merv Harding, "The Red Devil" (pre-Mike Broadbank but after Frank Varey!) and Willie "The Wasp" Wilson in a hooped jersey, so he had the most colourful team in the league.

Son Ian followed in his father's flambouyant footsteps and always had an Interval Attraction to keep the fans happy. Everything from Pie Eating Contests to having some Dare Devil or other jumping from a high diving platform into a wet sponge, Hossy had it all. It was only when I moved south from my Scottish base that I realized that I had been riding for one of the great showmen of our time.

Ian enjoyed meeting up with many of the riders from "The Good Old Days" of Scottish Speedway, including Glasgow's, Jack "Red" Monteith, Edinburgh Monarchs, Gordon Mitchell, Jimmy Tannock, Brian Collins & Skipper Dougie Templeton plus Team Mechanic, Artie Fisher and Team Manager, Tommy Hughson, almost a full Edinburgh team plus many more from Scotland's past glories.    

To commemorate Ian's visit, on behalf of the Scottish Committee, Jimmy Tannock and I presented Ian with a silver tankard and a silver tray and they were inscribed,...."To Ian Hoskins for Services to Scottish Speedway from the Scottish Branch of the World Speedway Riders' Association". I think that Ian was quite moved by the gesture and the trophies now have pride of place in his New Zealand home.   

The Reunion was also the time when the Guests of Honour for next year's Scottish Dinner Dance  on 21st February were announced,.....They will be former Edinburgh mascot and later Team Manager, Tommy Hughson, and a bespectacled Glasgow lad who grew up from being a wobbling novice at Edinburgh into a wobbling Heat Leader at Wembley, Bert Harkins.  

We also had a Fund Raising Raffle which, with so many prizes to give away,, over-ran the start of Heat 1 of the Ashfield Classic.

Dozens of prizes had been donated by generous members (who said the Scots were mean?) that almost everyone went home with a prize!  I was lucky enough to win a bottle of wine, but unlucky enough to have forgotten that you cannot take a bottle of wine  onto the aircraft in your hand luggage, so I had to leave it at the Security desk at Glasgow Airport where I am sure that they had a nice party after I flew off to Luton! 

So, as we all got swamped in the nostalgia of "The Good Old Days" in Scotland, and the excitement of watching the modern-day Gladiators battling it out to win the Ashfield Classic, all that was left was to say thanks to Glasgow Speedway for their hospitality and to Ian Hoskins,.........."Thanks for the memories, thanks for keeping Speedway alive in Scotland for many years and Haste Ye Back".