Bradford 'Panthers' v Sheffield 'Tigers'

Northern League

27th April, 1962

Rider01020304050607080910111213Tot+Bp
1. Tommy Roper 1 2' 3 3 9+1
2. Reg Duval 0 3 3 2' 8+1
3. Stuart Hickman © 3 1 ef - 11+1
4. Dave Gerrard 1 3 3 1 2' 10+1
5. Geoff Pymar 2 1 0 1 4
6. Malcolm Bruce 0 0 1 0 1
7. Dennis Jenkins ef 2' 2+1
T. Fox 1 4 3 2 5 4 1 5 5 1 1 1 5
Bradford 'Panthers' 1 5 8 10 15 19 20 25 30 31 32 33 38
Sheffield 'Tigers' 5 7 10 14 15 17 22 23 24 29 34 39 40
Ernest Palmer 5 2 3 4 1 2 5 1 1 5 5 5 1
1. Ron Bagley 2' 3 2' 3 1 11+2
2. Clive Featherby 3 2 2' 2' 9+2
3. Ronnie Rolfe 0 0 - 0 0
4. Tony Robinson 2 1 f 3 6
5. Guy Allott © 3 2 1 3 9
6. Jack Winstanley 1 0 f 2' 3+1
7. Peter Atkins 1 1 2
1st. meeting010203040506070809 10111213
71.672.472.673.474.2 74.271.873.071.874.0 72.876.272.4

After a year running occasional challenge matches the Bradford 'Panthers' re-opened Greenfield with a Northern League match against the Sheffield Tigers. The 7:45 parade was delayed to try and get more of the 4,500 crowd into the stadium, and Reg Fearman was introduced alongside the riders as Jess Halliday's new co-promoter.

Track action was soon underway, although Reg Duval was last away in a very uneven start to the first heat which was won by Clive Featherby. Ex Tiger Stuart Hickman was the winner of heat 2 from hard chasing Tony Robinson. Ronnie Rolfe battled past Dave Gerrard but the ex Liverpool rider reclaimed 3rd place on the last lap. Reg Duval gained revenge over Clive Featherby winning heat 3 but the Tigers shared the points after Dennis Jenkins pulled up lying third. Guy Allott went around the field in heat 4 to lead down the back straight but had Geoff Pymar and Malcolm Bruce climbing all over his back wheel. The Bradford riders then got in each others way on the last lap allowing Jack Winstanley to steal the odd point. As the racing livened up Reg Duval made another fast start to lead heat 5 from Ronnie Rolfe with Tony Robinson paying the penalty for moving the wrong way just as the tapes rose. Tommy Roper slipped inside Ronnie on the third turn and tucked in behind his team mate, but Tony Robinson made up yards of lost ground and almost caught Tommy on the line.

Heat 6 saw another great scrap. Stuart Hickman led from Guy Allott with Dave Gerrard making up lots of ground to join them. Stuart slowed in an attempt to baulk Guy and succeeded in getting team mate Dave into the lead, but lost his place to Guy and indeed was lucky to hold onto third place after a spirited attempt from Jack Winstanley. The Panther's lead was short lived as Ron Bagley got away with creeping at the start of heat 7 to take a maximum heat win with his partner Clive, while Malcolm Bruce pulled up at the back of the field. Dave Gerrard got away quickly to lead heat 8 but Tony Robinson kept up the pressure until he clipped Dave's rear wheel on the last lap an was catapulted over the handlebars. Luckily he was soon back on his feet, although the home side had recovered the lead. Tommy Roper outpaced Guy Allott in heat 9 but Reg Duval only passed Guy when his engine slowed on the last lap, just as Jack Winstanley fell at the back. Tony Robinson broke the starting tapes in heat 10, but made a flying start to win the restart ahead of his team mate and pulled the deficit back to just two points.

The tape pushing war of nerves between Dave Gerrard and Clive Featherby at the start of heat 11 was won by the Sheffield rider, and with Ron Bagley joining him at the front the Tigers regained a slender lead. Guy Allott and Jack Winstanley were never troubled as they team rode to victory in heat 12 securing the match in the process, although the home supporters will have taken solace in Dave Gerrard's super swoop around the whole field at the start of the last race before team riding his partner to their own 5-1.

Ron Bagley won the scratch race final from Geoff Pymar and Tony Robinson, and although the Panther's lost their first home meeting there was some excellent and entertaining racing to persuade the crowd that Greenfield was the place to be on a Friday night. Although South African Des Haswell had declined their offer of a team place the Panther's would soon be welcoming Ray Day and the experienced Wal Morton back from injuries they had suffered the previous year.

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