Better comebacks than Lazarus!

Better Comebacks than Lazarus!

It is understood that those of the Greek Orthodox persuasion celebrate " Lazarus Day”, when the said Lazarus was raised from the dead. This festival usually occurs around the first Saturday in May. The Hawks seemed to celebrate this day by staging two amazing comebacks of which even Lazarus would have been proud. The first in 1969 may well have been achieved elsewhere but the second in 1970 is surely without parallel.

If you think this was good…

Back in 1969, the fledgling Spring League was drawing to a conclusion, with Ralston Royals already having clinched the title when they travelled to Hampden for their final meeting. The Hawks in contrast had been having a far more traumatic introduction to organised league racing. Ralston were clear favourites but would be without their top two riders, Billy Russell and Iain Morrison. However this was outweighed by Dick Barrie, Colin Caffrey and Nicky Nicolson all being missing from our line up.

After thirteen heats we were ten points down and had managed to provide only one heat winner. Another defeat was loomimg large! However, not for he last time, in his career, the red mist descended on George “Ditcher” Christie who was excluded or unfair riding and the Hawks took a 5-1. In the next race in a battle of the tailenders, Alan Robertson and Sandy Hyslop gained another 5-1 over their opposite numbers. We were now only two points down going into the last race facing the unbeaten Bill McMillan and Jackie Hides. Hawks sent out their “kid pairing”, best pals Moosh Nicolson and Mike Blair, both just thirteen years old. It certainly was lucky thirteen though as after a hectic first bend which saw Bill McMillan excluded, they headed home Jackie Hides. Hawks had comeback to win!!

Jackie has contacted us recently and remembers the last heat vividly - all four riders were really tense at the gate and all of them ended up touching the tapes - however much to Ralstons dismay the steward excluded Bill McMillan - leaving Jackie out on a limb on gate four

No

Rider

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Pts

BP

R

1

M

Nicolson

2

1

0

2

3

8

1

5

2

P

Gentles

0

1

2

1

4

1

4

3

M

Blair

1

2

2

3

2

10

2

5

4

I

Welsh

2

1

0

2

5

2

4

5

R

Young

1

2

2

2

7

4

6

S

Hyslop

x

1

1

2

4

3

4

7

A

Robertson

2

1

3

6

1

3

8

A

Norrie

1

1

3

5

2

3

Heat

2

3

1

3

3

3

1

3

3

3

3

3

3

5

5

5

Prog

2

5

6

9

12

15

16

19

22

25

28

31

34

39

44

49

No

Rider

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Pts

BP

R

1

J

Hides

3

3

3

3

1

13

5

2

0

0

3

B

McMillan

3

3

3

3

x

12

5

4

B

Smillie

0

0

0

0

0

4

5

G

Christie

3

3

2

x

8

4

6

D

Chisholm

2

2

1

1

6

3

4

7

P

Cummings

0

0

0

0

3

8

B

Logan

1

3

3

1

8

4

Heat

4

3

5

3

3

3

5

3

3

3

3

3

3

1

1

1

Prog

4

7

12

15

18

21

26

29

32

35

38

41

44

45

46

47

· The greatest comeback since Lazarus!!! – Hawks win despite being ten points down with three races to go – meeting actually held on Lazarus Saturday – a feast day for those of the Greek Orthodox persuasion!!

· Moosh and Mike score a 5-1 over the previously unbeaten McMillan and Hides to clinch points in a last heat decider

· Sandy Hyslop makes his debut and, along with Alan Robertson who gains his first heat win, features in 5-1 in heat 15

· Hawks win despite having only four heat winners – in heat 11 and then the last three heats!!!

· Hawks riders share 12 bonus points in a meeting which generates no fewer than 15 – only heat 1 misses out on a BP

· Ronnie Young the only Hampden rider not to score a Bonus Point

MOM – Mike Blair scores 10 paid 12 from 5 his highest league score of the season

Then how about this…

Following their move to a new track at Maxwell Drive, the Levernside team was now known as Shields Racers. They were giving Hampden a going over and were 10 points up with only two races to go.

Ronnie Young of Hampden remembers, “We needed a 7-3 and a 7-0 to win – and we got them both! The 7-3 was fairly straight forward and almost expected, but the 7-0 that Dick (Barrie) and Colin (Caffrey) got in the final heat was something else.”

Dick takes up the story. “As I recall, it was Colin and me against John Speirs and Stevie Mitchell. Colin gated first and I was last, but coming out of the second bend I sort of ‘nudged’ their pair into each other and we all fell off. I remounted (nae steps, I hope!) and took off, but Stevie's foot had gone through John's frame, or wheel, or both. When I came round again, they were still tugging desperately at the bikes and Stevie’s leg, trying to get them apart! “That was the end of the race, as Colin had lapped 'em! “I really am sure of that bit – the total recall, even now – of coming around and seeing them tugging away at each other – made me laugh so much I nearly fell off again!”

The resulting 7-0 gave Hampden the match by just one point.

No

Rider

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Pts

BP

R

1

D

Barrie

3

3

3

4

3

16

2

5

2

R

Young

nf

2

4

nf

6

4

3

N

Nicolson

2

2

3

2

9

2

4

4

M

Blair

3

x

x

3

6

4

5

C

Caffrey

3

2

3

3

4

15

5

6

M

Nicolson

2

nf

2

4

8

2

4

7

P

Gentles

4

2

3

9

1

3

8

G

McColl

3

2

1

6

1

3

Heat

3

5

5

7

5

2

5

3

5

6

2

5

4

4

7

7

Prog

3

8

13

20

25

27

32

35

40

46

48

53

57

61

68

75

No

Rider

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Pts

BP

R

1

J

Speirs

4

1

4

4

nf

13

5

2

J

Paterson

2

4

2

1

9

4

3

S

Mitchell

4

4

4

2

nf

14

5

4

L

McDougall

1

3

3

3

10

4

5

B

Russell

4

4

4

4

16

4

6

F

Caffrey

nf

x

3

2

5

1

4

7

S

Hood

2

1

x

3

3

8

D

Hewat

nf

1

2

3

3

Heat

6

5

4

3

4

7

4

6

5

4

7

5

5

6

2

0

Prog

6

11

15

18

22

29

33

39

44

48

55

60

65

71

73

73

· What a meeting – what a comeback – we were dead and buried with two heats to go – ten down and even two 7-3s wouldn’t have saved us !!!

· Hawks gain a 7-0 in the “nomi” when Dick manages to knock John Speirs and Stevie Mitchell into a pile coming out the second bend and Caff manages to lap them before they can sort themselves out

· Shields would have won under 3-2-1-0 scoring

· Billy Russell quietly compiles a full max but isn’t selected for the nominated race

· Hawks only supply five heat winners – with Nicky failing to win a heat for the first time

· MOM – Dick Barrie for his masterminding of Shields “downfall” in the final heat!!