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Billy
Sanders
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9/9/1955 - 23/4/1985 |
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THE SANDERS EARLY YEARS |
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1971 - 1976 |
At the age of 15, Billy Sanders spent many hours practising at the Nepean
training track west of Sydney. It was a person who worked at this complex, and
had watched the developing talent of Sanders, who finally took matters into his
own hands and made a phone call which was to set Sanders on a path to speedway
fame. This man's name was Bob Jones and he was the caretaker at Nepean. This
phone call ultimately led to Sanders being present at the Liverpool Speedway on
the Sunday afternoon of July 4th., 1971.
Sanders and another youngster who also practised at Nepean, Ricky Day, were
asked along to Liverpool on that July afternoon for a pre-meeting run on the
track. Both rode impressively and as two programmed riders, Neil Cameron and
Barry Van Praag, had not turned up at the venue, both Sanders and Day were
offered the vacant places on the programme. By checking Sanders' birth date and
the date of this meeting at Liverpool, it can be seen that Sanders was still
only 15 years old when he rode his motorcycle onto the track for his first
competitive race. And where did he finish in the field when the checkered flag
was shown ?
He won !!!!
Sanders made such an impression that he was asked to reappear the following
week. He was also hit with a 20 yard handicap for the following meeting as a
result of his performance on debut.
There is an interesting story about the bike Sanders rode at Liverpool at the
July 4 meeting...It was an old JAP which had been ridden into third place by Aub
Lawson at the 1958 World Final at Wembley.
Having turned 16 years old and competing in the Australian season of 1971-1972,
Sanders made eye-catching progress on the track. Within months he was beating
riders who had years of experience. Some astute judges of speedway talent in New
South Wales predicted a big future for the young man. What good judges they
turned out to be.
Speedway was revived at Foxhall Stadium in Britain in 1969 when Ipswich entered
a team in the Second Division. After three seasons competing at this level, the
management decided that in 1972 the club would move up a division and compete at
the top level, the British League.
A star performer for Ipswich's Second Division side in 1970 and 1971 had joined
the club in 1970. He was a local Scrambles Champion aged 28 who had never ridden
speedway prior to the boss at Ipswich talking him into giving speedway a try in
a second-half event at Foxhall in 1969. He then practised during the winter
months and lined up for his debut season in 1970. At the conclusion of the
season, he had attained the position of a heat leader with an average of 8.74 in
League and Cup competition, an extraordinary feat !!! In his second season,
1971, he increased this average to an astounding 11.31. This rider would appear
in 4 World Individual Finals ( finishing third in 1975), 3 World Team Finals (
winning a Gold World Championship Medal on each occasion) and 2 World Pairs
Finals ( winning in 1976). That's four Gold and one Bronze World Championship
Medal.
One reason I've gone into this detail of the signing of a 28 year old newcomer
who accomplished so much in speedway in such a short time is because his name
will crop up regularly while I discuss Billy Sanders. The other reason is that
the success of this rider shows what an astute man the boss at Ipswich was at
that time, as it was he, John Berry, who had targeted this rider as a possible
Ipswich signing.
Of course, the rider I'm talking about......John Louis. What a signing he turned
out to be !!
When Ipswich signed Billy Sanders to ride for the club in their first season in
the British League in 1972, there were those who doubted the wisdom of including
a relatively inexperienced 16 year old in the line-up, particularly when the
club was competing in the top League.
What a monumental task Sanders faced to ride in his debut season in British
Speedway, competing in the top league and against some of the best riders in the
world, and with under 12 months competitive racing experience.
Could the signing of Sanders be a repeat of the masterstroke of the signing of
Louis ?
The success of Billy Sanders is part of Australian and Ipswich Speedway history.
Belle Vue won the British League Championship in 1972 with Ipswich finishing a
creditable sixth of eighteen.
Reading put Ipswich out of the Knockout Cup in the third round by a mere two
points.
John Louis topped the averages for Ipswich for the second year running. He
posted the impressive average of 9.39 for League and Cup matches in his first
season racing at the top level and in only his third season of speedway.
Billy Sanders competed in all 36 League and Cup matches during 1972 scoring 116
points and 20 bonus points from his 122 rides giving him an average of 4.46.
Sanders had toiled manfully for Ipswich during the season and his results were a
credit to one so young competing in such a tough League. Many Ipswich fans
awaited to see if Sanders could improve on his 1972 results when he returned to
Foxhall Heath in 1973.
On the 3rd. of March 1973, the Australian Championship was staged at the Sydney
Showground and 17 year old Sanders was in the field. South Australian star John
Boulger rode a 15 point maximum on the night to take out the Title. New South
Welshman John Langfield finished on 14 points to take second place. The thrilled
third placegetter on the presentation rostrum that night at the Sydney
Showground, having dropped only two points, was Billy Sanders.The only two
riders to beat him that night were Boulger and Langfield. What an outstanding
accomplishment this was, Sanders had been riding competitively for only 20
months !!!!!!
Sanders dispelled any doubts as to his ability to perform at British League
level as the 1973 season got underway. By season's end he had moved to the third
Heat Leader position at the club.
Ipswich finished in fifth position in the League in 1973, one place higher than
in the previous year. Their Knockout Cup campaign ended in the second round with
an eight point aggregate loss to Newport.
John Louis once again topped the club's averages for League and Cup appearances
with 10.06.
Sanders scored 172 points and registered 25 bonus points in League and Cup
matches in 1973 for Ipswich which produced an average of 7.43, an increase of
over 66% on his previous year's figure.
During 1973, an International Series was staged in Britain with seven countries
competing.......England, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Norway-Denmark, Poland
and the Soviet Union. Australia's last qualifying match before the Semi-Finals
was on July 8th against England at King's Lynn and Billy Sanders appeared for
the first time in the series in this encounter. This clash between the two old
rivals is recognized as an official Test Match although it was part of the
International Tournament. Billy Sanders scored 5 points in his Ashes Test debut.
England won the encounter 44-34.Sanders didn't ride for Australia in their
Semi-Final defeat.
What Billy Sanders accomplished during his 1973 season at Ipswich should be
looked at carefully. At season's end he was only 18 years old and had just
completed his second season in British Speedway, both in the top League no less.
Sanders had achieved the position of a Heat Leader at his club. There haven't
been many Australian riders who have reached Heat Leader status at a First
Division club in only their second season competing in British speedway.
A Great Britain side toured Australia during the 1973-1974 Australian season for
a series of seven Test Matches and were comfortable winners over Australia six
Tests to one.The only Test Sanders didn't ride in during the series was the one
Australia won, the Sixth Test in Brisbane. The opening encounter in Perth was
Sanders' first Test in his own country and he finished second top scorer for
Australia with 11 points. In the other Tests he scored 8 (top scorer for
Australia), 7.5, 11, 2 and 14. His total of 53.5 points for the series was the
highest of the Australian riders.
Sanders returned to Ipswich in 1974 for his third season with the Witches.
Ipswich continued its movement up the British League Championship ladder with a
third place finish and only one point behind the second placed team. The club
made the Final of the Knockout Cup where their opponent was Sheffield. Sheffield
won on aggregate 90-66.
Sanders rode in all 42 British League and Knockout Cup matches for Ipswich in
1974 scoring 396 points and 15 bonus points.
These results saw his average increase to a magnificent 9.34 which is just over
25% higher than his average for the previous year. Sanders' scores in those 42
matches included 8 full and 3 paid maxima. He finished second in the League and
Cup averages for Ipswich behind John Louis who posted the superb figure of
10.79.
With his continued improvement during the 1974 season, Sanders found himself
having some good results in individual meetings.
The prestigious British Final was staged at Coventry in 1974 and Sanders was in
the starting line-up. The winner was Eric Boocock with 13 points. Eighteen year
old Sanders finished joint 11th on the scorechart with Barry Briggs.They each
scored 6 points. This result shouldn't be quickly dismissed as what should be
examined is the standard of the opposition who finished in front of young
Sanders on the scorechart at this meeting. I'll name those ten riders in
finishing order:-
Eric Boocock, Terry Betts, Dave Jessup, John Boulger, Ivan Mauger, Nigel Boocock,
Jim McMillan, Peter Collins, John Louis and Ray Wilson. What class there is
there. !!
The running of the 1974 Golden Sovereign meeting at Ipswich resulted in Sanders
finishing second to Peter Collins. John Louis was third.
Sanders also recorded a third placing at the Champion of Champions meeting at
Wolverhampton behind Ole Olsen and Martin Ashby.
During the 1974/1975 Australian season, a Great Britain Test side toured for a
series of seven Tests. Billy Sanders rode in all seven Tests in the series which
was won by Australia five to two.In what was a very successful series for him
personally, Sanders registered the superb total of 84 points. His scores during
the series included one of 16, two of 15, one of 14 and one of 11. Sanders was
the second highest scorer for Australia in the series behind Phil Crump.
Sanders returned to Britain in 1975 for his fourth season with Ipswich. The 1975
Knockout Cup was a disaster for Ipswich as Belle Vue bundled the Witches out of
the competition in the first round.
After finishes of 6th., then 5th., and then 3rd. in their three seasons
contesting the British League, Ipswich beat Belle Vue by one point on the League
Table to take out the British League Championship of 1975.
Once again John Louis topped the averages for Ipswich registering just under
10.58 for League and Cup competition. Sanders finished second with a 9.58
season's average for his 36 League and Cup appearances.
Three individual meetings at Wolverhampton produced pleasing results for
Sanders. He won the Pride of the Midlands, finished second behind Ole Olsen in
the Olympique, and in the Festival of Speedway meeting finished third behind
Ivan Mauger and Malcolm Simmons.
In the Inter-Continental Final at Gothenburg in Sweden, Sanders finished with 4
points.
The Daily Mirror International Tournament staged during the 1975 season featured
teams from Australia, England, Sweden and The Rest of the World. Australia
finished second winning two of their three matches. Sanders rode in the three
matches scoring 6, 6 and 7.
A clash later in the season between England and a Rest of the World side saw
Sanders score 11 points for The Rest of the World in their 45-63 loss to
England.
1975 was a successful season for Sanders personally and for his Ipswich club.
A series of seven Tests took place in Australia during the 1975/1976 season
against the touring England side. England won the series six Tests to one.
Sanders rode in all but the First Test in Perth and returned scores of 2,
6,1,11,11, and 8 in the series.
The 1976 Australian Title was held at Liverpool Speedway in New South Wales on
February the 14th.
Visiting Dane Ole Olsen won the Title with a perfect 15 point score. Second, on
14 points, was Phil Crump. Billy Sanders recorded his second placing in an
Australian Title when he finished third with 13 points.
The next time I revisit Billy Sanders, I'll start with the historic 1976 Ipswich
season and will follow Sanders through his first appearances in Finals of World
Championship events.
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Ross would like to thank Lee Morris, Jan Grainger and Barry Forsyth for their
invaluable input. |
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Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Part 3 |
Part 4 |
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Part 5 |
Part 6 |
Part 7 |
Part 8 |
Thanks to
Ross Garrigan.
Brisbane.
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