Riders to Remember....Ronnie Moore
By Dudley Jones

Ronnie Moore

It seems a long time now but I can still see, in my mind's eye, Ronnie in action in a world final at Wembley.

Most will know that Ronnie was twice world champion, those who saw him probably feel that he could have had many more championships, if he had wanted to enough. A strange thing to say perhaps, but here was a supremely talented rider.

Ronnie came over from New Zealand in 1950, and sought a trial at Wimbledon (he was actually Australian borne but had migrated to New Zealand).

That Ronnie was possibly the greatest 'natural' rider ever can be deduced from his start in Britain, in 1950, at age 17.

Ronnie scored a reserves maximum in his second team appearance for Wimbledon and by the beginning of May he was a fully-fledged team member. Picked to ride for Australia he was an international by July, qualified for his first world final and scored seven points in his last three rides to finish eighth.

Ronnie went on to win twice and was one of the 'big four' who dominated the podium for a decade.

Ronnie only ever raced for Wimbledon and he was a team man through and through. It is said that he cared far more about his team winning than individual glory, and that the world championship didn't mean very much to him.

I first saw Ronnie in 1962, at Norwich, in the days when an elite few were handicapped in every race. Ronnie, Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs, Peter Craven and Bjorn Knutssen were the super stars who started behind everyone else.

Matches between Norwich and Wimbledon tended to be hard affairs, grudge matches. There was always tension, which sometimes spilled over. Above all this, and despite my unconditional support for the Stars, I could not help appreciate and admire this superb rider. Ronnie was magic on a bike.

Sadly, Ronnie broke his leg in 1963 (but not before lifting the Malcolm Flood Memorial Trophy at Norwich). With that, and at the age of only thirty, he retired home to New Zealand, where he rode wall of death while recovering from his injury.

Years passed without Ronnie, but we could read reports of this natural star down under. Ronnie was persuaded to fly up to North Island during their summer, where he would borrow a bike and leathers and participate in match races with Ivan Mauger, and this was when Ivan was at the height of his powers. That this man, match rusty to say the least, could put on a genuine show, on borrowed equipment, against a world champion like Mauger says it all, here was a legend.

One of the high spots of 1969 was that Ronnie was persuaded to come back to Wimbledon. By then Norwich was closed, I had moved to Essex and found a new love in Rayleigh Rockets in Division 2 of the British League. Therefore I did not see Ronnie ride often.

Ronnie started where he had left off six years earlier. 1950, Ronnie's novice year, was the only year in his British career when he failed to average 9 points (or nearly so, 8.96 in 1962). In his 'twilight years' in the UK Ronnie's averages 1969 - 1972 read 9.59,9.83,10.19 and finally 11.82 - what a man.

I can still see Ronnie at Wembley, in red and gold leathers (black had just gone out but there were no advertisements). He suffered in those last finals from a mix of injury and the rapid ascendancy of Jawas over his Jap, but the skill still shone through. His mastery of a bike was such that he could switch from outside to inside, or vice versa, in an instant when hunting down an adversary, and often the rider in front had no idea where he was. I have never seen the like of it.

Ronnie Moore, probably the greatest natural talent ever, and up there with the handful who can lay claim to being the greatest of them all. I consider it a privilege to have seen Ronnie Moore ride.

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Denis Pook:

"I remember going to Wimbledon with my dad about 1957 - watching Ronnie Moore come out in red and Ron How in blue and taking on Ove Fundin from Norwich our big rivals- what memories - blaze away playing. I still think Ronnie was the best rider ever, he lit up the place (Pete Collins comes a close second - seeing Peter make a bad gate and then complete an amazing pass to win the race). I still get the goose bumps when I hear the bikes warming up and the smell as you get to a meeting. I also miss the yellow & black helmet covers - but that's progress and a small price to pay. If only we could get back some of the big attendances we used to get!! Now looking forward to the new season & getting just as excited over 50 years later - only having to travel from Wales to Eastbourne now !!!!!"  

 

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