Speedway - Briggo's crash in 1972

[boonboy1]

can remember watching on the telly with me Dad

[Wilfslad]

400 quid's worth! What do they run to these days pray tell?

[jellyadult]

really stupid ambulancemen here. , why carry him 8foot or so just to be put down on the infield , did they not think about back injuries in those days

[jellyadult]

his index finger got chopped off in this race,,

in my opinion it was hard riding , but persson shud of been excluded for causing the race to be stopped !

it was just really unfortunate that briggo got hurt , persson didnt mean to injure him in that way .

it was a world final riders will go that extra bit to win

[TheWhitehall]

@jellyadult Hard riding is all part of speedway. Briggo did his fair share of that. But,taking a fellow facer "out" in this fashion was very dangerous and totally unsporting. Briggs was hit not only by Persson but the other two guys were too close to miss him, could have killed! The index finger was surgically removed a couple of days after the final, his third finger came very close to being removed as well. Briggo raced on for a few more years,but was never quite the same after this incident.

[arklat]

If you really look at the vid, Persson had every right to be on the inside. Briggs had moved out, and Persson was carrying more speed, and stopping or slowing down is not really an option in racing, especially in a championship event. I'm not a fan of Perrson, and I did like Briggs, but if we as fans want lead changing, and close racing, crashes will occur. It is also dangerous to crash at over 50 mph, especially with a motorcycle flying around. Rider safety is important, but I like close racing

[TheWhitehall]

I agree with you that Persson had every right to charge along on the inside, but he did drift off of the racing line and clipped Briggs` front wheel. He [Persson] almost took out a Russian racer later in the meeting with a similar move. Briggs who was a hard but fair rider reckons that Persson rode into him....and that the move was "Uncalled For". Quote from " Champion Briggs" profile dvd. Great racers back then.

[TheWhitehall]

I would have chucked a stone or two myself. Barry was in with a great chance of a fifth World Title. Although he rode on for a few more years, Briggo was never the same. Wembley `72 was to be his swan song, it ended on a bad note,thanks to Persson`s sly tactics.

[conkareno]

i remember when personn came to swindon later that year, many of the swindon fans threw stones at, him, including me, we wont ever forgive him fof ending briggos carreer

[TheWhitehall]

Fate played an important roll on this night in 1972. Both Briggo and Olsen beat eventual Champion Ivan Mauger. It could have been a Briggo/Ole show down.Persson should have been slung out of the meeting for dangerous riding.

[laurenbudd01]

this is also 1 of da most dangerous sports.

i rememba this guy from OXFORD CHEETAHS nearly died in hospital after a crash.

thank god hes alive now.

[laurenbudd01]

i go 2 essex 2 watch LAKESIDE HAMMERS!

briggo's my dads hero! he seys he remembas him from wen he was young! wen im older dad, im gonna take u 2 evry sppedway match we race.

[sjc14031974]

In my mind Bernt Persson should have been excluded for causing that melee

[whozat]

Ewan: As long as it's not one from 1963 where the GREAT Peter Craven started off a 30yd handicap behind him

[ewantodd]

ace , anybody got a video with george hunter in it???

[tabatha1725]

i was there when that happened,got steve mcqueen`s autograph while he was in the pits,

[EssexBoy696969]

Incidents such as this would keep mamby pamby football players out of action for 6 months!

[tony707s]

great rider,great man and great ambassador for speedway and new zealand...nasty crash ,he lost his index finger..very brave rider

[aiddy0]

Fantastic, keep them coming they're a joy to watch.