PS. Hi Rob, how
are you and what are you up to these days?
RL.
I am fine, happily married (23years to a Stoke girl I met whilst riding
at Stoke) we have two boys, Daniel 17 and Matthew 15, we live in a
village called Easenhall near Rugby. I started my own business in 1988
as a furniture retailer, which I still have today.
www.robertjamesinteriors.co.uk
www.theonlinefurniturestore.co.uk
PS. 1981 Stoke
Potter what is your favourite memory?
RL.
Quite a few actually, it was great to ride for Stoke, A big moment was
going to the Wolves track in 81 to race against the old previous years
Stoke team, I remember going into a last heat decider with Mike Sampson
and we team rode for a 5 – 1, I think the Wolves pair were Neil Evitts
and Paul Stead, the Stoke fans went crazy. (I hope my memory serves me
right on this)?
Another was my one and only maximum later in that year at home against
Rye House, always a special goal.
I even remember playing a game of footy for Stoke Potters in a friendly
game, I think one of the Stoke City players was refereeing.
I could go on, because my career was short I remember quite a bit.
PS. How come you were’nt part of the
riding staff that moved to Wolves for the 81 season?
RL.
In 1980, my first year as a Speedway rider, I was signed by Leicester
then loaned
out to Stoke (this was because I was very ambitious and
thought I would be fast tracked into the British league when the time
arrived – not my best decision) so in 1981 when the Stoke team moved to
Wolves I was asked by John Dews to remain at Stoke, which I was more
than happy to do.
PS. What was your career highlight? U21
Canterbury?
PS. What do you recall of winning that
years Pride of the Potteries?
RL.
Not much, apart from my regular mechanic/helper not arriving making me
very late, someone I knew in the crowd had to help. I think the rest was
fairly smooth until the final corner of my final race, when my engine
cut out going into the turn only to start up again about 2 seconds
later.
PS. 1982 and you suffered your bad
accident, i seem to remember it was after the chequered flag at
Peterborough, what do you recall of it?
RL.
Many reasons contributed the accident that changed my life.
Because I was working full time, second halfing at Leicester and riding
for Stoke I was finding life very tiring, the same day as the accident I
was at hospital to have a stitch in
the end of one of my fingers (first
piece of bad luck- good start), then after work on the way to the
Peterborough meeting, I ran out of fuel in my car. At the track my bike
was under power and really hard and tiring to ride (my fault I wasn’t
prepared). In the race I made a good start and lead for about one lap, I
started to tire so looked for assistance from Arthur Browning who team
rode with me for about another lap, then I went wide and a Peterborough
rider went by and now I was third, I raced for the line to try and take
second at the chequered flag (not sure if I managed second) Arthur had
slowed down as he crossed the line in first place and I (now going
faster than Arthur) could not avoid running into the back of him just
before the turn, I went over the handle bars and hit the foot of the
fence head first.
Now for my luck to change, that night, a stand in track doctor was in
charge (he was a spine specialist) he saw the accident and recognised by
the way I had hit the fence that I had possibly injured my spine and
raced over to the scene and stopped the track staff removing my helmet,
this saved me from being paralysed as my neck was broken and the spinal
cord was not supported.
I went through a lot of bad situations over the next week or so mainly
because of a clot on the brain (yes I do have one) but glad to say it
all worked out well in the end.
The amount of letters and cards I received in hospital from Speedway
supporters mainly from Stoke was a massive boost and made me famous in
the hospital, if you are one of those who sent a letter, thank you very,
very much.
PS. All these years later
do you have any side affects from that injury?
RL.
The first few years I had migraines, due to the head injuries and I felt
protective
about my neck, but now no problems at all.
PS. You had a try out in
1983 at Leicester if i remember correctly, did you decide the risk was
too great to carry on?
RL.
I was planning to ride for Leicester in 1983 before the accident, after
the accident I very stupidly carried on with that plan, it was too much
for me trying to come back from the injury and stepping up to the
highest level in one go, I wish I had gone back to Stoke for maybe one
or two years. I was too ambitious, too impatient and very young and it
demoralised me and I finished racing very soon and sold all my stuff, I
have never
been on a bike since.
PS. Many people at the time
were tipping you as a future World Champion, what is your take on that?
RL.
How can I say, who knows, it was my target but there is so much more
needed to be
a World Champion than potential.
PS. Do you still follow the
sport?
RL.
I do find it hard to watch because of what happened but still look out
for the Potters results on teletext.
PS. Do you keep in touch
with any of your old team mates from your riding career?
RL.
No none, although I have seen David Blackburn twice in the last 20 years
(we second halved together at Leicester).
PS. Have you kept any
mementoes from your career?
RL.
Just a few cups, Junior Champ, Pride of Potteries and the supporters
trophy for 1981.
PS.
When was the last time you attended Loomer Rd?
RL.
Must be when i went back to the training school after the accident in
the winter of 1982/83.
PS. If things had’nt turned
out the way they did and with the closure of Leicester, your parent
club, what team would you have liked to have ridden for?
RL.
Sorry not sure. Coventry is local but Stoke was home.
PS. Any regrets from your
Speedway career?
RL.
Some, i wish I’d have lightened up a bit. I was very serious.
PS. Your Dad, Jim was a
rider for Coventry, how much influence did he have on you as a rider?
RL.He is the reason I did Speedway by starting me off in Grass-tracking
as a schoolboy,
but because of this he felt partly responsible for what
happened and found it hard to be fully behind me when I tried coming
back after the accident.
PS. You were recently
featured in a Potters 80th Anniversary magazine as a Loomer
legend, how do you feel about that?
RL.
I honestly do not feel I was in Speedway long enough to be in the list,
but I do feel honoured.
PS. Finally how much did
you sell your little Brown Morris Marina van for??!!
RL.I do remember that van, if you make me an offer I will consider it,
lol. (lol that’s from the kids)
