IT HAPPENED THIS WEEK….1995

1995 was the year of that world speedway took on a different complexion with the introduction of a GP Championship to determine the world's best rider. And it all began this very week, on 20th May 1995, to be precise with the first ever Grand Prix round being staged in Wroclaw, Poland.

Whilst Poole had no direct representative in the championships the Wroclaw line-up included eight riders who either had, or were to gain, experience as a  Pirate.

Craig Boyce (a Pirate in 1988-90, 92-94, 96-98, 2003, 2006-07), Marvyn Cox (1991, 1992, 1997 & 1998), Sam Ermolenko (1983-84), Henrik Gustafsson (2002), Greg Hancock (2013), Gary Havelock (1998-2002, 2010-11), Mark Loram  (1999-2000) and Tony Rickardsson (2001-04) were alphabetically the octet that appeared in that first ever GP and it was Mark Loram who finished the highest on GP opening night, reaching the Grand final where he finished fourth to rostrum occupants Tomasz Gollob (1st), Hans Nielsen (2nd) and Chris Louis (3rd).

Of those eight, at the time, Craig Boyce probably had the biggest following amongst Poole fans despite it being the year he had left the Pirates to ride for Wiltshire neighbours Swindon. Fresh from finishing third in the world at the last ever one-off World Final -losing out on the gold in a three man run-off to Tony Rickardsson and Hans Nielsen - Boyce scored five points for a first round GP yield of 11 points, as series points in the early years of the new competition were based on 20 points for the winner, and then 18 for second, 17 for third, 16 for fourth, 15 for fifth and so on through to one point for 18th.

In Wroclaw, 24 years ago Chris Louis won the first ever GP race and Gollob became the first GP winner but arguably the 1995 series, eventually won by Hans Nielsen,  will always be remembered for one particlular incident at London on September 30th in the British GP.

That was the night Craig Boyce had a run-in with Pole Tomasz Gollob during the C final. The Australian had cleanly passed the Pole to take up the running when, Gollob's retaliatory move looked full of intent as he came under Boyce pushing him into the fence.

Red mist rose from Boyce's muddied goggles and he went, on foot, in search of Gollob and landed a punch that floored the East European and left Boyce facing a 1,500 Swiss Francs fine  and the threat of facing a lengthy ban. However, because of Gollob's riding tactics in those early days inciting many a GP rider, the rest of the riders rallied together and threatened a boycott of the competition if any punishment was dealt out by the FIM.

The 2019 GP began on Saturday (May 18th  )with Poland again hosting the first round, although this year it was the capital city Warsaw that had the rights. Since it all began back in 1995 there have been 226 rounds ridden, producing 39 different round winners and thus far 11 different world champions.