1998 - All Titles Go To Foxhall
With the signing of Tomasz Gollob to add to Tony Rickardsson, Chris Louis, Scott Nicholls, Toni Svab and Savalas Clouting Ipswich had all the makings of a championship side at the start of 1998. A change of team manager saw Mike Smilie replace Brian Messenger.
A new club record was set of 17 straight wins. They went all season unbeaten at home in the league and then won ten and drew one of their sixteen away meetings. They also collected all sixteen bonus points available. Ipswich were crowned League Champions at the start of September.
The Knock Out Cup was won in October, the final being raced against Coventry, without losing a single meeting in the competition.
On 1st November (re-staged due to an earlier rain-off) the Witches travelled to Brandon for the second leg of the Craven Shield, having won the first leg at Foxhall: 59-31. Coventry fought back but depite winning on the night they failed to stop Ipswich taking their third title of the season.
Ipswich team members also achieved several individual honours that year; Tony Rickardsson won the World Championship (Gollob finished 3rd and Louis finished 5th), Chris Louis won the British Championship and Scott Nicholls won the British Under-21 Championship.
Bruce Wade - submitted 31st May, 2009
John Louis Should Be Knighted.
Ipswich Football Club has always been at the forefront of sport in the town and has over the years managed to have not only some great players, but two great managers as well, namely Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson who were quite rightly both given a knighthood.
Unfortunately, although also having some great teams over the years, Ipswich Speedway has always had to play 'second fiddle' to the football team.
Fortunately our speedway club over the past 40 years, except for short spells riding for other clubs, has always had John Louis to call upon both as a rider and promoter.
Surely the time has now come to give John some sort of recognition in the next 'Honours' lists for his amazing contribution to speedway, not just locally here in Ipswich but all over Europe.
Keep up the good work John and who knows, one day we might see a statue of you outside Foxhall Stadium, just like Sir Alf's and Sir Bobby's at Portman Road.
Bryn Williams - submitted 3rd August, 2009
I had a great time working alongside John at Waterden Road in 1988 with a lot of laughs along the way when the all-conquering HL1 Kestrels did the double. What a team that was and, of course, one member of it was Chris Louis and another, Mark Loram!
JL didn't think Chris was ready for league racing at our pre-season practice sessions, the rest of us in 'the management' told him he was and that he was in the side!
Yes it was a great year with so many happy memories, although I still can't recall JL ever buying me a beer and we certainly celebrated in style both before this picture was taken by taking to look somewhat dapper, and most certainly after when the drinks flowed!
Cheers, Bryn Williams
Picture details: Back row - the 1988 Hackney HL1 Kestrels themselves (well six of 'em as there was no way the Hackney legend that was Barry Thomas would ever dress this way!): Chris Louis, Andy Galvin, Gary Rolls, Paul Whittaker, Mark Loram (yes it IS him!) and the one and only Moggo! Front row - "The Management!" A youthful looking Welshman, the great man JL himself, Dave Pavitt (with hair!), Mike Western (without it but with silly moustache!) and George Rolls.
