Bert Harkins

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Bert Harkins
Bert Harkins WSRA 260217.jpg
Born (1940-04-15) 15 April 1940 (age 84)
Govan, Glasgow, Scotland
NicknameHaggis, Bertola
NationalityBritish (Scottish)
Career history
1962-1966, 1977, 1978-79 Edinburgh Monarchs
1968-1969 Coatbridge Monarchs
1970-1971 Wembley Lions
1972 Sheffield Tigers
1973-1975, 1979 Wimbledon Dons
1977 Wolverhampton Wolves
1980 Milton Keynes Knights
Individual honours
1968 Victorian State title
1977 Scottish Open Champion
1978South African Champion
Team honours
1974 London Cup Winner

Robert Pearson Harkins (born 15 April 1940) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Scotland. [1] [2]

Contents

Biography

His father was a fireman and he was born in the Govan Fire Station in 1940. Harkins was initially a star of cycle speedway who represented Scotland and reached two World Finals. [3] [4] He competed on motorcycles in road racing and first rode a speedway bike in 1961. [3] While working as a lawnmower mechanic for the Glasgow Parks Department he began his speedway career in the early 1960s, and represented Scotland against England in 1964, going on to represent Scotland several times both at home and around the world until 1973. [3]

He began his career with Edinburgh Monarchs in 1963, riding for the team until 1969, after they had relocated to Coatbridge. [5] In 1968, he travelled to Australia where he won the Victorian Individual Speedway Championship. [4]

In 1970, he signed for Wembley Lions where he spent two seasons, captaining the team after Ove Fundin retired, before moving on to Sheffield Tigers and then Wimbledon Dons, where he rode for three seasons and won the London Cup with them in 1974. [6] He rode in the United States in 1976 with the Bakersfield Bandits. [5] In 1977, he returned to British League action with Edinburgh, [7] staying until the end of the 1979 season. [3] His final season in British speedway was 1980, riding for Milton Keynes Knights.

Harkins was a reserve in the 1971 British final, scoring two points. [3] He finished fifth (with Jim McMillan) in the 1970 World Pairs Final. [3]

A familiar figure in his glasses and tartan hat, Harkins was nicknamed 'Haggis' and also 'Bertola' (after a brand of Sherry sold in Scotland). [8] Harkins was also known to take his pre-meeting parade lap (on his bike) while wearing his tartan hat and kilt.

In 1977, Harkins won the Scottish Open Championship in Blantyre.

After speedway he concentrated on his motorcycle spares and accessories business, Bert Harkins Racing, and later managed the Scotland national team. [5] In 2008 he became President of the World Speedway Riders Association, taking over the position from Ivan Mauger. [4]

Bert Harkins OW Bneg 10 Bert Harkins.jpg
Bert Harkins

World Final appearances

World Pairs Championship

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References

  1. ↑ Lawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. ISBN   978-0-244-72538-9
  2. ↑ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, ISBN   0-904584-04-6, p. 202-3
  4. 1 2 3 "Scots speedway sensation takes his seat at sport's top table", Glasgow Herald , 29 February 2008, retrieved 2012-03-15
  5. 1 2 3 "Bert Harkins Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine ", edinburghmonarchs.co, retrieved 2012-03-15
  6. ↑ "1974 fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Reading ready to topple champions" . Reading Evening Post. 2 April 1977. Retrieved 26 August 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Bert Harkins Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine ", World Speedway Riders Association, retrieved 2012-03-15
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