Gary Havelock farewell meeting: Down came the rain but out came the stars for our Havvy

The Gary Havelock farewell meeting at Poole was watched by a packed stadium who enjoyed a star-studded event

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RichardCrease/BNPS

Gary Havelock farewell meeting at Poole

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The rain came lashing down for Tees speedway legend Gary Havelock’s big night - but the stars came out too and the meeting was a roaring success.

And as Eaglescliffe-born Havvy looked back on his grand farewell meeting at Poole - where he remained a club asset during his six years as Redcar Bears captain - he could barely believe the twists and turns he had to endure before getting to that stage.

He’d already seen off a date clash with the prestige Elite Riders’ Championship - ironically called off on its new slot two days later because of an unfit track - and a packed stadium was enjoying a star-studded meeting when down belted the rain. Lots of it.

With the riders for heat seven sent back to the pits, fans ran for cover as a torrential downpour soaked the heavily populated Wimborne Road stadium and heavy gusts of wind blew advertising hoardings across the centre green. Surely it wasn’t going to end this way!

But Havvy, who was crowned world champion in 1992, and captained England with distinction, became accustomed to winning tough battles in his 27-year riding career and he wasn’t going to lose this one either.

The riders, including former world champions Greg Hancock and Chris Holder, fellow Grand Prix stars Darcy Ward, Antonio Lindback, Chris Harris and Freddie Lindgren, were all determined to go back out on the track once the rain had abated to do it for Havvy.

The record books will show that Mark Loram’s Legends beat Tony Rickardsson’s Raiders 43-41 in a closely-contested main team event, with Pirates star Ward spectacularly diving inside to beat Vaclav Milik in the second half final to pick up the first prize of a Vega Racing GM engine worth £2,400.

But - and okay this is corny - there was only one winner and that was Havvy.

“It’s really difficult to describe a night like that,” said Marton-based Havvy, whose meeting attracted a large contingent of fans who had travelled down from Teesside.

“I’d been pretty down all week even until about 4pm when I got to the stadium and then it was just bedlam.

“It was a proper rollercoaster of emotions - all the boys turning out for me, then the rain came.

“We were thinking it might be called off but not one of them moaned, they all said ‘yeah let’s get on with it’ and it’s amazing really.

“Just about everyone in the world who I know and who I care about was there and that made it really special.

“They travelled from all over the country and it’s magic.”

Havvy - a Poole rider for five years - was also delighted to see current Pirates favourite Ward win the final in a fashion reminiscent of his own heyday, and was given a croggie around the track by the Aussie ace after the presentations.

“It was the old Havvy line,” he said, “front wheel on the grass on turns one and two!”