Dream Team : Marie Hitchin

Bradford fan Marie Hitchin picks her dream team.

Gary Havelock
Led the Bradford side brilliantly for many years and scored an incredible amount of points. His World Championship success in 1992 was celebrated throughout the city. Havvy was, and remains, Mr Bradford Speedway.

Kenny Carter
I didn't see him race often but he made an immediate impression. He put so much into his racing and had an incredible amount of talent. His tragic death cast a shadow over Odsal that took several years to lift.

Joe Screen
The most entertaining rider in Speedway. We couldn't believe our luck when he quit Belle Vue and moved to Odsal. He never gave up in any race and could beat the best riders in the world from the back. I hope that he can follow Mark Loram (who narrowly missed out on a place in my side) onto World Championship success.

Lance King
The only non-Englishman in my team. Lance brought a bit of American razzamataz to Odsal and became a big favourite with the supporters. He was a good looking boy and could race a bike as well as anyone. He was rumoured to be making a comeback a few years ago but nothing seemed to come of it.

Simon Wigg
Another rider who was taken from us at a tragically early age. Wiggy always had a smile for everyone and nothing seemed to get him down for long. His easy going personality was a nice contrast to Havvy's more serious outlook on life. His machinery always had a 'space age' look as he added some aerodynamic features to gain those precious seconds.

Sean Wilson
His tenacious racing typified the Yorkshire spirit. He took some nasty knocks through the years but his enthusiasm never waned. Sean was a real character who seemed to know everybody around the stadium. It's great to see him doing so well for Sheffield.

Paul Thorp
'Thorpy' was the ultimate team man. He never established himself as a top liner but rarely let the side down. Paul is possibly the most laid back guy to ever ride a motorcycle, he even looks like he's half asleep. I travel across to Hull occasionally and still enjoy watching him.

This article was first published prior to October 2002