One of the great names of the Workington Comets has died at the age of 85 in his native Australia.
Bob Valentine was the original Mr Excitement at Derwent Park when the Comets launched in 1970.
He was riding for the first time in Britain when Ian Thomas and Jeff Brownhut brought him to Workington, through Sheffield who had taken a punt on him after hearing of his potential.
Amazingly that was only after a season on a speedway bike in Australia, taking up the sport at the age of 29.
Derwent Park, with its broad and sweeping banked bends, proved perfect for his style of racing and made him the supporters big favourite.
Hugging the boards on his trademark surge produced some breath-taking and heart-stopping moments for the Comets faithful.
Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Bob was the first Comets hero to emerge from Derwent Park, although he only rode for Workington for one season, 1970.
Prior to trying speedway at his local Newcastle track, Bob was a motor cycle mechanic who, for 12 years, rode in short-circuit events (similar to speedway but with totally different machinery) in his native State.
He became State Champion in that discipline, in addition to winning two NSW State titles as the passenger in a speedway sidecar outfit.
Bob decided to come to Britain in 1970 and, through his friendship with Sheffield star Jim Airey, linked up with the Tigers.
It was while riding for Sheffield’s junior side, in the Comets second-ever home meeting, that he caught the eye of Ian Thomas who signed him on loan for the rest of the season.
After a few weeks he soon found the fastest way around Derwent Park, ending the season as the track record holder with a 9.37 average and also representing the Comets in the Division Two Riders Championship, finishing seventh with 9 points.
In 1971 Bob stepped up into Division One with Sheffield, where he rode for four years, increasing his average every season.
The 1973 season saw him achieve a 9.30 average and claim the runners-up position in the British Final, held on his home track.
In 1974 Bob’s average rose to 9.92, as he scored nearly 400 league and cup points for the Tigers in what was his best ever season in the sport. During this period he was of course capped many times for Australia in Test matches, both here and in Australia.
Bob made two return visits to Workington in 1974, firstly to compete in a match race series against his former Comets team mate Reg Wilson, which Bob won 2-1, then as part of the Sheffield quartet in an Inter-League Four Team Tournament.
The 1975 season saw Bob move on to Coventry, where his average dropped to 8.66 and then the following year he moved on to newly promoted Birmingham.
However, a broken ankle sustained in a hang-gliding accident in Australia caused him to miss the first three months of the season.
When he returned, he was still not fully fit and it took him until the end of the season to regain anything like his true form, causing his average to fall to a lowly 4.72.
The 1977 season was Bob’s final British campaign, which he spent with Cradley Heath, recording his only paid maximum of the season in the final British League match of his career and achieving a 6.50 average.
At the end of the season Bob returned to Australia, taking up his original trade as a mechanic, and did not return to Britain.
In Australia Bob also worked in construction and with the New South Wales railway.
He lived in Edgeworth, just outside his native Newcastle, with his English-born wife. They had two children and he only occasionally visited speedway in his later years.
