DAVE Lanning has labelled former Pirates star Ross Gilbertson one of their greatest riders of all time.

Gilbertson, who lived in a care home in Poole, died aged 76 on Sunday after being in ill health for some time.

Born in Ayton, near Eyemouth, Gilbertson was nicknamed ‘The Flying Scotsman’ by fans of the Dorset club when he was a kingpin of Wimborne Road from 1960 to 1965.

Lilliput-based Lanning, the voice of speedway on ITV in the 70s and 80s, said: “It would be fair to put Ross alongside the legends of Poole speedway.

“He was worthy of being called one of their greatest riders over the last 60 years.

“Ross ranks alongside the Middleditchs and Rickardssons.

“He was the idol of his time in the early days of the Swinging Sixties and of The Beatles.

“Ross was as big a star as Paul McCartney was round here.”

Gilbertson scored 1,707 points in 196 matches for Poole that places him in their top 20 all-time top scorers’ list.

Lanning, 70, who now commentates on darts for Sky, added: “Ross was an outstanding rider at his level.

“He never really got to World Championship standard, but he was a very good pro, he worked very hard.

“Ross took two or three years to break through before he joined Poole. But he blossomed very quickly with Pirates and was the star man in that side when they dominated the Provincial League.

“He was very good at that level for quite a few years before he went on to Romford and Canterbury and ended up with me at Eastbourne.

“Ross was terrific. He was the blue-eyed boy at Poole for three or four years.

“He was very good technically and temper wise, a very good rider. I always remember Ross representing Poole at Belle Vue in the 1963 Provincial League Riders’ Championship in front of 15,000 to 20,000.

“He led the legendary Ivan Mauger, who went on to win six world titles, for almost two laps in the final. It was a terrific race although Ross got pushed back to third in the end behind Jack Kitchen as well.

“He was pretty much at his peak in those days.

“Ross tied for third in the heats with four other riders and there was a row about who would go directly into the final.

“The officials wanted them separated by race wins or race times, so Ross led a riders’ strike and they sat on the track for quarter-of-an-hour.

“In the end, there were run-offs and Ross qualified for the final that way.”

Gilbertson won two Provincial League titles with Poole and averaged 10.56 for the club in 1961.

Only Malcolm Simmons (10.77 in 1978) and Tony Rickardsson (10.94 in 2002 and 10.89 in 2004) have bettered that figure.

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