Hull Vikings - A team without a home - kept alive by its fans

FORMER Hull Vikings team manager Eric Boocock is hoping for a "cracking turn-out" at Garry Stead's fund-raising speedway meeting in Sheffield tonight (7.15pm).

Stead, 35, has been left in a wheelchair after sustaining multiple injuries in a life-threatening crash at Somerset.

Since then, fans around the country have rallied to raise money for stricken Stead, with Hull supporters raising £7,000 on one night alone.

Tonight's 20-race Grand Prix format meeting at Owlerton Stadium features riders from Stead's clubs, including fellow ex-Vikings treble winners Emiliano Sanchez and Joel Parsons.

Organisers are hoping for a bumper attendance and are praying for fine weather.

Stead won five trophies with the Vikings from 1999-2005, with Boocock the architect of the Premier League 2004 treble.

Boocock said: "Although never an out-and-out number one, Garry was a fantastic team-mate, but he didn't hog the limelight.

"He didn't suffer fools gladly, but if any youngsters needed help and advice he'd gladly assist.

"Mind you, if they took no notice he would drop them like a tonne of bricks saying you couldn't educate pork!

"If a team-mate had a problem with his bike Garry would be there, saying 'here take this, take that', so as a team-mate he was probably one of the best.

"He wasn't everyone's cup of tea because of his gruff image, but underneath he was really soft.

"Sadly, it's sometimes the great blokes who seem to get hurt badly."

Boocock admits his relationship with Stead wasn't always plain sailing.

There were plenty of times on meeting nights when tempers frayed between the two plain-speaking Yorkshiremen.

"We had a lot of laughs and arguments, but he never, never bore a grudge and that's the good thing" added Boocock.

"He'd ring up the following day and the first thing he'd say in a gruff voice was 'hello mister'.

"That's the first thing he said when I visited him in hospital after his accident 'hello mister'.

"So I said 'before you go any further, I've just paid £2 for parking, when you get out of hospital I want it back'.

"He just laughed and said 'I'll make a note of it'."

Owlerton line-up: Gary Havelock, Freddie Lindgren, Simon Stead, Andre Compton, George Stancl, Jason Lyons, Ricky Ashworth, Tai Woffinden, Lee Complin, Steve Johnston, Joel Parsons, Rusty Harrison, Chris Kerr, Emiliano Sanchez, Magnus Zetterstrom

Hull Daily Mail