FLASHBACK JACK GALLOWAY
1967: He purchased a Triumph Tiger Cub from Comerfords and soon became friendly with that well-known wizard of motorcycle fettling, the great Reg May.
On the day he raced around with his mate ‘Black’ Simpson, never once looking at sections, but on studying the results, he knew he could achieve more. Come his second attempt he studied every section, watched other riders and learnt, finishing with a 2nd class award as a certain Ray Sayer took the Premier award that day. Jack managed to ride for about a season and a half, and, surprisingly at such a young age and with little experience support, arrived from local Greeves stockists Scott and Wallace of Guisborough, helping him to ride his first SSDT. Sadly it was no fairy tale debut, retiring the first day when the Gudgeon pin circlip on the piston tried to find space down the side of the piston and the Greeves seized-up solid. Sammy Miller went on to win that year, with Jack returning home miserable and hard up, and he decided to retire from trials.
Parachute Regiment
Joining the army and passing the tough selection process for the Parachute Regiment was no mean feat in itself. Jack thought the high adrenalin life of a ‘Para’ would replace the ‘Buzz’ he so desired from riding motorcycles, and it did. He recalls: “I was all geared up and ready to make my first jump when I suddenly thought ‘what the Hell am I doing up here!” It was to be the first of more than fifty drops he made. He then met the love of his life, the lovely Pauline, and they married in 1967, and they still are happily married to the present day. While in the army he and Pauline spectated at a local trials event and sure enough the ‘bug’ bit him once more. With Pauline urging him to ride again. Riders of today please
Sticking with Comerfords and a change to Bultaco saw Jack hit a purple patch with some great results, but the money shortage almost finished him again.
note: he purchased a Triumph Tiger Cub from Comerford’s, soon becoming friendly with that well-known wizard of motorcycle fettling, the great Reg May. So began his second stint at trials at the age of twenty-one. Comerford’s had a couple of teams on the go at this time including the late Martin Lampkin, Malcolm Rathmell and Alan ‘Sid’ Lampkin in the top team. Geoff Chandler, Paul Dunkley and Jack would be the ‘B’ team. Jack rode the Triumph to many fine wins even though reliability was a bit of an issue. Sticking with Comerford’s and a change to Bultaco saw Jack hit a purple patch with some great results, but the money shortage almost finished him again. It was only a splendid runner-up berth in the national Hoad Trial that lifted him and kept the string of good results going. Jack was unfortunate in one respect like so many great riders of that era, emerging at a time when Sammy Miller was almost invincible. But Jack’s results, noted by the army, picked him to ride for the army team in the ISDE of 1969 on a BSA B40, unfortunately breaking down on the final day to almost certainly rob him of a medal. The following story Jack insists has no bearing on him leaving the armed forces. On being chosen to ride for the army against the Swedes and winning, on one particular night of celebration, Jack relates: “The Swedes had supplied us with new 250cc Husqvarna Enduro machines and showing off, I suppose, I did a wheelie across the parade ground. The outcome was that I overcooked it, stepped off the back and stuffed the new motorcycle into the side of one of their huts. That was the first short-wheel-based Husky in existence.”
CLASSIC TRIAL MAGAZINE 2018 • ISSUE 24
1971: An early Saracen outing at the Colmore Cup.
1971: Team Saracen at the Scottish Six Days Trial: Left to Right: Steve Wilson, Ron Goodfellow, Jack Galloway and Jon Bliss. Saracen was owned by Ron Goodfellow.
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