Scotland loses Robbie Allan
By TMX Archives on 21st Aug 13
SCOTTISH motorcycle sport lost one of its greatest ambassadors and inspirations last week (Wednesday, August 14) when SACU President Robbie Allan passed away after losing his battle with lung cancer.
Robbie (72), from Garlogie, in Aberdeenshire, was involved with motorsport from a very young age going onto ride just about every discipline from trials, scrambles, enduros, to racing at the Isle of Man TT both modern and classic classes and was the oldest competitor in the Dakar Rally at the sprightly age of 65 in 2006.
He is well known, along with wife Margaret, for promoting the Scottish Motorcycle Show, which they ran for 25 years in both Glasgow and at the Ingliston Show Ground, near Edinburgh.
Organising events came early to Robbie as during the early 1960s he discovered that there were no Scottish Scrambles Championship rounds north of Perth, and the only way he could change that was to become part of the SACU and get a round in the north organised – which he did.
From organising Scottish scrambles and trials events thereafter, the driving force that was Robbie, found a perfect arena for a big event near his then home in Argyll – Kilmartin.
In 1974 and 1975 he and his Mid Argyll MC, along with a £200 donation from a local dignitary, organised rounds of the Scottish Motocross Championship before bringing the UK's best riders, including his brother, four-time British Motocross Champion Vic Allan MBE, to Scotland to British championship rounds in 1976 and '77.
These were the precursors to what has gone down in Scottish motocross folklore – the World 250cc Motocross Championship round on June 18, 1978 at Kilmartin.
Never before, or since, has Scotland held a world motocross event and Robbie did it all for £13,500.
Since then his love and passion for motorcycling has been an inspiration.
So much so his son Robbie Jnr won Scottish trials and motocross titles through help from his dad.
One of Robbie's biggest regrets is not finishing the Dakar Rally.
In 2006 he became the oldest competitor to enter and was actually running along quite nicely, including doing daily interviews with the world's press, who caught on to his age and skill.
But a mechanical issue stopped him in his tracks, unbeknown to him only a few kilometres from a main road, which would have helped him finish the stage and undoubtedly finish the event.
A year later, he was refused an entry by the organisers, which upset him and many others.
But he became manager of a strong Scottish team before being dismayed when the event was cancelled due to the unstable situation in West Africa which ultimately saw the event moved to South America.
Robbie has been and done everything in motorcycle sport, spectator, competitor, organiser, promoter, committeeman (reigning SACU President) and fremained a huge enthusiast.
He will be a very difficult man to replace and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Robbie's funeral took place at his Off-Road Centre at Tinto Park, near Glasgow, on Monday, where over 200 people paid tribute, before his body was taken for burial in Kintore, Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, in a motorcycle sidecar hearse.
Our thoughts go to his wife Margaret and children Robbie, Olive and Jennifer and his grandchildren.
