Those early BLRC meetings truly were magnificent occasions.
I saw four of them '68 to '71 and can honestly say that no other speedway meetings out of the hundreds I have seen ever made such an impression.
It wasn't just the racing, it was the whole Belle Vue experience, mainly the funfair before and after.
I was a Halifax fan and in '68, Eric Boocock almost won. Very exciting!
The unique nature of the formula, one rider from each club guaranteeing all teams were represented, may have been frustrating for those with higher averages, but the nature of that formula meant that we saw fans from every single club on the terraces and the capacity crowds are testimony to the huge success of the event.
Maybe you could see an assortment of fans at World Finals and now GP's, but the BLCR was a domestic event and that made it different and a bit special.
For most of us it was also the final meeting of the season and so represented a farewell to speedway until the following year.
I don't have a clear memory as to why I didn't go to any more BLRC's but I was 17/18, it was on a Saturday night, and other interests were tugging away at my loyalties.
Nevertheless, speedway memories don't get any more magical than the BLRC!