Team Man

I certainly have no knowledge of metal plates on the starting grid, the only fair starting I can recall is the concrete slab on the start line, not only was it a concrete slab but the bikes started on the middle of there grid in a narrow marked out area. Starts were very fair then, the problem arose at the edge of the concrete it was difficult not to get an step between shale and concrete.

Hi Chris Enjoyed the pics on the MK site, Well done ! Brought back a few memories, particularly Brett and Craig.

Canterbury has memories for me...... first I spent a good part of my army service there, but there was no speedway there then, spent a lot of time in a cafe called "The Singing Kettle" just opposite the Barrack gates.but I did go back there to the track in the early 80's with the Milton Keynes Knights as mechanic,I remember Johnny Hoskins coming round to the pits to welcome us. And one big bath for the whole team to jump into after the match.

E-mail is Thordell@aol.com I thought I had put it on my profile,will have to look into it

Most of the rooms are a bit cramped that I have seen at the SCB in wood st, to fit all the promoters in takes a big conference room, also it takes place over several days, accommodation is not cheap in that area

We did meet then, were you on table 12.

I feel at a dissadvantage !!!!!!, was at the lunch myself yesterday but not knowing you I could not make myself known to you, maybe our paths will cross again sometime, maybe at the VSRA dinner in March!!!!!!! Had a brilliant day yesterday

I'll be there as usual.

I think this is a very profound statement..... If football wasn't a team sport I don't think it would have a 1/4 of the following.... LOL.

Seem to remember Trevor Banks riding a Uni-cycle at Milton Keynes.

It used to be in the rule book, "when a Team is 6 points behind they had the choice of gate positions", since fixed gate positions came in, that rule went out, some of the older rules were OK.

Well said Norbold!!!!!, I think that statment is good sense for most clubs, I don't think Somerset are as well off as they used to be, its a very big step..., I think let the Conference League gradually progress into a true third division ......... OR.... Second division and Premier first division. Since 1998 Conference has built up by umpteen teams, Elite have put on none...You can see where the growth is in Speedway.

Welcome "Covboy" Like "Lioness" says you will find Speedway supporters very easy to get on with, and will fall over backwards to help a newcomer. As regards the "Pride of The East" I believe it goes back to the mid 60's!!!!!!, does anyone know if it was a carry over from the "Norwich Stars".

Hi "Smiggs" What is topsy turvy is that a Conference League Promoter cannot own riders, he can find a young promising rider,bring him on untill he's doing well,he turns 16, the PL can then use him in matches,and the Conference Promoter gets nothing for the use of that rider,he's at risk of injury whilst in the PL, and then can't ride for the conference promoter. Indeed at 16 the Rider can be signed by a PL/EL team and the CL Promoter gets nothing!!!!!! I'm talking of course about stand alone Conference Teams, and its because of these teams that the sport is growing. As for Lottery funding, it has been applied for in some cases, but you mentioned Rowing in particular, you only have to look at the people in that sport and others like it, and then look at the the people dealing with Lottery Funding and there you have the answer!!!!!!

When I lived in Leighton Buzzard there was a lot of dissused sand pits , and tried to get the owners interested in using it for a speedway track,the owners would just shrug it off saying they would probably reopen the seam in the future,but you are right, they are the right venue being bowl shape, this is exactly what we produced at Elfield Park (Milton Keynes) when we finnished building the banks of earth up. It makes woderfull viewing for the public, nobodys feet are below the top of the safety fence.

I always wondered why he chose that name, its taken me all these years to find that out...........Nice one "Shazzybird"

1975 British Speedway Final 1 John Louis 2Peter Collins 4 Ray Wilson 5 Martin Ashby All mounted on the British Weslake What a brilliant man Harry Weslake was

Riders do that riding Exeter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Troy Butler rode for Milton Keynes, he won the NLRC in 1988 at coventry, last time I met up with Troy he had been spannering for other riders, I don't know where he is now, a cracking young rider, he was 20 when he won the NLRC....

Why this Obsession to move up, far better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. If you like the riders you have now,enjoy them because moving up would probably mean a new set of riders. That goes for all teams, it needs a lot of hard thinking, its a big step and could be financial suicide. There's only one thing after that..... CLOSURE.....

Hi Mylor On the front of the Rule Book it gives it as " The Speedway Control Board Ltd" yet inside under NOMENCLATURE it says SCB---The speedway Control Bureau.......confused...we should be Hi Team Man, I think we're looking at different documents. The 'Handbook' is downloadable from http://www.acu.org.uk/DyIndex.asp Is the 'Rule Book' a document sent to members? Hi Mylor, Yes the Rule Book is the complete information on running meetings,staff duties,racing rules ,meeting formats,machine standards,what you can and can't do,etc.etc.etc....... Its sent to all licensed officials, its what every body thumbs through when there is a dispute... the public can buy it I believe.

Hi Mylor On the front of the Rule Book it gives it as " The Speedway Control Board Ltd" yet inside under NOMENCLATURE it says SCB---The speedway Control Bureau.......confused...we should be

My point is unless we pay them to help them along they won't get the chance of a PL place,when I was running Conference I lost money but I had to pay riders, you cant ask a rider to go all the way down to St Austell for instance at their own expense,its bad enough for the money they get, I know going down there cost me a packet in more ways than one. And if you don't put on a show you cant expect to get people to pay to watch, its a viscous circle.

Hi Jeff I understand what you are getting at, but if we were never to pay these riders anything we would stifle the influx of new riders coming through , this is precisely why the Conference League was set up so we could help riders along with payment instead of riders doing 2nd halves at there own expense and falling by the wayside..... I hope this clarifys the point.

I believe this is now "Speeway Control Bureau", someone will correct me if I am wrong....