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Yorkshire 1967, Just got a reply from Ian, he's moved up to Gargrave North Yorkshire recently and says he remembers a Don Wilson from Hatfield. Email me at; rodney_haynes45@hotmail.com and I'll pass on his phone number to you. Regards Rod Haynes.

Best race I saw for many a year was the run off for the British title in the late 90's between Chris Louis and Mark Loram at Brandon, they pushed and shoved each other for all four laps, passing and re-passing numerous times. I was also at Hyde Road when Anders Michanek and Peter Collins did the same, with Peter handicapped by his hand injury. Both superb races. Almost equal were the rider of the night finals at Belle Vue when Soren Sjosten, Ivan Mauger and Tommy Roper regularly jostled between themselves for four laps, none were underdogs regardless of their respective places in the Aces line up. - Rod Haynes.

Yorkshire 1967, Shall send a message to Ian, see what he says / remembers. He retired last year from his job as head of engineering at the college. Rod Haynes

Very good, in his final two years over here he was by far the best and most consistant trapper in the B.L., on a par with both his immediate Tiger's predecessor Charlie Monk and Ivan Mauger. The problem was that by then he rarely had to pass anyone, so he was thought of as just that - a fast starter - but believe me he could and did (pass) quite a number of surprised top liners on their own tracks. He overtook on the tight inside line around Owlerton just as Clive Featherby did during the previous decade there - albeit without many falling !. Anyone remember one warm night, in I think 1971, when he gated and demolished the track record, you could sense that he'd knocked a huge chunk off even before the official announcement. Mind you he must also have held the 'get back to Sheffield from Poole' record time as well !!. Rod Haynes.

Jim Irvine - now that's a name from the past, only last year I was putting together a new series of speedway articles for our local paper the Scunthorpe Telegraph's Biking Bygones specials and whilst sifting through some old photographs came across one of myself with a caption pencilled on the reverse ' pre season practice chasing Jim Irvine's rear wheel ' which got me thinking as to what happened to him, I reckoned him to be around 21 at the time so he would have had a birth date of about 1950 give or take a year or so. He came from I believe the North East as he had a Geordie type accent, not a heavily Scots one. He did indeed have only the one outing, the meeting at Berwick on July 1st 1972, where he raced in two heats as partner to my old mate Ian Wilson finishing third in both behind Ian thereby grabbing two bonus points to go with his two earned ones making four in all, an average of 8 per meeting, in fact easily the top average for the Saints that year, we very nearly won the meeting (38-40) due in part to his efforts. What amazed me was that he'd waited all season to make his league debut and then simply vanished into thin air, a handy rider to have around, he may have been a former grasstracker as he handled himself pretty competantly. Whatever happened to him, I also would be interested to know. Rod Haynes.

I recall taking the silver helmet from Peterborough's Roy Carter following Saints unexpected 39-38 win on 7th of August 1972, after which team manager Alan Chorlton passed me a cardboard box containing the trophy advising me to ' take it home and show it to my mates down the pub '. Unfortunately he had completely forgotten that we had a league fixture at Ellesmere Port the very next night so I declined the offer, more concerned at losing or damaging it than anything else, a meeting at which I as a relative newcomer in my first season had not a ' cat in hell's chance ' of retaining it against the Gunners top man on the night, who as it happened turned out to be 'flying' Paul Tyrer. Paul did indeed relinquish me of the silverware. The point is, had we not had another meeting so soon afterwards I certainly would have been tempted to taken it home and milked it a little, who knows I may have had a few free pints off my friends - now that would have been worthwhile ! they were a tight bunch those lads. Rod Haynes.

Thanks Ian, I try to read most of the postings on a regular basis and post replies to a few that I know something about, but have been laid up for almost two months after an ankle replacement and find it hard to concentrate for more than half an hour.All will be well in time though, it better be as I have promised my old mate Ian Wilson a lift to the Leicester opening. Best Wishes Rod Haynes.

Thanks Cyclone, been in touch with the m.c.c. who's secretary is to look up any information they have. Rod Haynes.

Hello and thanks again KevH, I understand that the Newmarket motorcycle club are still in existance and shall be in contact with them to see if anything is known. Rod Haynes.

Many thanks KevH, It would now be even more interesting to see if anyone has any idea as to who was involved regarding promotion / riders etc. as well as the actual site of the dirt track arena. Rod Haynes.

Hello again Tom, This brings back some very old memories as I also went to Wombwell to have a look around about 1964 'ish, caught the bus from home in the Barnsley road area of Sheffield almost directly to the town of Wombwell, then walked down the hill to the Dorothy Hyman stadium which I think was used for Athletics ( obviously ) and Karting ?. Right next to it was the old speedway track with like you say a practice session going on under the supervision of WHO ?. What I do recall was that the track had been well prepared by I think Phil Hattersley who's name came up earlier on. Apparently, the finest rider to grace the training session was none other than Bob Paulson during some of his earliest speedway outings. You should ask your mate over there, Stan Bradbury, if he remembers racing at Wombwell. All the best, Rod Haynes.

Hello Tony, Just a few corrections etc, to the list supplied by Frigbo. Brian Donovan came from the Manchester area, Geoff Langmaid I believe from near Lincoln, John Bowerman, a very colourful character from Sydney, Dave Buttigieg I believe was English and was in fact a National Karting champion at the time of him trying speedway for a very short time, and surely Chris Blythe was a good mate of Malcolm Mackay the pair coming over to Britain together about 1969 / 70, All the best Rod Haynes,

This might be a long shot I realise, but recently I have been researching my family tree / ancesters who originated from the small village of Bourn near Caxton in Cambridgeshire and while looking at village information / internet sites came upon a statement stating that : Speedway racing was staged at Caxton in 1930 although no information can be recalled about it at all, My intention is to go down to Bourn in early March in order to further my family knowledge and would like to ask around about the ' speedway ' whilst I'm there, Has anyone any information on Caxton Speedway please ?. Rod Haynes.

Hello Boston Five, As stated it was Frank Smith, but not Andy's father, it was the former Coventry and Peterborough rider. Rod Haynes.