DaveG

No idea but havn't said much for a while of the above comments given that were other tracks that fell shorter than Wimbledon oh and still do I think Chadster's comments on longer run ins has some substance to it. I remember going to a 4 TT at Mildenhall late 70's ( 76,77,78? In which Wimbledon were represented ( Why would that have been ? Answers appreciated from anyone who was there ?) and gating was undertaken with left leg prepared!

I enjoyed my Bovril ! The Shay was always good for racing and a laugh and copious amounts of ale due to local pubs closed door sessions , Swindon , Reading Racers days , KIngs Lynn and i enjoyed the short lived White City for the odd shaped track. Exeter Ok Cradley always felt like you were about to be mugged by the aptly named Heathens Lol.

Hi Guys great posts and glad to see I am not the only one in my 70's world. Thanks for chat. Guys do you still attend and where I am sort of looking at going back to it but from Beds/Bucks area and appear devoid of the sport.

Yes I have read the title of the thread but it has drifted far away from that at times. Loved the drama of the one off Finals and done this before whether we like that he mainly won his races by gating Dave Jessup should have been World Champion under the Old System. Ok lets shift the Grand prix system back into the 1960's and 1970's so now we have the situation that Ivan Mauger wins even more titles than he did already because nobody had the stamina that he had for such a long period of time. All of us me included talk up other riders such as Kennett ( 2 great years many other good years) , Collins , Olsen et al but for sheer bloody mindeness Mauger would have just accrued so many points by rostrum finishes that the 70's would have been his more than they already are. Consistent performers well that brings Kennett back in and Simmons and Autrey so they would have got more runners up places. Oh I didnt like Mauger then was young and wanted my own riders to win Old now more reflective and its just him with a GP system.

The one thing that you guys have in common with the team I viewed at Wimbledon between 1974 to 1988 is that you were clearly having fun. I have learnt a lot about the end of the Dons on here and what an amazing list of riders appearing. Did you know it was coming to an end? Oh Sharon Stone and Beyonce are not in the Railway Children so some of your Stats are wrong I bought the DVD for nothing guys come on!

Wow where do you start with something like this having been at the fatal crash at Hackney some years ago you know that even if not told that this clip does not end well. The longer piece does though offers more and all the previous reports garbled or not do not! However they came together and perhaps it was locked handlebars or a front wheel being swiped away Raniszewski is in the Jeremiah Pitt, being speedway the sport we all love his only way out was to broadside which with another bike wrapped beside his rear wheel he cannot do. If you watch the longer clip he in fact almost highsides with his left leg rising and then lowering a corrective action even if involuntary however once he rectifies that he is into his death smash Ok I have read the comments with regards lowering his head he is taking a futile instictive ducking action and please do not laugh at deride or badmouth this comment he is trying to duck the stairs and no I am not making a joke here it is a self preservative action that to a watcher makes no sense.

The best 2 races I have ever seen for what can only be described as audacity was Wimbledon vs Belle Vue . They are worthy of note as they involve the great Peter Collins and Wimbledons long serving steady Roger Johns. Roger managed to gate even worse than Collins in 2 races they meet in that night but passed PC on the last bend on both yes both ocassions. What is most memorable is the noise after the second event and that he had ridden wider even than Collins both times. Chunky can probably tell you when this was as unfortunately I cant anymore!

Thank you for that post lot to learn about modern speedway for me then . Thanks it was also a good ploy away if you then accepted the home number 1 would probably win Heat 1 but then be up against it after that. Wimbledon were just lucky to have 7 to put out i think LOL Thanks all for posts

Hi just redressing what looked like my oversight with Morton my point being that Morton was late 70's to mid late 80's I think and given the amount of World Finals he reached looked low on my original rating. I really am going out on a limb here and am struggling hard to remember the 13 Heat Format but Belle Vue particularly did not have their best rider at Number 1 like most other teams so as a consequence their best rider Collins rode against the opposing number 1 more than if they he were number 1. It is a very good idea actually as most teams are looking for 11-12 points from their number 1 at home. With Collins and Morton against you all night there was a serious chance of your number 1 being beaten up to 3 times concevably 3rd in heat 12. Now you number 1 has scored perhaps between 7-9 points with your number 4's score also low your scratching about for points. If I wrong I will find some Old programmes on E bay to get that right I am sure that the home number 1's met the away numbers 3 and 5 twice in heat 12 both of them (Sure thats right 1-4 vs 3-5) so a strong number 3 or 5 was of great value. The number 1's meet once. Ok the Belle Vue I remember had Wilkinson at 1 surely he was not the best of the 3 heat leaders he did guest for Wimbledon once I remember either for Janssons death or Jancarz's early season blues and rode well but not spectacular. Good to Talk Thanks again.

Nice to see all the chat after nearly 30 years away much appreciated done from fading but now improving memory. Morton was a emerging star of the 70's his world finals appearances ( And might be wrong here from memory) were primarily in the 1980's. Hence why he was down my 70's listing. That said Belle Vue made great use of the numbering system namely that it was actually better not to have your best rider at Number 1. Away from home you could then target the home number 1 more times. Thanks for all chat 10 places from 1970 to 1979 Mauger 4 Olsen 3, Collins 1, Michanek 1 and the once a decade unexpected win from 1973 Jerzy Szczakiel theres not much room to fit any one else in Mauger and Olsen were certainly on the podium a few times as well. Chris Morton 1980's performances I think I stopped following really around 1983 would bear some comparison with Michaneks 1970's aside from the fact the latter got a win. Nice to chat

Thank you all I am really enjoying these posts and have very similar sentiments to Chunky with regards trackcraft and it is clear I hope from my postings that I loved team matches more than the individual championships. That said I probably for all the reasons mentioned believe that Jessup is probably the unlucky man as individual meetings go. It must be noted though that and I will not bore by placing my top 20 Brits on this forum remember that for a few years in particularly the period say 73-78 that many Englishman could have climbed the rostrum in 1st place with conditions, luck etc going their way. It would be wrong of course to deride individual riders too much as the qualifications for finals was erratic to say the least. 5.John Louis 6. Martin Ashby 7.Terry Betts 8. Doug Wyer 9.Gordon Kennett 10.Jim McMillan 11. George Hunter 12. Ray Wilson 13. Bob Kilby 14. Chris Morton This was my 5 to 14 listing on British top 20 please remember that my postings were considering all aspects of their contributions to the sport. Number of World Final appearances between them not many really. Hindsight is great think Kennett is now low as Ray Wilson but had to fit them all in somewhere. And their lies the problem with World Finals I saw either live ( A few ) or video none of the above cracked it and neither did Malcolm Simmons , Dave Jessup who were in my top 4. Would you have wanted any of the above in your home team Hell Yeh . Qualification for the Final was the problem and maybe more difficult. Anyone of the above riders could have won or climbed the podium in a British Final if firing right on the night. Consider the World Final though Jiri Stancl, Jerzy Rembas, Marek Ciselak, Illa Teroma and may other less well known Poles, Russians and Scandinavians did get there. Jancarz was the consistently best of the East Europeans but could never replicate his 1968 3rd. And were would Jancarz have fitted in the above list if British (Lets speculate a 10 year career in Britain probably around 7th). OK I know it could have gone either way with him on his night he could have been Top 3 at other times about 15th Now back the Carter thread he was not competing with any of the above really most were nearer the end of their careers as his took off Lee did though so still place him higher. Do not though think Carter had as much trackcraft as probably any of the above Brits and that might have been what he really needed to learn. At their peaks and I am only going to mention a few Louis through tenacity, Simmons through making himself wide and Jessup gating would have kept Penhall at Bay. Now and I setting myself up for a hit here I know as it is outside my time period. The Grand Prix system I guess ( I will learn) is more of a War of attrition rewarding lets say consistent performances. So lets put it back into the 1970's and 1980's. So thats Simmons, Kennett, Olsen, Michanek, Mauger, Collins,Crump?, Louis? as possible World Champions through the 70's . Ehmm and 4 of them did it so we are still trying to fit so many into 10 slots LOL.

My involvement with Speedway is really from 1974 to 1984 although 73-88 could be claimed and even then I would say that 76-81 were the maga years for me travelling each and every weekend. Ok well as far as British Riders go I posted my top 20 a short while ago and seem to remember that Dave Jessup was perhaps the unlucky man with an EF whilst leading in a World Final which would probably have made him winner. Gordon Kennett is often talked of a World Champion but I was there that night he came second and sort of remember him never being considered during the evening yet being on the Podium at the end smooth stylish great team rider though but did not set that World Final alight. PC well very talented and fearless, Simmons smooth but Kennett like and so many others that was the 1970's really there was a depth of British talent that decade nearly every track had 1 some 2. Now Lee and Carter were the men that should have led the next decade with Lee being the bigger talent than Carter but both were reckless with their careers, lives, skills everything. Simmons, Jessup, Betts, Wyer, McMillan not all World Class and many others but treasured their careers (Simmons later revelations have hurt a bit) was Carter in a hurry maybe was he unlucky well who knows but no more unlucky than the earlier Brits. 1960's dominated by Oceanics 1970's Mauger and Scandinavians 1980's Americans and Danes And to end with a bit of fun PC couldnt beat Roger Johns round Plough Lane so everyone could have their day!

As a Wimbledon fan the introduction of Christer seemed superb for us and having seen him ride a number of times previously it seemed almost to good to be true. I can clearly remember though that all the annoncements at that time about him did not suggest terms being the difficulty and for someone that lost his life so shortly after I feel somewhat uncomfortable now that it was widely stated that he just did not show. His perfomances prior though are what should be noted.

If that is the only observation I am delighted 30 year old damaged memory then I am pleased no programmes to hand and not going to use internet did he ride for Leicester or Birmingham . Also had to fit some Scots in and a few team men such as Barry Thomas. Might have confused the Wilsons as well guess Ray was better then Reg Ray dark haired? If so substitute him in and we lose Reg.

I thought that during a bad period for Wimbledon that Eddie was a delight to watch tight lines and high elbows. My recollections being that he tended to go extremely tight on the 2nd bend where he would find room that did not look possible. I agree that this was a World Champion in the making with better exposure earlier in Britain. So nearly beat PC at Belle Vue ( Golden Apple?) but travelling did for him often rolling into pits at Wimbledon with seconds to go to 1st race. Thanks for Memories