Ian
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Posts posted by Ian
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Is this a trick question?
Surely it's a pic of the venue for Monday's meeting, no?
No trick intended. Clearly my knowledge of West Lothian from the air doesn't match your own.
Thanks for the answer though.
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The picture which goes with that article - does anyone know which stadium it depicts?
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You mean as usual I am talking sense and being realistic. This summer has had the worst rain for 182 years, massive national flooding, and effected and ruined many businesses and severely disrupted other sports. And all you want to do is continue to be a stalker and talk rubbish.
Says a lot about you.
Iris is right though, Tsunami. In the fifty years I have been watching speedway the only changes I can recall to track surfaces are that they have become generally slicker and that they no longer seem to use sawdust on wet tracks. There may, of course, be a perfectly good reason for the latter - I don't know.
I apologise if I have posted this before, but somewhere out there must lie a solution to the wet track problem. After all, it can't be beyond a species which managed to send men to the moon and back to come up with some more weatherproof surface than we have now. My best suggestion is that the BSPA, or FIM or whatever, offer a research project to a number of technical universities aimed at finding a better surface material. It wouldn't cost that much, and we'd have some of the country's finest brains working on it.
Alternatively, we could all be defeatists and just sit back and hope for the best that next summer is a bit drier than this one has been, which I suspect is what will happen.
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Jeez this humble pie tastes chugh....
Why would a rider, contracted to 31st October, book a flight home earlier?
Probably the reason is that air fares fluctuate wildly inside and outside of the school holidays. For example, I just looked at tickets between London and Dubrovnik around 31st October, which is over £400 with British Airways. Five days later (after the English half-term holiday) the same flight is £50. Now that's on a short 2.5 hour flight, so scale that up to the 24-hour haul to Australia and the cost differences can be dramatic.
This seems to happen with riders every year. It's unprofessional, but you can see the reason for it.
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So how did teams manage in the old days before points limits were brought in, was it survival of the fittest, with the richest promoter always getting the best squad?
To some extent it was the survival of the fittest, and I believe that Wimbledon won the National leaugue (which was the first tier) for a significant number of consecutive seasons. Was that a problem? Not really. Wimbledon fans seemed happy enough to watch large home wins every week, and the attraction of such a strong visiting team ensured a good payday for the other promoters.
The real answer is to allow team-building to a fixed average, but to give discounted averages to riders based on how long they have stayed with the one team. I cannot see the attraction of supporting a team which changes riders every couple of weeks.
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kyle howarth.. where did he get that from..... sorry nige.
From the top drawer, most likely.... sorry Nige.
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You really are on odious old cretin.
This really is the most unwarranted attack. Tsunami's not all that old.
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The sooner he is booted out of speedway with his billy butlin jacket the better for all concerned at Plymouth Speedway.
He'll be wearing a pink cushion next!
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Complin seems to be a big favourite with the promotion, particularly Hepburn who I'm sure sponsored him personally before he bought into the club. I'm only speculating on what I've been told but there wont be many better paid rider's at Berwick than Lee Complin, if any.I would personally not like to see Complin return, not sure he is the best influence in the pits at times (again just what I've heard) and yes hes spectacular to watchat home, but really does he help that muchaway. A straight choice between him or Aspegren next year for who would up there average the most? I know who I'd back simply because hes not a one track pony.
Having said all this, Complin is probably contracted at Berwick until he gives up speedway :s
So, to summarise. The plain fact is that you actually know nothing at all, and your entire post is constructed from hearsay, gossip and speculation. Is life in the Borders really so dull that you have to resort to this sort of nonsense to keep yourself amused?
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Other than the fact he directed an insult at the referee, i don't think the use of the word 'tosser' is a biggie. However, a prolonged two finger salute coupled with a hefty verbal '**** off' is way out of order.
Most sportsmen can express their distaste or rage at an incident without swearing when in front of a tv camera.
I have to agree with this. Speedway likes to bill itself as a "family sport". Nicki Pedersen' s choice of language is at odds with that description.
Some years ago one of his fellow Danish internationals described Pedersen to me as "a great rider, but just a yob". Sadly he seems to go out of his way to prove that too many times.
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Rebel i have pictures was West Ham really big? they used to have alot of British Finals and other big events there too didnt they.Also Old Meadowbank looked a massive track too i am sure they had a world final anglo inter continental final a superb line up i think 1971? Briggo maybe was only reserve? the only time since the 50s that he hadnt qualfied not gospel thou.
Old Meadowbank wasn't all that big - 363 yards (332 metres). However, it had very wide sweeping bends which made it look big, and the short straights meant that riders generally weren't too spaced out.
Glasgow's White City was exactly the opposite, with very long straights and hairpin bends.
Compared with these West Ham looked huge, but I never thought much of the racing there. Perhaps that's because speedway is a bit like fags and booze in that you get hooked on a specific brand and nothing else is ever quite the same.
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Retro Speedway has produced the first in a new series of DVDs on defunct tracks...
*Apart from the interviewees, the above includes action footage of Allan Emmett, Geoff Maloney, Hugh Saunders, Bob Young, Nigel Rackett, Brian Foote, Trevor Barnwell, Les Ott, Peter Claridge, Ivan Miller, Dennis Mannion.
Ivan Miller, eh? Does the DVD cover the race against Berwick where Miller knocked Willie Templeton off and brother Doug wrestled him from his bike? If it does then I'll happily buy a copy. To this day that's one of the funniest things I ever saw at a speedway meeting!
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On a recent trip to Slovenia I picked up a second hand paperback with a speedway drawing on the front. The guy on the bookstall seemed to know a bit about speedway and proudly told me that in the Yugoslavian period, Slovenian riders usually filled the top places in the national championships.
My Slovenan is v. poor but the book seems to be a biography of a rider called Ludvik Staric, who rode pre- and post-war and had a nickname 'Flying Kranjec'. Anyone know anything about him?
John Williams
My Slovenian is also limited, but I can tell you that "Kranjec" means a Slovenian. Croatians call them "Kecec", after a cartoon character.
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Thanks for the replies chaps.
One question based on Alan's reply - Alan you state the 'Bears' was pre-61 and 'Teesiders' from 68 to 72, what were nicknamed in between 60 & 67 ?
Thanks again.
I recall them being Bears during the 1960s. I think the use of the Teeside name came about following name changes in local government.
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I heard on a radio news bulletin earlier something that I'd never heard before and that is that Haggis is banned, and has been for 40 years, in America!
Anybody know what dear old Bert 'Haggis' Harkins did to so upset the Yanks?
I'm sure Bert must be as popular in the United States as he is here, Bryn.
I'm not sure haggis is banned in the US though, although it's not legal to import it. I used to know a town in New Jersey (damned if I can remember the name if it) where there was a significant Scots population. The local butcher made both haggis and black pudding. It's strange how you find those little outposts of civilisation in the most unlikely places.
PS Just remembered - it was called Kearny.
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I remember him riding for Middlesboro at Old Meadowbank early 60's.Eric Boothroyd was in that team if my memory is still OK.
Eric Boothroyd was certainly in the team. So, I think, was a very young Eric Boocock. I think a third member of that Middlesborough team may have been Slant Payling.
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It seems to be widely believed nowadays that some of the old second half races were a bit of a sham, with riders agreeing to split the prize money etc. I have no idea whether that was true, but I recall with great pleasure the weekly Rider of the Night finals from Meadowbank. I remember local heroes like George Hunter and Dougie Templeton facing the likes of Monk, Mauger, Boothroyd and Squibb. If they weren't actually "racing" then they certainly had me fooled.
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Used to love this sort of stuff when Bryan Seery did the stats in the SS
I once had a long chat with Bryan Seery after a match at, I think, Oxford. This was back in the pre-pocket-calculator days and he used arithmetic to compile "Seery's Statistics". If I remember he was a former maths teacher. Is he still around?
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tonyd -nice memory and what a classy thing for Wayne to do. I recall Wayne in I think the 1963 PLRC Final Race to determine the champion(top 4 scorers in the meeting met in a Final Race to decide first second third and fourth). As I recall the other riders were Mauger(won in rerun), George Hunter(leading in race but fell and excluded from re run), Wayne and Jack Kitchen-at the old Belle Vue. Is this correct? Wayne and George rode for Edinburgh, Ivan for Newcastle and Kitchen for Sheffield. Anybody in forumland there at the meeting???
Yes, I was there Bob. Along with maybe a couple of thousand Monarchs fans!
This must have been one of the most controversial meetings of all time. It was run using a new format which resulted in FIVE riders qualifying for the four-man final. This resulted in a riders' sit-down protest led by Edinburgh skipper Doug Templeton. Incidentally, the new format was the "brainchild" of Speedway Star's Eric Linden; the following week's edition carried the headline "It's not all my fault"!
I speak only from memory, but I think you may be wrong on two points about that final race.
1. George Hunter didn't fall - his bike packed up when he was leading Mauger. He also had bike problems in his first two races when his bike "died" at the start and he did really well to make up the best part of a quarter of a lap on each occasion to bag a third and a second respectively. At that time George really was the form rider in the PL - Mauger or no Mauger.
2. I agree that Hunter, Mauger and Kitchen were in the race, but I don't think Wayne Briggs was. I think the fourth rider was Poole's Ross Gilbertson.
Incidentally, as a measure of just how good George Hunter was, his sensational performance came just a week or two after the fateful crash with Peter Craven. One Sheffield fan that night started shouting abuse at George, including the word "killer". I'm not especially proud to admit that I hit him very hard. If he's reading this forum then I apologise.
When you've watched this sport for the best part of 50 years there are many memories, some for good reasons and some not-so-good. Above all of them, this one stands out for me. Fabulous racing, a huge crowd with great atmosphere, drama; you couldn't choreograph it better. As an occasion it's up there with the Russian test matches, the 1967 World Final and all the other wonderful times. It even outstrips all the thrashings Monarchs have given the Tiggers at Ashfield, and that's saying something!
A couple of years ago my good friend Merlin wrote a thrilling account of this meeting. I'll call him tomorrow and ask if he could post it here.
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Thanks for that. Its all slowly coming back through the fog of time. I do now remember reading that he emigrated and was married to an Edinburgh girl. I think the Haulage company bit was before he emigrated but if Barry is not sure what he does maybe what I read about the haulage company was just a story for the interview.
You have reminded me as well that he had hardly been on a bike before he came to Edinburgh, and I vaguely recall that he had never actually raced until he lined up for the Monarchs. Is that correct ? Only going by what I read. I only ever saw him race the once, he was always injured before that, and when I did see him he was just back from injury and well of the pace so it was a disappointment.
Incidently I thought Murray was the oldest brother, was I wrong on that. I never actually saw him ride.
As for THE man, THE Briggo, the one and only, he was without doubt the greatest ever in my opinion. Not the most consisitent ever, but at his best absolutely breathtaking.
I'm not sure how many (if any) races Wayne had before lining up for Edinburgh, but it wasn't many.
I also was under the impression that Murray was the eldest brother, but I'm not sure.
As for THE Briggo, he's a remarkable man. It's hard to believe he's actually 75 years old. As you say, he was breathtaking. I might quibble with you about him being the greatest (my having been a Fundin fan) but there can be no doubting the huge role he has played in the sport's history.
I mentioned to him that last time I was in Christchurch I was struck by the thought that there was a time when that city could have won the World Team Cup, spearheaded by Barry, Ronnie Moore and Ivan Mauger. You could have added pretty much anyone else to that lineup (Trevor Redmond and Geoff Mardon, maybe?) and they'd still have been far too good for anything the rest of the world could have thrown at them. Wouldn't you agree?
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So its Runner-Up in a 2nd Div'n competition v/v. a 2x National Champion, - ?
Surely there's no comparison. What do others think?
The difference is that you're speaking about two different sports - speedway and grasstrack. Do you generally compare apples with oranges?
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Yes he hardly finished a season without some form of serious injury, including the loss of sight in one eye. I saw him at the end of his career at Exeter in the early 70's. He was finished in speedway by the age of about 27 I think. Most of his injuries seemed to be for very unlucky reasons like broken frames and things.
I believe I read somewhere that he is/ was until recently living in Scotland and running a haulage company I think.
I don't think that's right, CM.
I was chatting to Barry Briggs a few weeks ago at Scunthorpe and asked about Wayne. According to Barry he has been living in Spain for quite a few years. He is still married to the lady he met when he first came to Edinburgh as a sixteen-year-old in 1961. Her name is Theresa and she's a hairdresser. When I asked Barry what Wayne did for a living he joked that he was never quite sure what Wayne did!
Wayne really was an overnight sensation when he first arrived, despite hardly ever having ridden a bike in New Zealand. When I first went to Meadowbank in 1962 he was already banging in maximums and I think he may also have taken the track record. Had his career not been so badly blighted by injuries he would probably have gone on to become a very fine rider.
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think its just the amount of dirt the track has on, but yes i agree excellent pics
You're probably right, YP. My local track is Rye House so I've probably forgotten what dirt on a track looks like.
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Photo's from the Best Pairs
Slideshow
Congrats to Sheffield Well done
Very good pics, idh.
Doesn't the track look rutty though?
Darcy Showing What A Pro He Is Again
in Speedway News and Discussions
Posted · Edited by Ian
Apparently he was fined the equivalent of almost £4000. It makes you wonder what the penalty would have been had the little lad actually done something naughty.