E I Addio

Not quite sure where you are coming from with this. In any form of business there will be some people who don’t like you, for whatever reason. That is a long way from saying someone is an unpleasant character per se. I know some who find Cook frustrating, others who find him distant at times and some who don’t like him because they don’t agree with him, but you could say that about a lot of people. I have expressed the opinion that Cook is no PR man, as as a promoter he would do,a better job if he was. However for someone who is a genuinely unpleasant character, look towards Scunthorpe.

I don’t agree that Cook has always been an unpleasant character. In many ways he has a lot of good qualities as a promoter. IMO Jon Cooks “ problem” if I can call it that is that he is not a “people person” , and an absolutely hopeless PR man. I do know riders who hold him in high regard as a promoter, but he doesn’t communicate well to the general public. He should be kept in the back office as an organiser, not let out in the spotlight .

I like Morris. He is very professional, and has been knocking at the door of the next level for sometime. It will be tough on Wolves if he doesn’t have the right head on, but he is still young and has definite talent. I like Scott as well , but without being unkind , his best days are a long way behind him now and has been inconsistent for years. The problem with riders of Scotts age is that when they lose it , it often goes very quickly.

Yes.

A lot of respected speedway historians say that Ronnie Moore was the most naturally gifted man ever to sit on a s speedway bike. I am not in a position to judge, as I only saw him once or twice when he was approaching 40 years old and obviously past his best but he still sticks in my mind as an immaculate stylist. I would love to have seen him round Wimbledon at his peak.

Olle Nygren . I chatted to him in the pits at Lakeside a few years back when he was 87 years young. He didnt deem to have aged, or changed at all. Still the Sam old Olle , full of opinions, and would talk to anybody . Great bloke. Gentleman George Barclay was also one I often saw and spoke to at Lakeside. Lovely man always keen to help the young riders and ran the training school for a while.

I think that you are right about Ivan’s extraordinary dominance in those years Sid, but the thing that always intrigues me is what if Ivan had been born 5 years earlier or the “Big Five “ Of Ove , Briggs, Moore , Craven and Knutson had been born 5 years later. The thing is when Fundin, Briggs , Craven, Moore , and later Knutson were at there peaks they always had each other to have to beat.. In the years you mention Fundin Craven and Knutson were no longer around , Moore was just coming back from a six year retirement and both he and Briggo were in their mid to later thirties and just starting to be past their best . Ivan though, in those years was in the age range 29- 33 , just about the point when most speedway riders were at the peak of their powers. Its all speculation of course, but I don’t think Ivan would have been as dominant if he had to deal with the other 5 at their peaks on a regular basis. Good though Olsen was, I don’t think he was in the same class as Fundin etc. What are your thoughts on this?

Yes it was. According Chapman it was going to take three days to change a fuse.

Not a massive difference from my own background, except that I lived about 100 yards from the main gate of West Ham, so had no real problem with allegiance, but even after Custom House closedHackney never really felt like a “proper “ speedway track to me, but oh boy what I would give to have it back now ! You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone...... Look forward to seeing thevDVD.

What happened then ? I never saw Arne Ride but obviously his accident was well known. I never knew anyone else was involved.

Don’t recognise the faces, maybe a bit before my time but I remember racing at Rayners Park which was just like the video in that they were all men driving up in their own cars and we were still at school , aged around 15. Right bunch of posers they were too, never had the bottle to graduate to proper motorcycle sport but able to whop teams of school boys. Tolworth Tudors were even worse. They were great days and I enjoyed them but I got fed up with being knocked off by men poncing around in what was basically a schoolboy sport. Most teams were pretty equal though , especially around East London.

The biggest attendance ever is generally regarded as the ‘73 WF at Katowice , estimated at 130,000.

Just checked. He did actually make two WF’s in 73 and 77. He also did a number of World Pairs and Team cups.

Martin Piddock and Peter Bradshaw . Two massive talents taken from us in the Lokkoren disaster. How Bob Kilby never made a World Final I shall never know. Not sure if John Boulger made one but he should have done. Ivor Brown was a hard man who was possibly on the cusp of big things before he was seriously injured. By and large though, I think under the old style single WF most who should have made it got there at least once as opposed the the GP system where for some it depends on whether your face fits.

I feel the same. Not just the loss of Lakeside but the way it was done , along with Worky and Rye House stitched up by the BSPA, Godfrey in particular along with the loss of others, especially Coventry I miss going to.. I hope to motivate myself to go to Ipswich when Wolves are there , just to see Richard Lawson and Nick Morris, but who knows. I've been going to speedway all my life and I never ever thought I would feel like this, but the current numpties in charge have totally tarnished it for me.