steve roberts

Tim Hunt...yes a strange character. I've seen him carry out some bizzare moves on a bike like storming out of the pits at Reading whilst on two minutes and the bike hitting the inner kerb and leaping about three feet off the ground!

Never liked Nicki Pedersen even when he rode for Oxford for a short while before being sacked. To use an Ice Hockey term he was a bit of a "Goon" always up for a 'niggle'.

Perhaps it was a copyright issue!

I thought that they had just lifted the White City jacket but they had the rider facing the other way...like you it seemed an odd choice for a race jacket for Somerset although I'm not questioning the nickname.

Did he end up serving time or am I imagining it?

I went to Cardiff in 2003, I think it was, when Nicki Pedersen won. Not that impressed I seem to recall. I used to enjoy all my speedway (second halves included) but I guess once I moved away from Oxford I got out of the habit as many do and just have my memories and vast collection of DVDs. Never subscribed to SKY so never got to watch many meetings that they covered...GP's or otherwise.

I guess that I'm stating an obvious candidate in Steve "The Heave" Gresham although in an interview given in "Backtrack' some years ago painted a different picture and he came across as a decent bloke.

There's an interesting interview on utube between Wally and Ken McKinlay (who I hardly recognised!)

'Benny' Rosenkilde who was brought into the Oxford side on the recommendation of Garry Middleton as a replacement for the ill-fated Svein Kaasa. Remember "Benny' at the starting gate at full revs with smoke pouring from his exhaust! Would have enjoyed watching him beat Olsen...one rider I disliked intensely!

Of course you're right Chunky...I was a bit harsh but it's just that those who were present that glorious afternoon expected the star rider from Poland to have been either Plech, Jancarz or Waloszek but Mucha out-classed them all! Still a mystery why Antoni Woryna wasn't present though?

As a City "Rebels" fan I've looked at the Somerset jacket and thought that something wasn't quite right and then it clicked...the rider depicted is facing the other way!

I'd certainly pay it a visit if ever on holiday on the Island.

The meeting at Cowley between Australia and Poland during 1973 left a great impression on me...the Poles were a relatively unknown mysterious force one only read about. I recall Zenon Plech's 'up and over' crash and was quickly withdrawn from the rest of the meeting as he was highly regarded by the authorities as Poland's great white hope at the forthcoming World Final. Strangely Antoni Woryna was not chosen to ride that afternoon after showing useful form earlier in the season riding for Poole? Despite the team having many recoconised stars in their line up the rider that came up smelling of roses on that particular afternoon was the little known Jan Mucha who topped scored with eleven I seem to remember. It was also the biggest attendance seen at Cowley for years!

I sent some cine film to Wally many years ago which he transferred onto a video tape. It's probably out there somewhere. Remember him referring to John Louis as "Lewis" in his commentary and his constant "Chase Chase Chase" which became somewhat repetitive after a while.

I obviously never saw Ivor ride but what I do know about him was Ivan's hatred of him as a rider!

I'm pleased I saw Ronnie ride during his last full season in the UK. A sublime 14 points at Poole. Out of the three I'm only repeating what others have said (Briggo amongst them) in that Ronnie was the most talented. Imagine if he had ridden throughout the sixties what he may achieved and then to come back and still be a force?

I saw many classic encounters involving them both over the years Sid...both at Oxford & Cradley Heath as well as on the World Stage. Great competitors.

More than likely...but having seen him at Cowley that same year (riding as a reserve if I recall) it came as a shock when I heard the result given out over the radio that September afternoon.

I actually saw Jerzy ride...well as far as the first bend at Cowley when he got caught up under the fence and that was the last we saw of him. Unbeknown to us we were witnessing the future World Champion when he lifted the crown later that very same season!

Again two riders I wished I had the opportunity of seeing ride! Sverre Harrfeldt was another. There was a rumour that he was to join Oxford in 1974 but it never materialised.

Personally I think that Briggo and Fundin would have dominated with Peter Craven as a spoiler...but could one discount Ronnie Moore?

So right. Dave Jessup dominated during the lead up to the 1980 World Final but Michael Lee produced his party piece and ended up champion.

Which is why I think that winning a one-off Final wasn't perhaps as easy or straight forward as some would have us believe. The 1973 Final was a real old bizzare affair. Ivan by his own admission mis-calculated his move on Szczakiel and gifted it. Olsen was head and shoulders above the rest at Wembley in 1972 but threw it away in one mis-judgement and Michanek as previously mentioned was the rider very much in form in 1973 but fell at the final hurdle. One ride often made the difference in becoming champion or not and there's two ways of looking at the two systems. It's an interesting comparison study and great for debate!

...and of course, as we know, Loram never managed to win a Final during his World Championship winning year but obviously did enough to accumulate the neccessary points to end up as overall champion.

There was an interesting analysis in "Backtrack' some years ago when John Berry and Tony Mac went "head to head" and came up with their views as regards what may have been the outcome if the GP's had taken place in the 70's & 80's.