Sidney the robin

Toni was a talent taken from us to soon, his dad was a good rider in his own right who supported his son to the hilt.

Dream on tool😜

1980 Reading v Swindon all hell let loose Tony Briggs was brought off by Milan Spinka but Briggo senior thought Steve Gresham was responsible.A scuffle emerged Gresh was a real tough nut a quiet man and polite but he really had an edge.WK going back to Auffrett did he have a falling out with MAD Jack.?

Top class rider i supported him in 75 after he defeated Ashby in the British Final run/off he was one of my favourite ever riders ever at his best could beat Briggs not. many could.

2018 Puk, Lambert,Wozniak,J.J,Rose,Auty could that look ok with another signing.?I don't know what average he would come in on could Romano Hummel be considered.

I would love Chris Morton to return to the Aces in some capacity,a decent man who should be given the opportunity he has earned that right.

Could there maybe be problems with doubling up? will he give up his weekend commitments a big ask to do that as he is a star attraction.He seems like a real level headed guy who wants to progress think he can improve Poole is th e club to do it at.

Persevere with Shanes all year do all the groundwork and then to disgard him would be total madness.I saw him at the Abbey right at the end of the season and he has come on nicely also he is worth his wages on excitement alone personally i would forget about Newman/ Klindt.

Who was the reserve Rick France an ex world finalist.!!!

Well 1973 was a year i enjoyed and the next five years seeing the likes of Mauger,Michanek,Olsen,Crump,Jansson,Collins,Lee was pretty special.

We can all pick examples like that out it is not hard, how many races have i seen this year when Doyle has been at the tapes and within two laps nearly a straight in front.He is that much better quicker than most and most of the points he did drop was because he was worried about getting injured.Going back to the old format ok the visiting number 1 often got a easy heat 8 t/s ride but his rides against 1/2. 5/4. 3/7. 3/5. were not always easy then teams often had good number three's and often the likes of Collins /Morton at 5 so it was not a cakewalk..Also a massive thing you forget alot of home teams then had a massive home advantage apart from Wolves now and maybe Lakeside the rest now are usually on a even playing field.The tracks then were often more challenging certainly more dirt on them grippier and also you might ride one night at Hyde Rd then the next at Oxford the tracks then were so much more varied alot of teams also then had pretty good homer riders.

Fundin certainly was finished in the 70s also Briggs after his 72 crash was finished as a WC rider so forget those two riders in the 70s.Also do you mean that Mauger,Collins,Michanek,Olsen (ect just rode against stiffs in the 70s i don't think so.

A horrible memory was seeing Reading get battered at Hyde Rd i think it was 57-23...? the Aces had a terrific team Mckinna/Courtney at reserve that shows how strong there team was.

Going back to TV can people remember the Daily Mirror Spring Claasics being televised? it think it was on itv ? I can also remember the Wills Internationale being on i think BBC covered that was trying to look for some footage of the spring classic without any success.

Lee and Gollob for me are very similar both had real natual talent but both UNDEACHIEVED and should of achieved more.But when you look back both ended up with decent records in WC competition Gollob in his race with Jimmy Nilsen (what a race) shows him at his very best.Lee/Collins both for me would get in a top 20 they were that good going back to Gollob i was so glad when he won his title because it would of been a travesty if he hadnt.

Nielsen i was never a fan of his but in later years he grew on me i see alot of him at Oxford.What a rider a class act a class bloke as well i also remember him as a superb team rider he helped Sorensen,Rasmussen,Dugard,Butler develop.When you look back he should of won 6/8 titles he was that good he would be in my top 6 of alltime no one around at the moment comes close to Hans.

Was there quite alot of training schools going on in the late 60/s 70s ? Belle Vue,Ellesmere i know Broady had one at Swindon.Wouldnt it be great if we had that now that would certainly help us produce young riders in Poland are most tracks available seven days a week.?

Will Thommo sign a few copies before the launch as i probably wont be able to get there be great if he could.I can remember Thommo riding for England v Russia 1974. i think ??? at the Abbey.Frank Auffrett also rode i can remember thinking god those Russians have some shabby aquipment but god they were great value real battlers.

Well i am happy with this post fair play to you,my main point was sticking up for the era a fun time for the sport and a time that will be hard to better.

Where did you go from 1979 ???? because you are pretty limited you did not watch much racing in the 80s did you Witcher your time was Sudden Sam time and PK YES ?? 90s.😜😂

Witcher like every subject you debate you want to win fair play to you for that but the biggest thing that really strikes me with you is you have commented on riders you did not even see ride was your first meeting in the early nineties.???!

Those i named i think would of been good in any era the bottom line is i remember them as good riders forget figures we can all dress them up the difference then was every week you looked forward to seeing a top class number 1 now there are Doyle/Lindgren that is it a WATERED down product.Another point is i believe some of the riders today would not of been able to handle the tracks with loads of dirt on them todays speedway is so different.

1970/78 heat leaders i will miss some Betts,Kilby,Mauger,Briggs,Michanek,Lovaas,Persson,Eide,Davey,Sanders,Louis,Boocock 2) Collins,Sjosten,Jansson2) Wilson 2) Younghusband,Loftqvist,Wyer,Haley,Thomas,Morton2) Middleton, Moore, Olsen, Simmons,Jessup,Davis,Lee, Airey,Autrey. Pusey ,Ashby, Mcmillan,Beaton i have missed endless other riders out to.That was the level i remember not to bad for wobblers 😜 this year lets be honest the top class riders in Britain were Doyle/Freddie that was it then the next level are the likes of Cook,Thorssell,Fricke,Morris (ect)As i said before the two leagues now are closer than ever would i would pick the 1970/86 era over now i would all day long.

Some of those riders you named rode in the 90s, i believe the 1970/1986 period was a very strong one for British speedway and like yourself i hate the word wobbler it means nothing to me any rider at any level has my full respect.That period for me generally was stronger than it is today the two leagues we have now are CLOSER together than they have ever been.The BL at one time was the best league in the world teams like Ipswich had Louis,Sanders,Davey Belle Vue Mauger, Sjosten, Collins, (1980s Cradley Penhall, Gundersen,Collins,Grahame, (ect) most teams had a in/out no1 and a decent couple of heatleaders.You are right of course there were some weaker riders sometimes to keep within the averages but there is always a place for a trier or a lower class rider who is inconsistent.Personally i believe that period that i named was stronger than it is today mainly because of the TOP CLASS riders now riding in Britain but it is only my OPINION.