Wessex Wanderer

My team: Joe Thompson 9.11 Paul Bowen 4.56 Henry Atkins 7.24 Ace Pijper 6.90 Lee Complin 7.27 Vinnie Foord 3.85 Luke Killeen 3.00 Total 41.93

Bit chaotic at times but enjoyable all the same. Strong reminder how useful helmet colours are. Never really thought much about that before. agree young Cairns looked very good.

One of Lew Coffins trainees. He won the Weymouth Speedway Training School Championship in about 1970 before embarking on an excellent career as listed by Racers and Royals. In his later spells at Weymouth he was always a very good heat leader and definitely the best team rider we ever had. One night at Workington our two reserves got beat for a 5-1 in heat two but each of them came out in their next ride as Brian’s partner and he somehow got them out in front and then blocked all attempts by the home pair to get past. A Weymouth 5-1 each time. And that was a verY strong Comet’s team at the time. RIP Brian and thanks for (usually spectacular) memories.

Good post Dean. I have watched a lot of telly Speedway this season and I reckon this meeting was the most enjoyable of the lot. But then I am a fan of Speedway RACING and we usually get that in abundance at Belle Vue. The moans about “we need a couple more riders” etc I find very boring. They should try living without their team due to closure. It is 100 times worse. In these days any fans whose track is still open should count themselves very lucky and stop bellyaching. great meeting, more of the same please. oh yes, one more plus - the complete absence of that bloody helmet cam which is and always has been a real pain in the ass

OK now

Mine still ain’t going

Why the hell have they brought helmet cam back. It has always been a pain in the ass and has stopped viewers seeing what sounded like very good racing.

Such a shock and so sad. Thanks Steve for giving this to a wider group of people for you are right, Bob was first and foremost a Speedway fan rather than a fan of specific tracks. He enjoyed Speedway at all levels. I have stood with him at the very top level right down to the training schools run by Lew Coffin at Weymouth and he always enjoyed them all equally. When the consortium ran Weymouth there were major changes in the local press with the result that none of the new reporters had any idea about what Speedway was. Bob readily stepped in to give them guidance at our meetings and a first class job he made of it. Partway through the season he quietly said that the regular reporters were now sufficiently knowledgeable to no longer need his help. That was Bob. No fuss just quietly going about whatever he could do to help Speedway. RIP Bob. It was always a pleasure to know you and I am proud to have called you friend PS. Just couldn’t resist one more mention of “Parrots”. Your tolerance of Wessex Boy and my “sense of humour* was always appreciated.

Good luck for tonight and the rest of the season.

Second hand knowledge perhaps but I would like to comment on the Fundin v Craven question. (The best ever and my favourite ever respectively by the way. ) Years ago I got talking to an old timer who had followed Norwich regularly right from the opening of the track. He was of the opinion that Ove had more difficulty beating Peter than any other rider of the time. He didn’t mean Peter was the better rider but just that he gave the great Ove consistently more trouble than anyone else. love these conversations

Sad news. A real stalwart of the sport over an incredibly long time. Always a star man who gave his all for his impressive number of clubs. Somehow I always envisage him wearing the number one race jacket and stamping his presence on a meeting from the very start. A true legend. RIP Olle

Sad news. Was at Lew Coffin’s Weymouth Training School 70-71ish and was a big character from day 1. Good career and never changed from being a friendly and approachable guy who was always ready for a chat. Finished as runner up to Brian Woodward in one of the annual Training School Trophies. RIP Pete

Very sad news. I also remember the Rybnik visit to Poole in 1965. Relatively unknown riders making a sensational impact on a very large crowd. Great days. RIP Pogo.

Thanks for that Grachan I seemed to remember him being unbeaten in a major international meeting but was not sure which one!

Sorry to hear this. A very good rider who was vastly underrated in some quarters. World Champion and good international rider (including 18 point max in one World Class meeting - World Pairs?). R I P Jerzy