Grachan

I think that for a while Nielsen knew he was the best in the world and it got to him. He over-rode in a few finals and it cost him. He was even guilty of it when winning his first title and was lucky to get away with it. I think a GP would have enabled him to settle a but, although Gundersen might have been the master of the GP when they had the KO system instead of regular heats. It's weird to say it for a 4 time World Champion, but I think he under achieved. I've never seen a rider anywhere near as good a Nielsen. He should have been the undisputed greatest of all time.

I remember that, too. I never heard of him other than for that.

Bob definitely held the track record at Exeter at one time. I remember him being in The Guinness Book of Records as the fastest speedway rider - which was always the Exeter track record holder.

See, you're just being silly now.

That was in KO Cup matches I believe. It also left him free towards the end of the meeting to be used as a TS if needed.

Depends who the team manager was. I always thought that using a number one in heat 8 was a waste of a tactical considering you had 2 other heatleaders available that could possibly win that heat. You could then save the number one for later if required in a more difficult heat. A lot of team managers never thought that way, though, and stuck the number one out in heat 8 regardless. Maybe the number ones demanded it!

I remember that. And a food bar in the stand at the back straight.

If we can, by any means, get some sort of league going this year then just have it at that. If it is possible then we need to at least see a winner this year, in my opinion.

I would think the most we are likely to get this year is the Supporters Cup and a few Challenges. I don't see the point of splitting the season, and clubs are without key riders this year so it would be unfair on those sides. Just make the most of what we have this year and start again next year with the same 1-7s as much as possible.

I particularly remember when a 16 year old Mel Taylor came onto the scene. There was a lot of talk of him being a star of the future.

I'm pretty sure I remember Jimmy Nilsen beating him a couple of times. I remember the Carl Blackbird meeting. Didn't he beat Hans more than once? A remarkable meeting for Carl. It shows how good Hans was, though, when you remember times he was actually beaten.

Hans Nielsen is the only rider I know of to manage a perfect 12.00 league average away from home during an entire season. He dropped a few races at home, though, bless him. It was 1986. He finished with a league average of 11.83. From what I remember, that year there was a small league and the League Cup took up half the season. His average in that was lower so it drops below Ivan's. In league alone, though, I'm pretty sure Hans in 1986 wins it.

It wasn't one that built up 4 levels with a hole in each level was it? That's what I had.

Most of my riders tended to get 5 or 6 points!

When I was young I used to make up pretend matches by rolling red, blue, white and yellow marbles down a shute. Who knows? If there is no trsce of this match maybe somebody was also playing marble speedway in 1948.