Strange, But True

[Ian 24]

ian

 

Of course you can use them.

My day at Edinburgh always used to start with a visit to Princes Street, game of putt beside the station, more walking along Princes Street then late tea in Woolies cafe where the pillars were covered in different tartans. Being a Campbell on both side we always looked for that one. Off to Old Meadowbank to sit in the main stand and try to avoid being beside, or getting into an argument with, that mother and son who used to abide there. After exchanging 'pleasantries' with some home fans it was off to the chip shop just up from the stadium or down to the sitin chip shop in Mussleborough. 2 hours later home and to bed. Great days.

BTW Mike Watkin was at Sunday School and in the same boys club as me. We both worked for Parsons as apprentices and he married a girl I was at school with. Spoke to him in about February and he is now a Swimming coach at a Middlesex Swimming Club. He was a county swimmer as was Paul Bentley.

 

I would be delighted if you could make it to Brough next year and I will show you around the joint and have a pint. Either that or I could see you at Armadale.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks Tsunami - I'll post your stuff.

 

Tea at Woolies, eh? I hadn't realised you were THAT much of a bon viveur!

 

I'll look forward tp meeting up with you next season.

[SwineTown 4]

This thread is great reading.

[SCB 0]

Must have saved a fortune in petrol costs.  Shame you wouldn't see that happening nowadays!

Reading did the Northern tour by bus/coach in 2001.

[Killer Cat from Mars 16]

I don't know whether this is the right category for this - but I remember Peter Collins and Peter Carr being on a 5-1 at the old Hyde Road stadium in the mid-1980's, and Peter Carr lost control of his bike, and looked like he was going to come off. Pete Collins rode alongside him, steadied him, and they duly completed the 5-1. Any other fans remember this?

[moxey63 1,785]

Hawk

I think that incident by the two PCs happened at Exeter in 1984.

[colin 0]

This thread is great reading.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thoroughly agree, hope it can continue!

Colin..

[Tsunami 10,219]

Details might be wrong but the event is true.

 

Ian Thomas and Brian Larner used to be joint promoters at Newcastle in late 70's early 80's. At each home meeting they took it in turn to drop the other one off at Wetherby and the dropped off one had to make his own way to Newcastle within a certain time. Bets on.

 

[dump that clutch 630]

i remember my father taking the family to eastville for the grand opening of Bristol Bulldogs. It was an individual meeting and a rider that rode in the meeting prepared the track, Ed Stangland, if my memory serves me correct, he duely went out in his first heat, hit a pot hole and broke his leg!!!!!!

[Killer Cat from Mars 16]

Hawk

I think that incident by the two PCs happened at Exeter in 1984.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cheers Moxey, I could remember the event, but was a bit vague to where it took place. Ah, 1984 was a great season for Belle Vue until right at the end when we came second in everything!!

[BobC 664]

In 1987,I was staying in Edinburgh,and had arranged to travel on the Monarchs coach.They were riding at Workington(Glasgow in disguise),on the Friday,at Berwick on the Saturday,and at home to Workington on the Sunday.

 

On the way to Workington,we had to stop and pick up someone.It turned out to be a Glasgow official,who had the flags and starting gate for that nights meeting!!

 

We were running a bit late,and only arrived at the stadium at 7.15!

 

The following night,we were almost at Berwick,when we heard it was rained off.One of the local hostelries made a coach load of fans extremley welcome.

 

An easy home win on the Sunday (50pts plus,I think),where I won a prize in the Steve Lawson testimonial table raffle.

 

I was made to feel very welcome by everyone,and have not drunk so much whiskey since!

Edited December 10, 2005 by BobC

[tarabanko 5]

Old stories is great to read, let em coming.

[sandman 0]

seem to remember a story of a russian ice racer, early 80's? in a world championship round, he went into turn one got out of shape, spiked himself, went from first to last then back to first which is where he finished.. got back into the pits and passed out from loss of blood.

[lawman 0]

I remember back in 1974 Long Eaton did all the distance matches in a coach. A local firm called Boydens took the front 10 pairs of seats out and bolted rings to the seat brackets to fasten the bikes to. When we went to the old Weymouth we stopped at a services on the way back and the driver could not restart the coach so we all bailed out and pushed it 200yrds plus to bump start it. On another trip we went to one of the Glasgow tracks and the driver parked it on the top of the banking as it was raining and the Long Eaton supporters watched from the coach. When the meeting was over everyone was loaded into the bus with the bikes when suddenly the bus started to sink into the bank and if it wasn't for a quick thinking tractor driver we would have ended up like the coach in the Italian Job. Happy Days. (We lost)

Edited January 9, 2006 by lawman

[father jack 31]

I'm not sure about this one, but I think I can remember in a match at Newports old Somerton Park track, circumstances prevailed that a rider was excluded from the same race twice ! Cant recall who it was , who he rode for or how it happend. Maybe some one can shed some light.

Edited January 10, 2006 by father jack

[rusky 113]

Remember being at Newcastle in the very early eighties with Getingarna, in an early season challenge match (Getingarna being Anders Michanek, Tommy Nilsson, Rickard Hellsen, P.O. Gudmundsson, a very Young Jimmy Nilsen, a very young Per Jonsson amongst others, at that time). The match was going quite well, but it was a little cold, and then it started to snow. Needless to they stopped the racing whilst it was snowing. After a while it stopped, but there was now a fair covering of snow. There was a bit of a discussion, and Mich decided that the answer was to get a track rake (remember them anybody ? ) and scrape a line the width of the rake, around the white line, and at the bottom of the boards. This left a strip of snow in the middle of 2, 1M wide brown strips. Racing started again and the remaining heats were completed.

The snow started coming down again shortly after the end, and the visitors had a real interesting drive back to their UK base in King's Lynn, and from what I remember the rest of their meetings went OK, as did all of their pre-(Swedish) season training at King's Lynn