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Sidney the robin

Memories good and bad.!!

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Good 

Glasgow's Shawfield years and the 93 and 94 double winning sides 

Beating Edinburgh in the 1994 KO Cup final 

1992 Inter league cup Glasgow 46 Cradley 44 , Shawfield was rocking that night .

2011 Leicester 28 Glasgow 62 , never seen a Tigers away performance so dominant 

Being at Cardiff in 2007 when Bomber came from last to first to win the GP , I thought the noise was going to lift the roof off . 

Bad 

1987 having to travel to Workington for home meetings , I really thought time was up for us then 

Watching us getting pumped regular at Edinburgh on their little trick track 

Shawfield closing 

The total incompetence of the sport's governing body in this country 

Travelling miles for a rain off 

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Good

1. That first meeting at a dark, damp Dudley Wood at the end of the 1968 season. Hooked straight away.

2. Becoming a Dudley Wood regular from the start of the 1969 season. Getting a first hero in Bernie Persson

3. Bernie getting so close to winning the World Title in 1972.

4. Cradley winning their first league title at Eastbourne in 1981. Hitched down from London, but was able to get a lift back on the supporters coach. 

5. Late 80's at Wimbledon. Having moved to London 10 years before I became a Plough Lane regular but really enjoyed the Russell Lanning seasons with the "Montine" Dons.

 

Bad

1. The riders who lost their lives or suffered life changing injuries. 

2. Dudley Wood closing - and the subsequent loss of the legal battle with the loathsome Barratts.

3. Wimbledon closing - even though I'm long gone from London, watching the decline of the stadium under the stewardship of Luke Johnson and his money grabbing venture capitalists has been very sad.

4. Erik's accident at Bradford.

5. Watching the slow decline of the sport in the UK.

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Good stuff

First meeting Cradley v Swindon 1970

Second Meeting Cradley v Hackney the following week. Heathens' fans stoning Garry Middleton's Mercedes when he tried to leave early

First meeting at Perry Barr 1971

Arthur Browning's max in his first meeting for Brum in 1972

Mal Corradine riding in a plaster cast 1972

Mick Hines in 1973

The double in 1974, Just the team, fantastic bunch, brilliant times

NNL champs in 75, sponsored walk (pub crawl) for Keith White

1978, Czech touring team at Stoke, utterly bonkers! First time I saw Zdenek Kudrna race.

1980, Zdenek joins Brum, fantastic. My ultimate sporting hero

1981 KOC final, ran Ipswich close with a rag tag and bobtail team

Last World Final at Wembley, a great occasion, even though Penhall won (joking)

1982 Zdenek returns to Brummies.

The sheer joy of watching Jason Lyons in action

Bad times

The debacle of Brum's debut year in GOBL 1976. 

Chris Morton fencing Alan Grahame. We knew.

Losing Zdenek in 1982, a real low point both personally and for the club

Finishing at the Ladbroke in 1983

The reality of the Wheels stadium, not good. Decent racing in 85, but in 86, well........

Seeing Joey Owen seriously injured 1985

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9 hours ago, OGT said:

Good stuff

First meeting Cradley v Swindon 1970

Second Meeting Cradley v Hackney the following week. Heathens' fans stoning Garry Middleton's Mercedes when he tried to leave early

First meeting at Perry Barr 1971

Arthur Browning's max in his first meeting for Brum in 1972

Mal Corradine riding in a plaster cast 1972

Mick Hines in 1973

The double in 1974, Just the team, fantastic bunch, brilliant times

NNL champs in 75, sponsored walk (pub crawl) for Keith White

1978, Czech touring team at Stoke, utterly bonkers! First time I saw Zdenek Kudrna race.

1980, Zdenek joins Brum, fantastic. My ultimate sporting hero

1981 KOC final, ran Ipswich close with a rag tag and bobtail team

Last World Final at Wembley, a great occasion, even though Penhall won (joking)

1982 Zdenek returns to Brummies.

The sheer joy of watching Jason Lyons in action

Bad times

The debacle of Brum's debut year in GOBL 1976. 

Chris Morton fencing Alan Grahame. We knew.

Losing Zdenek in 1982, a real low point both personally and for the club

Finishing at the Ladbroke in 1983

The reality of the Wheels stadium, not good. Decent racing in 85, but in 86, well........

Seeing Joey Owen seriously injured 1985

Zdenek did they used to call him Kermit? he was one exciting rider  i can remember on a cold i think it was a November? night at the Abbey 1979 the track was dodgy but he gave it everything he was great value.

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Yes Sid, it was Kermit because of his green leathers. An exciting little rider to watch, always gave 100%. I recall him being thrown out of the 4TT finals at Monmore in 1980 due to successive first bend "incidents".

At the final meeting of the Brummies' 1980 season, there was a demonstration of MX bikes in the interval. Zdenek promptly slung his leg over one and proceeded to wheelie it round the track, taking the corners speedway style, firstly the right way around and then the opposite way, still broadsiding it perfectly. A proper character and sadly missed.

RIP ZK.

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Good Memories:

Started going speedway in 1982 to Rye House and then loved going to Ipswich in around 1984 and seeing the 'big names'

After my uncle sponsored a 14 year old at Hackney , then seeing that 14 year old progress into the 2000 World Champion and travelling with Marks family to go to big meetings.

My first British Final in 1990 (Marks first one)

Commenwealth Final 1994 and Semi Final at Bradford 1994 great atmospheres

World Final the only 1 day one i went to in 1994 at Vojens.

 

Bad Memories:

Being at Hackney the night Paul Muchene had his accident.just a simple slide off abut into the path of the incoming Nick Floyd who had nowhere to go. Then David Steen who we were good friends with coming over to us to tell us he looked like he wouldnt make it, horrible night.

Watching Mick Poole at Peterborough and Lee Richardson at Coventry fence Mark Loram.

And a weird one was being at Coventry for the British Final and hearing about the death of Senna

Being at a grasstrack meeting and hearing about Erik Gundersens bad accident

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Good:

Speedway opening in Sunderland in 1964.

Speedway opening in Sunderland in 1970.

The Racing.

The excitement.

The spectacle.

The friendships formed between Supporters.

Friendly banter.

 

Bad: 

Speedway closing in Sunderland in 1964. (After only NINE Meetings).

Speedway closing in Sunderland in 1974.

Barry Briggs being T-Boned by Bernt Persson in 1972. I had gone there supporting 'Briggo' and am sure he would have won without Persson's antics.

Having to endure Double Points, which made me quit the Sport for a while.

Inconsistent Refereeing decisions.

Riders not returning to the Tapes immediately following a false Start.

Unfriendly banter.

Fatalities and Injuries.

Gardening.

Rule bending by some Promoters.

 

 

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On ‎11‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 8:34 AM, steve roberts said:

Another good thread Sid!

Best memories?

1. My very first meeting at Cowley (1972 vs. Coventry)

2. White City winning at Wolves in 1977 thereby winning the league.

3. Oxford vs. Ipswich (KOC Final Second Leg). Best ever meeting at Cowley during my time in my opinion.

4. Hans Nielsen winning the World Championship in 1986 at Katowice...I was there!

5. Oxford hammering the enemy (Swindon 'Budgies') at 'The Abbey' in 1986.

Worse memories?

1. Any deaths at speedway (thankfully I was never present at any meeting when a rider was killed) but they all left a profound effect on me.

2. Travelling a great distance to be met with a postponement announcement.

3. The demise of the second half...used to have some great second halves at Cowley during 'The Rebels' era.

4. The closure of White City and Oxford as speedway venues.

5. Seeing the sport decline in popularity and I can't see it being reversed.

Best Memories

1 Tomasz Gollob, I feel so privileged to have watche Tomasz all over Poland, NEVER EVER seen anyone that could turn so late into a corner, yet not scrub speed off. shear genius.

2 Mauger for his shear professionalism

3 Olsen for me was like a ballerina on a bike, so exciting to watch

4 Kenny Carter for his true grit RIP

5 Coatbridge speedway, such a fast banked track

 

Worse Memories

1 Moaning whining complaining Aussies

2 Defunct tracks

3 BSPA and Buster Chapan

4 The price of beer at Peterborough Speedway!!

5 Rained off meetings

 

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The Good

1. Wembley 81. What a night.

2. Cradley's 83 team. Sheer class from top to bottom.

3. Galvin, Schofield, Whittaker et al blasting around Waterden Road.

4. The Grahame brothers coming 1st and 2nd in the British Final.

5. Little Jan O becoming World Champion.

 

The Bad

1. Lee Richardson being killed. (And indeed all other fatal or life changing injuires, but Rico's death hit me hardest.)

2. The truly stupid numbers of guests in the last few years.

3. Cradley losing out on the title after Penhall quit in 82.

4. Cradley and Hackney closing down.

5. The lack of respect for paying supporters routinely shown by the people running the sport at both national and local level.

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Good

newport 1975 team and travelling around following them

1975 again thumping Swindon 

1997 Newport reopening 

1999 thumping Swindon in trophy semi finals 

Gote Nordin winning Internationale

blrc at Bellevue in 60s & 70s funfair included & 72,75,78 finals @ wembley

 

bad

 

newport closing 1977

newport closing again!

demise of stadium 

Getting beaten up at cradley in seventies 

current state of speedway

Lawrence hare crash at Newport 

 

 

 

Edited by longlivefrankie
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Good

1.) My old man taking me to Wembley and West ham for league racing on a regular basis.

2.) My four all time speedway heroes. Olle nygren, Ronnie Moore, Christer lofqvist & Tommy Jansson.

3.) Speedway every night of the week in the south east

4.) England v USA at Wimbledon in 1980. My best ever meeting.

5.) Seeing peter Collins and Chris Morton win the world pairs final at Lonigo in 1984.

Bad

1.) Tommy Jansson's death in 1976. The last of my speedway heroes.

2.) The demise of speedway in London.

3.) Being present at three fatal speedway crashes.

4.) The closure of wimbledon speedway twice in 1991 & 2005.

5.) The immnent demolition of Wimbledon stadium. The flame will finally go out for my beloved Dons.

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Good:

1983 England v USA, Test Decider, Sheffield - glorious weather, glorious racing

1989 Exeter v Berwick KO Cup two legged epic that had to be replayed

1994 Edinburgh v Glasgow, KO Cup Final - Les Collins last bend win kicked off a great night's racing

2007 British GP, Chris Harris's unforgettable win

2011 Torun GP, just a brilliant meeting and a rare reminder that at its best, no other sport can match it

Bad:

around 2010 onwards, any league meeting I have been to has left me pretty underwhelmed

1982 - Cradley win KO Cup at Hyde Road, when you are 8, these things really, really matter

Kenny Carter death...a huge, tragic shock

Closure of Hyde Road

Per Jonsson career-ending injury - I thought he was a huge talent and his best years were still to come

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Good:

1964, GB v USSR at Brandon, preceded by Golden Helmet Match Race, Nigel Boocock beat Ove Fundin

1970 World Final, Wroclaw - hearing National Anthem played for Ivan Mauger's victory

Consistently high standard of racing on well-prepared Blackbird Road track

Whit Monday trips to FIM Internationale meetings at Plough Lane

Charles Ochiltree, Nigel Boocock, Allen Walker, and all who made Saturday nights at Brandon so memorable

Bad

All track fatalities - Lee Richardson's hurt so much

The terrible crash involving Les Owen and John Harrhy, and seeing the long-term effects on both men first hand

Coventry Stadium 2017/18

The tragedies of Billy Sanders and Kenny Carter

Speedway GP and its detrimental effects on British speedway

Edited by Midland Red
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Best 5

1) Being introduces to the sport in 1980 and my first Speedway Hero, Paul Woods

2) Watching Barry Thomas at Crayford - even more spectacular than at Hackney

3) Wembley 1981 - although i had no idea it would be the one and only time there

4) Hackney 1988 - all of it

5) Mark Loram winning the world title in 2000

 

Worst 6

1) Leif Wahlmann Kings Lynn 1984 - RIP

2) Paul Muchene Hackney 1989 - RIP

3) Hackney 1991 - watching a great club disintigrate before your very eyes

4) Melvyn Stewkesbury's grand plan for speedway 1991 - OK for Poole but destroyed the National League - it hasn't been the same since

5 All the promotors and administrators who have let our great sport die over the last 40 years through self interest, petty bickering or plain incompetence

6 That utter ******* at Poole in 1994 who did over £1,000 of damage to my motorbike and buggered off without leaving  insurance details. I know it was over 30 years ago but i hope you're still out there because one of my bucket list before i die things is to find you and get even with you you .............

 

 

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