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On a similar note, what are ppls earliest memories of speedway at Brough Park, mine would be the reopening in 1975 my dad worked shift work so we could only go once every three weeks, I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. The Owen brothers Robbie blackadder Phil Michaelides Ron Henderson Tim swales, many a time I'd be chased out of the pits by Ivan the pits Marshall whilst looking for autographs.. If I remember rightly they had the telephone to the referee next to the start gate which made for a brilliant watch when Ian Thomas tried to reason with the ref lol

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1 hour ago, andys said:

On a similar note, what are ppls earliest memories of speedway at Brough Park, mine would be the reopening in 1975 my dad worked shift work so we could only go once every three weeks, I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. The Owen brothers Robbie blackadder Phil Michaelides Ron Henderson Tim swales, many a time I'd be chased out of the pits by Ivan the pits Marshall whilst looking for autographs.. If I remember rightly they had the telephone to the referee next to the start gate which made for a brilliant watch when Ian Thomas tried to reason with the ref lol

Ah, the oft refered to Pit Marshall. He was a bit of a character, forcefull in his way and no-one would tangle with him. Don't see people so strong minded these day, but would have loved to see Ivan as a Start Marshal. None of the fannying around gardening and pulling back, he would be looking straight to the ref wanting action against the worst offenders. Reasons you can't these do that these days is promoters don't want to upset their senior riders. Incidentally Ivan turned up at a Social evening at Gosforth SC last year, and had considerable shrunk and didn't look particularly well. I for one would wish him well and hope he is taken care of in these dangerous days.  

My first memory of Speedway is being taken to Brough when I was 6 in 1949. Was on the third bend kicking dirt, and my only real recollection is a rider in white leathers. Ken le Breton I think rode for Glasgow then, so they must have been the visitors as he has left Brough the previous year I believe. Then next  it was onto 1961 with a start with a  Diamonds select  team against Wolverhampton. 

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37 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

Ah, the oft refered to Pit Marshall. He was a bit of a character, forcefull in his way and no-one would tangle with him. Don't see people so strong minded these day, but would have loved to see Ivan as a Start Marshal. None of the fannying around gardening and pulling back, he would be looking straight to the ref wanting action against thrst offenderse wo. Reasons you can't these do hat these days is promoters don't want to upset their senior riders. Incidentally Ivan turned up at a Social evening at Gosforth SC last year and had considerable shrunk and didn't look particularly well. I for one would wish him well and hope he is taken care of in these dangerous days.  

My first memory of Speedway is being taken to Brough when I was 6 in 1949. Was on the third bend kicking dirt, and my only real recollection is a rider in white leathers. Ken le Breton I think rode for Glasgow then, so they must have been the visitors as he has left Brough the previous year I believe. Then next  it was onto 1961 with a start with a  Diamonds select  team against Wolverhampton. 

You can look all you like towards the ref, action very rarely happens.

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17 hours ago, bloom89 said:

During this pretty scary period nothing much is happening on the side of news in speedway, i'm just trying to keep speedway in people's minds if you like. I was thinking would people like to select there dream team 7 from any riders who have ridden for us until the current day? It might help pass a bit of time :D

I'll start I only started going to speedway in 97 when the diamonds re opened,

To be fair I thought with everyone stuck in the house under lock-down and with very little to do (as I point blank refuse to do any decorating whilst I am off) that the forum would have been on fire... but maybe folk have more serious stuff to worry about... as for a dream team there are teams through the ages I have watched at Brough that have had some exceptional riders in and I started going in 1968 (Credit to Auntie Norma and Uncle Doug!) and was lucky enough to see the late great Ivan Mauger in his last season for Newcastle and many other riders who excelled for Newcastle... (Cant get back as far as Tsunami though)(Kudos)

So not a 1 to 7 (unless you look at the first 7 on the list)... no... I am going to offer up the riders who I remember for a one off tournament and give 16 of my favourite riders who I would love to have seen going head to head around Brough.

1. Ivan Mauger (Although I didn't appreciate what I was watching at the time he was something else. The biggest memory wasn't his racing funnily enough but when he sat down in the middle of the track because he had been excluded and the place went mad)

2. Ole Olsen (My boyhood hero at the time and I watched him win the 1978 world final at Wembley and still have my rosette)

3. Anders Michanek (Although I cant really remember him being there for a full season; as much as I remember the previous two named above; however never mind Nicki Pedersen being a hard rider this guy could mix it up with the best of them)

4. Nicki Pedersen (another of my favourite riders "tough as old boots") (no not dirty and neither was Anders) (Hard :lol:)

5. Joe Owen (70's as a kid this bloke was sublime around Brough Park)

6. Tom Owen (Another tough guy)

7. Robert Lambert (Another talented rider)

8. Kenni Larsen

9. Rene Bach

10. Kenneth Bjerre 

11. Bjarne Pedersen

12. Richie Worrall

13. Steve Worrall

14. James Grieves

15. Danny King

16. Kenny Carter 

Not forgetting any of the under-card of supporting riders who all at some time or other offered memorable moments and just to mention a few who I can remember from the 60's Goog Allen; Allan Buterfield: Russ Dent: Dave Gifford: the 70's David Bargh: Robbie Blackadder: Neil Coddington: Nigel Crabtree: Andy and Martyn Cusworth: Robbie Gardner: Brian Havelock: Ron Henderson: Rod Hunter: Phil Kynman: Dag Lovas: Taffy Owen: Tim Swales: the 80's Bobby Beaton: Paul Bentley: Dave Blackburn: Keith Bloxsome: Alan Emerson: Eddie Ingels: Paul McHale: Dave Morton: Reg Wilson; the 90's Andre Compton;  Dickie Juul: David Nagel; Jesper Olsen; Stuart Robson; Gary Stead; the 00's Pepe Franc; Christian Henry; Jason King; Mark Lemon; Trent Leverington; Kevin Little; George Stancil; Davie Watt; and the 10's to date Tero Aarnio;  Lasse Bjerre; Matej Ferjan; Lewis Kerr; Matej Kus; Ludvig Lindgren; Claes Neddermark; Kyle Newman; Dakota North: Lewis Rose; Anton Rosen; Chris Schramm to name but  few who have provided some fantastic  entertainment over the years and the names above may not have been regular GP winners (or even won anything) but at times they have been world beaters and unbeatable around Brough providing some brilliant individual moments and this doesn't detract from any other rider who has rode for the Diamonds either.

That Ladies and Gentlemen has just about filled my day in and I can confirm my Programme Boxes (all 7 of them) and Speedway memorabilia (another 3 boxes) from the late 60's to date are now all tidied up; ship shape and put back away in the cupboard until the next time I get totally bored out of my brick.... I started this exercise as what I thought would be a good idea at 10:00 am this morning and only stopped for Pop Master with Ken Bruce at 10:30 am and a cuppa and a bite to eat for my lunch... After something like 6 hours (enjoyable graft and a bit of sneezing with the dust) its time for tea now as I am one hungry fat lad...

Regards
THJ
 

Edited by TotallyHonestJohn
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I would of mentioned Jason Lyons as he was a joy to watch in 2004 and was the highlight of a poor season.Very good read THJ.

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1 hour ago, soupy said:

I would of mentioned Jason Lyons as he was a joy to watch in 2004 and was the highlight of a poor season.Very good read THJ.

Great team man. When we used him as a regular guest he just got used to everything about Newcastle, and that was seen when so many supporters went down for his farewell meeting at Birmingham which was quite something. As it happened I think we had a league meeting at Sheffield the following night, so we all stayed over in the hotel that Jason had made his party centre. He was up all night and him, and Adam Scornicki were sat on the wall outside next morning very worse for wear. He was a great guy to work with, and we knew it was guaranteed he would be doing his best to try to win, not something that you get with some guests. On our Southern tour we were at Somerset on Friday and going to Rye House on the Saturday. We stayed, as usual, at a hotel on the road into Swindon. We got back before the riders, but when Jason walked in and, after getting his first pint, he found the Pizza menu and proceeded to ask everyone their choice and when they arrived, he paid for the lot. Being a good mechanic/tuner he always helped his new teammates doing the meeting. He loved being with his Newcastle fans and management. I wouldn't mind bet that he had similar experiences with other clubs whilst guesting.  

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34 minutes ago, soupy said:

I would of mentioned Jason Lyons as he was a joy to watch in 2004 and was the highlight of a poor season.Very good read THJ.

Honestly 

I thought I had him down....  two Jason's must have blind sided me... Lyons was suppose to follow King... doh... and to think his lovely Swedish partner used to stand with us that seson he guested at No1 each week at home.for us... also I think in that 2004 season he averaged around 10+...

You are spot on with that comment

Regards 

THJ 

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34 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

Great team man. When we used him as a regular guest he just got used to everything about Newcastle, and that was seen when so many supporters went down for his farewell meeting at Birmingham which was quite something. As it happened I think we had a league meeting at Sheffield the following night, so we all stayed over in the hotel that Jason had made his party centre. He was up all night and him, and possibly Shane Parker ? were sat on the wall outside next morning very worse for wear. He was a great guy to work with, and we knew it was guaranteed he would be doing his best to try to win, not something that you get with some guests. On our Southern tour we were at Somerset on Friday and going to Rye House on the Saturday. We stayed, as usual, at a hotel on the road into Swindon. We got back before the riders, but when Jason walked in and, after getting his first pint, he found the Pizza menu and proceeded to ask everyone their choice and when they arrived, he paid for the lot. Being a good mechanic/tuner he always helped his new teammates doing the meeting. He loved being with his Newcastle fans and management. I wouldn't mind bet that he had similar experiences with other clubs whilst guesting.  

I think his all-nighter was with Adam Scorniki..... 

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4 hours ago, Tsunami said:

My first memory of Speedway is being taken to Brough when I was 6 in 1949. Was on the third bend kicking dirt, and my only real recollection is a rider in white leathers. Ken le Breton I think rode for Glasgow then, so they must have been the visitors as he has left Brough the previous year I believe. Then next  it was onto 1961 with a start with a  Diamonds select  team against Wolverhampton. 

The late, great "White Ghost", tragically killed at Sydney Sports Ground in 1951. Rode for New Cross, Newcastle and Ashfield (Glasgow). Having been brought up on the large Australian tracks things did not go well for Ken at New Cross, hence the move to Newcastle who he moved with to Glasgow. I know my father thought he was very spectacular but I never saw him as I was not born until three and a half years after his death.

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I ain't got any memories of the speedway. Only ever ventured to Newcastle once and that was on the way back from Scotland with a group of pals. We stopped for a few drinks and a curry....never to return. But I did see a great piece about a Finnish woman who lived in Byker I think and took some great photos of the place

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6 hours ago, andys said:

On a similar note, what are ppls earliest memories of speedway at Brough Park, mine would be the reopening in 1975 my dad worked shift work so we could only go once every three weeks, I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. The Owen brothers Robbie blackadder Phil Michaelides Ron Henderson Tim swales, many a time I'd be chased out of the pits by Ivan the pits Marshall whilst looking for autographs.. If I remember rightly they had the telephone to the referee next to the start gate which made for a brilliant watch when Ian Thomas tried to reason with the ref lol

Not forgetting the 2nd halfers like robin Dixon & local lad mike watkin special times 

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1 hour ago, iris123 said:

I ain't got any memories of the speedway. Only ever ventured to Newcastle once and that was on the way back from Scotland with a group of pals. We stopped for a few drinks and a curry....never to return. But I did see a great piece about a Finnish woman who lived in Byker I think and took some great photos of the place

That could have been when the Byker Wall was being built. The snake like wall encased houses and the curves made little communities and some gardens. At the time the architecture was heavily criticised due to it's size and colour scheme, but most of the people who had lived in the previous streets, which were in long  parallel rows and down the hill, loved them. The foreign woman I think you met, became a Wall resident and took photos over the years of Byker life as well as the Wall and it's inhabitants. She published a book of these photographs, and one of those books is the reading matter in my opticians on Chillingham Road about half a mile away from the Wall.

 

 

 

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52 minutes ago, pienpeesman said:

Not forgetting the 2nd halfers like robin Dixon & local lad mike watkin special times 

Went to Sunday school, and in the same Boys Club as Mike. He was also in the training school before mine at C. A. Parsons. I went to the same school as Mike Hiftle, who was always a tearaway from Walkerville.

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5 hours ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

To be fair I thought with everyone stuck in the house under lock-down and with very little to do (as I point blank refuse to do any decorating whilst I am off) that the forum would have been on fire... but maybe folk have more serious stuff to worry about... as for a dream team there are teams through the ages I have watched at Brough that have had some exceptional riders in and I started going in 1968 (Credit to Auntie Norma and Uncle Doug!) and was lucky enough to see the late great Ivan Mauger in his last season for Newcastle and many other riders who excelled for Newcastle... (Cant get back as far as Tsunami though)(Kudos)

So not a 1 to 7 (unless you look at the first 7 on the list)... no... I am going to offer up the riders who I remember for a one off tournament and give 16 of my favourite riders who I would love to have seen going head to head around Brough.

1. Ivan Mauger (Although I didn't appreciate what I was watching at the time he was something else. The biggest memory wasn't his racing funnily enough but when he sat down in the middle of the track because he had been excluded and the place went mad)

2. Ole Olsen (My boyhood hero at the time and I watched him win the 1978 world final at Wembley and still have my rosette)

3. Anders Michanek (Although I cant really remember him being there for a full season; as much as I remember the previous two named above; however never mind Nicki Pedersen being a hard rider this guy could mix it up with the best of them)

4. Nicki Pedersen (another of my favourite riders "tough as old boots") (no not dirty and neither was Anders) (Hard :lol:)

5. Joe Owen (70's as a kid this bloke was sublime around Brough Park)

6. Tom Owen (Another tough guy)

7. Robert Lambert (Another talented rider)

8. Kenni Larsen

9. Rene Bach

10. Kenneth Bjerre 

11. Bjarne Pedersen

12. Richie Worrall

13. Steve Worrall

14. James Grieves

15. Danny King

16. Kenny Carter 

Not forgetting any of the under-card of supporting riders who all at some time or other offered memorable moments and just to mention a few who I can remember from the 60's Goog Allen; Allan Buterfield: Russ Dent: Dave Gifford: the 70's David Bargh: Robbie Blackadder: Neil Coddington: Nigel Crabtree: Andy and Martyn Cusworth: Robbie Gardner: Brian Havelock: Ron Henderson: Rod Hunter: Phil Kynman: Dag Lovas: Taffy Owen: Tim Swales: the 80's Bobby Beaton: Paul Bentley: Dave Blackburn: Keith Bloxsome: Alan Emerson: Eddie Ingels: Paul McHale: Dave Morton: Reg Wilson; the 90's Andre Compton;  Dickie Juul: David Nagel; Jesper Olsen; Stuart Robson; Gary Stead; the 00's Pepe Franc; Christian Henry; Jason King; Mark Lemon; Trent Leverington; Kevin Little; George Stancil; Davie Watt; and the 10's to date Tero Aarnio;  Lasse Bjerre; Matej Ferjan; Lewis Kerr; Matej Kus; Ludvig Lindgren; Claes Neddermark; Kyle Newman; Dakota North: Lewis Rose; Anton Rosen; Chris Schramm to name but  few who have provided some fantastic  entertainment over the years and the names above may not have been regular GP winners (or even won anything) but at times they have been world beaters and unbeatable around Brough providing some brilliant individual moments and this doesn't detract from any other rider who has rode for the Diamonds either.

That Ladies and Gentlemen has just about filled my day in and I can confirm my Programme Boxes (all 7 of them) and Speedway memorabilia (another 3 boxes) from the late 60's to date are now all tidied up; ship shape and put back away in the cupboard until the next time I get totally bored out of my brick.... I started this exercise as what I thought would be a good idea at 10:00 am this morning and only stopped for Pop Master with Ken Bruce at 10:30 am and a cuppa and a bite to eat for my lunch... After something like 6 hours (enjoyable graft and a bit of sneezing with the dust) its time for tea now as I am one hungry fat lad...

Regards
THJ
 

Those of us that were at Exeter will never forgive Davey Watt

and you must have Mad Max Schofield on the list

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My 1 to 7 

1. JOE OWEN 

2. TOM OWEN

3. JASON LYONS 

4. RENE BACH

5. KENNI LARSEN

6. DAVID BARGH 

7. ROBERT LAMBERT 

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