Issue 96 - Jeremy Doncaster, Rain-offs, Hackney v Wimbledon rivalry, Golden Gauntlets, Alan Sage, etc

[TonyMac 720]

Issue 96 is out now and here's a small taste of the feast of nostalgia inside . . .

 

JEREMY DONCASTER: Life & Times

Continuing our new series of in-depth timeline profiles, ROB PEASLEY chronicles the career of the former England, Ipswich and Reading No.1 who successfully made the leap from grasstrack to top flight British League racing in the early 80s.

 

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

Is there another summertime spectator sport in Britain more susceptible to the weather than speedway? In this comprehensive and revealing study, DOUG NICOLSON examines the costly issue of rain-offs during the Backtrack era, from 1970 to 1989. Which clubs had the most/least postponements? What were the wettest/driest months and seasons? Which unlucky club endured 12 meetings in one summer? And which lucky venue went four consecutive years without a single wash-out? All these questions and many more are answered in this fascinating, in-depth analysis.

 

BIG NIGHTS: Golden Gauntlets

PHIL CHARD continues to review some of British speedway's most prestigious individual meetings. This time he is back in Leicester to re-visit the annual Blackbird Road classic. Past winners of the 11 Golden Gauntlets, introduced in 1972, include hat-trick hero Scott Autrey, plus Ole Olsen, Anders Michanek, John Boulger, John Louis, Peter Collins, Phil Crump, Tommy Knudsen and Kenny Carter.

 

TRACK RIVALRIES: Hackney v Wimbledon
Reviewing club rivalries, ROB PEASLEY recalls classic matches between London's last two teams. With quotes from Dons' Terry Mussett and Kestrels' Paul Whittaker, match winners and other key men included Ronnie Moore, Jim Tebby, Gary Everett, Garry Middleton, Trevor Hedge, Tommy Jansson, Bo Petersen, Zenon Plech. And from the National Leaghue era, Trevor Banks, Paul Bosley, Mike Ferreira, Jamie Luckhurst, Andy Galvin, Todd Wiltshire, Kevin Jolly, Garry Rolls.

 

BACKCHAT

MARTIN ROGERS answers readers' questions on . . . riders' averages and whether any of his team members gave their personal figures undue attention; merits of the Anglia and Central Junior League; his England and Rest of the World 'Dream Teams' of the 70s; and the three speedway people (living or deceased) he would invite to dinner.

 

ALAN SAGE: Exclusive interview

By a very fortunate twist of fate, Alan Sage turned down an invite to join West Ham's tour that left six people dead. In this new interview with ANDREW SKEELS, the former Hammer and Crayford star reveals the full story behind his lucky Lokeren escape.

 

THAT NAME RINGS A BELL: King's Lynn

Whatever became of them, all the ex-riders who had second-half races, junior matches or interval spins in the 70s and 80s at . . . KING'S LYNN? In this memory-jogger, we list all those budding one-time Saddlebow Road hopefuls, who ranged from a future World Champion to obscure novices, who can at least look back and proclaim: "I had a go!"

 

Plus . . . brief obits on Roman Matousek, Doug Templeton, Mike Raymond, Darrell Mason and Ken Archer.

 

 Although we no longer sell single issues, if you wish to take out a new subscription now at www.retro-speedway.com, then just ask Susie to commence it with this issue 96 (97 has just been published).

Edited April 17, 2020 by TonyMac