Belle Vue 1972 or Cradley 1983.???

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, salty said:

Teromaa was signed during the 1979 season to replace Stevie B who was transferred to Birmingham after a major bust up with Dan McCormick. Ila only rode a couple of times in 79 as he was cup tied. The success of the team in 1979 meant that it fell foul of the points limit and Schwartz had to be loaned out. 

As for Sid's point about reserves, that was the price you paid for having a strong top 4 and why Dave Shields was so important in 1981. To be fair to Nigel Leaver and Paul Fry they came later when teams had to track a junior (if I remember correctly). 

I really liked Shields he was very important in the 1981 season Salty .Also  your point about Fryer and Nigel Leaver was spot on they both came in when they were learning there trade both made a really good fist of it and had good careers. Fryer (RIP ) was great value for Swindon in the PL a really exciting rider.

[steve roberts 9,242]

10 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

I really liked Shields he was very important in the 1981 season Salty .Also  your point about Fryer and Nigel Leaver was spot on they both came in when they were learning there trade both made a really good fist of it and had good careers. Fryer (RIP ) was great value for Swindon in the PL a really exciting rider.

David Shields was a revelation riding for Oxford in 1978. Scored a maximum in his first match for the "Cheetahs" in a challenge at Milton Keynes...I was there! Shame he didn't come back the following season. Together with John Hack made a formidable early season reserve pairing.

Edited July 15, 2020 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

First see Penhall ride with Bast at White City in 1977 and i would never of thought he would of become a world champion by 1981.His first visit to Swindon netted him seven points with a heat win and he did look classy see him quite alot at Dudley and he really mastered that circuit his beating of Nielsen there in the helmet was a masterclass.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

8 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

 

 

8 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

David Shields was a revelation riding for Oxford in 1978. Scored a maximum in his first match for the "Cheetahs" in a challenge at Milton Keynes...I was there! Shame he didn't come back the following season.

Remember going to a Oxford v Supporters select in 1978 ( Holloway scored 9) Shields got the lot he was really quick.If i remember rightly the future NLRC champion Wayne Brown rode also the veteran George Hunter as usual was as dependable as ever.

Edited July 15, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

15 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

David Shields was a revelation riding for Oxford in 1978. Scored a maximum in his first match for the "Cheetahs" in a challenge at Milton Keynes...I was there! Shame he didn't come back the following season. Together with John Hack made a formidable early season reserve pairing.

I didn't go to that meeting you mentioned 31- 43 to Oxford i went to the 39/39 draw later in the season Shields scored paid 15( max).

[steve roberts 9,242]

24 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

I didn't go to that meeting you mentioned 31- 43 to Oxford i went to the 39/39 draw later in the season Shields scored paid 15( max).

I was there too Sid!

Milton Keynes were our nearest rivals during our National League days and although not at the same level as Swindon & Reading we used to have some right humdingers with them!

I got to see the best of both worlds...White City and Oxford.

Edited July 15, 2020 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

I was there too Sid!

Milton Keynes were our nearest rivals during our National League days and although not at the same level as Swindon & Reading we used to have some right humdingers with them!

I got to see the best of both worlds...White City and Oxford.

The first meeting you went to  the 31-  43  contest Holloway scored five points from two rides then he broke a collarbone.Shields was different class in the 39 -39 draw i quite enjoyed my Groveway visits but sometimes the track was rough though.Milton Keynes when all fit and firing had a good top four Humphreys, Grahame, Harrison, Holloway but they were very rarely  all available to click on the same day. 

[steve roberts 9,242]

On 7/13/2020 at 4:43 PM, Grachan said:

I don't remember the exact story, but it was one of the follow ups. Chris Pusey in an exclusive interview, telling of how speedway was fixed.

If, as you say, he had an alcohol problem, then maybe there's a connection with that and him doing the story.

The Jiri Stancl one is actually quite an interesting one if you watch that final race and listen to Dave Lanning's commentary on how Penhall and Stancl seem to be "playing to the gallery".

 

I've just watched the race in question and personally I didn't see anything suspicious in it. Dave Lanning just adding his usual spin on things as was his wont...Stancl shaking hands with Penhall after the race but that's the norm when a rider wishes to be the first to congratulate a new champion.

[Grachan 7,314]

Another thing about Cradley 1983. Their no 8 was Simon Cross.

[Trotter65 57]

Cradley 83 was the best team I saw in all my years attending speedway... They were probably too good if you watched them every week though I would say... 

Didn't they lose Wigg, Grahame, Ravn and Pedersen to the points limit the following season ? 

The Ipswich side a good few years later was very good as well with the top 4 of Rickardsson, Gollob, Louis and Nicholls... I wasn't actually attending reguarly at the time but did travel to the odd meeting just to see that Ipswich line up..... 

But Cradley 83 for me was the best I have known 

 

[steve roberts 9,242]

I think that Oxford's side of 1986 was pretty special especially when the vastly under-rated Per Sorensen joined the side. One has to remember that this was during an era when a team had to declare a junior in the side therefore it's difficult comparing teams over any particular era when points limits/restrictions dictated the make-up of teams. Personally I would put Oxford top of the list as regards the team of the eighties winning three championships and many cups during seasons 1984 - 1989. One shouldn't forget the Newcastle side of 1976. it's funny that Division Two/National League sides tend to get forgotten about in these comparisons?

[salty 2,200]

Newcastle 1982? The year they got Joe Owen and Bobby Beaton on relatively low averages as they came down from Hull.

[Guest]

Ian Thomas was the master when it came to finding loopholes in the rule book. He managed to get both Joe Owen and Bobby Beaton from the defunct BL Hull (where he also promoted) on 7.50 averages, after first getting them registered as official Number 8’s for BL teams for the 1982 season.

Think he also managed to get Tom Owen’s average reduced as well after 2 injured ravaged seasons.

Think this gave them 5 heat leaders: Joe Owen, Rob Hunter, Bobby Beaton, Alan Emerson & Tom Owen. No wonder they romped away with the league!

Joe Owen rode 4 seasons for the Diamonds in the NL and his lowest average was 10.65..!

[waiheke1 4,295]

On 7/14/2020 at 4:08 AM, Bryce said:

After the way he beat Olsen and Knudsen that night, does anyone really think Penhall would have needed help to beat Stancl? I was more concerned that Carter would try to knock Bruce off his bike, and judging by the way he let Kenny go away from him for the win, Bruce was too.

Wrong final - Stancl "in incident" was in 82

[steve roberts 9,242]

14 hours ago, prodons said:

Ian Thomas was the master when it came to finding loopholes in the rule book. He managed to get both Joe Owen and Bobby Beaton from the defunct BL Hull (where he also promoted) on 7.50 averages, after first getting them registered as official Number 8’s for BL teams for the 1982 season.

Think he also managed to get Tom Owen’s average reduced as well after 2 injured ravaged seasons.

Think this gave them 5 heat leaders: Joe Owen, Rob Hunter, Bobby Beaton, Alan Emerson & Tom Owen. No wonder they romped away with the league!

Joe Owen rode 4 seasons for the Diamonds in the NL and his lowest average was 10.65..!

It's a shame that Ian Thomas wasn't able to install some sort of discipline into the Hull team of 1979 which resulted in Ivan not achieving a clean sweep of championship wins as he had done so with his other British clubs...wasn't so much Coventry winning the league that year but Hull losing it!