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salty

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Posts posted by salty

  1. Posted · Edited by salty

    1 hour ago, Grand Central said:

    Today, of course, riders provide their own helmet colours and can have them bespoke fitted to their helmet and securely fastened. In the GPs most have 4 helmets in the appropriate colour.

    But back in the seventies the helmet covers are provided by the track ... Many were in a very poor state of repair, tattered and loose fitting with knicker-elastic that would do Nora Batty proud. That why Olsen felt he had a right to moan about 'his' not being fit for purpose.

    Funnily enough I watched some footage of the 1982 Overseas Final the other day and was struck by how many helmet colours were off within a lap or two. 

    One of the things that have improved over the years.

  2. Posted

    I remember when K's were located at Richmond Road before they moved to Kingsmeadow, which incidentally used to be Norbiton Sports ground. Ironically I used to play there and we lost it as our pitch when the K's took over the site. 

    Dont know the full details but it does appear they have been shafted.

    As for Plough Lane I'm glad the football team are back home, just a shame it's took so long and it has been at the expense of the dog track. Plenty of villains in this story not least RCP who have presided over so many stadium sales as owners of the GRA.

  3. Posted · Edited by salty

    11 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

    Last time I was in London, it looked like Sportspages had closed down, was it a victim of the internet and wikipaedia do you think? Has it ever reopened?

    Sportspages closed its doors in London about 15 years ago. The one in Manchester, I believe closed following the Arndale bomb. 

    Pretty sure the shop owner John Gaustad passed away a couple of years ago.

    I spent many an hour browsing away in the shop in London. 

    Edit. Just checked my copy of "Speedway in London", which was purchased from Sportspages, and indeed it is autographed by Mark Loram.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted · Edited by salty

    3 hours ago, compost said:

    I'm sure I've seen somewhere an individual meeting which needed a 5 rider run-off to determine the winner. They all scored 10 points.  Just don't recall the event sadly (advancing age).

    Think it was at Kings Lynn? 

    Just checked - the Dow Diamond Trophy at the start if 1975 ended with 5 riders tied on 12 points.

    4 man run off with Jim McMillan eliminated on fastest times. Except they made a mistake on the times (which was only realised after the run-off) and John Louis, who won the run-off, should have been the one placed 5th. Matters righted by a wee bit extra in Jimmy Mac's pay packet.

  5. Posted

    1 hour ago, BOBBATH said:

    Speedway Researcher-what a wonderful site and many thanks  to the folks who run it. I took Chunky's advice and looked up Wolves  v. Newport on 8 October 1965 (my birthday -no need to send a card!!!) what a birthday present to a Wasps fan!! Here's the deal- all of the Wolves scored a max. Andrews, Sweetman, Francis, Airey,  Jarman and Maxted. Guasco only man out-but even Gord had a paid maximum-four seconds. BTW I know what has happened  in later years to all the Wolves riders except Brian Maxted-anybody have any update on Brian

     BTW Wasps bounced back from that awful defeat by beating CH 35-43 a week or so later (only their second away win of that season

    They can't all have got maximums? 

    Just checked - Airey got beat by Alby Golden in heat 2.

    when Cradley won 64-14 it was none other than Gundersen who missed out. Airey and Gundersen - what's the odds?

  6. Posted

    My first Speedway hero. 1969 was my first full season and Bernie quickly became the darling of Dudley Wood following his arrival from Coatbridge. 

    His Cradley career sadly petered out in a plethora of missed meetings, but in the early 70's our Bernie was, for us, the greatest. So close to winning at Wembley in 1972.

    RIP

    • Like 1

  8. Posted · Edited by salty

    23 hours ago, bruno said:

    Another week and no star again, obviously a local issue. I don't do complaining but after working for the Post Office for 38 years and the last 19 years of that as a postie maybe it's time I did. Seems obvious that since the star went to see thru packaging it's made a difference. But as Phillip says first class is first class

    The packaging is definitely the issue I reckon. I subscribe to a monthly Music Mag that has been consistently late by up to 2 weeks in recent months. Changed from clear packaging to paper this month and arrived on time.

  9. Posted

    Looking forward to reading Triggy's account of that night at Cradley. I was there as a wide eyed 7 year old, but standing on the second bend was obviously unaware of the gun incident. For the onlooking crowd the abiding memory of the night was Mike Gardner whacking Middleton on the head with his crash helmet following an incident near the end of the meeting, after which the nearest anyone in the crowd got to seeing Middleton was a blanket in the back of a car as it inched out of the stadium. 

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    16 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

    I think this may have got mixed up with my Wally Loak thread-but here goes. My most hated  but respected  (along with the Newport crowd) was Ivor Brown- he was the most hated visitor to Newport In Prov. League days-because he was so good, always smartly turned out-he would be booked for second halves just to get the crowd wound up. Hard rider indeed , but off track was the nicest and  most mild mannered gentleman. It was a dam shame when he got injured early in 1965. I always think of Ivor as the epitome of our wonderful sport- I can still see him in my mind's eye-what a great bloke. And a wonderful advert for speedway in his era.

    Sadly I didn't start going to Cradley until the end of the 1968 season, by which time Ivor was injured prior to his retirement. So I never got to see him ride.

    I guess the major hate figure for any young Heathen at the start of the 70's was Ole. I suppose as a young kid we were very black and white so it was probably more hate than respect. Not only did he ride for Wolves, but he was bloody good. The local paper also never seemed to miss an opportunity to sing his praises, whilst our Bernie was never given the same plaudits - or so I felt at the time.

    By the time the Penhall/Carter rivalry came around I was a bit older and never really bought into it. In fact I quite liked Kenny.

    In later years I probably like to see riders like Pedersen and latterly Lindgren get their comeuppance, but that's a long way from hate.

     

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    I remember that feature, Steve, I'll have to dig it out. Having said that, it is just opinion. I think Ivan would have probably bagged more titles in the early 70's, but that would be counterbalanced by possibly not winning in '77 and'79? But who knows, riders tailored their approach to the format that was in place at the time and we'll never know how it would have looked under a GP system.

     

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    56 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

    If I recall their collective team average was too high and they off loaded Bobby Schwartz to Reading prior to the 1980 season and complicated things when they signed Ila Teromaa and had to declare two juniors at reserve?

    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). 

  18. Posted

    3 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

    That side cannot be that far behind the 83 side Steve ? what a squad of riders they had. Penhall, Erik, Phil, Alan, Kristian, Steve,Boogaloo, Dave Perks, John Hack, Les Rumsey..

    They certainly were a strong side as evidenced by their winning of 2 Cups. I think by the end of the season they were the best team in the league, but injuries to Erik, Kristian and Stevie B earlier in the season cost them. Imo a stronger septet than the one that finally delivered the league title 2 years later.

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    2 hours ago, bruno said:

    Going to be a bit controversial here but strangely I preferred the mid to late 70s at Dudley Wood, not knowing if we would win and the racing was arguably better. I got bored with thrashing everybody and actually lost a bit of interest in speedway for a quite a while before starting up again in the late 90s at Monmore

    Would have to agree, I loved my Speedway in the 70's. Particularly enjoyed the Johnny Boulger years at Dudley Wood watching Stevie B develop. The all conquering team from 1983 meant that a lot of home matches were less than entertaining.

    • Like 2

  20. Posted · Edited by salty

    12 hours ago, BobC said:

    That is very true. Pete was the only rider to ride very tight into bend 3 and not hit that bump.  One night, Briggo was leading, hit the bump and Pete went through to win. The following laps, Briggo followed Petes line, but still hit that bump!  Pete had his testimonial at Poole in 1976.

    Still very highly regarded here.

    Pete reached the grand old age of 78 yesterday.

    Pete Smith that is, not Murray.

     

    • Like 1

  22. Posted · Edited by salty

    2 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

    That might be stretching it re Taffy Owen , Iris, Taffy was born in Anglesey -much closer to Manchester than any of the Welsh speedway tracks that operated in Taff's era-thinking of Neath and Newport-the other end of Wale snot sure of any Welsh riders who rode for them- Fred Powell maybe? Probably someone in forumland will know though.

    Bob Hughes?

    edit. Sorry didn't see the other replies

  23. Posted

    He was given a brief go at filling a reserve berth for Cradley in 1969, but ended up back at Long Eaton where he got an average of 9 plus. Last I remember him riding was for Workington the following season.

     

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