martinmauger

It was mentioned on BBC's Teletext service, yes some people still use it, as was Peterborough's Prem League win....

Were GB lucky ? Yes, to an extent, on this occasion, but you need at least some good fortune to succeed. Peeps seem forget for years most GB team managers mostly didn't play with a full deck, literally. Joking aside over a longish period (2000 or so on) the GB squad was made up from the likes of Scott Nicholls, the late Lee Richardson, Mark Loram, Chris Louis, Carl Stonehewer, Joe Screen, Gary Havelock, David Norris, Sean Wilson, Simon Stead, Chris Harris, Tai Woffinden, the list goes on - a squad to kick serious behind on any track. But at any one time at least one or two of them were on the injured list. In recent years Woffinden was unavailable (his business, it happened) and was also out injured, unfortunately two of the remaining riders (Cook & Lambert) collided like Sweden did on the Friday night; effectively game over. When Woffinden also crashed out on Friday nite I thought, said and texted "oh no, not again !". But the next nite a ready-made replacement squad member stepped in; "Dan Bewley come on down and prepare for the meeting of your life !", and we all saw what happened. The remaining 3 stepped up, took the opportunities that occured, rode their hearts out, delivered - and how. Ok, Bewley rode his home track & the other 2 were at least familiar with Belle Vue NSS, but it was the same for everyone of course and the Poles in particular must have been rubbing their hands with glee on seeing the track; a Polish-style circuit in the UK. With due respect to the experienced GB riders, it was still possible for any them to suiffer falls, crash out big-style, tape exclusions, machine problems, etc, we all know what can happen in speedway, especially after witnessing their captain and leader get ruled out by a well-nasty crash. When Woffinden recovers + add Lambert, Bewley, Brennan and the likes of Drew Kemp, Leon Flint, The Thompson Twins, etc waiting in the wings the future for GB looks a heck of lot better than of late. This is our time right now, we have waited long enough, enjoy it is my advice, for next year everyone starts all over again. One last point: the GP series carries accumulated points scored through the season, replacing the one-off World Finals of old, yet the current SON format guarrantees a 'winner takes all race', like a one-off World Final....

This ^^ All. Day. Long. Wow, just wow, speedway history there....

I personally heard Ivan expand on this very concept: "you have the white line on the left and the fence on your right and you ride on the bit in the middle" , he was a bit of card was Ivan when he let his hair down. Not every promotion is fortunate to begin with a clean sheet of paper, track building-wise, and good luck to those who are, it's very much a case of making the best out of what you have. IMO for every 'Berwick', big & fast, the needs to be a 'Wolves', tight & techncial, makes speedway more interesting. We can discuss 'best races at ABC & XYZ tracks' to our heart's content (and we do) but even wearing 2 pairs of rose-tinted shades, you can get great & ordinary racing on each and every track.....

Naturally I thoroughly approve of this issue and highly reccomend Backtrack anyway, it's a great, informative & enjoyable read....

The term 'legend' is bandied about a bit too readily these days, but Colin Pratt was a true speedway legend. RIP Colin....

Such a shame. 'Born Again Teenager' Big Alan Grahame was one of the original Hull Vikings at our resurrection in 1995 til 1998 and was very popular indeed at Craven Park. Sympathies to the Grahame family, RIP Big Al....

Get well soon Big Al, a popular Hull Viking 1995 - 1998....

And Stoke, was only able to visit as meeting was on an 'off nite', i.e. not a Saturday. Was an off nite too, rained off, never made back it for a 2nd try. Not exactly the same but it took 3 attempts to see a meeting at King's Lynn, since saw a few subsequently though....

Stating the obvious Lyons rallied his riders very well. After Schlein's pass of the two Panthers I thought Wolves would kick on but they didn't really. All still to play for of course and in speedway one never knows but at this stage it's gotta be 'advantage Peterborough'....

Used to witness similar at Sheffield, Owlerton & likely still can. Between the start and turn 4 but nearer the corner, as the riders drive off the bend especially if near the white line, before getting wheels in line for the home straight, for a spilt second, or even less, it looks as if they just might launch into the crowd ! Such an accident is a mega rare occurance at any track and to the best of my knowledge has never happened at Sheffield. But a tad scary , yet at the same time exciting ....

Nah, that was Olching in 1981, pesky Danes won in that year too.....

Track is very smilar to 1978 WTC at Landsuhut, Germany. Track on that day was literally white (!) with a 1 metre wide blue groove.....

Thought I'd already posted, poss not, but Wolves at Monmore, saw ht1 of British Pairs in 1985 (or 1986) not got around to a return visit yet, been too busy. For 35 / 36 years ...

I have relatives & friends in the USA and in Florida is a race circuit named '?????? Speedway' (I forget exactly), they have frequented commented "Martin would probably love this place". No, he probabaly wouldn't....

Thanks, though it likely to be concering Aarnio....

At the risk of being slightly annoying; whilst perusing Scunny v Poole proggie half saw a report on BBC2 Newsnight Friday night about the political situation in Workington, something about "the football & rugby club are working together to save their ground" then a brief shot of what MAY have been Derwent Park, back straight stand. No mention of speedway or the Comets though....

My first meeting for 2 years less 2 days due to, reasons, spoiled by wet weather quite a bit but still enjoyed it. Hye, it's speedway ! So, with some EWR speakers still a bit hit & miss half heard Rob Godfrey say something to effeect of "our local MP who has helped us before & will help us with this also............." Anyone know what he was referring to, methinks possibly a visa issue with Tero Aarnio ?...

Thanks THJ. New track nutshell: even having £9m burning a hole in one's pocket (we wish!) is almost the easy bit, so many hoops & hurdles to jump, most folk that wouldn't believe....

It's surprising how with a basic 'track in a field with fence around it + a few Portacabins set-up' the costs can quickly multiply. As a matter of interest THJ, how much would you estimate the two stands on the Scunny home straight would have cost to build ? A builder mate reckoned in the region of £15k or so for the two, which seems a bit cheap to me.....

This ^^. I offered the same argument / viewpoint on a car forum and was 'shouted down'. EVs, or electric vehicles, may, just may, be a future option in the mid to far future, but not 'the now'. Ironically EVs could well be an option worth looking into for a 'formula' of speedway, 'E-Speedway' if you like, but as for common or garden EVs, no, not yet....

And me. Like at Scunny, Redcar & Leicester (& others I've forgotten) before, shows if one never gives up it can be done....

Adding my 2p worth, such a freaking shame, always had a soft spot for Newcastle due to Ivan Mauger, Ian Thomas & Hull connections. Gotta feel for Grant Jnr; he took a punt, had a go and tried his best running Newcastle Speedway but seems like at many times if he didn't have bad luck he'd have had no luck at all. Sometimes life just kicks you over and over, until it stops or you stop it. Sigh....

Safe to say neither Ian Thomas nor Ivan were pleased (to say the least), Ivan was 'the man' in 1979 winning his 6th World Championship and took New Zealand to win the WTC.. Ian Thomas explained at a supporters 'do' that the 3 who didn't make it (Bobby Beaton, Frank Auffret & Graham Drury) to Wimbledon had transport issues. Beaton was collecting Auffret on the way down from Scotland but broke down on the way and Drury, travelling alone, came across a big car accident and was understandably held up in all the traffic there. Must have been a 'fun'(!) and more than stressful occasion - no mobile phones in those days, just public telephone boxes. Think the Swindon match, which was a 39-all draw, Joe Owen broke down on the way. It could be said the issue was finally adressed when Hull won the Premier League treble in 2004 (League, KOC & Young Shield) , and while we in Hull we don't still 'dine out' (or whine and cry) over it, but darn it to 'lose' the league due to car break downs . Sometimes you only ever get the one chance. Posssibly John Berry, not really a close pal of Thomas, may not have been too cut up over it, we'll never know as sadly neither are here to discuss the matter but I think most in speedway at least sympathised a bit with Hull at the time....

And good afternoon to you. I was commenting generally, not really about your lad (who is already a bit good !), and he would do well and kick on with the Poultec scheme, but yeh just riding on a slick track young riders won't learn as much as by riding in different conditions. I prob should have prob said that in the first place, not posted in the early hours when quite tired ...