coventry1963

Anybody have a link for a race card for tonight's final?

More often than not the commentator is on the centre green and can probably see less than the spectators! Very often the fan is watching a battle for a minor place as much as seeing a rider clear in front as the focus. Whenever I have heard commentary it has been of the "here comes X onto the final lap" ilk - not very inspiring when most fans can count to four! Describing how a rider is setting up for an overtake, or blocking same, is not an easy thing to commentate on in the few seconds concerned. However, informed commentary after the race, describing the efforts made, might be helpful for the fans who may not have the knowledge to appreciate all that has gone on.

RIP Bryn. Got to know him a little over the last ten years or so at IOW as we used to chat each year when we were there on holiday. A real Speedway enthusiast who was a pleasure to know. A genuine part of "the Speedway family" of which all real supporters form part.

I'm with Martin Mauger. First did a day's Speedway experience when I was 17 at Rye House and then, due to some serious health issues never got any further. Tried again some 40 years later on a ride and slide day at Coventry at the age of 57. The most fantastic adrenaline rush imaginable. No doubt I was extremely slow but the sensation when opening the throttle on one of these bikes coming out of a bend is something I will never forget (nor the fall I took over the handlebars a couple of hours later - and yes, the track is hard when you land, my bruises were visible for almost a month afterwards). When I got up from the fall I was so pumped I was all for getting back on the bike until the paramedics insisted that I go to the ambulance room for a check up (where the shock set in half an hour later and meant I did not get permission to go again). That feeling of excitement goes some way to explain why riders get back on a bike after a serious injury, or struggle to retire - they simply miss that rush. Entertainment or Sport, not sure but excitement either way.

Just renewed my subscription for a further year. For the price, I consider it very good value and enjoy the read each week but I have to say I agree wholeheartedly on the white print on dark background. I have perfectly good eyesight but that is hard to read (probably looks really good on a screen but it does not on paper!). Keep up the good work and try not to take too seriously the professional moaners that the forum suffers from on a too regular basis.

As one of, I suspect, many people who quietly benefit from the update service for matches when they cannot attend, I would also like to add a simple thank you to those already made to Sue and her team. The service they give (FOC note) is superb and the testers who take time out of their evening watching the speedway themselves to ensure the info is quickly relayed are typical of the "speedway family" attitude that huge amounts of supporters subscribe to.

Early seventies at Coventry, Roger Hill clipped a back, straightened up and went into the chain link fencing at right angles. The bike stopped dead and Roger cartwheeled through the air, landing on the terracing itself a few metres from where I was seated. The stadium went silent but Roger was helped back up and only suffered a broken arm - remarkably lucky! On the other hand Les Oen and John Harrhy went for the same piece of track on the Coventry back straight. John Harrhy ended up with a broken neck and had to wear a steel halo arrangement for several months afterwards but he still rode again. les Owen was less lucky, he veered into the fence and hit a lamp stand, almost tearing his arm off at the shoulder. He was resuscitated several times before they got him to hospital. He survived but never rode again although he personally told me a couple of years later that he wanted to try and ride just once more with a bike altered to have throttle and clutch on one side! His arm was weak but his hand grip was very strong and he thought he might be able to at least hang on with it! Remarkable man.

Just seen "save Coventry speedway petition" thread which has link to a second local paper carrying same story.

Local newspaper (07 July) says that the leader of local Rugby council has confirmed that the "current owners" of Brandon are still talking about the future of motorsports at stadium and "engaging in a positive manner". He hopes an agreement can be reached within next two weeks when it should be possible to make the results public and allow Bees promoter, Mick Horton and Stock Car promoter, Dave Carter to plan fixtures for the 2017 season!

Unless I'm mistaken, didn't Bomber say that he rode three bikes during the evening, the third of which he had never ridden before! If so, whatever was in the third suggests his comments on lacking speed at GP level in his motors up to now has a basis in fact as the third bike was certainly quick enough. It would be interesting to know what motor was in that third bike, and who set it up!

The main straight grandstand was also a green, wooden unit at that time. When the "Dave Clark Five Bits and Pieces" was played over the tannoy everybody was asked to stop stamping their feet in time with it, as flakes of paint and wood were dropping off the ceiling in the understand bar and the management were afraid serious damage could result! Not long afterwards Charles Ochiltree oversaw the installation of the main grandstand as it is now in stages over two close seasons. The first two sections were done together along the main straight the first year and the pits end portion was set at an angle to the first unit to follow the first bend and added afterwards. At the time it was said to hold 500 in each of the three sections. The hangars behind the stand had some sort of protected status and have remained unchanged.

That's a really good, well thought out set of admission costs. As I said some time ago, it is vital to make it affordable for a family on holiday to attend and £22 for two adults and their children (however many) hits the mark really well. Years ago, when the Islanders were in the premier league and it was a flat £20 for a family, there were many who thought it worth trying even if they had never attended speedway before. After being asked to do so, I spent one evening a couple of years ago explaining the basics as they happened to a family who had "just given it a try" and they were amazed to see the racing itself which they thought great but to also find that the scoring, team riding etc were also going on. Pointing out as a rider was chasing the dirt for an attempted cut back to pass or how a position was being defended meant that they could see the skill and the race developing. They were really grateful and said that they would never have realised so much was going on in a race without a bit of help. Sometimes us regulars take these things for granted but newcomers do not come equipped with experience or knowing what they are looking for! It might even be a good idea to put a basic article in the programme each week aimed at the newcomer (especially for those on holiday trying it for the first time) describing these things, even with a few diagrams to show the various racing lines, the starting procedure bonus points etc I will look forward to attending again later in season when I am on the Island.

Interesting to see the size difference between old and new in the photos. New track will clearly have much bigger sweeping bends, reminiscent of Hyde Road. I'm sure H&S will never allow us to lean over the fence as we did at Hyde but it is looking great.

Just returned from the commemoration service for "Little Boy Blue". The event was very well attended with at least, I would estimate, 500+ fans and riders. Great to see some old familiar faces, even if they do look somewhat older and with many of them showing the aches and pains resulting from their riding days! A fitting tribute to "Booey", one of the sport's best entertainers from the sixties and seventies. Interesting facts in the programme state that Nigel topped the British league averages in 1965 with 11.09 points CMA (including 17 maximums from 34 league matches that year) and 11.16 CMA for the remaining 10 non-league team matches. He also averaged 10.70 CMA for the seven year period from 1964 to 1970! That's some record, especially bearing in mind the quality of opposition at that time. His last race in the Bees colours, which he won, was on 09 October 1976.

According to the local paper, proceedings are due to officially start at 11.00am so would suggest if you can't get there till 11.00am you should still be in time as the service itself is unlikely to start with the actual committal?

Big signs have been put up on main roads in Rugby town centre about Saturday's event at Brandon, together with the local papers running a large half page article promoting it. Nigel's ashes are to be taken on a final lap of the circuit on a bike ridden by Peter Collins with the ashes carried by Nigel's grandson, Thomas, on the back before three generations of Nigel's family witness their burial under what was gate one of the old circuit before it was altered. Expected to attend are ex riders Rick France, Roger Hill, Tony Lomas,John Harrhy, Frank Smith, Tony Gillias, Doug Wyer, Ole Nygren, Ray Wilson, Eric Broadbelt, Colin Pratt, Jim Lightfoot, Eric Boocock, Jim McMillan amongst others together with a crop of present riders including Chris Harris. May well turn out to be lot bigger attendance than expected so if you can get along to commemorate Nigel' outstanding career, the event starts at 11.00am (stadium open from 10.30am).

Heading off to the Island for holiday soon. Some time ago it was suggested that there was an outside possibility of a couple of open meetings this year in preparation for 2016. I have kept an eye on the progress re sponsors and track work but not seen any suggestion of a meeting. Obviously, they would aim for peak holiday season if they could get it ready in time but am hoping Bryn can give us the latest.

For those who have not seen the SS this week. Nigel Boocock's ashes will be laid to rest under the starting gate at Brandon on Saturday 9th January 2016 at 11.00am. All welcome at the stadium which is, I believe, open from 10.30 till 1pm. His widow, Cynthia, daughter Vicki, Brother Eric, and many of his old team mates and rivals are to be present. Here's hoping for a really good send off for a great servant of British Speedway. Before anyone asks, it would appear that the spot that the ashes are to be buried at will not be disturbed in the event of redevelopment of the stadium.

Great news that IOW are back, it is one of the fastest and largest tracks in the UK. If you are on the island, it is very easy to get to and well worth the effort. Don't know if they will do same this year but in previous years the "Wight Flyer" allowed a trip on the SeaCat and a bus link to and from the stadium, leaving just after last race to link with the return SeaCat journey to Portsmouth which allowed mainland supporters to attend at very reasonable cost. Doesn't affect me now but I do hope they re-introduce the family ticket which really encouraged parents to bring youngsters to see speedway (let's face it -they are the future for the sport) as the kids were charged at only a pound.

Les Owen at Coventry was another such character. He was an England International rider and very close to major success before a bad head injury took the edge off his performance. His fights were numerous, but mainly on behalf of his younger, more inexperienced team-mates, including one night at Leicester with Anders Michanek after Les thought his team-mate had been badly treated on track. He came out from the pits to "greet" Michanek as he returned to the pits and a right melee followed. I was driving home that night when Les pulled up alongside us at a traffic junction. Some Leicester fans on the other side of him were shouting the odds and Les was laughing fit to bust! He once tried to put Barry Briggs out of contention in a race by running him out to the first bend fence at Coventry. Briggo lifted his front wheel over Les' s back wheel and Les piled into the fence. He told me afterwards it was shock that Briggo had got away! A real gentleman off track and a real character on it! He suffered a very serious accident that stopped his career when he and John Harrhy collided on the back straight at Coventry, when they both went for the same bit of track. Les hit a lamppost, which in those days were very, very close to the fence, almost ripping his arm off and John ending up in a halo arrangement for a broken neck. Les was resuscitated several times before they got him to hospital and he lost almost total use of the arm. I spoke to him a couple of years later and he had built up a bike to ride with clutch and throttle on the one side of the handlebar and was talking of trying to ride again! Gave a huge amount of pleasure and entertainment in his career.

The biggest hurdles for all young riders have always been to avoid the confidence sapping injuries in those first few years which is not entirely in their own control. That, together with getting the necessary financial backing (that seems down to who knows who, or a bit of luck of right place, right time), has a huge effect on which youngsters progress to a major level. We can all see potential in many young riders but, unfortunately, only time will tell!

Ken Mckinlay was widely regarding as a maestro at tuning the JAP engine and many riders used his expertise His riding was always so smooth with very few mistakes and he always looked so calm, and unflurried. I remember late on in his career, he was riding in an individual meeting at Leicester Blackbird Road, Ray Wilson had gone through the meeting unbeaten till his last race when he lined up against Ken. A group of Leicester supporters by me were already celebrating Wilson's max when I said it would not surprise me to see Ken beat him - cue laughter all round as they said Ken was well past it and he would not get near Wilson. Ken sped from the gate and after four faultless laps, try as he might (and Wilson was mighty fast round Blackbird Road at that time), Wilson could not get near him.

Just been driving about 10 miles from Brandon in seriously heavy rain and still raining now. If Brandon wasn't wet before it soon will be! Strange to cancel so early but the forecast certainly seems to be being fulfilled so far.

Just returned from IOW where I took a walk around Smallbrook. Clearly, a lot of work has been done but still a way to go so I would have thought very unlikely to get anything on as a trial meeting this year. Really interesting to walk the track and see the various elements of banking. I have attended whilst on holiday for many years and seen the various lines riders take on bends 2 and 4 but seeing the banking close to, they make much more sense now. Can't wait to visit and hear the bikes again.

Although all attention on AJ for getting the draw on the last lap of heat 15, without Adam Roynon's bravery to go out for the one point in heat 12, Coventry would have pinched the win. Not sure it was the wisest move but let's at least give him full credit for his bravery! That must have been agony out the start alone as the bike pulled, let alone keeping on the same lap to avoid exclusion.