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Piotr Pyszny

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Posts posted by Piotr Pyszny

  1. Posted · Edited by Piotr Pyszny

    9 hours ago, Neila said:

    After 20 odd years of no speedway I think the people of Bradford/Halifax and surrounding areas will support it in the short term, 2-3 years,    when Workington re opened in 1999 after 18 years, the crowds in 1981 were around 300 hard core fans, opening night 4000 ish fans  and the first few years crowds were 2000 plus well above break figures crowds dropped off in the end, but we went out in style with the treble and made H18TORY :party:

    During Halifax’s last season (1985) at The Shay, the average attendance was circa 3,500. Bradford never got anything like that.

    After 20-odd years without speedway, there is a danger what interest there was has evaporated.

  3. Posted · Edited by Piotr Pyszny

    On 11/20/2020 at 8:43 AM, arnieg said:

    Biggest mistake at Leicester (apart from the rubbish track) was the orientation of the track, with the sun setting on the third bend (it should set behind the main grandstand)

    Brings to mind Loomer Road, Stoke. Anybody else remember, at certain times of the season, those pauses in racing to wait for the sun to set?

    From the first bend at Halifax, there was a view into the pits. Worth arriving early to secure a prime spot. Watching the tinkering helped pass the time between heats.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted · Edited by Piotr Pyszny

    Duncan Chapman, who spent virtually his whole career (1989-95) as a reserve or second string at Middlesbrough, is retailer principal at Ray Chapman (his father, I've always assumed) Motors' York branch.

    Judging by the pic on the firm's website, Duncan is ageing pretty well!

    duncan_chapman.jpg

    Duncan Chapman 1992.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

  8. Posted · Edited by Piotr Pyszny

    19 hours ago, Tom Thumb said:

    Under 8 and under 10 Suffolk Cycle Speedway Individual Championship at Great Blakenham today, under 13 and under 16 tomorrow morning at same venue.  

    Great to see the kids enjoying what will probably be their only competitive racing this year.

    Enjoy a bit of cycle speedway. Been to watch a few clubs in northern England: Astley & Tyldesley, Heckmondwike (defunct, sadly), Sheffield and Stockport. Great sport to photograph! There is a handful of other clubs fairly close by, in Bury, Cramlington and Hessle (near Hull). Edinburgh has a club, too.

    Up-to-date information via https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway

    Growing up in a village on the moors above Halifax, I and a few mates used to 'play' at cycle speedway on a track carved out of a field. One of the older lads used to ride - properly! - for Halifax (also now defunct). He had all the pukka gear, including a very nice bike. Can't remember anybody beating him on our little track!

    • Like 2

  9. Posted · Edited by Piotr Pyszny

    9 minutes ago, foamfence said:

    Well I just looked through five or six and found no mention of him being a Speedway rider, as most people have never heard of Speedway and even less Garrity, I doubt there'll be much lasting damage.

    Oh, there won't be much damage to speedway's profile. Chiefly because it no longer has one. Up there with tiddlywinks.

  12. Posted

    17 hours ago, Mr Ore said:

    Was worried in case you thought my first comment was some sort of bad joke, but a total coincidence you mentioning it on here and him Emailing me on Friday to say that was where he was going. Has to be one of the same; late 60s with spectacles and a squint. Has a distinctive laugh too. The comment about him being a neurosurgeon is true too, as well as allowing the punchline. :D .  

    I exchanged email addresses with John at the game. Earlier today, I passed on the apparent coincidence. This is what he said:

    "I was a member of the medical profession. However, I was merely a lowly general practitioner, in practice in a commuter town outside Edinburgh, rather than a specialist. Now, if there is another hopper [i.e. groundhopper] called John, in Edinburgh, also keen on going to matches at obscure venues, I would love to know who it is."

    Curioser and curioser?

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    1 hour ago, cityrebel said:

    I did read an article the other day, that showed all of the crowd increases at non league clubs this season. It's a shame this increase in support doesn't encourage some clubs to return to printing their own programmes. I do download and print my own using Microsoft publisher, but i prefer the real thing.

    Pontefract Collieries (Northern Premier League, North/West Division) have pushed the boat out this season, getting Footie Print to design and produce their match programme. Picked one up (28pp, £2.50) at last night's game with Marske United. A major improvement on the club's previous efforts.

    Colls don't seem to be enjoying any increase in crowds while bigger neighbouring clubs are playing BCD. Just 167 watching (including about 35 following the visitors). Mind you, Pontefract is right in the heart of rugby league territory. Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Club draw a lot of support from Pontefract.

    Brighouse Town, in the same division as Colls, pulled in 346 the previous evening. Doubtless, the crowd (more than double last season's usual) was swelled by live football starved supporters of FC Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town.

     

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    6 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

    I was forced to play Rugby Union at school...never League...and I bloody well hated it getting pulped by all the fat and/or bully types!

    Despite being in a rugby league stronghold, my secondary school forced rugby union on its pupils (thankfully, for only one term each academic year; football being the main sporting activity). Wind forward a few decades, and the retirement of its union-loving Welsh headmaster and a union-playing games teacher, and the school switched - very successfully - to rugby league. It's a crying shame many Britons still believe all 'rugby' has to offer is rugby union. 

    • Like 2

  21. Posted

    8 hours ago, Grachan said:

    This is the official list of sports, taken directly from the "Life in the UK Test" official handbook for all the dodgy foreigners who want to live permanently in the UK and take all our jobs but claim all our benefits too.

    Cricket

    Football

    Rugby

    Horse Racing

    Golf

    Tennis

    Water Sports (bit general that)

    Motor Sports (and that. I guess that covers speedway although in the notes it's all about F1)

    Skiing (Yup. Skiing)

     

     

     

    No such sport as rugby. There is rugby league and rugby union.

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    40 minutes ago, 25yearfan said:

    Hopefully one day sports venues will have more protection from the government if those in power will ever recognise the importance of having outlets for the population. Venues like Exeter, Cradley, Coventry, Arena Essex to name but a few should have had preservation orders on them ensuring their survival as sports venues.

    Little chance of that. The days when sports venues were used and appreciated by a large proportion of the population are long gone.

    With demand for land so high, and houses needed desperately, sport will be one of the last things on any government's mind.

    • Like 1
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