boss 2

Hi Neil, if i'm correct and you're "The Painterman" then you were certainly last Cradley captain to be presented with one of the trophies i was thinking of. Happy days How are you, still sliding??

Me too Rhys, always had a lot of time for riders trying to make the breakthrough (the Boss nickname comes from team managing Cradley Juniors for a few matches in 1989.) Am just trying to find out where a certain trophy disappeared to then will pm Laurence with a suggestion. All the best for your upcoming rides tho, take care!!

Hope so Laurence. Next time pop them all some Cradley bodycolours on and advertise it the week before there'll be a stadium full for the second half that week (i wish!!) In fact can i send you a pm in a couple of days? I have an idea. Don't suppose anyone knows John Wilson's (Ex-cradley/stoke) whereabouts??

Typical, i wait all season for a second half then it doesn't start til 10 and my son has to be up for school. Watched first two heats then had to go, will they be back at 'the Green' Laurence?? Good to see you carrying on the work with junior/young riders you started at Cradley all thise years ago mate.

Are there any plans afoot for a tour by the USA Dream Team this season?

Didn't mean to open up a can of worms, was just quoting what the local paper reported. Sorry if its caused any friction, hope David and Craig get better soon. (Think i also owe David apologies on a different issue but maybe not here so if you would like to contact me David please feel free.)

According to the local paper last night David Howe feared his season may be over as he was warned he could need skin grafts if the skin around the wounds had 'died', but luckily it hadn't- this was despite the fact that, according to the report, he waited a staggering 18 HOURS to be seen in A&E.

Only managed to get to Evening meeting due to my son playing football, but racing was best i've seen there, impressed by Tom Brown (and my 12 year old daughter thinks he is lovely so was made up when we spoke to him after meeting ) What was the announcement about before racing started though?? They asked for spectators NOT to ring emergency services as Doctors and medical staff in attendance could cope with all incidents. Interesting to see the fire extinguisher was in the ref's box when Atkins' bike caught fire, fat lot of good it did there. Good to see Steady there rode for Cradley juniors when i looked after them a couple of times and is a really nice bloke always got time to stop for a natter whenever i see him.

Was watching with my 11 year old son and we both sat with our jaws hitting the floor when the red lights failed to come on thought that when they didn't the ref would just exclude Nicholls and award Harris second, it was one of the most blatant examples of a rider knocking his opponent off that i have seen in over 40 years of watching. Nicholls was out of order and Harris has every right to be very angry- i certainly would not wish to continue 'working' with someone who had done that to me (but i'd have clocked him one for luck too!!)

Sorry but i was neutral too and must make the following points: 1) First incident of the night David Howe clipped Stefan Katt causing both to crash- now i'm no fan of Howe in any sense of the word but he couldn't avoid this as Katt locked up slightly so all 4 back was the correct decision. 2)Broadhurst did indeed clean out Morris but perhaps the ref felt a precedent had been set earlier?? 3)Les Collins did, without a shadow of a doubt take Broadhurst's leg away as they entered the first turn on the second lap in heat 20, indeed Collins stopped and apologised before the red lights went on. Ref did exclude Les but both Graham Drury and Ian Thomas were signalling all 4 back to the box. 4) In the re-run Jirout hit a plant pot which caused Broadhurst to fall bringing Collins down too- referee announced that a third crash WOULD result in an exclusion. At the end of the day its a day out to see speedway in the closed season, thousands of people have been to see it and thousands more will do in the future i go every year and will continue to do so, i heard no booing for Broadhurst and personally would have felt robbed if either Collins or Broadhurst had been excluded from heat 20. It would have been interesting to see if Jirout would have let Broadhurst pass him in heat 20 anyway as he was punching the air and pointing to Broadhurst as they crossed the line in heat 20. Anyway i'm claiming a Cradley 3rd place for Les(The Beard(well he was))Collins after his spell with us.

Indoor event was held at NEC in about 79/80 Mike Lee crashed and crushed vertebrae in race against (i think) Stevie 'B'. Jan Andersson cleaned up i think and track was bigger than usual indoor tracks and rubber. Martin Dugard and John Cook were recently spotted in Broad Street Birmingham (early november) supposedly they were investigating the prospect of staging a meeting at the NIA.

It was direct quote from the explanation referee gave to the local press.

Think Mear was doing about a hundred and twenty miles an hour when he went into the corner was never,ever going to make it. The ref's rubbish excuse that she was "watching the race and the buttons are so close together so i pressed the wrong button as i couldn't take my eyes off the track!!" just doesn't hold water as far as i'm concerned because once two riders are on the deck there is NO race to watch.

Didn't think the ref was great all night, Bridger could very easily have been excluded from heat 4 as there was no doubt he bought down Billy Legg, she allowed very long gaps between some heats- (i had to miss the run-off as my kids had to be home for bed so they would be up for school (only 10 years old) which upset my daughter as the main reason she went was to see Jack Hargreaves)- and i know she was applying the rules but excluding Kyle Hughes for tapes touching in his only outing was a bit harsh i presume he lives quite close to Boston?? So all that way one ride and he gets chucked out where Lewis Bridger was rolling at least once when the tapes went up.

Have to agree with comments about the heat 12 incident, other rider to crash was Ben Taylor who hit Billy Legg as he fell in front of him exitting the fourth bend the other two riders were ahead and as they entered the first corner it was obvious Legg was injured the only action the referee took was to put on the GREEN exclusion light, bearing in mind Legg was in RED and Taylor in green!! As the other two continued down the back straight the green exclusion light stayed on but no stop lights, the member of track staff stationed entering the third turn had red flag in his hand but didn't display it despite the fact Legg was still down-presumably because the redlights were not on but i think common sense should have told him to wave the flag!? As the other two reached the apex of the turn Legg part hopped and was part dragged off the track at which point the red lights and red exclusion light went on! For all the world i thought we were heading for a very serious crash and injury to two or three riders and maybe track/first aid staff God only knows what the referee was doing and its no thanks to her that no-one was hurt. A very good meeting all round though, Tai Woffinden looks a real prospect and like Ben Barker too (grass tracker??) both did very,very well to hang on when bike went vertical exitting the fourth corner (and back straight in Barker's case) unlike Joe Haines who did likewise and took a heavy fall thankfully without injury. Jack Roberts at reserve also looked very good, as did Danny Betson and i do like to see a leg-trailer so step forward Lee Smart- steel shoes will last this lad years he never uses it!!

Anyone got race results for this, Club CH representative got me a programme and would like to fill it in.Thanks

Heat 20, Jack Roberts replaced the injured Ben Hopwood.

This time last week i'd have said yes but my free texts ran out today-sorry!!

Heres hoping play-offs are at Wolves then gives me a second chance to see the lads as they progress. Have asked on another thread but any news on Kye Norton and James Cartmell's injuries?(Is James related to ex Wolf-Cub Matt Cartmell?) Hope i didnt offend Chris's dad with my message on the u-15 Isle Of Wight link, if i did, sorry no offence meant just giving a Dads opinion.

Hi on the thread about Joe Haines the riders scorechart has been added, meeting cut to 5 heats due to injuries to James Cartmell and Kye Norton, anyone know how they are??

Just came on to see result of last heat at Wolves last night and found this what started as someone's concern for possible injured parties appears to have become a pathetic twit-for-tat slagging off between people who should know better. Goatman possibly was a little unwise with calling Chris' dad a piece of sh*t but also feel that such a public slagging off of a lad as was perpetrated by Chris' dad was surely asking for trouble?? My son plays football but would love to ride speedway (he is 10) however i could never afford the gear he needs to ride so the chances are he will never fulfil that ambition,(something which i am sure Chris is grateful to you for even if he doesn't say it), and i've seen a great mate die racing (Wayne Garratt) i've also stood in the pits as Cradley junior team manager when lads and dads have blown up at each other and it solves nothing just leaves resentment and, in one case, a lad going out to show his dad he was as good as dad said he wasn't and ending up in Russell's Hall for 2 months!! So Chris' dad while i accept that you don't want tears and tantrums anywhere but possibly in the pits least of all think on this-your lad is 12 (and won't appreciate your other kids being called "great" intimating that he isn't!!! ) and if, God forbid, he ended up like Luke Priest, Ales Dryml or worse Wayne Garratt you would-rightly-crucify yourself for the things you have said about him on here. I have never met you nor seen Chris ride as being limited to supporting the opposition each week at Wolves i only see the lads when they race there much as i wish i saw more, but from one father who loves his son and speedway to,hopefully, another think about it before you pour your frustration out in such a public manner-please!!

The Late Great Ivor Brown, maybe it was the white jumper but i used to love him as a kid and most other tracks hated him cos he was sooooo good. Got my Dad into a fight at Coventry when i was about 3 cos some bloke swore at The Great Man so i punched him in the kneecap and he swore at me!! Sorry Dad!! Always remember that teams had their team socks rolled over their boots back then and i always thought that was a great idea-wouldn't work now but is something i remember.

And i'm a Baggies fan so the same applies to me but my speedway team vanished without trace ten years ago so it doesn't count for me on that score-maybe thats why i finally supported GB But i must admit that when Messrs Pedersen and Andersen wind up the Wolves fans i do enjoy it just think it all went a bit (a lot) over the top on saturday!!

Lis: Leeds United??????????

Sorry but i watched the meeting at my brothers and (possibly for the first time) was cheering Team GB (England) on but, as long as it was a good meeting, really wasn't fanatical about it however i seem to recall the Danes used to win fairly, Gundersen, Nielsen, Pedersen, Knudsen, Olsen etc. Indeed during this period i always supported the Danes or the USA very rarely England!! Their worst habit was rolling at the gate (and while i'm mentioning rolling starts, stand up and take a bow Mr Crump!!) However now it really seems to be win at all costs, i truly think the referee called the Harris/Andersen incident correctly, Sky did show wrong angle to Andersen in the pits as it proved nothing but judging by his screaming like a big girl as it was shown i thought someone had cut his leg off at the very least!! And the Danish teams verbal assault on Ole Olsen then was TOTALLY unacceptable He has done more for Danish speedway, and speedway in general, than they will ever do and to be honest Jan Steachmann-who i like-should have stepped in to stop those disgraceful actions. The Danes WERE the best team on display there is no question of that and booing and abusing their national anthem is also unacceptable but at the end of the day they should take a step back and judge their own appalling behaviour appropriately and the 2 worst perpetrators, Messrs Pedersen and Andersen should be heavily fined by the relevant authorities with possibly a suspended ban as they appear to be involved in controversy on an almost weekly basis- particularly Mr Pedersen with his recent comments reference Wolves fans, who i'm no fan of as a Spoon , springing quickly to mind. Ok i've had my say and expect to be shot down but had to say it as i see it as a, relative, neutral.