TonyMac

At Speedway Mail, 27 years ago, we were echoing the fans' growing dissatisfaction and urging the BSPA to listen to them. All the grumbles expressed today were apparent back then - and beyond. The problems have only worsened over the ensuing years.

Terry Russell, and he alone, got the BSPA the original TV deal that no-one else within the promoters' association was capable of. And in hindsight, he spent too much of his own money on a lost cause, or certainly British clubs that didn't deliver a return on that investment. It's ironic that fans, many of the same people who still slate Terry today, probably wouldn't have been able to watch league racing at their local track in the last 25 years if TR hadn't let his heart rule his head. Those who blame TR for any part of UK speedway's demise have got the wrong scapegoat.

Does anyone have a copy of the 1992 World Pairs Final at Lonigo - the one where Hancock beat Havvy in a run-off - on DVD? We are very keen to get hold of a copy. We're aware of the Italian TV coverage on YouTube but, alas, this is of no use. Thanks. TMc

In this age of rampant self-entitlement, fans of all team sports want success at every turn and defeat is treated like the end of the world, especially among football fans. Speedway promoters can learn a lot from listening to supporters but not always when it comes to how best to spend the money generated at the turnstiles and through TV and sponsors.

It's rare that I attempt to in any way defend the BSPA for its many perceived failings, but as a fan of numerous other major sports it's fair to say that speedway is not alone in causing angst and bewilderment among its followers and, just perhaps, we are all guilty at times of being over-critical of officialdom and what is served up in the name of sport and entertainment. Take football. It continues to price itself out of the financial reach of the average man and woman on the street and attending Premier League games now costs an arm and leg. Then there's the overpriced kits (three versions at any one time) and other merchandise clubs pump out to further rip off their loyal followers. Premier League chairmen/owners are widely regarded as the greediest bunch of governing parasites in world sport. People question the integrity and nous of some running Premier, Championship and National tracks. But look at the disastrous club ownerships that The Football League has stood by and allowed to wreck and ruin - my own club, Leyton Orient, almost went to the wall a year ago at the hands of our then psychopathic Italian owner, who treated us like his personal play thing with almost fatal consequences until the O's were saved in the high court. County Cricket has just entered another desperate new phase of trying to reinvent itself, with the newly-proposed '100-ball' brainwave set to be introduced in 2020 in an effort to attract new, younger fans and mums. It's a franchised based scheme, with a select group of players (not including the best English Test and one-day cricketers) chosen to represent new teams representing cities rather than counties. This, though, will effectively kill the current T20 domestic competition brought in in 2003. The ECB and county bosses are being publicly hammered and ridiculed for dreaming up yet another new format for a game that already has 5-day Tests, 4-day County Championship matches and two one day tournaments. Cricket clubs and the ICC at world level have spent fortunes improving their pitches and outfields but they still can't control the weather and, like speedway, matches are often postponed or abandoned after just a few overs play. These two national sports are awash with billions of TV money yet still, it seems, they couldn't organise the proverbial p*** up in a brewery. How many different 'World Championships' does boxing have these days? In recent years cycling has been totally discredited for harbouring cheats who take drugs to enhance performance. Which race teams and riders can be trusted? Greyhound racing has literally gone to the dogs, with more and more tracks closing year on year. I don't know enough about other sports, such as rugby and ice hockey, to comment here about where they come up short but you can rest assured they too will have their critics and be hampered by decisions (and indecision) taken by their respective rulers. 'Who cares about other sports, speedway is all we're interested in', I hear you scream! I hear you, loud and clear! But remember, there is a lot wrong with many other sports, too, including those with huge financial resources and tens of thousands more followers, and speedway is by no means alone in struggling to satisfy its loyal supporters. Should we keep questioning and challenging the BSPA and FIM (I would add the SCB, too, but they are toothless and have virtually ceded control of the sport to the men and women who run the tracks)? Of course. No-one could argue that speedway couldn't be much better organised and administered, and badly needs to offer more variety in its formats and competitions. The ridiculously over-complicated rulebook needs to be torn up and re-written in the simplest terms. Doubling-up and guests must be eradicated ASAP. There has to be more emphasis on British youth development, with team places made available to the best prospects. But speedway is plagued by many problems (bad weather; lack of stadium ownership; ill effects of the GP and other domestic leagues) beyond its control. So all things considered, while it doesn't solve problems to acknowledge the fact, we're certainly not alone among sports fan calling for more sanity and things to be run better. Speedway? It ain't so bad after all!

BACKTRACK Our sister publication specialising on speedway in the 70s & 80s pays in-depth tribute to IVAN MAUGER 48 full colour pages dedicated to the man we believe was The Greatest ISSUE 86 (MAY-JUNE, 2018) WHEN the sad news reached us that Ivan Mauger had died in a Gold Coast nursing home, aged 78, on April 16, 2018, we decided there and then that issue of Backtrack would be devoted entirely to the memory of the man we recognise as the greatest-ever speedway rider. The special commemorative collectors' edition is packed with tributes from many of his biggest friends and rivals, including Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ole Olsen, Peter Collins and Anders Michanek, plus Bruce Penhall, Hans Nielsen and many others. We hear from Guy Allott and Gordon Stobbs, two key members of Ivan's mechanical support team. Supporters from all over the globe also share their personal memories of the great man, who played a very influential role in winning league championships with Newcastle, Belle Vue (three) and Exeter before leading Hull to their best-ever top tier season. For the statistically minded, we have the Mauger Timeline, Ivan's British League season-by-season career record, from 1965 to 1984, as well as his 'British Track Tour', listing every UK venue at which he rode (excluding training schools). Drawing on his past interviews in the magazine, we reproduce some of Ivan's thoughts on key subjects that affected his time in the game. Martin Rogers and Tony Mac offer their personal take on the man who changed the face of speedway forever. Our coverage of Ivan's funeral includes comments of appreciation from Ivan's three children. ------------------------------------ To order this single edition for £4.00 (plus £2 P&P if ordering from overseas), or subscribe for a year for £22 (UK), £29 (Europe & Ireland) or £37 (Rest of World), visit www.retro-speedway.com or phone 01708 734 502.

I think sensible people are too often wasting their breath on here, Rob. I'm with you. Too many clueless idiots who offer no cohesive arguments using the forum as their personal attention-seeking platform. If the cap fits, wear it.

Yes, they're officially mad, mate. Nutters the lot of 'em. Although, you are probably right. Sullivan, Gold and Brady, those luvvable Eastenders ("cor blimey, don't we luv 'em") really are genuine nice guys and us mugs who have supported the team for 50 years have got them all wrong. They are charging the club silly amount of interest in personal loans, without investing any of their own money in the playing squad, and trading off the fans' blind loyalty for the sake of the TV money gravy train. In fact, as Brady eluded to in her Scum column, it's the fans' fault that West Ham have had such a poor season.

I knew some sense would break out amid the madness.

Of course, football clubs count season ticket sales even when the ST holders become so p***** off that they stop going, leaving empty seats.

Brilliant photographer.

Figures often don't tell the full story, especially in this case. Thousands of Hammers fans have taken to social media all season to vent their disgust at how shabbily they are being treated by the owners, with many threatening not to renew their season tickets, claiming they have been "lied to". The owners are vilified and subjected to daily online abuse and, as of this week, a petition is running to have MD Karren Brady stripped of her newspaper column. The atmosphere at the Athletics Stadium has been toxic for much of this depressing season. The fact that there are new 'plastic' (and probably more gullible) fans/tourists ready to replace traditionalists like myself, and many thousands of others who are cheesed off about how money has morally corrupted the game, does NOT mean our club, or the game itself, is being run very well (which was my original point). It just means that there are many thousands more football fans with a sheep mentality, who are prepared to tolerate being mugged off, compared to speedway followers.

If you think West Ham are worth watching at £50 a pop, think again! In a supposed 90-minute game of pro football, the ball is only actually in play for about half that time. The rest is taken up with time-wasting, goal-kicks, throw-ins, free-kicks, berating the officials, etc.

Think some may have missed my point about football, or perhaps I didn't make it clearly enough. My point is that football is Britain's No.1 national sport, is awash with insane amount of cash (especially at the highest level) . . . but in many respects it's as poorly run and administered as speedway, and treats its loyal followers with utter contempt. Cricket is a much more relevant analogy. Constantly trying to reinvent itself for a new audience it think it needs to appeal to (many women are insulted by the notion that a new 100-ball format is what they crave) , while the bedrock of the game - County Championship and Test matches (outside England) - are teetering on the brink of self-destruction.

Thank you, Steve and Ian.

Many thanks, Dave. Just need the Stoke (Loomer Rd) details now....

Remember the 'British Track Records' feature that made for an interesting thread on here last year, and which formed the basis of features in Backtrack and Classic Speedway, with Jimmy Squibb out in front as the man who rode at the most number of UK speedway venues? Well, it would be interesting to present a list of every BRITISH track that Ivan Mauger has appeared on (excluding training schools) in pukka league, cup, challenge meetings, or at least a match-race or solo track demo watched by paying spectators. Anyone want to start putting together a definitive list....! It will be interesting, because there are his Southern Area League outings for Eastbourne to consider too. My fear with this is, however, is that he made so many one-off appearances, especially match races on BL2/NL tracks in the 70s and 80s, that it would be easy to overlook one. Anyway, food for thought. Thank you.

We now just need the dates and meeting titles for meetings at Peterborough and Stoke in the 70s that both featured Ivan in match-races. The one at Peterborough was against Peter Collins and we've been told on Facebook that it was "in the late 70s". Someone else posted to say it was "1976". Anyone got Peterborough progs from that season to verify, plse?

We now just need the dates and meeting titles for meetings at Peterborough and Stoke in the 70s that both featured Ivan in match-races. The one at Peterborough was against Peter Collins and we've been told on Facebook that it was "in the late 70s".

Bordernapolis 1975 or 1980?

We're not including Motherwell - classified as a longtrack meeting.

He also rode for NZ at Odsal in the WTC qualifier - the first meeting on the revamped Bradford track - on May 12, 1985. Was that his last COMPETITIVE appearance on a UK track (excluding match-races, testimonials and farewells)? What was his FINAL appearance on a UK track - would it have been his own farewell meeting at Belle Vue at the end of '85?

We have now had it confirmed that Ivan faced Peter Collins in match-races at Ellesmere Port in 1975, and against PC again at Peterborough in the late 70s (anyone know the dates of these?). He rode match-races at Berwick v Jimmy Mac in 1980. At Canterbury in match-races v Barney Kennett and Dave Gooderham in June, 1974.

Many thanks, BL65 and Sotonian. I recall reading somewhere that Ivan met Scott Autrey in a match-race series at Paisley. Perhaps someone could please confirm this and also add one or two other BL2/NL tracks to the list...

In the next issue (81) of Backtrack, Martin Rogers will be looking back at the Polish riders who competed in British League in the 70s & 80s and the memories they created. Alongside the main piece will be a column of supporters' comments about the Poles who raced in the UK during that era, so please either post your personal recollections, anecdotes, memories or opinions here or email us at: editorial@retro-speedway.com My own favourite memories mainly revolve around the daredevil thrills served up by one of my boyhood heroes Zenon Plech at Hackney, particularly in 1976 and '79, when he came close to winning the world title at Katowice. And then the impact made by Roman Jankowski in 1980. No doubt fans of Wimbledon and White City will recall fondly the efforts of Eddie Jancarz and Marek Cieslak respectively. At Leicester, Jerzy Rembas reached a high standard and did himself proud in the '78 World Final at Wembley, while Andrzej Huszcza was also a favourite with Lions' followers. Boley Proch and Henryk Glucklich had their moments for Reading. On the other hand, there were also a bunch of Poles who struggled in the BL . . . Greg Szczepanik (Leicester), Adam Olkiewicz (Halifax), Kazimierz Adamczak (Hull), Jerzy Trzeszkowski (Swindon), Robert Slabon, Jan Puk and Marek Kepa (Eastbourne), Eugeniusz Blaszak (Reading). Anyway, please let us have your thoughts . . . Thank you.