TonyMac

SIMON CROSS RACING The ultimate DVD collection ONLY £16 (post-free in UK) Please view the trailer here: SIMON CROSS was one of the most exciting English riders of his generation. A teenage grasstrack star, he began his speedway career with Oxford (1982) and had a second season in the National League with Weymouth (1983) before steeping up into the big-time with reigning British League champions Cradley Heath. In his 12 seasons with the Heathens (1984-95), 'Crossi' played a prominent role in the Midlands outfit winning a host of domestic honours alongside fellow club legends Erik Gundersen, Alan Grahame, Jan O. Pedersen, Greg Hancock and Billy Hamill. Whenever and wherever Simon was on track, he set pulses racing with breathtaking manoeuvres that thrilled the crowds during speedway's last golden era. Even in the races he didn't quite manage to win, his courage and never-say-die determination earnt him many vital points from the back. This tenacity became the hallmark of his illustrious 15-year racing career. This highly collectable double-disc set of non-stop action and contemporary interviews with Simon, lasting almost four hours and featuring 117 races, includes: * Crossi in action home and away for Cradley Heathens. * Racing his heart out for England in Test matches against Denmark and USA. * Admire his courage and skill as he passes reigning World Champions Hans Nielsen and Sam Ermolenko in separate races at Dudley Wood. * Competing against the world's best in individual World Championship rounds. * Winning the 1988 Overseas Final – his biggest individual victory. * His horrific first race crash in the 1989 World Team Cup that tragically ended the career of his club-mate Erik Gundersen and totally overshadowed England's win. * His near career-ending spill in the 1990 World Pairs Final (when partnered with Kelvin Tatum) that almost left him paralysed. * How he bravely fought back to regain star status at Cradley and a return to the national team. * A race for his only Polish club, Start Gnieszno, in 1992. * Early National League rides as a teenager for Oxford Cheetahs and Weymouth Wildcats. * Still serving up a feast of thrills, Crossi in his final (1996) season with Coventry Bees. RETRO SPEEDWAY . . . Keeping great memories alive To view a 5-minute trailer and then hopefully order this DVD, please visit us at: https://www.retro-speedway.com/homepage

SIMON CROSS is the 14th former star of the 70s & and 80s to feature in our popular 'Racing' DVD series and having produced them all, I can honestly say that this one gave me as much pleasure as any of them, and more than most. Firstly, of the 117 races crammed into the thrilling two-disc set, the vast majority were new to me, so I didn't know the outcome as I viewed each one for the first time. Most of the races you will see were filmed by local video companies, hardly any were covered by national television cameras. The other big factor that struck me watching 'Crossi' was his sheer determination, willpower and skill. About a third of the races we've captured he didn't actually win . . . but, typical of his honest endeavour and bravery, he invariably pushed those in front of him to the wire and never gave up until the chequered flag. We'll never know if Crossi would have gone all the way and fulfilled his potential to become World Champion if a series of nasty injuries hadn't set him back in his peak years between 1988 and 1991, when he was undoubtedly world class and among the top two Englishmen (mainly vying for that honour with Kelvin Tatum but also Simon Wigg and Jeremy Doncaster). The highlights for me were his brilliant victories from the back over then reigning world number ones Hans Nielsen and Sam Ermolenko, and holding the Dane at bay for four pulsating laps at Hans' home track, Oxford. Gating wasn't Simon's strong suit then but the hard knocks he suffered focused his mind on making sharper starts and reducing the risks in his latter seasons. I hope you will get as much pleasure from this DVD as I did putting it together. It should appeal not only to Cradley supporters who idolised and admired Simon, but speedway fans worldwide who know a real racer when they see one. Tony Mac

2019 SPRING EDITION Welcome to issue 44 of our quarterly retro magazine. Here's a taster of what's inside . . . MIKE POLUKARD – First Pole at Wembley ROMAN CHYLA looks back at the history-making exploits of his fellow countryman Mike Polukard, who literally sacrificed his life trying to help others achieve the stardom he earned at Bydgoszcz and for Poland on the international front. OXFORD: 50 Memorable Moments ROB PEASLEY looks back at the early years of Oxford Cheetahs, when the likes of Pat Clarke, Ronnie Genz, Arne Pander and Ron How were the Kings of Cowley and the National League championship came to Sandy Lane. DANNY TAYLOR – From fan to boss Nowadays most promoters have a main business outside the sport and treat their club as a glorified hobby. But it wasn’t always like that. Right up to the 90s, speedway was often the promoters’ only source of income. DOUG NICOLSON looks at the life and times of Danny Taylor, who, although he passed away 50 years ago, is still fondly remembered at Glasgow and Berwick. PETER LLOYD – exclusive interview PHIL CHARD talks to unsung rider Peter Lloyd, who had spells riding trials, grasstracks and even car racing as well as a multitude of speedway clubs, including Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Poole. STANISLAV KUBICEK – exclusive interview VITEK FORMANEK catches up with Stanislav Kubíček, one of the most outstanding Czech riders of his generation. He starred for the 1963 World Team Cup Final silver medalists who finished ahead of Great Britain in Vienna. YESTERDAY'S NEWS In our new series, TONY McDONALD raids Retro Speedway's vast archives and looks back at publications and what they were writing about. First up we've got extracts from 1953 and 1958 editions of Speedway World and one from a 1965 Speedway Pictorial. IVAN'S FINAL LAP Poignant family pictures from the a private ceremony in Woolston Cemetery, where Ivan Mauger's ashes were interned at his spiritual home in Christchurch, New Zealand. RONNIE'S WALL OF DEATH REVIVAL Chris Martin, a Weymouth rider in the early 80s, recalls the honour of riding Ronnie Moore's old Wall of Death fairground attraction in their native New Zealand. Plus . . . pictures from the annual Celebration of Speedway event, obits on Don Cuppleditch, Miroslav Verner and Jim Purdey, crossword, your letters and a full-page team photo of the 1969 Reading Racers. To order this issue, or to subscribe for as little as £16 a year in the UK, please visit us at www.retro-speedway.com/

Very sad to hear this - John has been a highly valued and dedicated contributor to our Classic Speedway magazine since its inception in 2008. A brief tribute appears here: https://www.retro-speedway.com/homepage

One per issue would be fine, Steve. It's good that you take an interest and actively get involved.

The latest issue (91) is out now and here's a taster of what is inside . . . ISSUE 91 (March-April, 2019) SON OF MY FATHER: TONY & BARRY BRIGGS RICHARD BOTT catches up with Tony Briggs, who recalls the painful aftermath of his career-ending crash and explains why helping current riders to avoid a similar fate – and worse – has enabled him to make an indelible mark on the sport his famous father once dominated. In the second half of our main feature . . . How hard must it have been for Tony Briggs to follow his world famous father? TONY McDONALD put the question to the legendary Barry Briggs, who shines an insightful light on the obstacles that he is convinced hampered his son's speedway ambitions. BACKCHAT Q&A with Martin Rogers Introducing a regular new feature where you, our readers, have the chance to fire questions at our lead columnist. As one of the most respected promoters and administrators of the Backtrack era, no-one is better qualified to respond to questions about the burning issues of the 70s and 80s. Among subjects up for debate this time are the effects of the four-valve revolution, promoters who benefited from dual track interests, second-halves and the BSPA's World Final share-out. MR also reflects on what he considers to be the promoters' decision he most regrets from his time in the sport. THAT WAS THE YEAR: 1975 ANDREW SKEELS turns the clock back some 44 years to another great summer for the mighty England team. He also recalls how track conditions overshadowed Ole Olsen's second world title success and why new and returning teams helped the two domestic leagues to thrive. DAVID BILES – Exclusive interview One of the most popular riders in Poole's National League era and also a young star at Weymouth, David Biles tells PHIL CHARD why he was a reluctant hero and decided to quit while still a star heat leader at 22. NEWPORT: 50 Memorable Moments ROB PEASLEY looks at the South Wales club that was at the heart of the four-valve revolution in Europe, led by Australian great Phil Crump at a much-maligned track that even some of the world's best didn't relish visiting. Wasps and Dragons favourites featured include Torbjorn Harrysson, Sandor Levai, Tommy Johansson, Neil Street, Reidar Eide, Phil Herne, Steve Gresham, Brian Woodward, plus NL stars Mike Broadbank and Jim Brett and those who were prominent in the last era at Hayley Stadium in Queensway Meadows from 1997 until the club's sad demise in early 2012. ONE TRACK MIND DOUG NICOLSON looks at speedway's 'lifers', riders of the 70s and 80s who spent their entire career at just one track. Such loyal one club men include Bernie Leigh, Les Owen, Martin McKinna and Mike Caroline, plus those who rode for different clubs but under the same promotion – the likes of Eric Boocock and Norman Storer. THE WRITE STUFF – RICHARD CLARK There is much more to the long-serving former editor of Speedway Star than denim jeans, a thirst for Guinness and a carrier bag full of vinyl Bob Dylan albums. In this first of a fascinating two-part interview, TONY McDONALD traces Clarkie's path from school rebel to Star man. WORLD LONGTRACK FINALS of the 70s In part one of our review of speedway's 'bigger brother', ROB PEASLEY looks back at the early history of the FIM competition won by some of tracksport's all-time greats. Ivan Mauger, Ole Olsen, Anders Michanek, Egon Muller and Alois Wiesbock all claimed the 1,000 metres title in the decade under review. To buy this single issue or subscribe, please visit: https://www.retro-speedway.com/

Thanks, Steve. We hope many more readers (even non-regulars) will fire their questions at Martin in the issues to come. If you have a question relating to speedway in the 70s and 80s that you would like Martin to answer, send it to us at editorial@retro-speedway.com.

Not shooting in the dark. The closure of four teams since last season, with others looking ominously precarious, shines a burning light on the sport's obvious problem: promoters are paying riders more than they can afford.

Well, as I suggested, IMMEDIATELY reducing team numbers from seven to six would be a good place to start to address the chronic rider shortage, so there's one short-term way of easing a major problem. No riders worthy of a team place would be out of work - not for long anyway.

Then let's agree to disagree. Forget atmosphere, crowd levels, publicity, sponsors, national media coverage, relative lack of counter-attractions, and all the other things that the 70s and 80s had going for them, I will never accept that the GENERAL standard of racing in British speedway today is superior, or even close to being on a par with, what it was in the 70s and 80s. They really are planets apart. It's not even an argument. You could argue that the wider availability of good quality shale very much helped contribute to the entertainment value back in the day. But whatever it was, BL and NL racing, the actual excitement factor, was far superior - IN GENERAL - than what the Elite & Championship leagues produce today. End of.

No, the standard of racing in British Speedway (BL & NL) generally WAS better! It really isn't a myth. Nothing to do with atmosphere. Please tell us where you watched speedway in the 70s & 80s?

Where did you watch speedway? Fans, at Belle Vue in particular, would no doubt disagree. To see PC and Mort in full flow, using all the mutliple lines Hyde Road offered to a genuine thinking racer, was a sight to behold. Ditto Hackney (my track), where Bengt Jansson, Barry Thomas, Bo Petersen, Dave Morton and Zenon Plech, routinely scored points from the back by using the throttle AND their brains to pass opponents. Ditto Sheffield, where the Morans would miss the gate and pick their way through the field, almost at will, when the Owlerton track was well prepared. Ditto at King's Lynn, where 'Mike the Bike' in his prime would usually outwit and pass any opponent quick enough to beat him from the start. Ditto.... at most tracks and fans of the old (Div 2) National League will bear me out here. Examples are endless. Yes, of course, there were a lot of predictable heats won from-the-gate back in the day. As there always will be. It's the nature of speedway. But, by and large, there were many more opportunities taken, especially in the pre-1975 four-valve era, for lesser lights to shine at the occasional expense of superstars. Not so now.

The five-page interview with Rob Godfrey in this week's Speedway Star certainly provides food for thought. Firstly, we can only take what we see quoted at face value and perhaps he said more which couldn't be included for space reasons. Benefit of the doubt. While I don't profess to know his background or what he does or doesn't do for the sport today, I've never spoken to the man, there are a number of points raised that I'd like to respond to and are worthy of further critical analysis (sorry to waffle on and hope you stay awake till the end!: SEMI-PRO OR AMATEUR? Rob alludes to, if not quite advocates, the idea of British speedway becoming semi-pro in the future, which (as I suggested in another recent BSF thread) it needs to do NOW in the short-term if it is to survive with any credibility left. He effectively spells it out just why this is the case when referring to the recent demise of Championship treble winners Workington. And the nail is well and truly smashed on the head in a separate, much smaller, item in the same issue of the Star in which Workington promoter Laura Morgan reveals that running the second tier club has cost her around £750,000 in total and that another injection of £75,000 would be required simply to run this year, when Comets would surely expect to incur at least the same loss, if not more given how hard it would be to repeat their 2018 triple. Later in the piece, Rob cites his own Josh Auty as one rider who "seems to make it pay" competing only in one league. If Auty can, who don't many others? As long as promoters keep paying them collectively more than what turnstiles and sponsorship income, they will continue to spend (waste?) money on expensive machinery, engine tuning, mechanics and fancy transport. Only the promoters can stop this happening. FULL-TIME PROMOTERS The question of professional promoters is a double-edged sword. Rob says that of the modern day regime, "not one of us needs to do it". Therein lies one problem: rightly or wrongly, they are not running their clubs on a full-time, 24/7 basis and don't depend on the sport for a living - unlike the likes of Fearman, Ochiltree, Silver, Dunton, Wilson, Thomas, Mawdsley, etc in days gone by. It was their livelihood - yes, of course, there were less counter-attractions competing for fans' money and - but they still had to work hard for it. For many (if not all) of today's ilk, speedway is a hobby they can indulge (for a while at least) to feed their egos. Unfortunately, the sport in Britain has been denigrated so much over the years that there is no turning back. COUNTING THE COST Rob reveals that winning the league (Div 2) in 2012 cost Scunthorpe 30 grand, suggesting Sheffield probably paid a similar price in their pursuit of honours. Later, he gives Glasgow as a prime example of a club that has the slickest PR machine in the country . . . yet still cannot attract sufficient crowds to meet their running costs. This, in itself, tells you all you need to know about promoters over-paying riders. The sums just don't add up. Yes, of course, riders deserve to be paid handsomely for the risks they take. But no business will survive, long-term, if it continues to ignore the basic rules of life: don't pay out more than you can afford. COMPARING THE PAST As for Rob's line about speedway today being "far, far better than it ever was", provocatively reproduced on the Star's front cover, I reckon thousands of our customers at Retro Speedway would vehemently disagree! To be fair, Rob is duty bound to promote his club and modern speedway in general, and in doing tries to discredit the past and (to paraphrase Harold Macmillan) convince his punters that "you've never had it so good". So we must assume that he never had the privilege of enjoying the likes of great entertainers such as Peter Collins, Chris Morton, the Morans, Bruce Penhall, Michael Lee, Ole Olsen, Jan O. Pedersen, Simon Cross, Malcolm Simmons, Mark Loram (started in 1987) . . . the list really is endless and I've not even mentioned the innumerable BL2/National League favourites who thrilled the crowds week in, week out. If he was talking about the Grand Prix, compared to the old and long-winded World Championship qualifying system, I'd be inclined to agree. The GPs routinely serve up tremendous entertainment and invariably top quality racing, where riders of equal ability are well matched. But comparing the GPs with the Elite League matches I've seen on telly is more often than not chalk and cheese. Riders strung out by half-a-lap isn't entertainment, nor any sort of advert for domestic speedway. From what we read, the point Rob doesn't seem to grasp here is that the days of a reserve or middle order man popping out of the gate and holding a world class rider at bay for all four laps are long gone and now rarer than a truthful MP. Speed, and the riders' unquenchable thirst for it, has helped kill the sport as a spectacle, although here the promoters of the mid-70s must shoulder a lot of blame for failing to nip the four-valve revolution in the bud before it sent costs spiralling out of control and that's where we are today. PROMOTING - HIGHLIGHTS PACKAGE I was encouraged to read of the BSPA's plans for a revamped website with hopes to include free-to-air matches. In the same issue I read that Poland will be airing a magazine-style show every Monday. So it begs the question: why haven't the BSPA done a deal with Go-Speed and all the individual DVD filming companies covering the tracks to put together, say, a weekly 30-minute show showcasing the past week's highlights, complemented by interviews with promoters and riders on current topics and burning issues? Would not a sufficient number of fans not be prepared to pay a nominal 50p or £1 per week throughout the season to cover production costs? The show could be offered as a download from the BSPA site with the same show being uploaded to YouTube a week later (if it hit YT at the same time, there would obviously be no point in paying the small sub). For obvious reasons, these edited highlights would not include any from 'live' BT Sport matches. British speedway desperately needs to harness its relationship with BT Sport if it is to have any hope of attracting a national sponsor, or backers for each of the three divisions (alas, Rob did not mention this failure on the BSPA's part). The BSPA already has the ideal experienced and knowledgeable anchor man/presenter on its pay roll in Nigel Pearson, while two or three of the best people producing DVDs could be tasked to edit the best action clips and interviews. Reality is, though, a weekly highlights download via the BSPA site or uploaded to YouTube probably won't attract one new supporters, especially a youngster who can't take his or her eyes off their smart phone for more than a few seconds. This will sound crazy to some, but promoters' priority should be to do all they can to KEEP their existing supporter base and TRY to win back those who have been disenfranchised over the part 10 years. Forget chasing new, young fans . . . speedway just doesn't cut it with them and very probably never will again. So forget them for now and focus all energies on keeping what you have and winning back the old faithful with fresh ideas, well prepared tracks and a professionally run sport. Only last week we at Retro Speedway were delighted to take on five new subscribers to our bi-monthly Backtrack magazine. OK, five in a matter of days is really nothing. But not in the context of where British speedway is now it isn't. They are five people who enjoyed reliving past memories but are now engaging with the sport again. Facebook is the biggest factor in this: whether you personally log on to FB or not and regardless of your personal preferences (FB, forum or Twitter), more and more of the older generation are signing up to Facebook's social media platform to 'chat' to kindred spirits - and that is where the BSPA should be looking to re-recruit former fans who might be tempted back into stadiums. This is where they will find their target audience. SOCIAL MEDIA Rob again uses Glasgow as his best example of a club that does social media very well. But he is wrong to excuse others clubs for not emulating them, or even going close to doing so, by using costs as an excuse. Having a good mate who runs a successful non-league football club, I can confirm that a good promo video was produced for them for as little as £750 . . . or, to put it another way, the equivalent of what some riders in UK speedway earn in one night. Running good Twitter and Facebook platforms is very inexpensive - all that's needed are the right people to manage and execute it to an acceptably professional standard and who have the imagination to offer what supporters should expect from these services. DOUBLING-UP, GUESTS AND RACE FORMAT While Rob was of course asked about how the rampant use of guests and doubling-up does untold harm to the sport's image, he dismisses very lightly the suggestion that the problems would be eased by cutting team numbers from seven to six and adopting a new heat formula (six-man teams have been used in the past). Am I missing something here? British speedway doesn't have enough riders of a certain minimum standard to staff its three leagues, and yet the hierarchy blindly sticks with seven-man teams even though virtually every club in the land is inevitably soon forced into calling up guests and doubling-up riders. Rob admits: "We don't have a big enough crop of riders without doubling-up, which is what causes all the problems". We know what the problems are, Rob. What we desperately need from people like you who govern and run the sport are solutions and ideas. Six-man teams (even in the short-term, until the young Brits coming up are up to scratch in a few years' time) won't eradicate the needs for guests, R/R and doubling-up but surely it's a no-brainer as at least a starting point . . . or please tell me why it isn't? What disillusions me more than anything when I read comments from promoters in the wake of another BSPA AGM is the chronic lack of ideas and innovation. I mean, why aren't one or two competitions run on slightly different formats and rules? Where's the variety - if not in terms of team numbers, then at least in competition formats? Even the rightly much-maligned England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had the gumption to realise that fans needed more than a staple diet of four-day Championship games and the sport has generally reaped the benefit of introducing two DIFFERENT limited-overs formats, the 50-over one-day league and T20 knockout comp, which are replicated in all major cricketing countries. I'd like to see a promoter come up with something a bit radical and off the wall. Put on a 16 or 20-heat meeting that embraces different sections: team racing and individual events; perhaps throw in a couple of match-races (Golden Helmet & Silver Helmet - remember them?); a few handicap races where the top riders start off the back grid; a 4-heat 250cc juniors event; maybe even a ladies' race (look how much national publicity is afforded to women's football and cricket at domestic and international level ). Indeed, why not run the KO Cup along these lines for a season on an experimental basis? Supporters might actually look forward to attending, because it's DIFFERENT. But with British speedway, it's the tired, predictable same old, same old. Lots of ongoing, familiar problems, very few solutions.

I'll have to read the piece in full later today before commenting but his throwaway line (used as a pull quote) along the lines of today's racing being much better than it was in the 60s, 70s & 80s certainly raised an eyebrow here. He obviously never saw PC - to name just one - in his prime.

ISSUE 90 (JANUARY - FEBRUARY, 2019) Issue 90 is on sale and here's a flavour of what to expect . . . THE MONEY MEN One of many elements missing from modern speedway is the excitement of the transfer market. When the old rider control system was phased out, and a points limit instituted, it soon coincided with a decade in which buying and selling of riders was much in vogue – and, as he recalls here, MARTIN ROGERS was king of the wheeler-dealers. We also list the biggest movers of the 1970-89 period, all riders who were involved in transfer deals in excess of £10,000. SON OF MY FATHER: KYM & IVAN MAUGER In the first of a regular new series, RICHARD BOTT talks to the man who had the impossible task of trying to follow in the tyre tracks of the legend widely regarded as the greatest-ever speedway rider. Kym Mauger, who had spells with Newcastle and Glasgow in the 80s, opens up about life with his famous dad, Ivan. THAT WAS THE YEAR: 1983 ANDREW SKEELS reflects on a year in which double winners Cradley Heath ruled the top sphere, Newcastle regained the National League title, Denmark began a long unbroken spell of world domination, Egon Müller became the home track hero, while Leicester suffered a crushing, terminal blow. SCUNTHORPE: 50 Memorable Moments They were tagged 'unfashionable' and endured many seasons of struggle but as ROB PEASLEY records, Scunthorpe were once led by a Scottish legend and, in more recent times, a future three times World Champion. CHRIS MARTIN – Exclusive interview Not even a bad injury that ended his brief British racing career can spoil Chris Martin's happy memories with Weymouth in the early 80s, when he was 'living the dream'. PHIL CHARD catches up with a former referee, GP start marshal and friend of the Briggs family. THE WRITE STUFF – DON ALLEN As TONY McDONALD and others who knew the creator of the groundbreaking Speedway Stop Press observe, they don't make journalists like this innovative, diligent, honourable gentleman anymore. DAG LOVAAS – Exclusive interview A recent emotional visitor to Oxford Stadium was Norwegian Dag Lovaas, the No.1 for Rebels in 1975, who was making his first return to his former track since riding in an inter-league four team tournament at Cowley in 1976. THE LATE SHOW The British speedway season is officially meant to end on the final day of October. But, as DOUG NICOLSON explains, extensions into November – even for less important fixtures – were by no means unusual. To order this issue or subscribe, please visit www.retro-speedway.com

HERE COMES THE . . . AUSTRALIANS In the next issue (85) of Backtrack, Martin Rogers will be looking back at the Australian riders who competed in the two British leagues (BL1 and BL2/NL) between 1970 and 1990.in the 70s & 80s... Alongside the main piece will be a section of supporters' comments about the Aussies 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 We look forward to hearing from you ASAP – respond and you might well get your name in Backtrack! Thanks. Tony Mac

HERE COME THE . . . AMERICANS In the next issue (86) of Backtrack, Martin Rogers will be looking back at the American riders who competed in the British League between 1970 and 1990.in the 70s & 80s... Alongside the main piece will be a section of supporters' comments about the Americans 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 The feats of the recognised superstars and Test match regulars – Scott Autrey, Steve Gresham, Bruce Penhall, Bobby Schwartz, Dennis Sigalos, the Moran brothers, Ron Preston, Sam Ermolenko, Lance King, John Cook, Rick Miller, Ronnie Correy, etc – have been well documented. But what do you recall of lesser lights, such as the early 70s imports Steve Bast, Rick Woods, Sumner McKnight, Tommy Morley, followed by those who came here in the 80s: Steve Colombo, Gene Woods, Brad Oxley, Larry Kosta, the late Denny Pyeatt, Rob Pfetzing, Randy Green, Bobby Ott, etc. We look forward to hearing from you ASAP – respond and you might well get your name in Backtrack! Thanks, Tony Mac

Indeed, that is what we are now doing in each issue of Backtrack. Interviewees/subjects have so far included: Ian MacDonald, John Chaplin, Martin Rogers and now Don Allen.

Firstly, sorry that I have only just seen your 16-year-old comment! What a lovely man your father, Bruce Grainger, was. Loved his laid-back approach, great sense of humour and his professionalism when supplying copy and pics during my time as editor of Speedway Mail. Yes, he was one of the first to write AND take his own photos to complement his words. We really looked forward to his weekly package arriving at the Mail office. No email or digital images in those days, of course, so he had to type up his copy (always nicely spaced out for the benefit of our typesetters), print up his pics and then pop them in the post to us. Bruce had a great eye for the offbeat and unusual pic too, so his contributions were always interesting. Attending his funeral was a sad occasion, because his passing came so suddenly (heart attack, if I recall?). He was a great loss to the Mail and I had to be there to pay my last respects to a very likeable, humble guy. While talking of the Mail, we have covered its rise and fall in considerable depth in past issues of Backtrack. But last summer I was delighted to catch up with and interview founding editor Ian MacDonald for our new 'The Write Stuff' column (issue 87), in which we talk to journos who have covered the sport. Ian gave a fascinating insight into the period 1973-78 (when John Hyam worked part-time shifts there) and explained all the issues raised earlier in this thread about the paper's struggles to gain readership and the obstacles it had to try and overcome. You can order this back issue here at www.retro-speedway.com

Today's bad news that Workington have withdrawn from the 2019 Championship (second tier), despite winning the treble last season, should provoke the BSPA into a crisis meeting. In our last issue of Backtrack (No.89) we listed 56 British league venues that have closed since 1970. Since the edition came out, the loss of Rye House, Buxton and now Workington has seen the death toll rise to 59. It is doubtful if any will ever resume league status. If the Comets, a track that opened in 1970, cannot sustain second division speedway after winning three trophies, what chance does the sport in this country have of survival? Glasgow have arguably the best PR machine in the sport behind them right now, earning lots of national coverage in Scotland and beyond. They have invested heavily in riders. But where has it got them? Their owner's recent statement should be taken as another warning shot. No-one can be surprised if the Tigers' management don't decide to cut their losses and come to the conclusion that they've given it their best shot but enough is enough. The odds on them coming to the tapes for 2020 must already be slim, or lengthening. Leicester, Rye House in recent times have found to their cost that chucking good money at top riders is no recipe for success and, more likely, a quick path to financial disaster. I was especially alarmed by the recent announcement that Buxton, the archetypal third division venue where many a young Brit was discovered, has pulled out of the National league due to unsustainable rising costs. They have been around for years but, sadly, have been betrayed by their own peers - the third division glory-hunters who ignored the ethos of what was meant to be a training, development league for young British riders in pursuit of silverware. Buxton's withdrawal should have served as a neon warning sign to the sport's governing body but their story seems to have been glossed over, ignored, outside Derbyshire. What are experienced 'old hands' doing nicking a living from a league meant for novices trying to learn the game? If there isn't already an age or experience limit, the Nl should impose one so that only one rider per team is over, say, 25. And NO-ONE who has any real experience of top flight or Div 2 racing should be occupying a team place. So what should happen to stem the tide? BRITISH SPEEDWAY has to become amateur, riders must go part-time and return to the days of the old BL1 and BL2/NL of the 60s, 70s & 80s, when many racers had a day job to supplement their speedway earnings, or vice-versa. If today's riders are performing in front of mere hundreds of spectators, rather than thousands, then they are really operating in an amateur sport and should not be paid as professionals. Speedway needs to take a long, hard look at itself and reality must finally kick in. Most non-league football teams are part-time. Players train Tuesdays and Thursdays and play Saturdays and midweek. They fit it in around their 9-to-5 job. Speedway riders must accept how small what they do really is in terms of spectator sports. As former Ellesmere Port middle order rider Duncan Meredith says: "Most of us back in my day had a job and my job subsidised my racing. We loved racing - the money was just a bonus." It's time to go back to those days. A backward step? Not if it stabilises the sport in the immediate short-term and enables it to survive and weather the current UK economic storm. Promoters need protecting from themselves and stop burying their heads in the sand. They must stop 'thinking big' - look where that got Leicester, Rye House and Glasgow, among others, in recent times and by propping up the Premiership Buster Chapman is merely applying a tiny sticking plaster to a large, gaping wound requiring major surgery. The BSPA has to start thinking SMALL and apply self-imposed reality checks that are long overdue. Scale down budgets to realistic levels and don't pay out more than you take at the turnstiles and sponsorship. It's simple economics of life. There is a chronic rider shortage across the board, the use of guests and R/R has escalated out of all proportion. I'd love to see a study of how many DIFFERENT riders appeared in each of the 3 divisions last season, and another list showing how many appeared for multiple clubs. The result would be eye-bulgingly horrific. So come up with a revised race format for six or even five-men teams. Six-men teams were used in the 60s and in the top flight in 1998. If there aren't enough riders to fill 7-men teams, then change the format. Doubling-up is killing what little credibility British speedway has left. If, in 10 years, British speedway has unearthed a new wave of young talent, then a return to 7-men teams can be considered. Until then, the BSPA must immediately go into crisis-survival mode, cut its cloth accordingly and stop paying out money to riders that it simply cannot afford, before more tracks are lost forever. Of course, reducing team members and changing race formats won't bring many, if any, new fans through the turnstiles. But what it will definitely help to do is RETAIN the current, rapidly declining fan base. Promoters should stop thinking of ways to try and lure a new, younger supporters (if any do), because 98% of teenagers will never be interested in speedway, and focus fully on keeping their existing customers.

If it's true that the new Peterborough promoter(s) have pulled the plug on Bomber Harris' signing for financial reasons, then perhaps at least one club is coming to its senses in refusing to pay out what it cannot afford. Or is there another side to this story...?

Because what promoters can really afford is so low, due to poor crowds, lack of big sponsors and large overheads, by definition riders (certainly in the lower two leagues) would inevitably become amateur/part-time.

Well said!

I have it on very good authority that the highest earning Leyton Orient player (they are currently National League - tier 5 - leaders) earns around £2,000 per week. The rest of the 24-man first team squad will be on anything between that and £500 per week. Some NL clubs are full-time, others part-time. But at Orient they are all full-time professionals, with no additional job. Home crowds average between 4,500-5,000. Now if speedway riders were performing in front of crowds of 4,000-5,000 they would be entitled to earn circa £2k per meeting. But no club in British speedway is drawing that many; and most not even half that attendance figure.

Promoters need saving from themselves. You can only assume that in some cases the speedway losses are actually viewed as tax losses from an individual's main source of revenue, otherwise why would they do it? Trouble is, those who treat a speedway club as a mere hobby, their 'play thing' and the chance to suddenly become a big fish in a tiny pool, invariably leave a trail of destruction and others to try and pick up the pieces. I remember Simmo telling me how he and Bill Barker made huge mistakes paying several of their King's Lynn riders way above what they could really afford - speculating to accumulate. It backfired big-time. And that was 32 years ago.