Nigel

Who me?............ butter wouldn't melt in my mouth

My commiserations to the Wolves fans, the anger and disappointment of losing lead to some rather unfortunate posts, but completely understandable in the circumstances. Seems many Wolves fans are quick to criticise their riders and promotion but never look to their own performance, a few unconvincing boos for Harris, the odd cheer when King went down... wheres your passion?. Adams should have been on the centre green kicking your butt, not his riders Wolves obviously missing 2 riders, Thorrsell and R/R I believe it was a mistake to use R/R most of the season, it may have worked as far as the results go but you missed out on the chance to get a new rider bedded (err. excuse the expression) into the team and track and are now paying the price, or one might say that not 'paying the price' was the promotions mistake. The skuffle in the pits was between pit crew members so I believe ...pity they were'nt on the centre green... come on lads slug it out We had 3 riders having poor nights yet we still win ........, what do you make of that? Nico can ride Monmore and has put in some creditable performances........ what was going wrong? And is the curse of the Brummie #1 still with us????? give any Brummie the #1 jacket and they go off the boil 2 poor meets from Smoli A lot of talk about NKIs bikes, mostly I believe inaccurate...he simply had to much power and struggled with excessive wheel spin, a bit of fiddling with the set up to detune his motor eventually found him some grip on a slick track. Q) are NKIs starts within the rules?.. now he has some 'history' with start marshalls and I do believe he shook hand with the marshall last night.. Now I did not notice his start technique in his first few rides but in his last 2 he started a complete wheel diameter? back from the tapes .. now he didnt get a roller, but he may have got more grip further back and he certainly had plenty of momentum into the first turn so he gained an advantage but is it within the rules.? I thought your front tyre has to be within a few inches of the tapes... what are the rules?

Welcome !!!!.... Bl**dy hell steve we have only just left it this year.........

Thanks for that kitten.......Hope he will be fit for the next Brummies meeting.........just our luck to get someone injured while "Guesting"

Only recently have the prog sales been moved inside ..there was a shed by the corner of the stand selling progs but for some reason it was removed I thought the Hammers put up a reasonable show Swiders could have scored more if he hadnt burst through the tapes. I suspect if the Hammers had won one poster on here would have had a different outlook on the meeting ?

Are you suffering with depression old chap... or were you at a different meeting to the rest of us?

I just hope Barker has the good sense to ignore Watts remarks and not sink to his level,

Yep......but I could see no other reason for Watt powering all the way round the turn after the finish flag and diving between the 2 Brummies just before they turned in to the pits ...a bit silly really .but the twitter remarks do infer he was unhappy with Barker.

Well I did not note any thing obviously untoward.. but If I recollect it correctly Barker frustrated Watt by blocking him off turn 2 after the start. but all looked fair to me!

Possibly ht 15 Watt was definitely not happy..

What a great night! packed stadium, great atmosphere, fantastic racing even though the track was a bit slick and another win for the Brummies even without Smoli, and Nico having another poor night ....strength in depth or what...and there are people out there who still do not take us seriously. Ben Barker, big balls or what... flat out around the boards every time with some sensational passes.. Auty again showing impressive form. I note Nico was on track testing engine set ups after the meeting. At last someone has had the gumption to get the extra parking by using the industrial frontage next to the stadium. whats taken them so long? Hope its open for all the rest of the season, the hassles of using the one stop car park puts a lot of people off. All they need to do now is do something about the inadequate terracing and we shall all be able to see the racing. Got most of the Family to this meet and they all loved it ...roll on the next one

They could go and watch darts, cheapest tickets at £20 plus or better still they could take a holiday in Cyprus... give them plenty to moan about!!!

Have just recieved my copy of "Crystal Palace Speedway" (A history of the glaziers) by Norman Jacobs. The front cover invites the reader in to what is IMO a very well researched and written book that keeps the readers interest all through. Many photos, some of which I have never seen before. From my perspective one of Norman Jacobs best books. Enjoy

Just my opinion and not to be taken too seriously

My first visit to Beaumont park, just wanted to see for myself what the place was like and to watch Nico Covattis progress, I am impressed, nice stadium, excellent terracing and viewing facilities, No adverts on the centre green, you can see all the track from any position, Brummies management please take note!!!!!! great programme much better than Brummies, a good man on the Mic again better than Brum, lots of older generation there cos they can sit down and watch the racing from the excellent seated stands just a yard (metres) or two from the edge of the track, you can almost see the whites of the riders eyes, so close to the racing, brilliant. I even got hit by a piece of flying shale reminds me of Perry Barr in the 50s, if only PB was like this we would be packing them in like sardines. Not so sure about the track, the straights are very long...it a long way from the tapes to the first turn. Still one meeting is not enough to make a judgement on the quality of racing. As for the meeting..well I m not sure why anyone takes these fixture fillers seriously, with a predictable result, just a run out for the boys. Coventry sent a select side which fielded a 16 year old who would not get a place in a NL team. Well Chris Mills and Hawkins got a bit of practice. Danny king took no chances.. just went through the motions, to much at stake with next thurs home match against Eastbourne, King was only there to act as mentor to Nico, who was caught out by the long straights and tight corners, barnstorming into the turns in his spectacular style only to bite the dust twice, both times immediately up on his feet ..he bounces well..by his third ride Danny had got Nico sorted and he wins, he was so much smoother and in control in his last two rides, such a good prospect

Tongue firmly in cheek. I believe 'The News of the World' has vaccancies...

I believe Jack Geran and Neil Street were 2 of the riders

(Gentlemen sorry to interupt your sensible illuminating and well written posts. ..... but I cant resist) As you hurl abuse at Norbold you have the gall to point an accusing finger at me.... a pox on you sir I must appologise for my spelling but I only found one big typo that was 'Plato', it should have read.. Platopuss...... er is that how you spell it?

Such stunning oratory, oh the superb rhetoric, I am left gasping with admiration, move over Plato.......

Sez the man who should put his own house in order first, with respect to all the above quote . I respectfully suggest you lean the difference betweem facts and opinion. Sez the man who point blankly refuses to accept facts or to accept opinions other than his own and attempts to trivialise those who give an honest and friendly presentation of facts. Christian charity Huh!

The Magazine as usual keeps up the high standard with some excellent articles, shame then that it publishes what I consider a propaganda article by Philip Dalling. I can only assume it was written with a view to help pay the mortgage and his tongue was firmly in his cheek, if not, then his theatrical attempts to draw a parallel between the Hoskins factions, Cavaliers and Roundheads fell flat. It is perhaps unwise of Phillip to use that analogy, as the Cavaliers in their desire to discredit Cromwell and the Roundheads re-wrote history to suit themselves. Equally bizarre is the comment that facts published by historians particularly in Australia are in some way distasteful. Is the truth that unpalatable? I would like to know how much research Phillip has done on Australian Speedway history. In the apparent attempt to put more spin on Hoskins career the roles played by those who deserve the credit are played down, although Phillip grudgingly admits they played a part. The article I believe infers that the dedicated band of enthusiasts who research speedway history are in some way part of a conspiracy to discredit J S Hoskins . . Again this story denies credit to those who deserve it, pushed into the shadows once more by the Hoskins propaganda machine. The only evidence Phillip offers for Hoskins contribution to speedway is the fact he is apparently remembered by many.

I found some forgotten items in my computor files...a cutting for two adverts in a Rockhampton (Australia) newspaper .. "Trotting and Motorcycle sports" at the showground (Sept 22nd) Rockhampton agricultural society........... also "Motorcycle sports" at the Showground (August).. Central Queensland Championship, the year 1919

The Ilford clubs first choice of track was the disused Parsloes park trotting track.Permission for its use never granted. In 1928 Blackpool and Greenford trotting tracks were used. The blurb in a 1928 Greenford programme says they believe that dirt track racing is best seen on big trotting tracks, were did that info come from (USA?) seeing as the Australians thought that 440yrds the optimum size. I have reports of dirt track racing on trotting tracks in Italy 1911 and South Africa as early as 1908. California 1902. Jack Parker I think only rode in Trials. Gus Kuhn(see his website)did road racing(TT), trials,Path racing and Grass track but this was a completely different animal to the grass track racing we know today. edit:-whoops ...looks like you have beaten me to it Norbold Whoops again ..I forgot to mention Audenshaw and Droylesdon although the later was not a trotting track in 1927 as is commonly believed.

'Oval racing In OZ' Motorcycle racing on oval tracks started around 1902 although this is not a definitive date. Banked wooden and concrete cycle tracks were used for racing what were little more than motorised bicycles. Many sports fields, football and cricket pitches were surrounded by hard rolled cinder tracks which were used for cycling and athletics, they also saw racing. Some type of board track racing seems to have taken place in Oz but not as the Americans would know it. Horse trotting or harness racing as it is called was popular and many tracks existed, usually between half to one mile in length. The surface was, it seems, mostly grass although some may have been rolled dirt. How much grass was left on the turns can only be guessed at. On the country tracks and/or club meetings I think it would be a case of racing whatever you turned up on. At the more serious meetings bikes were I suggest more like their American counterparts, no brakes no gears etc. real dirt bikes. There may have been as many as 12 riders per race or as little as 2. Maitland was a Grass covered trotting track. In Oz racing on these tracks probably started before the First World War as it did in most civilised countries, except it seems Great Britain. New Zealand also had grass covered Trotting tracks; I have a photo of Ray Crawley seated on an American Excelsior Dirt Bike ....no brakes etc. at a grass covered track, the date 1916 It was not Speedway as we know it (1923). That evolved during the next 4 years (Thank you Australia) As for the first Floodlight meeting on an oval track, that honour I believe goes to the Americans who had done this before the First World War with Board Tracks. Hope this is of some use. It could be argued that Maitland was the catalyst that started it all in much the same way as High Beech. In my view Maitland was less of a Speedway meeting than High Beech and again to draw parallels I suggest Maitland was, like High Beech, down to a number of people and a particular set of circumstances. It is seldom the case that one person did it all but is frequently the case that one person claims the credit.

I was in Tescos