Happy Birthday Swindon Speedway

[Seb the Snail 22]

Just a quick post to wish the Robins a very happy 60th Birthday!

 

It's exactly 60 years today since the bikes first roared at the Abbey. To mark the occasion, one of the original bikes from 1949 will be ridden on the parade at the meeting tonight by former Abbey favourite Barry Duke.

 

What are your best Abbey memories from years gone by?

[Grachan 7,362]

Shawn McConnell doing a celebratory wheelie at the end of the race and getting overtaken in the process.

 

Andrew Silver coming in as number eight and slicing through the middle of a team-riding Wolves pair in one fell swoop. Sign him up!!

 

Phil Crump's maximum against the unbelievable Cradley team in 1983.

 

Malcolm Holloway riding through the flower beds on the centre green.

[arnieg 3,644]

Just a quick post to wish the Robins a very happy 60th Birthday!

 

It's exactly 60 years today since the bikes first roared at the Abbey. To mark the occasion, one of the original bikes from 1949 will be ridden on the parade at the meeting tonight by former Abbey favourite Barry Duke.

 

What are your best Abbey memories from years gone by?

No contest it has to be the 1972 league match between the Budgies and the Racers - the first of many Racers away wins that I've witnessed).

 

Anders Michanek came out and broke the tapes in heat 1 and was replaced by reserve Richard May. Not a good start, but then May beat Barry Briggs. By heat 8 Swindon needed to introduce a tac sub - Barry Briggs. And Richard May beat him from the back!

 

Needless to say the Racers won :D

[frigbo 518]

Leonard Raba gating like a scalded cat against Reading in his debut ride and then forgetting to turn left. I think he ended up in The Cold Harbour!

[star ghost 7]

Watching Bob Roger, Georgie White and the Robins riding against Norwich Stars

BUT

This reminds me Hedon at Hull died 60 years ago

[sandman 0]

Happy Birthday to a grand old lady. Great track.. and history. Respect.

[Grachan 7,362]

Ari Kopenen clattering into the safety fence in a crumpled ball on bend two - right by me - with his bike on top of him. After being down for ages he was finally scraped up, removed from the track, and came back out to score 11 from 4.

 

 

[cityrebel 2,960]

all the wimbledon fans telling cyril maidment to use brad oxley in a last heat decider at the abbey in 1981. the dons shared the race and won 40-38 but still finished bottom of the league.

[martinmauger 584]

Watching Bob Roger, Georgie White and the Robins riding against Norwich Stars

BUT

This reminds me Hedon at Hull died 60 years ago

Indeed, 60 years since they pinched our licence and half our team, LOL! Makes you wonder what might have been as the Hedon site is mostly untouched though all sign of the track has long gone, sigh. Anyway, Happy Birthday Robins....

Edited July 25, 2009 by Martin Mauger

[keef 105]

1968 test GB versus Sweden...there were more people queuing up to climb in than pay, me included ...attendance 12,000 officially.

 

The 16-17,000 lockout for a late 70s meeting...think it was a Golden Helmet race.

 

Briggo and Ashby, riding for Exeter, side-by-side for 4 laps, 1968.

 

A Briggoless Robins losing their 3-year unbeaten home record to Newcastle, including Mauger and Olsen, the same year.

 

 

Seeing Adams and Gjedde winning the 2004 Elite Pairs, the first major trophy for many years.

 

The atmosphere in a crowd of over 5,000 for the play-off final versus Coventry in 2007.

[BOBBATH 467]

Amazingly I was there at the 1968 Swindon v Exeter meeting that Keef mentioned(hi Keef aren't you the guy who owes me a beer)-strangely enough I recall Tony George who I think was Exeter reserve at that meeting-I thought he would become a superstar but it never worked out. I also recall Jimmy Squibb for Exeter who at that time would have been 47 what a rider-will have to dig out my program out.Wait a minute have just done so-this was 15th June 68 and neither Briggs nor Ashby were riding.It was 50-28 for Robins-have you got wrong year Keef?Top scorer for Swindon was Kilby with 12 pts. max-top scorer for Exeter was Street with 9. In program notes it mentioned that both Briggs and Ashby were absent-perhaps you are thinking of 1969??Sorry to be a nerd -or as you Brits would say"anorak"- about this!!!!!!!!

[keef 105]

Amazingly I was there at the 1968 Swindon v Exeter meeting that Keef mentioned(hi Keef aren't you the guy who owes me a beer)-strangely enough I recall Tony George who I think was Exeter reserve at that meeting-I thought he would become a superstar but it never worked out. I also recall Jimmy Squibb for Exeter who at that time would have been 47 what a rider-will have to dig out my program out.Wait a minute have just done so-this was 15th June 68 and neither Briggs nor Ashby were riding.It was 50-28 for Robins-have you got wrong year Keef?Top scorer for Swindon was Kilby with 12 pts. max-top scorer for Exeter was Street with 9. In program notes it mentioned that both Briggs and Ashby were absent-perhaps you are thinking of 1969??Sorry to be a nerd -or as you Brits would say"anorak"- about this!!!!!!!!

 

Perhaps it was 69 Bobbath...my bruv in Oz has all the old Robins programmes, but I'm probably the bigger anorak

 

Never owed anyone a beer as I'm too tight

 

[BOBBATH 467]

Hi keef -think you must bow to me as the world's greatest anorak-I bought you a pint of Watney's Red Barrel(remember that??) that June in 1968

[keef 105]

Hi keef -think you must bow to me as the world's greatest anorak-I bought you a pint of Watney's Red Barrel(remember that??) that June in 1968

 

As a 12-year-old

[BOBBATH 467]

Must be thinking of your big sister!!!