K M Videos

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Rob

 

We get the feeling that racing was better in the olden days, but maybe it was just more interesting.

 

Tracks weren't as smooth back then, so riders couldn't go full-throttle for four laps. More skill and throttle control were required.

 

Races seemed less predicable back then, even if there may not have been as much overtaking as we like to remember.

 

I base my comment on having seen the outside pass become such a rarity. One of the reasons that I fell in love with speedway was seeing riders bravely moving off-line, heading out into the dirt with wide-open throttle and racing.

 

Over the years I saw the real racers in the sport frustrated by finding that when they tried this move they were let down by the track as they simply fell further behind.

 

Now far too often I see racing confined to one tight line, often on the notorious "blue groove" and far too often the only hope of seeing a pass is if a rider slips off this line and leaves a gap on the inside.

 

Much has changed for the better over the years, notably live TV coverage but the outside pass is tragically such a rarity these days. I feel the sport let down those who were prepared to race rather than simply have a "skid" and it is all the poorer for this.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

 

[moxey63 1,785]

I base my comment on having seen the outside pass become such a rarity. One of the reasons that I fell in love with speedway was seeing riders bravely moving off-line, heading out into the dirt with wide-open throttle and racing.

 

Over the years I saw the real racers in the sport frustrated by finding that when they tried this move they were let down by the track as they simply fell further behind.

 

Now far too often I see racing confined to one tight line, often on the notorious "blue groove" and far too often the only hope of seeing a pass is if a rider slips off this line and leaves a gap on the inside.

 

Much has changed for the better over the years, notably live TV coverage but the outside pass is tragically such a rarity these days. I feel the sport let down those who were prepared to race rather than simply have a "skid" and it is all the poorer for this.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

 

Personally I think the racing was much better years ago than it is now. Newbies criticise people like me for saying it was, saying we’re dinosaurs. But they wouldn't know any different.

I feel despair if, say, in 15-20 years time, the newbies of today are saying that racing was better when they started watching the sport. Imagine what speedway will be like then!

 

[Trap 1 12]

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH THIS ONE!!

Recordings of boston 1980/81 crayford 1981/82 and peterboro 1983/84

 

 

[PhilK 150]

I loved KM Videos and indeed have many of their meetings on tape, one being an original of the highlights of the 1982 England v America series, which I purchased off ebay.

 

Think they are something of a cult product now, though I must add that I wasn't impressed back in 1982, when I bought the Hackney-Belle Vue match from them, to find it was less than half-an-hour footage for £20, a lot in those days.

 

I can remember paying that much too! A considerable lump out of my pay back then and probably why I have so few

 

I was researching a piece for the Mildenhall programme on their early history in the 4 Team Tournament last evening, and in the 1981 programme from Peterborough was an advert of K M Videos offering meetings they had filmed between March 28th and 14th June. In total there were 38 meetings so they certainly kept busy back then.

 

Some of the tracks featured included Barrow, Ellesmere Port, Canterbury, Weymouth, Crayford, Wimbledon, Boston plus three Mildenhall meetings Ive never seen! I'm surprised that the owner has not seen a niche in the market here, as I'm sure these defunct tracks would be highly sort of by collectors!

 

For the record 30 minute meetings cost £22, League Cup/16 heat meetings £23 and Test matches/Open meetings £25!

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I can remember paying that much too! A considerable lump out of my pay back then and probably why I have so few

 

I was researching a piece for the Mildenhall programme on their early history in the 4 Team Tournament last evening, and in the 1981 programme from Peterborough was an advert of K M Videos offering meetings they had filmed between March 28th and 14th June. In total there were 38 meetings so they certainly kept busy back then.

 

Some of the tracks featured included Barrow, Ellesmere Port, Canterbury, Weymouth, Crayford, Wimbledon, Boston plus three Mildenhall meetings Ive never seen! I'm surprised that the owner has not seen a niche in the market here, as I'm sure these defunct tracks would be highly sort of by collectors!

 

For the record 30 minute meetings cost £22, League Cup/16 heat meetings £23 and Test matches/Open meetings £25!

 

1981 was the year before I got involved so I'm surprised to see Barrow and Ellesmere Port listed since we certainly didn't go to places that far away (bar Belle Vue) in my time. I suspect that KM might have had a deal with a local guy to market their work on their behalf.

 

I can certainly vouch for the volume of meetings covered after then though - it was most nights of the week. Bear in mind we also covered football, ice hockey and basketball at that time so either end of the speedway season was downright hectic. I am still recovering from two seasons of being the Crystal Palace FC club video commentator :-( but the ice hockey (Streatham, Richmond, Lee Valley, Nottingham and Durham) was good fun.

 

Once the ScreenSport work started we also had the small matter of weekly stock car coverage to contend with too.

 

Rob McCaffery

[moxey63 1,785]

1981 was the year before I got involved so I'm surprised to see Barrow and Ellesmere Port listed since we certainly didn't go to places that far away (bar Belle Vue) in my time. I suspect that KM might have had a deal with a local guy to market their work on their behalf.

 

I can certainly vouch for the volume of meetings covered after then though - it was most nights of the week. Bear in mind we also covered football, ice hockey and basketball at that time so either end of the speedway season was downright hectic. I am still recovering from two seasons of being the Crystal Palace FC club video commentator :-( but the ice hockey (Streatham, Richmond, Lee Valley, Nottingham and Durham) was good fun.

 

Once the ScreenSport work started we also had the small matter of weekly stock car coverage to contend with too.

 

Rob McCaffery

 

Rob

Did you suffer from any form of cramp, once you'd hung up the microphone?

Edited October 29, 2009 by moxey63

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Rob

Did you suffer from any form of cramp, once you'd hung up the microphone?

 

The hand was frozen to it once - but that was after four hours in -25c covering ice racing in Leningrad. Couldn't wear a glove and write up a programme. Another memorable moment was covering indoor rallycross in Holland (I kid you not) when nobody noticed a door had been opened at the end of the hall and suddenly we were confronted with an empty hall and brake lights flashing in the car park section of the track. That would have made a good indoor speedway track - an agricultural hall in Leeuwaarden.

 

There were other commentators though, notably Edwin Overland, Dave Welch, Bob Radford, Mike Hunter and my immediate predecessor, Gareth Rogers together with a guy called Ian French.

 

Rob McCaffery

[shoestringtours 11]

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH THIS ONE!!

Recordings of boston 1980/81 crayford 1981/82 and peterboro 1983/84

The man you need to speak to is Mike Hunter at Edinburgh who did me video recordings of some Boston meetings.

1981 sees Boston v Berwick 1983 Boston v edinburgh home and away.

I intend to contact Mike during the close season as he intends to do me these on DVD.

 

[PhilK 150]

The man you need to speak to is Mike Hunter at Edinburgh who did me video recordings of some Boston meetings.

1981 sees Boston v Berwick 1983 Boston v edinburgh home and away.

I intend to contact Mike during the close season as he intends to do me these on DVD.

 

Thats interesting par_darrell, was only speaking to Mike a few nights back, would certainly like to obtain a copy of Boston v Berwick from 1981! Will have to have a word with him

[fireblade 0]

Boston were covered by Screensport many times in the 80's. I know for certain that 1984 Edinburgh 1986 Poole, Rye House and Long Eaton were filmed. One of them meetings were scrubbed off the master tape. I have 'em all somewhere.

 

Incidentally when Tommy Rander and his company Transmission TV and Media provided the pictures in the late 80's Mike Bennett, Warwick Mead and myself were amongst the staff. Clive Fisher did the commentary.

 

Mike Bennett worked for Paul Bonner in 1987 the year when British League coverage overtook National League.

 

I can remember Edwin Overland, Dave Lanning, Chris French and others also providing commentary. Dave Lanning for me the voice of TV speedway, but Edwin didn't do a bad job either.

 

I would be interested to see footage from the following tracks that I visited but are now long gone.

 

Weymouth, Scunthorpe (Both Quibell and Ashby), Birmingham (Old Perry Barr).

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I would be interested to see footage from the following tracks that I visited but are now long gone.

 

Weymouth, Scunthorpe (Both Quibell and Ashby), Birmingham (Old Perry Barr).

 

Somehow I managed to get Birmingham v Cradley from Perry Barr complete with an interview with a young Simon Wigg. I've also got a Boston maeeting somewhere. Right now I can't transfer to DVD but as soon as I can sort out my VCR dubbing I can sort out the 'library' for want of a better word. I think I may have a Scunthorpe v Middlesbrough match from Ashby Ville as well.

 

I lost contact with Paul Bonner many years ago now but I suspect that there could be a useful niche market for him here if the masters still survive.

 

At least copies are out there. Maybe some kind of speedway video archive could be put together sometime, after all there must be a huge mountain of VHS still with customers by now.

 

Rob McCaffery.

[shoestringtours 11]

I can remember trying to track down KM video a few years back and got in touch .They had quite a catalogue in storage but didn't really offer any help,but did offer to let me into their warehouse to search for tapes.

If you get any luck then I wold love to know.

I'm sure it was in the Essex area.It was in the days when Essex was a long way away.

Being a lorry driver nowadays i would jump at the chance.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I'm sure it was in the Essex area.It was in the days when Essex was a long way away.

Being a lorry driver nowadays i would jump at the chance.

 

Paul was originally based at Woodford Green in Essex but moved to Hoddesdon about the time I lost contact.

 

Rob McCaffery

[fatface 2,554]

I used to have the first three tests from England v USA in 1983 from Wimbledon, Swindon and Poole from KM Video on Betamax! There was some cracking racing, particularly from Blunsdon. I think it was a christmas present for this wee lad. I must have been a good boy that year. I gave that tape some serious airtime! If ever any Hyde Road action ever becomes available on DVD, please let me know, I'd be dead keen to get my hands on it.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I used to have the first three tests from England v USA in 1983 from Wimbledon, Swindon and Poole from KM Video on Betamax! There was some cracking racing, particularly from Blunsdon. I think it was a christmas present for this wee lad. I must have been a good boy that year. I gave that tape some serious airtime! If ever any Hyde Road action ever becomes available on DVD, please let me know, I'd be dead keen to get my hands on it.

 

We covered Belle Vue back then when the Bamforths would let us in. If the archive survives there'll be some Hyde Road footage in there.

 

Rob McCaffery.