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Awwww. Martin Ashby. What a rider. I was totally obsessed with the guy as a teenager. I remember the first time I ever went to Swindon Speedway. Swindon v Wolves in 1974. I stood on the apex of the first and second bends. First race I saw - Martin Ashby of Swindon beating some foreign bloke called Ole Olsen and breaking the track record. Amazing. He had the best style of any rider. Take any picture of Martin Ashby riding, and you could put it into any other picture of him. He always looked exactly the same in every picture. So stylish, but possibly not aggressive or ruthless enough sometimes, which probably cost him a place in my first ever World Final in 1975. That race with Ray Wilson was over 50 years ago now, and I'm still traumatised by it! I even took my FS1-E to his garage once for a service - just so I could say my moped was serviced by Martin Ashby. After he retired, he was regular supporter at Blunsdon. Always in the same spot - near to the tea hatch going into the first bend - as though he were just another supporter. No heirs and graces at all. RIP Martin Ashby. What a guy!

Martin Ashby was my absolute hero when I started going to speedway in the early 70’s. A brilliant rider with many seasons averaging over 10. I remember one race at the Abbey where he forgot to turn his fuel on in heat one, was miles at the back but came through and beat I think Valentine off the last bend to take the win. Also the 1975 British Final at Coventry when he was in a race off for the final spot at Wembley against Ray Wilson. Wilson gated, Ashby attacked up the inside for three laps and got through, but gave Wilson racing room for the Leicester rider to. Last around and win by half a bike. True gentleman. Swindon hero. RIP Martin.

Running in 2027. UTC!

Len Silver was a former rider who knew how to promote and he also knew how to get the best surface for the racing which gave the crowd entertaining racing which lived up to his promoting. As you say a different era.

But ok if you miss the CLRC to ride in Poland 🤔🙃

A credit to the sport in every way RIP .

So mr wright misses the plrc to ride in poland with no ban,we then bend over backwards starting at 5 pm to give him time to get back from poland again ,fri night at 6pm with a cloudy sky it was dark so what chance have we got to get it all done in light,then to cap it all max gets a ban for missing a nld fixture midweek,and we wonder why crowds are down.

Riders should know the expectations will be higher at certain clubs, like Glasgow or Poole. Even if the management tell them there's no pressure, they'll know the fans are used to a winning team (especially at Poole). If they want to learn the sport with zero pressure, could join a team that never wins anything?

Well done Comets, great news that you are back in 2027

Bob Dugard the same, yes he set up the track for his home riders but could change the track during the interval.

What a way to end the competitive season. The last Friday of summer 2026 brought weather which was anything but summery and a track which resembled, perhaps aptly, a pool. Having done the hard work on Wednesday, the Pirates barely had to get out of second gear in this one, sweeping aside the home challenge before it had even contemplated beginning. Rider of the Night, by a country mile, was Kyle Newman. I mentioned on his previous visit that I could quite happily watch him every week. It’s fair to say that opinion was reaffirmed last night. In fantasy world where I buy the Monarchs for £1, Newman is my first signing, that much is certain. His reserve partner, Slater Lightcap, didn’t have quite so good an evening. Obviously super-excited to be returning to the plush sunny Armadale surroundings, he nervously twitched his way to a heat 2 warning, before crashing out in heat 6 (speedy recovery). I couldn’t help but notice he wasn’t wearing his team racesuit. Why doesn’t he have one? He’s been here 5 weeks. Are the Kevlar manufacturers on strike? With Monarchs 4 points down and 28 on aggregate after heat 9, I rallied the troops around me. “6 5-0s and we win. Or, even better, 4 5-0s and 2 5-1s and we get an extra heat free of charge. Let’s do this!” As Monarchs gated on a 5-1 in heat 10 I thought, “bang... bang... here we go”. And then Lewis Kerr pulled off a tremendous outside swoop on not-so-super Grahn. The resulting 4-2 meant the tie was mathematically won. I didn’t notice too much (anything?) in the way of on-track celebrations. Perhaps FJ Havvy doesn’t have a calculator in his back pocket? If there was any jubilation, it appeared very low key. Almost as low as the volume on the home straight tannoy, which left me not knowing whether the presenters in the Tower had actually congratulated Poole on their aggregate victory. I assume they did? They’re usually very professional. That said, a low-volume tannoy does have some benefit as it means I don’t have to listen to the ‘modern’ music in between races. Why no Avril Lavigne? It’s all so uncultured nowadays. For the Monarchs, it was something of an impossible task from the off. And by the time the Thom(p)son non-twins were skittled in heat 13, the relief upon hearing of the resulting abandonment almost seemed palpable. It was sad, albeit perhaps fitting, that Justin Sedgmen’s final competitive race of the year saw him go from first to third. That apart he was decent, unlike Mitchell Cluff. Let’s just say, if the play offs were his shop window for a return in 2027, he shouldn’t receive an offer. Finally, I can’t not mention Captain Pugwash himself, Michele Castagna. When he first signed, I always remember him saying, “when I get dialled in, I’ll be virtually unbeatable”. Still waiting son. Still waiting. Well done Poole. The People’s Champions 2026. Here’s hoping you finish the job in the daft final. Roll on next season...

That Valentine race is on Retro Speedway's 1974 production.

Perhaps if Mario had shown an interest in practicing around Ashfield, he’d have found he had an home advantage. It’s total nonsense to say there’s no home advantage for Glasgow riders, it’s just an excuse when we lose. Most of the clubs that apparently have a home advantage get beaten at home more than Glasgow.

Guests are 100% not a necessary evil, as, if they were, then all leagues would have to use them.. The very fact they don't shows the sport can be ran without them... The issue is that now it has become part and parcel of the operating model in the UK, and fundamentally ingrained in the way the sport is ran... Providing promoters with lazy, easy to implement options, (and even a chance to improve their team), and it gives riders a chance to earn some decent money, (sometimes more than their own teams guarantee and points money)... In short, everyone is happy... If there are not enough riders then reduce the number of riders per team, (Denmark seem to run well with five per team, and eight teams)... If implemented this could free up 12 riders for next season's current six teams, with these riders, as you suggest, riding in tier two but coming in on short term replacement contracts... Or just implement a fit for purpose RR system which doesn't involve your No1 being replaced by two second strings, (or reserves if the manager chooses).. Riders 5 and 3 should be allowed to cover all the missing No1's rides, (f the manager chooses), and for the rest of the team, then the riders above and below the missing rider can take two each.. With a number eight coming in for a missing number seven.. You still then win or lose as a "proper team" and credibility is maintained.. The way UK runs its Speedway is just lazy and contrived, as they can plan in fixtures, with known clashes, and then just use Guests to cover the missing riders... Removing the Guest "Get out of jail free card" would mean a far more disciplined, and much better thought out, and organised approach, to the whole running of the sport.. Which can only be a good thing... NB. Tier two can still do "whatever they want", but the top tier should always be seen as a credible bona fide, professional, sporting league...

Both matches had everything !! Must be watched !!!

The way the sport is ran (in the UK), would be laughable... If only it didn't do it so much damage...

He had some great races at Hyde Rd.... A time when this country had many absolute top level riders, and he was definitely one of the best... RIP...

Sad news a true Swindon legend, a great rider and a humble man, very classy on the bike.

Oh, I hadn't seen anything? That is so sad to hear. Absolutely legend, always got a very warm welcome at Plough Lane. What a rider...

Will be in the championship in 2027 won’t be Premier

I wasn't there but saw it on World of Sport. I have never seen a replay of it, although I did see an advert for a DVD on 70s speedway and it showed about 2 seconds of it. Even that traumatised me!

I think Mario was signed purely off the back of that one good meeting in SoN2.

Firstly , great news that the Comets will reappear in 2027 , the sport needs clubs but I do wonder how they will turn things around as they just can’t seem to attract enough of a crowd regularly to make championship level work for them and the patchy fixture list hasn’t helped. Good win today though. As for the Bears this was yet another example of how inconsistent they can be. Yet another lead blown away and points lost. Fielding two guest reserves in the main body today didn’t help. The ‘friendly family’ need to think again and Allen , Edwards and Mulford need to move on for their own careers as much as anything. Swopping Jenkins for Lambert was a disaster . Perhaps the new ‘old’ promoter will use his experience and savvy and bring that ruthlessness that’s needed to the club ? Yes, I do know they are in a cup final but I can’t see the Bears winning the home leg never mind the tie.

I can only echo everyone else’s comment. A true sportsman in every sense of the word . Like Broady, Briggo and Super Simmo Martin didn’t need a race jacket because you could always tell him by his unique style , except that he was super-tidy on the bike. A natural talent.

Yes Grachan that 1975 British Final runoff with Wilson upset me as a young lad for a long, long time. I was on the first bend at Coventry and was willing him on with everything I had. Shed a tear after that race. Would love to see it again but not on YouTube. I haven’t yet heard there is footage of it on a dvd though.

A great rider and always seemed a decent guy. RIP

R.I.P. a true legend of the sport

Links for R3 Rzeszow: https://vksport.vkvideo.ru/live-53550004_456242874 https://vkvideo.ru/video-234681448_456239415 https://vkvideo.ru/live-81427162_456239822

Bubba and Kordun are hopefully due to return although they need to see if it was officially stated as concussion, if so, a mandatory time off will be due and leaving it extremely close for the 27th match. Chatłas and Jabłoński will be potentially available if required.

Every Club has had young riders the have not fulfilled their early promise and expectations the riders have to handle the pressure ,joining Tigers is no different apart from a slightly better deal financially.Problem at Ashfield is there is not a lot of home advantage to build confidence. Pressure is part of every Sport if you want to succeed.Small percentage make it to the Top.IM0 if your not holding your own in a Team in 5-6 years it’s time to consider your at your Level.Accepting that younger riders these days might take a bit longer.Its a tough sport to reach the Top and financial outlays are huge.If you compare Polish and Gb youngsters it the same pressure (even greater)but many of them don’t make the Grade either. At the end of the day it is the rider that has to produce. ps Hausl was a huge gamble based on what he had done on track.

Sad news, other sharing the same name, 'Crash' was one of my favourite riders back in the day as I thought his white face mask, distinctive red leathers with white & black stripes looked so cool. He was popular at Hull, Boulevard days, guested for the Vikings helping secure a few away wins. The nickname, Crash, was a true misnomer, Martin was one of the safest riders in the sport, think it came after a spill very early doors in his career, it rhymed & so it stuck. RIP Martin....

Updated version of the Gorzów v Częstochowa meeting from 18.09.2026, as the original was missing the first 3 heats: https://vksport.vkvideo.ru/video-53550004_456242873

As well as an extra pen Geoff make sure you take a torch you may need it 😜

Unfortunately I'm not able to attend, but today we must have a parade at 4.45 with racing to start at bang on 17.00, hope the ref keeps the meeting moving as said above it's gonna be dark by the end of the junior meeting

ref correct on both calls, in my opinion Pickering can give it, but must take it as well.

A Swindon legend, rest easy Martin

Good news on Bednar if correct that looked horrendous.Definitely knocked out on track.Think Lidsay deliberately touch tapes as he seemed to have a wrist injury when walking off track after crash.Woul have though you could put reserve anyway( maybe not though). Tungate is the King of laying it down.Anders never touched him.Great ride from Thompson a few Gorzow fans would be sweating though. Charles just dumped in the corner again!!!

No official news from the hospital but I’ve heard it quite possibly is a broken arm and his season is over.

I knew you lot couldn’t live without me and I couldn’t let you suffer the trauma ,back by popular demand (said nobody ever) 😂

Yep... In Oldbury the 'Toys R Us' is known as 'Toys Am We' 😁

To be fair you look at most venues and they are stuck in the 80s complete with music from that era apart from list of songs that every track plays prior to the start, prior to heat 15, after a 5-1 and some individual rider victory songs, it’s like the BSPA handout out a list some 15 plus years ago and said you can only use these so every track plays the same stuff. Pretty much every club plays Republica before the meetings starts and Europe prior to heat 15, no one wants to stand out and be different it’s all the same old same old.

He's been detrimental to the whole Tigers' season because with Howarth retired Glasgow needed everyone else to step up and be prepared to fight. I'd rather he didn't come back, if only for the team spirit alone because when he did turn up he always looked gloomy and disinterested. He had two good races all season, both of which he made the gate but in one of them he was pressured into a fall. At the start of the season everyone assured me he was the best thing to come out of Germany since bratwurst but even a sausage on a bike would have been more committed to the Tigers' cause than he is. If he's back next season I'll not be.

Riders running the sport as usual.

So how come the track was fit enough for juniors to race on, but the seniors couldn't handle it.

Purposely didn’t buy the stream as we knew the racing would be garbage Cant blame the Poole fans for going though as I go to Ipswich when I can but wouldn’t expect a neutral fan to buy a meeting from Foxhall Trouble is Poole fans are just in their own bubble …can’t criticise the track can they Poole only want to win we have seen that over the years and they will do it any cost …. The fans are notoriously fickle as proved in the early 90’s when they couldn’t get anyone through the gates As for riders these days they wag the tail they are happy for slick tracks with no passing set the bike up to gate and game over Riders back in the day were far more skilled than the current crop you had natural motorcyclists who could ride anywhere not just the big fast tracks Joe Screen….Mark Loram and latterly Darcy Ward…. These guys could ride anywhere … the only one close to them is Bewley I always remember seeing an interview with Todd Wiltshire a few years ago saying the best rides he had seen were Mark Loram Darcy Ward and Andrew Silver at Arena Essex and the skill involved….and then seeing Loram race the boards at Exeter Poole used to be good …. Find the race between Havvy Loram Hancock and Hamill on you tube or the World Cup at Poole The fact is Poole is run as a business now and it wasn’t back then … to keep the Poole fans coming they have to win which means making the track crap to suit the likes of gaters like Lawson and Kerr Poole look after their riders no question but it would do Cooper the world of good to have a better home track

The first thing we need to sort out in 2027 is we need to get the fun factor back into British speedway, it is sadly lacking in modern speedway and fans (those left ) feel it

What’s BSN got to do with how Teams prepare tracks they provide a standard service to all tracks during the season.Hitting Clubs on the pocket closes them down these days.Silly statement IMO.

Shame they'd gone with 60s imagery. More modern imagery might get someone to search the sport up but that's obviously not weatherspoons responsibility to sell the area.

Mainly because this country hasn't got any Speedway anywhere near its capital city which is sheer madness. Way back there were tracks all along the Thames but obviously building developers swallowed them up at the first opportunity.