britmet

See match results: Dirtl was riding in this meeting, (plus our own Phil Bishop, as a Guest.) .

We're getting our decades crossed, I think. After B'ham's closure mid-'57 Doug Davies returned to UK racing for NX in 1961, but as a) NX closed and b. S.Africa was thrown out of the Commonwealth, (so any SA rider was a 'foreign rider',) Doug didn't return. He was the SA Open Champion in 1961 and SA National Champ in 1962. He died in the early years of this decade. Doug Serrurier was one of 5 speedway-racing brothers who all rode together for East Rand Eagles in the Transvaal League during the '49/'50 SA season. He came over to UK to ride for Liverpool in 1949 & '50 seasons, scoring 241pts and 158pts resp'ly. Younger brother Bob Serrurier was SA National Champion of 1951. No doubt on the strength of that he appears in an Aces team photo of '51, but the record books attribute a solitary point to him for that, his only season. - ? (A premature rerurn home ?) S.Africa's best rider in the UK at this time was Henry Long, winner of 6 SA Chmpshps between 1952 and '59, ( 3 Nationals, 2 Opens and one SA Handicap Chmpnshp) as well as holding the SA Match Race Championship during 1952. He rode for the Aces between '49 and '52. The last SA rider of this period was Howdy Cornell, who Trevor Redmond persuaded to join him at the ill-fated Neath operation of 1962 in the Provincial Lge. Apartheid and the bans that came in one-by-one across many fields, not just sport, closed off South Africa for many years.

. Well I think that explains how HC ever came to be riding at reserve ! Apols to AndyM, your memory was right on that point at least, - Thanks to Multiworc for sourcing the detail and explanation. .

. To anyone interested in the subject of national chmpshps, - take note; The USSR Chmpshp was run 1959 to 1992, (when the Union folded,) and included Russian, Ukrainian, Beloruss, riders, etc. The Russian Chmpshp ran from1960 up to the present day. - Russian riders only. Some chmpshp lists wrongly title the former as the Russian Chmpshp. They can be checked at the website above, which lists both and many more. .

Indeed it is, - filmed at Dudley Wood Stadium, Cradley heath, - though wearing a Brummies race jacket, as up to that time he was the Brummie mascott, known as 'Junior Cole' The film is headed 1948, but the date is given as Jan'48, so was probably taken in Cradley's first year of 1947. - - Confirmed, - there's no lighting, (which only became available for the 1948 season.) .

Checked TJS out today with respected Canadian historian D.L. :- " I recall that he was facing incarceration in the US for an auto accident but he wasn't killed in a racing accident." Re post #7, - Over the past week, whilst compiling a multi-nation table of Individual National Champs, the name of Timmy Joe Shepperd came up, being listed in one US website as Canadian Champ of 1979, which turns out to be an error in 2 respects. DL advises that it was in 1977 that he won the speedway class at the Canadian National Championships at Welland, - BUT - based on the CMA rules at that time, as a non-Canadian, he was not eligible to be Canadian Champion so, although he won the event and was awarded the #1 plate in recognition of this, the title of National Champion went to Canadian Gary Ford who was the second place finisher.

Many thanks.

Found it, Thanks, a v.good site, just need 2007 & '09 to update their table. (2008 =Gizatullin.) . .

Does anyone have, or can direct me to, a list of USSR/Russian national champions ? First was Farit Shaynurov in 1959, then the first of Plechanov's 5 wins between 1960 and '68. . .

Yes, there is ONE club, very active, - operating at the Walkerville Raceway, suburb of Jo'burg, and with occasional sorties at the Rustenburg Showground. It runs the Alan Hunt Memorial Trophy annually, donated by 1975 winner Boet Strijdom and won the last 2 years by Byron Bekker of Scunthorpe and Edinburgh. .

Quite so. The Record books list HC amongst the Kings Lynn scorer in 1972, (14 matches, 8.94pt ave. 2nd behind Terry Betts,) and in the Cradley list in 1973, (19 matches, 9.12pt ave, 2nd only to Bernt Persson.) .

' Hi, Are these recordings from amateur/home video tape or from professional quality/broadcast meetings with comentary? (- in English -?) CJ .

. Howard Cole, who rode under the name of Kid Bodie in his Stoke years, '62 & '63, retired from racing at the end of 1974, when captain of Cradley Heath. He was New Zealand Champion in 1967 and spent most winters downunder, mainly in Aussie, to where he retired (from speedway.) He became Head of Maths at Sydney Grammar School and retired from that position (i.e. to become an OAP,) just a few years ago. You can read about him, and see recent-day pics in Oz on the Cradley website and Cradley Forum, http://www.cradleyspeedway.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ under Riders A-Z, and http://cradleyspeedway.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=riders. incl'g "Ex-Heathens" and H.C. .

If you're viewing via RealPlayer, then as you hover over the top rh corner of the small screen, (not the full screen,) it should come up with a small message "Download this video". If it doesn't, alter your Real preferences. If you can't, or dont have Real Player, uninstall it and re-install, - www.real.com - , checking the option to show you that D/load message. Note that on the rhs you can scroll down and also get the 2008 GH, also the Rd1 of the 2009 Longtrack Final held at Marianske,CZ. (There is a Translate option, top of screen.) CJ

It's all, incl'g the final at 1:08:51, here, http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/2094...cyklove-zavody/ and you can d/load and save it all. CJ

Indeed, Greg is there in his declining years, - ie reduced to a world No.2/ No.4, whereas anyone starting into this (SGP) level at 38 is unlikely to improve up to SGP level. .

Yes, - Its page 324.

You'll find that mtg and all Int'l at:- http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/index.html

This is confusing! - ? In "The Homes of British Speedway" by Bamford & Jarvis, it identifies the 2 locations as Hoddesdon Stdm, - the first, 1935 - 1957, (at 440yds,) and the second as Rye House Stdm, 1958 onward, (325yds and smaller.) It says in1958 racing moved to the adjacent current track, the original becoming a Go-Kart track, still in use today,(ie. when published, 2001.) So which story is correct ?

. Graham Warren - 1950 Jackie Biggs - 1951 ! .

To scott28tt, - and others who only take Sky for speedway, - DONT ! You can watch it for free on t'internet, plus Polish Lge matches etc. myP2P.eu or Polish TV's "Soccer Live".

Sky always repeat their speedway mtgs, late the same evening, the next morning or again even the following day. Have you tried looking again. I wont pay for Sky, I watch the mtgs on t'internet, - myP2P.eu or Polish TV "Soccer Live" (which has all their own league matches also. - and sometimes offers a week's delay (like i-player.)

. Tai's background rightly gives him the option to decide whether he rides for GB or for Australia, (and may or may not have involved pecunary consideration.) Once decided, however, when he reaches a position of international representation, which he now has, and in a scenario where "team spirit" is rightly considered significant and important, - as we've heard spoken so much of, and seen for ourselves (via TV in the pits,) much of in the last 6 days - , then there has to be no duplicity as to whom his commitment and loyalty is given, - for the sake of the other team-mates with whom he rides. (What will we think, - and his GB team-mates be thinking - , as and when GB meet Australia next time ?) I'm sure Rob Lyons will be having a quite word with him in the wake of this theme on this forum and elsewhere, as well as, unofficially maybe, members of the BSPA/SCB. (But then again, - What equivalent body governs Australia, e.g. decides or not to participate in FIM events, appoints Team Mgt, decides colours, (blue/red or green/yellow,) commits to the FIM, etc. etc. ?) .

What encouraging team spirit was shown last night ! I don't think we should see Scotty in this scenario again. Well done Rob Lyon. WELL DONE TEAM.GB .

. WHAT ROT ! (Hindsight is a marvellous gift !) What encouraging team spirit was shown last night ! I don't think we should see Scotty in this scenario again. Well done Rob Lyon. .