martinmauger

Seem to recall the England speedway team were shown briefly on SPOTY, and with an action clip, in 1975 after winning the WTC: Malcolm Simmons, Dave Jessup, Peter Colins, John Louis / Martin Ashby if memory serves. Recall the riders saying aftewards they wouldn't attend the occasion again as there were kept hanging around all day, hardly anyone spoke to them and they certainly weren't interviewed. Think PC got a brief mention in 1976 also....

Memory lane there, though a decade or two and more before my time. 'Swagman' was easily the best speedway movie of that era and was filmed at New Cross, you can make out the New Cross Rangers race bibs adapted to be 'Cobras' bibs as depicted in the film. It's been shown on Talking Pictures channel Freeview 81 (+ 328, 445 & 306) a few times, the DVD isn't too dear either. 'Britainnia Of Billingsgate' was another speedway move of the time, not sure if it was the film where just a straight and one bend of a track was constructed, think Lea Bridge may have been used also. Again, way (way) before my birth...

The point whether Severn tolls affected Newport speedway is a valid one. When I mention I'm off to Scunny to watch speedway folk will exclain "but it's across to Humber Bridge on the other side of the river !" as if it's the other side of the world. But it only takes 40-45 mins, whereas it could easily take 35-40 mins getting across Hull to Craven Park, or to the Boulevard before that, would be longer with Hull's 2018 traffic. Back on a side topic; when I visited Newport quite at few riders 'straightened up' going into turn 3 and finished up battling to avoid the turn 4 fence with a couple ending up on the ground right up against it. But it still has to be said that Tim Stone did blooming well building the stadium and running it right up until his sad passing. On a footnote; the suspension of Newport's matches in 2008, temporarily I believe happy to be corrected, the next was away at Sheffield on 8 May and saw a Sheffield v ex-Hull Vikings challenge staged at Owlerton with a certain Tai Woffinden 'guesting' for Hull . A guest for a sadly non-existing team . An enjoyable meeting for sure, it defo means waaay more when it's 'one's own team', just a huge shame the circumstances which led to it taking place....

Possible more information re: Newport Queensway Meadows; think the late Tim Stone (real achievement building the new stadium BTW, I was well impressed) bought the orange seats & also the floodlights from Somerton Park when it closed and stored them for possible future use. Well, we know he did find a use for them (!), but potentially a bit more of Newport Speedway's history was lost along with the recent stadium, one heck of a shame that....

Thanx ....

How much was the toll, it can't have helped speedway attendances if it was considered to be too dear. Went to Newport in 2005 or so forget the actual toll cost. Following on; the Humber Bridge toll, which one needs to cross in order to get from Hull to Scunny and back, is £1.50 (I think) each way, down from £5 or so a few years ago....

The value / power of marketting of darts and also snooker is that people can be overheard on buses, supermarket queues, etc talking about either sport and how they stayed up late to watch the final arrows / frames. Personally I can't abide either sport. Doubt speedway will reach that level of awareness, heck folk often still ask "what's speedway ?" when it gets mentioned....

Never down that but managed to fit a throttle slide the wrong way round once, though it wasn't on a speedway bike. One never fogets the terror of a throttle stuck wide open . Then one gives much praise and thanks for the invention and fitting of the kill switch ....

That's it, thanks....

Continuing with engines, could someone please explain what the term 'off-set engine or crank' means again please. I had a link to a website which listed many such interesting technical details but don't seem to be able to find it. Thanks in advance....

Me too, well I intended to. I partly assembled it and left the bits drying in the box which somehow, whilst I was out, had other heavier boxes piled on top of it, completely crushing the model (aarrgghh!). Spoiler alert: I liked the dinky crank, conrod and piston inside the engine, presumably one left the head unglued for easy viewing. It also featured plastic chains, rubber / plastic tyres and I believe sprung front forks. I recall it cost me £6.40 in about 1980, so around £25 or so nowadays though a pal keeping a look out for me saw one at a sci-fi / fantasy / toyfair priced at £130 (!). I told him thanks, but I'd leave it....

'A little bird' (nameless speedway promoter) once told me 800 give or take would represent a break-even ish figure (depending on individual circumstancs) for a 2nd division track; former Premier now Championship League....

In the voice of a paraphrased Yoda: "they will be, heh heh, they willl be". Fascinating, though maybe this is what is intended the idea with all bikes to carry telemetry, material for discussion with Kelv & Nige on the box. He loses a lot of MPHs locking up on the bends, if he let it run a little he'd carry more speed over the lap, but you never know with speedway riders, sometimes they 'just' ride round, really go for it or just enjoy themselves and have fun ....

I'm interested. Saw this before, wanted to show it to non-speedway peeps, but was either taken down or I couldn't find it. Thanx....

BSI / FIM events defo are (SGP, SWC / SON), as are existing clubs / team names & logos - I believe. As always, best to enquire oficially and get written permission for whatever you plan to do....

That's ^^ one of the suits I'm talking about, well one if them. Great rider Siggy, one of too many who didn't fulfill his potential. Bad ankle injury in 1985ish did for him....

Ah, clears that up then thought of different brands after posting. The one I have in my wardrobe (don't ask, nothing wrong with a speedway tyre in one's wardrobe) think is a Mitas, cost around 30 notes about 6 years ago....

I happily accept both that David Howe and Chris Harris know way more about the costs of riding speedway than many on here, including me, but I'd query David's price of tyres: £45 each. I'm happy to be proved wrong but I thought tyres were circa £30 a pop ?...

Agreed. Which was why I bought a set of ex-Leigh Adams bike covers, which just happened to come off the last speedway bike I rode , from his Oxford days. I didn't ride it very quickly, only got it ever so slightly sideways , I may and may not ride again but hey, I can say I rode Leigh Adams' bike ....

Still on Bristol Bulldogs, but going back a little, in the last issue of the excellent Backtrack magazine the section 'That Was the Year - 1981, Bristol Backing' says that "campaigners in Bristol were celebrating in July when the planning committee of the local council unanimously approved an application to revive speedway at Eastville". Sadly we know it didn't happen and while is doesn't say 'full planning permission was granted' it appeared to give hope of a huge step forward, anyone know what happened next and why speedway wasn't reserrected in Bristol, Eastville at that time ?...

Thanks, so it's as you were then....

Copied and pasted my own post from the Swindon 2019 thread as they are busy arguing about asset ownership: any sign of the big Lego trucks yet ? Not being sarcy by the way, failing that anyone nearby able to take some pics of the pegged-out new track shape. When Hull returend in 1995 I bunked off college several times to have a look, watched the marking out of the track shape, removing turf, etc and <<family forum mode: on>> forgot my flipping, blinking camera each and every single blooming time. Still passed my City & Guilds and enjoyed 11 years of speedway so it was (mostly) ok....

Any sign of the big Lego trucks yet ? Not being sarcy by the way, failing that anyone nearby able to take some pics of the pegged-out new track shape. When Hull returend in 1995 I bunked off college several times to have a look, watched the marking out of the track shape, removing turf, etc and <<family forum mode: on>> forgot my flipping, blinking camera each and every blooming time. Still passed my City & Guilds and enjoyed 11 years of speedway so it was (mostly) ok....

I remember him, came to Hull with Oxford in 1995 and maybe also in 1996 with the Cradley/Stoke venture, a tall-ish rider with a fairly upright style, bit like Per Jonsson as mentioned. Seem to recall he was highly rated but had some kind of accident and was never the same afterwards. Bit of a sense of humour too, unless I'm mistaking him for someone else....

Thanks for the info, confirms I didn't imagine it long time ago and all that, though I think the guy who tried speedway on Magpie was Mick Robertson....