Garry1603

Truly awful news, but not unexpected I'm afraid. Buildings of all types tend to get vandalised when they are left unoccupied for long periods. Really hope that this can be repaired and protected, had many of my best speedway moments at Brandon

I agree, it's impossible to compare different eras in pretty much all sports (the perennial who was better Pele or Messi, Sampras or Federer, Bradman or Richards etc etc). You actually CAN'T compare as they were the best they could be in their own era and that comes down to ability, mentality, coaching, support, fitness and motivation. If Bradman were around today, would he be any good?..... yes of course he would because he had the mentality and the other attributes to MAKE himself good.

PC could certainly gate when it came down to it - the World Final in 1977 when he rode with a broken leg and couldn't get on and off his bike, and also many times at Coventry in the British Final (where common perception was that it wouldn't suit PC as it was primarily a gaters paradise)

1976 for me. I had just left school and started my job and (of course) the long hot summer came along soon afterwards! Watching PC dominate the league season and go on to take the title in Katowice - priceless. It was also the year that Alan Wilkinson took another step forward to become a true heat leader. Great racing at Hyde Road with brilliant visitors such as Jessup, D Morton, Simmons, Betts, Wyer and Olsen. Happy days!

I would imagine it will be given as a 'credit' towards next season.

You would hope that future generations / Governments would learn from what's happening now, but time tends to erode the lessons learned. Sadly the World Wars prove this.

With the invention of Zoom, Teams, Skype and other conference facilities, surely you would think that there's plenty of time for promoters (and riders for that matter) to have some meaningful discussions, not just about how the sport survives the current pandemic but also how to develop the sport for the future. Sitting back and waiting for this to 'blow over' and for everything to go back to the way it was before isn't a business plan. This could be a perfect opportunity to make some meaningful long term changes. Even in a few short weeks, I've become a little nervous at the thought of being in crowds again, and I'm sure that there are many other who will feel the same way (at least initially). The sport needs a real rethink, and there's never been a better time to do it with ALL clubs at risk rather than the ones who make losses each year and are bailed out by 'benevolent' promoters

Wouldn't it be great for the sport if Sky or BT showed old GPs? It would cost the channels very little to show it (presumably little in the way of ongoing fees to the sport) and might just attract the odd new fan as we're all locked at home watching stuff that we never would have bothered with in the past.

I've read a lot about that incident - it just seems to be so out of character for Mort, who was / is a genuinely nice guy ( I know him quite well). Was there any 'previous' between them or something happen earlier in the meeting? Not making excuses for what seemed pretty nasty, just interested in the background.

Tai looks value for money there (and Jason Doyle each way would be a decent bet)

Really enjoyed the Michanek profile. I never thought that he was at his best around the old Hyde Road, but undoubtably a classy rider (and seemingly a really classy guy too).

As it was Belle Vue's home track for nearly a third of it's history, it's still a sad day for the club. I don't think any long term fans will be as 'misty eyed' about it as they are about Hyde Road, but it's much more than a footnote to the club's history.

It has been reported in the Manchester Evening News that planning permission has been granted to build 247 homes on the site of the former Belle Vue speedway stadium. There is no date set for the demolition / build, but it looks like the end is in sight for Kirky Lane. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/historic-belle-vue-greyhound-stadium-17448332 A very sad day. The stadium is undoubtably in need of serious renovation but it kept the sport alive in Manchester when it looked to be lost. Without Kirky Lane, there wouldn't be a NSS.

Didn't he also wear black leathers? - quite 'old school'

He was certainly a great rider. I used to enjoy him riding in Sheffield's visits to Hyde Road.

Really pleased (and surprised ) to see Nicki back in the UK. Love him or hate him, he's box office and will provide plenty of banter for fans. Hope he can stay fit and have a successful season. A great, bold move by Sheffield.

It's a brilliant interview, one of the best I've read in Backtrack. It certainly gives things a lot more perspective and allows Gary to tell his side of the story. I always thought he was a little bit of a hot head, and his riding was 'forceful' to say the least, but the interview is very thoughtful and reflective. I don't think that there's any doubt that he was held as a bit of a scapegoat for the drug problems of the era as he wasn't as 'box office' as the Americans or Michael Lee.

Alan Wilkinson - the perfect club captain.

Always came across as a thoroughly nice bloke as well as a very talented rider. Maybe not quite good enough to be a world champion (very few are!) but a mainstay in the GPs for many years. Have a long and happy retirement AJ and thanks for the memories. So glad he's come through it relatively unscathed.

Yes, 9-00 I think after a 7-00 start on a Saturday night. Meetings usually ran like clockwork. You could tell what time it was by looking to see which race was on!

I think the debate about the BSPA ruling is overlooking the fact that Belle Vue were well beaten tonight with only Fricke (and to a smaller extent Lidsey) coming out with any credit. The two point deficit flattered the Aces and unfortunately it looks like we are a little short of top class when it comes down to it. The most concerning thing for me is the form of Bewley and Worrall who both look (understandably) a level below last season. I think we all suspected that entrusting Dan with a heat leader role was going to be a leap of faith, but sadly it looks like he's going to take longer than anticipated to step up. Don't think we need to change any personnel, but we might just have to live with an 'if only' season and review again in the winter.

I guess it comes down to the question if the sport (as opposed to the promoters with vested interests) need two 'top' leagues or not. If keeping them separate to allow the top riders to ride / earn at the top level, well that clearly doesn't work with only Doyle of the true 'Elite' still riding here. So why not accept the facts and adapt accordingly. Having a different team visiting each week rather than seeing a rotation of a few teams every couple of months would surely encourage the general fan base to come back each week. Clearly, there's not a big gap between the leagues anymore. so integration would be so much easier than in previous attempts. I used to hate the Rider Control idea as I was a Belle Vue fan, but needs must and if the sport is to survive, EVERY team needs to be competitive and more importantly, viable. When I was 11 in 1971 and going to my first season's meetings with Mum & Dad I'd be reading the Speedway Star on a Thursday and extolling the abilities of Reider Eide or Martin Ashby to them to 'persuade' them to take me on a Saturday to Hyde Road (they always did!) - I can't Imagine a young person now saying "oh, it's Brady Kurtz, Jacob Thorsell, Chris Harris coming to the NSS for the THIRD time in the last two months, can we go to watch.?" Adapt or die I'm afraid,

Really interesting article about brothers in speedway with an interview with Peter Collins. Always wondered if there was a reason that each successive Collins brother didn't quite achieve what their elder brother did!

When it came to the track design at the NSS, I wonder if there had been detailed plans retained about the Hyde Road track (length / width of track, gradients etc) or did Mort just design it from memory? Also, did he take into account the different aspects of the bikes these days? Either way, he did a fantastic job.

Every time I see a race like that at the NSS I secretly thank Chris Morton.