norbold

Very true. It is highly likely that the first speedway meetings were held in America rather than Australia if we accept that an essential ingredient of speedway is racing round oval tracks on motor bikes without brakes and sliding round the bends.

Apparently, he was good at falling: https://www.newspapers.com/article/wilmington-daily-press-journal-ray-paret/25597862/

Whatever happened to Snooks Blankenburg?

Count me in....

No, but the Twisted Too Bar & Grill doesn't look too bad...https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g36631-d22994828-Reviews-Twisted_Too_Bar_Grill-Roseville_Illinois.html

I think there were several people at that meeting including Speedyguy, Gustix, Mr Hyam and someone called Jack Keen who I believe came from Erith in Kent.

Gem is still active on Facebook.

...and New Cross!!!

Presumably because all the tracks (originally) were outside London. It also harked back to the pre-War Provincial League which was an equivalent sort of second division.

West Ham's win was more to do with the great improvement in Malcom Simmons' form than in adding Tony Clarke. Malcolm was, of course, a former PL rider.

And yet, the originator of the thread mentioned Greg Hancock himself in his opening post. Strange, eh?

Yes, I agree. I think Tommy Price was a better rider and more worthy World Champion (twice if you include the 1946 Riders' Championship) than he is generally given credit for. The fact he and Freddie Williams were both Wembley riders and therefore riding at home always seems to mark them down a bit. The "missing years", 1939-1945, are, of course, a field of endless speculation. There are a number of riders who are often touted as losing out on multiple world championships. Tommy, as you mention, but also Vic Duggan, Jack Parker, Cordy Milne, Arthur Atkinson, Eric Chitty, Eric Langton and Aub Lawson in particular. But there were many others who would have been contenders - Lionel Van Praag, Ron Johnson, Bill Kitchen, Jack Milne, Wilbur Lamoreaux....and on and on!

Not easy to come by. In 1992, Money for Speed was included in the BFI's Missing Believed Lost project, a list of 100 lost British feature films that it was hoped could somehow be recovered. Two prints were later found, one dubbed into French and the other with German subtitles. Don't know how you can get to see them though.

Great piece of work, Robbie. Such an important addition to speedway history. And thank you for your acknowledgement.

Missed that! Yes, 1961.

I saw both the qualifying round at New Cross and the final at Harringay. I have to say I am not sure why Harringay was chosen. Harringay had closed in 1954, so it was a bit of curious choice. The only other meeting held there that year was the Provincial League Riders' Championship final. And they were the last two meetings ever held at Harringay. The qualifying round at New Cross did give us the chance to seeing foreign riders we might not otherwise have seen. I remember seeing the Finnish rider, Timo Laine, for example.

If you wish to find out more about Clem Beckett, I can highly recommend the book, Clem Beckett Motorcycle Hero and War Legend, by Rob Hargreaves, published by Pen and Sword Military in 2022.

1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981.

1963 for me. Ove's fourth win.

Talking of end of season fireworks reminds me that the main attraction at any end of season meeting where Johnnie Hoskins was promoter was burning his hat!

Doug Wyer is the first one younger than me. I feel like quite a youngster now compared to you and Split!

Thanks, E.I. I was at both of those meetings.

Thanks, BL. Do you know how many attended West Ham's opening meeting in 1964?

I said "like that", not exactly the same as that! For example, North v. Midlands would be "like that".

I did enjoy PL meetings. It was all speedway! I suppose the only thing I missed about the NL in 63 was seeing the big names like Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs and, for me, Split Waterman. I have no idea how Hackney gates compared. I never went to Norwich and, during 1963&4, only once to Wimbledon (to see a London v. Midlands match - why don't we have meetings like that any more!?). New Cross's gates were very poor in 1963 and led to them folding up during the season. It has been said that the crowds didn't come because they had been used to seeing the top riders.