norbold

When you ask for all-time greats for each team, are you talking about how good they were when they were actually riding for the team? For example, Ivan Mauger rode for Rye House in the 50s but was so poor he was dropped! But, of course, he is an all-time great.

And his mate, Geoff Pymar, probably. I'll have to try and work those two out!

Thanks for the extra info, star ghost. Very interesting and helpful.

Thanks for the info, speedyguy. A quick amendment to the book...

Not as far as I know, but his debut match for New Cross was at West Ham. See below for extract from a forthcoming book...: "One addition to the team came in the form of Cyril Roger’s brother, Bert, who was said to be at least as good a prospect as his brother, if not better. Bert was originally a road racer and finished 11th in the 1947 Isle of Man Junior T.T. In 1948, when his brother began to make a name for himself in speedway, Bert asked Mockford if he could try out as well. Mockford immediately saw his potential and signed him up, loaning him out to third division, Exeter to gain more experience. Although only in his first year as a speedway rider he topped the Exeter points chart with an average of 9.74, and Mockford recalled him to the New Cross side for the 1949 season. "New Cross’s first league match of the season was against West Ham. Bert Roger astounded everyone by beating West Ham’s star rider, Aub Lawson, who was ranked number four in the world. This was Roger’s first-ever ride in Division One speedway. He also won his other race for a debut reserves’ maximum."

It's the site of a new indoor arena for the Olympics.

Having looked at this thread again to find out what was said about Cyril Roger before, I would like to combine it with the Memories of Waterden Road thread as on the programme for the first match of the 1963 revival, Bert Roger was programmed in to ride for New Cross. He didn't make it, nor did he ever ride again, but it seems he was almost tempted out of retirement 7 years after his last match for West Ham.

No, I don't know about Cliff Watson. I'll see if I can find out. P.S. I've found the thread about Cyril Roger: It's Here

Yes, Tommy died many years ago. I don't know the date but it was some time ago. I'm not sure where Cyril Roger is now, but I think this came up on a thread on here last year or thereabouts...perhaps I'll try looking back.

Cyril Roger's still alive...isn't he?

Peter Jackson has produced averages for 1933 - 1957. I'll send you his address so you can contact him. And then, of course, there is Peter Oakes's "Complete History of the British League" for 1965 - 1990.

Actually you'll be looking forward to it even less now, as I've taken out Crystal Palace altogether owing to constraints of space. Does anyone want an unpublished 25,000 word history of Crystal Palace... ?

Ah, well, that was your mistake, you should have been like me and lived within walking distance. Fifteen minutes across Hackney Marshes and there you are...or rather there I was. It was Martin Goodwin...unless Andrew Silver did it as well. I can remember going to the first meeting of the revival on 10 April 1963 as it was also the first time I got to see New Cross after their closure at the end of 1961. It was a great match and finished in a draw, 38-38.

Let's hope he makes another great speech at the WSRA dinner!

Are you sure it's not Cheshunt?

Funnily enough I have been discussing Bernie Aldridge with speedyguy as we are trying to determine whether he rode for New Cross under the name Bob Aldridge in 1951, or whether that is someone else. Any information will be gratefully received.

Of course, another way of looking at it is that the Museum is free...if you visit the Park...

The Museum Committee is considering a way of having a separate ticket just for the museum. The problem is the logistics though because the museum is inside the Park, so once you are in there is no physical way of stopping anyone from going round the rest of the park. The pricing policy of the Park itself has nothing to do with the Speedway Museum.

That's just too good to be true...

My favourite memory of Plough Lane is the night West Ham beat Wimbledon in the Knock Out Cup Quarter Final Replay on 14 August 1965. It was the greatest match I ever saw and still stands out vividly in my memory...but then I was a West Ham supporter.

Thanks Chris.

Yes, it is the intention to have something from every track, but, of course, we can only do that if someone donates or loans or offers an article for sale. If you know anyone who has any Sunderland memorabilia they are willing to donate or lend I am sure we would be very interested.

Oh, yes, sorry. Sunderland. The Museum has nothing from or about Sunderland as far as I can see. There may be some programmes in store but I didn't have time to go through them. Obviously an area we need to build up!

There are no items from Bruce Penhall in the museum, just a photograph of him.

OK, we had our committee meeting today and I put forward the view, expressed forcibly by some, that the Museum should keep the Peter Craven logo and it was eventually agreed that we should, albeit with a change of body colour from Belle Vue to a World symbol.