norbold

Oh, it was a hot dog. I often wondered what it was.

So did I. I don't remember seeing you there!

Yes, it was in 1930, Crystal Palace v. Hall Green. He described what happened, “In the middle of a match race with Huxley [in the second half], the breather on my crankcase worked loose. I put my left hand down to feel if the oil was coming out. Instead the primary chain whipped off the tops of two fingers. On talking the glove off there were the tops inside! The blood was pumping out, but grabbing my left wrist with the other hand I stopped the flow by pressure and walked across to the ambulance tent, which at the Palace, was situated in the middle of the grass centre. I was soon fixed up.”

Having avoided the result, I turned on the highlights on Eurosport at 6:00. It started at heat 18!

That's a quote from my book which Wikipedia acknowledges.

Also my memory (I was there) and my programme!

No he didn't. He didn't ride in New Cross's last meeting.

I'm just wondering why there aren't any threads about New Cross on here. I think it's about time someone started one.

I did.

Me too, but I was only 15! (My 16th birthday was two weeks later.)

I believe Wembley lost five league matches in 1947, to Wimbledon at home and to Belle Vue, Odsal, West Ham (!) and Wimbledon away.

My first meeting was in 1960 aged 12 as well. Just after you, on 11 May. Where was your first meeting?

It's very nice of you to want my autograph, chr. I'll see what's going and I might even see if I can get some of the riders to autograph it as well .

Latest news….Banger is also coming.

Before I saw my first race live, I had followed speedway in the newspapers, in sports annuals and on television. My two favourite riders before I actually went to speedway were Split Waterman and Aub Lawson because I thought they had such romantic sounding names. Anyway, on to my first race. It was at New Cross on 11 May 1960, a Britannia Shield match against Norwich. The race finished 1. Aub Lawson 2. Jimmy Gooch 3. Split Waterman 4. Harry Edwards. Time 61.6. How strange was that, eh? Incidentally, with regard to John's initial post, Ron Johnson took part in the second half of my first match.

The following ex-West Ham riders have said they are coming: Barry Duke, Alan Bellham, Alan Sage, Brian Leonard, Mick Handley, Stan Stevens, Vic Cross, Alf Hagon, Barry Crowson, Reg Fearman, Norman Hunter, Reg Luckhurst, Ted Ede, Terry Stone, Dave Jessup and.........Sverre Harrfeldt.

Hope to see you and Brian there, r&r.

So he says, but I don't believe him....

I had a word with the author of Speedway in London as I know him quite well and he said he thinks Historian is correct and apologises for the error, but, as Historian says, these sort of myths once ingrained keep getting repeated. I think you will also find that Speedway in London says that speedway started in West Maitland in 1923 and, as we all know now, that is a complete myth and completely untrue. He says he was very young and naive when he wrote Speedway in London…….

Yes. Briggo joined later in the year so was not in the first match I saw. As I said above, Billy Bales was riding and is still alive and I met up with him at the Norwich lunch last October.

Yes. I met up with him in October at the Norwich WSRA Lunch.

And then there was Bryan Elliott, who actually still was a second string with Leicester when he qualified for the World Final in 1960, having a five point average.

I'm afraid to say I don't have any particular memories of Jim Lightfoot. I saw him several times of course at New Cross, West Ham and Hackney when he rode for Coventry and in various individual meetings, including the 1963 World Final that jrs mentions, where he came 14th. But I don't have any outstanding memories of him other than the fact he was a good competent rider. Sorry, Bob.

Yes. Sport not included.

I can't think of any off-hand.