norbold

Great shout, Mick!

So Zagar is now in the top 8. So is that good news for Thomsen?

You're right, but just as a genuine question, I wonder how many people watching have never seen speedway before. Very few I should think.

Guess you were right after all, Starman, and I was miles out! Have you got up off the floor yet?

Ove was booed at most tracks because he always beat local heroes. Ivan Mauger suffered in the same way. I would think the most unpopular rider has been Nicki Pedersen.

Three people with a single thought.

Shame that Zagar and Iversen qualified for next year. It's obvious that neither of them are worthy of a Grand Prix place and will probably never make any finals.....oh, hang on a minute....

Not really. I was watching the telly and it looked obvious to me.

Yes, I know. I meant our two dear commentators, who seemed amazed that the race was stopped.

So how come neither of them saw Iversen's obvious rolling start?

On the top page of the "Years Gone By" section of this Forum, there are no fewer than 10 new threads started by you.

Thanks, Bob. Good of you to mention me, but really this has been mostly down to Dave and BL65. But I certainly agree with your sentiments and I certainly applaud all the work those two have done and are doing to sort out all the anomalies so that we have an accurate history of our sport.

Just to add that the 1949 People Speedway Guide has Poole 1761.5 and Southampton 2113.5 as well.

The Stenner's 1949 annual shows Poole: 1761.5; Southampton 2113.5. A combination of both your figures!

Lest we forget. 84 years ago today.

Stan Stevens

Björn Knutson.

It's all very reminiscent of the debates about the Big Five in the old days. It was generally reckoned that the most gifted and most talented.rider was Ronnie Moore and the most spectacular to watch was Peter Craven, but for sheer determination and the most successful were Ove Fundin and Barry Briggs, both of whom would figure in most people's top riders of all times above Moore and Craven. It is all a matter of opinion and there are no right or wrong answers and depends on what it is that is regarded as the true mark of the "best".

I had no problem parking the last time I went there.....mind you that was in 1971!

I'm not sure that's quite true, Steve. The three you mention are still sort of within living memory. I've seen all three for example. Where would you place Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Bluey Wilkinson, Vic Duggan, Jack Parker, Jack Young.....for example? Only a matter of opinion of course. Oh, and what about Savalas Clouting?

Back in the late 50s/early 60s the current World Champion was seeded straight through to the final.

Bomber is a great bloke and all that and a loyal servant to the sport and, in his day, was worthy of a GP place, but if he managed to qualify this year because he was a track specialist at this particular track, it would be such a retrograde step for the GP and I can't see it leading to anything other than further embarrassment for him in next year's GP series. Really, I can't help but think he should never have entered the qualifiers.

I was at the run-off in 1967..... As for tonight, I have to say, for sheer racing and sustained excitement throughout the whole meeting, it was probably the best meeting I have ever seen going back to 1960. Just amazing and shows why, at its best, Speedway is the best sport in the world. More like this please!

Sad news. Aub's brother. Don Lawson was severely injured in the crash that killed Ray Duggan.in 1950.

Yes, that is good news. I remember Ray at West Ham well. Whenever Dave Lanning mentioned him in the programme notes, he would invariably prefix his name with, "droll, leathery-faced slick gating Aussie...."