norbold

I hate to say this, but I got 15.....

Thanks TWK, so the last we had was this: 1. Split Waterman (England) 92 years - born 27/7/23 2. Arthur Payne (Australia) 91 years - born 30/8/24 3. Dick Bradley (England) 91 years - born 28/11/24 4. Fred Brand (England) 91 years - born 3/2/25 5. Chum Taylor (Australia) 89 years - born 4/4/27 6. Eric Boothroyd (England) 89 years tomorrow - born 26/4/27 7. Derick Close (England) 88 years - born 13/5/27 8. Henry Long (South Africa) 88 years - born 26/7/27 9. Billy Bales (England) 86 years - born 6/6/29 10. Olle Nygren (Sweden) - 86 years - born 11/11/29 11. Rune Sormander (Sweden) - 86 years - born 29/11/29 12. Jack Geran (Australia) - 86 years - born 10/12/29 13. George White (England) - 84 years - born 24/5/31 14. Ian Williams (Wales) - 84 years - born 4/8/31 15. Per Tage Svensson (Sweden) - 84 years - born 16/10/31 16. Peo Soedermann (Sweden) - 83 years - born - 29/10/32 17. Ronnie Moore (New Zealand) 83 years - born 8/3/33 18. Ove Fundin (Sweden) - 82 years - born 23/5/33 19. Arthur Wright (England) - 82 years - born 14/10/33 The ages are wrong now though!

As it happens, it's Olle Nygren's 88th birthday today. Ove Fundin is 84. Incidentally, I saw them both a couple of weeks ago at the Norwich WSRA lunch. They both look as fit as the proverbial fiddles.

Ove Fundin and Barry Briggs.

Well, top 9! Mind you, I agree with your general point though.

In that case doesn't that mean that It should count as a meeting for Kenny?

So, in the case Dave stated and in your hypotheticals, can the rider be replaced by a guest or can rider replacement be employed, rather than having to use reserves. (I know the likelihood of getting a guest at that sort of notice is less than minimal, but in theory...?)

I think a non-riding no.8 is also a different issue as he is there just as a name and there is no intention for him to ride. Anyway, it is a fascinating subject for those of us into this sort of thing, and I have enjoyed reading the different opinions on it. Thank you to Dave for raising the subject, I just hope hope has managed to get something out of it!

I think your heat six example is a different thing. Clearly the race did not take place, so cannot be counted as a race; that is different to withdrawing before the race starts and the race then taking place. It is a difference between the meeting starting and a race starting that seems to me to be the crucial issue. And the meeting has to start when the riders are called to the tapes, otherwise you couldn't enforce the 2-minute rule.

Having thought a bit more about this and read the speedway regulations for 2017, which are not specific on this point as you suggested, BL, I have come to the conclusion it would have to count as taking part in the meeting and therefore the averages would have to reflect no rides, no points but a meeting nevertheless. The reason I say this is because the meeting would start once the riders are called to the tapes. If the meeting only starts once the tapes go up, then there could be no two minute rule for the first race, which is clearly wrong.

I would think the answer might hinge on whether his team could replace him with another rider rather than just reserves. I would guess not, in which case it must have to count as a meeting with 0 points. However, if the rules do allow for him to be replaced by another rider, either a promoted reserve and a new reserve brought in or a completely new rider, then it wouldn't. Or maybe by rider replacement. I would have thought there should be something in the rules to cover this situation and when the meeting actually starts.

So I was right in the first place. As I said, Realpolitik. And a real disgrace!

I should add that one remarkable fact about Lennie is that he spent four years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.

I had a chat to Olle too at the dinner. He was complaining about the standard of modern speedway and the fact that the bikes are too fast and that most riders can't handle them properly, just going flat out instead of using their head. Also met my old mate Ove, who was there, as well (a bit of name dropping never hurt anyone!)

I said earlier on that I thought Holder was nailed on to get a pick due to the politics of the whole thing. However, I think that last night did for him. After such a poor GP in his own country after a mediocre season anyway it would be very difficult to justify his inclusion next year.

I went to the Norwich WSRA Eastern Region lunch today and met up with my old friend, Lennie Read, who will be 100 next January. He is still very fit and active with all his marbles. It got me thinking about who is the oldest rider still alive. We've got a list of oldest World Championship finalists, but how about all riders? Is Lennie the oldest still going?

Not quite as long as some mentioned here, but Mike Broadbank managed 16 consecutive years for Swindon.

Hi mick, Barbara is looking forward to a nice evening out....

Rohan Tungate for a pick!

Ronnie Moore and Wimbledon. 1950-1972 (on and off!)

Yes, sorry, everyone. It was the 50th anniversary meeting. And I should know - I was there!!! Still, it makes Jack Parker's longevity even longer.

What it says is "British racing" not your misquoted "British pioneers".

I think the prize has to go to Jack Parker. Phil Bishop wasn't technically a pioneer as he didn't ride in 1928, though I note you mention 1929 in you op, compost, but even taking that into account his career really came to an end in 1950. He only had a few one-off meetings between then and 1959. Jack Parker remained a regular team rider until 1954 and actually rode later than Phil Bishop with a one-off meeting in 1968, when he "beat" Malcolm Simmons in Speedway in Britain's 40th anniversary meeting. One other rider worthy of mention would be Ron Johnson, who rode regularly in Britain in 1928 (though actually started earlier in Australia). He continued on and off until 1961 and even returned for another go in 1963.

I've never liked the excuse, "You've taken my remarks out of context,” but here context is everything and it's a shame you obviously didn't read the comment I was responding to.

Great to see such a large crowd tonight. One old boy said, "it's the most I've seen here since 1952." Not sure that's right (!) but I know what he meant. It looked as if the meeting had the stuffing knocked out of it in heat 6 but Ipswich put up a great effort, especially with Newman and Greaves just keeping our hopes alive with a bit of an unexpected 3-3 in heat 14 leading to a last heat decider, as it was by no means out of the question that Scott and Cameron would get a 5-1 in heat 15 and then again in the first golden heat, but not to be of course. In the end though, three points out of Danny King's scheduled rides instead of what would likely have been at least seven with nine not out of the question, was what did for the Witches. Still, congratulations to Peterborough, you did what you had to do and the accidents to Schlein and King weren't your fault. As for the Witches, oh well, there's always next year....