norbold

It has to be Mike Bast surely....

I think Angus Kix, Danny Carter and James Oldfield come quite close.

Over to you!

Ove Fundin Tom Farndon Ivan Mauger Tony Rickardsson Vic Duggan Next Five Barry Briggs Jack Young Vic Huxley Hans Nielsen Jack Parker

1. Graham Warren er....er.....

I was considering the Welsh Top Five earlier and actually came up with the same five. I checked on Leo and, as you say, discovered he was apparently born in London. However, all the time I followed New Cross in 1960 and 1961, he was described as Welsh. So I'll stick to that five!

Matt le Tissier. Ooops, sorry, wrong sport....

Ken McKinlay George Hunter Tommy Miller Bert Harkins Gordon McGregor

Ronnie Moore was also a born Aussie of course.

Well, we've got a New Zealand Hall of Fame but not a top five. Now then, who is going to dispute the top three? 1. Ivan Mauger 2. Barry Briggs 3. Ronnie Moore 4. Bob Andrews (Does he count???) 5. Ron Johnston

Think I would go with: 1. Igor Plechanov 2. Emil Sayfutdinov 3. Boris Samorodov 4. Vladimir Gordeev 5. Gennady Kurilenko

Ah, right! Got you now.

Vic Huxley Bluey Wilkinson Vic Duggan Jack Young Jason Crump P.S. That's in chronological order, not merit order.

When did you see him then, TWK?

Sprouts Elder Jack Milne Cordy Milne Bruce Penhall Greg Hancock

So how about: 1. Sverre Harrfeldt 2. Rune Holta (unless he's Polish!) 3. Reidar Eide 4. Dag Lovaas 5. Basse Hveem

That's a bit unfair on Morian and Baltzar Hansen as there were no Danish Championships when they were at their peak in the mid to late 1930s. It's like saying Tom Farndon couldn't be included in the greatest ever riders because he never made a World final.

Yes, I agree, that’s why he didn’t actually make it to my top five. But he was one of the top riders in the era of the “Big Five” and averaged 10.15 in 1960, which placed him above Briggo in the averages. In 1961 he had an average of 10.12 until he fractured his skull which put him out for the rest of the season and 1962. It then took him a long time to return to form. It wasn’t until 1965 that he returned to form, recording an average of 10.03. Between 1959 and 1961, he was ranked in the Top 10 in the end of season Speedway Star Rankings, his highest being in 1960, when he was ranked at number four, above Barry Briggs and Bjorn Knutson. If he hadn’t fractured his skull he would probably have made at least two or three World Finals and done well in them. But, of course, we will never know.

What were Morian Hansen and particularly Baltzar Hansen's achievements that you think places them above the Hans Nielsen, Jan O Pedersen and Tommy Knudsen. My own top five I think would be the same as Steve's, though I would like to think there might be a place for Arne Pander....

Wimbledon 1935: Matches/Average Vic Huxley 24/8.71 Syd Jackson 14/6.37 Gus Kuhn 20/5.83 Wal Phillips 23/5.66 Jack Sharp 22/5.52 Geoff Pymar 24/5.46 Wal Morton 13/5.07 Claude Rye 8/4.74 Alf Sawford 2/4.00 Eric Collins 9/3.83 Ron Howes 1/0.00 Wimbledon won six of their first nine fixtures including three away. They then lost nine fixtures on the trot. It was said that the main reason for this loss of form was Syd Jackson, who suffered a shoulder injury mid term and on his return could only manage nine points. However, every single rider suffered a loss of form compared to their 1934 averages. Vic Huxley dropping from 10.31 to 8.71 for example. They not only finished bottom of the league but were also bottom of their ACU pool and were beaten comprehensively by Harringay in both the National Trophy and the London Cup.

Not forgetting Hasse Holmqvist as well.

Thanks BL. At last, a mere 57 years later, I can complete my New Cross programmes!

Everyone who lived in the Eastend at the time was in that pub that night.

You've got it. I did used to have a post-it note stuck to my forhead with my name on. Does that help?

Yes, Wimbledon v. New Cross on 6 June was definitely a Britannia Shield match. Unfortunately it is omitted from the back of New Cross programmes, which gave fixtures and results for the year. Apart from my own manuscript note on several programmes that just says New Cross lost! But no score sadly.