norbold

It'll only get closed down as soon as it opens!

Good to see Eric Linden getting mentioned twice, but you've left out Angus Kix, James Oldfield and Danny Carter.....

Clacton-on-Sea Colchester Harwich Jaywick Thorpe-le-Soken

It was definitely Dave Cro ucher and Steve Ribbons who were behind the Wimbledon revival. They commissioned my book "Two Wimbldeon Legends" to launch on opening night. I offered to do it for nothing as long as they paid the printing costs, which they agreed. When I gave them the invoice from the printers, they both said I should speak to the other one about it and both denied ever making the agreement. In fact they both made it as I met both of them to talk about it. It took me over a year and various threats of legal action to get anything out of them and even then it only amounted to some of the cash and a number of complimentary copies of the book. Oh yes, it was those two all right. I'm not likely to forget it!

I believe his height was somewhere between that of Johnnie Chamberlain and Graham Miles.

Best 1. Seeing West Ham beat Wimbledon away in the KO Cup, 14 August 1965. The day Malcolm Simmons became a star. 2. Being at Cradley to see West Ham complete the treble in 1965. 3. Seeing Ove Fundin win the 1967 World Final as I had taken along some college chums from Norwich, who had never been to speedway before, on the (dubious) promise that Ove would win. Worst 1. The Lokeren Disaster 2. Seeing Tadeusz Teodorowicz's fatal crash 3. New Cross closing in 1963

He was hailed as the new Stanley Matthews.

Maybe! Apparently Erol Brook's best year was in 1960 where he drifted in and out of the reserve berth for eight official matches, his best against Sheffield in August when he scored 3 and 2 bonus points from 3 rides. He was talked into coming back in 1964 and again in 1969 but struggled and didn't ride for Cradley again.

Early 70s? He spent a long time not getting very far then.

The Speedway Star Annual for 1961 predicted great things for Cradley's Errol Brook I seem to recall, who they dubbed "The Wonder Boy"....

No, I agree with your top five of the 1950s. Mick the Muppet is Fred Williams' great champion! I'm not sure about the order, definitely Fundin first and Craven fifth; as for the other three I think I might put them all second equal!!!

I'd go along mostly with what you say, Sid, maybe a minor quibble here and there about placings - one up, one down. The only major difference I would have is over Mauger (see what I did there?) Definitely top in the 70s.

The top riders who couldn't gate were always good for a bit of entertainment as they fought their way through from the back - Jack Young, Peter Craven, Peter Collins, Mark Loram.

Yes, a Polish speedway fan and friend of mine always says Yan-sash.

Sverre Harrfeldt and Christer Lofqvist

Can't really disagree too much with your order, waihe, except that, as you also say, I would move Anders Michanek up to 7. I think I would also move Malcolm Simmons up to 14.

Let us cast our minds back to Camberley, 7 May 1927. C. Harman won the 350 and 500 cc events as well as the sidecar race at the only meeting ever held there as a 440 yard track as it was later lengthened to 1,056 yards. So he came, saw and conquered but never came back (although nor did anyone else!) But was it a real speedway track? Sand surface, clockwise racing....If it counts as real speedway, there is no question he was the first! .

I thought Jack Unstead was British? Born in Elm Park. He rode for England.

Really, gustix? But he was sponsored by Monster though, surely?

Stan's crowning moment, but actually no, it's not the reason. Stan rode for the two teams I supported in the 60s, New Cross and West Ham, and it was his week in week out dedication and wholehearted trying that made him ny hero. He struck up a great partnership with Ken McKinlay at West Ham and many's the time their 5-1s won us the match. Even if Stan had never managed to beat Briggo, he would still be my unsung hero.

Quoting Huxley as winning nine £100 trophies in 1930 is an interesting one because in 1928, there was a whole series of Grand Prix type events of their time, such as the Golden Helmet, the Golden Gauntlet, the Silver Sash and so on that the top riders rode for throughout the season. There were eight of these altogether and by the end of August, Frank Arthur was leading in seven of them, with Huxley leading just one, the Silver Wheel. Unfortunately, Arthur had to return home to Australia in early September, allowing Huxley to catch up and pass him in three of those Arthur was leading in. But, even with Arthur not taking part in a number of the events, he had still accumulated enough points to finish as champion in the main four trophies. Frank Arthur was definitely the man of 1928 and it would seem before in Australia. Largely forgotten now of course, his reign as top man came too early.

I don't know that you could say Olsen is forgotten exactly. I think he suffers a bit when looking back through being of the same era as Mauger. My opinion at the time was that Mauger was more consistent than Olsen but that if they both rode at their peak, then Olsen was the better rider. I don't know if that's true or not, it's just how I summed them up at the time. What we haven't discussed though is whether Lord Rosebery would have beaten Gladstone at the peak of their careers.....

Sorry, only just seen the last bit. I don't really know, but I think you are right, E I. He just wanted to get out at the top. I think he maybe had lost some appetite for the sport and felt it was the right time to go before he was struck by any serious injuries.

As someone who saw Knutson every week at West Ham in 1964 I don't think that's stretching it at all. He was definitely up there with the best of all time. Remember he was one of the "Big Five", handicapped on a par with Fundin, Briggs, Craven and Moore and quite rightly so. In addition, he was quite a bit younger than the other four and had many years at the top ahead of him had he chosen to continue. I agree that he almost certainly would have won more World titles had he not retired early and it is probably the fact he only had one win to his name that he is somewhat forgotten compared to the others.

Apart from Greg Hancock of course.