norbold

And there's more: http://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/B/Ed%20Flash%20Barker%202%20200.jpg His nickname Flash came from his resemblance to the comic book hero, Flash Gordon. He was also known as Blondie Gordon in the ring. http://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/Posters/1947%20Fri%206%20Jun%20Fleetwood.jpg He only rode twice for Crystal Palace scoring a grand total of three points!

Some years I ago I was given an autograph book which contained the signatures of Sprouts Elder, Tom Farndon, Lionel Van Praag, Wally Kilmister, Dick Case, Gus Kuhn, Alec Jackson, Vic Huxley, Alf Foulds, Buster Frogley, Bluey Wilkinson and Johnnie Hoskins (amongst others). It was given to me by an old college friend I hadn't seen in just under 40 years. We held a college reunion in 2005 and I met people there I hadn't seen since I left college in 1966. One, Andy Sawyer, came up to me and said he had a book he thought I might be interested in as he had seen some of my books in a bookshop near where he lived and knew I was interested in speedway. He then showed me this autograph book and said that it had been on sale at his school fete (he became a Primary School Headmaster) but had not been sold. The woman who brought it along took it back and said she was going to throw it away as no-one wanted it. Andy took it from her and said he knew someone who might be interested in it and that he would be seeing him soon at the reunion. So here he was showing me. He asked me how much I thought it was worth. I told him I wasn't sure but I'd guess about £75 to the right person. He thanked me and took it back after I'd drooled though it - sorry looked through it! At the end of the evening he came over to me and said, "Here, you take this book, it's no good to me." I reminded him that I thought it was worth some money but he wouldn't take anything for it, just saying, "You keep it. It means more to you than me." So I did. Afterwards I contacted a dealer in speedway memorabilia and told him about the book and he offered me £100 for it on the spot. But I said it wasn't for sale. I still have it today. Now, as if all that wasn't remarkable in itself. The other thing about this story is that Andy Sawyer was the very person who first came up with my norbold nickname, which I had revived a couple of years earlier especially for the BSF.

Very good, waihekeaces 1.You've got me going there. So here's a go at completing the decades... 1920s: Arthur, Huxley, Smythe, Lamont, Pearce, Parker (J), Frogley ®, Kempster, 1930s: Farndon, Wilkinson, Milne (J), Langton, Huxley, Van Praag, Milne ©, Parker (J). 1940s: Duggan (V), Parker (J), Price, Johnson, Kitchen, Chitty, Langton, Parker (N) 1950s: Young, Moore ®, Fundin, Briggs, Craven, Williams, Waterman, Lawson,

Yes, I considered Tai, but thought it's just a bit too early. Hopefully in years to come it will be as unthinkable to leave him out of a top 12 or top 10 or whatever as PC. But I just feel at the moment he needs to show that last year was not just a one-off. One other rider who just missed out was Arthur Forrest.

In rough chronological order I'll go for Tom Farndon, Jack Parker, Eric Langton, Tommy Price, Split Waterman, Freddie Williams, Brian Crutcher, Peter Craven, Nigel Boocock, Peter Collins, Michael Lee, Mark Loram. Reserve team: Roger Frogley, Arthur Atkinson, Frank Charles, Bill Kitchen, Ron How, Ken McKinlay, Ray Wilson, John Louis, Dave Jessup, Malcolm Simmons, Martin Ashby, Eric Boocock.

We also shouldn't overlook Frank Arthur. Probably the best rider in the world in 1928; overtaken by Vic Huxley in the following couple of seasons but should certainly be remembered as one of the greats.

Anyway my top seven would be: 1. Tom Farndon 2. Vic Huxley 3. Bluey Wilkinson 4. Eric Langton 5. Jack Milne 6. Jack Parker 7. Lionel Van Praag Not too far distant from gustix's original seven!

I agree, Rob, I think Lionel Van Praag has always been underrated. I think this is because many people feel he was lucky to win the first World Final in 1936 i) because it was held on his home track and ii) because Bluey Wilkinson actually went through the card unbeaten on the night only losing out to Van Praag because of the bonus points system. However, Van Praag's league averages 1936 - 1939 were: 9.45, 10.53, 10.50, 10.61, which can't be bad in anyone's book.

You didn't just refer to it though did you? Your implication was that waihekeaces1 was a bit stupid for not knowing about the Speedway Researcher website. Why could you have not just answered by saying, "The Speedway Researcher website"? That was all that was needed.

As my friend, Gustix, so rudely puts it, the best place to find the full results is the Speedway Researcher website: http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/ Ifyou just want a summary you could try: http://www.speedwaychampions.com/national-champions-dupl.php

He was robbed of his peak years through death - a bit of an extreme injury! Parker won in 1947 and Duggan in 1948. There was a War Time British Riders' Championship from 1940 - 1945, which Eric Chitty won on three occasions.Ron Clarke, Frank Varey and Bill Kitchen were the other winners. And then the Riders' Championship, later the British Riders' Championship, from 1946 - 1948. The other winner was Tommy Price in 1946.

Did you include the war time British Championship. If so, where does Eric Chitty feature?

Yes, Knowle is absolutely right regarding their value. I think he has also made a very good suggestion re-their disposal.

You're both right of course. Here's another eight then...: Max Grosskreutz, Aub Lawson, Split Waterman, Tommy Price, Freddie Williams, Anders Michanek, Nicky Pedersen, Tomasz Gollob.....

Top 8 of all time? Impossible...but here goes: Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Vic Duggan, Jack Young, Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Tony Rickardsson.... Or alternatively: Frank Arthur, Bluey Wilkinson, Jack Parker, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven, Bjorn Knutson, Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen Or alternatively: Eric Langton, Cordy Milne, Lionel Van Praag, Jack Milne, Peter Collins, Erik Gundersen, Bruce Penhall, Jason Crump.....

Yes, the one thing we have in common, Tsunami! That was from the Harringay song: "2-4-6-8, Who do we appreciate? Who? The Harringay Racers. 2-4-6-8, Waiting at the starting gate. Who? The Harringay Racers. Come on chaps and turn on the taps Take the right line all along the white line. Who do we want to see, him and you and me? Vic, Vic, Vic for victory!" Vic being a reference to captain, Vic Duggan of course.

Can I just echo what moxey has said. Your dedication and hard work is proving an invaluable source for speedway historians and enthusiasts. Thank you. It is all very much appreciated.

"Cyril would now be 101(born 27.12.1921)" Er......?????

Thank you, that's brilliant. I have always wanted to see the Lea Bridge track. It was actually the nearest track to where I used to live - about equidistant with Hackney, but, of course, it had closed before I was born.

Savalas Clouting

You can find out all you want to know about him from this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Len-Silver-Luck-Would-Cockneys/dp/0955934036/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366718007&sr=1-1&keywords=Len+Silver And it's not even one of mine!

Any big track. Hyde Road seems to be popular so I'll go along with that. And then Mauger with Collins, Loram and Jack Young all trying to get past as they will all have gated badly!

I know there were two brothers...I was named after Norman!

Thank you. How could I have forgotten Jack Parker? Doh!

On achievement and skill on a bike it's hard to argue against Craven, Collins and Lee as the best of the post War Brits. But going on from there with Carter, Simmons, Ashby, Wilson, Louis, etc, surely Freddie Williams should rank above all of them and we would also need to include Tommy Price, Brian Crutcher, Split Waterman, Ken McKinlay, Nigel Boocock and Ron How in the mix.