Bryn

Hackney legend Barry Thomas founded the Iwade training track with his brother - Ivor John Thomas!

Was there for both meetings and quite a few others of course. Travelled up on the team coach for the cup final, Hackney having "borrowed" the one Mildenhall used to use in those days. Now the management had hidden a crate of champers in the boot which was broken open en route to where we were staying in Newcastle after the celebrations had begun in the Berrington Lough bar. My abiding memory of that particular journey was Kevin Teager, who had never previously tasted champers downing copious amounts and commenting, "this isn't bad - tastes like lemonade!" The celebrations continued long into the night (or rather morning!) at our Newcastle hotel but, alas, we had a match against the Diamonds at Brough Park on the Sunday. Kevin Teager was ill throughout the day and, needless to say, we didn't do very well in that match!

If ONLY the Crayford team had those directions the first time we went there! ALL got totally lost but, somewhat hilariously and a really unforgettable moment was when four Crayford riders vehicles arrived at a crossroads simultaneously each travelling in a different direction! Have many happy memories of my visits there.

OK bare with me and I will see what I can find, the DGB ones are complete as they are, but will look out the oldies. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Er.... Ken..... you're a married man now mate! Fancy asking Shazzy to bare with you!

Glad to be of help. You might find the following website more than useful! http://www.ausm.info/ Cheers

Here's a list of Oz racing dates I've compiled from various sources: OZ DATES……. 6/11 - Gosford (NSW) Opener - Bathurst Showgrounds – (NSW) Longtrack Champs - Mildura (VIC) - Gillman (SA) - Gold Coast (QLD) – Labrador 13/11 – Gatton (QLD) – Queensland Solo Champs (To be confirmed) 20/11 – Gosford - Gillman - Latrobe – Tasmanian Solo Champs + sidecars 27/11 – Wagga Wagga (NSW) Showgrounds – Aus Longtrack Champs - Broadford (VIC) – Practice 4/12 - Gosford – Mick Poole Open - Mildura – Victorian Solo Champs - Gillman – Sidecar Shootout 11/12 - Wingfield (SA) – SA Under 16 champs - Renmark (VIC) – Riverland Solo Champs 12/12 – Broadford 18/12 – Gillman SA Solo Champs 29/12 – Gosford – Oz Solo Champs Rnd 1 - Somersby (NSW) - Oz Under 16 champs practice 30/12 – Somersby - Oz Under 16 Solo Champs 31/12 – Somersby – Oz Under 16 Team Champs 1/1 – Newcastle (QLD) – Oz Solo Champs Rnd 2 5/1 – Gillman – Oz Solo Champs Rnd 3 8/1 – Mildura – Oz Solo Champs Rnd 4 12/1 - Gosford – NSW Sidecar Champs (To be confirmed) 15/1 – Mildura – Victorian Sidecar Champs - Redcliff (QLD) – 2005 Jack Daniels Oz Longtrack GP 22/1 – Mildura – Sidecar Shootout - Gosford – NSW Solo Champs (To be confirmed) - Gillman – Jack Young Cup 29/1 – Tamworth (QLD) – Oz Under 21 Champs 5/2 – Gillman 12/2 – Gosford - Gatton 13/2 – Broadford 19/2 – Gillman 26/2 – Gosford - Broadford - Murray Bridge (SA) – SA Sidecar Champs 5/3 – Gillman 12/3 – Gosford 26/3 – Murray Bridge – Oz Sidecar Champs qualifying 27/3 – Murray Bridge – Oz Sidecar Champs

Seems the LECH and / or local strange brew was already taking effect judging by the phonecalls I've received from some unknown hostelry there throughout the evening! Arena-Essex proggie editor Alan Sargent plus King's Lynn's "Big Mick" and two mates have already been waylaid and led astray by IOW fan Sharon!

Absolutely spot on Dave. As someone who was there when Mark took his first ever competitive rides as a 16 year old I've got to say that, over the years (and its a fair number of them now!) he has been one of THE top riders in the world and, without doubt one of the most entertaining in terms of providing thrills galore with his skillful passes from the back.

The following has been posted on the "Yahoo List": "I am sorry to have to break the news that my father, Mike Gerrie passed away on Thursday 2nd September, after a heart attack. He was 54. Mike was the large blind supporter - an Edinburgh fan as a boy who then followed Speedway in London at White City, Hackney, Rye House, Wimbledon and Arena Essex regularly, plus visits all over the country and abroad for meetings and GP's. Some of you will have been lucky enough to have known him personally and many fans will have seen him all around the country at various tracks during his 40 year love affair with Speedway. It would be fair to say that whatever track he visited, somebody came up to him and said hello - be it fans, riders, referees or promoters, he had many friends in Speedway. During the last few years he suffered from ill health, but still went to as many meetings as he could, including Cardiff & the recent Speedway World Cup, and only on Saturday was at Rye for the Conference League Riders Championship. He collected Speedway videos and also never missed a Sky Sports broadcast and would often watch the repeats too! He followed Speedway by listening to a commentary and relied on myself and other friends, plus the cheers and boo's of a vociferous crowd to tell him what was happening, not to mention to roar of the bikes - and 'that' smell. I am pleased to say he passed on his love of the sport to me. That is something I will always be grateful for and always remember him for. There will be services in both London and Edinburgh in his memory. Please contact me off list for details. No flowers please - a donation to the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund would be far more appropriate. My thanks to all that helped him enjoy his passion up and down the country. RIP Dad. Al Gerrie" Having just got home from the CL double header, and having known Mike personally, I am deeply shocked and saddened at his tragic and untimely passing as I'm sure others that knew him will be. He was an amazing character and I, for one, won't forget him. My sincere condolences to Alisdair, the rest of his family and friends. R.I.P. Mike Bryn

A fair few of them have been seen at the TWO "former rider reunions" Pete Seaton and / or Glynn Shailes have arranged at Oxford this year.

And who, specifically, would you be referring to Wolfcrazy? IF you're referring to Christopher's dad I think you are way off the mark bearing in mind their attendances at Oxford this year / background. Don't tar ALL riders fathers with such a generalisation. There may indeed have been a few of that ilk over the years (AND I've come across 'em believe me!) BUT the vast, vast majority od dads / mums are only interested in helping their sons (and in some cases daughters as far as speedway is concerned!) do their best in the sport their CHILD has chosen to participate in.

Flippin 'eck - ME too! Could have had a forum (er, IF it had been invented!) convention that night!

Not sure if John actually married Roly's mum if you see what I mean!

And what a "holy" alliance we once had between King's Lynn and Ipswich with the formation of the Anglian Angels junior side feature Matthew, Mark Luke AND John! * i.e. MATTHEW Read MARK Thompson LUKE Clifton and JOHN Curtis

John Holder...ah remember him well! Real nice bloke. He became Roland Pollard's stepfather through marriage I believe. Roly was a more than useful second halfer / reserve at NL level particularly at Hackney. As for John himself, last time I met up with him, which was some years ago now, he was still racing motorbikes competing in vintage road / circuit racing around Europe. Jack Bibby was something of a "second half favourite" at Crayford and who could ever forget Roy Barwick and his seemingly "telescopic" left leg in those London Road days. Richard Willis, Richard Newnham and Tony Brooks are three more tthat spring to mind. In the early NL days at Hackney, following Len Silver selling out to start up his Silverski operation, "Veggie" better known as Steve Verge and, of course, the legendary Mick Fitzpatrick (sponsored by Stan Flashman - "Ticket Broker") were crowd favourites. And then there was dear old John Gazey...living in sunnier climes now i do believe AND a member of this forum! Memories!

Very interesting reading your comments born_2B_mad and, I think the salient points (for the purpose of this particular posting only) made by Sean (and forgive the editing but done for a purpose as you'll see) was when he said, "i was thinking more along the lines of an amateur league, where smaller clubs could get started and build up riders and fans bases, before deciding to go professional. Not all clubs need to be professional. think of the chances of getting maybe Lottery grants and financial backing with Youth policies and youth racing, if the "Club" wasn't professionally linked to a league. i am not talking about breaking away and taking say half the riders now from any league and starting a "league". i am thinking away from the professional scene and taking the amateur and youth away from the BSPA." Unfortunately Sean's vision (which has many commendable points) does not ally itself well with what Dave # Name Removed #, a director of your club at Plough Lane, said on a different thread. That was, "It's all very well for the critics, who are not putting either their time or their money into the Sport to come out with various unworkable suggestions, but the reality is that Wimbledon is expensive to run and nobody is going to pay £11 to watch one old hand and six novices get beaten every week. (Sorry, never have liked the word 'wobblers')" I think this is a prime example as to just how difficult it has been, and will continue to be, to come up with some form of formula to "combine" everyone's different agendas in the CL.

I'm a tad late in replying I know BUT good idea Lunchy...take it you're gonna put your name forward for the job of "scoreboard operator and filler in" at Broadford???

Mmmm....quite how would that work Sean? Are you talking about a league working completely outside the framework of the BSPA / SCB? If so it would hardly be likely to attract young prospects who have set their sights on becoming full time professional speedway riders I would have thought. It might attract riders at the end of their career looking to make a few bucks it suppose

Fine....in theory! BUT, would it be a viable proposition for some of those clubs Sean?

in charge of driving the team bus maybe........... Mmmmm.....LAST time Ronnie did that (i.e. drive the Hackney team bus) we ran out of diesel en route to Middlesbrough! As my fellow countryman Max Boyce would say, "I know cos I was there!"

VV - DON'T talk such utter twaddle! Neil and the Brits gave their all tonight.

Jeez peoples - if YOU were commentating on that meeting YOU would have needed a drink or two to steady you down. Mind you most of you would freeze if a microphone was given to you - admit it!

That posting is absolute balderdash! As at 6.40pm still baking hot at Wimborne road, not a cloud in the sky - meeting most DEFINITELY ON!

Got to agree that the Danny Bird / Mark Simmonds crash was horrendous looking as was the sight of Simmo sailing through the air and landing in someone's back garden behind the first bend at the County ground. Also remember a second half crash at Hackney that saw Lee Pavitt (son of current IOW co-promoter Dave) fly through the air with the greatest of ease clearing the six foot high safety fence and nigh on landing on the dog track exiting the second bend at Waterden Road.

As you say David, very sad news indeed. I was lucky enough to see Alby ride in years gone by and indeed it was a pleasure to see him at the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago. As you say, one of the sport's real gentlemen. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.