Chadster

Thanks for putting that up. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Was Czestochowa the track where Screen passed that team-riding pair on the last bend?

I suppose big names would bring in bigger crowds but would the increase be enough to cover the costs? You'd really have to be an insider to answer that question. Another point is, who would these big names be. I can't imagine Hancock and Pedersen at this stage of their careers wanting to get into the routine of Poland, Britain, Sweden and back to Britain on successive days so we're looking at Woffinden and the Poles, I imagine. Woffinden has already struggled with such a level of commitment. I suggest the only way he'd be back in the UK is if we followed the Polish and Swedish models of 7 home meetings a season. How many of us would be happy with that?

We obviously had a plan but it didn't survive the first two bends, after which the Russians were in front. Bit difficult to come up with plan B in the middle of a speedway race. Out of interest, how many times in the whole SoN did a rider in front successfully slow a race down to let his partner get through?

Beat me to it!

When Woffinden passed Laguta in the main event, Laguta lifted and almost got into trouble. I wonder whether Woffinden thought that if he pressed him in the final, something similar might occur and let Lambert through? Enjoyed the tournament after a slow start. Perhaps a return to the WTC next year and then alternate with SON? One change to make would be the team behind going into the grand final wins only if they get a heat advantage.

I've always thought that the fitter you are the more mentally alert you're likely to be, especially in a sporting sense. I'd agree that Woffinden isn't always a brilliant starter but at his best whilst he may not be first into the first bend, his sharpness of decision making means he's often firsy out of the second bend.

When I started taking an interest in speedway Wolves ran on Fridays. When did they change to Mondays?

Didn't Craig Cook feature for Buxton?

Is there any possibility of entering into negotiations with the Swedes and the Danes to ask them to change their race nights to Monday and Thursday, giving Britain protected Tuesday and Wednesday? I don't know whether Tuesday and Wednesday are sacrosanct in Seden and Denmark. I recognise that people will say why should they change but a programme of Poland on Sunday, Sweden on Monday, Britain on Tuesday and Wednesday and Denmark on Thursday would probably make for less travelling for riders and might enable them to perform better.

I accept that race suits are good for uniformity and professionalism, but that Sheffield suit is ridiculously fussy, odd bits of blue, black and white with a tiny splash of yellow. I'd make the same obsevation about the Ipswich and Belle Vue suits from what I've seen. One of the things that's being lost in this fussiness is team identity and particularly through the use of team colours. Anyone looking at those Sheffield suits would have a hard job guessing that the club colours, which you'd prsumably want to use on publicity etc, are blue and yellow.

I like the red top on the front cover; took me right back to the 60s. Could we have a black and white photo to go with it? Seriously, I do like the new style presentation.

I never went to Harringay so it was just the scarves that got me thinking. Agree with you about the commitment of those riders in those days, especially for the Aces and Odsal travelling to the 5 London tracks. Most of the riders would have one bike, transported in the boot of their car. Looking at the photo again, another thing that struck me was the number of women spectators. Would have been unusual in others sports at the time, I would imagine.

Thank you! Amazing what conclusions you can draw from the colours in a black and white photo!

This is a photo of Harringay from the excellent Defunct Speedways site. It looks to me like the riders in the original photo are walking by the picket fence running down from the stand to the dog track.

The fans in the stadium shot appear to be wearing a mix of colours that are dark and light, maybe the blue and yellow of Harringay?

I remember a meeting in 1975, Belle Vue beating Coventry by 49-29. Not much to write home about, it might seem but for two of the best races I've ever seen, Alan Wilkinson and Nigel Boocock going at it hammer and tongs for 4 laps and Booey both times winning it with a last bend pass. Terrific stuff and almost as good was the respect between the two rivals after each race. They obviously enjoyed it as much as I did.

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You're right, of course but those fixtures would be a lot less attractive if you were riding West Ham, Hackney etc twice in the League and then twice more in 'challenge' matches and then if their riders were in a Southern Riders Championship, which you derided, probably for that reason. Some of the most fiercely contested meetings I saw at Plough Lane were the early season challenges against Hackney, the league matches always seemed desultory.

Belle Vue was the same in the late 60s and early 70s when I was watching there. The Belle Vue management wanted people out of the speedway by 9.00pm and into the amusement arcades etc. There was a story that the clerk of the course had his own unofficial 2 minute buzzer if he felt the ref was tardy. My recollection was that as riders came in off one heat the riders for the next heat were being pushed off. I go to relatively few meetings these days but slow presentation is a regular annoyance when I do go.

I think those regional title meetings worked when each team visited only once a season so it might offer another chance to see a top star at your track

I believe Keith Chapman has suggested 'The Only Way is Up' by Yazz.

Tokyo Melody at Belle Vue, Blazeaway at Wimbledon.

This was in an era when teams met in the league once at home and once away and when guests were far less prevalent. So these individual meetings would be a chance to see riders for only the second time that season. Sadly, that doesn't apply now and it may be a reason why Test matches are not considered, because it would just be the same riders you've seen several times before.

I recognised Bengt Jannson, Dave Morton and Eric Broadbelt. Mike Patrick, too

When I attended the NSS there was a piece in the programme about welcoming old riders back, but on WSRA terms. It was accompanied by a photo of Eric Broadbelt on a recent visit. I think the people on here who have been critical of PC's stance have all expressed their great admiration for him as a rider and their reluctance to be critical. Of course, we also have the timely reminder from nw42 of the health issues which should always be borne in mind.