Ian

No worries Bert. However, I have a bone to pick with you. At the time of reading your original posting I was just about to move into irascible mode (which I find enjoyable from time to time.) Your posting above takes the ground from under my feet - I will now have to do the irascible bit on another thread. Still, never mind. I have a sgnificant birthday later this month which, I think, qualifies me to do "curmudgeonly". I've been looking forward to this for years. I hope you enjoyed Norman's book (I'm saving up for it).

Maybe you could explain that to me, Berthoven. I don't quite get your drift.

I remember something of the sort. If I'm not mistaken, the issue concerned the smuggling of gold into the UK - from which country I can't recollect. Split and others were banged up for a considerable period.

I just spotted where you're based, whowasetc. Are they still doing that excellent buffet in the casino in Townsville?

Thanks Tsunami - I'll post your stuff. Tea at Woolies, eh? I hadn't realised you were THAT much of a bon viveur! I'll look forward tp meeting up with you next season.

Steve, you must be referring to some incident that took place when I was out of speedway. The implication is that the Americans brought drugs into speedway. Is that right?

Thanks for the memories, Tsunami. A few weeks ago I started a thread called "Meadowbank Memories" on the Monarchs Chatzone. From the response it would appear that most of my (our) contemporaries are either dead or suffering from amnesia. Would you mind if I posted your comments on there? You're right about Dougie Templeton - probably the hardest rider I can ever remember seeing. As for Bert, I seem to recall it took him at least two seasons in the second halves before he sould even slide a bike. My recollection is that a winter in Oz made all the difference. Jimmy Tannock was born at the age of fifty-two. George was a wonderful natural rider. My first season (1962) was the year he started to score maximums at home. The following year he could score them home and away. As you recall, always seemed to have a fag hanging out his mouth when he came round on the parade. Probably encouraged me to smoke! Some of your guys were pretty good too. Remember the Mudlark, Mike Watkin? To the Meadowbank faithful Mauger was a gater, but Brian Craven was a hero. We used to vote for who to invite to the Scottish Open, and Craven was tops, followed by Middlesbrough's Eric Boothroyd, Sheffield's Guy Allott and Plymouth's Jimmy Squibb. Amazingly, in all the years I've watched speedway I've never been to Brough Park. First I couldn't afford the money, now I'm pushed to afford the time. I think I'll try to rectify that next season. Fancy a pint?

Now there's a blast from the past Tsunami - Jimmy Cox. He was the Buckskin Boy, by the way. Ian Hoskins was always one for alliteration. The name came from a tassled buckskin jacket which he always wore over his leathers. I bumped into Jimmy in Edinburgh in about 1968 - some years after he stopped riding. Once he started talking speedway he wouldn't stop. He particularly recalled his days in the early 1950s when he was paired with Jack Young, and how Youngie would help him score more points. In these relatively bland and sanitised days I often think how much more crowded the terraces might be if only we had larger-then-life characters like Jimmy back in the sport. Oh yes - and promoters who knew how to extract maximum value from them. Wouldn't you agree, Tsunami?

Yes, these soundalikes can be confusing. Are you sure he didn't say Wilbur Lamoreaux?

A couple of days ago I found myself thinking about something which I'd forgotten about for some years. It was the appalling newspaper reports about race-fixing in speedway, and I think it was in the News of the World. Was it in the late 1970s? I realise that many forum members will be too young to have seen this, and I can't remember much detail about it. Can anyone help me remember who was involved, what they are supposed to have done, and what year it was? My own recollection is that some of the sport's biggest names were involved (I can only remember a paticular favourite of mine, Reidar Eide). Obviously I've searched the internet for any reference to Norbold's "Speedway's Greatest Fixes", "Speedway's Greatest Scandals" and even "Britain's Crappiest Newpapers", but without success.

I enjoy Radio 4's Women's Hour when I'm driving to the office.You never know what little gem they're going to come up with next, and today was no exception. They were interviewing an old lady of, I think, 96, who was the world's first wall of death rider working for Billy Butlin from 1929-1940. Her name was Alma Skinner and she performed with her husband, Skid Skinner. Skid was, by all accounts, an extremely handsome guy who modelled for Burtons. It was explained to us that many of the wall of death riders of that time came "from the dirt tracks - speedway". This is the only mention I've ever heard of speedway on Women's Hour, and quite possibly on Radio 4. It's unclear whether Skid was a dirt-track rider. Does anyone know? Has Norbold written "Skid Skinner - The Clacton Years" yet? If not, when is it coming out? Alternatively, has Jim Blanchard painted him?

The image I have of Ove includes that scarf he used to wear instead of a mask. I remember one night at Wolverhampton (there's an unlikely first line for a song!) when he was riding for Wembley. There was a bright evening sun, and the great man rode his first couple of races wearing sunglasses. I'd never seen that before, and I can't recall seeing it since (cue for Jim to produce several hundred photos of riders wearing sunnies!)

I didn't know about PC's pyjamas, but Bert Harkins caused quite a stir one wet night at Old Meadowbank when he appeared in the second half wearing pyjamas OVER his leathers (to keep the leathers clean, apparently). Jim, any idea why PC wore that half shoe on his right boot? (Now we'll see whether you're a real anorak or not!)

I think you mean Port Moresby, Iris.

I suspect that many Soviet citrizens were always por, but the state tended to keep that well-hidden! When I went to Moscow in 1979 or 1980 I couldn't believe just how poor most folk actually seemed to be.

Thanks for the link Jim. How old is Ove now? How does he do it?

Many thanks for this link, TwoMinuteWarning. I've no idea whose site it is, but there's certainly enough there to make for an interesting half-hour or more. It also contains a piece of speedway trivia of which I was previously unaware, and which might form the answer to the question "Name the legal functionary who went from being an enemy of speedway to become one its best friends". The answer is Arthur Shawcross. Many will remember that the then Lord Shawcross conducted the inquiry in 1964 which led to the birth of the British League in 1965, and arguably saved speedway from a state of virtual civil war. What I certainly didn't know is that it was the same judge who, in his then position of Attorney General, brought about the legal action which closed down speedway in Hastings. Bizarre or what? Incidentally, the reason for the closing down order was one with which we're all familiar today - residents complaining about noise.

Would I be right is saying that he used to be known as Broadbanks, but that his son (Terry?) was known as Broadbank?

Ron Johnson was indeed from Scotland Iris. I know this to be true because Johnnie Hoskins said he was, and you can't argue with information like that. Mind you, were dear old Johnnie still in action today we'd probably have Scotland in the World Team Cup captained by Jock Kugelman.

Is it entirely a coincidence that there should be a reference to NELSON Piquet on Trafalgar Day? Is this a windup?

Having just looked at the more recent updates to this thread, I got to wondering which other unlikely places may have produced speedway riders over the years. I know it's off the original topic, but the most unlikely one I have heard of recently was that great "Australian", Graham Warren. According to a posting on the Monarchs Chatzone, he was born in Fiji! Does anyone else have a less likely country of origin for a rider?

Certainly from the vantage point of my armchair the limo just didn't appeal at all. There again, neither do tractors, pick-up trucks, delapidated lorries or any of the other thousand modus operandi by which riders are paraded around Britain's speedway tracks. I say keep it simple. Riders should parade on their bikes - helmets off. The crowd, particularly the youngsters, want to SEE these guys.

I'm not so sue about that, Sotonian. Remembering back to the 60s and 70s, as a general rule the tracks around football or rugby pitches were generally larger than those confined within a greyhound track (if that's what it's called). Also, I don't think there are that many stand-alone or purpose-built tracks.

It would certainly seem that there are more small tracks around now than there used to be. Personally, I find that you get used to watching racing on any kind of track and come to accept what you see most often as the norm. The odd thing however is that you might think that smaller tracks would make for less serious injuries because of lower speeds, but the last couple of seasons seem to have provided some real nasties. Is it because the riders tend to be closer together in the tighter confines? A final question. WHY have tracks become smaller? I'm sure there must be an obvious reason, but I can't think what it is.

There was an awful lot more to the secret of Hyde Road than just the size or shape of the track. One of ther big elements which added to the atmosphere was the fact that the stadium was almost enclosed by stands, walls etc, which kept the atmosphere in, so to speak. That could never be recreated.