Clutchstart05

Sorry this is incorrect, Rob will NOT reveal the location of his intended track at Friday's quiz night. He will be updating fans on recent developments, but it will be good news. The location will not be announced until planning permission has been applied for so as not to forwarn the NIMBYS. If you are interested the Quiz Night is being held at the Nelson Inn at Topsham. Tapes up 7.30pm.

Jimmy made us really welcome when we came up for the Scottish dinner a few years back. He collected us from the airport, took us to the hotel, then on to the dinner. Next day he drove us to visit Cinders to Shale then back to the airport. He made it a memorable visit for us, and something we always remember with great pleasure. RIP Jimmy..

This is the first Cardiff GP I've missed. I may have saved £200 for tickets, travel etc, but shall be back in 2016. Can't endure the TV coverage again. Hope Sky take it back. Presentation very amateur in my view.

TonyofBrum BBC1 Spotlight South West used a little bit of your footage on their news programme this evening along with a piece on the Falcons' history and our efforts to get a new track. You can get it on I-player. Thank you for your nice comments. We are all looking forward to the DVD.

Now that the tills have all been officially checked the attendance was actually in excess of 700. You can imagine how pleased Rob and Alan are with that!!

Yes it would be good but sadly no chance of that. We are not wanted down there.

Nobody knew just how this meeting would go except that Rob Doran and Alan Spencer were taking a big risk just putting it on. But after a wet afternoon and worries over traffic chaos on the M5 it turned into a glorious evening, a 700 plus crowd, and plenty of fantastic racing. The Heathens put on a terrific show, but this was all about the Falcons' fans coming together after ten years and proving that there is still a big demand for speedway in Exeter. Thank you Cradley for showing us what can be achieved. The Falcons are coming back! Great pictures Ian.

It should indeed be a good night's racing. And the weather looks promising too!

Curious and curiouser.

Cyril came to Exeter as an unknown at the start of 1947. He stayed until midway through 1948 when he was recalled by New Cross by which time he was a star. A very short spell as a Falcon but he became a household name in Exeter and still is locally. Sixty years on he is remembered as one of the greatest Falcons. Tony

I think the racecourse is the only likely spot on Haldon, Wiseguy, although I too saw a report that suggested it might be elsewhere. Planning is always the biggest problem. When things were looking likely the county Council stepped in and advised us that not only would we need to fund new road access from the A38 but also a cycle track up Haldon Hill as Devon is a Green county. Its three lanes and very steep, and probably even more frightening going down again in the dark with trucks bombing passed. The entrance by the way is sufficient for 12,000 racegoers but not for 1,200 speedway fans. At Westpoint the locals were the problem. The showground management okayed the speedway but insisted on a public meeting. That was the most unpleasant two hours of my life, with the abuse beginning 15 minutes prior to start time. The showground had directors listening and immediately backed down in the face of the opposition. Prior to the meeting planning officers at East Devon district council told me 'Don't bother asking. you'll never get planning permission.' Since then the residents attempted to stop the building of the new rugby stadium because it was a blot on the landscape. Ironically one of the resident's complaints against speedway was the amount of traffic that would pass the village despite the special arrangements for County Show traffic. Once the rugby ground was built they discovered there was no parking, so the fans had to park at the show ground and taken by bus to the stadium!

Everyone wants the Falcons back, Wiseguy, but the problem is finding a site on which the authorities and the nimbys will allow us to build the track. Even after all this time I am confident that support from the fans would make it viable.

Glad you enjoyed it. Tony

Great pictures, Ian, as usual!

And don't forget Chris Julian used to drive from Cornwall every week to ride for Glasgow.