OveFundinFan

I wish I was back in my 20's and still doing grass track.

Jackie Pinkerton???? He was another I knew/raced against.

Can you remember who was in the team. I recall Tam Daly, was one around that time Dick Barrie?

Really enjoyed this chat about cycle speedway, brought back some great memories, all comments sensible and adding to the discussion, no arghie barrgie, no nitpickers , no one trying to score points over others.......just sensible forum talk..

Lovely, just as I imagined. That’s how me and my mates were. We raced around an oblong with semicircle ends, perfect tarmac cycle speedway track. Then September 1963 the family went with Bob Duckworth, he was presenting trophies at Manchester Gran Prix. First proper cycle speedway meet I had seen and loved it. Manchester had a winter league and we joined for the 63-64 league - Partington Flyers (Partington is the village the Collins and Morton families were from, + others that did speedway, Trownson.). Flyers we were not. lol. But some good came of it, a few of us were signed up with Belle Vue Gladiators, initially riding on BV car park on the Sunday’s for the summer league proper.

A street team? Would you like to expand.

Yes they did have a strong team, as did Southampton with the Mills brothers, Wembley did at that time,but don’t hear anything of them now.

I recall Horspath Hammers, a good team back then IIRC. I see Google maps showing a nice track today. I did most of my racing around Manchester, but also Yorkshire, Edinburgh festival a couple times, Leicester for an individual, Hungerford couple of times, Raynes Park, London for the ‘64 junior National finals, team lost by 2 in the final, I won the individual that followed. Only time I raced London.

How did a small village like Great Blakenham manage to get a facility like a cycle speedway track, especially with the Ipswich track being only couple miles away. Well done them. Hope it’s a great day for the riders and spectators. I spent some time this summer finding cycle speedway tracks around the country on google maps. Doesn’t seem as many as in the mid 1960’s when I was racing for Belle Vue Gladiators then Wilmslow Hammers. Manchester then had a dozen or more top teams, sad the numbers are a lot less now. During the summer we looked after my sons place while he was away - Sheffield. They have a nice track too. YouTube is a good place to see cycle speedway meetings from years gone by, sadly they don’t go as far back as the 60’s.

Viewing is not compulsory I hope.

The poster said “elite sports people and their sports team”, made no reference to the quality of the event they travelling to.

The had to use the reserve twice during the programmed meeting ie 21 heats. Due to weather/safety the meeting was curtailed after the minimum 14 heats and result called. More then likely all was within the rules. Those teams that used the reserve no doubt did so for their anticipated gain. Poland and Russia didn’t need to use their reserve, their top two were doing fine, but if the meeting had gone all the way then their reserve would have had to be used. Would have been interesting.

Not a problem with fast or super fast fibre. Openreach put in fibre to the house over two years ago, BT protected themselves by not allowing competition takeover ie Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet etc but checks show they releasing control a bit so when my contract up with BT I may have a choice. I used to be with Plusnet before got fibre to the house (was then 1.2 mbps on a good day) and did the £10 per month BT Sport with them for 7 months of the year, just need to give 1month notice before your last month starts.

Plusnet, which is part of BT (as is EE) does a. tSport for £10 per month on a monthly contract. Means you can do the speedway season for £70. Give them a call, although part of BT they cheaper for broadband.

It was the good times when Polish teams came touring Britain, Pogo was one of them that excited the crowds. Sad loss.

What do you mean "by the start of 2021 they should have no problem"......... surely they must have no problem now or they wouldnt be allows in this years SON.

Thats where sensibility of spectators comes into it. Sensible ones will see there is no difference between Friday and Saturday so will stay away Friday as well and watch on TV, rather then risk it. I believe the number hospitalised in Poland is higher then the highest back in April-June

Has he ridden this year? If not, that’s a good reason why he is not included.

I was there both nights too. Friday the track was too grippy, hence the boring racing but fast times including NKI getting the track record. I cannot remember a problem with turn 1. Are you perhaps getting mixed up with the very first meeting, Peter Craven Memorial, getting postponed when all riders and spectators were in the stadium but postponed after a few laps practice, and Riders concern with spongy bends 3 and 4, all due to the councils contractors using non specified filling and putting some barrier mat to let water through upside down so it didn’t. The Saturday night meeting, the track was prepared differently and the racing was amazing, just as it has been since.

No it is not pointless, there maybe 50,000 fans at Warsaw, 42000 at Cardiff, as low as 12000 at Vojens....... but there are many many more speedway fans who won’t be there but can watch on TV. If crowds still on lockdown then that means even more watching on tv.

I did choose my word, if they are races then all the better.

Seems more then a few don’t understand what’s involved in running a business.

Who is riding?

As I see it every point counts in this seasons new system. The more points you get in heats 1-20 give you a better choice of gate in the semis. If you 5 ride points get you into semi1 then the better chance of first pick of gates for the final. Not much wrong with the point system this year, but there was not much wrong with the point system last year.

Is it working? I would have thought look after what audience you got, at the same time attracting newer ones. Yesterday when I looked at BV official website the meeting was not even advertised never mind anything else. Some of these social media sites were in existance at least 15 years ago, I joined Facebook, didnt like some posts I saw and decided then not to use them and havnt. Following Najjers comments, Berwick speedway for the British under 21 championship Wednesday 21 October is "pay what you want", obviously they hoping supporters will contribute, and I think they will.