steve roberts

Arthur Nutley at Eastbourne...was passionate about bringing on young riders helping to make "The Eagles" the success story it was back in the early seventies.

49 years ago this very evening taken from us. Always remembered. RIP.

Remember a meeting at Reading on Easter Monday Morning in 1984 when the track was so slick and dusty you could hardly see the racing!

Bernard Crapper!

Combined talents of Ron Bagley John Berry.

It was on the local BBC news Look North that follows the 6pm news.

Exactly other sports have had their share of bad press over the decades. As regards the Sunday People "allegations" anybody within the sport knew that "deals" were made throughout its history. The only thing that Simmo and Wiggy were guilty of was naivety and talking to strangers.

Sorry don't buy into that one. Football survived match fixing by certain players during the sixties and other sports same since with drugs etc.

Since when was he involved at White City and Wembley?

Oyvind S. Berg rode for a number of years in the UK.

Helgi Langli had two short spells in the UK with both Newcastle and Oxford.

Reider Eide who ride for many teams during a distinguished career.

Wasn't necessarily comparing cities but the fact that the the two day world final was derided by many at the time and since and yet that's what's been put forward at Manchester albeit within a GP series?

Interesting development? The two day final in Amsterdam has constantly been criticised over the years although I enjoyed the event as it gave you two days in Amsterdam enjoying the sites. Obviously people now accept the idea of a two day event albeit within a GP series?

Ivan Mauger was quoted as saying that his style needed "tidying" up as Andrew appeard to be riding four bends continually locking up and should have been smoother but I guess that's what made speedway so exciting back then to watch...individualist. Riders now look all the same.

I used to enjoy watching riders negotiating the bends with full lockers of which the Kennett Brothers were masters!

I've just re-read an interview with Gary Havelock he made in "Backtrack" some years back and then he was saying that laydown engines didn't "offer" the opportunity for riders to apply throttle control...it was either off or full on with nothing in between and personally I think this is the problem with many riders now. The bikes are too powerfull for the often too restricted tracks which can cause issues with riders seemingly "out of control."

Having watched speedway during the 2 and 4 valve era and the advent of lay downs is that riders today all tend to adopt thr same styles and are indistinguishable from each other. Whether that's down to the performance of the bike and/or track conditions is obviously open to conjecture?

If I recall Troy Butler also worked/works in the construction industry?

When I first went to speedway in 1972 as a 12 year old the admission was 30p and programme 8p.

Sad news indeed. RIP

I'm fortunate in that I have a small private pension and was able to pay into a savings plan. Having moved to York some years ago I worked within the tourism industry where generally salaries are barely above minimum wage. How my younger ex-colleagues will cope in years to come is questionable and I don't envy them. York is a tourist centre and prides itself on same but that isn't reflected in salaries unfortunately.

Unfortunately not everyone was/is able to pay into a private pension. Those that were/are on low salaries had/have difficulties enough paying bills never mind finding that bit extra to have paid into a private scheme.

Bit of a generalisation?

Sad news...a true promoter. RIP