steve roberts

I was hoping that he was coming to Oxford in 1985 (Andy Grahame came however after there were stories circulating that Kelvin Tatum had been approached)) but he went to King's Lynn...a move he regretted and explains fully the circumstances in this edition of "Backtrack". Apparently his first choice was Ipswich after it had been known that Eastbourne were to drop a league. He was a cracking white line rider round Arlington and would pass many opponents using that technique.

Eastbourne should have done so much better in 1982 with a top four of Kennett, Moran, Preston and Woods. By the next year only Woods was around!

...especially in partnership with Per Jonsson.

Yes you're right...I seem to remember he doubled up for a short while at Ipswich?

Crikey yes...another one.

Crumbs yes! I remember his formative years at Reading (1985?) when he used to double up.

Of course Sid you were able to see him ride during his last season (1992) at Swindon. His average for the season was very ordinary and I guess that the spark had gone but he has gone on record suggesting that Swindon's track wasn't to his particular liking. I last saw him ride at Cowley that year when he had a coming together with Morten Andersen and If I recall was excluded? His best years were during 1981 and 82 in my opinion when he rode for Eastbourne. I saw him plenty of times and he was a master at Arlington often challenging Gordon Kennett as "King Pin" round there.

My abiding memory of Kelly was watching him at Eastbourne when riding to the tapes he would ride along the fence shaking everybody's hand as he passed.

Yes there were certainly some interesting observations...I guess that he may well have been 'blinded' by Collins not being a master of the Ipswich track and basing his judgement accordingly?

Just checking John Berry's "More Confessions" and he broke down into three categories when wishing to come up with his best ever. They were for "Skill", "Equipment" & "Mental Strength" Mauger 9 - 10 - 9-5 Rickardsson 9-5 - 9.5 - 9.5 Nielsen 9.5 - 9.5 - 9 Briggs 9 - 8.5 - 10 Fundin 9.5 - 8.5 - 9.5 Olsen 9.5 - 9 - 9 Penhall 9 - 9.5 - 9 Collins 9 - 9 - 9 Gundersen 9 - 9 -9 j.Crump 9 - 9 - 9 Lee 9.5 - 9.5 - 7 Michanek 9 - 8.5 - 8 His analysis on each rider I found interesting and obviously very much open to personal opinions/observation. Interesting he gave 'Briggo' a ten for "mental strength" but when you read John's close analysis you can see why!

Yes I'm sure that there is some truth in that but I still think that Nielsen's record (and I watched him closely for nine seasons at many varying tracks) would have borne fruit if the GP series had been around during the eighties. Interesting that there was an article in 'Backtrack' many years ago on this very subject and John Berry tended to come down in favour of Nielsen.

Unfortunately I personally think that it's only a matter of time before Cowley Stadium goes the same way.

Following on from a similar thread it got me pondering which team in the lower league produced the most riders for the upper or at least started their careers at that track as loanees? Eastbourne would take some beating - Dave Jessup, the Kennett Brothers, Malcolm Ballard, Bobby McNeil, Roger Johns, Trevor Geer, Paul Gachet, Neil Middleditch, Steve Weatherley, Colin Richardson, Martin Dugard , Hugh Saunders, Paul Woods. Boston/King's Lynn II - Michael Lee (Mildenhall?), David Gagen, Ray Bales, Carl Glover, Arthur Price, Ian Turner, Russell Osborne, Keith Bloxsome, Derek Harrison, Tony Featherstone Rochdale/Belle Vue II - Peter Collins, Alan Wilkinson, Eric Broadbelt, Graham Drury, Paul Tyrer, Ken Eyre Mildenhall - Melvyn Taylor, Kevin Jolly, Richard Knight. Peterborough - Richard Greer, John Davis, Frank Smith, Kevin Hawkins, Ian Clark, Nigel Flatman, Tim Hunt I'm sure there are many more examples - Rye House, Rayleigh, Canterbury etc etc.

Good point and in total agreement.

My initial post quoted British talent but it has to be said that quite a few Anzacs also benefited from the arrangement during the early years and certainly much later (Adams, Wiltshire, Boyce immediately come to mind who claimed FIM medals on behalf of Australia) when the league took a different route.

I was forgetting Phil Crump (albeit an Aussie) A Bronze Individual medal and an FIM Team Medal for Australia plus many national and domestic honours...good call!

If I recall Andy didn't even bother going to Munich (1989) but I may be incorrect.

Joe had two outstanding seasons at Newcastle in 1975 & & 76 and admitted in an interview some years ago that perhaps his move to Hull (another Ian Thomas track) wasn't perhaps the smartest thing. He suffered terrible injuries (1978?) at the Boulevard on a track that wasn't to everybody's liking (especially John Berry!) and perhaps if he had gone to a different track he may well have gone further in the upper league rather than returning to the Natinal League where he again dominated...but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Was it Eastbourne?

Probably a lot of truth in that...although best of mates I'm sure that pride was at stake even as advisors to rival riders.

Having viewed Leigh Adams close up as a 'Cheetah' for two seasons I always felt that he lacked a certain amount of ruthlessness when it mattered although a superb rider it has to be said.

That sounds about right! Of course the presence of Olsen in Gundersen's side of the pits would have had an adverse effect on Hans which is why he balanced the 'mind games' by having Ivan by his side. I understand a film has been made covering this very episode? I remember articles in "Backtrack" comparing seasons 1985 & 86 and head to head confrontations between Nielsen and Gundersen and Hans came out on top during both seasons but Gundersen won the encounter that was critical at Bradford in 1985.

I would agree with that.

Fair analysis. Nielsen was more consistant and therefore dominant over any given year whereas Gundersen, as you say, could raise himself when required.