steve roberts

Hi Sid! Yes Garry's best year average wise was at Cowley but he had three good years as a "Hawk"...never remained at any one track for long! He had hoped to join Ipswich in 1972...can you imagine Garry and John Berry together? You're absolutley right in that Garry often had the beating of Briggo as a "Rebel" but Martin Ashby often had the better of him...much to my annoyance at the time! Recall his day-glo orange helmet and shark's teeth incorporarted in the design. How I envy you having his autograph!

Garry Middleton was a favourite of mine...never a dull moment when "Cassius" was around!

Recall the old Grove Allen site in Cowley when it was re-developed into a retail outlet and it was stipulated that there would be no Sunday opening (before Sunday Trading laws came to the fore) to give local residents a respite. B&Q immediately opened on a Sunday and were fined a mediocre sum and continued to do so despite re-assurances put in place by the local council to the contrary.

Yes I've bought some DVD's from him.

Yes mum remembers him as a regular visitor to the local Health Centre on Blackbird Leys where she worked at the time!

Rickard Hellsen.

Yes used to enjoy the old second halves Sid...used to get quite competitive at Cowley during the 'Rebel" and later "Cheetah" years! Some good names to conjure with that you've listed.

Interesting to read of Alan Sorensen in the latest edition of 'Backtrack'. I seem to recall that he was the protege of the late Geoff Curtis and resided at Geoff's old lodgings whilst in Britain? I remember that Alan rode at Cowley for a short while (Geoff was destined to join "The Rebels" before he was so tragically killed).

Crumbs...must be worth another 0 at least!

I had, I guess, a couple of thousand. Many World Finals, Overseas programmes, and first meeting progs and specials as well as the normal league programmes and individual meetings etc. I remember that I had every meeting, home and away, that White City took part during 1977...including pairs and 4TT and many featuring Oxford home and away going back decades...I weep at the memory!

Wish that I had hung on to my vast collection of programmes!

Remember Tom Leadbitter also competing on the TV in those days. The days of 'Grandstand' and 'World of Sport'.

Thanks Sid and it's always a great pleasure to reminisce with you and other like minded people about years gone by!

Yes I think that you are right.

Remember Pete Jarman when he turned out for 'The Rebels' and Eastbourne towards the back end of his career. Great buddy of 'Joe' Gooddy.

Recall seeing Jimmy riding for Cradley in 1972 and Eastbourne.

Didn't Andy Smith once distribute them?

Many thanks for the report! I'll look thru' again and try and put some of those names to faces!

I recognised Ole Nygren, Mike Broadbank, Barney Kennett, Chris Morton, Bengt Jansson, Richard Greer, Dingle Brown and a few others.

Great pictures...and some riders I recognise (is that really John Davis?) but there are some vaguely familiar that I can't put names to!

Wasn't there a Bernt Muddgaard (?) or did I imagine it?

Johnnie in his book "Walkabout" quotes a story about cheetahs- ...We advertised the appearance of the fastest animals in the world to race round the West Ham track. In a trial in the morning the brutes all got loose in the stadium and the directors, fearing lawsuits and injuries to the public rebelled. We had to keep faith however and it was too late to advertise any non-appearance. The race started before a tremendous crowd of curious people. After a run of thirty yards the animals came to the end of their leather tethers and halted. An apology was felt appropriate. "Ladies and Gentleman. Tonight we advertised five cheetahs, but in reality there are six" I announced. Quick as a flash came a shout from the crowd "Yes and we know who the sixth is".

Saw both Colin Richardson and Michael Lee, when both 15, giving second half 'demonstration' match races at Cowley...also a fifteen year old Alastair Stevens.

...whose family had a connection with the Greyhound Bus franchise in the States if memory serves?

Used to enjoy the old second halves...we at Cowley used to enjoy the exploits of grass track riders giving it a go during the early seventies (Julian Wigg, Ken Matthews, Chris and Alan Drewett - amongst many)