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steve roberts

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Everything posted by steve roberts

  1. If I recall the track was shortened from 354 yards (Peter's record) to 350 yards during the 1973 season.
  2. Barry Briggs set a record of 64.8 during 1974 (although the track had been shortened tp 350 yards) and Dag Lovaas lowered it to 63.6 later during that same season and then Phil Crump lowered it further (63.2)
  3. Which, apparently, speedway got hit with a massive 48% whereas other sports (including football) 'only' contributed 15% from gate receipts.
  4. Yes that's correct...they once used to play at the old Oxford City ground. I think they were lnown as Oxford 'Saints'?
  5. The Banger Racing caused all sorts of issues at Cowley and even prompted the speedway promoters to pull the plug if the Banger people didn't tidy up their act. The infield resembled a junk yard on occasions.
  6. Super meeting and Gordon Kennett rode a blinder on his own track and, if I recall, finished second in the competition (Peter Collns being the victor) when all done and dusted...also remember Olsen getting into a flap when he grounded to a halt when his own dislodged helmet colour got caught up in his chain!
  7. New Cross and West Ham were two tracks I wished I could have visited. Custom House closed during my first season and I did actually visit the site of where once New Cross was and recall seeing evidence of its presence. Like you I generally prefer the smaller tracks but one of my least favourites was Wolves with its too long straights and hairpin bends (similar to Kirky Lane). Oxford, of course, was one of the best...but I would say that!!
  8. The last season of 'The Rebels' (1978) created some rather embarrassing heavy defeats for the home team. However they always throughout their three years of operation remained good visitors to other tracks and achieved results at all over that same period excepting Exeter, Ipswich and Newport/Bristol (although they should have won on their visits to Eastville). The 77 team were an exceptionally talented group of riders and fully deserved their title success and teams visiting Wood Lane that season were often sent away packing although 'The Rebels' were not invincible and lost twice at home during that campaign and others came close in succeeding which proved that if riders were willing to give it a go that success was within their grasp. I would agree that races were often strung out at Wood Lane but that was often the case at many of the larger tracks operating at the time, before and no doubt since but I saw many races involving the home team having to battle their way thru'...none more so spectacular than Kai Niemi riding around Terry Betts and inside Michael Lee within a lap.
  9. Yes some people slag off White City but as a weekly regular during 'The Rebels' era and some of the big meetings held there it did produce some decent racing and Malcolm Simmons (Yes that man again) used to enjoy riding the many lines that it encouraged and likened it to Custom House.
  10. I may be wrong but I think that he was injured during the practice session?
  11. There was of course the occasion that John Berry produced a measuring tape during the interval at Hull and proceeded to measure the width much to the annoyance of the home promoter Ian Thomas.
  12. I was there and although it was the league decider Hull were up against it and had lost it earlier in the season due to the unprofessionalism of certain riders.
  13. Remember it well...all because Ole Olsen refused to come to Oxford (thank goodness) and we got Dag Lovaas instead. Perculiar in that Oxford very nearly always opened their account in a League tie at Coventry before any warm up fixtures which is how John rode in place of himself! I seem to recall a similar scenario surrounding Alan Mogridge also?
  14. The subject of cutting costs has been abundant for more years than I care to remember. People within the sport were saying same at the advent of the four valves and it had been allowed to get out of hand without any real intervention. When lay-downs were introduced they were banned in the British Leagues but, if I recall, that only lasted the one year when they were introduced due to pressures from abroad and the GPs who allowed them.
  15. Remember Vic riding at Radipole Lane together with the likes of Geoff Swindells, Kelvin Mullarkey (?) and Martin Yeates of course.
  16. From memory it may well have been the Craven Shield whereby teams met once home and again away.
  17. Different world I guess but I used to go to Oxford on Thursdays and White City (Tuesdays or Wednesdays during my exam years) and somehow managed to get my homework done around those visits.
  18. How about re-adopting handicap racing as was once tried back in the sixties which, if I recall, upset Briggo who threatened to retire if it wasn't withdrawn!
  19. Remember in 1987 when Hackney elected to join the British League and only Oxford came to their assistance (despite assurances from other promotions) and loaned them Simon Wigg...which paid Oxford dearly that season after two seasons of outstanding success.
  20. Certainly needs serious consideration. There needs to be a structure in place that encourages British talent with appropriate training schools run professionally. I recall that Jan O.Pedersen was earmarked to run such a scheme some years back but it was met with apathy by the authorities and hence the continual slide.
  21. Bo Brhel used to squeeze thru' the tiniest gaps close to the fence when exiting the second bend at Cowley whilst a 'Cheetah'. Bearing in mind that the exits to the bends at Cowley used to be quite narrow and that the fence was chain-linked that took some courage.
  22. Recall Roman Matousek riding his front wheel over the white lane at Munich during the 1989 World Final where he picked up tremendous drive. Riders find many means to gain an advantage whether by design, pure chance or by accident...it's what made/makes the sport so special and creates many iconic and wonderful memories to saviour.
  23. I'll just quote from an interview that Ivan gave in 'Backtrack' to perhaps help explain and/or qualify which I hope Tony Mac doesn't mind me quoting :- "At Exeter I had contests with myself. If I was riding very well, I'd go up around the banked part of turns three and and four and let my back wheel hit the fence - it would give me a ricochet and fire me down the the home straight. I used to practice doing that because, occasionally, if I was second or third in a race, and went up and got that ricochet on turn four, I knew I would have enough speed to pass guys on the inside by the start line. They were not expecting it. Instead, they expected you to creep round the outside. It would take me about a lap-and-a-half to build up to but I'd pass a lot of guys by riding in about the the gate one or two positions down the front straight - after my back wheel had deliberately clouted the fence. When we first used mufflers, I would tend to bend them on the fence - yes, Exeter was a really good fun place to to race at." Not a 'wall of death' feat by any means or in any way similar to the above race but a move using the fence to gain momentum which he apparently used successfully.
  24. There were fascinating interviews with all the Collins' Brothers in a past Edition of 'Backtrack' some years ago. Each are very different personalities and made for an interesting read with the late John Berry giving his personal assessment on each one. The Kennett Brothers were also featured some time back and, again, very different in their own way.
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