steve roberts

...and more than probable that these same people question value for money nowadays. Personally I liked the 13 heat formula (as did John Berry) but I grew up watching matches over 14, 15 & 16 heats and each had their particular merits. However personally I would want more than just 15 heats of speedway (in whatever guise) to satisfy my deemed value for money but that's my personal choice.

...and more than probable that these same people question value for money nowadays. Personally I liked the 13 heat formula (as did John Berry) but I grew up watching matches over 14, 15 & 16 heats and each had their particular merits. However personally I would want more than just 15 heats of speedway (in whatever guise) to satisfy my deemed value for money but that's my personal choice.

...personally I forgot what the original point was now!

...we were fortunate at Cowley during the seventies when the Cowley promotion also ran Eastbourne and Peterborough so we got to enjoy watching riders from those teams in the second halves and the fans appeared to appreciate it. In fact it proved so popular that a full blown match between the 'Eagles' and 'Panthers' was put on with Barney Kennett acting as a 'guest' putting it about in style! Great days!

...got lost somewhere in the midst of time! The way of threads and how they deviate!

When Chris Shears was promoter at Cowley (1995) he introduced on one occasion an old second half which was met with enthusiasm by the appreciative Cowley regulars...only to have his wrist slapped by the BSPA in case it set a precedence!

...which only tells part of the story.. Oxford's Marvyn Cox whose career was slowly going stale at Oxford which culminated in a poor 1989 season whereby he finished fifth in the team's averages (6.79) but having asked for a move he spent 1990 at Bradford where he registered an average of 8.62 he finished the season as their number one. The number of teams competing in the league during those seasons remained fixed at nine which obviously indicates that averages are not always what they seem but are sometimes influenced by riders getting a new lease of life and/or stepping out of the shadow of former team mates and/or taken on new challenges and/or responsibilities. Mick Hines was another example when under the old Rider Control system was forced to leave Ipswich (1976) where he was ranked a second string in a team that had a strong heat leader trio and was allocated to Wimbledon where he rose to the challenge after the tragic death of Dons' number one Tommy Jansson and increased his average by a good two points beating riders he often struggled against the previous season whilst a 'Witch'. Personally I don't take too much notice of averages as they only tell part of a more complex picture especially when taken into account varying points limits and team structures as indicated in my previous post. It was often the case that riders with low averages but with 'potential' (sometimes!) managed to secure team spots because of the points limit in place at the expense of middle order averaged riders who were sometimes overlooked (Andy Grahame was a classic example at Cowley when he fell victim on two occasions) Very difficult to compare abilities and records and making comparisons from different eras when different criteria were in place as regards to team strengths and make up of same.

...different eras with different criteria regarding team make-ups. With the introduction of varying points limits and later compulsory juniors plus two reserve races during one particular period helped to distort averages over a given period.

...however there were heat leaders back in the seventies and eighties who carried healthy averages (Ashby, Simmons, Morton, Boulger, Lovaas, Davis, Schwartz, Sanders, Autrey etc etc) who had to meet the opposite number one's at least on two occasions as well as opposing heat leaders and later became number one's in their own right thru' varying circumstances or, indeed, some would have been regarding as genuine number one's if they had ridden at another club during that era. Peter Collins and Erik Gundersen, for example, would rarely appear as their club's number one choosing to ride further down the order. Ivan Mauger, for tactical purposes, would often ride at number four away from home, thereby again, meeting the opposing number one twice in programmed rides.

...I was chuffed that I was able to see him ride during his last full season. 14 points at Poole I recall.

I was never really sure who was being targeted when 'Live' TV domestic speedway transmissions commenced, if I recall, during the late nineties/early noughties? 1. Was it to try and attract newcomers (which it has largely failed to do if past and apparently present attendance figures are to be taken into account)? 2. An attempt to appease those already familiar with the sport and allowing them access to matches that they were unable to attend? 3. Was it to attract potentially new national sponsors which again hasn't really materialised when viewing the bigger picture? I recall when attending meetings that were being covered by SKY that the attendance appeared to be somewhat down in number (I knew someone who preferred to watch from the comfort of his own armchair rather than attend if a meeting was being televised at his local track) and although it has been said that the staging promotion was compensated however it hardly came across well on camera to the casual viewer. But more importantly where did the SKY money go and who benefited? Obviously 'Live' broadcasts have benefitted other sports but speedway has never really enjoyed the mass media attention that other sports have enjoyed and has struggled to compete within the nation's mindset and/or culture.

I used to own the paperback book based upon the series but that 'disappeared' years ago!

...the same thing constantly occurred in Sandy Lane (Oxford) whereby newbies would move in and then complain about the speedway and greyhounds.

Totally agree. I was speaking to someone recently from Peterborough and we got round to discussing the East of England Showground and the fact that houses had been built very nearby and some residents moving in then proceeded to complain about the disturbance caused by the bikes

Great footage!

It was also featured in a recent edition of the 'Backtrack' magazine with an interview with Peter Duncan.

Happy Birthday to Speedway...here's to the next ?? of years!

I used to look forward to Screensports 'Match of the Week'...Sundays evenings initially if I recall? Living in Oxford we were fortunate in receiving cable (Swindon was another area) before it became nationwide and then of course satellite kicked in...something I've never subscribed to.

...couldn't agree more!

...begs the question regarding where all the SKY money went that was reportedly/supposedly paid out over the last however many years? However the bottom line is although speedway appeared regularly on SKY (no idea what the viewing figures were at its height) it hasn't translated into 'bums on seats' or raised the awareness of the sport at domestic level based on attendance figures, or lack of, at venues around the country.

Certain people wrote Ivan off as a major (no pun intended!) contender after the 1978 Final but he came back with a vengeance to win in Poland in 1979. He had a great year in 1979...not only lifting the Individual title but also winning the Team Cup leading New Zealand (which gave him great personal pleasure sticking two figures up to the authorities!) and of course almost leading Hull to the League Championship which they should have won if it hadn't been for the inexcusable absence of certain riders in key matches.

...during the days of 'Screensport' there was a highlights/news desk programme (fronted by Rob McCaffrey) which I used to enjoy and 'guest' riders would occasionally appear in the studio.

...I missed this final as I was in Jersey (as my brother constantly reminds me!). As an Oxford and White City fan obviously Gordon was my choice that year...and he got very close to becoming champion (strange that his potential 'easy' race he allowed Ila Teromaa to beat him) as he out shone more established candidates that day. Never liked Olsen and it would have been interested if they had met in a rub-off for the title? Ivan admitted that his bike was slowing and to his credit he never blamed Gordon for clipping him as he passed by.

Ivan put in a storming 1975 season and his league form was top notch...if I recall he lost some weight thru' a fitness regime and it played against him towards the end of the season and the World Final at Wembley when beaten by John Louis during a run-off for third (I think that he was suffering with exhaustion by then?)

...plus the likes of Reading and Wimbledon and highly likely Swindon it just doesn't bode well.