steve roberts

...I think that you need to read my previous comment whereby I often talk to past and present fans and/or riders and/or mechanics in my workplace and therefore not totally ignorant as you apparently think. Agreed that I don't have a 'personal' working experience of present day speedway but the fact that I talk to others who do doesn't mean I'm totally unaware of what's happening in the world of speedway.

I haven't attended a speedway meeting since 2004 for reasons clearly stated but it doesn't mean I have no interest in the sport as I meet many people at my place of work who go, or used to go, and enjoy 'chewing the fat' with them...and I also enjoy participating on this forum.

Yes Sid I haven't been to a speedway since I re-located to York from Oxford back in 2004. I used to walk to Cowley and the fact that it was so close was the incentive to still go despite the sport going in a direction that I wasn't particularly happy with but it was a chance to meet up with friends on the third bend and have a chat which kept me attending for so long. I gave up attending away meetings during the nineties after having travelled extensively around the country prior to that. Now living in York I have no desire to get into a car and travel to my nearest track (Sheffield, Scunthorpe or Redcar) and couldn't justify the petrol money never mind the admission price based on 15(?) heats of racing. However I have great memories of following the sport for over thirty years and regularly watch a DVD (I have an extensive collection) and enjoy looking back recalling some great moments. Not many kids of my age were travelling to London on a weekly basis as we did following 'The Rebels' at Wood Lane as well as watching 'The Cheetahs' and trips to The Abbey to watch 'The Budgies' and days out on the south coast at Arlington.

Remember Norman when he rode for 'The Rebels' at Cowley in 1972. Recalled he scored 12 points against the mighty 'Aces' that year.

Remember Gordon Kennett passing the team riding Ole Olsen and Alan Molyneux at Wood Lane...brilliant!

Good old Tom Leadbitter...remember him well! Got a feeling that he was involved in the 'squabble' at Hyde Road between Belle Vue and Leicester...didn't he right hook someone?

Remember attempting to get Hasse Holmqvist's autograph as he was rushing around the pits after the meeting about to take a shower...if I recall he was signing autographs thru' the window of the changing room. I used to get Hans Nielsen to sign each of my personalised programme boards that I used to paint.

Sounds reasonable to me dear boy! Views have been expressed many times on the subject but not by a large enough sample to arrive at any one conclusion. To re-iterate my preferred choice would be i) but I am of the old school as it was a system that I grew up with and accepted as part and parcel of the sport hence why an input from modern day participants would make for an interesting comparison.

I generally refrain from using assumptions whatever the subject personally. Seen evidence of that regarding other matters on this forum. Having a background in statistics personally it's generally the case that a goodly sample is taken before arriving at any given figure rather than plucking figures out of the air based on assumptions and/or opinions. It appears to be the case regarding the matter under discussion, in this instance, which on the face of it appears to side with the old T/S ruling but a broader picture would be advantageous before drawing a defining conclusion. I guess that older fans would be drawn more to the old ruling but it would be interesting to get a view from present day fans who have no experience of what the ruling once was but based on the present ruling (of which I have no working knowledge)? Hence a vote from a cross section of fans of all ages would prove interesting as I commented elsewhere.

Not that I'm aware of.

Interesting viewpoints and goes to show that people have different opinions about the T/S ruling (old and new)

Some fascinating stats there!

Lee Dunton one time White City Team Manager and son of Danny has died. Having supported 'The Rebels' during their tenure at Wood Lane I was often left astonished by some of his tactical moves but a sad loss nevertheless. RIP

...interesting all the same. It appears on here that the T/S ruling splits people and their particular view point which is what an open forum is all about. Me? The old system for reasons stated many times in the past without having to go over old ground but, then again, I have no working knowledge or understanding of the present system.

Would be interesting to know by way of a vote whether people preferred the old system (in whatever shape or form) or the new one as regards the T/S ruling?

Sounds totally bonkers to me...it appears that speedway has reached a new level.

Never a fan of Havelock I'm afraid.

It was a wet and miserable night and I drove from Oxford just to see Hasse for one last time. However I went via the equally awful North Circular to pick my brother up at Ilford before continuing onto Crayford...a long night!

There appears to be a consensus on the forum about the T/S ruling (I believe that it was first introduced in 1955?) but I personally don't recall in all my years of attending speedway (1972 - 2004) that there was ever really an issue...certainly not amongst the group of people that I used to stand with. The only grumble from what I remember was the introduction of a T/S in heat eight. It certainly wasn't viewed negatively in the way that Guest Riders, for example, were utilised...although that's a different story. I guess that nowadays people are more analytical and look at things differently but all I can say that it used to spice up meetings in my opinion where one of the pluses was trying to out manoeuvre the Team Manager and it used to cause plenty of gossip on the terraces between races.

Went to Crayford just the once (1983) when Crayford took on Hasse Holmqvist's Swedish club side...strange experience and seemed to be a mini Wimbledon and although outside one got the impression that you were under cover with the imposing surrounding grandstands. Track was a bit too small for my liking but a fascinating experience all the same.

A rider I would very much liked to have seen.

I have both books...fabulous reading!

I personally liked the thirteen heat formula but would be happy to concede that the fourteen heat version had some good merits. I've seen the development of thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen heat variations and all had good and bad points what with nominated riders heats being introduced and an extra reserves race amongst the differing versions...the two leagues once operated different versions for a couple (?) of years, I recall, which was most bizarre.

Yes I remember now...the old brain cells...Mike ride under Olsen and couldn't turn due to the heavy track and dumped Olsen (I think that he picked up an injury?) who was less than happy with Lee at the time. Personally never a fan of Olsen but that's another story!

I think that it was Anders Michanek Sid but I may be wrong?