steve roberts

I've obviously missed this book! Who published it please?

Recently watched this meeting again on DVD. Fascinating race when Chlynovsky wiped out Zenon Plech! Zenon was on course to winning the race and would have taken part in the run-off for the Championship. Peter Collins (who was laying third?) was declared the winner after the Russian was excluded! All hell let loose with riders complaining about the decision...but what a meeting!

Didn't Arena Essex (or Lakeside!) offer free admission some years back and it attracted a goodly attendance? However the following week the crowd level was back to normal...perhaps those attending the freebie didn't view it as good value for money when required to pay an admission price the following week?

I suspect that your reference to 'Howard & Hilda' would be lost on most people...but not me! I remember the sit-com well...sad really!

Simon was banned from the Speedway World Individual, Pairs and Team Championships (although he was able to represent England at Test level) for the 1985 season. However he did go on to win the World Longtrack Final that year. I think Simmo's was a similar sentence and Mark Courtenay was banned from riding until, if I recall, May 1985 (?) John Louis was cleared of all allegations. It is worth reading Simmo's version of events in his book 'Simmo - The Whole Truth'..

Yes I remember that...funny how certain events slip the memory! Billy was always up for having a go...as one fan apparently found out at Reading one night after constantly verbally abusing him throughout the meeting. Billy gave him a quick thump and laid him out!

I know the 'Wiggy/Simmo' article appeared on the Sunday when the British League Best Pairs was due to take place (Wolverhampton) towards the back end of 1984. I recall that Simon got a rousing reception from the fans that afternoon after, understandably, feeling apprehensive on what sort of reception he would get. Obviously those fans present weren't that bothered/concerned about the allegations quoted in said article!

Yes the Sunday People 'revelation' exposed an unsavoury aspect of the sport (however much of the other stuff they printed was plain ridiculous!) whereby points were 'bought' and 'sold'. Some fans were suspicious of some of the goings on behind the scenes (second half final points money was often divided amongst the participating competitors for example) and turned a blind eye (riders doing 'favours') it was just that the 'People' story brought it out into the open which I guess some people found damaging and a bad indictment on their chosen sport. I Always liked Ivan Mauger's quote when asked by someone what he thought of the article and he replied 'Who cares! Nobody reads your **** paper!" I was made aware of points being 'bought' during an important World Championship Round in Britain in 1974 and John Berry confirmed the event in one of his books and we corresponded over same although we were not at liberty to name the riders involved.

I'd be interested in the views of other contributors regarding this topic? I followed the sport for over thirty years and there was always a certain amount of manipulation regarding the rulebook and/or team strengths (averages) and points being 'bought' and 'favours' asked and given (Malcolm Simmons' and John Berry's most excellent books covers this in some detail) but is it any worse now than it was back in the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties when speedway, generally, enjoyed better attendances and, certainly in the seventies, better media coverage? Has the sport become more discredited within the last ten years or so therefore (I stopped attending in 2003)? Have fans become less gullible and, frankly, suspicious of the sport and the people who administer it? As my initial post highlighted other sports (not just cycling and athletics) down the decades have been shown up as being not totally 'squeaky clean' (football, for example, many of us have read of financial 'irregularities' that have led to some clubs having points deducted) but still demand massive coverage by the mass media and interest amongst the general public.

Trying to think back to the days when I was a youngster (a long, long time ago!) the thing that grabbed my attention was seeing riders broadsiding (not the usual procedure on a motor bike) and throwing up a combination of dirt and dust...and of course the smell of castrol 'R' Seeing four riders jostling for position at the first bend throwing their back wheels out was, for me, a truly spectacular experience!

Not quite sure whether I agree with this assumption or not? There was obviously the Sunday People article back in the eighties (which personally I felt was over played) but overall I think that the sport is no worse than others that get prime time coverage. Two that instantly come to mind are cycling and athletics.

I guess it beats pimples and grunts!

Simon Cross could be questionable on occasions! Remember the occasion at Dudley Wood, back in 1985, when he didn't turn left entering the first bend and just drifted wide taking Simon Wigg with him. 'Wiggy' had to pull up otherwise he would have hit the fence. 'Wiggy' was not a happy bunny when interviewed (the match was televised by ATV) after the race! Cross did the same thing to Andy Grahame in the same meeting! First saw Simon Cross in 1982 when he made his debut riding for Oxford. He was obviously talented but could be erratic on occasions. Didn't last long at Cowley after an altercation with Ashley Pullen.

I have a copy of the highlights of the 1984 British Final on DVD. I obtained a copy from fellow poster 'Moxey63' who maybe able to help you out?

A very good post! I was never a Carter fan, I have to admit, but he obviously had a massive talent...trouble was that injuries at crucial moments during his career didn't help him achieve the ultimate goal. Would he have become World Champion if those awful events hadn't taken place? I don't know but, personally, I felt that his best opportunity was in Los Angeles and if only he hadn't allowed his over bearing father to dictate events in the pits things may well have been different. Would he have made a good World Champion? Can't answer that.

I recall seeing Sam at Poole in 1984 when, having worked his way thru' from last to second, he fell off on his own accord.

In a previous life I used to clean the toilets of the local Community Centre and, yes, I can vouch for that! One day I'm going to write a thesis on Public Toilets and usage of same!!

Thank heavens for small mercies!!

Carl 'The Spear' Askew was a tough uncompromising competitor. Robert Holllingsworth had less than complimentary things to say about him in an interview some years ago!

Just reading the Dave Morton book (excellent read) and he comments on the occasion that Ivan Mauger ran a training school at Chesterton (later re-named Stoke) where riders of all abilities took part. Ivan placed cones strategically on the track to test the riders skills only for Jack Millen to plough thru' them rather than ride around them! Can imagine the 'conversation' between Ivan and 'Crazy' Jack after that particular episode! Jack was re-signed by Crewe after a couple of years spent at Sunderland in the hope that he would attract fans back to Earle Street with his mad cap antics!

I understand the point of the thread as my far earlier comment initiated to which Rob replied. I don't know the answers as many of us don't unfortunately. It's a complex issue and I'll leave it to others in a better position than myself to put forward suggestions that may improve the present scenario.

Vince, I think it was my clumsy analogy! What I was trying to imply with my obscure observation was that my brother would frequent pubs that specialised in real ale. He wasn't interested in the ambience of the surroundings but in the product...real ale. With respect I wasn't implying that all was rosy within the pub industry as I am aware of the difficulties that particular industry is experiencing (although there are signs, in my region especially, that some people are re-inventing the pub experience and opening small concerns without the need of SKY etc and apparently they are proving quite popular) My observation (as my previous post implied) was that speedway needs to get the product right so as to attract those missing fans. Window dressing is all well and good but the product needs to be attractive to entice people to part with their money. Football stadia have improved considerably over the years due to Government intervention and grants but unfortunately speedway and/or greyhound stadiums were left behind. It's a sad fact that many speedway venues fall below acceptable modern standards but there's no getting around that fact due to lack of investment and many promoters not owning the stadiums. I can only draw on my experience working within the tourism industry that the general public expect more for their money to what was once the conceived view some ten to twenty years ago. What is important is to carry out the relevant market research and come up with a plan so as to hopefully entice people to an attraction whether it a museum, gallery, theme park, sporting event etc etc How speedway can sell itself is well beyond my remit as I am out of touch with the sport on a day to day basis so I'll leave that to others to decide the best formula.

Yes agreed...it is rather simplistic but the point being that he has visited some rather dubious establishments but that hasn't put him off...and he spends more in an evening than it would cost to attend a speedway meeting. Another parallel, if you like, is visiting a rather plush cinema with ultra modern seating, with all the latest sound equipment and fast food going but if the film is crap...? I've been to some real 'flea pits' in my time but was prepared to compromise because the film (not main stream) showing was worth the inconvenience. As I've tried to demonstrate with my clumsy examples "If the product isn't right" there's less likelihood people going which appears to be the case with speedway?

I know that it's a rather simplistic parallel but my brother is a member of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and he often says that he has frequented some rather grotty establishments over the years where there's no SKY TV and/or music and/or gaming machines but it's the ale that attracts him! In other words it's the product that excites him and he meets with other similar minded people (not me I might add!) who enjoy a good chat (putting the world to right!) enjoying traditional beverages!

I apologise if I got the wrong name but was it Sean Wilson?