steve roberts

...I say to my aging mother that she and her like are a burden on society and cause tremendous financial strain despite her generation getting the country back on its feet after the Second World War. But seriously It makes me angry when some people condemn the aged and, yes, there are some who are very well off but there are many struggling with finances and life generally especially during these uncertain times.

...perhap's "Logan's Run" had some disturbing messaging? If I recall once you reached the age of forty (?) you were "eliminated" (can't remember the exact phrase used?)

As you say it's difficult, if nigh impossible, to compare different eras. All I know is that Mauger craved success at team level and each team he rode for he had a great say in how the team was put together. Came later in Olsen's career after carrying Wolves for many years and, of course, Nielsen was the main player at Oxford where he had great influence. By the time the nineties came along riders started looking towards Poland for big money reward but of course the likes of Mauger, Olsen, Briggs, Collins etc achieved financial gain by riding on the continent on sundays at longtrack/grasstrack events during the seventies and eighties as well as riding in Britain whereby meetings came thick and fast unlike today. Recall Peter Collins saying that on any given month he perhaps had three/four days when he wasn't competing otherwise it was all go.

...remember the days when a team had to declare a "junior" in their team. Noble initiative but it was never going to really work although some did swim rather than sink!

Makes a refreshing change. To think that when I was a regular line ups were often declared weeks, sometimes days, before the commencement of a new season.

...trouble is many tracks nowadays are run by wealthy "supporters" and not promoters in the truest sense and often end up getting their fingers burnt. Love him or hate him but Reg Fearman was of the old school (well worth reading his autobiography) and was a well respected promoter although Neil Middleditch may not agree!

...the speedway was apparently subsiding their other businesses. However most, if not all, clubs have traditionally paid out more than any revenue they manage to accumulate so there's nothing new there.

Northern Sports who owned and promoted speedway at Cowley were expecting Hans to take a pay cut and the difference would be made up by his impending testimonial which he dismissed. The losers were the fans and Hans moving to Coventry was helped by sponsorship...apparently.

...Northern Sports basically went bust due to their outside interests which affected the speedway at Cowley.

Remember a "pay restraint" was imposed on Hans prior to the 1993 season which led him to move to Coventry and the Oxford scene was never the same again. Unless I'm mistaken the governing body tried to introduce a pay structure but like most things in the sport went the way of many other initiatives in an attempt to curb spiralling costs. Funny, however, that Coventry managed to entice Hans when Oxford failed but outside influences dictated..

...should have given it to John Berry all those years ago!

...strewth! I remember that!

...which has been the case with the speedway rulebook for many years and open to all sorts of interpretation/abuse and finding loop holes of which Ian Thomas was a great advocate!

...absolutely agree!

What a wasted opportunity...confirms what many of us knew. Nonsensical practice with riders taking more out of the sport than what was coming in. Of course in the "Good Old Days" many riders were part-time and the sport gave them a good side line boosting their potential earnings.

..yes this was certainly the case at the University Department that I once worked at in Oxford.

...a favourite ploy of Tommy Knudsen. Tried it against Marvyn Cox at Cowley on one occasion but Marvyn anticipated it and held back slightly cutting back and passing Knudsen up the inside joining Hans for a glorious match winning 5-1!

I recall when Ted Hubbard at Hackney did exactly that in front of John Dews and John took avoiding action.

...Jason had a temper. Remember when he slapped team mate Todd Wiltshire for a collision. He apologised later realising that it hadn't been Todd's fault.

...always the chance that someone may fall off or break down?

The 30 yard mark used to confuse some people but it wasn't there to stop riders from deviating (within reason) but if a bike stalled when leaving the tapes it's the distance that outside help was allowed to push start the bike if necessary...not sure if that is still the case however?

...at my local Fish and Chip Restuarant "The Wetherby Whaler" I qualify for the "pensioner's option" based on being 60.

Personally I never just base the "greatest ever' on World Championships won but a rider's overal contribution and racing awareness...don't recall Tony Rickardsson doing much team riding on the occasions that I saw him which is why I don't rate him above Ivan Mauger (another great team man who cajoled his team mates) despite equalling Ivan's World Championships win or above the likes of Nielsen, aforementioned Moore and dare I suggest Ole Olsen!

...didn't he try car racing during his premature retirement?

...I only saw Ronnie on a couple of occasions in 1972 and he was still a very classy act. To think what more he may have achieved if he hadn't retired for a number of years before making a return to the UK and scoring the way he did. Personally I think his achievements as a rider tend to get overlooked. One of the greats!