Ian H

Strangely enough Kid Bodie retired at the same time.

Bert Harkins was only ever a good team man, not in the same class as George Hunter or Jimmy Mac. Tommy Miller?

Newgate ??

If his decision making and forward planning are anything like his refereeing then I am afraid we are doomed.

Alas George Hunter is no longer with us but I still have the programme and can provide team names if required. A sad footnote is that a junior rider I helped in the pits at the time had made arrangements to buy a bike from Peter Craven that night. I am sure he is still around but I have lost contact with him. Also on reading Ian Hoskins book he says that Peter started from 20 yards back that night but that is not my recollection. I am sure they all went from the gate.

Actually that was the date of the crash (Friday) I believe he died in hospital on the Monday or Tuesday, but it is probably fitting as his last race.

LT I was telling my Dad about your posting @ the weekend he thought it was hilarious Actually you really should pay LT to take them off you

September the 20th might be appropriate as it will be the 40th anniversary of his death

Definitely Peter Craven, bearing in mind the opposition he had to race - Briggo, Ronnie Moore, Ove Fundin ...

Krissie I think you are out of order here, there are others far worse than JB.

I thought the invasion of privacy by the GP camera operator was appalling, setting a new low for "speedway" coverage even worse than Boyce's thuggery which features regularly as a Sky "highlight" Lets keep the Big Brother s**te well away from speedway On a positive note great to see Tomasz Gollob doing his round the boards swoop against Lukas Dryml - just a pity he was baulked on the next bend and lost out. Great racing!

It just occurred to me while watching the GP on Saturday. Can anyone explain why heats 11 and 12 are elimination heats? Jason Lyons won his last race but was still involved. I understood it was two third places or worse for elimination so is there any reason for this apparent anomaly? BTW how good to have a GP run on a proper speedway track

Ron Johnson at New Cross and Edinburgh 1960/61. Ron had been there done it etc since 1927. I remember Ron having a match race with Geoff Pymar which must have been a record for the oldest combined age for riders who were still riding for league teams as opposed to Golden Greats etc type meetings. You still have to admire them though - it must be in the blood.

Barry Briggs had his own distinctive handlebars. I agree that they are all much shorter now, probably because there are no decent deep grippy tracks now and less effort is needed to turn the bike also you can go through narrower gaps and less chance of catching the fence.

OK then name Canterbury/ex-Canterbury riders who have ridden in a World Final? Nigel Boocock ?

I vaguely remember Mick - a really hard rider. I remember him riding for Middlesborough in the 60's.

If they tried that on the Coventry track it might improve it

I remember Charlie Monk well - Superstar of the White City (Glasgow version) and later on a Monarch in 1977 at Powderhall. Very quiet man one of the first riders to be really meticulous in his machine preparation. I remember he used to keep his engine oil in a vacuum flask.

His mother once was involved in a bit of a fracas at Old Meadowbank, probably reacting to the home fans giving him his usual welcome

Veering slightly off-topic here but during Sky's coverage of the Poole v Bees match I am sure I noticed Jimmy McMillan in the pits - can anyone confirm please

Ove Fundin Barry Briggs Ronnie Moore Steve Lawson Erik Gundersen Reidar Eide George Hunter

OK a bit of a generalisation but I can only go by some tracks I have been to where the straights are (were) definitely too close together!

Ove Fundin - simply the best

Definitely Hyde Road. Aaaah. Other great racing tracks were Old Meadowbank, Wimbledon and Hackney. Best of today's lot are probably Exeter and Kings Lynn. One common factor (except Wimbledon) - no dog track. In my opinion tracks inside doggie circuits tend to have too (Two) tight bends. :roll:

Do Hop pickers do it on one leg