FAST GATER

Pete Jarman hitting the tractor after the race in the mid70's when the trackman did not see remount to finish the race.Pete had no serious injuries but his Jap powered bike looked worse for wear!!! Another thing that sticks in my mind was the promoter Jim Sefton ( early70's) liked to introduce the riders himself and always made a pig's breakfast of it.He was that informed that he once said is this brake working properly pulling the clutch lever in and out. Sadly lost his nephew in an accident while practicing on a s/way bike at a local beach when he hit a piece of drift wood. This was a huge loss to the man and led to him selling the promotion to Ernie Parkes one of the nicest people I ever met in s/way .Only for his premature death we may still of had s/way at E/Port even today as he was both true fan and a very wealthy man !!!!

JJ after he retired work at Ben Whitehouse's just out side Chester he has since set up his own panebeating business in Willington near Kelsal .I don't know whether you know but his nephew Gary( son of his late brother Fred ) has just won the British Speedway sidecar championship.So there is still a Jackson winning races on shale and Gary is one of the nicest people you could wish to meet!!!!!!

Take your point jacko but the method is normaly divide and rule not all councillors are or were in favour of the dogs.There nothing to say that with the right presentation and with new methods of reducing noise that some maybe presuaded but your right it is an up hill battle

l I believe that when Tony Mole tried to get s/ay back in about 2001 it was said at the time that there was no proper planning permission for the sport.This was eventually proved wrong but in the meantime Mr Mole lost patience and looked else where sadly but the Brummies prove that miracles do happen.The secret is to get the council on board from day one and the local coucillors aswell,as you say parking and noise can be sorted.Maybe a 3yr initial period to test the water may presuade the local authority to give it a go again!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the link still live in hope that the sport will return to the Port as I was by the stadium this week your right the track is still there.Seems a shame as when I speak many of the locals they seem up for it and say there is very little else in the area.At least I can dream while looking at the web site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know the web site address for the Gunners by any chance please!!!!!

Great pictures I was in JJ pit crew for almost all his career at the Gunners and it was great to see him with his foot off the footrest as he always rode turn 2.A magician on a bike with the ability to go that much faster than many of his fellow riders just his gatting let him down some times. I had many nights of watching IMO one of the most naturaly gifted riders I have ever seen,after a race he hardly ever looked out of breath it was just so easy for him.I have said before that he rode for over 15YRS and never broke a bone and missed a hand full of matches due to injury if that. He always rode within himself and often said a safe 10 points is better than a dodgy 12 points' a fact sadly borne out by one of his greatest adversaries Joey Owen .

The Gunners Pub also had Colin Goad on the sign at one time sadly there are just a few pictures on the walls there now I believe

Tony yet again a great read and i am getting use to the colour aswell well done again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jacko actually learnt to ride doing donuts on moped on a piece of concrete on his father Bill's flower nursery ,the rubber marks could be seen for many years after, the customers would marvel at the control that he showed at a very young age .

Sorry it was not Brian but Robert Peter's son sadly he never made the grade but he had an impossible act to follow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing I remember was Colin Goad drilling hundreds of holes in parts of his bike to reduce weight and looking at Colin at the time a diet might have been better!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone remember the Brucies( think it is the right spelling) that used to be on the back straight great bunch of fans and Frank Varey on the tractor throwing sweets to the kids !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it is unfair to compare the Gunners with the Aces as they were worlds apart but I feel that the track at the Port did offer some good racing and produced some great riders.Chis Morton ,Carr brothersfor example

I was in the pits with Jacko all his time with Gunners and my father was his main sponsor.One thing that sticks in my mind was how consistant a scorer JJ was. I got at him one night because he missed a max by not passing a rider when i felt he could,he looked at me and said we got 11 tonight and the chance of 11 tomorrow night aswell.The rider in question was sadly Joe Owen and we all know what happened to him.I believe that JJ was the second highest points scorer ever in the old NL.He retired from the sport after more than 15yrs with no more than a badly twisted knee while at Crewe. He was a dream to watch and I never saw him passed if he gated and was the holder of many track records in his time.

We are allowed our opinions but IMO still a great mag

Yet another great issue read from cover to cover as soon as it was delivered but not sure about the colour part.Maybe it needs to grow on me but well done Tony and co

Can,t for the wk/end looks a great issue yet again Tony

My response isAndy Smith should have his chance are they frightened that he may ge back into the GP's if so good luck to him.HIS AGE SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IMO Tony should pack in now as whether age or injuries have caught up with him may be the reason?.As for being the best Mauger won his last title at 40 yrs old and was still at the top of his game and never gave up as TR seems to be IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it not true that all those riders that split the money for rider of the night final were cheating the public.I was in in the pits during many matches in the 70's and you saw things going on between riders all the time.They would not consider it cheating merely doing a bit of business.To hammer Simmo for his crimes mainly admitting them is more than little harsh

Well done Tony/M another great read issue 14 just a little note in the John Jackson article that he almost won the div/2 title and actually beat Glover.First of all if he had used the engine my father supplied and his brother Fred tuned he would have won .John decided to use a borrowed motor for his first 2 rides and it was useless .The main point of the matter is that Carl Glovers dad went mad at JJ for beating his son ??????

Thanks Simmo hope you will post some messsages again on this and other topics.

I have now finehed the book and was not shoked in the least by what Simmo ,said IMO he was no worse than many others of his era.He says quite rightly that he was lazy by nature and that was his biggest crime to me. Simmo was I am sad to say a fool in many ways but when I met him he was patient and signed his autograph ,he would also listen to what you had to say aswell.

Simmo's biggest crime is getting caught and telling the truth alot top sportmen(and women) have skeltons in their cupboards.Look what happen in the F1 last week that fella ( Shuie) dosn,t try to hide it even and lets not forget Simmo was still a great rider!!!!!!