Parsloes 1928 nearly

Massive well done to Eddie and to Lewis. Two products of the Sittingbourne & Eastbourne training tracks...!!!!

Will you need a lift to the studio..?? I could ask you some questions on the way..: like, why are there sometimes red lights strategically positioned along major London streets..??!!

Couldn't swear on it, but I don't think so. Rhys comes from Essex and has a background in junior Cycle Speedway.

Of God's own Speedway track in general: Highwaymen era and the mighty Kestrels. Go out and buy your copy now!!!!

And the Crayford article...???!!!!!

Well, he wasn't born in Kent, KB..: but as you can see in this month's series of articles on DJ he moved to the county when he was just three years of age and so spent all the rest of his childhood, youth and school-days in Kent; and learnt the sport in the county and at Eastbourne. This more than qualifies him for being one of Kent's greatest ever motorcycling products. BTW, what did you make of the Crayford article in the same issue..??!!

He has a great memory..: he's certainly not forgotten that time I gave him a lift..!!!

Hey - a rather surprising reference to the old club in of all things the 'Barking & Dagenham Post' this week!!! There's a bit of a debate locally about the (admittedly rather daft) appendage of 'and Redbridge' to the name of our local new Football League club. Some are campaigning for a name change to Dagenham Dragons! In support of this, someone in the 'Post' writes that there is a great tradition of alliterative names in sport, mentioning: "Wycombe Wanderers, Bradford Bulls, Philadelphia Phillies, and Canterbury Crusaders"..!!!

It's not Under 15 racing of course (well, not all of it..!) but wasn't sure where else to post about last night's Academy racing at Lakeside/Arena. If you want to see the results please go to: http://sittingbourne.proboards17.com/index...read=1181211740

mick cast: Welcome to the best thread on the whole BSF!!! Above is a section of a posting I made before about that travesty of a dog track in the old car park..! As you can see there's, sadly, no question of a Speedway track being viable..

Right..: finally remembered to ask George. He tells me that John is living in Essex with his wife Nicola and two children James and Holly. They are all well and very happy.

Yes I did..: will update in the relevant thread later.. Got to drive to Brooklands again...!!!!!

It's weird but I drive to work every day past the end of Waterden Rd. and EVERY time (on the way in and the way home) I always think of the late lamented Speedway track there..!! Then I often drop my daughter off at her pals in Romford and they live on the road where Brooklands used to stand.. Today, I was in a work meeting about recycling; and discussion turned to the recycling sorting plant the borough I work in uses..: it's in Crayford!!! Am arranging to go there..!! Interestingly, apparently the place is staffed almost exclusively by Poles (I guess you'd be more surprised to hear that many are very well-qualified including doctors: yes, qualified medical practitioners sorting through the East End's rubbish!! ). The thought of so many from the country where Speedway is most revered across Europe (the world..??!) being based in Crayford was something to dwell on.. Are there every day events which get you thinking of tracks and events gone by..??! And no, Bryn, not going past the Super Kings factory!!

Maybe you'd have met up with that West Ham supporter girlfriend who introduced you to Speedway..?? Blimey, that lass has a LOT to answer for...

A weird thing on ITV Teletext today..!! Lists the fixture at Wimborne Rd. this evening as Poole vs. WEST HAM..!!!!! Spooky, eh..??!!

They certainly did..: why haven't you read Dr. Belton's 'When West Ham went to the Dogs'..??!!

Russ: This really is awful news and I know you've had more than your fair share of knock-backs like this... The boy Ribbons has told me about all your hard work setting up the track; and I read with great interest in particular about the opening event and with Ove Fundin & Split Waterman going to be there, I was really jealous that I was going to be in sunny Sittingbourne rather than sweltering Spain that weekend. All of us at Sittingbourne wish you all the very best for your track and I'm sure despite this hic-cup things will be up and running soon. And to think we complain about our elected Councillours and Planning Officers in this country..!? All the best, Derek Barclay

I can't believe these comments shazzy..!! He murdered his wife..!! That's not a minor indiscretion in his "personal life"..!! I suggest you reread your posting again and strongly consider whether what you wrote can ever be appropriate as a description of the "wrong" thing that Kenny Carter did..??!!! Are you suggesting that if someone murders their spouse this is "none of anyones business"..??!! Or that somehow we might all do this in certain circumstances as your "but for the grace of god go I" comment implies.. Oh, and I don't know where you get the idea that anyone has mentioned all these "other riders who've wronged the sport"..: I've made it 100% clear that we're only talking about the appalling case of Kenny Carter and nothing or nobody else..

But of course Speedway riders do live in the "real world" too; and it's true to say that a number of riders (and ex-riders) over the years have taken their own lives: including a great hero of mine, Billy Sanders; and two very young and very talented young Polish riders, as you say, in recent years. But I feel it should be said here that the case of Kenny Carter is fundamentally different. I'm sure no-one wants us to dwell on the circumstances of Kenny's death, but in all honesty, it jars badly with me that a number of postings and articles written in recent times about this rider seem to be airbrushing out history... We all know the details of what happened over 20 years ago now and they're deeply distressing so am not going to repeat them here; but, of course, he didn't simply commit suicide did he. And I'm afraid the circumstances of what actually happened always make me recoil when people seem to want to talk of Kenny as a former great rider as if the incident we never talk about didn't happen.. A number of famous people have ended up committing awful acts which have led to the adulation they'd earned by right being removed from their memory; and I'm sorry to say that I believe this applies to Kenny Carter.

Well yes, but that "major impact" was the most damaging front-page headlines our sport ever did - and pray God, ever will - attract..

Sorry KB.. Have seen George numerous times since I made this promise but keep forgetting!! Hopefully will run into the 'Gentleman' at Lakeside this evening (he always does his shopping there on a Friday.. : no, I mean the venue formerly known as Arena Essex!!) and will ask him then..!

I don't that that many on this Forum will agree with this. Disregarding the claims of the likes of 'Tiger' Louis, Malcolm Simmons, Mike Lee, David Jessup (who all achieved more than Carter and didn't leave a legacy of shame and tragedy which I feel still hangs over the sport..)..: there surely can't be any real argument that the 'other' PC, Peter Collins was the greatest rider England has produced since the death of Peter Craven...

Well, got VERY little response (as you'll note above..) to my suggestion so at the moment whole thing is up in the air. Can't be August 19th. either....

Much as I'd love to agree - it being so local to where I live in Barking -; I don't think that the Romford dog track has really ever had any potential to be a Speedway venue. Few tracks anywhere are so completely surrounded by homes than this: indeed it's actually impossible even to see the stadium from the road as it is so completely immersed in houses. Sure, when one goes to Berwick, one can see how a housing estate can have a Speedway track within it: but somehow I can't see the NIMBY-ism of Romford (where, remember, the massively popular Brooklands was laid to waste..) ever tolerating a Speedway track in such a location...

My favourite Speedway meeting of all time was the 1977 Inter-continental Final at a packed and sun-soaked White City Stadium. PC was peerless that afternoon and was a cert to defend the title at Gothenberg less than a fortnight later. I remember vividly getting on the Tee-Mill coach in the Plough Lane car-park and settling down with a newly-purchased copy of the Speedway Star for the long overland journey to that World Final in Sweden. Opening the mag I read the terrible news of Peter's injury..: it was a hammer-blow. I also remember so well the antics of PC's number one fan, Solider Boy on the final ferry journey into gloomy Gothenberg. The story was he'd pretended to be one of the Collins brothers in order to get into the hospital to see our fallen hero..?! At Ullevi the conditions were just awful. Good job I brought two programmes, coz the one I used on the night was a sodden mess by the end. Then there was the drama of both PC and Anders Michanek having to be carried onto and off their bikes. The fall of Egon Muller when last, leading to a red light when the unbelievably brave PC was leading the eventual winner Mauger; Ivan won the rerun. And then, of course, that fateful, what was it heat 17..??, when either Olsen or Mauger would win the title if they won the race and Mike Lee could force a run-off with PC by a first place himself. Instead the 4th. man in the race Johnny Boulger led; but then fell in what were by now the worse conditions I've ever seen a Speedway meeting continue on in.. Lee was back out on track for the rerun; no sign of the other big two. Surely the two minutes were up..? Then an announcement in Swedish only..: we couldn't translate and the English announcer Bob Radford didn't..: but we knew it was the exclusion under the time limit rule of Olsen & Mauger. I seem to recall Lee, though, turning back from the tapes; and I think this - plus the enormity of the decision - made the ref think again and certainly a decision was made to waive the two minutes. Mauger won the rerun and our dreams were shattered. An incredible performance from PC who - for once - gated superbly on the night; and a moral victory if ever I saw one. Ullevi September 1977 was THE most dramatic night of Speedway I've ever attended; but I guess I really prefer to remember the conflicting sensations of 12 days earlier in Shepherds Bush: the sunshine; that magnificent Olympic Stadium which I adored; the crowds pouring down Wood Lane; the drama & glory of the proper World Championship system; and PC on top of the world at his brilliant best. There will never be his like again: he was and is the greatest...