keepturningleft

Good to see this magazine supporting speedway with some very positive comments in the current issue and featuring no less than 3 photographs in the edition previewing the New Zealand GP 3 or 4 weeks back.

Just been watching the round up of all the local weekend football matches on Yorkshire TV and was surprised to see hundreds of empty seats and yawning gaps on the terraces in all stadia across most of the leagues. What is the state of football attendances?

A while ago, a westminster politician declared that internet forum sites were the meeting place for all the whingers of the world. How true that often appears to be. I am sure an exit poll conducted last night would have concluded from the overwhelming majority of the 30 odd thousand fans that a thoroughly marvellous time had been had by all. Yet, an infinitesimal minority will infest this site on their mission to recruit new members into their 'World of Complete Misery' club. What the hell is there not to like about Cardiff? It's a spectacle to match almost any sporting event in this country which is remarkable for a sport which otherwise suffers from such a low profile. If you don't like Cardiff - don't go to it, or watch it on tv - and stop boring the rest of us us to death with negative and unhelpful balderdash.

Thanks for that...

Have purchased the excellent 'Golden Age Of Speedway", recently I would naturally be interested in buying Philip Dalling's new book, 'The Classic Era', but I am perplexed as to what the difference is between the two books as they both appear to cover the same era. Can anyone tell me why I should buy the new book?

I've just been listening to the commentary track on an old episode of the 60's show The Avengers. The writer Brian Clemens admits to having been a speedway fan and possibly naming a character, Piggy Warren, in the episode The Town Of No Return, on a speedway rider. The Warren could be Graham but has there ever been a Piggy?

Hi I have sent you a reply with my Mobile No, but is it there? When I checked the message, the line with the Mobile No. didn't seem to be there.

I presume blatant advertising is not allowed on this forum, so I could do with some advice on how to relieve myself of a quite substantial video archive of speedway from times gone by. I have problems with my ebay account and have now completely given up with it having taken the decision that having a life is more important than spending most of it solving computer problems. I have tried to sell this collection locally but with no success. I am not after profit, just a token payment is all I would expect. Would I be allowed to list the items here?

Near the start of the DVD, there is mention of the fact that no footage exists from the 1970 World Final. If you check out the Ivan Mauger documentary 'Circuits Of Gold", there, apparently, is film from the final.

There appears to be a Youtube jinx on me. Repeated attempts to register, and then upload the the Briggo mpeg have all ended in failure. I don't know what the situation is regarding giving out email addresses or phone No.s is on the forum, but IanMartin, I would be quite happy to email an mp3 of the recording to an email address or post a cd.

Give me a couple of days to sort it out

In his new book ‘Wembley and Beyond’, Briggo, recalls his appearance on Desert Island Discs. Barry correctly remembered choosing a song by Ella Fitzgerald, but not one by Elvis. Well, if Briggo is reading this, I can inform him that his exact choice of discs on the programme was as follows. Ravel’s Bolero And I Love Him(Her) Esther Philips You ‘Oughta Be In Pictures Ray Conniff & Billy Butterfield Manhattan Ella Fitzgerald In The Mood Glenn Miller Strangers In The Night Frank Sinatra Laura’s Theme Dr Zhivago Now Is The Hour ??? Islanders How do I know all this? Well, as a young speedway mad lad in 1967, I recorded the show onto our ‘state of the art’ Philips tape recorder with a microphone placed in front of our wireless. The recording has survived over the years as I have repeatedly transferred it onto whatever the latest new recording gizmo was at the time. If there is any interest, I could upload the recording onto YouTube, if my no longer young lad brain can work out how to do it.

I am puzzled by Jason Crumps' affable and positive attitude towards Ole Olsen. As Jason himself informed us last night, he is a racer not a rider, so why would he want to heap praise on the man who produces tracks that makes it impossible for him to do his job properly?

Many riders from the past have said in interviews in magazines such as Backtrack, that they wished the GP system had been around in their day. The GP system is popular with riders and it's here to stay. The whole thing just needs an overhaul.

A packed out stadium. A great atmosphere. It looks impressive for any casual or new viewer dropping in. At Peterborough this Monday, there will be more people in the pits than the stands, and there will be no atmosphere whatsoever. That doesn't look good on television, even if the racing is good. Why do the miseries on this forum who complain about the GP's still keep watching them? And we all know that the people who say they won't watch another GP actually, secretly, will.

I can't think of anything worse than reading Backtrack, or any other mag, from a computer screen! I do fear however in common with other comments, that Backtrack may be close to having 'run it's course', with just about all the main players from the 70's and 80's having now been interviewed. Personally I would like to see lengthier coverage of the defunct track feature and expanded articles on individual meetings such as the world finals of the period.

Think it was Reg Fearman, who many years ago, was furious that two riders were fighting in the pits, and promptly ordered them to go out and fight in front of the main grandstand!

Superb full page(!) preview in Total TV Guide magazine as well as a second smaller preview on the day itself. Very positive advert for the sport. Well done that magazine!

Puzzled at the restraint riders appear to show regarding any criticism of the track on TV. At the end, Crump appeared to be diplomatic when you had the feeling that what he really wanted to say was 'the track is a pile of ****! Are the riders ordered to tow some kind of party line?

How about a feature on the celebrity connections with speedway in the 70's, as touched on with the interview with Stewpot in the recent edition.

'Rock n Roll' playing after every race, I can only assume the Poles have never heard of Gary Glitter

Ove Fundin used to say that the louder he was booed, the faster he would go!

There is only one Brit in Saturday's Motogp. The Brits just don't do winning at top level sport, including speedway!

Love the new format - hope you pick up many new readers. Just one thing...what am I to do with my spare VSM binder??