Grachan

You mean this one?

Ken McKinley must have been pretty old when he retired. He was just some old bloke in a bobble hat to me when I started going in the seventies.

The only Arkells Trophy I've got is a second half at Reading on 1st August. That was won by John Davis with Dave Jessup 2nd, Bob Humphreys 3rd & Bolek Proch 4th (Swindon riders did well then!). I don't actually have one at Swindon. Maybe it was also a second half and I didn't see it?

Heat 6 of the 1983 Intercontinental Final was an excellent race between Dennis Sigalos and Ole Olsen. (I'm not so sure that Falcace will enjoy it though!)

It was certainly strange watching Martin Ashby riding as a reserve for Reading a few seasons later. Actually, it was a pretty bad year for injuries, with Bobby McNeil injuring his coccyx just as he looked set to become a good heat leader. He, too, was never the same rider again. Swindon won the league in 57 & 67. I was convinced they'd win it in 77 too. Fat chance! My averages, including the Ipswich match, are: Martin Ashby - 9.72 Bob Kilby - 8.74 Jan Andersson - 7.61 Bobby McNeil - 6.61 Geoff Bouchard - 5.52 Soren Karlsson - 5.44 David Ashby - 4.76 Kevin Pope - 3.00 So the BSPA got most of them wrong, but full marks to them for trying.

Thanks all. Maybe the original date was rained off, which is how I missed it! Looks like I was pretty close though. One more question, then that's it I swear!! Any bonus points from the Ipswich meeting?

Thanks again Peter. Ipswich 47 Swindon 31 - Thursday October 6 1977. Anyone got the scorers?

Ah, there you are. Thanks for that Peter. I don't suppose you know the scores from the Ipswich match by any chance and when the match was ridden? I can complete my averages then! Ok, league and cup averages (but no Ipswich match): M. Ashby - 9.72 (mmmm, wonder if he missed the Ippo meeting!!) Kilby - 8.69 Andersson - 7.67 McNeil - 6.74 Karlsson - 5.51 Bouchard - 5.63 Ashby - 4.85

Thanks for that Peter. I don't suppose you know the scores from the Ipswich match by any chance and when the match was ridden? I can complete my averages then! That's funny! I'm sure Peter was here just now!

My mum moved house recently and, while clearing out the loft, I came across some things I thought had disappeared off the face of the Earth years ago. One was a ring file which I had made into a scrapbook of Speedway cuttings in the mid-seventies. The other thing I found was an exercise book, in which I had kept a record of the whole of Swindon's 1977 season - including my own little match write-ups and average calculations. Finding this was a triumphant moment! (I guess you had to be there). May be a bit of a long shot, but I was wondering if anyone could answer the following. 1) Averages: Does anyone know the actual averages for Swindon in 1977? It would be interesting to see how close I was at the end of the year. For the record I made them, first in GOBL only and then from just 2 KO Cup matches: Martin Ashby - 9.80 (10.30) Bob Kilby - 8.63 (9.33) Jan Andersson - 7.84 (8.00) Bobby McNeil - 6.64 (9.20) Soren Karlsson - 5.78 (6.00) Geoff Bouchard - 5.71 (6.09) David Ashby - 5.10 (4.29) Kevin Pope - 4.00 Kevin Young - 3.04 Richard Evans - 3.00 Malcolm Holloway - 1.11 Guests - 6.92 2) I have no record of Swindon riding at Ipswich that year. Does anyone know if the match was held and what the score was? 3) On Thursday September 15, Martin Ashby and Phil Crump were both injured in a crash in the British Pairs Championship Semi Final. I'm guessing this was at Sheffield, but can anyone confirm this? Oh to be 15 again!

Buddy Robinson and Leif Wahlman.

It wasn't intended to be. I genuinely remember it.

I remember Ivan Mauger saying the if Leif Wahlman didn't calm down he would end up getting killed. This was about a week before the accident.

Once upon a time - ie 1973 - it was possible to fill out Wembley Stadium with a match between England and Sweden. That wouldn't happen these days - and not only because Wembley Stadium isn't there any more! Actually, I think this might be the first ever speedway match I saw. When I first went in 1974 I had no idea what Speedway was, but once it started I realised I'd seen it before on the TV. I'm almost certain this was the match.

Wasn't former World Finalist Jerzy Treszkowski officially Swedish though? He had Swedish citizenship i believe. Rode for the same team as Jan Andersson and was recommended by him....cheers Jan!! Would that have been after he'd signed for Reading? Talking of those Racers, Bolek Proch joined them late in the season after the first Pole they signed (Eugene Blaszak) was sent back to Poland after being caught shoplifting. They did pretty well out of it I recall, with Proch being a much better rider.

Wasn't former World Finalist Jerzy Treszkowski officially Swedish though?

Bobby McNeil wasn't bad at all, though for most of his first season in the top flight he didn't look much and averaged around 4 a match. However, in the last match of the 1975/6(?) season at Swindon he then scored a surprising 14 points (I even remember it being against Hull!), and the following year averaged around 7.5. Maybe he never quite reached the heights expected of him, but certainly not a failure.

Was it John Chaplin who said in last weeks S. Star that they should have both been excluded for on-track fighting. I wonder if there has ever been an incident where 2 riders have been excluded, or even if it's allowed within the rules.

Was it Jack Young with 12 points in the 'Biggs' final? I think it was 1951.

Or Rudy Mutts and Mike Faria, who didn't arrive at all!

"HE HAD NOOOOOOOOO CHANCE!"

I was doing what Speedway promoters should do to prevent rain-offs. I was covering my tracks.

I preferred Marmalade myself.

Maybe you're right.

Apparently this forum member prefers staples.