Grachan

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.

I was going to bring a load of paper clips for you all the play with. They're so good, you can get loads of paper and fix them all together just by placing one in the top corner of the ream. One member of the forum wouldn't let me do it, though, and threw them all away.

I went to Eastville a few times, including the opening meeting when there were traffic hold ups on the motorway because people were stopping their cars to watch. My mum was an old Bulldogs fan in the 1940s at the old Knowle circuit. The track at Eastville was terrible. They actually raced on the same track as the greyhounds and a few riders pulled out half way through the meeting. One rider who always went well there, though, was Bernie Leigh who was a bit of a grass tracker.

This is one of the races I've recorded by the way.

What about Per's last bend pass of Jimmy Nilsen in 1990. A classic Jonsson swoop, and you knew from that moment he was going to win it. Maybe not classic races for quality, but in terms of significance/memorability: Peter Collins hits a wet patch on the outside in 1975 after the fans had watered the track. Not sure the exact year, but Hans Nielsen gates on Erik Gundersen, decides to take him out wide. Gundersen hangs on to take the lead and Kelly Moran cuts under Nielsen into second place.

Damn the quote button! Damn it to hell!

Some idiots think that Les was beaten by his borther Peter in the 1982 Finals. Morons!! We, of course, know better than that!

Why thank you kind sir.