Grachan

Maybe. I've already thought of that! Perhaps they added it later??!? Then again, maybe it's not Oxford!

I'll have to think about this one when I've got a bit more time. I know Ivan Mauger reckons that he would have won in 1976 instead of Peter Collins and Peter Collins would have won instead of him in 1977. I don't think Dave Jessup would ever have won though.

I'm referring to picture 63 here by the way. Just noticed everyone else is on about number 60 In 60, is one of the Poole riders Odd Fosengen (or something like that). All old Poole phots seem to be of Odd Fossengen (or something like that).

As if!! No, easy one for me that as I used to go to Reading every week at that time. It was a simple mathematical equation. Racer + Falling off = Tony Briggs. No sweat. Is that definitely West Ham then? I was wondering if it was Oxford as it looks like the corner of the old (but still standing) hanger style bar on the fourth bend. There used to be a wooden stand just after it too. I'm only guessing though.

53 is Tony Briggs. 55 - Steve Gresham 57 - Martin Ashby Don't know 63 either, but I love the picture. Any idea what stadium that is? They're certainly close to the riders!

40 - I've seen that one loads of times. It's Zenon Plech, with possibly John Titman behind. (as above: 24 - Hans Neilsen, Chris Morton, Jiri Stancl 30 - You've already got that one. Ha ha - revenge for number 52! Peter Collins & Doug Wyer. 35 - Sportak on the back & stars on the arms. Got to be John Davis. 38 - Looks like Briggo's crash helmet so I'll say it's him. Don't think it is though! 39 - Grasping at straws here! Is that a White City race jacket? Looks like number 6 on the back? Er..... Trevor Geer.)

Number 6 - that's definitely Carl Askew going down on the inside. I remember the moustache on the crash helmet. 7 - Kenny Carter, Mike Lee, Egon Muller 9 - Penhall, Carter 11. Bruce Penall (Cradley Heath) and George Best (Belle Vue) 14 - Barry Briggs? (He used to wear those boots anyway!) 17 - Sigalos & Morton 24 - Hans Neilsen, Chris Morton, Jiri Stancl 30 - You've already got that one. Ha ha - revenge for number 52! Peter Collins & Doug Wyer. 35 - Sportak on the back & stars on the arms. Got to be John Davis. 38 - Looks like Briggo's crash helmet so I'll say it's him. Don't think it is though! 39 - Grasping at strws here! Is that a White City race jacket? Looks like number 6 on the back? Er..... Trevor Geer.

Hmmm, not sure, but, looking at the leathers, riding style and the manner of the accident, I think number 43 shows Neil Cameron and Barry Crowson. As a rough guess I'd say it was from about 1976. As for number 42 - I seem to remember Roy Carter wearing very similar leathers to that. It looks to me like the crash he had with Bob Cooper at Rye House, also around 76. Is that better, Gem?

One of 43 is, I think, Barry Crowson and Graeme Stapleton. No 42 - the words Dave & Gooderham come to mind and won't go away. No 46 - Mike Fullerton, Les Rumsey & John Barker (I cheated on that one - it's in Mike Patrick's Superstars of Speedway) 52 - Paul Tyrer?

Sigalos-Peter Collins-Wigg-King. England v USA, 2nd Test, Swindon, 1983, 58-50. The powers of my anorak are particularly strong on this one, cos it was the first speedway video I ever owned and I watched it endlessly. It was a betamax too. Nice one Falcace! I guess Chris Morton is closer than John Davis then. Ah, Betamax videos. I had loads of them. First meeting I had was the re-run of the 1981 final off World of Sport (never, said Dickie Davis, have they had so many requests before for an event to be re-shown).

Probably right Steve. Given a choice of Davis or Morton I'd go for Morton in Red I think. Probably wrong though...

1982 final - Rider number 3, inside no 12 (??) and 13 (Penhall) is Mikael Starostin. I know this, because he's got his name on his bum. Throughout the commentry Dave Lanning keeps referring to him, saying he had to borrow a pair of boots to ride in the final. While on the subject of IDing 80s riders, can anyone identify the riders in this here photo from Motorcycle News a few years back? Not sure why, but I think it's Lance King on the inside.

Hell of a home track advantage they must have up there then!

I really hope Jason can do it. Whoever wins, though, it's an excellent climax to this years GP. Who could ask for more. It seems a long time ago now when, after the first round, everyone - myself included - assumed Tony Rickardsson was going to walk it.

I also remember Christer Sjosten died from a brain haemorrhage (not sure how to spell that so I've copied you WATigerman!!), uless that was Christer Lofqvist as I always get the two confused. The main thing I remember about Soren Sjosten was that he was incredibly small. Also, according to my old books I have lying about, he was a former wrestler. I can also tell you his full nameid Soren Willy Ernfrid Sjosten, which amuses me for some reason. Christer was the younger brother and also rode for Wembley, Exeter and Coatbridge as well as Poole. Oh, what the hell. I can give you their birthdays too! Soren - 12/12/38 and Christer - 2/9/48.

I must admit I was a bit disappointed when the team was announced. I reckoned that England were going to struggle anyway so best give the youngsters a try out. I still don't think that would have been a bad idea, but I must say a team that I thought (admittedly from someone who watches PL racing and doesn't have Sky, so doesn't get to watch much EL) looked a bit old-hat came up with an excellent result. Middlo's horses for courses theory worked well it seems. Obviously the England manager knows more about Speedway than I do. Now there's a turn-up!

Trust me, Tigerblade, you're not!

It's a bit of a coincidence, you putting that link up today. Yesterday I was having a lunchtime read of the Speedway Star and a guy I work with noticed this and commented on it. Then he said: 'I used to know a guy called Kevin Holden.' He was amazed that I'd heard of him and knew about his accident. Apparently he went to school with him. Next time I see him I'll show him the site.

That will always remind me of Reading winning the league in the early 90s. They played it as the team came round, and Cloive Fisherr (sic) decided to sing along to it. Every time I hear it, I think of Cloive going: 'Weee yarr the champyuuuns, moiy frrrraaand' over the pa.

Or the beginning of the William Tell Overture at other places. It tended to be one or the other.

Motor Biking by Chris Spedding, because I remember a tv programme featuring Michael Lee and they played it while showing him riding round the track. 'When the Red Red Robin goes bob bob bobbing along' will, naturally, remind me of the good old days at Swindon speedway and in particular (for reasons I do not know) Norman Hunter on parade. If I ever hear the hard house version of 'Eye of the Tiger' anywhere other than at Sheffield speedway it will instantly remind me of Owlerton, but I've yet to hear it anywhere else as yet!

I think Swindon were relegated twice. The first time they managed to get out of it - I'm not sure how, butit may have been because certain tracks closed and there needed to be an evening up of the leagues. The second time, I think they were relegated and replaced by Arena Essex, though the old memory is a bit fuzzy on this. The whole thing was a complete disaster though. Another thing with promotion/relegation, which I believe has been touched on before, is that you cannot have that and a points limit, otherwise you could find a situation where strong teams are relegated while their own assets are riding for other teams through no fault of their own.

I wonder if that was at the time when he and Neil Street were the only two riders using the 4 valves. They both seemed able to win at will for a while as nobody could touch them as they had so much more power than anyone. I think Crumpie was top of the averages that year, though Neil's average began to drop a bit once other riders started using them too!

I was on a 'holiday' with my family, staying at some friends of theirs in Dorchester. These are the scores from my first ever programme. I haven't checked to see if they are correct. Tuesday July 30 1974. Weymouth Wizards 41 Crewe Kings 37 Weymouth Team Manager: Trevor Young 1. Russell Foot: 1,2,0,0,3 = 6 2. Clark Facey R/R 3. Kelvin Mullarkey: 2,3,2,3,1 = 11 4. Geoff Swindells: 1,2,2,0 = 5 5. Nigel Couzens: 2,3,3,1,2 = 11 6. Brian Paddington: 0,1,1 = 2 7. Steve Lomas: 1,1,3,1 = 6 8. Mark Sawyers: DNR Crewe Team Manager: Dave Parry 1. Dave Morton: 3,0,2,2,3 = 10 2. Ian Cartwright: 0,1,2,0 = 3 3. John Jackson: 0,3,1,1 = 5 4. Cliff Anderson: 0,0,0 = 0 5. Keith White: 3,3,3,2 = 11 6. ?? Wells: 2,0,0 = 2 7. Wayne Forrest: 3,2,1 = 6 Great to see Weymouth on their way back, by the way, even if it is with the wrong nickname. I see the old track was 380 yards. The new one will only be about 250 or something according to Speedway Star, so will be quite a different Weymouth. Why are tracks nearly always so short these days?