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Oxford V Scunthorpe (NL) 5 May 1977 (Match abandoned) 1: Whiting 2: White (fell) 3: Sheldrick 4: Sizmore 5: Whiting 6: Watkin 7: Sizmore Oxford V Mildenhall (KO Cup) 10 August 1978 1. Hack (FX), Bates (FX) 2. Moore (ret) 3. Askew 4. Spink 5. Bates 6. Knight 7. Henry 8. Spink 9: Lamb 10: Bales 11: Henry (who was R/R in this race) 12. Bales 13. Spink (who was R/R in this race) Oxford V Nottingham (CH) 5 April 1979 1: Featherby 2: McNeil 3: Hughes 4: Meredith 5: Featherby (Exc) 6. Share 7. McDonald (Exc) 8. Barker 9. Perks (ret) 10. Hughes 11. Rumsey (ret), Featherby (ret) 12. McDonald 13. McNeil (reserve for Hughes) Oxford V Berwick (KO CUP) 5 July 1979 1:McDermott (fell) 2: Wright 3: Askew 4. Close 5: Askew 6. Hack (fell) 7. Barker (FX) 8. Hack 9: Wright 10: Hack 11: Handley 12: Close 13: Askew (R/R for Lamb) Oxford V Workington (NL) 23 August 1979 1: Havelock 2: Barker (fell) 3: Emerson (ret - took no further part in meeting) 4. Blaynee 5. Askew 6: Collins 7: Emerson (non-starter) 8. Blaynee 9: Collins 10: Margarsson 11. Haley 12: Blaynee (replaced Hindle), Hindle (tapes) 13. Margarsson Oxford V Berwick (NL) 23 August 1979 1: Wright 2: Grant (fell - took no further part in meeting) 3: Fullerton 4: Kynman (res for Grant) 5: Wright (FX) 6: Handley 7: Close 8: Chapman 9: Askew (FX) 10: Fullerton 11: Jones, Chapman (MX - replaced by Barker won who race) 12: Fullerton 13: Jones Oxford V Milton Keynes V Rye House (3TT) 18 October 1979 1: Hubbard 2: Tarrant 3: Holloway (fell) 4: Askew 5: McNeil 6: Humphreys 7: Mullarkey (fell), Tarrant (MX - replaced by Kent) 8: McNeil 9: Handley 10: Pullen 11: Passey (res for Humphreys) 12: McNeil 13: Kent (res for Tarrant) 14: Pullen 15: McNeil 16: Fiala (Exc) 17: Kent (res for Tarrant) 18: MacLean

The results of the 1962 and 1963 British Championships are officially recognised. They didn't use to be, but after a campaign they were added around 10 years ago, with Peter Craven the winner of both. Both took place over three "semi-finals" - a mini GP series if you like. All the best Rob

Steve, leave these with me. Sorry for not getting back to these previously. All the best Rob

Parsloes is the last person I'd expect to be ageist, given his close links with perhaps the most entertaining rider to ever grace the third tier, Buzz Burrows. Buzz was great value, but was very old for a third tier rider. It makes his take on Hancock in the GPs all the more perplexing. If Greg is good enough, then he's young enough. All the best Rob

Why? Long live King Hancock All the best Rob

Stop it Post-war, there were a lot of older riders about. For starters, I believe Vic Duggan made his World Final debut (indeed only appearance) in 1950 at the age of 39. Anyone older than him? All the best Rob

The Loaders Annuals are perhaps the best yearbook ever published. It seems strange that the 1993 Annual would not brought over to Europe; it must have destroyed sales. Would love to get hold of a copy. All the best Rob

Sorry, yes it was a smashed pelvis rather than thigh. My point was that it was a remarkable comeback to recover from that and climb back to World No. 8. I'm certain Todd Wiltshire would have been a World Champion but for his accident. All the best Rob

Although I never saw him ride, older Oxford fans have told me plenty of times just how good Arne Pander was. But for that fractured skull in 1960, who knows what he could have achieved. Speedway is a sport with plenty of "what if's". There are so many hard luck stories of might-be world champions. A classic one of recent times is Todd Wiltshire, who was nailed on to become a World Champion but for a smashed thigh. Even then he came back after a 5-year absense and rose back to World No. 8. Anyway, back to the subject of the thread, and some lower league rivalries that sometimes boiled over: 1. Jason Bunyan and Justin Elkins 2. Chris Mills and Tony Dart All the best Rob

Sidney, but doesn't that show the strength of character of Nielsen, that he did dare to cross Olsen, and became a World Champion despite Ole Olsen. All the best Rob

When a Swindon fan calls an Oxford rider bloody awesome, he must be. All the best Rob

We looked at this a while ago. After some investigation, it turned out that two tape touching exclusions hadn't been counted in Mauger's 1969 figures. The best top flight league averages were: 1. Nielsen 11.83 (1986) 2. Nielsen 11.73 (1987) 3. Fundin 11.60 (1958) 4. Michanek 11.55 (1973) 5. Duggan 11.54 (1947) 6. Mauger 11.53 (1969) All the best Rob

It swapped after Hans won his first individual title in 1986. Erik had the psychological advantage until then, but then Hans won three of the last four titles before Erik's injury. The only time Erik got the better of Hans once Hans was World Champion was the 1988 World Final - otherwise it was all Hans from 1986 onwards. But for Olsen's interference in helping out Erik despite being the Danish team manager (conflict of interests, or what?), I think Hans would have won his first World title sooner (especially if you consider the "team orders" Olsen gave to Knudsen in 1985 to wipe Nielsen out ). Olsen wanted to stop Nielsen, because he knew he could beat his record, which of course he did. Nielsen dominated in a way that Olsen never did. All the best Rob

I can't quite see that - how can Nielsen with 22 FIM World Championship Gold Medals not be a legend? And before you say the majority of those were with Denmark, remember Nielsen often led the way in those Danish victories, starting with the 1978 WTC. In 1978, Olsen was at the top of his game, but guess who out-scored him in the 1978 WTC Final? An 18-year-old Hans Nielsen. Olsen was never the best rider of his generation (that honour went to Ivan Mauger), while Nielsen was the best of his. Gundersen matched Nielsen on the World stage, but it was Nielsen who dominated complete seasons in the way Mauger had, topping the BL averages for seasons on end. Olsen always seemed concerned that Nielsen may surpass his own achievements and indeed that is what happened. In fact, Gundersen surpassed Olsen as well in my book. I would rate the Danes: 1. Nielsen 2. Gundersen 3. Olsen 4. J.Pedersen 5. N.Pedersen. All the best Rob

Nielsen was named at reserve for the opening test, but never rode. The second test was at Oxford, with Nielsen again at reserve. The Danes already had fellow reserve Jens Rasmussen in the race, then one of the Danes went through the tapes. So the option was: Nielsen comes out or only one Dane in the race. Nielsen said he would only come out if Olsen directly asked him to, but Olsen refused. In the end, it was the Oxford management who persuaded Hans to take his place in the race. He was caught cold, and trailed behind the England pair. Rasmussen then went through the tapes (probably intended - Jens was a good friend of Hans) prompted a second race for Nielsen, and he won that one. That's how I remember it anyway, have to dig out the programme to confirm events. Oh, and Nielsen had red socks, while Olsen was wearing stockings and suspenders All the best Rob

Carter versus everyone expect Neil Evitts, the Moran brothers, Simon Wigg and Erik Gundersen. All the best Rob

I think it was much more Nielsen v Olsen than Nielsen v Gundersen in terms of any anomosity. Nielsen and Gundersen had a tremendous amount of mutual respect. I saw them riding against each other time and time again when Oxford and Cradley clashed, and not once can I remember the two having an on-track incident. Nielsen & Knudsen came together all the time (it eventually overspilled into the 1985 and 1986 World Finals), but never Nielsen & Gundersen. Hans was still a great speedway rider after Erik's injury, but not quite as good. He would no longer take as many risks. Hans became something of a gater at British League level, something he certainly hadn't been before. All the best Rob

Hi Grachan, Yes, two clashes between Dugard and Karger: 1. August 1988 - during the night of the riot/brawl/handbags. Dugard excluded, rode through the tapes. 2. March 1989 - an Easter Monday Gold Cup daytime meeting. Karger excluded, Dugard punched him. All the best Rob

Found it now: there was a punch-up between Dugard and Karger in the Gold Cup daytime meeting at Oxford on Easter Monday 1989. Karger excluded in this case for KOing Dugard. An incensed Dugard then threw a punch at Karger and was fined £50 by referee Barry Richardson. All the best Rob

No he didn't show in the nominated, by which time the meeting was already lost by Oxford. I think there was a Dugard / Karger fight in 1989 (i.e. the following year), trying to find the detials for this. All the best Rob

Dekker, I think that it was all on the same night - John Whitaker was the ref of this meeting. Hans Nielsen also blow up two engines and scored just six points (two wins and two engine failures). All the best Rob

I miss nights like that. I've got the DVD. It sounds like there were about 5000 in the stadium (instead of the 200-300 who were there). Every time Buzz comes out for his latter riders, you can hear all the abuse coming from the terraces. All the best Rob

Kojak was a star. He used to get the Swindon fans going a treat. Pretty sure Dugard and Karger also clashed on that night - they normally did at some point of the evening. EDIT: Here we go: found the report from the Oxford Mail - Dugard and Karger clashed in Heat 13. Dugard excluded, rode through the tapes in disgust. You're right about the incidents in Heat 7 (Wigg/Goodwin) and Heat 14 (Chessell/De'ath). All the best Rob

Was that the night that Dugard and Karger had one of their semi-regular on-track scuffles, and then there was a huge barney at the pit gate when Oxford refused S***don a victory parade? Made the front page of the local paper. All the best Rob

Dekker, problem is these days, we know you're on a constant wind-up. Once went to a Reading v Swindon match expecting a good atmosphere - it was like a library. All the best Rob