ianmartin

Sorry - I don't see myself as a Dinosaur. If the 'one off' World Final applied today - I would bet that there would be MORE people there than at the British 'Grand' Prix. I remember the days of Mauger, Briggs, Moore and yes even Olsen (a FAR superior Rider than he is a Track Curator) - TRUE World Champions. They had raced all the Qualifying Rounds against great, good, mediocre and some bad Riders to win it. They had EARNED the right to be called World Champion. Much easier if you race the same 16 people, with a couple of Wild Cards thrown in. You know who is going to ride where on the Track, you don't come up against the odd novice who might knock you off (accidentally) and cost you your place in the next Round. You can pretty well predict what all of your fifteen other oponents are going to do. YES - ALL IN ALL - GIVE ME THE OLD DAYS - TO HELL WITH IT - I AM A DINOSAUR AND PROUD TO BE SO!! I am reminded of a Quote at this point: "THE PAST IS ANOTHER COUNTRY - THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THERE." Thank heavens they did - they gave us SPEEDWAY - not the farce it is turning in to today.

WHAT A B****Y JOKE !! HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GRAND PRIX SYSTEM GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO RUIN SPEEDWAY. THE RACE DIRECTOR IS A DISGRACE. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN. GRAND PRIX/RACE DIRECTOR - FOR GOD'S SAKE GO, GO NOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!! My Sport is being brought into disrepute by people who either don't know what they are doing OR are criminally negligent. I have watched or, as tonight, tried to watch most of the Grand Prix. They are not, never will be a World Championship - how can they be? Sixteen Riders selected before the Season actually starts - so only one of those sixteen can win it. The one off World Championship - now there was an OCCASION. What's more ANY Speedway Rider could win it from the GREATEST to the LEAST. Jack Young won it as a SECOND DIVISION Rider. World Cup - JOKER - need I say more. SPEEDWAY R.I.P.

Perhaps there could be a piece on the CHARACTERS/HARD MEN of Speedway. Jack Millen, Tony Childs, Frank Auffret - there must have been loads over the years.

I would like to see something about Christer Lofquist - I thought he was great. Bernie Aldridge.

Hi Rod Thank you very much for your kind reply. Please keep doing your pieces for Backtrack - I enjoy reading them very much. I do wish we could go back to the old days - upright two valves etc. Speedway was better then. There were accidents in those days but not as many as now. Tracks haven't changed that much from 1928 BUT the bikes are so much faster. Your articles bring back many memories. THANK YOU.

What about Jim Wells, John Knock, Brian Whaley, Robin Adlington, The Bass Brothers, Joe Hughes, Tim and Tony Swales, The Templeton Brothers, The Beatons and Alan Mackie. Just a few more names to jog a few memories.

So did I - didn't know that he almost signed for Sunderland in our disasterous final Season. Perhaps if he had - it MAY not have been our final Season. DAMN !!

A nice idea this. I think we should remember all Riders who have passed away in the service of the Sport we love. I can only re-iterate - thanks for the Memories.

How about Tony Childs, Taffy Owen, John Goodall, Graeme Smith and Robin Adlington Just a few to be going on with.

What a load of utter B******S !! OR - do I miss the point??

I thought that things were not supposed to get personal on this Site. You can't get much more personal than this. This is usually a friendly Forum - I may not bother to come on it again if personal attacks go on like this. It's not good enough. VERY HURTFUL POST SUBEDEI !!

Jack Millen Frank Auffret Graeme Smith Robbie Blackadder Maury Robinson Tony Childs Geoff Maloney Arthur Browning George Major Alan Knapkin Carl Glover Doug Wyer Reg Wilson Jim Wells Lou Sansom Taffy Owen Mal McKay All of these Riders were British League Division 2 Riders for most of the early 1970's It would be great to see the Division 2 lads featured regularly in the Magazine with those from Division 1. Perhaps a Club a Month could be featured with details of what went on there in the 1970's, 80's etc. (Both Division 1 and 2). There REALLY was some great racing in those 'good old days' in Division 2. Just a few ideas - hope this is OK. Latest BackTrack - BRILLIANT as usual. Thank you.

Received mine today - EXCELLENT as usual. BONUS for me - big article about my favourite Team SUNDERLAND (Defunct Tracks)

I believe that the Speedway Museum should be really grateful to Pete Sampson for the donation of the land. Had we had to pay for it - there would definately be no Museum - land prices being what they are today. I would be obliged if you could advise whether or not the short fall has to be repaid to the Wild Life Park - or - is this extra £50,000 a philanthropic gift from Peter or some other source. As we have no income other than donations - how can the Museum repay this if it is a loan. My reason for asking is, that whilst accepting that the Museum is physically part of the Wild Life Park - surely - the Museum must be, in a business sense, independant of the Wild Life Park. Do the Directors of the Museum have total freedom to do (within reason) whatever they wish with it - OR - do they have to seek permission from the Wild Life Park for any actions they wish to take. In closing, may I ask if the Memorial Garden is still part of the Museum, this is important to me personally. I am hoping to visit the Museum this year.

Unfortunately the wall with "Speedway 3/6d" "Entrance Fee" (this was for the 1964 'Saints' Team) has been knocked down some time ago - it would have been a great reminder.

Thank you very much indeed - I'll see what I can do.

I do hope that something can be put in the Museum regarding Sunderland. We did not have a very long (sadly) or a very glorious history however we WERE/ARE part of the world of Speedway. We did donate quite a large sum to the Museum and as such we would appreciate a mention somewhere, if only to show that we existed. We were promised when we raised the money that EVERY track PAST or PRESENT would be represented at the Museum. A number of people 'cut their Speedway teeth' at Sunderland as supporters. It would be nice if, when anyone from 'up here' comes to the Museum, (as I intend to) there was a racejacket or something so we can say - "that was our Track". Living in hope that Speedway may be revived in Sunderland at some time in the future. Thank you Norbold

I find that most acceptable. Thank you for listening and please thank your committee for this compromise. The rider is still Peter Craven and THAT is what is important to myself and others. I hope the Museum goes from strength to strength. Once again - many thanks, Ian PS. Sunderland?????

Ashington Arrows Workington Comets Berwick Bandits

Thank you very much for your kind attention - I do appreciate the fact that you will let my views be known on the LOGO subject, and if you could let me know about Sunderland that would be great. Many thanks Ian

This is a BRITISH Speedway Museum - I am aware that other countries will be part of it - and - as I say Peter Craven is the ESSENCE of that. Other countries Scotland/Australia will have their Museums and MAY call them after the rider who epitomises THEIR country - Sweden - O. Fundin. I propose to end this now. I would be extremely happy to have kept the Peter Craven emblem. I bow to the committee and accept their actions - however - I have not changed my views and IF there was any vote - mine would be Peter Craven as would a lot of others. Thank you for at least taking the time to answer some of my concerns. Has anybody other than the committee been consulted about the LOGO. Is there ANYTHING in the Museum regarding Sunderland Speedway?

AGAIN - who elected the Committee please - surely the contributers have a right to know that.....

No I did not - however I was very happy with the LOGO of Peter Craven. Do I now have to replace my Polo/Sweat Shirts as they bear the incorrect LOGO. Regarding "most of these people" - where were they when the Barclays were going from place to place, Track to Track to raise funds. I would also like to know why the Barclays are conspicuous by their absence on the list of Trustees. I would have thought that those who had done the most work would at least have an input. George as you say in an earlier Post may not have known a lot about Museum presentation but I do not doubt that the Museum would NOT have been built at all without George and Linda. As I said in an earlier Post - Peter Craven is the essence of British Speedway and as another Poster has stated "it should be an HONOUR for the Museum to have Peter Craven as the LOGO" How about answering my other points???

Vee haf ways of making you spell mein freund...........................

I am horrified - as a Speedway Supporter of over 40 years I fail to understand the reasoning behind the decision to change the LOGO. Peter Craven epitomises all that is good about British Speedway. The Team I supported was Sunderland Saints/ Stars/Gladiators. We ran one of our Reunions to help towards funding for the Museum - apparently our Track (which has not run since 1974) raised as much if not more than some current Tracks which are running at present. Do we not have any say in this. We provided what we did so that a lasting Tribute to all who have ridden a Speedway bike would be brought into being. The people who were most responsible for this - George and Linda - selected the LOGO that they thought most appropriate - so do I. Why are these new people coming in and changing everything already. Without George and Linda there would be NO Speedway Museum for you to mess about with. To close - we were told that there would be 'something' at the Museum for every Club that had ever existed - what is there to mark the existance of Sunderland?