Dream Team : Chris Backhouse

Started out as a Halifax fan in my early teens and transferred alegiance to Bradford when the promotion moved. I also lived about two streets away from a certain Mr David Walsh and used to help and hinder him with cleaning his bikes when school studies permitted. These days I tend to watch more grasstrack racing, but I do watch Elite league and GP's on Sky. Don't really support anyone these days, but keep promising to take the Missus to a live match as she's never seen one!

Havelock	Walsh

Kenny Carter
Fantastic rider and was the Dukes' No 1 when I started watching regularly. Had the skill to win from the gate or from the back and never gave up. Just a shame that his story had the tragic ending rather than the glory he ultimately deserved.

Joe Screen
Mr Entertainment? Of course. If the guy could gate consistently then he'd have been world champ at least once. Fantastic skills on a bike and a very quiet and unassuming guy off it. Also a member of the Bradford Dukes team that took the first ever Elite League.

Gary Havelock
Bradford captain and number one when I started watching again. Another rider that can win from the gate or from the back, quite a rare skill these days. He's also very passionate about the sport and is one of the few modern day riders that seems hell bent on putting something back in to speedway, rather than just taking out.

Erik Gundersen
I remember seeing him ride at both the Shay and Odsal and the guy was immense on both tracks. Another rider who's career was cut short too early. I also remember how good he was when people asked him for autographs at the Shay or spoke to him. Unlike some, he always spoke to fans and signed autographs.

Mark Loram
Another Mr Entertainment! An absolutely breathtaking rider to watch and fully deserving of being world champ. Great to see him back to something like his best after the last few injury plagued seasons.

David Walsh
As stated before, my old mate! It's been interesting reading his assessment of his career because he certainly was very laid back off track, although once he got the crash helmet on it was a different matter. He was a good solid rider and I'm pleased he won a championshiop medal with the Dukes.

Leigh Adams
Leigh looks like he's possibly be going to be one of, if not the greatest rider never to win an individual world championship. Always smooth, quick and fair, he's been the Elite League Mr Consistency for so long. I'd love to see him finally string together a season of GP's where he rides as well as he does in the league.

This article was first published on 16th November 2006

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