This Speedway Life: Through the Mill
Part III - Gods and Idols
By David Walsh

Flat screen, flat screen on the wall
What's the greatest illusion of them all?

Might it be this postmodern track we're on?
A Euro-vision and cracked plastic groove
In which the lyre of Orpheus gets trashed
by a North European Måns duetting
with childishly guised, right-leaning cartoons - "noll poang!"
And lo, another pop idol ascends to an ephemeral stardom

Is this really now your ABBA (A-ha!), Goat, your Concretes and Cardigans?
Not to mention Thor, your Odin and the gospel of Loki
But above all, what of Ove Fundin? Soren Sjosten? Gote Nordin? etc, etc
Furthermore, Norsemen - should you ever get with the programme
From o'er the Kattegatt hark the one who would proclaim:
"Farvel - kom snart jgen!"

In a Speedway Scene, 1976, those words belonged to Ole Olsen
The former world champion: you surely remember him?
From rough Diamond,¹ to howling Wolf,² to be Bee king³
The Castrol R, the Jawas and that fizz-pop SodaStream
And don't forget 1971, '75, '78 and the BLRC

Ah yes, those revolutions a minute in '78: that BLRC
When even the supreme Ace was no match for him
Relegated to a second/third-place run-off with Stevie B
A scant and unwelcome consolation

Look it up on YouTube - your all seeing eye
And while he might be otherwise engaged now
He was there
Boy, was he there!

And he is there
Internet bound for all eternity
Wittily declaring from the heart a rarefied world:
"I was going to finish fourth or win it, ha ha ha ha ha!"

And you'd better believe it!

For every god has its/her/his day
And nor can idols win and laugh forever
Except perhaps for a once phenomenal rider
And a truly great, "Great Dane"

Your ISP, and future (good?) censors permitting!

Next: Part IV - Lament

^{1. Still beats zirconium! http://www.newcastlespeedwayhistory.co.uk/1960s%20part%20three.htm <--}

^{2. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Finn_Thomson_%26_Ole_Olsen.jpg <--}

^{3. https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/394768723563276619/ <--}

This article was first published on 4th October 2015

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