Dave Green turns his attention to the Motocrossers doing well for Workington, the pointlesness
of recording race times and issues an apology to the BSPA.
Bob Cole visited this Slovenian circuit earlier this season. We've added his pictures to the ones that
Charles McKay submitted a year or so ago.
They Weren't Vikings!
Roger Stevens is on a crusade to correct a commonly repeated mistake about the West Ham trip to Holland that ended in tragedy.
Apparently the same mistake was made in the recent article on Peter Bradshaw. We've corrected the
piece and are happy to print Roger's comments here:
Once again the two matches in Holland on those fateful days have been listed incorrectly! I was there for both these meetings and no matter
how I try I cannot get the team names changed. Long long ago one high profile reporter called the team the "Dutch Vikings" this was totally
wrong but it has stuck. The teams involved were West Ham (Obviously) and Denmark....yes both teams used Dutch riders. I tried to get
this changed again this year when "Classic Speedway" listed the same thing but they decided that even though I was correct it
could hardly be called a Danish national team. Not the point of course, it was called Denmark and should remain so, why is it so hard
to get History changed? I did offer to "Classic Speedway" that if indeed they want to keep calling the teams by names that suit the team
maybe we should start changing some British team names to say for example...Poole v Guest Riders!!!! "
Guy Keeley has started a blog to record his experiences watching speedway in New York. You can check out his 'Speedway Exile' blog
here.
Jan Hunter is looking for info on former rider Alec Hunter for a family history project - Can You Help?
Barry Dalton is still trying to complete his Peterborough programme collection - Can You Help?
"An EXCELLENT Article, which
sadly reflects the way Speedway is going. From reading Philip's words it seems the Speedway fan's (the life blood of the Sport) enjoyment
is slowly being eroaded away. The SMELL is part & parcel of the Sport, the oppotunity to see the riders working on their machines,
getting focused mentally or just chatting or signing autographs for the fans, all this as helped SPEEDWAY, become a family sport.
Is it now going the way of other Motorcycle Sports such as the Motor GP, WSB'S, when a rider just becomes a figure in his racesuit and helmet,
to be looked at and have no contact with his Ardent Fans? The only thing that never changes, England still can't produce a WORLD CHAMPION."
"The old Belle Vue was magical, the track was fast
and wide with so many different racing lines. I dont think I ever saw a bad meeting there in 25 years. Mauger, Olsen, Michanek, Briggs, Penhall
, Gundersen, Nielsen, Ermolenko, Morans, Carter, Lee and not forgetting Peter Collins and Mort - I've seen them all and many other greats of
speedway ride this amazing track. Speedway is just not the same anymore in Manchester. I will never forget you Hyde Road, it was a great
pleasure while it lasted. RIP."
"Despite losing Peter Bradshaw, by the
end of the season he still had the fourth-highest average points per match for the Hammers, making him our top `second string` and like most
Aussies, he like the wide open large Custom House Track, once he had got used to its size. Martyn Piddock also had a reasonable average, and
the `What If` kicks in, what if they had not gone on the fatal trip to Holland to improve their speedway experience, two possible World
Champions in the making? "
"Sverre Harrfeldt was a rider who was always
looking to win but there was never anyone who questioned his tactics. A while back Ove Fundin mentioned him in his news message on his
website so I emailed Ove and asked what had become of Sverre. Somewhat surprisingly I received a reply straight away telling me that
Sverre had coped well after his horrific injuries making a successful business life and, apart from some residual difficulty, was really quite
well. This was really good news as Sverre seems to have dropped below the radar. It also says a lot for the much critizied Ove in that he
took the trouble to reply, he hardly needs to cuury favour now! Sverre was a great rider if something of a quiet man personally. It is
good to know that his injuries did not prevent him from having a good life after speedway. It is always good to remember Custom House and
the wonderful track and real speedway atmosphere in the days gone by. I first went with my Dad in the fifties but remember more the
later years with Sverre, Ken Mckinley, Olley Nygren, Norman Hunter etc and always Anita Harris in her white boots on the centre green,
I think she was an old friend of Dave Lanning and turned up on a number of occasions. Saw her in in a play recently, the way she looks
now makes me feel twenty years younger! Does anyone else remember Dave Lanning at Custom House?"
Mark Dell was intrigued by a reference to this short-lived venue and
decided to research its history. Here's what he found out about the one-time home of the
Fife Lions.
Ashley has been following the Mildenhall Fen Tigers for the last couple of seasons. Here's a selection
of some Tigers favourites from that period.
Pamela Board's mention of Sverre Harrfeldt (last week's feedback) prompted Robert J. Rogers to dig into
his memorabilia collection once again. Here are some pictures of 'eart-throb. Click on the picture to see
it a larger size.
"Philip, coming from the same
generation as yourself, I must say as a first time visitor to Cardiff myself I enjoyed the whole atmosphere both inside and outside the
Stadium. I could have done without my two small plastic bottles of orange juice being barred by a zealous Security Guard. Perhaps
it was my Australian Hat - maybe he thought I was an Aussie Terrorist. I thought a lot of the races WERE processional, but, I also
thought that Jason Crump was magnificent. I was disappointed by the attitude of Emil Sayfutdinov, he obviously doesn't like losing.
I am a BIG critic of the whole Grand? Prix System - too many chosen Riders for my liking. I honestly prefer the old one off World
Final because anyone from Jason Crump down to any National League Rider could win it by QUALIFYING through all the various rounds.
Some of the rounds used to be like World Finals themselves. If Jack Young was riding today he would not get a chance of winning the
World Championship as a Premier (old Second Division) Rider and yet he won the old style World Championship as just that - a
SECOND Division Rider.
I WILL be returning to Cardiff next year, mainly because of the atmosphere and the friendliness of all
the Supporters, Stadium Staff - even the Security Guard was polite and most of all the local people who really were GREAT.
The Speedway - well - it was OK to watch but I have seen better Meetings in League Matches and Individual Meetings.
The Track - held up well - seemed smooth all night thankfully. I am not a big fan of man made Tracks. My lasting memory is of a
Polish gentleman standing on the Bridge in Cardiff having his photograph taken. One false move or slip and he was in the river.
All in all a great all round experience - and - I will do it again God willing. "
"Whilst it is a few years since I rode
on the speedway, I read your article with great interest as I grew up knowing Reg Luckhurst, Martin Piddock, and Malcom Simmons very well
all of which raced against me on the grass track during the 1960's, Bjorn Knuttson was also a very competitive racer in his time,
exciting times were had on two wheels with very fond memories of some smashing guys who either raced or supported various speedway
venues around the country, some I am pleased to call my friends."
These Norwegian track pictures come from Pavel Vana and are of the Elgane circuit.
Thanks to Pavel's status as referee we can see the view from the officials box and take a peek into the
jury room.
Sunderland fan Bob Ferry is looking for a Berwick programme from October 1973. The meeting featured
an Andy Meldrum Select v Jack Millen Select - Can You Help?
David Rogers wonders if the 1971 World Final was filmed - Can You Help?
Tracey Marston would like to know more about her grandfather Paddy Mills - Can You Help?
Gordon Ferris is looking for a programme from the 2009 Ice Final at Assen - Can You Help?
Our article last week on Peter Bradshaw prompted Robert J. Rogers to send on a scan of a memorial
card he received from Peter's wife as a thank you for cards received.
"Excellent and balanced article,
which is sometimes had to achieve at this level of debate. The Grand Prix, for one weekend at least, gives speedway the sort of
profile it once enjoyed but has long lost. There have always been the people who, for whatever reason, attend just a few big meetings a year.
However, the above comment really sums up where speedway is in the noughties. The Grand Prix, for some, _is_ speedway now - it's an
event to rank alongside a lot of other top draw sporting events. Has the rest (the domestic UK scene) moved on in years
(you decide what 'x' is)? The gulf just gets wider. Oh, and by the way, if I read the phrase (a favourite amongst die-hard shale fans)
"the powers that be" one more time, I'll scream!"
"The article by Philip Dalling
sums up a GP night exactly. However I cannot accept that a GP at Cardiff will ever take the place of a World Final at the Empire Stadium,
Wembley. Unfortunately the Empire Stadium has now been lost to the needs of football and is no more. I would willingly swap all
the victories of modern day riders at Cardiff for a World Final victory by Ove Fundin at the Empire Stadium. But my days are gone and will
never return. So I must make the best of a poor substitute, where the riders are but an invitational gathering without a chance of
elimination and a surprise packet springing up to shake all & sundry with a shock result."77
"I only went twice, but two good matches,
Rosspigarna (Sweden) with Tony Rickardsson and a touring team from Hungary. The track was very smooth almost like a billiard table, but the
facilities were very basic, i think that was the charm of the place. Happy memories."
"I rode in the Uk from 88-91 and
in 1999 took up race commentating. I have been the 'gob on the job' at lots of top events whether they be cars or bikes. In 2008 my
brother Darrin hosted the innaugeral NZ over 40 Vets championship on the small bullring track in Hawkes bay where we live. Larry had entered
and we had heard how well he had been going on his return to racing and wondered if the tight circuit would catch him out, WRONG,
Larry showed all the skills and reactions of past glories by finished on the rostrum in 3rd place at the age of 54 against
guys 14 years younger. But for one small mistake he would have been in a runoff for his 10th NZ title. Since then Larry has ridden
himself into form and but for an adopted kiwi { Jason Bunyan } would have added a couple more by now.......
KEEP IT UP LARRY AND SHOW THEM WHAT A 60 YEAR OLD CAN DO...."
"Does anyone remember Sverre Harrfeldt from
West Ham and Wembley? I ran his fan club and still keep in touch at xmas. He has also phoned me and is well apart from aches and
pains from old injurys."
This week marks the 39th anniversary of the Lokeren disaster in which so many young lives
were lost or changed forever. Peter Bradshaw was a young man making his way in the sport
who was never to return from the ill-fated trip. Tony Webb looks back on
his all too short career.
"I agree with most of the
article but the track could have been raked as well as the tractors - the amount of shale on the outside was enough for planting.
My main gripe was the 'tannoy'. At first I thought it could have been in Welsh, but soon realised it was just awful. How come a
stadium in the 21st century cannot CLEARY communicate the results to its patrons. I'm told that it is always like that, so please get
it right next time. "
"Being a reading fan it was Reading on a Monday,
the Knights on a Tuesday - Peter Glanz, Nobby Atkins, the Blackbird bros, Trevor Banks and some mad Frenchman. Happy days, both gone, thank
you Stadia UK."
"How sad to see these pictures. I
remember when 1000 people stood on the banking cheering on their heroes. Shame on the then residents of the Furston housing suburb
who's complaining of noise { despite there being a 4 lane motorway between } contributed to the tracks downfall."
The opening of a new track is always worth celebrating and that's particularly true in
San Bernardino, California where they've been waiting 22 years for speedway to return.
Cary Cotterman has been monitoring the development of the new track
and was on hand on opening night to capture some photographs.
Philip Dalling has been watching speedway for a great number of years, but 2009 was his first
visit to the sport's premier event at Cardiff. Here's his verdict on the big night.
Karen has been an Exeter Falcons fan for almost thirty years and will be one of many disappointed
to hear that the prospective Haldon venue has fallen through. Here are her favourite riders from
the last three decades.
Harry Ward captured these track panoramas on his recent travels. They are of Armadale (Scotland),
Berwick (England) and Parken (Denmark) respectively.
Glyn Blackburn wants to find out about his namesake that rode in the sixties - Can You Help?
"After many visits to Exeter Speedway
while on holidays in the area, with memories of warm, balmy evenings after happy sunny days, this series of pictures is just so sad!
It is indicative of the way times change and I'm just glad I visited when I had the opportunity. Here, at Oxford, we are merely one
step away from a similiar series of pictures. The lesson, I suppose, is to enjoy things while you can. "
"I remember the Elfied Park meetings well.
Also many of the riders that passed through at the time including Mike Wilson who I think was one of the only riders at the time still
using a DOHC Jawa if I remember rightly. I can still see Hans Nielsen gracing the track in an inter league challenge. Racing like
he was sitting in an armchair!"
