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Ricky Wells

My pleasure Sid, and thank you because it prompted me to look at my old programmes- I have every programme for every meeting I attended-all here in Canada. I looked back at other 1965 programmes and while many of the top ex NL stars lived up to their reputation-some did not (may have been the Somerton Park track)-don't know if others noticed similar things at those early BL meetings.. Getting back to that programme there was a section called Bryan Seery's notebook, and he noted that the biggest BL victory so far had been Glasgow defeating Long Eaton 60-18 (Long Eaton had done well in the first couple of matches but then suffered dreadful injuries and ended up finishing with the wooden spoon), but then last Saturday before the Swindon meeting this feat had been surpassed by Halifax winning 62-16 against Cradley Heath. the great man predicted that this would surely last the season out. Sadly the great man was wrong because in October(on my birthday no less) Wolves defeated the mighty Newport(my team) 64-14!!! What a disaster. I did admire Bryan's contribution to Speedway Stats. however -he came up with the idea of CMA in 1965, previously the old idea was number of points divided by number of meetings-which was in my view not an accurate comparator e.g. one guy could score 8 points from 3 rides while another could score 8 from 5 rides so the former would rightly have a higher CMA. I think the wonderful folks at Speedway Researcher have gone back before 1965 and figured out riders' averages using the CMA system. Bryan was quite a numbers guy(think he may have been a maths teacher) -I am pretty sure he has passed away-do any forumlanders know when or anything else about Bryan.

From memory I’d say you’re banned to ride if an A test is positive. Then B either sets you free or nails you. Basically Drabik was caught in a test and himself said it was because he had a treatment that was considered a doping offense. And they gonna let him ride?

Not only did he walk away , he came out and beat Havvy next time out

When you take your license from any FMN (your chosen federation, usually the country you have a passport from) U tick the box that says ”I follow the rules” and nowadays there is also a sidenote that says your available to ride for your country and if WADA catches you, you are responsible for the penalties and pay for them. So if you make yourself unavailable, they can therefor revoke your starting permit. Or like FLindgren badmouthed a svemo person a couple of years ago, they took his starting permit for a month... It’s not all that complicated. And it would work better if PZM or Ekstraliga would follow the system.

Hi Sid. Enjoyed your post. Re your comments on The Abbey-it was the first ex NL track I visited in "The Best Year" 1965. Went on a bus with other Newport supporters. Your post prompted me to dig out the programme-it was July17th 1965- Robins won-no surprise 48-30. Newport had only 2 heat winners- Jack Biggs in Heat 5 and Alby Golden in Heat 8-both were the reserve races.. Typical of many ex NL teams in the first BL year, Robins heat leaders were unbeatable but they had a long taikl--some of their lower order riders were almost just second halfers (although Robins did have Bob Kilby as a second string-he was just starting out. The Robins Heat Leaders were Briggs (scoring 11) Ashby and Broadbanks both scoring 12-Briggo's only dropped point was against Mike Broadbanks -so paid max. for Briggo. Also typical of that year the ex PL teams had more strength in middle order with Golden (8) Vandenberg(8) and Biggs(9). Another memory of that time is that after the meeting we went with other supporters of both teams to the bar-it was above the terracing I think and you reached it by outside stairs. Main point is practically all the riders were there, regular folks chatting to everyone-I remember having a good conversation with Alby Golden for example. All the fans of both teams were friendly to each other also-nice people. Days long gone indeed. One thing I'd forgotten was that Peter Sampson was riding for the Robins-he of course now runs the Paradise Wildlife Park with the Speedway Museum and is a great supporter of the WSRA. Good on Peter Subsequently I got to visit all of the surviving 1964 NL tracks (many in later years on vacation in UK)-Belle Vue, Oxford, West Ham, Wimbledon-now sadly all gone-what a damn shame. Anyway, hope this post brings back some memories for other 1965 fans

Even without you ? How?

That’s a very good point - but the moaning was why are tickets still on sale for sale I can’t see anywhere near 40,000 attending Cardiff this year if by the slimmest of chance it even happens - as a city would they want that sort of attendance people traveling form all over the country potentially with some carrying the virus into the city then there is hotels restaurants bars another breeding ground for the virus and they are looking like they will be the last to reopen - 40,000 ? I personally wouldn’t go anywhere near Cardiff Gp be lucky if 20,000 attend in my opinion many will take a view that attending isn’t a risk worth taking .

The top 10 for World Final consistency in terms of average points per ride ( from a minimum of 3 final appearances and excluding run-offs): 1 Ivan Mauger 2.51 (176 points from 70 rides) 2 Bruce Penhall 2.47 (37 from 15) 3 Freddie Williams 2.40 (48 from 20) 4 Barry Briggs 2.34 (201 from 86) 5= Wilbur Lamoreaux and Jack Milne 2.33 (both 35 from 15) 7= Ove Fundin and Erik Gundersen 2.31 (173 from 75 and 104 from 45) 9 Ole Olsen 2.29 (119 from 52) 10 Hans Nielsen 2.28 (171 from 75) Others which may be of interest: 17 Bjorn Knutson 2.13 22 Ronnie Moore 2.06 24 Sam Ermolenko 2.04 31 Peter Craven 1.92 37 Anders Michanek 1.86 41 Peter Collins 1.78 48 Tony Rickardsson 1.65 79 Nigel Boocock 1.24 86 Chris Morton 0.98 97 Tommy Jansson 0.73 From less than 3 finals, Bluey Wilkinson 2.90, Les Collins 2.60, Wally Green 2.60, Alan Grahame 2.50, Gary Havelock 2.40, Sverre Harrfeldt 2.40, Gordon Kennett 2.40, Bob Oakley 2.40, Todd Wiltshire 2.40, Craig Boyce 2.40. In the GP era, Tai Woffinden has scored 946 points from 519 rides for an average of 1.82. This would have ranked 39th in the World Final list, but the formats are too different for a comparison to be meaningful.

why not post this on the earlier thread on top 5/10 kiwi riders, rather than starting a new one? second on the list, behind Ivan, ahead of Mirac.

You got it!

Yes BOBBATH Bryan Seery left his own legacy he was a terrific read in the speedway star i loved his input.He certainly had a knack with stats and was very good at it he passed away in 2017 aged 81 .

VERY interesting and vvvhucked up.

The demise of Rye House was probably a good template on all that is wrong with British speedway. Will lessons be learned, let's hope so.

I like the bloke stepping casually out of the way while eating his burger!

Appreciate the explanation, As you well know there are a large minority on here who moan about nothing being done and do a full 180 when something is. At least they now know how to get to Blackburn Meadows. , .The thing with this , as a conference facility, is it doesn't just rely on race night hospitality, although provides an excellent opportunity for that. With the brilliant views of the track from it the stadium owners are continuing to embrace the Tigers brand and deserve credit for this, as do Damien, Peter and Julie for continuing the excellent relationships with them. Keep the faith and stay safe.

Phil is hopeful they can get the hospital out, a track laid and a meeting done, before they even notice

U-turn from Pedersen as he agrees new contract to ride in Poland.

Worst part of our Sport. As soon as one happens i am there saying, Get up, So i know you are ok. More often than not they get up as if nothing just happened.

Probably not, but I imagine it will be on standby for the second wave. Certainly the noises from the Welsh rugby authorities seem to suggest that it will probably not be available to them over the next 9 months.

Think it was in Welsh press last week that the hospital was due to stay till 2021, and Welsh rugby are susposed to be looking at other venues for autumn rugby and 6 nations next year, so no chance of a gp at Cardiff imo

If that’s the case they might as well cancel it - maybe a switch to the National speedway stadium in the Autumn is on the cards ?

Has it not been announced that the Stadium will remain a Hospital till next year ?

Don't forget the last Car Boot Sale

Yep, never nice when someone hurts themselves. There were a couple of other crashes around that time involving the Falcons that you couldn't help but smirk at after the riders emerged unscathed. One involved Richard Green (of course), whose cut out failed and the bike chased him across the centre green. The other was Mark Simmonds somehow finding himself sliding astride the Exeter solid steel fence and he took out a red light on the way. He literally had sparks flying from his nether regions.

POSTPONED until September ...announcement later this morning

Nope, the Borough News wasn't free. A big paper with a lot of stuff in it for a local edition though. Always enjoyed reading it when I was at my nan and grandad's in Quicks Rd.

So? The South London Press wasn't the "local" newspaper, as it covered the whole of South London. Actually, the main local paper then - and I'm sure you remember this, Doug - would possibly have been the the Wimbledon Borough News! I can't remember when that folded...

Real tragedy this one. Tony George was far and away the star at Lew Coffin’s training school despite the presence of such riders as Mike Cake, Colin Sanders, Phil Woodcock, Laurie Etheridge, Richard May, Bob Coles etc etc etc. He always looked like a proper super star in the making until the accident but was never the same afterwards. Such a shame.

GEORGE, Anthony (Tony) Born: August 28, 1950, Bristol, Avon, England. The star pupil at the Weymouth Training School in the winter of 1967-68, Tony had no previous experience of motorcycling and immediately his progress attracted the attention of the British League clubs. At one stage Tony looked bound for West Ham but eventually signed for Exeter who loaned him to Plymouth in Division Two to gain much needed experience. In the early weeks of 1968 he hit paid double figures against Reading and Nelson and continued to impress throughout the year with some solid scores. A spectacular racer, Tony averaged over six points per meeting and complimented his experience with three outings for Exeter in the top flight. The links with the Exeter promotion who owned his contract meant that Tony was on the move to Romford in 1969 where Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale were in charge, but the year was to be a catastrophe. It started solidly enough but he was to suffer a broken leg on his return to Plymouth and he was out right until the very end of the season. He was around the Romford scene again in 1970 but the injury had a real effect on his scores and he hardly featured at all for the ‘Bombers’. By the age of just 20 Tony’s career was sadly over. Year Club Division M R P BP TP CMA FM PM 1968 Plymouth BL2 19 75 98 17 115 6.13 - 1 1968 Exeter BL1 3 7 1 1 2 1.14 - - 1969 Romford BL2 7 27 37 3 40 5.93 - - 1970 Romford BL2 5 17 10 1 11 2.59 - -

Stopping or stemming a global pandemic is a bit higher up the importance list than a Cardiff GP. You'll find out next Sunday for certain if a large gathering of 40,000+ people will be allowed in mid July. Even the most optmistic person would struggle to think Cardiff will take place with or without a crowd. Once the government say the GP cannot be held then insurance will be claimed and tickets refunded.

Probably one of the best assessments I've read lately, but it is far too sensible to be incorporated into our leagues. I don't know of another business that cost more to run than it generates. When Sponsors monies are needed to balance the books, then it time to call it a day. I'm amazed the sport has lasted as long as it has. When you read about the costs paid to riders and the value of the equipment they race, you don't need to be Einstein to understand the promoters need more than the scant crowd to make it pay, Its a recipe for disaster. It hurts me greatly to see the direction this sport has taken. Its as though nobody gives a damn for bread and butter racing and the fans who support it, The sport now is governed by the riders, who are only concerned with is how many meeting they can do and how much can they earn... Loyalty count for very little. The only way sport in this country can survive, is we forget about SGP and the Polish league, and run our own sport on our terms. if that means racing on a Saturday then so be it.... We are not good enough to compete on their basis anymore.... but less this way, we can run the show as we please....

Stan Stevens, Tony Clarke, Brian Leonard, Ted Ede, Tyburn Gallows.

Many Doctors are starting to expose the scam brum. At least no one is dying from stroke, heart attack and cancer anymore. It's a joke...

So after that nice little bit of Speedway chat we seem to have cooled off slightly again therefore to bring the SMILE back to everyone's faces again (or in ruffdiamond's case another groan) in our Covid impacted lives how about these offerings. (and only because Donald has got the USA in the news) A man is walking through his local shopping mall in the USA and notices a Mexican book store. He decides to go in because he has never seen a Mexican book store before. He browses through the store and finally asks the clerk, "Do you have the book on Donald Trump's foreign policies with Mexico?" The clerk replies, "F#ck you, get out and stay out!" The man replies, "Yeah, that's the one!" So the Pope is SUPER early for his flight from the USA back to the Vatican. He asks his driver on his way to the airport if he could drive around for a while because they have time to kill and he hasn't driven a car since becoming the pope. Naturally, he's a bit rusty, so he's driving poorly, when suddenly he sees police lights behind him. He pulls over and when the officer comes up to the window his eyes go wide. He says to the pope "Hold on for a minute," and goes back to his car to radio the chief. Cop: "Chief we have a situation. I've pulled over an important figure." Chief: "How important? A governor or something?" Cop: "No sir. He's bigger." Chief: "So, what? A celebrity or a footballer or something?" Cop: "More important, sir." Chief: "A major politician?" Cop: "No sir, he's much more important." Chief: "WELL WHO IS IT!?" Cop: "Well actually I'm not sure. But the pope's his driver." Now get back to the Speedway related banter or I will drop another one in... Stay well; stay safe and look after yourself... Regards THJ

My daughter came home on Wednesday showing symptoms. Because we are all key workers we booked a test straight away. We took the test on Thursday with minimal delays. The results came through in approximately 3 days. Thankfully the three of us were negative. A big thank you to the staff manning these sites and how efficiently they go about their business.

Yes I agree, I have nothing but admiration for what he has achieved and the sacrifices and work he has put in to achieve it. I'm certainly not a hater. It must be frustrating too when you're putting in the hard yards and your team mates aren't, I get that. He's right about fitness, no doubt. Look at Dave Norris. He spent most of his career playing at it then after cutting out the booze and getting himself fit he almost became a world beater till injury ended his career. I wonder what could have been if he'd done it earlier? There's been plenty of Aussies too though that have come here and lived the party life style without attracting Tai's criticism. It's his almost resentment of his heritage that doesn't sit comfortably with me. I understand though that after living surfboard lifestyle in the sun then moving to a caravan in Scunthorpe you might have a tainted view of the UK!

But the sad thing is, the Tories even when lying are still miles better than Labour.

I cannot begin to describe my loathing of these cretins who question and moan and complain about a Government which is trying its ar*e off to get us out of "the plague" Just imagine the horror of a Government headed by CORBYN/McDONALL/ABBOTT. These cretins have probably never had to run a company, never had any REAL responsibility, answerable to literally thousands of people. I bear no love for the Governing party, but my loathing of the gripes, moans and questioning of these self important idiots literally knows no bounds.

Bang on. What a brilliant piece of promotion as well as helping the NHS!

Barry as always leading the way, well done..

The Wightlink Warriors face mask will be here shortly and one can be yours for free. The Warriors promotion have 100 of them coming and propose to give priority to the following. 1. NHS Staff of any capacity 2. Care industry staff of any capacity 3. Key workers 4. Fans that are in high risk category 5. Anyone else. These masks are reusable and can be washed at 60c, they are double sided and produced with cotton inside and polyester outside. What these masks do not do is replace the advice of the government and WHO. However, it has been suggested wearing a mask does help prevent the wearer transmitting the virus if they have it and also offers some barrier against the virus too. If you would like to make a donation toward the cost of the mask, made by Dispeed, that will be great and we will send any money raised to Capt Tom Moore’s fundraising campaign. The Warrior’s will make no financial gain at all from this, but the promotion will know we have done a little bit more to support you and the NHS at the most strange of times in the name of our volunteers, fans, sponsors and riders, while bringing the club to the very forefront of the action. Please contact Barry Bishop for his address to send a SAE. Please note this is not being funded by the Warriors but by the promotion. Remember stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.