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Been to lydd today for a skid, crashed in my first ride, oh how I’ve missed that winded feeling, then the rain came and that was that, happy days

Olly Allen came to a meeting of the Nuneaton Supportes Club in February. He has been very active in getting the Poultec apprenticeship going. It provides for recognised engineering qualifications as well as specialist speedway knowledge. This includes bike and engine training, track craft (regular track days under the guidance of senior riders) and other aspects of being a professional rider such as diet, keeping in good shape and dealing with the fourth estate. Olly brought several youngsters from the course with him to the meeting and their appearance, ability to speak, and thier overall demeanour was very impressive. Olly explained that he has been jointly recruited to the GB Team Management with Simon Stead because of his expertese with young riders. What he is bulding is a speedway academy and I, for one, wish him well in this endeavour.

Anybody remember Arnold Haley who spent the best part of his career at Sheffield? Interesting that when I was visiting the NYMR during the week I got talking to a stranger (as you do) and found out that he used to mechanic for Arnie! Unfortunately he couldn't tell me much as he admitted that it was a very long time ago and his memory wasn't what it once used to be except that Arnie used to ride flat out and never knew how to shut off!

8th August 1964. It was not a pleasant day, some rain and thunderstorms locally. Very slow race times throughout the meeting.

Well I was born in the Speedway season so on seeing this thread I thought I'd see what was happening on my date of birth and if there were any connections to me. There was a round of the Provincial riders championship at Cradley Heath and it was won by Colin Pratt No don't, it's a cheap shot! Any takers on the date though?

Thanks Boris, that’s our mini-break to Studley Royal down the drain.

I take you have evidence to back your allegation.

as all threads do ,

A lot of threads go this way. Your attention span deteriorates as you age.

I'll bring it back Jason Garrity is a cu...........

Wow, this thread has gone spectacularly off-track when you look back to page one.

forget all about long stroke, short stroke and V stroke engines . the best and only way to increase power from the downward power stroke of any engine is to fit what is called a piston return spring . by fitting a return spring on most, if not all fuel powered race engines . a further %25 on the power stroke can be possible . forget all your carbs and clutches . this is the ting to go for in modern day race engines .

If you are looking to dispel the cliche of a moaning Aussie ... Never interview a Holder.

That's shocked me geoff.......I've been a 'Townie' for a great many years, and always will be....yes it was awful to see the speedway track "ripped up", but I think even if it was still intact the Comets wouldn't be flying round it..............money, or rather the lack of it would have saw to that bitter end.

Mr English was very outspoken when Workington were in debt / going out of business, looks like it's now come back to haunt him

I was born in November so no one was riding, home or away. I suddenly feel strangely deprived..

There will be card payment facilities at Perry Barr when racing resumes ( and would have been had there been racing in 2020) . Peter Mason has sourced machines that do not require wi-fi connection as there is no such facility at the stadium .

I knew Arnie for a while in the mid 90's. I was working away from home in Morley, near Leeds. One lunchtime I was talking to the landlord of a pub about speedway when this chap came up to me. He said, "If you want to know about speedway you should speak to that bloke there". I didn't recognise "that bloke" but his mate introduced me. It was Arnie. By coincidence I had seen Arnie a few weeks before at Sheffield speedway. A couple of the current team had persuaded him to do a few laps after the meeting. Not the "Golden Greats" performance you might have expected and he was embarrassed when I said I had witnessed his performance. But we swapped stories and became firm friends. He didn't drive and when I offered to take him to Sheffield with me the next Thursday, he jumped at the chance. Actually he was very beholding to me for taking him which was no imposition at all. I welcomed his company on my usual trip to Owlerton. Anyway we travelled together and much to my surprise he got me in for free as a VIP guest. What that meant was that Annie went to the bar and held court while I went to the terraces and watched the racing. No problem, we both went home happy. This continued for several weeks. Circumstances changed, and we lost touch. The next time I looked him up I found he had died and I was sad. A racer from back in the day. Contemporary with the likes of Nigel Boocock who was an early hero of mine and a character who knew the sport from the inside. I'm glad I knew him, even if it was for a short while.

And unbelievably Birmingham haven’t commented on it as far as I’m aware?

TBH can not really see the point of put out a 2021 fixture list, what will that achieve? The way things are going might as well put out one for 2022 or 23!