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Now Buster's in, Then Buster's out, In, out, in, out, Who has the clout? Tomlin's signing rider's, But Buster says "fook that", Then everyone's full of doubt! In the knoooooooooow says Flappy, In the knoooooooooow says Gasser, In the knoooooooooow says Flappy, Ears bent, teams stretched Ha, Ha, Ha ________ I need a better life

Please don’t ever consider visiting Glasgow………lol

I wouldn't think there would be huge number of ex-riders wanting to get in without paying, but having dabbled in sports promotion (albeit not speedway), it invariably doesn't just stop with the ex-competitors. Can you just let my mate who's with me in, which becomes mates, and then mates of mates and before you know it, you're losing a significant amount of revenue. You wouldn't expect that Hans Nielsen would have to pay to get into Oxford, out of respect for his achievements and because there's probably some promotional benefit if he turns up. You'd probably also wouldn't expect any rider with any significant association with Oxford to pay, but does it apply to riders who did one meeting with the juniors for example...? If I were a ex-rider though, and knowing the perilous state of speedway finances, I'd be fully willing to pay for entry unless I was expected to do some promotional activity at the meeting. I certainly don't understand why ex-officials should be able to get into a meeting without paying, unless that's considered part of their remuneration (a sort of crap pension).

The Poles want to nurture his talent by giving him an opportunity to show what he can do.. The UK on the other hand, doesn't... A strange way to develop your sport by allowing "young talent" to sit on the sidelines... And. No doubt. If he develops into a genuine top level rider in Poland, many within British Speedway will then be moaning that the Poles are out of order dictating when and where he can ride...

For Kemp and Dan Thompson not to have. Championship spots mainly due to lowering of Averages tells you some thing how the sport is run in GB.Back of Fag Packet decision’s

Agree... "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" is still one of my all-time seasonal faves. I'm a little torn, but I still listen to his greatest hits.

A life would do

I was a keen cyclist. But more importantly, I was a keen speedway fan. Nowadays even if I was still as fit, I doubt I would have the enthusiasm to ride that far to watch a meeting. Not just to do with speedway, but I also feel less comfortable with all the traffic now

He's dropping all the gimmicks this year. Hope the lad finds a team spot soon.

They might have started on Thursdays? I get involved watching speedway from 88 onwards and then Arena was Saturday at 7pm I think once Hackney folded in 91 it opened up Friday nights, when Arena went top flight in 92 that was when the switch happened? When London Lions opened in 1996 they (London) raced on a Thursday night and Arena Essex raced Friday nights. After that it’s always been a mixture of Wednesdays, Fridays or Saturdays, but mostly Fridays (top flight) and Saturdays. But always recall Stuart Douglas saying that “racing on a Wednesday night was akin to throwing a suit case of money off the QE2 bridge” every week. Friday the M25 was always busy but that’s why Arena adopted an 8pm start time to allow more time for fans to make the journey. I don’t know or want to argue about how many fans came from over the bridge but out of my group of 10 plus people, only one had to travel from South of the river.

because it's a numbers game?

Choosing race nights was done on a first come first served basis at the time so clubs that had chosen their race night before others had first choice, but if nobody objected other clubs could race on the same night. I can’t remember what night Lakeside raced under Ronnie Russell who was losing money anyway. When Cook and Douglas took over the allocated race night was Wednesday and it quickly became clear that for various reasons including commuting from Kent on a week night mid week crowds were too small to sustain the sport ,whereas 8pm Friday brought substantially bigger crowds so for years in the old Elite League the Lakeside fixture list was submitted for Friday night racing and nobody objected because they all knew it was Friday nights or no Lakeside at all. Then for what turned out to be the final season they dropped down to the old Premier League, submitted their fixture list for the season, had it approved by the BSPA pre - season and booked the track for Friday meetings. Racing continued in line with the approved fixture list until about August when Scunthorpe had an injury to , I think from memory Steve Worrall but not entirely sure , but Godfrey then started moaning because he couldn’t get suitable guests because other clubs were racing the same night as Scunthorpe. Then he pulled out this rule and said Lakeside couldn’t race on the same night as Scunthorpe so he could get a wider choice of guests, even though he as BSPA member had approved the fixture list pre- season and the track had been booked. By that stage Rye House had closed or lost their licence so Lakeside tried to finish the season by racing at Lakeside when they could get Fridays and the other weeks they were going to race at Rye House on Saturdays. Then Godfrey in his BSPA position said they could not do that and had to race at one or the other, which basically meant Rye House and which in turn had a catastrophic effect on the fixture list. I think with League and cup matches I think we finished up racing Peterborough three weeks out of four or something like that to complete the by then congested fixture list which of course was disastrous for attendances seeing the same team every week. We were later told by John Cook at a fans forum that Stuart lost £24,000 on that episode with no help or assistance from Godfrey and the BSPA management committee. I might have missed a detail or two but that was basically it. The Lakeside owners sold the track at the end of the season and for some reason I can’t now recall Rye House never had its licence reinstated. So two more tracks went out of business in that season and another nail was sunk into the sports coffin and the BSPA continued to fiddle while Rome burned. To rub salt in the wound the SS carried an interview with Godfrey who was bleating about “ rules are rules,” but the principle of the “best interests of speedway “ didn’t seem to apply then . In fact if I remember correctly that was the season Peterborough almost went out of business as well.It’s the old, old story again, self interest first, self interest second, and if there’s anything left over, self interest again as far as the BSPA are concerned. No surprise the sport is in a mess.

At least the Casey family have got an apology, which is something. However it does seem to be a begrudging apology forced by his book publisher, perhaps out of fear of being left with a shed full of unsold books. And as others have said, the apology does beg more questions. 1. Collins claims not to know that Steve Casey was ill, yet he has been fighting the disease for several years. Collins' wife knew he was ill. Members of Collins' inner circle of friends knew. Steve Casey was a well-known figure. It's hard to believe Collins didn't know. Maybe it just slipped his mind in that moment of incandescent rage? 2. Collins says his feud with the promotion has gone on 35 years. That takes us back to 1988 when he himself was the BV promoter. Did he have a feud with himself? It's well-documented that Collins had a falling-out with John Perrin not long after they took over BV. And Perrin was a rough type who could fall out with anyone (despite also having his good side), so I wouldn't totally blame Collins for having a feud with him. But surely that would only last until the end of the Perrin era? The BV promotion has changed hands at least three times since then, and there have also been changes of personnel within the promotion during those times. So how has the feud managed to continue against people who had no connection with the actual feud? The only common connection is Collins - and in particular his list of 100+ people who he thinks should have a free pass to every Belle Vue match. (This list contains some former Aces riders, some former Aces juniors, some former non-Aces riders, some ex-Collins sponsors and friends from 50 years back, and some people with no connection to the sport at all). This list has been presented to every new promoter since Perrin, and unsurprisingly rejected by every new promoter. I suspect that Collins knows that no one could ever accept such a nonsensical list, and he uses it on purpose to cause trouble. Of course a few of the people on the list are genuine ex-Aces, but those are admitted to BV anyway. Eric Broadbelt, Ken Eyre, Bill Powell are all regulars, as were Peter Williams and Taffy Owen until their deaths. Chris Morton pops along every so often (which must be difficult considering how his involvement ended). Joe Screen has been. Andy and Paul Smith are obviously there with their son/nephew Jack, and Carl Stonehewer came when his son was second-half riding. Geoff Pusey came along last year with an old upright and was welcomed and allowed to do a few laps in the interval. Peter Ravn came with his clutch business and was welcomed and interviewed on the centre green. Basically any ex-Aces riders are welcomed and so would Collins have been if he'd wanted to come along.... ...And that's where Steve Casey came in. An ex-rider, but even more so a passionate Belle Vue supporter, he felt it was wrong that Collins was denying himself a chance to watch the sport he had graced for over a decade. Like many, he felt that people like Collins should still be part of Belle Vue. He tried, off his own bat, to work a solution so that Collins could end his petty vendetta and come along to BV without losing face. But despite Steve Casey's best efforts, Collins proved too stubborn and threw it all back at him. What Collins did to a dying gentleman who tried to help him is unforgiveable, and the apology is still very weak.

Diddy David Hamilton was on GB news this morning talking about the time he brought Gary Glitter to Reading in 1973, and had him drive round the track in his Rolls Royce only to be met by a chorus of booing. Was anyone there who remembers this?

I remember it well. I devoted a page to it in 'Tears and Glory' Incidentally when he purchased a copy of the book David asked me for my autograph!

I have to admit I thought he was a class act...the "King" of "Glam Rock". I still occasionally listen to his music now. He may be disgraced but you can't take away the impact he had on the music scene during the early/middle seventies.

Of course it’s relevant. Wolves were refused using Tai when both Freddie and Jacob had season ending injuries before the play offs. Somewhere either that’s been ignored or conveniently allowed for one team to benefit. obviously the rules are mostly nonsense hence why those clever promoters know exactly how to get around those loopholes. Obviously they don’t want to fully tighten them because it’s still all about self interest. Hopefully the ruling body will see what a mistake they made allowing a rider to be signed AFTER the deadline AND DURING the play offs. It’s a dangerous precedent they are setting to allow that to happen again. Its a total farce to allow a rider to sign ONLY for the only play offs when their contribution to the UK league is nothing. I read an article in an October SS that Lambert said he would be interested in riding in the UK in 2023 (despite adding a lighter schedule works for him) so I wonder how those negotiations are going? Looking at the bigger picture allowing a BRIT to return to the UK should be welcomed however it really sticks in the throat when in reality he has no interest in riding in the UK league anymore.

Yes, just looked Steve, 12th April, 1984 (Thursday), KenEx Cup, 34-43. Arena won the Canterbury leg, 35-43. So, Canterbury must have won by 1 point overall?

i don't think it was Ipswich

...I've just checked Speedway Researcher and Canterbury were early season visitors on the 12th April winning 34-43. That's looking familiar especially when I looked down the team sheets!

The more I think of it it was Canrebury who were the visitors. Can you check your programme fixture list if it's not too much trouble? How I regret selling all my programmes now!

If only 3 of those riders are still alive, and Eric Broadbelt and Ken Eyre are regulars at BV every week, then it seems it is only Collins who is being a bit of a prick about it. If the other 97+ people on his list aren't ex-title winning riders, then who are they? Wonder if his publicist and apologist can enlighten us?

The 4TT I mentioned, Martin was in the Hammers team.

good to see Justin winning in Australia beating jamion lyndsay and tai 3rd place

From what I can gather the issue with PC and BV promotions wasn’t genuine ex BV riders not being welcome, quite the opposite, it was the ridiculous list with a cast of hundreds that PC wanted to be let in free…his mates, old sponsors, people with little or no connection to BV or Speedway. Try to get free and watch at Man City or United…not a chance.

There is another one of our German old-timers who lost his life during his racing career. That's Sebastian Roth, one of the very best of German dirt-trackers and long-track riders of the early 1930s. He was from Münsingen, near Stuttgart, Germany, and had begun his motorcycle racing career in 1929 at the age of twenty, as a novice on the Stuttgart Dirt-Track. Roth was 27 years old when he died on Friday, May 1, 1936, apparently of a heart attack, at the Bremgarten circuit near Bern in Switzerland, during the official practise for Sunday's Motorcycle Road Racing Grand Prix of Switzerland. Duirng his run, Roth pulled his 500cc NSU bike to the edge of the track and fell dead. Although the event's medical crew was on hand almost immediately, paramedics could do nothing to save his life.

I repeat, if he’s better than some, why hasn’t he been picked (answer is, he isn’t better than some)

Biggest problem total lack of aggression,you have to admire anyone who sits astride a speedway bike,but unfortunately for Drew whether it's a lack of confidence or a unwillingness to dice with the opposition who knows. Adams gave him opportunities of an extra ride when the result was safe and the pressure was off,but for what ever the reason he always failed to deliver the goods.Good luck to the guy in future,but if he wants to progress in the sport his outlook will have to change.

I'm sure the meeting I went to was on a Thursday...can't remember who it was against now however? Sure it was a 4TT?

Numbers are irrelevant, he’s a rising star. Rising stars don’t contribute to the team building totals.

In my opinion he thinks he’s far better than he actually is - hopefully the talent he had will win through in the end

Swart is an older Dutch spelling for black. Nowadays it would be Zwart, but the spelling of family names often didn't get updated during the various language reforms, especially amongst Afrikaans. Swart is also an old English name (presumably with a connection to Anglo-Saxons and Frisians), so could conceivably be found anywhere where the British went. It's probably more likely this rider would have been Dutch or South African though.

Looked almost a NL strength line-up, but you can only beat the riders who are against you. A useful warm-up for Schlein, but doesn't give any hints about his form ahead of his comeback.

Looking forward to watching USA v ROW tomorrow night.

Heat 12 1. Etheridge 2. Wright 3. Roynon 4. Knudsen = 3 - 3

As a member of the WSRA, I believe this is wrong. We as an organisation should be supporting the SPORT not individual teams.

Rules and laws in every walk of life are "interpreted" by someone at the point of use. The fundamental difference in speedway is that those interpreting the laws/rules happen to also be the same people the rules/laws are being applied to. However you change the wording or try to tighten up the rules, you will always have these issues if the "judge" is making a judgment on themselves. The only way forward should be the SCB makes and applies the regulations, and that no one on the SCB board has any interest financial or otherwise in any operating speedway club. Until then, you'll do this same dance every year. I fear before the BSPL realise this they will have taken the sport beyond the brink.

Worcester Sorcerers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCgF64r0Kk (Whole meeting on Youtube) Great Memories for us Viking fans

Good grief. A 35 year old fued There have been Mafia or Albanian blood feuds that haven’t lasted that long !!!

One of the saddest days of my life when Steve passed (Betty) last Wednesday. I've know Steve since I was 9 and he was 12. I feel a sense of loss that I would usually only associate with losing a family member. He always, always took the micky out of me as I did with him but underneath there was much love and respect. I saw Steve at Thameside Hospital last Saturday and he was still talking about beating his illness. If you look in the dictionary under zest for life, the first words say, " Steve Casey". He was the most positive person I have ever met. I have so many memories of time spent with Steve, time he spent with my family. We was the most sarcastic person I have ever met, he was naturally funny even though he wasn't trying to be. He always had plans, he never stood still, there was always something to plan or look forward to and he never gave up. He used to call me and say, I've got a problem Betty with my push bike or my car or that bloody lawnmower lol, then follow that up by saying, dont bother coming round because its unfixable, there is no one alive that can fix it, knowing full well that was a red rag to a bull for me. Round Ide go and we would both get stuck in and we always, always fixed or repaired whatever it was. Steve always got the good biscuits out when I went round for a brew and a catch up, ( well that's what he told me ) He was the most gentle, entertaining, strong, determined, placid, generous man I have ever met. I count myself privileged that he considered me as a friend. My heart goes out to his beautiful daughter Mia and his girlfriend Jackie at this time. He was one in a million and I will miss him until we next meet.

A rider on the decline who is not a particularly nice personality so no great loss really.

The team suits and matching bikes is one of the few things British speedway does well and gets right. No team in any sport in the 21st century should be wearing kit that doesn't absolutely match.

Used to go to them in the USA and a few that were held in Canada......most of the racing was not really racing but was shall we say for lack of a nicer word....."Staged".

Hmm. I think you are being a tad disingenuous. To be really clear, I'm talking about you making a few quid in not ideal circumstances. Not PC. Look, I think your contribution to the nostalgia speedway market has been very good and I've been a happy customer. I think the Kenny Carter and John Berry books stand up against any speedway book ever. And Backtrack had some good stuff before running out of steam. But, I also think the use of a lot of footage in the DVDs is a bit naughty....I assume ITV Sport and BBC Sport haven't handed over distribution rights to these? I think producing a PC book is also a bit naughty post-brain injury. As a consequence, sadly, I don't think he is a reliable source and his words against others should not be put into print unchallenged. The Belle Vue management past and present are really in a no-win situation, there is nothing to be gained for them coming out against PC, a bona-fide club legend. Equally, for this particular issue of all ex-riders getting free admission, how can any speedway club operating on fine margins (in realty loss making) start ushering 200+ folk through the gate for free each week. I have long worked in PR and there aint any mileage out of Barry Ayres* heading in free every week. It means very little to the 50+ year olds who might remember him....and literally nothing to any new crowds they need to draw in. I'm not surprised a PC book has been rolled out. He is a name that still means something to people, hence this thread. But given the health circumstances, I don't agree with it. * sorry to Barry Ayres if he reads this! He had a crack, fair play. But wasn't up to it. I could have chosen from many others.

I worked at Tesco's for 4 years as a student. Can you believe they won't let have free food now? There's a difference in your comparison. No one would question the right for PC to enter for free as a lifetime guest of honour. But riders who were paid for their time back in the 80s and 90s....Mark Crang, Bernie Collier, Barry Ayres, Paul Embley and hundreds of other wannabees, why should they get lifetime passes - that's the issue.