tonyd

But then the bad luck turned to good luck for one of the russians who ended up borrowing and riding the one and only Bert Harkings bike on the night (which was proberly faster than the russians own at that time) but ........ ....... bad luck then struck again when I believe Berts bike ended up rather bent after landing on the dog track after the ruskies had a coming together with the unlucky Briggo that night.

Sounds damm good to me

Wimbledon 1968 not sure who it was against now (something in my head says Halifax) but I was only 11 and I was just mesmerised at the time by the speed, the smell and the flying dirt (as I then thought) off the back wheel. I came away from that meeting dreaming of the next week and maybe one day riding in the team alongside my new super high speed hero Olle Nygren.

Used to love Frank Ebdon running a meeting,the two minute warning was on for the next heat while the riders were still on track on the slow down lap. He never put up with any crap if a rider spent time gardening at the gate for to long he would be excluded for delaying the start. I wonder what he is up to now and if he could be tempted out of retirement to teach a few refs how to move todays meetings along?

Got to agree I think its a great team and I think they could get a medal Saturday week. Time will tell but you know all the riders there will be racing flat out from tapes up to the checkered flag and as Danny King showed in the British Final the Belle Vue track is a real racers track. ......... COME ON TEAM GB

Mr controversy Garry Middleton, a man guaranteed to liven up any meeting either by his riding or by upsetting a opposition rider, team manager or promoter. The London Cup The Southern Riders Championship The Gold Cup Wembley, Wimbledon, Hackney and White City Speedway clubs The WD & HO Wills International at Wimbledon The end of season Champions Chase at Hackney

So according to the BSPA / SGB the event on Saturday night was nothing to do with them because it was a domestic meeting and not a shared event. There dealings with the track stopped when they issued a licence to say the track met the required standards (I assume that means its oval shape not square, got a bit of shale on it and not totally tarmac or concrete and has a regulation safety fence / air fence and not a selection of balloons tied to the wire mesh and posts, ohh and its the right width) and with everything in place hand over your bond and we will give you a bit of numbered paper to say its ok. They have also stated that the whole problem lies at the feet of the the Belle Vue promotion, something that I'm sure the promotion have realised and understood. But what I don't understand is on one hand "its nothing to do with us" says the statement but on the other hand "A thorough investigation has already started". If its nothing to do with them why do they need a investigation into something that don't concern them / nothing to do with them?

People have moaned for years about the media ignoring the sport of speedway but after this FIASCO tonight I wonder how much of the media is going to pick it up and report on it tomorrow in the nationals ?

Thanks for the report Phil but the important question is ....... WHO WON ?

If I remember right didnt a early morning cleaning lady phone someone up to report that a couple of people had got into the stadium and were messing about on the bikes? (I might have even read it in one of Briggo's or Mike Patrick's books)

. They could do a competition for the supporters as they enter the stadium and draw a name out on the parade and the winning name will be that nights referee. Im sure that there must be many young schoolkids competent of pushing a few buttons, annoying the riders and upsetting the crowd during the match. Lets face it the current referees have been doing this for years. Im only kidding folks, before everyone starts going loopy and posting replys.

Dont know but I think he (and his no nonsense refereeing) is sadly missed, always the man in charge at the meeting and took cr*p from no one no matter how big a star the rider or team manager was. Seen him get through many a meeting in record time with the 2 minute warning for the next race coming on as the last riders left the track. Come back Frank British speedway needs you.

I have just said to my wife that its now 39 years ago since we lost Tommy and she has just said it was one of the worst days of her life when she heard the news. She was a ardent Wimbledon supporter when we met (I supported Wembley) never missing a home meeting and going to as many away fixtures as possible but the death of Tommy changed things for her totally. She continued to go for a couple of years after his death but she could not find the enthusiasm to keep going like she used to and after a couple of years drifted away from the sport totaly. The loss of Tommy finished her love of speedway and to be honest I think it was the start of the downward spiral for Wimbledon speedway as well. Sleep well Tommy, the world misses you.

My thoughts are that Adam should sit down and have a chat with himself about if he should carry on racing speedway. Dont get me wrong I have nothing but admiration for Adam (or any other rider) but with the amount of accidents the poor sod has had its a wonder just how much more can his body take? This week there are two big meetings one for Ricky Ashworth and one for the late great Billy Sanders (ok life not lost on the track) and we have just had the BEN Fund meeting, I WOULD HATE TO SEE / WE DONT NEED or WANT another meeting added to the calander in seasons to come for any more riders. This post might upset a few people and we all know speedway riders are a special / strange breed of people but these are my personal thoughts and I know myself that watching Adam race nowdays I wonder and sort of worry everytime he comes off or clashes with another rider (part and parcel of racing) if all is going to be ok now-a-days.

Wembley Lion if you went to Alperton High School on Ealing Road next to the station so did I. I was there between 1968 and 1972 After Wembley closed I went to Wimbledon when I could get a lift, but when I got a car I was off everywhere. 1970's a great time for speedway.

It was a lifetime ago Cityrebel. 1971 I was 14 and my Saturday consisted of leaving home early to walk to the stadium (I lived at Alperton the bottom end of Wembley) and go to the pit gate to see riders arriving, watch the match and then back to the pit gates again to see the riders loading back up. Next hot foot it down to the Captains Table ( remember "Eat Where the Lions Eat" ) to get a bag of chips and to see the riders again (cars with bikes on the back all parked outside) before walking home eating me chips. Happy Days.

I do remember seeing a couple of the flying lap attempts in the 70/71 seasons (may have been called the One Lap Dash then as well) but as I said above they may have been programme filler races because I dont remember them being run regular just now and again. Another thing I have always wondered is were all the tracks that were laid for World Finals etc after 1972 the same size or did they vary each time slightly ? ie track width, length or shape of bends?

Yes I remember it. Did'nt they have 1 or 2 laps to get up to speed and then lap 3 they were timed? If I also remember right the programme said that Freddie Williams was the timed record holder and it was his time that they were all trying to beat. Who ended up the record holder I have no idea (or even if it was a real competition or it was just a prgramme filler) maybe someone like Norbold or Bert can supply more information about it.

I was thinking the same thing or maybe they just didn't want to ride for what was on offer. Its one of those questions that the likes of the supporters will never get the answer to.

I agree nothing could better this, Perfect in every way. ( ok add Bert flying across the line to the sound of the cannon going off for total 100% perfection )

Modd im afraid your talking out your a*se with that posting, you proberly wont find a more dedicated fan in the country than Shadders, the amount of time and money he spends on following the rockets at home and around the country he is entitled to have his say about the promotion, the team and what there not achieving. If I was Len and co I would start listening to what the fans are saying or there could be a even more like me who got totally fed up and disillusioned with the crap teams and lame excuses that I gave up going all together a couple of years back.

Slightly off track from Birmingham Speedway but years ago in the 1970s didnt White City in london who were struggling for local support and being based within a large ethnic minority offer equipment and track time to a ethnic person to try and boost support from the local population? I believe the offer (if I remember right) ended with the interest of the local Race Relations Board as it was then. The only way I can see of any club trying to tap into the local ethnic population without problems is adverts and posters in areas in the local lingo (ie other than english).

Well if your standing on the terracing and pushed I suppose you would step back and down.

New location for the British FInal next year, the BSPA are going to splash out on a lift and lay track to make it neutral. Sponsers are already on board and ready to start planning and preparing. Its all going to be tied in with another big annual event that attracts thousands every year. New location you all ask? ...........The Chelsea Flower Show.