Chewbacca

Good meeting spoiled twice by the weather (initial prep and the wash out of SF and Final). Daniel KIng was excellent value as was Travis McGowan. The difference in class between EL 2nd strings and PL riders was actually quite startling. I would love to see genuine world class riders at Brough. I'm just too young to remember Olsen, Mauger and Michanek.

Would love to see Freddie Lindgren at Brough. Flying at the moment and should ride the track well, given the similarity to Monmore.

I'm sure they do it to raise their profile and they can then obtain 1. More sponsorship. 2. Larger contracts from the clubs they represent. Didn't Nicki P recently sign a £660 000 2 year contract with his Polish club? That's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Gosforth, just North of Newcastle, is now an ASDA supermarket. Was mainly a dog track but did run speedway for a few years many years ago.

I'm afraid I can't afford to be a sponsor but I'll be making every effort to get there. Bjarne was impeccable in both his riding and behaviour as a Diamond.

There was a guy called Eddie Ingels who rode one season for Newcastle in 1984. Great attitude and up for anything. Actually got married on the home straight at Brough Park.

This meeting pretty summed up 2008 at Brough Park. It certainly didn't live up to the expectations placed on it a few weeks ago. Given that Darryl let slip a while ago that an EL rider had approached him about a 2009 place and as David Howe was scheduled to appear, two and two are being put together in my head. Any Diamonds fans have opinions on the likelehood of this and also our desire for it to happen? For the record, I would be delighted as I think he would be a massive points scorer in the PL.

He had tassles on his leathers.

Jamie signed for Newcastle as well at one point. I seem to remember he was an exceptional gater but the other 3 and 3/4 laps let him down.

Always said that I'd be happy to re-institute Hadrians Wall as the border.

Only a Southerner would think Sheffield is the North. it's 3 hours drive south for us and 5 hours for the Jocks. It's closer to North London than Newcastle. I guess some Sheffield fans will claim they are Northerners but geographically, they are wrong. M62 up over is 'the North'.

Seen a few posts on the various Cardiff threads about people hating all the American style presentation. I was there with a mate and his 10 year old son who has been to Belle Vue and was distinctly unimpressed with speedway. However, he absolutely loved Saturday night and if we are going to attract a new generation of fans to keep speedway going for another 80 years, then this is who we have to entertain. Kids these days have short attention spans and are used to something happening all the time and they like (shock horror) the loud music and flashing lights/flamethrowers/fireworks. The odd spectacular crash and a bit of pantomime villanry also helps get them hooked. Sorry for the old timers and I sure Romford in 1947 WAS the pinnacle of speedway history but thats what it is, history. We can't go back, and if we tried to, speedway will die when you pick up your flask and folding chair and shuffle off this mortal coil. What we could do with less of were drunken East Europeans who were somewhat intimidating for said 10 year old. I know speedway is bigger than football in Poland but surely they don't have to behave like football fans do they?

I really can't believe that anyone thinks these guys deliberately run into the back of each other, falling off a motorbike at 50mph just to try and gain an advantage. They could be killed by a following rider hitting them! I think NP was in the wrong place at the wrong tome on a number of occasions. Anyway, the whole pantomime villan thing is great. I used to love booing Martin 'Mad Dog' Dixon

If only Barrie Dixon could have ridden any other track the way he blasted around Felton he'd have been a star!! Many happy Sundays spent up their spannering for a mate (who never made it but did ride for the Felton Fliers once or twice). I remember going to Halifax with them. They all very nearly dropped a brick when they saw that place.

There was young Aussie at Newcastle called Kevin McDonald who looked to have a massive future but never rode in the UK again after breaking a thigh. On the subject of Joe Owen I would make the point that it was his crash at Hull early in his career that prevented him achieving what he may have done prior to his career ending smash.

He had the BEST leathers

That was riding with one hand effectively. If he hadn't had that big crash at Hull I'm convinced he would have developed into a 10 point BL man and world championship contender.

In 1976 I was convinced Joe was going to be a world champion. He was invincible around Brough that year. I'm sure his only dropped points were due to 2 engine failures although he did lose one leg of the silver helmet to John Jackson. He had made a great start to his British League career at Hull and was averaging over 8 in his first full season when he had his first big crash. I wasn't there but I understand he went throught the fence and ended up on the terracing, One of his hands had to be literally wired back on. It was certainly a life threatening smash and probably prevented his further progression. He remained a BL heat leader upon his return from injury until he moved back to the NL with Newcastle where he was still an out and out number 1 He was still our best rider when we had a disastarous season in the BL in 84 and moved to Ellesmere Port when Newcastle closed. I was gutted when I heard what had happened at Birmingham. I found it incredibaly ironic that a rider who fell off perhaps twice a season should have his career ended in such a way.

I'd like to know more about Ron Henderson, the young Aussie that rode for Newcastle in 76/77. He had enormous talent and then just dropped out of the sport completely. Whilst we're on obscure Australians, how about Robbie Blackadder and Phil Michelides from the same era.