Gatwick Rocket

Me too. Do you need any stats info for the book ?

Hi, I collect programmes, magazines and books in the main. But have misc other stuff including a bike. My programme collection is about 55,000 from 1946 onwards and my magazine collection must be 7,500+. I also compile stats dating back to 1965 and have published 2 yearbooks: one for 1982 and one for 1983. I plan to do more and am happy to help anyone with stats queries during 1965-1985 as I have most of that era compiled. I may be slow in responding as I work away from home a lot.

Thank you to everyone who has bought my book so far, and for the glowing feedback. It is great to hear that I am helping to relive memories of speedway back in the day. For info, I have increased the price to £25 to cater for the increased printing costs.

I have recently published a 1983 Speedway Yearbook - 628 pages full of facts and figures covering all British tracks, international speedway and as much as I could find relating to junior speedway; with Foreword by 1983 World Champion Egon Muller. Unlike my 1982 yearbook, published on CD-Rom via Retro Speedway, this one is available in traditional print format. Price £20 including postage. Orders and enquiries to SpeedwayArchive@outlook.com Anyone interested in advertising in this book should message me within BSF or email to SpeedwayArchive@outlook.com. As I am self-printing, new adverts will be included immediately.

I've been a Rye House fan since growing up in the 1970s. Never in my life (apart from maybe the end of the 1980 season!) have I wanted to see them racing in the top tier. I've always preferred second tier racing and thought the set up at Rye was better suited to it. Now, with these two signings, I've gone from thinking how often can I be bothered to make the 200km pilgrimage to Hoddesdon and back next summer, to thinking I'm going every time I possibly can and how am I going to juggle my work commitments to get there midweek. Bring it on 2017! My ideal would be for Edward Kennett and Stuart Robson to be the next two names. I don't mind if that means four riders all past their peak because they are all cracking racers and British. I go to speedway for the entertainment and I don't subscribe to win at all costs.

Thanks. Have there been any races involving both Charley Powell and Kelsey Dugard? Charley last week was better than last time I saw Kelsey race (not recent months). That said, I like Kelsey and hope he continues to progress in the sport.

What about Charley Powell? I'm not an Eastbourne regular but when I saw him in the cup final last weekend he was massively improved on the beginning of the season. Also, are the Spillers a possibility?

Ben91 I think Ben Morley's form last night was affected by the knock he took when Jake Allen rode into him at the start of heat eight. He was better before that incident. Peter Karger was a lot better than Danny Maassen was at OTA last year. If last night was Peter's first visit to OTA then he did good.

Really enjoyed the start of the new season last night, and Stuart Robson was a joy to behold. Plymouth have a very tight compact team with five different heat winners last night. Todd Kurtz not being one of them. The start line girls need a few weeks to get dialled in. Anyone else notice the riders were off the wrong gate positions from about heat six onwards?

Just seen this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-35526111

Well done Cradley Heath Speedway Supporters. Sounds like the sort of thing that could help take forward some of the ideas generated on the How Do We Attract A New Young Audience? thread.

Whoever came up with the idea of PC doing a lap on an old bike in blue leathers deserves a round of applause, that was a cracking send off. It also struck me that neither PC or the little lad were wearing helmets. Did Mr Health & Safety turn a blind eye out of respect for Little Boy Blue or could we see the return of speedway riders parading the track on their bikes helmet-less at future meetings?

I researched the 1965 season a few months ago and last night put the stats on the Internet. You can see Booey's record that year alongside his Coventry team-mates at http://myspeedwaysite.co.uk/1965coventryscorechart.html. Apologies for the naff formatting, it's my first go at creating a website, but enjoy the stats.

I'm fine with this Tony so long as you credit me as originator. Also, check this out http://www.myspeedwaysite.co.uk. Apologies for the naff formatting, it's my first go at creating a website, but hopefully the 1965 pages will stimulate a few more memories.

I can add the Liverpool, Newcastle 1961 and Neath programmes to the list of those confirmed as in existence. They are in my collection but not for sale. I have it on good authority the Halifax programme exists too, although I don't own a copy.

Does anyone know why the council considers a CPO would not succeed?

Is there a way we can write our support if we are unable to attend in person?

@khucke, thanks for sharing your methodology. Could you please clarify how you determine the ratings score for each new meeting? So, in your example, what would the rating be for C if he had scored 2 points instead of 0? Does it depend on the individuals C is up against in each of his races or just his score at the end of the meeting? Also, what do you do about situations where one rider finishes behind a team-mate (historically earning him bonus points)? Regarding your point about limiting previous meetings that count towards the rating, I agree that a mechanism like this is necessary. My suggestion would be to introduce a factor based on elapsed time. This would help to avoid situations where A has a rating based on performances over the past month (say) because he races several days each week in different countries and B has a rating based on performances over the past year or more (say) because he races in one country and has been out injured for a period. It would also reflect that form is (I believe) a function of time as well as the number of previous performances.

Their news release last week announces they have passed the final stage of planning permission. I have copied the following from their Facebook page. Note this was posted in December so 'Spring next year' is Spring 2016. We have just completed the last stage of planning, recruited a CEO and are completing financing. Construction will start Spring next year.... The facility's plans include a number of race tracks for bikes and cars, karting, four wheel drive, retail units, and leisure activities like concerts, skating, mountain biking etc. There is a very definite fan focus with modern facilities, parking and great sight lines - from one piece of the circuit you should be able to see the on track action for more than 30 seconds. Alongside that, there will be a tech park for green tech and high value, which will host university, engineering and race teams. These will play a big part in the regeneration, that the facility hopes to deliver to Ebbw Vale and the surrounding region. Their website is http://www.circuitofwales.com/

According to the Circuit of Wales Facebook page, a speedway track is planned for this site. Does anyone know any more about this? https://www.facebook.com/circuitofwalesofficial/

As a Rye fan I saw a fair amount of Kyle Hughes last season. I think he is a good signing for Eastbourne and wouldn't be surprised if he upped his average.

Well done to Philip Rising for instigating this thread. There are lots of interesting comments and pleasingly the ones offering suggestions for how to address this issue far outnumber the ones saying what's the point, we're doomed. As I read through I found myself grouping the ideas under various headings: 1. Market speedway based on what makes it unique (or different) * the spectacle of the crashes * the hard man ability of riders to walk away from nasty crashes and continue racing / recover from broken bones within weeks * the ability to mix with riders pre- and post-racing * the uniqueness of the bike, ie no brakes, incredible acceleration, looks different to other bikes, etc. * the adrenalin rush / dangerous / edgy nature * the versatility of the race format, ie you can have individual meetings, team meetings, pairs meetings, fours meetings * the statistics 2. Improve how speedway is marketed to the general public * survey different groups, eg pre-teenagers, teenagers, 20yr olds, 30yr olds, 40yr olds, females, biker groups, etc to find out what they want / dislike and act on their feedback * utilise posters / flyers / local media for broadcast advertising * push match reports and announcements etc to social and traditional media * (re)create supporters groups to help with the above plus raise awareness and encourage loyalty via word of mouth and other events * revamp websites and enhance digital the footprint across all forms of social media * affinity marketing via local businesses and other organisations * travel schemes that make it easier / more cost-effective for people to get to venues 3. Improve what happens on race day * allow kids access to the riders / bikes before racing for selfies, merchandise, autographs, etc. * other pre-racing entertainment, eg face painting, live bands / entertainment, Walk The Track experiences, etc. * improve mid-racing entertainment, eg interact with fans via social media, Centre Green viewing experiences, show replays / action / pit cams on big screens, show / announce more statistics, special effects / fireworks * programme / scoring apps * strict time limits between races, prohibit returning to pits for re-runs etc. * enable fans to access other things they would otherwise be missing if they went to the speedway, eg other sporting events 4. Improve the venue * better sound systems * administer paint and running repairs to facilities * return centre greens to grass * replace mud with tarmac * better food / drink on offer * improve track covers, drainage, etc. to better combat adverse weather 5. Improve the product * remove rules that make speedway harder for a non-fan to follow * permit acts of aggression that create heroes and villains * increase areas of discretion for team managers that can impact on meeting result * restrict bike speed / specifications so racing is close and less costly to participate * increase the number of races on offer / re-introduce (meaningful) second halves * reward teams for retaining riders each year so it is easier for fans to strengthen the loyalty bond with their team * (re)introduce novelty events, eg match races * establish independent governance to control the administration of the sport * handicap gates to increase likelihood of overtaking in races 6. Pricing * affordable family tickets * kids go free * young persons' discounts * bundle entrance with food / drink offers * discount food / drink so it is cheaper than local pub etc * discount for away fans * loyalty card / reward schemes * cheaper tickets (at start of season) to entice newcomers * open gates / reduce admission after a certain point to entice newcomers 7. Learn from others * what makes ice hockey an exciting evening * copy the razzmatazz of darts * how does one-day cricket keep crowds entertained between points of excitement Philip, I don't know what you intend to do off the back of this but it would be great to see some effort made to put some of these ideas into action. Clearly some things are easier and more cost-effective to do than others, and a number will require the co-operation of promoters, stadium owners, etc. That said I hope something does become of the collective efforts of those of us that want speedway to re-emerge as an entertaining sport to be proud of.

Khucke, this is a great initiative. I too think it is time speedway adopted a ratings system. The traditional average generally worked when the league format resulted in each rider racing roughly equal times against each other, but clearly doesn't work under the current format. A few months ago I started using race details from the start of the British League in 1965 to develop an ELO-based rating. So far I have input c.5000 race details to end of August 1965. As has already been pointed out it is a painstaking task. I'd be interested to compare notes if you are happy to share your spreadsheet.

Hello, I have a business trip to Stockholm mid-April. Can somebody tell me if the speedway season will have started by then?

I have recently been researching the 1965 season and noticed a few interesting things from the events of that year that indicate speedway wasn't perfect in the good old days, and some of what disenfranchises supporters now has been going on for the last 50 years! 1. The almost complete absence of guest riders meant injuries massively impacted team performance. It is not surprising therefore that the use of guests or rider replacement was introduced to allow team's greater compensation for the loss of top riders. 2. Very few meetings were postponed or abandoned because of the weather. This probably meant there was some nights of very poor entertainment value for the fans to endure before promoters realised it was preferable to not start in the first place. 3. Not all the season's official fixtures were completed. Cradley Heath v Halifax was never staged after being postponed on 25 September due to rain, even though Cradley Heath ran through to 30 October including an end of season challenge and a blank Saturday in those five remaining weeks. 4. Promoters squabbled over the rules and results were changed after the event. The British League match between Swindon and Wimbledon on 3 July finished 41-37 on the night but was changed to 36-37 after Swindon's use of Clive Hitch was deemed ineligible. Then on 17 August Long Eaton lost at home to Oxford 38-39 but complained about Oxford's use of Danny Dunton, whose scores were initially expunged making it a home win before the original result and scores were reinstated on appeal. 5. Things didn't always go according to plan. On 8 July the Knockout Cup tie between Oxford and Wimbledon was run over the wrong heat format (!) although Wimbledon's 43-35 away win was allowed to stand. 6. Some promoters filled the calendar with challenge fixtures. Sheffield rode 15 challenge meetings (9 at home, 6 away) of which 5 were against Belle Vue. 7. Some promoters looked overseas for new talent rather than promote from the junior ranks. Edinburgh signed Bernt Persson late in September despite there being a number of Scottish juniors on the fringes of the team there or in Glasgow. It was also remarkable to note how many teams lined up at the start of 1966 with sides that were virtually (if not completely) unchanged from the riders of the previous year. Belle Vue, Coventry, Hackney, West Ham and Wimbledon made no changes during the winter (Hackney and West Ham each promoted a junior into the team), others only had one new signing and even the most changed team of all (Long Eaton) tracked three of its side of 1965 plus a junior). Such loyalty is neither sought nor permitted in the modern era.