tigerowl

Watching Ricky Wells made me a bit angry this year. Great when he wanted to be, awful when he wasn't in the mood. I really don't want to see him in Sheffield colours again, I just got the impression that he wasn't all that bothered and Wolves were his number 1 priority. Steady would be a fantastic number 1. It reminds me a bit of the Sean Wilson situation - no one remembers him from being a reserve at Belle Vue, they remember him from being a star at Sheffield, Steady would be the same and would attract some of the missing fans back to the terraces much more than Kauko Niemenen would - no disrespect to Kauko.

Living in Sheffield, I drive around every day and apart from seeing the pictures on the back of the Sheffield Window Centre vans, I see nothing at all. My wife lived in Sheffield for two years before she met me and had never heard of the Tigers.

The race night has nothing to do with the poor crowds. Taking the fans for granted that they would pay more and turn up regardless to watch a garbage team has everything to do with it. Other factors might include the weather, calling meetings off because it might rain and the complete lack of publicity around the city. I'm glad to see Joe back in 2013 but anyone wanting any of the top five back next year wants their bumps feeling to be honest.

Sorry, I disagree. Most of us who work for someone else are told to do things we don't want to do and we would have to expect some consequences if we don't. Nobody could make the rider go out for Heat 15 but if they refuse there has to be some comeback for the decision. The history of speedway is littered with riders taking rides with injury, bits of bike strapped together to make them go etc. and where would we be if every time a rider didn't want to take and extra ride they used the excuse that their bike was about to blow up. If the rider's bike was about to blow up, and he chose not to take the ride then fair enough. If the management had got him by the scruff of the neck, pushed him out onto the track and then his bike blew up I would have some sympathy. He didn't take the ride and his engine did not seize, but to ignore the issue and let it pass without some form of consequence would set a precedent for the others to use the same excuse, be it a genuine one or not. I am not advocating that the rider be sacked or anything like that and I see that he did get an extra ride at Somerset, so the 'punishment' was not for more than one meeting, so I still support the management's decision to give his rides to someone else for that one meeting.

I've been fairly critical of the team this season and the way it was put together, but full marks to the Tigers management for giving the ever trying and ever entertaining Schrammy seven rides, whilst the miscreant of last Thursday's Heat 15 farce was given his four programmed rides and left to rot in the pits when the rider replacement rides were being doled out.

Kev, I have got an registration list of riders from 2003 and it has Harvey Bell as holding an amateur licence and with a date of birth as 29/5/65.

Wouldn't like to manage this shower. I would end up swearing as much as your dad!!

What a horrible season. Everyone at the pre season get together in the Panorama Room was saying what an awful side had been put together and that crowds would dwindle as a result, and that is exactly how it has turned out. No local lads, no crowd pleasing riders, no heat leaders, terrible home defeats, pizza menu programme (again), no atmosphere and charging more for the honour of watching- just shameful. Joe Haines in exempt from any criticism from me and the same can be said for Schrammy who at least gives 100% in every race. Skiddy has shown some improvement but the rest have been dire.

Pete Smith 11.7.40, born Feltham, Middlesex rode for Poole 1963-77 Peter Smith 21.8.54 born in Hagersten, Sweden, rode for Newport in 1973 Pete Smith 12.3.57 born in Barnsley, South Yorks rode for between 1975 and 1986 for Middlesbrough, King's Lynn, Leicester, Stoke and Long Eaton

I have Keith as being born in Poole on May 3, 1962.

Kevin Cyril Lock was born June 3, 1958, in Exeter.

Putting finishing touches to it. Out this autumn all being well.

John Cook for me. Loved watching him ride.

1 December 1951 in Marden, Kent.

I believe Bob was born in Anglesey, Wales, in 1937. I believe he is still with us.

A legendary figure in the world of motocross racing in New Zealand, Ivan was over in the U.K. in 1972 and was a great friend of Wimbledon rider Graeme Stapleton who also had a similar background. He was tempted to try the shale sport and signed for Rayleigh where he made a series of impressive appearances, including successive seven point returns at home to Birmingham and Berwick. Despite averaging over five points per match in his first eight matches for the ‘Rockets’ he decided that he was not making the progress he would have wanted and quit the sport. He was no doubt a talented motorcyclist and may well have risen to great heights within speedway had he decided to continue with the sport.

It was reported at the time that George came from Goldthorpe which ( I am sure you know) is a pit village on the Rotherham / Barnsley / Doncaster borders. He first rode at the Barnsley track at Lundwood in 1928 and appeared briefly for Sheffield in 1929 although he chose to mainly sit out the first season of league racing and 'freelanced' around the many northern tracks in individual matches. He rode for Nottingham in 1930 and 1931 and also for Sheffield in late 1931 and the early part of 1932 until the club pulled out of the sport. He suffered from injury which kept him out of the late 1930 and early 1931 seasons.

Bill McLeod rode a few times for Edinburgh in 1949 and 1950. Henry Hogg were the first two Christian names of the speedway rider Harry Darling. Could these people be one and the same. If so, Harry rode for Edinburgh in 1952 and 1953.

Fantastic stuff. Thank you for posting this.

To be honest has been too big a job to update the page every time a file is updated. I mention the new files but sometimes I will get a file update which just contains an amended race time. However, now the site is running smoothly I will get round to adding all the updates as they come in. Matt

Sorry for the delay chaps, I have written 95,000 words of the 1960s CD and it will be ready soon - I promise - I just need to make sure that it's right and doesn't let the other two issues down. I've got a bit delayed doing the Researcher web site but that is up and running now so it's full steam ahead. Thanks for the kind words. Matt

Monday 30th July 1962 County Ground, Exeter Exeter Falcons 57 Bradford Panthers 21 (Provincial League) Exeter Len Silver 3 3 3 3 12 Eric Howe 2’ 3 0 1 6 1 Pete Lansdale 3 2’ 2’ 2’ 9 3 Francis Cann 2’ 3 3 3 11 1 Howdy Byford 2’ 3 2’ 3 10 2 Alan Cowland 3 1 3 1 8 Bob Innocent 1 0 1 Bradford Tommy Roper 1 0 2 1 1 5 Dennis Jenkins 0 0 0 0 Reg Duval 1 2 2 0 0 5 Wal Morton 0 1’ 1’ 1 3 2 Stuart Hickman 0 0 0 0 Ray Day 1 1 0 2 Geoff Pymar 2 2 2 6 Ht1 Silver, Howe, Roper, Jenkins 77.4 5 1 5 1 Ht2 Lansdale, Cann, Duval, Morton 77.4 5 1 10 2 Ht3 Howe, Pymar, Innocent, Jenkins 77.8 4 2 14 4 Ht4 Cowland, Byford, Day, Hickman 80.0 5 1 19 5 Ht5 Silver, Duval, Morton, Howe 76.6 3 3 22 8 Ht6 Cann, Lansdale, Day, Hickman 77.6 5 1 27 9 Ht7 Byford, Duval, Cowland, Roper 78.6 4 2 31 11 Ht8 Cann, Pymar, Morton, Innocent 76.6 3 3 34 14 Ht9 Silver, Roper, Howe, Day 76.0 4 2 38 16 Ht10 Cowland, Byford, Morton, Duval 79.0 5 1 43 17 Ht11 Cann, Lansdale, Roper, Jenkins 76.2 5 1 48 18 Ht12 Byford, Pymar, Cowland, Hickman 79.0 4 2 52 20 Ht13 Silver, Lansdale, Roper, Duval 76.0 5 1 57 21 I have just updated the Speedway Researcher site with the relevant file which came through yesterday by a nice coincidence. If you need the full meeting details including the second half - go to www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk click on the Team by Team button click on the Exeter Falcons badge click on 1962 Scroll down to find the relevant meeting

It is obviously a good thing to have a junior league but is there much point for the lads while those champions of British speedway, Louis and Morton, fill their teams with Australians and continentals, ignoring all the British talent in the process?

Philip Edward Bishop was born in Bow on July 7, 1910. His career record was: 1930-31 - High Beech 1932-33 - Lea Bridge 1934-35 - Harringay 1936-39 - West Ham 1946 - New Cross 1947-48 - West Ham 1949-50 - Southampton 1955 - Southampton 1959 - emergency appearance for Belle Vue

The 1937 World Championship results are now on line. Go to www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk Click on the Year by Year button Go to 1937 Click on the World Championship link. Matt