martinmauger

I first thought this thread was in reference to a recent match at Redcar where TWK's beloved Sunderland took on (presumably the local team) in an NJL challenge. Wonder if he made there it to watch ? Not 'Extracting The Michael' at all, roughly this time last year the mighty Hull Vikings competed in a 4TT at Scunny (v Scunny, Buxton & Halifax) as the 'main event' after the 'warm up races' (Scunny v Sheffield PL) and I can confirm any sport means WAY more when one's one team in competing. So far no sign of any other Hull matches taking place, but fingers crossed. Speaking personally, I will get to watch some speedway this season, it's a still a (THE) sport I enjoy immensely but / would defo make more effort making the time if a Hull team were riding, here's hoping ....

This is what happened when The Abbey was first built. I forget the actual year of construction but league racing began there mid-1949. The area was chosen as it was, at that time, 'middle of nowhere's ville', not anymore. Think it's called 'progress'....

Guess yer man Dave is doing well for himself then, some nice motors, good luck to him ....

Agree with the above. But keep double up / down, with some regulation. We all want riders to progress but seom riding in 2 Uk leagues whilst others ride in one (or none) is ridiculous. So, similar to the way National League riders are assessed, presumably on ability & experience. E.g. employ some kind of grading system. Allow riders to double up, National to Champs League, Champs to Premiership, but for a limited time (say 2 or 3 season) only riders who express the desire and possess the abilty to progress. Permit doubling down if riders are primarily a higher league rider and / or loaned to one, and only one, lower league, again for a limited time to gain experience. Then allow them to ride in just the one or two leagues, again for a limited time. At some point it could then be 'make you mind up time' for ride to deiced which league they are to ride in. This should gradually free up places in lower leageus and encourage riders to move up to higher leagues. Not THE solution, just my 2p worth. Re; engines, costs need to reduced, we all agree on this. But: say the GTR, new JAWA (or an updated GM) is made compulsory;- would would riders do with their existing engines ? I suggest either a rev limniter, or a power limit, enabling riders to use their existing engines with less cost than been forced to bin them and invest in a new engine(s). Ok, it would still incure some cost as riders will probably need to change camshafts, pistons, con-rods, flywheels, etc to meet any power regulation, but less costly than everyone buying new engines. Possibly employ a mobile 'rolling-road' for random power checks at tracks. Again, not THE solution another 2p worth....

Prefer Natalie to Suzy talking speedway, Natalie knows her stuff better....

Too right. Seen Range Rover Discos, a Maserati, Ferrari, a Morgan (twin JAP engine I believe !), Roller (yes Rolls Royce !), Lotus, a Porsche, Mk7 VW Golf GTi and a few others I've forgotten, in the Scunny car park. Now either Rob Godfrey is doing very well indeed, or at least one pretty well-off fan spectates at Scunny from time to time....

Too right, the ony rtime we heard of a big promotion is whan a team was on TV and comms report "they've really pushed this meeting - reducing admission to £10, etc". Reporting admission is reduced to a tenner will prob make viewers think "it can't be very good if they have to reduce the admission to get people to watch". I'm sure promotors do run their clubs, else there would be literally no speedway at all, but 'promote' ? I'm not too sure they do anymore....

Re: the Individ World Championship, one time each season every rider (presumably of at least league standard) theoretically stood a chance of becoming World Champ from 1st of January that year. This isn't the case anymore, mostly selected riders are invited to enter or seeded in the competition, though riders need to be of a very high standard to progress. Only the best will qualify and compete at the top level, true, but in my opinion too many riders 'remain' in the GP, top 8 I think it is, should really only be the top 4 or 5, let everyone else qualify on merit, + 1 wildcard for each GP venue to ensure home interest....

Nutshell: each time speedway shoots itself in the foot it loses people, often never to return; newbies and eventually the die-hards. One example (name delated) a club opened to a crowd of near 9,000 but various fall- outs, late meeting call offs, electrical failures, meets cancelled late, 'rain offs' on sunny days, people admitted on wet nites then "sorry folk, but the weather has beaten us" - newbies don't get the 'readmission after 9 heats or whatever' rule, etc, etc. Well eventually the club ends up performing before 600 people. OK, the afore-mentioned situations can occur any time but in real terms the club in question (name still deleted) 'lost' over 8,000 in 20 years or so. The answer: I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams if I knew it. Just my 2p worth....

Dunno which was the bigger atraction at 'The Zoo'; the usually brilliant speedway or the almost essential fun fair afterwards, especially the go karts ....

Tom & Joe Owen scored maximums for fun whilst at Newcastle. Joe got quite a few for Hull too in 1978 once Mauger helped him get his mojo going, until his (Joe's) terrible 2nd half accident at Hull (Boulevard) mid to late-1978. Joe's career was ended riding for Ellesmere Port at Birmingham (Wheels Project) in 1985. Joe survived but was sadly confined to a wheelchair....

Been to a few 'multi-hour' meets, not due to many race related delays like crashes but everyone just taking their sweet time, most often afternoon World Champs Qualy meets which literally did go on forever. Been to Scunny when they rattled through 70-odd amateur races in 4 hours....

Absolutely ....

Speaking as I find: my 'Star was late, 'course it just 'had' to be the season preview issue too, phoned Dave Fairbrother "no problem mate, I'll put another in the post", arrived today 11am. Only took time out from reading it to post here, really can't complain, first time late in either 2 or 3 years, so conitinued great service then. Originally took out a 'sub' as it was 'late' every 3/4 weeks despite reserved in papershop I used for years , yet I would see it on sale in supermarkets, etc. So all is well. + I may be going to speedway soon, good stuff....

Adding my 2p worth: 7 or 8 years ago either the first or 2nd time I rode a speedway bike, I slid off (admittedly at lowish speed), left leg temporarily trapped under the bike, struggling to free myself, didn't initially realise my right foot was also somehow under the footrest. Once aware of how hot my foot was getting I did manage to extract myself, but the exhaust downpipe, just before it meets the silencer, burnt through the reinforced heel of the leather Daytona boot and 2 pairs of socks leaving me with a lump the size a golfball. I applied a cold bandage immediately and the lump went down in a day or so but to this day I still have scar the size of a penny on my right heel....

And I'd love to see Hull Vikings back, it means WAY more when it's your own team. There are few things I'm ain't too happy about in modern day speedway but I still enjoy the sport: it's still 4 riders turning left 4 times, no gears or brakes skidding the back wheel to turn, change lines and race. Still, wouldn't ever dream of telling anyone else what to do, or not do, yer pays yer money, etc and do whatever....

Took the words 100% outa my mouth. I'm not a fan of the double points rule either (or at least only award DP for the race winner) nor am I a fan of any current team but don't let one rule ruin your enjoyment, TWK, it's still a great sport....

Er no. Hull actually closed in September 2005 (sob!). 2004 was in fact our 'season in the sun' as Hull Vikings won the Premier League, the Young Shield and the PL Knock Out Cup....

Pete Boston, Michael Lee, Middlo; Neil Middleditch. Barry Briggs & the late Simmo: Malcolm Simmons not exactly short either....

Me too. While obviously delighted at the (apparent) signing of Olsen, I was disappointed that Jimmy Mac was the rider to make way. Seems he was reasonably happy to leave, ironically joining the club Olsen left (Wolves), as he wanted Midlands base. Jimmy Mac was a great rider though....

Dave Gifford doubled up with Coatbridge and Hull in 1974, last rode for the Vikings Hull on 31 July during the infamous Hull v Belle Vue match. He after agreed with the Aces riders that the extremely wet Hull track was unridable after 4 heats (resulting in the record 60-9 home win), however the rereree had deemed the track ridable and so Gifford was sacked on the spot ! He spent the remainder of the season at Coatbridge. I cannot comment as it was the week after the match in question that my parents decided I was old enough to attend speedway alone, which I was more than happy to do as several school friends were already regular fans. It wasn't uncommon for kids to go to speedway by themselves being dropped off and picked up in the knowledge no harm would come to them, it's still the same nowadays. Bobby Beaton rode for Hull until speedway closed at the Boulevard end of 1981 while Jimmy Mcmillan spent one more season at Hull, moving to Wolves making way for the rider control allocated Ole Olsen. But that's another story....

The late Kazimerierz Adamczak rode 1 match for Hull in 1976, scored no points in 2 rides and so was released. He joined Exeter and Newport, did little better and returned to Poland. He died in 1994....

Thanks for the heads up. Don't the actor on the right look a bit like Woffy ?....

And Hull Vikings (!). On a not dissimilar topic, when the ex-greyhound filming box was removed form Craven Park (a sale by Hull KR to Scunthorpe Speedway to start life as the current ref box at Scunny) it was discovered, or re-discoverd, the hard way that all the electrical wiring for speedway was fed through the junction which connected the box to the entire stadium mains supply. In fact Dave Dowling tried in vain to run what turned out to be the last meeting (so far!) in Hull in September of 2005, v Glasgow. But it really was not viable, or safe, what with no starting tapes (elastic band), no green light (ref's torch from centre green), no stoplights (stewards with red flag - at night), no exclusion lights, pit lighting or anything else I've probably forgotten. Whilst not pointing the finger at anyone - really - one issue and a huge stumbling block to running the remaining 2 home matches (v Glasgow & King's Lynn) which were never staged was that the wiring from stadium to filming box, and so to power the speedway equipment, appeared to have been severed by a blunt, yet sharp instrument, not unlike an axe. Unfortunate. Whilst still not pointing a finger, it was widely known that landlords Hull KR wanted speedway to end asap so they could lay a wider pitch. This they did, the grass laying equipment vehicles soon moved in to begin work, and irionically there was till just enough room for a speedway track, as the dog track was long gone at the time, before the new stand over turns 3 & 4 was built in 2008ish.....

One thought occured to me: aren't folk going a little overboard a bit hasty-like re: GTR engines? I mean one rider, Freddie Lindgren, had a successful season using these motors and reported much reduced wear so he saved money and is happy. But Lindgren is a very good rider anyway so would know how to get the best out his equipment and look after it, not missing servicies or running his motors flat out even if they are not running 100% ok until they blow up. But we are talking about one rider using these engines over one season. I know Chris Harris had some rides on the GTR at GP level and Kelvin Tatum has had plenty of spins on them (again, both good riders) but suddenly people think these new motors could be speedway's salvation. When Weslakes, JAWA 4-valves, Goddens and GMs were launched they were supplied to a few different riders, works riders, who used them and presumably gave feedback to improve the engine(s). Their success sales grew and gave speedway the situation were GM became almost every riders' weapon of choice. I DO hope the GTRS are competitive at all levels, it will make speedway more interesting, and I certainly hope they DO reduce costs (a blow up 20 laps after a service is no fun for any rider) but it just seems to me folk are jumping the gun a little. Like I said, just a thought....