BL65

The Wolverhampton team almost, but not quite, equalled the compact Oxford performance at Swindon on 9th October 1965 (Airey 7, Andrews 5, Sweetman 5, Francis 5, Guasco 5, Maxted 5, Jarman 4). Pete might have scored more than 4 but for machine failure in one race, but that would have resulted in Guasco scoring 4 instead of 5.

Plymouth 1954, the home fixtures were published in one programme only, away fixtures not published at all.

White City 1978.

Wolverhampton 1981 - fixture list changed frequently as the season progressed.

New Cross 1953

Wolverhampton 1954

Liverpool 1953

I have several Bristol and Edinburgh programmes from the years listed and none contain a fixture list

Rained off on 30th March according to Reading programme.

Was that in 1954?

Ronnie Moore won the world title in 1959 with a 15 point maximum. Barry Briggs only competed in the final and three other individual events on British tracks that season, scoring 38 points at an average of 9.5 out of 15 per meeting. Ronnie competed in 19 events, winning three and scoring 206 points at an average of 10.84. Peter Craven won 9 out of 21 meetings, scoring 275 points at an average of 13.10. He couldn't match Ove Fundin, who was first or first equal in 10 out of 16 meetings, scoring 223 points at an average of 13.94. This could have been better but for an exclusion in one meeting where he won his other 4 races.

A brief look at 1968 reveals the following comparisons between Mauger and Briggs that year. In all World Championship meetings up to and including the final, plus individual meetings on British tracks: Ivan rode in 22 meetings, Barry rode in 15. Ivan scored a total of 261 points for an average of 11.86 out of 15.00; Barry scored 182 for an average of 12.13 out of 15.00. There were 9 meetings in which they competed against each other and in these: Ivan scored 103 points, average 11.44 out of 15.00. Barry scored 97, average 10.78. Barry won the last two meetings of the season in which they both competed, The Laurels at Wimbledon and the BLRC at Belle Vue. Ivan won 4 of the 9 meetings in which they met, all of them World Championship events, at Newcastle (QR), Wimbledon (British Final), West Ham (British Nordic Final) and Gothenburg (Final). Ivan's average was deflated by his scores in meetings at Wimbledon (Internationale) 4 points, Hackney (Superama) 10, Wroclaw (European Final) 10, Leicester (East Midlands Open) 6, Coventry (Brandonapolis) 10, Wimbledon (The Laurels) 10 and Coatbridge (Scottish Open) 2. Barry's lower scoring meetings were at West Ham (British Nordic Final) 6, Wroclaw (European Final) 9 and Leicester (East Midlands Open) 2 (after a first ride fall).

Arthur Forrest and Arthur Wright married Jack Hughes' two sisters.

Why did he never point it out to anyone? Why did Bjorn Knutson go through his career as Knutsson, at least in Britain? Why did Chris Julian become Chris Julians for part of his career?

Brian Crutcher retired at the age of 26.

Brian stayed with Newcastle in 1966 and then retired, only to come back to join Cradley Heath in June 1967 after Jack Scott returned to Australia. He then retired again at the end of the season, aged 29.

Stars of Bradford (24): Joe Abbott, Al Allisson, Dave Baugh, Jack Biggs, Nigel Boocock, Arthur Bush, Ron Clarke, Neil Evitts, Arthur Forrest, Gruff Garland, Max Grosskreutz, Oliver Hart, Gary Havelock, Alan Knapkin, Bill Longley, Bob Lovell, Bob Mason, Gary Peterson, Ernie Price, Eddie Rigg, Alec Statham, Kelvin Tatum, Fred Tuck, Arthur Wright Stars of London (24): Jack Biggs, Cyril Brine, Howdy Byford, Eric Chitty, Malcolm Craven, Tommy Croombs, Eric French, Dick Geary, Jimmy Gibb, Billy Gilbert, Ron Howes, Ron Johnson, Frank Lawrence, Aub Lawson, Bill Longley, Jack Milne, Ray Moore, George Newton, Norman Parker, Geoff Pymar, Cyril Roger, Tiger Stevenson, Nobby Stock, Les Wotton Stars of Midland (24): Ken Adams, Harry Bastable, Nigel Boocock, John Boulger, Ivor Brown, Arthur Browning, Phil Collins, Sam Ermolenko, Alan Grahame, Erik Gundersen, John Hart, Phil Hart, Phil Herne, Roger Hill, Alan Hunt, Peter Jarman, Hans Nielsen, Ole Olsen, Bernt Persson, Malcolm Shakespeare, Derrick Tailby, Roy Trigg, Graham Warren, Ray Wilson Wembley - Series 1 (15): Bruce Abernethy, Brian Crutcher, Eric French, Billy, Gilbert, Bill Kitchen, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Fred Lang, Bob Oakley, Tommy Price, Trevor Redmond, Split Waterman, Bob Wells, George Wilks, Eric Williams, Freddie Williams Wembley - Series 2 (21): Wayne Briggs, Gordon Byers, Frank Charles, Roy Craighead, Broncho Dixon, Roger Frogley, Ove Fundin, George Greenwood, Eric Gregory, Morian Hansen, Bert Harkins, Dave Jessup, Billy Lamont, Ginger Lees, Wally Little, Jim Milward, Gote Nordin, Jack Ormston, Lionel Van Praag, Colin Watson, Harry Whitfield

Junior Bainbridge, Bobby Beaton, Oyvind Berg, Derek Close, Les Collins, Reidar Eide, Gruff Garland, Jack Gordon, Keith Gurtner, Bert Harkins, Frank Hodgson, George Hunter, Ken Le Breton, Danny Lee, Norman Lindsay, Will Lowther, Ken McKinlay, Jim McMillan, Tommy Miller, Charlie Monk, Bruce Semmens, Doug Templeton, Willie Templeton, Willie Wilson, Jack Young.

Here is a clue. Ron Clarke, Odsal captain and member of the 1949-50 touring team, sent 'news' to Speedway Echo, published on 25th February 1950. His comment was: "We are all attending a Farewell Ball this week, when our main part will be presenting Harry Tovey with a little something for his services to us. Believe me, and this is the general feeling in the tourists' camp, nothing we can give Harry can repay him sufficiently for the magnificent way he has taken care of us out here. It's really been grand to meet a guy who has taken such a great interest in our team. We feel rather guilty at letting him down over the Test series but that's just the way things work out sometimes. We hope that we haven't seen the last of Harry where our speedway is concerned and we'll never forget him for what he has done for us." My feeling is that Harry Tovey was probably in charge of all administrative arrangements during the tours, but maybe the team captain was responsible for racing matters.

Harry Tovey was also manager on the 1949-50 tour. It would be out of character for the UK authorities to pay for a team manager to travel to Australia in those days, so perhaps Harry was resident there.

H. for Harry.