iris123

You might be right I remember i went to the early years. At least i think so. And i was working in Covent Garden at the time and rode out on my bike. But possibly the first meeting i took the bike on the train and rode from the local station. So it was in the week after work

Thought it was Tuesday or Wednesday ? Shuttle bus from local Railway Station

Didn't realise there was also a UK connection Funnily enough, i remember Pascal Swart wanting to get a ride in the NL through his Mother being British

Seems Grays Athletic are trying to drum up local support for their planning application At least ticking lots of boxes about community use, health of the local community and helping youth, plus the added attraction of around 30 jobs for locals and even then the trump card of an area set aside for wildflowers, insects etcOn the other side, some locals are against the development for the usual noise, traffic reasons. But possibly the main objection, and one used by the Council is the development is in the Green belt and on a flood plain I guess , the reasons the application has been turned down before, and why the Council want to find an appropriate area for the football club elsewhere

Well still think Swart is not english. Could be South African for instance, as there is a certain Dutch influence in names. And was also a former SA rider called Deon Swart. Or possibly Australian ? Even Sharp maybe ?

I wonder, would the club colours change during the month ? I'll get me coat

Good grief. A 35 year old fued There have been Mafia or Albanian blood feuds that haven’t lasted that long !!!

Agree Just look at the MacAllister that played in the Football World Cup for Argentina Another famous player known as 'the Englishman' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Babington A family from Scotland. Plus there was a later Brown (unrelated) who played for Argentina in 1986 World Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_family_(Argentina) Anyway, i think Swart is more a Dutch name. And there was at least one Dutch rider, Pascal Swart i remember

Yes. Invite them all to the pensioners Xmas party and that is all

What i find strange is the football club have found a site and put another planning application in a few days before this meeting. Ok the Council it seems have rejected applications for this site before. So are the Council basically saying this new application will also fail … I guess one thing going for both is that the Council must be hoping for something positive to report after all the negative news

Ok, i thought this would involve financial support from the Council, at least in finding a suitable site for the football club etc

Sounds good, but Thurrock must be one of the worst Councils in the whole country. How they can be making decisions on such things at this time ? Thurrock Council announced this week that it was effectively bankrupt, issuing a section 114 notice to bar itself from making any non-essential spending as it grapples with a £469m funding black hole. It emerged recently that Newcastle City Council was among a number owed money by Conservative-run Thurrock, which it has been reported has amassed a vast total of £1.5bn in borrowing debt – including £900m in short-term loans from other councils.

Yes, i also went to Stamford Bridge when the track was still there to see. And i went to the derelict New Cross stadium and stood on what was left of the terracing. Plus as i said on another thread, been to the Crystal palace Athletic stadium, which was built n the old speedway track

I did visit a track there in the 70s for stock cars. Not sure if it is the same one used for speedway ?

Think old forumite Vincent Vega used to come up with some of the strangest off season threads What rider have you ever met at a restaurant or something like that is one that comes to mind

Wimbledon, Hackney, White City, Wembley, Crayford, Canterbury, Arena Essex, Eastbourne,Rye House, Poole, Exeter, Reading (Smallmead), Oxford, Swindon, Newport, Milton Keynes (Groveway), Ipswich, Boston, Peterborough, Birmingham (Wheels), Bradford, Coventry, Belle Vue (Hyde Rd), Hull (Boulevard), Cradley Heath, Edinburgh (Powderhall), Glasgow (Ashfield) , Paisley (but only for St.Mirren and by then one end had been squared off of the old track), various German and Danish tracks plus Gorzow in Poland and Malmö in Sweden Forgot Mildenhall and Pardubice

Didn't the Aussie guy Paul Johnson revolutionize the start marshall style back in the 80s

Is that a comeback for Mats Järf ? Can't recall him riding for a while. He was pretty good though some years back

Well not far from Norbold. Maybe he can answer the question of which year the first event was

Went to the Boulevard once also. Briggo's Farewell meeting. The only time, as far as i knw that i saw Ove Fundin ride. Track was fairly wet from memory. So difficult to make a real judgment

Just came across this Led Zeppelin, 1972 at Western Sprngs. Can see the speedway track

I was rather expecting Berlin or Inzell to be affected by the rise in energy price Think Franky is app testing at a natural ice meeting alongside autos etc But it seems an age ago when we had regular natural ice meetings in Western Europe

Heerenveen cancelled due to high energy prices I hear