iris123

Not found anything on this, but have found a report from Claremont,WA from August 1927 during practice sessions before the opening meeting of the new season 'Lionel Wills, the English rider who is here on a short business trip and who intends to stay over the opening meeting, also makes the cinders fly' also 'Ron Johnson shows a good deal of improvement'

Seen a report from the US mentioning the Aussie riders have left and weren't very impressive. The feeling was they might not have been trying too hard.......now it doesn't give a year,so I am guessing it might be referring to this tour, and that maybe as the earnings weren't up to expectations, they riders didn't put themselves out too much. Then mentions who was going to win the national championship and the favourites were Miny Waln or Cordy Milne, which could well make it 1933, as I am not sure Waln was still a favourite to win the title in 1934

Interesting post again Robbie. Yes, the threat of a ban on foreign riders obviously failed in 1937. I mean the Dons had a few through the door that season, with Miny Waln, Alfred Rumrich and then Byrd McKinney alongside Wilbur Lamoreaux But there was I think a ban in 1934. Of course 'foreign' meant non Commonwealth rider, so it meant for instance Morian Hansen of Denmark and Sebastian Roth (who had a decent spell for Plymouth late in 1933 and they wanted him back) of Germany, plus it was said Ray Tauser

Something a bit different to end the day (for me anyway) from 1929 Fines of 2 pounds for assault and 15 pounds for dangerous driving, with costs and his license forfeited, and disqualification from driving for 2 years, were imposed on Ronald Johnson. Evidence was given that Johnson in a sports car, drove at a terrific speed over Serpentine bridge, cutting between two cars which had to apply their brakes violently. In taking a sharp turn Johnson's passenger was thrown out and injured. The evidence stated Johnson became very excited when arrested and kicked the constable !!! On my, he was a colourful character

According to International Speedway, Vic Huxley failed to appear for Australia v England in their 1932-33 series in his homeland because the promoters' failed to meet his demanded appearance fee'

Oh on that 2 pound fee I found an article post war from 1949 British speedway riders threaten to strike on Saturday unless their demands for more prize money are met. They demand that prize money be increased from 2 pounds each point scored to 3 pounds. Riders made their demands after the formation of a junior league, which has 4 of the heats during a meeting .The senior men claim this has cut their prize money

Yes there were many titles considered to be world champion. Can discuss it on the un-official world championships thread. there might even be Star Riders thread buried away. Sure I have seen, maybe even posted that there were one or two riders before 1928 considered to be world champion

Found something from 1931 The Daily Mail reveals that a strike nearly preceded the speedway test between England and Australia, the riders demanding the doubling of the fiver which is the usual appearance fee. Despite the hothead's insistence on a strike, wiser counsels prevailed and the matter will be thrashed out at a special meeting of the National Speedway Association, when it is expected that a decision to make the fee for test appearances of 10 pounds, will be reached Presumably all went well. No mention of this on International Speedway

That is interesting. I did find some things before around that time using the word, but it looked to be another name of a highway

Yes, I agree. Just I think very few riders start out as the finished product no matter how talented they are. Michael Lee or Darcy Ward etc still had to knock off the rough edges and gain experience/ consistency. Whereas someone like say Niedermaier doesn’t seem to get any better with more experience

I think it is those guys. Earl Farrand, Shorty Campbell, Manuel Trujillo . But I thought they were based at Hackney

Brilliant article Robbie. Just wondering if these Americans were the Putt Mossman troupe that caused all the fuss? Also interesting that another fuss was expected over the 'small car racing' Thanks for that

I actually thought Weber was quite talented from the start. Very exciting just like Järf was as well

Can’t think of one off hand. Clem Beckett the socialist rider, who was killed in the Spanish civil war Organised a riders union. Don’t think he organised a strike though. But it certainly was part of social life back then. Strikes, Communist MPs, Blackshirts etc Speedway riders in the UK though, we’re earning astronomical sums

See there was also a strike in Denmark in the 1930s. Again because the crowds were so good and the money wasn’t getting to the riders. At least in their opinion. Not long after speedway suffered from an entertainment tax.....seems the Danish government didn’t consider speedway to be a sport !!!

Kolenkin and Saydullin are the wild cards for the Shadrinks and Togliatti GP’s

Dates are out . Vojens going under the SES name https://metalspeedwayleague.dk/loebskalender/

Seem strange picks to me......

Art Pechar and Fay Taylour

Footage of the meeting can be found here

Surely it is better that fewer animals are bred than to keep breeding animals that are cruelty treated ?This isn’t specific to greyhounds, but any animal. It is like saying if you stop testing products on animals it is cruel because less beagles or monkeys will be bred . It was also the fox hunt argument that if hunts are banned then the dogs won’t be needed....

Must say I met him once in Vojens and he was a very pleasant humble person. No superstar(which he certainly is) attitude etc

What I did find interesting and confusing at the same time, was a piece that the Milne brothers rode a bike with a Clem Mitchell frame when Jack won his world title and that Lammy also shared it in all his rides !!! Now that isn’t possible as they clashed in one or two heats.

Also reading through reports, the Milne’s couldn’t have stayed with the Crocker bike too long. In 1934 Cordy at least was on an imported bike and during that season there was to be a clash between the US and England. Bikes that is, though the report doesn’t say which make and Harley brought out a bike that year for speedway, so it could be that. But it was announced that I think Farrand would be riding the US bike and Jack Milne would be on the English one

But do FIM medals mean anything as such ? I am just wondering, because at first, the Internationale meeting was an FIM meeting and presumably riders were awarded with FIM medals? Not sure on that though