norbold

At last, an exciting race. Come on the red tractor, but try not to mow Scotty down.

Thanks BL, which means the match race series at New Cross in 1963 I quoted were probably his last rides.

Thanks for that info, Jonas. I'd be very interested in learning more about that appearance at Sheffield. I have looked at the Speedway Researcher site, but they have no record of it.

Ray Cresp was another. Whenever Dave Lanning mentioned him in the West Ham programme, his name was always prefixed by "droll slick gating leathery faced Aussie".

Funnily enough, one of the fastest gaters I've ever seen is Ron Johnson, who rode in some second halves at New Cross and a few matches for Edinburgh in 1960. He was then 53 years old but still lightning fast out of the gate. The problem was he was so frail he could hardly hold his bike up and was very quickly passed by the other three riders! The reactions were there but not the strength.

And still looking as fit as the proverbial fiddle.

How are Leicester not quite there yet? Three 5-0s to Sheffield would still mean they lose.

I think Norman Hunter's best year in the World Championship was 1966 when he finished 13th in the British & Commonwealth final.

Are you talking about Phil Morris?

The way to solve this problem is to find the Glasgow programme with the answer in. Simple.

Oh right. Thank you. Yes, the good old days before gang crime in the old East End and South London, eh? Those good old days of the Krays and the Richardsons do you mean?

Can you expand on that question and explain what your real meaning is?

Great photo….but I can't see John there.

Yes, there are descriptions of sliding round small track from before the First World War in the USA.

Yes. By 1928, Australia had a whole network of speedway tracks with a number of different promoters presenting what we would know as speedway. Vic Huxley, for example, was known as "Broadside" Vic Huxley from about 1926 onwards. And I think it was you who actually posted an article from a newspaper dated November 1923 (a month before Johnnie Hoskins' much- vaunted West Maitland meeting) describing the correct way to slide round a corner.

April 7th was the first time a track in this country had a loose surface and bikes weren't fitted with brakes. It was therefore the first time that broadsiding was seen - demonstrated most effectively by Colin Watson, Alf Medcalf and Digger Pugh. The 19 Feb meeting had a hard rolled surface and all bikes were fitted with rear brakes under ACU rules. No broadsiding took place even by the two experienced Aussies (Keith McKay and Billy Galloway) who were there. The top Australian promoter. A.J. Hunting, arrived towards the end of the 19 Feb meeting and took the promoter, Jack Hill-Bailey, to one side and told him that he "had it all wrong." He then took a hand in preparing the track properly for the 7 April meeting while also lobbying the ACU to remove their rule insisting on rear brakes.

Actually, to give a fuller reply, chunky, I personally don't even count 19 Feb 1928 as the first real speedway meeting. My view is that the first proper speedway meeting as we understand speedway was held on 7 April 1928 at High Beech.

No.

I remember the 40th, steve!

Oh right, thanks. Well, we've got another five years yet to plan for that which probably means, if British Speedway runs true to form, somewhere around 1st Feb 2028, they'll start to think about it….

The 100th anniversary was probably many years ago, steve!

I suppose we are going to have to put up with this erroneous nonsense all year now! "Eurosport "The 2023 FIM Speedway Grand Prix calendar has been confirmed as venues across eight different countries host FIM Speedway World Championships action in the sport's 100th season. "A century on from the first speedway event in 1923, the sport’s current generation of stars will mark a huge anniversary season with another epic year of 500cc, no-brakes, wheel-to-wheel racing on the most famous stages."

Ove has been my favourite since my very first speedway meeting in 1960, even though he was riding for the opposition! He scored an 18 point maximum for Norwich against New Cross that night. His sheer class put him head and shoulders above the other riders and he continued to be far and away the best rider at New Cross in 1960 and 1961 (apart from two memorable nights when Jack Young somehow found his early 50s form). There was also the memorable occasion in 1967 when I took a group of fellow students from Norwich, who knew very little about speedway, to the World Final and said I was supporting Ove, and, as none of them knew much about speedway, they duly joined me and did so as well. Of course, as we know, he won in spite of being past his best by then. It was quite a party we had that night! It is still my opinion that of all the riders I have actually seen, Ove is the greatest. His sheer determination, skill and will to win, in my opinion puts him above Mauger, Rickardsson and anyone else. In the last 20/25 years or so, I have come to know Ove personally and count him as a good friend. He is a real gentleman and very modest about his own achievements. He continues to show a real interest in the sport and is willing to spend hours talking to fans and supporters in general. The only other Swede I would speak of as a favourite of mine is Bjorn Knutson. I only really saw him for the one year he was West Ham captain, but, again, for that year, he was class personified and a firm fan favourite.

The 1963 final was the first one I went to. I was sitting with my friend next to a group of Coventry supporters who we chatted to during the meeting. Perhaps we met in another life, jrs!

One would have been helpful at times!