norbold

Yes, I would agree with Nigel. A young Roger Frogley.

Thank you, speedyguy. I believe the only bookshop that now has any copies left is W H Smith, so people may be able to order it through their local branch (if it isn't already in there).

No idea. My dad paid!

Self publish!? After 21 books being published by bona fide publishers and another two currently under contract. It goes against the grain a bit, Jim! Also, I'm really not sure it would sell that well to cover costs. I'm thinking up other avenues at the moment.

I still have my 25,000 word history of Crystal Palace Speedway waiting to find a home....

Thanks Marty. I am hoping the Tom Farndon book will be out early next year. I'm hoping to launch it at either the "High Beech" anniversary (even if it's not at High Beech!) or the WSRA Dinner. Yes, it was while doing the research for the New Cross book that I really came to realise just what a great character Tom Farndon was, both as a person and as a rider. I had always been a great fan of course, but the more I read and discovered the more I just felt he deserved a book on his own. I hope to do him justice.

Wikipedia goes along with Crystal Palace having been in Kent: "Several localities claim to be the area to which [Crystal Palace] was relocated. The street address of the Crystal Palace was Sydenham S.E (SE26 after 1917), but the actual building and parklands were in Penge. At the time of relocation most of the buildings were in Croydon, as were a majority of the grounds. In 1899, the county boundary was moved, transferring the entire site to Penge Urban District in Kent. The site is now within the Crystal Palace Ward of the London Borough of Bromley."

The Speedway Gazette ceased publication in 1955.

I think your definition of a "London" track is a fair one, cityrebel, and one I would certainly go along with.

I quite agree. Next stop for the bulldozers, Walthamstow

In that case, perhaps I could have offered you a lift home and got my revenge in first!

Barnet's track was, indeed in Mays Lane. Staines was at the Greyhound Stadium in Wraysbury Road; Elstree's track was in a field somewhere near Elstree , not sure exactly where; Chiswick Nomads were an "away" team without a track of their own, though I believe they used a former cycle speedway track on Mortlake Road for "get-togethers"; Greenford operated on the site of an old trotting track in Birbeck Avenue, Perivale

So you were there as well. Fortunately we didn't know each other then or you might have offered me a lift home...

Sounds good to me.

I don't suppose they had any hard and fast rules. Clapton, West Ham and Wembley were all near enough I suppose. Incidentally, West Ham, Clapton and High Beech used to take part in the Essex Cup as well.

Having a London postcode didn't mean places were in London. The Clapton track was in Leyton in the beautiful county of Essex.

Barnet and Staines were not in London when there was speedway there. Clapton (Lea Bridge) was never in London when it was operating as a speedway either. West Ham and Wembley were not in London until their respective revivals in 1964 and 1970.

I would like to endorse all these sites. They are all excellent.

And an excellent editor you were to. Some of the people you managed to get to write articles for the programme were the best.

Yes, sorry, you're right on all counts. I don't know why I had Bronco Wilson from 1947-1950, as my own records show just 1947 - a transcription error! Bob Oakley I did have missing for 1950 for some reason and I also had Bill Kitchen missing for 1953, but, of course, they did ride for Wembley in those years. Sorry, T.W.

I think Split Waterman, Eric Williams and Roy Craighead were still riding in 1962. Possibly Rune Sormander, though not in this country. Also maybe Denis Newton. Not sure without looking up records. Of course, Bill Kitchen, Tommy Price, George Wilks and Wilbur Lamoreaux were all pre-War stars and Brian Crutcher retired far too early. Bill Gilbert also retired young, although he did make a brief comeback with Norwich. In general the other riders were mostly immediate post-War products, so I suppose that by 1962 they were getting on a bit, so it's not that surprising that may had retired by then.

Bill Kitchen: 1947 - 52; 1954 Tommy Price: 1947 - 54 George Wilks: 1947 - 54 Split Waterman: 1947 - 49 Bill Gilbert: 1947 - 50 Bronco Wilson 1947 - 50 Freddie Williams: 1947 - 54 Bob Wells: 1947 - 51 Roy Craighead: 1947 - 48 Alf Bottoms: 1947 - 50 Wilbur Lamoreaux: 1948 Geo Saunders: 1948 - 49 Bruce Abernethy: 1948 - 51 Den Cosby: 1949 - 52 Eric Williams: 1950 - 54 Jimmy Gooch: 1950 - 54 Bob Oakley: 1951 - 52 Trevor Redmond: 1953 - 54 Brian Crutcher: 1953 - 54 Rune Sormander: 1953 Dennis Newton: 1953 Eric French: 1954 Fred Lang: 1954

I think the best International I ever saw, though not strictly a Test match, was the 1961 World Team Cup qualifying round at New Cross between England, New Zealand and Australia. Ronnie Moore scored an 18 point maximum for NZ, with Briggs scoring 14. Jack Young was Australia's top scorer with 12. England's joint top scorers were Peter Craven and Split Waterman with 13. The final score was England 44 NZ 38 Australia 26. The reason it was so memorable was because of the return to form of Split Waterman. For the 1960 season and the first half of the 1961 season, Split was a reasonable heat leader but nothing like the rider he had once been in the early 50s when he twice finished runner-up in the World Championship, but suddenly, in July, he returned to the form that had once made him one of the top riders in the world and here he was mixing it with the likes of Moore, Briggs and Craven on equal terms. Incidentally, although the match was 18 heats long, there was still time for a second half with Bill Osborne winning the Rangers' Scurry final from Tyburn Gallows.

Can anyone help me identify the riders in this photo and also the place. I believe it is in New Zealand, but where? The only two riders I can identify are Wally Kilmister and Tom Farndon. Thanks. http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2060483220054092940GxftAv

Article in yesterday's Eastern Evening News: http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=DerekJames&itemid=NOED25 Feb 2009 10:52:30:413&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=search://http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/sear...Category=search