norbold

I'd go along with that, Ian.

30 September 1933: Belle Vue v. Wembley National Trophy Final 2nd Leg: Capacity crowd of 40,000 with hundreds locked out. I don't know about Belle Vue but admission prices at Wembley were 1s 2d, 2s 4d, 5/- and 10/- The average working man's wage at that time was about £3 10s per week.

I don't think anyone has said that 800 was not enough for the sport to be considered "born". If you read what I said above that's not the reason at all. Yes, but it wasn't directly linked to Droyslden. I don't know if the organisers of High Beech even knew that a meeting had taken place in Manchester. After High Beech, the sport suddenly took off with many tracks in London and the South East opening with the riders that had been at High Beech and then spread throughout the country. Of course, talking of firsts, there was the meeting at Camberley held on 7 May 1927, before Droylsden...

Yes, that sums it up nicely, chunky.

The Droyslden meeting was on 25 June 1927. 800 spectators attended. The first race was won by Fred Fearnley and Charlie Pashley won the "Experts" Race. It was a 440 yard circuit with cinders supplied by the nearby East Manchester Corporation Power Station. However, the cinders were packed down hard leaving no loose cinders to enable any sliding to take place. Was that speedway?

That is exactly the point I am making, Jeff. Droylsden was certainly before High Beech, but nothing happened afterwards. It was with the High Beech meeting that speedway took off in this country.

Yes. He spent his racing career in Britain as British before moving to New Zealand.

Don't forget the one at Ipswich in 1904.

Can you remove the ??? He was definitely a Kiwi.

As you know, Jim, my view is that the reason the West Maitland meeting is accepted as the first speedway meeting, in spite of there being others before, and High Beech the first in Great Britain, although there had been others before, is that because it was from those two meetings that speedway "took off" in their respective countries.

Three more South Africans: Toby Boshoff Bob Quick Fred Wills

Why have you got ??? after Dick Campbell - he was definitely a Kiwi - unlike Jimmy Tannock and Doug Templeton who were both Scottish. Two more Kiwis: Danny Calder Jack Hunt

Harold Bull (aka Frank Richards) Norman Clay Keith Cox (George) Huck Finn Gruff Garland Merv Harding Cecil Hookham Alec Hunter Doug Ibles Norman Lindsay Syd Littlewood Doug MacLachlan Jack Martin Dick Seers Bonnie Waddell Buck Whitby

It's not Ron Bainbridge Jun. His real name was Ron Bainbridge but he was known as Junior Bainbridge.

Yes, you're right about Gary Guglielmi and we've already had Andy Menzies. Another pre-War Aussie: Bill Rogers

Robert Baker Ron Cooper Andy Cowan John Howell Brenton Langlois John McNeill Peter Michelides Geoff Mudge Geoff Snider Peter Thompson John Wilkins

Aaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!!

Talking of getting killed, there was Dave Wills, Australian youngster who rode for West Ham Talking of West Ham, there was Ray Cresp.

Cliff Watson was a New Zealander. Born in Christchurch. However he had his first rides at Sydney and rode for Australia in Test matches...He was a bit like Ronnie Moore in reverse!

He was on Wolverhampton's retained list in 1974... It was just that he was unable to fulfill any fixtures. It happens sometimes.

Does this posting give you a clue, speedyguy?

Yes, I thought I'd gloss over 1974....

I think Steve Langton may have been the first Australian to use the foot forward method of riding. He was certainly an early exponent of it.

It's still Sticpewich!