norbold

Yes, I think that's right, which makes him the longest serving team captain so far. I don't know what years Booey was captain. Where's all the Coventry supporters when you need them?

Terry Betts was captain of King's Lynn from 1968 - 1978 Roger Johns was captain of Wimbledon from 1981 - 1989

Laurie Etheridge was Crayford captain from 1975 till 1982 (but that's not quite as long as some of the others...)

Yes, I remember seeing them at Wembley in 1964. It was great seeing them ride, though the outcome was a bit of an anti-climax as Great Britain won 73-35; only Plechanov and Samorodov put up any show at all. GB's three heat leaders, Briggo, Ron How and Booey, each scored 16 points.

I think you may have something with Terry Betts, iris.

I know what you mean Sandman. I felt the same way. I said to him at the VSRA dinner this year that he did have that effect on me and I guess many others. That he had an 'aura' about him like a movie star when he was racing and he would give me 'goose pimples'. He is quite deaf now and he just looked at me and said, "I really hope they keep having these do's". I am not sure if he heard me - or was just embarassed. It was both sad and amusing at the Golden Greats night I organised last year when Briggo had to keep getting up and shouting in Ronnie's ear all the questions from the floor directed him, as he usually answered the question - the one before though.... I am still in awe in the man's presence. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes, I know what you both mean about Ronnie Moore's presence. I felt it too at Wimbledon on the night of their return to speedway when he was the guest and I spoke to him after the meeting. Actually, I also had my problem with his deafness, which, like Jim, I found both amusing and sad. I asked him to sign my own copy of "Two Wimbledon Legends", which, of course, he did. I then presented him with a copy of "Speedway in London". He went to sign it and I tried to explain to him that I didn't want him to sign it, I was presenting it to him. It took some time and some sign language, but we eventually got there!

Thank you, iris! I have been thinking about it since I saw the post earlier. Jack Parker? Do you mean at Belle Vue? Yes, possibly. Ronnie Moore sprang to mind, but, of course, he missed out 1957 and most of 58 going car racing. Tommy Price at Wembley is another possibility but I'm not sure when he first became captain. So far though I haven't been able to come up with anyone who I could definitely say lasted longer than Doug Templeton, but I'm still thinking!

Well, you should have everything you need there, Tinkerbell.

Yes, and let's not forget he also lost to the great Jerzy Szczakiel... Only kidding, Steve...

Is your name really spingy?

Got mine today. Thanks Tony. Haven't read it yet but it looks very well produced.

I have Reg Trott's address. I've just sent it to you by e-mail.

I knew I had it somewhere! I've just found Edgar Stangeland's business card. He runs a mini digger and tipper lorry business in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland.

I can't see anything wrong in principle with the idea of a losing team being awarded some points. I don't think the supporters of a losing cricket team go home happy when their team has lost and they would never get more than the winning team or even the same but, surely, there is an argument for rewarding a team (in speedway) that loses by one point more than a team that gets thumped by 30 points or more. In fact we already have the situation where a losing team could go home with a point - it's called the bonus point for winning on aggregate. BilaHora's idea is just an extension of that.

That "wonderfully evocative photographic history of the Stars" that he mentions in the article must be a good book. I would recommend everyone should rush out and buy a copy....

You mean second equal with Ove Fundin, who won his five titles against the likes of Briggs, Craven, Moore and Knutson. He also came second three times and third three times. That's a total of eleven rostrum places. For my money, he was better than both Mauger and Trick...

Yes, the story is in John Chaplin's "The Story of the World Championship". You've remembered the story well. On Christmas Day the rider went to a workshop where the mechanic (Little Tich) was sitting and he gave him six cylinder heads a couple of cylinder barrels and the innards of a second hand machine and patted Little Tich and said "Clean 'em up son."

In my younger days as a spectator I never came across the riders themselves much. However, I do remember that when Norman Hunter was riding for West Ham he often used to be a spectator at Hackney and I used to stand next to him or near him anyway. He always used to spend the whole match reading the Speedway Star. I don't think he ever actually watched a race. When the match was over he used to ask people around him who'd won.

I'm thinking of Rupert Brooke's soldier.

And don't forget there is some corner of a foreign field that is for ever England.....

Don't forget the Pimlico Grand Prix at...er...er...

You can't keep a good urban myth down!

You're right about what might have been as far as the 80s is concerned. It is interesting that Hans Nielsen is always talked about as one of the greatest ever - 2nd in the Speedway Star Millennium poll - and yet what might have happened if Lee and Penhall had continued, Gundersen hadn't been injured, Carter and Sanders hadn't committed suicide...? Would he still have won as many world titles as he did? It's one of those things we'll never know of course, but great for speculation.

Berwick at war with Russia? Another legend I'm afraid. According to the legend, this began because Berwick, being officially of the kingdom of England, but not in it, was always mentioned separately in laws and proclamations. The Crimean War was declared on behalf of Britain and Berwick, but, so the story still goes, the Peace of Paris in 1856 missed out Berwick. 'Peterborough' in The Daily Telgraph in December 1935 recorded it was in October 1914 that the British Foreign Office hastily signed a peace treaty with Tsarist Russia tidying up this oversight. Unfortunately this was not true, the Foreign Office consulted in the 1930s and in 1965 could find no trace of this 'treaty.' Also, the documents relating to the declaration and peace do not separately mention Berwick, because by the Wales and Berwick Act of 1746 all references to England in Acts of Parliament were deemed to include Berwick, and Wales. But the story still persists, as only a good urban legend can, and Berwickers would not have it any other way.

Thanks for that Ian. I remember the occasion well. I saw it on the front page of the Evening Standard when I went out for a break from work at lunch time. I still have the paper. It was a very sad day of course.