norbold

73.8

I suppose I should do my best I've seen 7, having already done my best of all time. Here goes then: 1. Ove Fundin 2. Ivan Mauger 3. Tony Rickardsson 4. Barry Briggs 5. Hans Nielsen 6. Bjorn Knutsson 7. Michael Lee (1977-80 version)

Sorry, Shoddy, I see what you mean now about your top 7. As far as Tom Farndon is concerned I don't think it is an emotional choice. After all I never saw him ride - I'm not that old - even though today is my first Official day of retirement! My view of Farndon is based on his achievements and what other riders said about his riding. Anyone who held every National League track record simultaneously can't be bad. He won the 1933 Star Riders' Championship and was favourite for the 1935 Final which, of course, he never competed in due to his fatal accident the night before. He was also unbeatable in the British Indivdual Match Race Championship and made the title his own beating off challenges from the likes of Vic Huxley, Dick Case, Max Grosskreutz and Ron Johnson. So much so that after his death the title was suspended until after the War. He also won the London Riders' Championship twice at a time when the title was second only to the Star Riders. He was also a regular for the England Test team. His team mate Ron Johnson said that Farndon could ride the white line as fast as other riders rode the outside of the track. Who knows what he might have achieved had he lived.

Thank you Shoddy. Have I convinced you about Vic Duggan yet!!!??? Top 7 ever in order of world titles won...Vic Huxley?

Sorry, can't help you there.

You know what I mean.....

I think we need two categories here: 1. Best of all time 2. Best I've actually seen Otherwise it sems to suggest that there were no top class riders before about 1980.....

Every time I do this I think I finish up with something different. But here goes: 1. Ove Fundin 2. Ivan Mauger 3. Tom Farndon 4. Vic Duggan 5. Vic Huxley 6. Tony Rickardsson 7. Barry Briggs

Erm sorry no idea what happened to him.

I can't remember where I got it. I've had it for years. Long before eBay! It was in the days when speedway memorabilia was cheap - comparatively.

Interestingly, I have just looked up my prized possession - the programme for the 1935 Star Riders' Final - and the format for that was the same as the later format (ie. post 1952).

Never saw any trouble in my time at New Cross or West Ham. Though the crowd at New Cross did boo Ronnie Moore once because he'd made some unkind remarks about Johnnie Hoskins in the Speedway Star! Does that count?

In 1938 the riders rode in the following heats: 1: 1-6-10-14-18 2: 1-5-9-11-17 3: 1-7-13-15-19 4: 1-8-12-16-20 5: 2-5-10-15-20 6: 2-6-9-16-19 7: 2-7-11-12-18 8: 1-8-13-14-17 9: 3-5-13-16-18 10: 3-6-12-15-17 11: 3-7-9-14-20 12: 3-8-10-11-19 13: 4-5-12-14-19 14: 4-6-11-13-20 15: 4-7-10-16-17 16: 4-8-9-15-18 This remained the format until 1951. The 1952 format was changed to the one which remained in operation until the end of the one-off Finals.

Only one? That's good to know.

Yes thanks Jim. Arrived yesterday. Haven't had a chance to have a look at it yet, but when I'm retired.....

Yes he did have a motor cycle shop in South London.

Gus Kuhn was captain of Stamford Bridge, the first Southern League champions (1929). Buster Frogley (Roger's brother) was Wembley's first captain in 1929.

The story so far... On Saturday, for the first time in 37 years, I met up with the man who originally nicknamed me norbold back in 1965 (see General Discussions). He is now the headmaster of a primary school in Hertfordshire. At a school jumble sale one of the items left over was a small autograph book. The organisers were going to throw it away but my creator, Andy, kept it. He showed it to me on Saturday. It was the autograph book of a Wembley Lions supporter in the early 1930s and contained, amongst others, the autographs of Tom Farndon, Vic Huxley, Sprouts Elder, Bluey Wilkinson, Lionel Van Praag, Dick Case, Gus Kuhn, Buster Frogley and Wally Kilmister. There was also a real photograph of a young Johnnie Hoskins stuck in on the back page together with his autograph. Andy asked me if it was worth anything. I told him it was worth a fair bit in the right circles with those names in. As I was leaving at the end of an enjoyable afternoon, Andy gave me the book and said, "Here take it. It's no good to me." I told him again it was worth a bit of money and he said, "No, I don't want anything for it, I'm just glad to have found someone to whom it means something." I'm glad I met up with my creator again 37 years on....

1. Crump 2. Gollob 3. Adams 4. Hancock

Wake me up when you get to the 50s and 60s...

Shazzy, do you know what happened to the former Canterbury rider called Steve Hone? I've often wondered and thought you might know....

norbold's day??????????????????????????????????????????????????

Thanks, bucket. I agree absolutely with what you say. Books, magazines and web sites all have valuable contributions to make, each in their own special and particular way. It's not a case of either/or but both/and.

Thanks for that, boywonder. I'll certainly ask Stan about it. I was going to ask him anyway if he'd like to contribute a match for the book. Perhaps one of those will be the one he contributes!

Having now had five books on speedway published, I only wish this was true! I can assure you I don't do it for the money. There's not much of that to be made with speedway books. I do it because I like doing it and for the very reason you are suggesting setting up a website, i.e so that the information is not lost and is disseminated to as wide a public as possible.