norbold

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.

Maybe the fact he was dizzy for the rest of the meeting explains why he forgot?

Well, this seems to be all very encouraging. As I said before, I am not quite ready to start on this yet, but keep hold of your memories and I'll be in touch probably in a couple of months. In the meantime don't let me stop you continuing to post on the subject. It will give me a feel for what's out there. Thanks everyone.

I reckon I know! Strange the score should be 40-38, eh Grachan?

I used to love bus trips out to Epping Forest. On summer sundays the 35B ran to High Beech. Wonderful.....

I wish I knew. I'm supposed to be writing it jointly with Peter Lipscombe as he has all the material, but he is always too busy. We've got as far as 1932!

I don't think the run-off was re-run. Craven came in third behind Moore as far as I know.

Of course. Doesn't matter which league and I could do with a few older matches. Thank you.

This is the 1950s we're talking about here! To an East End cockney lad like myself, South London might just as well have been the far side of the Moon!

I think we can run to a few more than ten in the book. I don't really want to restrict it unless we really get too many, but I don't think that will happen somehow. I would be only too pleased if we did.