norbold

Me too. Don't remember seeing you there. After that I saw him every week at West Ham. Heart stopping stuff week in week out! We used to think Sverre Harrfedt was hair raising, but he had nothing on Christer!

I was born in Hackney but never rode for them.....mind you, that may be because I was never a speedway rider.

You're probably right, chunky. I maybe looking at this too much through the eyes of a New Cross supporter. Cyril and Bert were the mainstay of New Cross from 1950-1953, along with Eric French, with Bert topping the averages once and heading Cyril on another occasion. Bob was just a second string, but then he was quite a bit younger. Bert also captained the England Test team for a while.

I saw Cyril Roger three times in individual meetings at New Cross towards the end of the 1961 season. I have never seen Bert or Bob, so I can't compare them based on my own experience. However, based purely on the record books, I don't think there is much doubt that Cyril was the best, followed by Bert and then Bob.

I only speak in the most hushed and reverential tones about his "bruvver". His is a name not to be taken lightly.

Jack Parker was born in Birmingham but never rode for them.

Geoff rode in 16 of New Cross's 17 matches in the Provincial League in 1963, averaging 5.49.

Yes, this is how I got to know about it. We wanted to put up a blue plaque to Vivian Woodward. Essex County Council said we should speak to our local council. We asked them and they said they had no objection as long as the people who currently live in the house were happy about it, which they were as we had already asked them. We went back to Essex County Council and, not only did they approve it, they donated £500 towards its cost!

Yes, Blue Plaques in London are organised by English Heritage. Outside London, it's every council for itself!

Only in London. Outside London, different Councils have different rules. It depends what Cheshire's rules are.

Foxhall had been around before 1968, up to 1965, but didn't reopen till 1969. So almost!

Shelbourne was promoted by Ronnie Greene and their team, the Tigers, was the Wimbledon team.

Yes, Walter Winterbottom was the first England manager. Appointed in 1946.

Quite right, Sidney. I am an idiot with no mind of my own and easily swayed by a man I have never met. I was totally unable to read all the posts on this Forum and make up my own mind and just fell under Chunky's Svengali-like influence. It's very instructive to learn what your real opinion of me is.

Please just STOP, Sidney.

Thanks for clearing that up, John. Oh, by the way, can you remind us who wrote this? “Over the years I have written on a freelance basis for most speedway publications - 'Speedway Gazette,' 'Speedway Reporter,' 'Speedway News,' 'Speedway World' and many more. In 1954, when the Southern Area League started I offered to write about the competition for the 'Speedway Star' and they agreed….It was the start of a link that led to me being offered a full-time post at 'Speedway Star' in 1955… I stayed in that post until 1962. “I was out of speedway journalism for more than 9 years, but resurfaced in 1972 when I was involved as a freelance writer and sub-editor with the 'Speedway Mail' which I ceased links with in 1984. “There came another lengthy period out of speedway until Wimbledon's return as a Conference League track in 2002 when I resumed old links with 'Speedway Star' as the track reporter, also contributing items on overseas speedway. “I…did edit in the early 1960s the first two editions of the annual 'Speedway Digest.' In recent years since about 1998 I have been a contributor to the 'Vintage Speedway Magazine' and more recent times to 'Classic speedway.'” Thank you.

It is Ove Fundin's 87th birthday today.

No, The West Country Gazette is not a regular feature, but the Talking Pictures channel has lots of short 5-15 minutes historical films, many from the 1940s and 50s. I find them fascinating. You need to keep a watch out for them.

Any time, TWK! They said it was a grasstrack meeting at the beginning. The racing looked particularly uninspiring I thought, though nevertheless interesting to see Vic Duggan in action.

Yes, correct, steve. The man in the bow tie is Jon Stevens

You are right of course to a certain extent, but does lockdown prevent cancer and heart disease in the same way it does Covid-19 spreading? How many would have died from Covid-19 without strict rules on isolation and distancing? The figures you give are not really comparable.

This is a photo of Terry Mussett next to a man wearing a bow tie, if that helps?

I wouldn't disagree...... ....unless I am trying to sell a book about Tom Farndon.

Yes, something similar for me too. I was interested in speedway some time before I actually went to see a match as two of my uncles had been going to speedway since before the War and often spoke about it. So that, growing up, I would hear stories about Bluey Wilkinson, Jack Parker, Vic Duggan, Jack Young and so on. I used to follow speedway results in the newspaper and watch it on the odd occasions it was on telly. My own heroes were Split Waterman, Aub Lawson and Brian Crutcher, so, again, even to this day they have held a special place in my memory of the "greats". By a strange twist of fate, when I did go to see my first meeting, the very first heat brought together Split Waterman and Aub Lawson and I also bought a copy of Speedway World and the front page headline news story was about Brian Crutcher. Also, at my very first meeting, Ove Fundin scored an immaculate 18 point maximum. It has been very hard in the 60 years since to shake me from the belief that Ove is the greatest rider of all time.

I think that is patently untrue. I think it more likely that most people's memories and ideas on who are/were the greatest riders are more likely to be the riders we first saw. I know in my case, for example, the likes of Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs and Ronnie Moore are the yardstick by which other riders have to be considered.