norbold

Who did he get rid of?

For the first decade of this century there were four outstanding riders, head and shoulders above the rest, and that included Hancock, who had to wait till they had retired or declined before he came back into prominence. They were Rickardsson, Pedersen, Gollob and Crump, with Crump probably second best of that lot. Yes, Crump has been out of the sport for a longish time, but he was in a different league to all but about three or four current PL riders. I can't see him being anything other than a major asset for Ipswich. Good on you, Chris, for signing up one of the all-time greats of speedway.

That's my boy!

Is there a picture of Bob with a young up and coming rider called John Hyam?

Whatever happened to John Hyam? Did he ever make the big time?

I beg to differ.

Yes, as long as you take it with a very large pinch of salt!!!

Some of those books are brilliant....

Not quite. 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966.

Top. Oh, and don't forget Barry Briggs.

That's your page! I have no problem getting on to Terry Mussett's page.

The 1937 Norwich team consisted of Jock Sweet, Alec Peel, Dick Wise, Wilf Jay, Paul Goodchild, Bill Birtwell, Jim Millward, Alan Smith, the Australian Bert Spencer and, of course, Grosskreutz himself. Over the next couple of years he brought in Wal Morton and Fred Strecker as well as the South African, Keith Harvey.

Both are well worth visiting. Been there many times. There is a particularly good information board in the Museum, explaining "The Start of it All".

When Max Grosskreutz launched the Norwich team in 1937, one of the things he did was to build all the team's bikes.

Thanks for that. Phew! For a minute there, I thought Tom might lose.....

I hope you were reading it in Tom Farndon's biography.....

Yes, I saw that question and was going to reply much along the same lines as you. Case excepted, I would say there wasn't much in it between them.

Still got that sense of humour I see, mick.

Entertaining and exciting? Surely Sverre Harrfeldt is far too old these days....

I think they could be trying to talk Savalas Clouting out of retirement.

Yes, sounds right to me. Anyway, I think we can say that Lionel Wills was the first domiciled Brit to ride proper speedway as we know it.

Yes, because at the time the Golden Helmet was being touted as the World Championship, that's why the article mentioned the World Championship and not the Golden Helmet. You say the Daily Mail article said, "With it mentioning Eric Langton and Haig as outstanding northern riders , and Burton, Jack Parker and Dicky Case having a strong for the south. And as Tom Stenner writes the committee should start arranging eliminating races between these riders." If you think about it, that is exactly how the Match Race Championship was run, i.e., by finding challengers and was not how the Star Riders Championship was run.

Yes, I know, but you were speculating on what the World Championship was they were referring to. I was just trying to explain what it was.

I don't think the Star Riders Championship was ever thought of as the World Championship, but, in 1931, the Golden Helmet Match Race Championship was promoted as the World Championship. Vic Huxley was match race champion in 1931 and that's what the article is about, i.e. finding challengers for the Golden Helmet.

That must be the first time we have ever agreed on anything, mick!