norbold

No, but thanks for pointing that out. I shall have to go in and correct Wiki.

No, the rider who won the World Championship was Bjorn Knutson. However his name was often spelt wrongly with two s's for most of his career.

Bjorn Knutsson/Knutson

I doubt it very much. Just about the only passages that were accurate were the ones he lifted word for word from my Speedway in London without any thanks or acknowledgement whatsoever.

Tommy Price - one from the North who rode for Liverpool and Preston and the one born in Cambridge who rode for Wembley and won the World Championship in 1949. As totally confused by Brian Belton in his book, Hammerin' Round!

Good to hear that Barry is still around and still with his fine head of hair! Yes. The Roger in question is, of course, Bob, brother of Cyril and Bert. He only rode for New Cross for a short time in 1952&3. His two brothers rode for the Rangers for much longer.

White, Broadbank, Williams, Teodorowicz, Street, Ashby, Briggs, Adams, Kilby, Richardson, Brett, Roger, Autrey, Duke

As iris says the first period is normally the most fondly remembered I would suspect. And that is certainly true for me. New Cross 1960-61 first, then 1964-1972. Twice a week at West Ham and Hackney was normal plus frequent visits to Wimbledon and then Wembley, so as much as four times a week was certainly not out of the ordinary, not to mention the odd visit to Rye House and once to Gothenburg and Kumla! The closure of West Ham and Wembley was the beginning of my waning interest, though I still went to Hackney most weeks. But then came marriage and kids and I hardly went at all during the 80s and 90s apart from the odd visit to Ipswich after my move from London to Clacton. Though I still got Speedway Star every week and saw it on the few occasions it was on telly. My interest revived in 2001, when I agreed to write my first book on speedway and I got a bit involved again, going to Ipswich, as I still do, though not regularly like I did in my younger days. So, the answer to the question is for me, the 1960s and early 70s and feel privileged to have seen the "Big Five" at their best as well as the young up-and-coming Ivan Mauger (until he up-and came!) and riders like Jack Young, Sverre Harrfeldt, Gote Nordin, Booey, Ken McKinlay and many many others.

Igor Baranov. I saw him at New Cross when well-known showman, Johnnie Hoskins, was the promoter. I wonder if there was any connection....

I don't recall naming favourites before as opposed to the best.

I was keeping it to riders I have actually seen and who have been my favourites during that time (apart from Norman Parker, though I have given my special reason for him).

Norman Parker (I have to say him as I was named after him), Stan Stevens, Reg Luckhurst, Jimmy Gooch, Malcolm Simmons, Split Waterman, Norman Hunter, Roy Trigg, Dave Jessup and Bert Harkins (in case he's reading this!).

Frank Arthur, Vic Huxley, 'Cyclone' Billy Lamont, Lionel Van Praag, Ron Johnson, Bert Spencer, Bluey Wilkinson, Max Grosskreutz, Vic Duggan, Aub Lawson......well that's got me up to the War!

Tweet from Nicholls: "Ha it’s not me, I’ve not been not contacted."

I was. I went to college in Norwich and although Norwich speedway had, of course, closed by then, I managed to persuade some of my friends who had never been to speedway to come and watch him and cheer him on as a Norwich legend. I didn't hold out much hope that he would win as he was past his best by then, but when he did, I had some very happy friends!

The first Scandinavian I saw was Ove Fundin in my very first meeting, New Cross v. Norwich in 1960. He scored an 18 point maximum and ever since I have considered him to be not only the greatest Scandinavian of all time, but also the greatest rider full stop of all time. It's strange to think really that almost 60 years later we have become good friends and that his on-track ruthlessness and cuthroat attitude is equalled by his off-track gentleness and gentlemanly behaviour

I was never a great fan of Banger, though I wouldn't argue with the fact that it wouldn't have been a great surprise had he won the World Championship, he was certainly in the mix. Second in 1967 and third in 1971 is proof of that. On the other hand, I was always a great admirer of Gote Nordin and certainly think he had what it took to be World Champion. He was, of course, around in the era of the Big Five, but I believe he was their equal and, indeed, just before the handicapping nonsense came to an end, it was proposed he should join Fundin, Briggs and Knutson on 20 yards. Toby, yes, didn't see an awful lot of him, but,as you say, I think he could have been a great but for injury.

I lived in Loughton for 12 years and was at that meeting too.

Much as I was a fan of Christer at West Ham week in and week out, I don't think he was quite in the World Champ category, Sidney. Sverre, yes, Christer, no.

Me too. Christer was second only to Sverre for heart-stopping excitement.

I suppose my memories of Preben Rosenkilde and Bent Norregard at West Ham are a bit coloured by comparison with the great Sverre Harrfeldt at his imperial best sweeping round the boards, beating all-comers at Custom House. I think for sheer spectacle and excitement he was the best rider I've ever seen. Quite apart from the dash and exhilaration he showed, he could mix it with the best - riders of the calibre of Briggo and Fundin, as his second place in the 1966 World Championship showed. I'm afraid the memory of Rosenkilde and Norregard pale in comparison.

1937: New Cross 117 West Ham 97 1938: Wimbledon 109 New Cross 104 1939: Wimbledon 134 New Cross 82 1948: Wembley 115 New Cross 98 All these New Cross results are in a jolly good book called "Out of the Frying Pan". I can highly recommend it, Gustix. I believe it received a good review in the South London Press when it came out.

Ron Johnson won the London Riders' Championship in 1945 and 1946.

In the final round of Pointless today, one of the questions was name anyone who came in the first three in BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in the 1960s. Barry Briggs was a pointless answer. An easy £4250, but, sadly, the contestants didn't say him.

That looks familiar. I wonder who wrote that...