norbold

And I saw them win all three!

You'll be telling us next that Johnnie Hoskins didn't invent speedway either……

….and invented football.

Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) are still in the Premier League, though they are having a bit of a rough time this year!

Yes, you're quite right. Sorry. I was going from memory and had forgotten he was in our team. Sorry, Tommy!

My first race was on 11 May 1960. New Cross v. Norwich. Result: 1. Aub Lawson 2: Jimmy Gooch 3. Split Waterman 4. Harry Edwards. Neither any of the riders nor the teams still with us. Out of the 16 riders in that match, I think only two are still with us today, Ove Fundin and Reg Luckhurst (nos 4 & 11resepectively in the Oldest Surviving World Finalists list).

Eight for me…

Sorry, this is the wrong thread, but Kurt Petersen was before Preben Andreasen.

No, I'm sure Steve is correct.

I can remember when the start and finish line were in different positions at Wimbledon as Steve says, but I can't remember the dates.

I'm sure you are right about that. So, for some of us at least, the NL/PL split was a great blessing!

Though, as I said above, when I said that Tony Clarke rode in nine matches, Ted Ede rode in 16.

Actually, I don't think either should be removed. I think you were right to include them both in the first place because Tony took over from Ted, so, in a sense, their averages should be combined.

I think the point about Ted Ede is that he rode in 16 matches as opposed to Tony Clarke's 9. Maybe it is Tony Clarke's average that should be removed?

Very true. It is highly likely that the first speedway meetings were held in America rather than Australia if we accept that an essential ingredient of speedway is racing round oval tracks on motor bikes without brakes and sliding round the bends.

Apparently, he was good at falling: https://www.newspapers.com/article/wilmington-daily-press-journal-ray-paret/25597862/

Whatever happened to Snooks Blankenburg?

Count me in....

No, but the Twisted Too Bar & Grill doesn't look too bad...https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g36631-d22994828-Reviews-Twisted_Too_Bar_Grill-Roseville_Illinois.html

I think there were several people at that meeting including Speedyguy, Gustix, Mr Hyam and someone called Jack Keen who I believe came from Erith in Kent.

Gem is still active on Facebook.

...and New Cross!!!

Presumably because all the tracks (originally) were outside London. It also harked back to the pre-War Provincial League which was an equivalent sort of second division.

West Ham's win was more to do with the great improvement in Malcom Simmons' form than in adding Tony Clarke. Malcolm was, of course, a former PL rider.

And yet, the originator of the thread mentioned Greg Hancock himself in his opening post. Strange, eh?