norbold

Doug maybe in with a shout, but not Willie. There's also Tommy Miller of course. Sverre Harrfeldt definitely. Reidar Eide? Runa Holta?- or is he Polish!? Czech. Which Kasper and which Tomicek!!!??? They like it to run in families over there!

We could also split up the constituent parts of GB. England,much the same, except no consideration of Freddie Williams. Wales: Freddie and Eric Williams Scotland: Ken McKinlay and ? George Hunter, ?Jim McMillan, maybe Haggis?

I was thinking about country best pairs when you started this thread, Joe and was going to post something. It's not easy to come up with a definitive best pair for most countries,though funnily enough, probably the best of them all with multiple world champions is the easiest. That is Sweden. Has to be Fundin/Rickardsson. My second would have been New Zealand with Mauger/Briggs, so it's funny that you have said Mauger/Moore. Not so self-evident after all then. I guess Denmark with Nielsen/Gundersen also speaks for itself, though you would have to consider Ole Olsen and Nicki Pedersen....hmmm, maybe it doesn't speak for itself after all! After that it gets more difficult. USA, maybe Penhall/Hancock but what about Jack Milne? Britain - Craven and ? Plenty to choose from, starting with Tom Farndon and working through Eric Langton, Tommy Price, Freddie Williams, Split Waterman, Peter Collins, Michael Lee, Tai Woffinden. Poland? Gollob and ? Again plenty to choose from Woryna, Waloszek, Plech, Jancarz, Hampel. Australia is probably the most difficult of all. No dead cert no. 1 Vic Huxley, Bluey Wilkinson, Vic Duggan, Jack Young, Aub Lawson, Jason Crump. And then there's Russia, Norway, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic), etc. It's getting late.....

I think they would been too busy trying to knock each other off than concentrating on winning!

When you say "basis of the track", what do you mean? The shape was there, except for the corners, but there was no track laid. Yes, I know.

Not between 1957 and 1969 nor after 1971 it wasn't.

Aldershot 1950: Trevor Redmond, Basil Harris, Doug Ible, Jack Rodwell, Doug Papworth, Ivor Powell, Bob Harrison, Pat Flanagan, Ken Smith, Bill Grimes, Bob Bunney, Ron Burnett, John Dore, Jack Peck, Allan Briggs, Johnny Guilfoyle. (Sorry, compost, I just happened to have a note of the 1950 Aldershot riders for some reason! I'll leave you to deal with 1951-60!)

Just to be pedantic, Briggs should be 4 not 2.

Hackney were in the BL Div 2 in 1991 but didn't complete the season, closing in July.

If only I had the money. By the way that's Billy Lamont on the left!

Thank you, chr, but I think I should say that Chris Broadbent wrote half the book so I can't claim all the credit for this one. I was at the Wimbledon v. West Ham meeting in 1965 as well. I can still remember it much clearer than any more recent meetings. It was undoubtedly the best meeting I have ever been to. What are your memories of it? (By the way, why didn't I see you there? )

West Ham had closed at the end of the 1971 season, but had a short reprieve in 1972 when Romford moved the Bombers to West ham on the forced closure of their stadium and, yes, they operated in the second division. But they didn't last long at Custom House and moved off to Barrow. The Southern Rovers were originally a team without a home track as the name suggests and in 1956 had operated as a sort of wandering club using different tracks for their "home" matches. It proved to a be a very difficult logistical problem for the team and at the end of the 1956 season, it was hoped that they had found a permanent home at Earl's Barton in Northamptonshire.but when that fell through, Vic Gooden, the Rayleigh promoter, gave them a home as their Southern Area League team, Rayleigh.Rockets, had gone up to the National League. So they then operated as Rayleigh Rovers. After being out of speedway for two years, 1958 and 59, Rayleigh made a triumphant return to speedway, winning the inaugural Provincial Leage with a team consisting of Reg Reeves, Eric Hockaday, Alan Smith, Pete Lansdale, Stan Stevens, Clive Hitch and Roy Craighead. John Leggett and Wally Mawdsley also turned out for them during the season. The 1961 team had Harry Edwards, Reg Reeves, Bob Thomas, Stan Stevens, Roy Craighead, Pete Sampson, Geoff Penniket and Terry Stone.

My prefab had gone by 1970 :(

See my opening post.

Yes, I can certainly agree with Hawk that Ipswich get good coverage on local radio and in the local press. I haven't listened to BBC Essex in some time but they used to give Arena Essex/ Lakeside good coverage, though I don't know what it's like now.

I'm being interviewed live some time between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (6 October).

Yes, it was a nightmare event for poor old Hedgie. He had engine failure in his first two rides. In his first he pulled up while in the lead at the end of the 2nd lap against Ole Olsen. Then he was knocked flying by Gennady Kurilenko, who was excluded. Hedgie was too injured to take part in the re-run. He turned out for his fourth ride but was too injured to carry on and pulled up after two laps. He didn't come out for his fifth. As you say, I'm sure he would have done much better but for e/fs and his fall.

Roy Trigg was English. It was only after he retired that he emigrated to New Zealand. I remember seeing some of his first rides as a teenager at New Cross in junior second half events. I predicted a great future for him even then. Yes, I think 1970 was the worst year ever for Britain in the World Championship. Only one qualifier and no points.

It would be just nice to know that she knows enough about speedway to remember that!

Thanks, Jim. That's the Ove we all remember and love.

No, sorry, I've re-read my fairly short post several times and can't see anywhere where I said your post has "no real worth". I was merely pointing out that Arena Essex and Lakeside were/are not in London. Neither were/are High Beech nor Rye House of course. Under your criterion, you could also include Rayleigh.

Stretching the meaning of London a bit with Arena Essex and Lakeside........

Very sad news. I remember Johnny well at New Cross in 1961. Of course it is always sad when someone dies, but he does seem to have lived a very full life. RIP John.

There was a good one last night, though I can't remember whether it was Nigel or Kelvin who said it, "Greg would love to win the Grand Prix here in Stockholm." Of course, none of the other riders would.......

Crayford. Yes, of course. I'd forgotten them. Parsloes and Bryn will never forgive me!