PElford

Hi Steve I've just had some more programmes arrive from home, and I'm pleased to say that I filled most of these in at the meetings. However, I have no score details for Crayford v Berwick on 20 April 1976, Crayford v Canterbury on 13 July 1976 and Crayford v Coatbridge on 3 August 1976. Can you or anyone else post the scores, heat details and times etc on the forum? There is absolutely no rush for the details. Many thanks Paul

Hi Steve Many thanks for finding the time to provide the results for the above three meetings. I have filled the scores in on all the programmes. Over the next couple of weeks, I have some more programmes coming from my parents house. Would it be ok to give you another shout should any of the scores be missing please? Kind Regards Paul

Many thanks, Steve, for providing the details of the drawn match against Newcastle. I've just filled the scores in on my programme. At the same time, I compared the two teams from this match, and the earlier league match, which will probably be best remembered for Tom Owen's exclusion. Crayford were missing Pete Wigley whilst Newcastle were missing Tom Owen, Ron Henderson and Brian Havelock which meant that the Revenge Challenge was somewhat "watered down." I look forward to seeing the scores from the other 2 meetings when you have the time to provide them. Cheers, Paul

I've just come across a bundle of 24 Crayford Home Programmes from 36 years ago. Most of the programmes, are filled in by my own fair hands, but there are a few which were left blank for reasons that I can't remember. Can any kind forum member post the scores and heat details etc for the following 3 meetings please? Crayford v Newcastle on 6th July 1976 (Revenge Challenge); Crayford v Stoke on 17th August 1976 and Crayford v Eastbourne on 7th September 1976 I've got a feeling that the last of these was the only home league defeat of the season. Many thanks in advance for any help with this request. Paul Elford

Many thanks Rowan for posting those scores. I've just filled in my Newcastle programme and noticed that there was never more than 2 points between the teams. Apart from our ever reliable Captain who scored 10 pts, both Alan Johns and Pete Wigley stood up to the plate against the toughest of opponents. It also struck me that our two reserves more than played their parts as between them they only finished last in one of their eight races. Another thing that struck me, was the number of riders who fell in both the main event and the second half. My first thought was that given it was a night in April perhaps there was some rain about. However, I don't remember it raining and the heat times of the Silver Helmet races suggest that conditions were very good. But, as you say, remembering things that happened nearly 36 years ago is a bit tricky. One other small thing that I do recall was trying to get Joe Owen's autograph out the back after the meeting. I seem to recall that he was not in a very obliging mood, but he did sign my book because my Dad had shone his torch for him as he was trying to tie something to the back of his trailor. For me, it was nights like this that made going to school the next day just about bearable! Cheers Paul

Hi Rowan Thanks for your very kind offer on the All Star Pairs Championship. I've literally just found another incomplete programme for the Crayford v Newcastle match on 27th April 1976. If you did have the time, I would be very interested to complete the full scores/heat details for this meeting as I seem to recall that it was one of the best ever league matches that I witnessed at London Road. Didn't we experience both the disappointment of Laurie Etheridge losing 2-0 to Joe Owen in the Silver Helmet race, only to be followed by the jubilation of beating the Diamonds 40-38, which turned out to be one of only three defeats that they suffered that season? Many thanks in advance for any information that you can provide. Also do you have any personal memories of that great night? Paul

They were indeed very happy days at London Road, Rowan. Many thanks for the information, which confirmed my belief that Laurie Etheridge won the event, but I could not remember who his partner was.

Does anyone have the scores of the above meeting please as I've just found my original programme which does not have the scores completed. Thanks in advance for any help with this. Paul

Derek, I just read that the time of his first heat victory was 60.0, which presumably was pretty quick for a youngish second division rider.

You mentioning Peter Collins has reminded me of another story from the mid 70s. Didn't we play Belle Vue in an inter-league challenge match at London Road? A friend of mine, who used to go to the occassional meeting, was walking along Crayford Way, when a car with a speedway bike on the trailer pulled up alongside him and asked the way to the stadium. My mate didn't recognise who the rider was and said that he would give him directions if he agreed to give him a lift. When I spoke to my friend in the stadium just by the pits, he pointed out who the visiting rider was and to my amazement it was none other than you're hero Peter Collins. Do you have the scores of this match which I seem to recall that we eventually lost by a narrow margin?. I seem to remember that at least one of Peter Collins' brothers (Les?) also rode for Belle Vue. Also, was Peter Collins World Champion at the time he visited London Road?

Thanks for reminding me about the drawn challenge match Derek.Didn't they use rider replacement for Tom Owen hence his brother's huge score. I assume he won 5 of his 6 races with only Laurie Etheridge or Alan Sage beating him? My favourite non-Kestrel was Colin Richardson. I remember travelling on the official coach which the club ran in 1975, 1976 and 1977 to the National League Riders Championship at Wimbledon. I was very lucky to see three great riders in Laurie Etheridge, Joe Owen and Colin Richardson win the title. In 1977, I recall that there was a huge cheer when Richardson's winning time was announced for his first heat. I can't remember if it was a track record but it certainly sparked the crowd into life. Of course, he also rode for Wimbledon which must of been a help.

Yes, Derek I can remember that Kelvin Mullarkey was not the most popular visiting rider, but he was very effective round our small track probably because it was similar in size to the one he was used to at Hoddesdon. I seem to recall that some of the difficulty that Crayford had in those days in things like the Four Team Tournament was the fact that Rye House and Eastbourne riders went well round London Road because they were used to small tracks. I suppose that means that our riders should have performed equally well around Rye House and Arlingnton. One of the truely great nights that I can remember was that match against Newcastle in April 1976 when we squeaked home 40-38. I don't suppose that you could post the individual scores and heat details at some point if you have them? Many thanks Paul

Many thanks Parsloes 1928 for providing the individual scores for those KTT meeting. They were all great nights! Seeing the scores again for 1977, reminds me that going into the final heat, there was an overwhelming desire from everybody in the stadium for Tom Owen to make it a hat-trick of wins. Martin Yeates, was the one rider who had other ideas, but he was unable to make a good gate and struggled to get through the traffic and was unable to get to Tom Owen. Paul

Hi Steve Many thanks for the very quick and helpful reply. I can now remember how disappointed we were on the 27th April 1976 when Joe Owen won both legs at London Road. We thought with a two nil lead from the away leg that Laurie Etheridge would win the Silver Helmet and that we would see him defend it the following month. Did Crayford win the match against Newcastle 40-38 which I think was one of the few defeats that Newcastle had that year? If you have the time and information available, could you also provide similar details for the Kentish Times Trophy meetings in 1975, 1976 and 1977, all of which were won by Tom Owen? Paul

Can anyone please help with some information about the above match races which took place in 1975 and 1976? Me and a friend were remeniscing about the good old days when we used to watch the Crayford Kestrels between 1975 and 1979. For me, the highlights of each season were the visits of Eastbourne, Newcastle, Rye House, Canterbury, the Kentish Times Trophy and, of course, any Silver Hemet match races that we were fortunate enough to get. I can remember some of the details about the silver helmet races that Laurie Etheridge had with the Owen brothers. In 1975 (July?), I think Tom Owen challenged Laurie Etheridge and won 2-0, 0-2 & 2-0. In 1976 (April?), I think Joe Owen challenged Laurie Etheridge and won 0-2, 2-0 & 2-0. Does anyone have the programmes or relevant Speedway Star/Mail magazines which will provide more details about each of the races? It would be interesting to know the dates, the matches which the races preceeded, venues and heat times etc. I have an incline that whilst Laurie Etheridge may have lost to Joe Owen, he did have the satisfaction of winning 2-0 up at Newcastle, but my memory may be playing tricks with me. Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help with this, or indeed provide their own recollections of any of the these races. Paul Elford