cyclingbison

Great to see the thoughtfulness on this thread showing no sign of letting up. Remarkable really, considering how institutional misogyny can cloud an individual’s judgment, you know, like the tendency to conflate the questioning of the speedway arena playing host to the crass objectification of women - a full 51% of the population - with the pathologically prudish and bigoted views of the late Mary Whitehouse. Also, lovely to note that people find it appropriate to re-imagine the start girls as colourful sheep. Surely no one in their right mind would think start girls were akin to four dumb animals who were there just to be abused, would they? Hmm, exactly who would be behaving like sheep in all this, and which shepherd might they be following? Barry Hearn? Benny Hill? Brian...Cox (ooh er, fnaar, fnaar!)? Of course, it’s all just a laugh, I know - harmless fun for the boys. And speedway does need a lift, doesn’t it? Why, even die-hard fans now seem to be viewing speedway as increasingly a load of pants (four pairs, to be precise). Whatever must the rest think?

It’s nice to see someone has really, really thought about this one, but could you please just clarify: When you say, “take the matter seriously,” is the matter you’re referring to the sport of speedway or the gratification of sexually frustrated chauvinists in pay-to-view TV land? On second thoughts, there’s no need to reply; it’s already abundantly clear what the answer is. Just carry on enjoying the speedway. Good, isn’t it?

Must say I've felt a little guilty since my last post on this subject, re: Kevin Armitage. I hope it was obvious that my comments regarding Kevin were not meant to be taken at all seriously, fundamentally based, as they were, on culturally constructed claptrap! In any case, an online photograph taken at Barrow in 1985 reveals that any dark symbolism represented by his black leathers was ameliorated by single white stripes down each arm. Phew! And, of course, any significance implied by his score of six against Glasgow is immediately rendered invalid by the fact he also scored two bonus points. Thank heavens, therefore, that speedway is a motorsport in which black and white combine beautifully in the end, and the ethos of team-riding is encouraged and formally recognised in the format. Indeed, when that chequered flag is most vigorously waved to mark the final victory, a very attractive, mature blur of grey is the end result - extremes in colour all gone. Marvellous! And bonus points are what I like to call a truly sporting SOS. They are doubly great. Just ask Kevin Armitage! However, that last point must surely lead anyone who feels the same to declare: what a shame that payment of the third-place bonus point was scrapped in the Premier League for 2013! If that rule change can be said to mirror the changing values in wider society, then current riders can no doubt look forward to a future of cuts that includes the following: The introduction of zero-race contracts; Each team being made up of totally unsuitable long-term unemployed people, 'volunteered' to ride for free or risk losing all of their increasingly inadequate social security; The Somerset Rebels would become Somerset Slaves (which would have a certain logic to it); There’ll be no banking at any track: ‘riders’ could get their food when the banks opened in the nearest church basement the following morning, and; Those air fences won’t be put firmly into place after all, leading to widespread speculation it's actually a badger-type cull of the poorest that is really on the agenda. Look, I’d be the first to admit this is all becoming very confusing. Who knows what’s really going on now within this historical thread? But all I see these days are increasing numbers of marginalised, ‘virtual’ citizens sitting-up and begging along the sides of what we once called the superhighway and no one appearing to give a damn. And that can only mean one of two things: either living alone in the pits is somehow in vogue these days, or lots of people are being unfairly excluded from the race. It’s about time the narrative of this programme evolved for the better, don’t you think? It’s not so much rider replacement that’s needed, but perhaps the revival of the tactical substitute. Then, hopefully, finishing all square in the spirit of ‘45 - ‘45 will be the end result? Too ideal? Nowhere bloody near! Sorry, but there’s no need to think too deeply about any of this. Just as before, these comments are not meant to be taken at all seriously, oh no!! Anyway, out of guilt I am duty bound to return to my first sentence, and now is as good a time as any… What I wrote in my earlier post could have been interpreted as unnecessarily disparaging remarks about Kevin Armitage, and I apologise for that. The real reason for writing them, I suspect, was probably born out of the fact that back in 1983, at junior level, Kevin was quite an intimidating opponent. Not because of anything negative - much less demonic - but based on his relative experience and competitiveness. For opposing juniors he was nigh-on unbeatable round Ashby Ville. Though happily he also proved to be quite generous, too. For example, following the Scunthorpe v Glasgow meeting in question, an engine failure he suffered in effect gifted a second-half Junior Challenge match to the Sheffield Tiger Cubs. Belated thanks, Kevin! Then again, I am relying on my badly marked programme for that information. Hmm… Ok, how about this? Alternatively, perhaps following that 15-point paid maximum, the registering of two track records and the beating of ‘God,’ Kevin had immediately announced his retirement and promptly left the stadium by high-flying helicopter to begin a career across the Atlantic in phoney old Tinseltown, his place in the second-half taken by THE ‘nearly-man,’ otherwise masquerading as Dave Jessup, who, as we know, always seemed to suffer a cruel break-down just when it mattered the most. In the end, when all the dust had settled, to everyone’s amazement the cutest of toothless Tiger Cubs (Young/Walsh/Dekok) reigned supreme…hoorah! Yes, that's what must've happened. Couldn’t have been anything else! I’ll make the necessary adjustments to the programme and trust that all true believers will be happy with this ever-so convincing version of events. It all happened, ok? It’s all fact, and there’s no need whatsoever to consult those rigorous analysts at Speedway Researcher. You just gotta belieeeeve! Finally, Dave, in response to your far more well-founded comments than mine, I can do no more than agree that those lads would indeed be the ‘perfect 4,’ well capable on their day, I… er, believe, of taking the league points (including bonus) from a full-strength, seven-man team of Saints/Stags/Scorpions. But there is clearly a matter of perspective here. For instance, a Monarch seeing his/her ‘royal’ squad suffer a similar fate might think of the same quartet of riders as far from perfect: rather, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! Of course, he/she would be wrong - this is only Speedwaytown, after all. No need for such culturally constructed reactions in this neighbourhood! Right, enough of this, already: that’ll be it from me on this thread. I hope (seriously) you end up getting all the info you requested in your original post. Cheers, Cyclingbison.

Must confess, I made that bit up about Kevin Armitage. But didn't he used to wear all black and ride like a demon? Just the sort most likely to dash the hopes of 'God,' I would've thought. Somehow it does seem appropriate Kevin should've ended up with a score of 6. It is the case, though, that I had Steve Lawson down for an 18 point max and Harry Maclean zero from five, plus other horror stories I won't go into (the pure white of the tippex will cover those tracks!). Incredibly, at the end of it all my programme still gets the final score spot on. A merciful relief, then, that despite the early exclusion, the fall, the inevitable meandering, the misleading details and the passage of many years, I had got something right after all - looking more closely at the handwriting, passed down from my father, I believe. Come to think of it, he must've been filling-in the programme while on mechanic's duty in the pits (really ought to have a word sometime!), which can only mean one of two things: lest he be considered a less than committed spanner man, arriving at 51-44 was either a complete fluke or a work of infinite genius. The jury (i.e. me) has long since cast its verdict! Thanks for the links to your dropbox, Dave; I dare say an impressive repository of fathomless depths (virtually speaking). Had the Tigers been able to put that team out against the Stags (i.e. nine fit riders, one injured = the perfect 10) the rather messy history of this programme would surely have been turned on its head, including the 'proven' fact in Richard Scott's match report and especially the end result. Didn't the good folk of Glasgow always have other ideas, Richard? Cheers!

“If you’re going to box, box, but next time you want to go into the corners that slowly, set-off behind me!” I know Speedway Researcher doesn’t busy itself with such ‘fluid’ details, but if you can let me know if any riders were excluded for unfair riding during this Scunthorpe v Glasgow meeting, at least that would re-assure me that the memory of over-hearing those words spoken in the pits doesn't belong to the same phantom world in which I was led to believe Harry Maclean scored zero from five rides! Since your post of 19th September, daveallan81, somehow the name Harry Maclean has wormed its way into my nightmares, and all because of what’s turned out to be a terrible programme, ever so badly marked. It even says Kevin Armitage got a five-ride paid maximum and took the track record in Heat 8 and then again in Heat 16 ahead of 'God,' and that, needless to say, doesn’t even bear thinking about (or do you think that was some kind of joke?)! In short, if ever I needed assistance with my history, it's now!

How about that, sorry Dave. I had recently thought about having done with all this history lark and clearing-out my collection of programmes altogether. For what it's evidently worth it seems I may as well do exactly that. Unless, of course, you'd be able and willing to send me the correct results for 35 years worth in exchange for my miserable attempt at one single race for you. Deal? Valuable lesson: just leave it to the captains of rigour or, at the very least, cross-refer if what you've got is written in unrecognised handwriting. To which point I would add, I'd be very wary of taking anything I submitted in my previous post as answering your question. Were the helmet colours even white, back then? Yours, humbly perplexed (i.e., who exactly is responsible for badly marking my programme?).

Scunthorpe v Glasgow 11/4/1983 There were two changes in Glasgow's team line-up but Heat 16 was as per programme: Red - Nigel Crabtree (2 points) Blue - Rob Hollingworth (1 point) White - Steve Lawson (3 points) Winning Time = 68.0 Y/B - Harry Maclean (0 points)