daveallan81

Promoters only release attendance figures when they're looking for more money.

Long Eaton finished bottom of the NL in 1983, won the league in 1984.

Slight correction - I'm saying weather wasn't a factor - what I meant of course was it was only one of the factors considered. Belle Vue are a slightly grey area - clearly there was no chance of some of the fixtures going ahead. If you remove them from the equation completely the percentage is still a tasty 24.48% but realistically they must be charged with at least 4 cancellations which still returns the highest ever percentage at 26.53%.

Weather wasn't a factor. The only criteria was if a match was scheduled but wasn't staged.

I was reminded earlier that Tigers had a fun afternoon in the sun and dust at Mildenhall in 1989 that rekindled all the old rivalry which began at Blantyre. Fen Tigers didn't come to the tapes in 1990 which may further explain the 'ha-ha' comment.

The depressing news is that where postponements are concerned, 2016 is officially the worst start to a season since 1965. 43 matches out of 151 (28.48%) have been lost up to 30th April, nearly double those lost for the same period last season. 1979 had more actual matches postponed (44) but that came from 220 meetings. Best start to a season was 1969 when only 1 match was lost from 125. https://www.dropbox.com/s/uyg2iij8j4c55br/PostAbandendApril.pdf?dl=0

Actually I thought I'd revealed all, obviously not. Mildenhall were the recipients of that in-depth review, a far cry from their top status of 1979. Two tempestous visits to Blantyre in 81 and 82 probably had something to do with it...

I'm looking at the 1960 programme right now.

Some old Bristol programme scans (not mine), just one from 1960 though https://app.box.com/s/wm7cfpcwle17ebtue3q3/1/487190160

I'd start here http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/bristol.html

Nicky Nicholson's website is worth a look http://glasgowcshistory.tripod.com/

Blow it out yer ass, McCaffery.

Actually, no. I don't think I've ever been at a tobacco company sponsored meeting come to think of it. I actually thought the Skoal logo looked cool, the way he wears his mask to cover up the hole in his face, awesome. Still, having your jaw eaten away was infinitely more preferable to owning a Yugo or FSO car.

Skoal Bandits. Speedway, the only family sport that gives you cancer.

Perhaps surprisingly, it's not Edinburgh. Or indeed Arena or Middlesbrough. They did build a new bar complex at Arena, a welcome change from the lean-to beach bar thing they had previously. I wonder if they still charge a deposit for your tumbler? Or refuse to take Scottish bank notes? Here's what was said about these three: Arena Essex: The only track in the land without a fence, unfortunately they have very little else either. A cover on the home straight and the odd porta-cabin is all they have (sounds like Craighead Park). The complex is so large you could get lost for days (look out for Mark Thatcher). Edinburgh: Tigers' second home (we are there often enough) and one of the best dumps in the league. Has no atmosphere (unless the Tigers are there) and listen out for the fairest supporters in the league cheering opposition falls and booing their own riders if they don't win. Middlesbrough: The only track with it's own flyover (is that the reason they are sponsored by a taxi firm?). Main grandstand burnt down in 1985 so seats are scarce. Impromptu prayer meetings are occasionally held. If bored, can always run a book on whether the electric hare (D. Sumner) will leave the white line. At the time Poole were plying their trade in the NL, here's what they had to say: Poole: Will the stand have a roof, will it be safe or will it blow off? Arrive early since they have massive crowds. Another narrow track with little passing. No idea what all that stuff about the roof relates to - anyone know?

How would all that fit in with the current EL 'protected' heat formula?

Scunthorpe had long gone by 1990.

I see your angle but no, it's not Elfield Park. Here's what they had to say about MK: "If you can negotiate all the roundabouts and find Elfield Park (the locals still think they race at the Groveway) prepare yourself for a shock. Large mounds of dirt surround the track and terracing and lighting is non-existent. By the way, try and spot the local residents' houses (the ones that are complaining) over the busy dual carriageway. Good luck to T. Cheaney for the future."

The reviews were taken from a recently acquired copy of the 'Glasgow Tigers...Into the 80's' book. By strange coincidence I also took delivery of a load of Shawfield-era programmes amongst which were some fanzines from the early 90's. Unfortunately like a lot of these supporters' publications they tend to be written by the terminally self-absorbed and if Glasgow fans today think Edinburgh supporters are a bit smug, a bit arrogant, then they perhaps want to have a read at some of these. Anyway, there is a track review section in one of them and quite a few of the circuits still existed from 1979. 17 of the 18 NL tracks from 1990 were featured (they didn't have the temerity to review their own midden) but unlike the 79 reviews they're written with forked pen although I'm sure it seemed funny to the clique supporters that produced it. Unfortunately the descriptions all easily give away the track in question so there isn't much point in listing them all for a quiz. There is one exception however. Bearing in mind what you know about the 79 reviews, which track do you think was reviewed this time around with a simple 'Ha Ha'?

Well I was waiting to see if we had any more guesses but I hate to think of you suffering sleepless nights so... 1 Middlesbrough 2 Nottingham 3 Canterbury 4 Rye House 5 Edinburgh 6 Stoke 7 Mildenhall 8 Workington 9 Berwick 10 Milton Keynes 11 Newcastle 12 Crayford

Bert Harkins sometimes doubled-up as a shortbread tin. The sixties were not my era so I'll refrain from posting a list but from the Glasgow teams of the late 70's certainly till the mid-eighties I don't think any of the riders were full-time in speedway. Edit to add: come to think of it I don't think any riders outwith the BL were full-time.

#7 is indeed Mildenhall.

Topsoil opens with two pointless rides, but comes back strongly in the next two. #7 is not Peterborough. Number 1 is Middlesbrough. Always wanted to watch a meeting from the stairs up the side of the flyover. Went looking for food late after a meeting one night, wasn't having much luck, then spotted an illuminated fish 'n' chips sign up a side road. After much u-turning and reversing up one-way streets I finally alighted beside said sign only to discover some joker had stuck it on their house for a laugh. Number 10 is of course Milton Keynes. I thought the cows were concrete but there you go.

1976 is remembered as 'the long, hot summer' yet it returned more cancellations that 75 & 77. You can't really read an awful lot into these figures because there are so many forces at work. As you say, you could have a period of catastrophically bad weather amidst an otherwise 'normal' year and the figures will shoot up. Something changes around 1987. An enormous spike in cancellations. Prior to that season the average rate is 6.7%. Since 87 that figure more than doubles to 13.7%. This could easily be explained by the 'wetter summers' theory. But I doubt that is the full story. This is a problem the sport has faced since day one. Just to give you a notion of the time frame we're dealing with here speedway pre-dates Mickey Mouse and Fleming had only just started on the road to discovering penicillin. John Logie Baird had only given the first public demonstration of televison two years previously, now your telly is the size of my first car. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to successfully fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 and now we've got folk living in a caravan in space. It's a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng time. And what have the greatest minds the speedway world has ever known come up with? We put down tarpaulins. The sports number one enemy and we fight it using technology they sussed out 10,000 years ago. Now you may scoff, if indeed scoffing is your want, but cancellations are and always have been the sports biggest enemy. You cannot cancel more than 1 in 10 of your prime attractions and not expect to piss people off in the process. Cancelling matches on the strength of the forecast is extremely risky, it does nothing but plant seeds of doubt in supporters minds and leaves you open to ridicule when the forecast turns out to be wrong and you could easily have run. I submit that promotions find themselves in the crazy position of losing less money if they call it off than they would if they ran. If that is indeed the case, then you have to question just how long that situation can feasibly continue.

No. It's a bit misguiding but it's as it was printed. Number 6 is Stoke.