daveallan81

I've scanned reviews from 1978-83 and uploaded them to a folder at the Box.com link in my signature. I have Stars from 78-84. So the 1977 review must have been in the Nov/Dec issues of that year, and the 1984 review must have been in the early 1985 issues. Hope this helps.

They were going to go with Rebel wilson but decided the wee dragony beastie was less likely to scare the weans...

Since 1964, Edinburgh/Coatbridge have been scheduled to be opening night opponents for Tigers on no less than 19 occasions. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6h4xytdcl8k1qf1/GlasgowOpeningFixtures1964-2015.pdf?dl=0

Bob Coles began the 1981 season at Weymouth but lost his team place and moved to Exeter at the end of August. I don't see any results in the yearbook that would result in the awarding of a medal to Bob in 1981.

Thanks. It was reported correctly in the Star although they didn't denote which Ashby rode in heat 13. The yearbook disagreed, taking a ride from Martin and giving it to David. The only possibility was that David rode in heat 11 or 13 which doesn't appear to have happened so I'm taking it as a yearbook error.

Excellent, thanks.

Can anyone confirm the following from a meeting programme: Ht 11: Martin Ashby finished 4th Ht 13: Martin Ashby DNF Total scores: Martin Ashby 6 from 5 and David Ashby 1 from 3

Cheers.

Does anyone have a marked programme that would confirm the reasons for exclusion for Mick McKeon in heat 3 and both Henny Kroeze and his replacement Soren Sjosten in heat 9?

Aye that's the song. I got a tape of their stuff back in the day but wasn't keen on any of it. Hawkwind used to boast they would play anywhere, anytime, for free. I can see how that offer would seem attractive to speedway promoters. A couple of original band members were speedway fans but they were gone by 76. Jazz and speedway, what an awesome combination... That John Davis record is an aural abomination. It's so bad they must have worked at it. Seriously, if you own this record destroy it with fire. Shawn Moran had an honest bash at Chris Spedding's Motorbikin'. I wonder if the collaboration you mention was The Rivals. I've got a disc with a few of these tracks on, I uploaded a couple to Dropbox and they deleted them under some copyright ruling!

Mai Tai were three Dutch lassies. Milli Vanilli had still to surface, that was the year later. I hate myself for knowing that. I don't recall the Sinatra act. According to the programme he was the winner of the Hennie Huisman Soundmixshow, the Dutch Stars In Their Eyes. I bet the Dutch cabaret circuit is pretty laid back. Nice. David Walsh used to hang around with, possibly even roadie for, The Pastels. I know the lead singer and a couple of the band used to regulars at Shawfield. They had a song called Speedway but I can't recall how it went. A couple of Teenage Fanclub used to go to Shawfield.

I saw a live band at a Scottish Open at Powderhall but can't remember the name or the year. They had that 'it seemed like a good idea when we took the booking' kind of look about them as they belted out their rocky songs to about half-a-dozen mildly interested supporters. I have a recollection of a band playing at Shawfield but that could just be age. Oh aye, I saw Mai Tai at the Amsterdam world final. Wow, we won't see the likes of those days again...

Bobbath's post re. communication from Andy Povey came on while I was posting. How bizarre. The Wiki source is given as the 2002 version of the book and the article wasn't published until September 2008, some 3 months or so after the book had been republished (20th June 2008 according to Amazon). What version of the book are you quoting?

I think there are only 17 riders on parade in the Pathe clip. Front row has 9 - 3 Swedes followed by a German, another Swede, an Aussie, a Norwegian and two Brits. However the back row only has 8 - 2 NZ, followed by 2 Brits, an Aussie, another 2 Brits and an Aussie. Two things are certain - there's only one Norwegian body colour in evidence and I'm useless at identifying old riders. Crutcher clearly took no part in the event and I think that crediting him with an 'appearance' then attaching a note that he didn't actually attend (as per the SGB site) is misguiding. Rob Bamford produces outstanding work and if he says Westerberg was there then I'd be inclined to believe it - yet Westerberg receives no credit on the SGB site. However, I find it hard to believe that Westerberg would have missed the chance to parade at a World Final and there's definitely only one Norwegian body colour in that clip. The only way to solve this conclusively is to go back to source and see what evidence he has or find a programme that clearly shows Westerberg replacing Crutcher.

I re-discovered my programme from this rather unique 'speedway' meeting which was organised by Mark Courtney (amongst others) in support of Cancer Research. It certainly ranks highly in my list of bizarre speedway meetings attended even if it was the coldest I've ever been at an event. I recently took delivery of a funky new printer/scanner thingy and in order to give it a run out I've put together a wee file with the original racecard, a set of results in case you can't decipher the last desperate scrawlings of a frozen hand, and a wee pile of photos I took on the day. I'm a pretty lousy photographer as you will see but have some pity and think of me clicking away on a Kodak Instamatic older than me with hands that were blocks of ice. Anyhow an interesting reminder of a unique meeting (which I don't think was ever repeated): https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8sbc7gi9xn3qnj/BerwickBeachClassic1990.pdf?dl=0

I've never been convinced by the 'fixed gates = lower averages' theory. I doubt that it could ever be proved conclusively either way, there are just too many variables. The old National League introduced fixed gates in 1989. It stands to reason that if riders were going to feel the effect of the new rule then they would experience it most during that season. Simply stacking up the averages against one another should tell some of the story, but in order to introduce a bit of depth I've taken figures from 87 and 90 (providing two years before and after) and to qualify riders must have ridden in at least 6 matches in each season. That left a list of 60 riders. I've broken the file down into four variations - a full list in alphabetical order, a list based on 1988 averages, and one plus and one minus list for the differences in riders' averages from 88 to 89. Here's the file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6a8iwnje6eri5wc/AverageComparisonNL1987to90.pdf?dl=0 Draw your own conclusions.

Jimmy was in Richard Wilson's "Britain's Best Drives". Richard is taking a drive through the Trossachs and drops in on Jimmy. I think they may have been old pals.

I've just taken on a bundle of MK 1978 programmes and as usual they've thrown up a few anomalies in the scoring. Can anyone help clarify any of the following: 25/04 v Red Star Prague The reason for exclusions (either tapes or 2 mins) for Harrison in heat 5 and McLean in heat 7. 20/06 v Workington Confirm tapes exclusions for Anderson in heat 10 and Margarson in heat 13. 01/08 England v Australasia Tony Boyle is credited with a meeting appearance but no rides. Speedway Star reports he failed to start (ns) in heat 3 and took no further part. Two marked programmes report an e/f in heat 3 and also report Boyle was a fell, ns in heat 6. So, did Boyle go under starters orders or start in heat 3, and was he injured in the first running of heat 6? 29/08 VW Knight of the Track Classic Only 3 riders were reported in the Star - Humphreys, Hunter, Bass. The missing 4th rider could be either Derek Harrison or Malcolm Holloway, depending on who Bass replaced. Confirm heat result and what colour reserve Bass rode in. Thanks in advance.

White is reported in the Speedway Star as being excluded. The programme marker doesn't use zero for 4th place finishes, just leaves a blank. "OA EX" is marked on White's individual scorechart. I'm thinking that White finished his 4 laps and was then deemed to have received outside assistance, hence the reported exclusion.

Yes I'm liking that

It's a bit of a geeky subject I know but I'm wondering if anyone recognises this piece of programme notation afforded to Keith White in heat 4 of the Birmingham Second City Trophy, 30th October 1978. FR OA EX FR = fell, remounted. EX = excluded. OA = ??? Something related to being lapped perhaps?

I make it Belle Vue 20 Hackney 0! Results here https://www.dropbox.com/s/bpfeaaw9v5bwi42/BelleVuevHackneyHistory.pdf?dl=0

That's a Chic Murray original, Connolly regularly quoted his material. "I got on a bus and went upstairs. The conductor came along asking for my fare. I said, "A single to the west end". He said, "We don't go to the west end". I said, "You've got west end on the front of the bus". He said, "We've got Persil on the back of the bus but we don't take in washing".

I was looking for something else earlier on when I came across a Berwick v Workington programme from 2004. In the Great Matches of the Past' column they feature the Workington v Berwick opener. They list the scorers in 1-7 order: Workington 37 (Lou Sansom 6(4), Dave Kumeta 2(3), Reg Wilson 4(3), Morris Wilson 2+1(3), Vic Lonsdale 6+2(5), Ian Armstrong 3(3) and Malcolm Mackay 14(5). Berwick 39 (Alan Paynter 3+1(4), Andy Meldrum 8(4), Maury Robinson 7+1(4), Ken Omond 3+2(4), Peter Kelly 7(4), Ian Paterson 6(3) and Derek Greaves 5(3). The article continues with the Speedway Star match report by Stan Wilson. Programme editor was Dennis McLeary with Gavin Renton credited as club historian. I've also spotted on the Bandits website what I assume to be the 'contradicting' information, listing as they do Grieves Davidson. Also found this on Matt Jackson's site http://www.speedwayatoz.co.uk/grievesdavidson.html which talks of Davidson retiring sometime during 1969. Last possible lead, in the Berwick programme of 6/9/1980, Derek Greaves appears in a 1970 team picture taken at Shielfield Park. Same team as above but with Roy Williams replacing Ken Omand.

I've just taken delivery of a bundle of Robins programmes and while such things can aid my continuing 1978 research, they can also throw up wee anomalies. I'll have a couple more queries in due course, but first of all I'd like to confirm the result of heat 1 of The Silver Plume at the Abbey on 29th June. Reported as M. Ashby, D. Morton, Davis, Bastable, my impeccably marked programme reverses Ashby and Davis. The programme does appear to be completed at the meeting as it carries a couple of bits of info not published in the Star report. So if someone can confirm that result I'd be much obliged. Just two further queries: 15/04/78 Swindon v Hackney - Ted Hubbard was seemingly replaced by Vic Harding in heats 10 and 13. Was Hubbard excluded for a tapes offence in one of those heats? 03/06/78 Swindon v Birmingham - heat 13 time.