daveallan81

Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grubb and r/r for Captain Flack who's working at a fire station in Sweden. Or Poland. Chippy Minton comes in at number eight.

Didn't Shirra serve a 12 month ban for dope? Moran's was for drink, a bit tipsy at a longtrack meeting if I recall. Only one of that team actually got banned for testing positive for dope I believe and that was Havelock.

I assume only legally-proven (i.e. busted) blaw-hards are safe for this list, far be it from the BSF to spread aspersions about riders recreational habits. Two of England's last 4 World Champions are in that team. Why do we continue to introduce all manner of schemes to bring on the youngsters when we could just give them all a big bag of weed and bingo (or should that be bongo) - at least 2 World Champions. I'd have to put Mitch Shirra in that team in place of Guglielmi. Besides you don't want Gary's bike firing red hot bombers through yer kevlars at 70mph...

Maintaining my nautical theme, Ryan Fisher-manspie and Charlie Monk-fish. Never realised just how big a role the pig has played in speedway - The Ham brothers as mentioned, Dave Gooderham, Trevor Oldham, Birmingham, Nottingham, West Ham, a couple of Bacon's and Mario Jirsnout.

Tony Rizzo. I always thought he sounded like a savoury biscuit. Cheese Rizzos, new from Peak Freans. You'd buy them, admit it. I'm in the mood for something fishy. I fancy the Phil Bass. Perhaps some Trevor Whiting. I must say the John Place looks tempting. Stuff it, I'm having the Noel Suckling-pig...

This is what you need: http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/british-championship.html

I thought I'd post this in here, sort of on-topic. This is a list of meetings which ran to a standard formula but require the riding order of each pair to be clarified. https://www.dropbox.com/s/jjzc7126ebl44nu/1978REQDRidingOrders.pdf?dl=0 The file contains the competitors as I have them, any input much appreciated as ever.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/queaqa6mf8e3flj/19780822BarrvBerwNL.pdf?dl=0

Belmont Hyundai from the tiny Central African village of Joppa (pronounced Yoh-par). He took up the sport when he came to study in Edinburgh in the late seventies and although he never progressed beyond second half junior races he was a firm crowd favourite, perhaps best remembered for riding four laps wearing full ceremonial African dress to celebrate his graduation from university. Shortly afterwards he returned to his old village to work as a doctor and as a parting gift the Monarchs gave him the track spare which he proudly displays in the foyer of his practice. Although having never returned to these shores he retains an insoluble affection for Scotland's capital city and its' speedway team and he remains to this day the only black African speedway rider. "The man's a maniac!" I hear you cry. That may very well be the case, however for one brief but glorious period in 1988/89 one person in the speedway world bought that story, and it's subsequent embelishments, hook, line and sinker and I couldn't resist posting it here. 23rd September 1988 and the whole family have turned out for the Scottish Open at Powderhall. Amid general pre-meeting milling around, my mother asked to peruse my programme. "What's this?" she asks, pointing to the sponsors box for heat 19. Belmont Hyundai (Joppa) it reads. For those unaware, it was a car company - I take it Belmont later went down the pan - based in one of Edinburgh's quaint little hamlets. To me it was a chance too good to miss. You have no idea how far this went. The story got bulked up - his wife ran a bar called Powderhall which, loosley translated, meant 'place of sliding sideways'. She started telling her pals about this amazing African rider who cleared a track in the jungle to race his bike round. Next thing she's raking through old Edinburgh programmes at track shops for pictures and asking folk if they'd ever heard of this guy. One night my dad finds her with the old Basildon Bond out writing to Speedway Star and worse, the Sunday Post. Never been in a library in her life now she's down there poring through books looking for bloomin' Yohpar. Fortunately the end of the season was nigh because I think she was getting onto our game as everyone she asked had never heard of old Belmont and Yohpar remained beyond the knowledge of civilisation. It went on for a couple of weeks into the close season before the joke kind of petered away and/or we found some other way to torment her. We just assumed we'd been rumbled, we usually were. So the 1989 season rolls round and we're on our way to the first match at Powderhall. The road we came in you crossed a large junction which had traffic lights, can't remember the name of the road. We're stopped at the lights, first in the queue and across the road to the right is a garage - a Belmont Hyundai garage. A wee surprised 'hmm' noise emanates from my mother in the passenger seat... "Oh look, that rider has opened his own garage." I thought I was going to laugh my lungs out. My dad had to drive the last bit to the track because I was incapacitated in the back. God knows it may be the dullest two minutes of your life, but where else am I ever going to post this? So here's to you Belmont, and here's to it not getting as far as the missing persons report, Crimewatch and Interpol digging up the centre green at Powderhall - so many ideas, so little time.

My thanks to all who have contributed so far, the list has been updated.

Can I confirm that it was Alan Johns and not Roger who rode in the Graham Banks Memorial? Both Star and yearbook report Alan.

Many thanks for that Falcon Hammer. I'm only tackling 1978, it's coming together slowly but surely. There are still a lot of queries to be answered, I reckon it will be around the middle of the year at the earliest before it's ready.

I have 2 meetings from 1978 that didn't run to an obvious heat formula: 9th September at Canterbury: Townsend Thoresen Pairs - 6 pairs over 15 heats. 21st October at Canterbury: Invicta Pairs - same formula as above. 9th June at Bristol: v British League Select - 2 x 7 riders over 12 heats. 8th October at Eastbourne: v Poole (Colin Gooddy Testimonial) - 2 x 8 riders, 14 heats plus 1 nominated 26th October at Wimbledon: Farewell Pairs - 5 pairs over 10 heats. 28th October at Canterbury: Graham Banks Memorial (Individual)- 13 riders over 13 heats, 2 x SF & Final. I'm looking for the riding order and/or the heat formulas for these meetings if anyone can oblige.

I can't dispute the older generation - McKinlay, Miller, McGregor, Gilbertson or the Templetons - I never saw any of them ride. Come to think of it, by the time I started going in the late seventies that team was either retired or moving into the latter years of their careers. I would have Bobby Beaton ahead of Bert Harkins. Not much in it, but for me Beaton should get the nod because he didn't dress like he'd put glue on his body and leapt through a tartan mill. If indeed Beaton, and he deserves to be considered at the very least, is the last true 'top class' Scottish rider then it's approaching half-a-century since we produced one. So either: 1. We were previously spoiled for choice or 2. The time frame largely coincides with the switch to 2nd division racing in Scotland - did Jimmy Mac learn more in second halves than say, Kenny McKinna, racing against higher quality opposition for example? Just a thought or 3. We simply haven't produced one or 4. Comparing eras is impossible and in actual fact Colin Caffrey would have left Gordon McGregor eating dust. One thing I do know - never mind putting out a team, you'd be lucky to fill a heat with Scottish riders now.

Dave Hemus retired at the end of April 1973. Full biog here http://www.speedwayatoz.co.uk/davehemus.html He rode for Sheffield in a Northern Trophy match at home to Halifax on 29th March 1973. Rest of the team: Haley, Valentine, Wyer, Larsson, Wilson and Paulsen.

The one copy I have is 16 pages, quite advert heavy particularly the scorecard which is spread accross 4 pages. The programme served as your re-admission ticket so you're correct about it being included in the price. I must say I like the cover.

The year was 1981 and Burton was guesting at reserve, scorcard here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jtd6utfdw8gny3k/19811022ShefvBirmBL.pdf?dl=0 He rode for Sheffield in 77/78 so knew his way round Owlerton and 1981 was pretty much his best ever season in the sport.

Many thanks. That pairs format looks like the Westernapolis individual format. I hope they at least got the riders correct as that would mean a lot of writing! From the line-up I'm able to deduce the likely format to match the heat results so thanks for that. In the juniors reply you say you have a programme for 3rd August but give details of a match on the 30th. Surely not two matches in a month so I'm guessing the 3rd was rained off/cancelled for some reason and the programme re-issued on the 30th?

As the result of a request in another topic I've compiled the Falcons' heat details for their ill-fated British League soujourn in 1984. As usual there are a number of things that require clarification if anyone can oblige (updated 17/4/15): 10/06 at Eastbourne: Eagles #8 18/06 at Wolverhampton: Exeter #8 (possibly noted in Exeter programme stats?) 23/06 at Halifax Ht 5: reason for Baker's exclusion. Reported as (exc) but he was replaced. 27/07 v Coventry: Bees #8 08/09 at Swindon: Robins #8 1984 saw the introduction of a fabbo new competition designed to bring on the youngsters called the National Junior Knockout Cup. And the Imps (sadly rejecting the opportunity to track as the Exeter Eyasses) went and won the thing. Reporting is sketchy at best - to hope for heat details is perhaps a bit much but I'll take them if you've got them and information that can fill out what I know from Speedway Star and some searching online: Round 1 v Poole: Have full details of 2nd leg at Exeter on 14/07. Confirmed 1st leg date at Poole on 17/06 and result. 1st leg heat details required. Quarter Final v Wimbledon: Both legs confirmed with heat details. Semi-final v Ipswich: Have full details of 1st leg at Exeter on 12/10. Confirmed 2nd leg date at Foxhall 18/10 and result. 2nd leg heat details required. Final v Milton Keynes: Dates and results confirmed, have full details of 2nd leg. 1st leg heat details at MK required. There was a junior 4TT at Reading on Monday 3rd September, other sides were Weymouth and Swindon. Result and scorers now known. Heat 1 reason for Chessell exclusion and Heats 7 & 11 times also required. The finished file will of course be available to all and sundry, it's not just a private project.

Excellent, thank you.

22/05 Can you confirm Louis Carr's score in heat 13? Speedway Star reports (ef, 1pt), pushed home perhaps. 25/05 I have Margarson at position 2 for Workington - who did he replace? The Teesside meeting works out as Ellesmere v Newcastle v Workington v Teesside but it seems strange that the home team are in position 4 in the line-up. Can you clarify this for me? Many thanks.

I'll put it on my 'to do' list.

No I am merely a contributor. If you're talking about a full 1984 season review file, I don't know if anyone is currently tackling that. If it's something more specific you're after fell free to PM me and I'll see if I can help.

A mystery! Possibly matches for which I hadn't located an official scorecard, or matches that required some more information.

I make it 613 matches in 2014, including 44 abandoned fixtures. The result stood in 31 of those abandonments.