OveFundinFan

Carrs Wood in Gately, south Manchester, was the first track that I saw cycle speedway. That would be late summer 1963. It was for an individual championship, Bob Duckworth had been invited to present the trophies and had he took along mum, dad and me. I got a program and it was advertising the 1963-64 winter league and inviting applicants. I followed it up expressing interest. Partington Flyers came into existence. Mum made the race bibs from sheets of plastic with vertical red and yellow stripes of insulation tape whilst myself and friend sorted a “track”, very primitive. As we were still new to cs and no knowledge, the track was too big, very long straights. Again, being new to cs, for the first few meetings we rode bikes with Sturmey Archer 3 speed gears, low-medium-high and wide bars. Completely against the “norm” but we were very green. I think Peter Collins, Dave & Chris Morton etc we’re at least 6 years younger then me and the rest of Partington Flyers, so we didn’t really mix with them, they were only kids! Partington was then only a small village, and everyone knew each other. We did though “hire” the Bedford dormobile off Peters dad, Bill Collins, to get the team and bikes to away fixtures. PC does mention his dads dormobile in his recent book (a large part of his family life), and also Partington cycle speedway (chap 6, para 3) which was a surprise to me. I remember one visiting team, Gorton, visiting for a winter league meeting. Gorton is the area of Manchesters BV Hyde Road speedway track, approx 10+ mile from Partington. This was a Sunday, and the lads got a train(s) from Gorton to Urmston, still about 4 mile away. They then cycled on their cs bikes, remember very low fixed gear, to Partington, raced on a largish track, then did the return journey. That is commitment, very commendable. One of their riders in that winter league, Johnny Watchman, became one of the all time greats of British cycle speedway, top man. Some of you may remember him. I cannot remember the result of that winter league, which probably means Partington Flyers finished last (highly probable) and I would think Gorton may well have topped the league - they had a wealth of junior riders, most if not all, became very good riders in the Manchester league summer of 1964.

You can get access to BT Sport via an app, it cost £25 per month or about £15 per month for a 12 month contract. If you have a tablet you can cast the app to a modern TV. Whether you can get the app straight on a modern tv…I don’t know. I do know you can put the bt app on a ROKU box and play it from there on your tv (ROKU plugs into a HDMI socket on the tv). ROKU boxes can be got in big Tescos etc or eBay for £25-£50, the lower prices may be 2nd hand on eBay. Loads of other progs on ROKU. I have a ROKU box and it’s good. I didn’t like the BT tv box, but that me. Discovery+ currently cost £60 for full 12 months, maybe £10 per month individually. It’s an app, so available on ROKU, but a Smart tv be able to show it direct too. Lots of sport I like ie motox, mountain bike racing, rally’s, winter sports…so I happy with £60 for the year. SpeedwayGP is spread over 7/8 months so at £10pm it’s better to take the 12 month package @ £60. But what exactly is going to happen is not too clear yet, to me anyway. So detail above probably will change in time, but as I paid my £60 to Discovery just a few weeks ago I hoe my SpeedwayGP viewing is safe for this year at least.

That will do me, I have paid my annual subscription to Discovery+ and that’s what I expect to see, usually with the World best pairs/team championship or whatever they calling it this year. MotoGP added to it would be a bonus but for me, gone are the days I chucking lots of money at the tv pay sports programs.

There must have been hundreds of tracks made up just like that around the country, providing hours and hours of fun. I started racing on a quick made up track in Partington in the Manchester cycle speedway winter league 1963-64, a very cold winter as well. Then, for the 1964 summer league I signed for Belle Vue Gladiators in the very competitive Manchester League.. We raced on the BV speedway car park opposite the pits entrance. Full car park Saturday evenings, a quickly marked out cycle speedway tack on part of it Sunday afternoons. Wonderful. For 1965 (until I finished), I was with Wilmslow Hammers. That was a proper permanent track, again in the Manchester League. Derek Garnet and Vic Hinchcliffe both rode for Offerton Devils and were two of the very best riders in the country. Great days.

Found the Horspath Hammers track. I think they have a long history, remember them from the mid 60's Dont do Facebook, Ray. Enough problems on here at times.

Just found both of them, thanks. Somersham track is still there but I dont know how old the google maps are that I using.

Occasionally I search Google maps for cycle speedway tracks. I found Ipswich Eagles at Whitton, north Ipswitch. Also Gt Blakenham , a few miles north of Ipswitch. Where are the others.?

Not a lot.

Well done Jane Stevenson. Cycle speedway is real good exercise for young ones plus team building etc, and all done in good fresh open air. I never got down to Wednesfield track, but Roger Ellis was very good and now a legend.

In relation to what?

I understand BT paid too much for the football contract, so when does their football contract end. I not particularly keen on paying for something I unlikely to watch. Same with boxing, cricket, wrestling etc

I assume none on here know exactly how Peter Collins stroke has affected him. I assume you all seen the current adverts on TV where quick action is needed to treat a stroke victim - remember the advert uses F.A.S.T. (face, arms, speech, time). The internet has just informed that every minute a stroke is not attended 1.9 billion brain cells die. So how long was PC not attended that morning he had the stroke. The internet also informed me a stroke can affect different parts of the brain, and therefore different functions. I know that by exprience. My dad, in his late 80’s dropped one morning, well over an hour (we don’t know how long) before he was found in a coma. Never recovered, 4 days later he died. He was worrying about mum, his wife for over 60 years. She had a number of strokes, such that when she died some 2 years after her first stroke she couldn’t do anything for herself. Internet also informs me one type of stroke affects logical thinking. Maybe that’s the type of stroke PC suffered, no one here probably knows. But if that is the case it could be why he acted the way he did that night signing books. As my mum and dad died of a stroke(s), I am being treated as likely to have a stroke. I just hope if I survive and my actions are at times unusual, even offensive, people around me will cut me some slack. We are all imperfect humans and at times will, and do, offend others.

To put things into perspective Peter Collins has indeed won one individual world championship. Since 1936 (the first officially recognised world championship year), only 37 different riders have won the title. Being one of those 37 is something of an amazing achievement in itself. Apart from that he has won 5 world team championships and 4 best pairs world championship. So a total of 10 world championships. Some achievement. Total speedway world championships Ivan Mauger 12 Ove Fundin 12 Jason Crump 5 Peter Craven 2 Peter Collins 10

Did she step down as from yesterday? That is not how I understood it. She is stepping down as from when a new SNP leader is appointed. She has got herself in a tangle what with Independance, Gender, hospitals, ferries and probably more.

Read it again but slower.

Re PC holding a grudge from 35 years ago - as I said in my post I had left speedway behind before he retired from riding so knew nothing about his managerial days. I did say though I was shocked to find out what was going on behind the scenes, and that I surprised that BV still exists. So I can appreciate why he feels bad about what happened. It is obvious PC was passionate about BV remaining (surviving) as a club. In 2016 it nearly didn't, and he wasn't part of management then. As for the "free entry". Prior to reading the book all I had heard it was like every man with a dog was on the list. Reading the book I understand there was two lists, I dont know if anyone has mentioned two lists on here. And PC is very clear on what the two lists represented. I just hope that if ever I am up in court the members of the jury are reminded not to make up their minds without having listened carefully to the prosecution and the defence.

I planning to do a swop (loan) with my brother for Dave Mortons book.

Never lend a good book.....you may never see it again

I have finished reading "Keeping It On The Tyres", PC's autobiography. Its an amazing book, tells of how not only his own pursuit of speedway started, but also a whole stream of riders that came from a small village outside of Manchester, called Partington. The history of his career as a rider is very well documented, and some really good pictures. By the time PC had stopped racing I had stopped going to meetings, so my eyes have been opened re what was going on behind the scenes ie the management of Belle Vue as a speedway race track/team. Full of detail, not all of it good for BV nor the sport in general. It is a wonder how BV survived it all. Chapter 53 "Bail-Outs, Passes and Respect" contains all the detail of the rider pass issue that many on here have referred to. Perhaps those who have put their copy of the book on a shelf never to read it should take it down and read it. Then at least you would know what was suggested by PC, was it up to 100/200 of his mates and hangers on that he was asking to be given passes, and make your own minds up. Also, interesting what he offered to BV when they actually moved into the NSS in 2016. It was refused - a legacy of Belle Vues history. The whole of chapter 53 was an eye opener for me, it is one of the longer chapters in the book, but hang on in, its a good read.

Do you have a link for being a bt road and client and getting btsport app free. I done a quick search and cannot find it, so need your help please.

I forgot how much BT Sport costs these days. Anyone know the price. ?

I presume that free discovery+ is linked to the bt broadband subscribed to BTSport.

Is this particular point in this thread going to go on and on. More than a few members of the forum have had their say, some more than once. If I was a forum moderator on here I would have closed this thread down by now. I don’t know if there are any moderators on this forum but if there is I for one would welcome you close this thread down

I would imagine that the majority, if not all, of todays promotors would just love to see the “good old days” return with the crowds. Reading books like Peters, where recollections are put in writing, we can get a glimpse that not everything was rosey. What with disputes between riders and disputes between riders and promotors and even the governing body, makes life in those days come alive, and interesting to read.

So, what they should do is start to sell first tickets that encompass all four days. After a reasonable period then they should sell off the last chance and the final together, then finally the final by itself. That way would also allow those who want to do the four days chance to ensure they can get accommodation as needed.