steve roberts

The last season of 'The Rebels' (1978) created some rather embarrassing heavy defeats for the home team. However they always throughout their three years of operation remained good visitors to other tracks and achieved results at all over that same period excepting Exeter, Ipswich and Newport/Bristol (although they should have won on their visits to Eastville). The 77 team were an exceptionally talented group of riders and fully deserved their title success and teams visiting Wood Lane that season were often sent away packing although 'The Rebels' were not invincible and lost twice at home during that campaign and others came close in succeeding which proved that if riders were willing to give it a go that success was within their grasp. I would agree that races were often strung out at Wood Lane but that was often the case at many of the larger tracks operating at the time, before and no doubt since but I saw many races involving the home team having to battle their way thru'...none more so spectacular than Kai Niemi riding around Terry Betts and inside Michael Lee within a lap.

Yes some people slag off White City but as a weekly regular during 'The Rebels' era and some of the big meetings held there it did produce some decent racing and Malcolm Simmons (Yes that man again) used to enjoy riding the many lines that it encouraged and likened it to Custom House.

Glasgow - Hampden Park.

I may be wrong but I think that he was injured during the practice session?

There was of course the occasion that John Berry produced a measuring tape during the interval at Hull and proceeded to measure the width much to the annoyance of the home promoter Ian Thomas.

I was there and although it was the league decider Hull were up against it and had lost it earlier in the season due to the unprofessionalism of certain riders.

Remember it well...all because Ole Olsen refused to come to Oxford (thank goodness) and we got Dag Lovaas instead. Perculiar in that Oxford very nearly always opened their account in a League tie at Coventry before any warm up fixtures which is how John rode in place of himself! I seem to recall a similar scenario surrounding Alan Mogridge also?

The subject of cutting costs has been abundant for more years than I care to remember. People within the sport were saying same at the advent of the four valves and it had been allowed to get out of hand without any real intervention. When lay-downs were introduced they were banned in the British Leagues but, if I recall, that only lasted the one year when they were introduced due to pressures from abroad and the GPs who allowed them.

Remember Vic riding at Radipole Lane together with the likes of Geoff Swindells, Kelvin Mullarkey (?) and Martin Yeates of course.

From memory it may well have been the Craven Shield whereby teams met once home and again away.

Different world I guess but I used to go to Oxford on Thursdays and White City (Tuesdays or Wednesdays during my exam years) and somehow managed to get my homework done around those visits.

How about re-adopting handicap racing as was once tried back in the sixties which, if I recall, upset Briggo who threatened to retire if it wasn't withdrawn!

Remember in 1987 when Hackney elected to join the British League and only Oxford came to their assistance (despite assurances from other promotions) and loaned them Simon Wigg...which paid Oxford dearly that season after two seasons of outstanding success.

Certainly needs serious consideration. There needs to be a structure in place that encourages British talent with appropriate training schools run professionally. I recall that Jan O.Pedersen was earmarked to run such a scheme some years back but it was met with apathy by the authorities and hence the continual slide.

Bo Brhel used to squeeze thru' the tiniest gaps close to the fence when exiting the second bend at Cowley whilst a 'Cheetah'. Bearing in mind that the exits to the bends at Cowley used to be quite narrow and that the fence was chain-linked that took some courage.

Recall Roman Matousek riding his front wheel over the white lane at Munich during the 1989 World Final where he picked up tremendous drive. Riders find many means to gain an advantage whether by design, pure chance or by accident...it's what made/makes the sport so special and creates many iconic and wonderful memories to saviour.

I'll just quote from an interview that Ivan gave in 'Backtrack' to perhaps help explain and/or qualify which I hope Tony Mac doesn't mind me quoting :- "At Exeter I had contests with myself. If I was riding very well, I'd go up around the banked part of turns three and and four and let my back wheel hit the fence - it would give me a ricochet and fire me down the the home straight. I used to practice doing that because, occasionally, if I was second or third in a race, and went up and got that ricochet on turn four, I knew I would have enough speed to pass guys on the inside by the start line. They were not expecting it. Instead, they expected you to creep round the outside. It would take me about a lap-and-a-half to build up to but I'd pass a lot of guys by riding in about the the gate one or two positions down the front straight - after my back wheel had deliberately clouted the fence. When we first used mufflers, I would tend to bend them on the fence - yes, Exeter was a really good fun place to to race at." Not a 'wall of death' feat by any means or in any way similar to the above race but a move using the fence to gain momentum which he apparently used successfully.

There were fascinating interviews with all the Collins' Brothers in a past Edition of 'Backtrack' some years ago. Each are very different personalities and made for an interesting read with the late John Berry giving his personal assessment on each one. The Kennett Brothers were also featured some time back and, again, very different in their own way.

Yes I was once initiated to stand at the entrance of Tesco's handing out leaflets and I completely agree with your analysis. I did a few talks at schools but they were totally underwhelming and not particularly inspiring as I had little to show the kids in which to grab their attention or stretch their imaginations.

To be fair speedway has rarely enjoyed continual sustainable sponsorship...although during it's last 'Golden Era' Gulf Oil, Marlboro, Durex and Volkswagon were branded sponsors and I recall that during the middle/late eighties Sunbrite came on board. The Mirror Newspaper group were high profile sponsors (which included The Sunday People) but they withdrew their interest before the 'scandals' claim if I recall but I am open to correction? It's a sport that traditionally relied/relies upon small to medium size businesses to back either teams or individuals however many riders have achieved considerable success with personal high profile sponsorship over the years. I remember that Peter York was apppointed by the BSPA to become Commercial Manager but I don't recall how sucessful that post was and whether he was able to attract any big time sponsors? Unfortunately the sport appearing regularly on SKY for many years failed to initiate much in the way of sponsorship at domestic level to the best of my knowledge (?). How other sports have attracted sponsorship and/or media attention despite some having their own 'issues' with drugs and match fixing etc I have no idea as I have no personal interest in other sports and gave up buying newspapers years ago but no doubt there are lots of theories and/or reasons out there.

Central TV (and Anglia TV apparently) used to be pretty good during the eighties showing domestic meetings around the Midlands but nationally it was pretty dire although when cable TV came on board we were fortunate where I lived to be able to watch highlights of National League meetings and later Internationals and British League.

We even used to pop down to Arlington on a Sunday occasionally. During the seventies it was White City on the Wednesday, Oxford Thursdays and Saturdays a visit to Swindon. Certainly couldn't entertain that regime now what with admissions and petrol costs.

Yes I agree that it was an over reaction that Simmo was greatly to blame and one of "Biggest Reasons" for the demise of speedway in this country. The so-called 'Scandal' was obviously one factor but as Martin Rogers' quoted crowds were not immediately affected during that period and it was an accumulation of events that has proved destructive over time. Personally I believe that the demise of "World of Sport" on ITV started the decline as speedway was no longer shown on mainstream TV although regional networks and the BBC dipped in and out over the next few years. I do recall a two page feature of the all-conquering "Cheetahs" team of 1986 (including Wiggy) appearing in a mainstream newspaper but generally speedway within the media was already declining (and it was never that good even during the 'glory years') and some would argue that was due to the emergence and later domination of the Danes and the fall of England's dominance during the seventies that proved a factor. It's a complex issue and one in which there is not one specific reason for the sport's decline but where there are many which have been well documented over the years and no doubt will continue to do so.

It's Malcolm Simmons' fault, apparently, posted on another thread (which is a bizarre statement to make to say the very least) although the reasons I believe lie much deeper and Martin Rogers' gives a very candid and constructive view/opinion in the latest edition of 'Backtrack' as regards to why speedway in this country has declined over the years.

Ivan mentions it in his book and subsequent interviews that he would purposely run his back wheel up on the fence at the County Ground which would then give him the momentum to pass a rider up the inside (where they least expected it) on entering the next bend. If I recall he used to say that it would take him a couple of laps in which to build up the necessary speed.