steve roberts

Totally agree Rob...and as a Wolves rider he rarely put in an appearance at Cowley (1975 especially) treating the fans with contempt as was highlighted in one of the Oxford programmes's editorial at the time. Thankfully he refused to be allocated to Oxford in 1975 and we got the sublime Dag Lovaas instead after a long complicated rider shuffle.

Am I right in assuming that Howard Cole was Welsh?

The late Kelvin Mullarkey was a hard rider and I remember one such occasion where he and Barney Kennett (another shrinking violet) had a coming together!

If I remember Alan was born a Kiwi but took out Australian citizenship...or was it the other way round?

Yes Sid...used to enjoy the second halves!

Here goes with my choice as regards 'the enemy from down the road'...'The Budgies'! Martin Ashby, Bob Kilby, Mike Broadbank, Mike Keen, David Ashby, Geioff Bouchard, Bobby McNeil, Edgar Stangeland, Norman Hunter, Clive Hitch, Brian Leonard, Mick Handley, Barry Briggs, Jan Andersson.

I believe that both Chris Julian and Blewitt fall into the same category?

Not the same thing however I remember Wiggy taking out a Dutch license and Marvyn Cox a German one purely for convenience due to problems they had experienced with the governing ACU within the UK.

I think that that 'rumours' escalated because, obviously, Vladimir was barred from the World stage during 1972 Valeri suddenly appeared and rode in the 1972 World Final at Wembley and no one in the west was aware of him. As a matter of interest he was involved in the Briggo crash. In 1973 Valeri rode again in the World Final but didn't ride in Britain during the Daily Mirror World League competition whereas brother Vlad did. However Valeri did then ride at Wembley that same year during the World Team Cup whereas Vlad didn't. Of couse they eventually teamed up together in Britain during the test series in 1974 and the rumour makers were made to eat their words. I recall that it was all good fun back then and speculation rife but of course proved pure nonsense.

I think that westerners were suspicious because they hadn't apeared together outside the communist block together which is how the story came about I guess. Good old 'cold war' speculation and mistique which then surrounded the old Eastern block. I do remember reading about it so I'm sure it wasn't just my memory playing tricks. May have been Dave Lanning who was always upto a trick ot two!

I recall that Garry Middleton was instrumental in getting Gerhard a team place at Coventry in 1973.

I believe Alan Mogridge (?) did at one time?

Yes I'm sure he did and if I recall it was Jan Andersson who recommended him to 'The Robins' as they rode for the same Swedish team.

Goes back to when Vladimir received a years ban after using nitro during the 1971 World Final. Valeri then suddenly appeared on the international scene in 1972 and for a couple of years they never appeared together in a meeting in the west and a conspiracy theory began to develop that they were one in the same...hard to believe I know but I do remember the rumours and counter rumours flying around at the time. If I remember they eventually appeared together in Britain during a test series in 1974...unfortunately the Oxford meeting was cancelled and it wasn't until 1976 that I got to see the Russians in action (Swindon) Good story if nothing else and probably fabricated by mischeivious western journalists at the time!

There was a very interesting interview with Bob Valentine in 'Backtrack' a couple of years ago where he described a potential 'scuffle' he had with Gordon Kennett after a particularly hard race but both ended up shaking hands.

Yes I recall when 'The Rebels' visited Hackney in 1975 with Dag in the team we pulled off a tremendous win and Christer registered probably his best return for 'The Hawks' of 13 points. Highlights of that meeting are featured on the 'London Tracks' DVD...a great addition to my nostalgia collection.

...That's my self-imposed criteria based upon first hand knowledge watching my 'favourites'. I have the greatest respect for those I never had the privilege of watching (and there were many believe me) but I have to draw my personal line somewhere otherewise any list I may nominate would prove endless.

...and we got to marvel at his silky style at Cowley in 1975!

Problem with the Dutch thread is that I only have seen (which is my bench mark) three Dutch riders...and I have difficulty naming ten 'favourites' on some of the other options (favoutite being the operative word)!

Henk Steman, Henny Kroeze (who I believe registered the first 21 point maximum in the BL) and Rudy Mutts.

My introduction to speedway (1972) following 'The Rebels' at Cowley and later at White City whilst supporting 'The Cheetahs' in the National League (I had the best of both worlds). I also was a regular at Eastbourne (Sundays on the south coast) and visits to the 'old enemy' down the road at Swindon on Saturday nights. Through the eighties with the 'glory years' of Nielsen & Co. at Oxford however interest was beginning to wain by the mid-nineties and I no longer travelled away following the sport. A slight increase of interest during the Purchase years at Oxford but by the time Nigel Wagstaff arrived I was pretty well spent. I continued my visits to Cowley as it was only a short walk away until 2003 and the final nail was moving to York in 2004 and I haven't been to a speedway since...However I wouldn't have changed anything. Great days travelling around the country and abroad for the old one-off World Finals. Speedway was/is a great night out and meeting with friends made it a sociable experience. Therefore my era would be the seventies and eighties...with a slight overlap or two. Wish I had gone during the sixties but I was into football then (misguided fool...although that was a good era too!)

Oordeev Bros (although they were once viewed with suspicion by the West as being one of the same!), Chylnovski, Paznikov, Trofimov, Pavlov, Kuzmin, Starostin, Kuznetsov.

Trouble is Sid my list would vary daily...far too many for me to list.

Yes of course that was based upon the 'Greatest Five Ever?' (Blimey I created that thread over one and half years ago!) whereas this thread is about favourite Danes and to re-iterate Olsen wouldn't make my list.

Was it Peter Collins' sister Anne?