steve roberts

Yes when your see images of old Rudges and Douglas they are certainly very different to modern lightweight machines which is one reason why it's very difficult to compare different eras in my view whereby different techniques and/or styles are required and on very different track surfaces.

Remember Phil riding at Oxford in 1974 for Newport on his 'Street Conversion' and he smashed the track record which had stood for years. Neil Street had been a very able rider for many years and riding his own '4 valve' engine gave him a new, albeit temporary, lease of life. Whether the introduction of the '4 Valve' was a good thing is purely down to opinion but many riders at the time were very concerned regarding its conception and the extra costs involved. The rest, as they say, is history.

Apparently Chris was very badly affected by Alan Wilkinson's very cruel injury and he was never the same rider again...although I remember he put in a superlative performance with Weymouth at Cowley!

I talk to Ian Cartwright (one time Halifax 'Duke') whenever I'm visiting 'Mouseman' in Kilburm and he told me that Chris running a pub was the last thing that he should have been doing when he finished with speedway. A brilliant character however and often forgotten about when one talks of great 'Aces' (much to brother, Geoff's, great annoyance)

I was there too!

If I recall Ivan Mauger was riding a Long/Short Stroke (can't remember which without checking up)) Jawa powered bike which apparently compared more with a Long Track set up? PC deservedly won that day but Simmo was in the best form of his career that season having won both the Wills Internationale (against a World Class field) and the British Final (when it meant something). Would Simmo have ended up as Champion at Katowice if PC hadn't been present? We can only conjecture plus taking into account Ivan's engine failure that he maintained unto his dying day denied him the crown that year despite PC's justified claim to the contrary.

I know that he presented ipswich's Tony Davey with a new bike prior to the 1978 Grande Prix Final at White City in 1978.

I recall Ivan Mauger appearing with his Gold Bike and on another occasion Larry Ross whilst a 'Don'.

Recall Oxford during their last Championship winning season (2001) riding at Ipswich in a 'double' header'...one was a league match in which, if I remember we drew therefore securing the championship (much to the annoyance of SKY whose cameras weren't present!) and a semi-final Knock Out Cup tie which resulted in a two point defeat and because of a poor home leg we weren't able to progress to the final. Talk about two high pressure fixtures back to back!

I remember painting all those sponsors logos on a Britain's Speedway Rider model to resemble Hans.

Remember Hans Nielsen at a pre-season practice session at Cowley wearing black leathers before his sponsor's logos were to be added. He later passed on a set to Oxford junior Phil Roberts who wore them for a couple of years before injury forced him to retire. Halifax's Tom Godel wearing a pair of Dag Lovaas's leathers with the name Dag removed. Ole Olsen's yellow and orange leathers (c1972) with the Wolves emblem incorporated within the design. His Danish leathers worn during the 1972 World Final.

Chris & Geoff Pusey c1973 with their polka dot creations. Chris basically blue and Geoff red. Also Peter Collins in his pastel coloured leathers (1974?) Always thought Ivan's Red, White & Black leathers were rather good representing his Canterbury (NZ) upbringing but also were 'The Aces' colours by chance...he wore them for many years. Robert Pfetzing's 'Five Flavours' variations. Bert Harkins' tarten mustard set of leathers. Reg Luckhurst's Golden Boots...before boots were covered over by leathers.

Yes the Sunday People who desperately tried to make a serial from it's initial 'head-line' hitting editorial!

The very first World Final there was alleged collusion between the eventual winner Lionel Van Pragg and Eric Langton (whose grave I recently visited) You only need to read articles in magazines and books to realise that speedway has been riddled with deals and favours. Nothing new really despite the 'shock and horror' observations! My uncle saw a deal being struck in the pits at Leicester many years ago involving World Class competitors and it was an episode highlighted in one of John Berry's books which I backed up in conservation with John at the time.

Remember those when he was a 'Cheetah'!

Some great memories there!

Without quoting all the exact details (I'm working on my model railway after having just walked the dog!) although I can lift a quote from the said book "I (Ermolenko) let Loram pass me around the outside and I stayed in second, with Billy in third behind me...Nielsen could only make the B Final , while Billy and I, Greg Hancock and Loram, we were all in the A Final..." He goes on to quote "...What I didn't realise was that Loram and Chris Louis, who were both in a similar situation to me, had their one little arrangement going. I got caught up in something that I didn't know about" It's an interesting chapter in his book and well worth a read...far too complicated to explain the whole scenaio but enlightening nevertheless as Sam explains that it went back were he felt that the Yanks had been screwed up during a World Pairs semi-final back in 1991.

There was 'collusion' during the 1996 GP Final round when Hans was 'ganged up upon' allowing Billy Hamill to become champion. Can't recall the exact scenario without checking the facts but Sam Ermolenko was involved as he explained in great detail in his book "Breaking The Limits"

Remember the occasion when Ivan wore different leathers each time he took to the track during Canterbury's celebration of 50 years of speedway in 1973!

Agree...Nielsen was regarded as the favourite from what I remember based on his British League record and other factors.

Apparently there was an item on the local Yorkshire news that follows the national news at 6-30pm last night. I didn't watch it as I can't abide it's presenter Harry Gration!

Don't forget Billy Sanders who was genuinely thought to be a threat in 1984 but failed at Gothenburg after a superlative effort in the previous year's World Pairs Final at the same venue. Billy was riding probably at his peak during 1984 and early 1985 before he tragically took his own life.

I saw much of Hans being an Oxford fan of many years and was privileged to see him ride all over the UK as well as abroad. I first saw him during his first year in Britain and it was obvious then that there was something special about him. I place him among the greats and his team leadership skill was second to none and to watch him team ride was a joy to behold.

I saw Tomasz ride on only a number of occasions whilst with Ipswich but I have to say he used to impress me when I used to watch him competing in the GP's!

Kelly Moran was quoted as saying same about lay down bikes years ago when he gave one a trial...and there was no one more skillfull on a bike than Kelly!