steve roberts

...always thought alternate gates were fairer. When the fixed gates came in depending on which team they either had three out of four inside gates or outside gates in succession depending on who won the toss and of course with the dirt moving out as the meeting progressed gave an unfair advantage in my opinion.

...slightly different scenario but I remember Steve Lomas dropping points (feigned engine failure?) when on a potential heat advantage thus moving Hackney into a six point lead but his subsequent action (Len Silver inspired 'allegedly') denied the opposing team to utilise a Tac Sub in the following race.

...Yes I recall Oxford wanting to sign Gordon whose converted average was deemed just too high. He would have made a good a signing and would have pleased many 'old time' Oxford fans!

John Dews couldn't adapt to White City when 'The Rebels' moved to Wood Lane and would have been a very able number one for 'The Cheetahs' in 1976 but his average was deemed too high and he subsequently retired.

I have a feeling that fixed gates came in during 1987/1988 (?) and for the first season I recall that you were able to choose gates also but that was done away soon after.

...obviously the points that you make are valid and very relevant today and thankfully public opinion has been stung into accepting some of the wrongs of the past and present. My point was that in speedway terms the sport has always been prevalent to both open and closed abuse and probably always will be as with other sports which have been laid open to scrutiny in recent years. Doesn't make it right and is obviously open to discussion and conjecture but personally I'm not going to get hung up on what many of us knew or had suspicions of what was going on behind the scenes in the past or indeed the present (?) within the sport. Perhaps we were more naive in those days and without the benefit of close scrutiny and media attention we just accepted such things rightly or wrongly. Of course one is able to be more observant and objective when the true facts are made known and therefore make a more informed judgement and analysis of past and/or present set of circumstances whatever the scenario whether it be in sport or the world in general.

...I recall that concrete starts were used once but soon discarded after a couple of years (?)

...If I recall when I read his book "Simmo -The Whole Truth" four riders (Simmo, Neil Middleditch, John Davis and Malcolm Holloway) decided that they would finish in a certain order during the so called 'thrown race" to which the promoter (Terry Chandler) agreed to at the time when it was put to him but with reservations.According to Simmo Chandler then renegaded when the crowd starting booing and sacked Simmo for his part in the proceedings!

Personally I don't get het up over points bought, dropped or sold as it's been going on for years...probably since the start of the sport. Mitch Shirra, when interviewed in 'Backtrack' some years ago, told how the Coventry riders were ordered to drop points so as the overall team average would prove advantageous when formulating the team for the following season. My uncle saw two very famous riders buying off a rider during a World Championship meeting in Britain (an incident that John Berry also quoted in his book "Confessions" to which I collaborated in the way of a response to him personally via email) I heard whispers and/or suspicions whereby guest riders were paid off by the opposing team and one very well known rider had fingers pointed during one meeting at Cowley but which was never proven. The speedway scribe John Chaplin was once quoted in one of his books that if you don't wish to have your illusions spoilt then stay very firmly on your side of the fence.

...apparently the money was "swallowed up in the liquidation" when Poole Stadium Ltd went into receivership and the bank foreclosed wanting it's money back. Page 174 in Reg Fearman's book.

I've often raised this issue with 'fixed' gates which allows an advantage to which ever team when the pre-determined gates don't alternate offering an advantage to those who start the meeting on the inside moving towards the outside gates as the meeting progresses and vice versa as the dirt (remember that?) moved out.

...Interesting story but not surprising. I stopped watching that debacle many, many years ago...I guess that it's that time of year again when it's about to appear on our screens!

The website is: www.lulu.com/shop Keith Lawson is my uncle!!!!

Just received my copy. Looks great as usual with tributes to both Ronnie Moore and Bob Dugard.

A great rider and a super stylist and John Berry always valued him as captain of England. Three times World Pairs Champion with three different riders and four times a World Team Champion. His British league form was second to none but often carried Poole after years competing with Terry Betts at Lynn although they were best mates!

...Exactly!

...I've always thought that the refund policy somewhat suspect. The terms and conditions were always printed in the programme and more often than not this was purchased once you've paid your admission. I remember going with newcomer once and he was less than impressed when he lost his admission because the meeting was cancelled after heat six. Could never be proved but during dodgy weather I recall some meetings being rushed thru' the first six heats and then abandoned so as to save on the refund policy.

Yes the main stand is still in place (I think that it may still be used by a going concerned...or indeed part of it) but the surrounding areas including the terracing and other buildings/pits etc looked to be in a very sorry mess. Question is whether any prospective promoter and/or owner sees it as a viable concern and worth spending hard cash bringing it back up to an acceptable standard. Probably the best compromise would just to open the home straight and possibly the third and fourth bend terracing and fence off the rest. Sorry state of affairs all round considering it was one of the better stadiums not that long ago.

I'd be keen to know of any developments because the last time I took a look at Cowley Stadium it was looking very run down and would take a small fortune to turn it round.

I've just acquired two speedway publications by one-time Oxford track photographer Keith Lawson. "Rebels 1975 - The Last Season" "The Cheetahs 1976 - The Resurrection" They are full of photos, statistics and anecdotes from a period that changed the face at Cowley when it was thought that speedway would be lost but due to the efforts of many it was saved...sounds familiar although this time round I personally feel circumstances are very different and I have grave doubts about the sport ever returning to Cowley. Both books compliment each other and are worth purchasing.

...you never know I'd probably give it a visit living in York as I do! However I've left the front door wide open to allow the 'Flying Pig' that often frequents my house an easy escape route!

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Cleveland Bays and Anglian Angels (?)

...I would agree with this observation. Personally I don't think that it's loss has been totally recognised and the effect it had on speedway in this country. As regards the Collins/Michanek clash I think that Ivan Mauger hit it on the head when he observed that there was no way that Peter was going to be blamed for his fall as it took place on an English track in front of mostly English fans and presided over by an English referee (Arthur Humphreys...who, much to Anders' disgust, apologised to him at Reading's next home meeting!)

...I was taking Daniel's post literally "What's required is for the race to be finished and on with the next one" My post was very much tongue firmly in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously knowing obviously what's involved with any particular meeting and differing scenarios that may arise and/or occur in same.