steve roberts

He scored 10 points if I recall. Garry Middleton was programmed to ride but was replaced...apparently he didn't like Jim Airey and according to Eric Boocock when in Aussie Garry actually had a gun in his tool box and when Eric protested he explained that he had it in case Jim caused any problems!

Australia vs Poland at Cowley when the stadium was jammed pack! Zenon Plech's crash that was captured by Mike Patrick and 'soon to be' World Champion Jerzy Szczakiel's only outing as far as the first bend when he got trapped under the kick board and an unlikely Polish hero in Jan Mucha...great memories of a great event during speedway's last 'Golden Era'!

Hi Trees...wasn't my particular observation but you have some good points.

I don't think anybody really doubts that the Play-Offs apparently attract good numbers but those numbers need to be replicated during the season if speedway is to move on.

Sad news indeed although not unexpected. A great rider and ambassador. May he RIP

...I agrre with much of what you say but Orion doesn't make a case, or give examples, on how speedway should or could move forward except he keeps quoting Play-Offs as like other sports (American Football and American Ice Hockey played in the States adopt a different system which is essentially a Knock Out system beyond the Conference League stage). Speedway's problems lay much deeper than that. Media coverage and hype has helped tremendously by pushing certain sports and despite SKY's involvement with speedway the same thing never happened. A missed opportunity and one has to ask the question why? I think that we all agree that speedway promoters have basically created issues within the sport with constantly altering formats and/or rules etc etc but the bottom line is that speedway appears to be going no where and in my view unless a Head of Administration is adopted (which is very unlikely) I can't see any progress. The sport needs a modern Mike Parker or John Berry to initiate a massive change but do the public, as a whole, now get excited about bikes going round in circles and environmental issues?

...Blimey more bites than an average day fishing! Glad that you've accepted football (despite your earlier protestations) as an example however I'm still waiting your views on how speedway may well move forward? I've given examples of mine now over to you before we all wither with exhaustion and typing frenzy with expectation!

...sounds reasonable enough to me!

...glad that we cleared that one up. Play-Offs in speedway and football don't follow the same criteria.

...now you're talking! Bring on the 'Joker' ...oh sorry speedway's been there!

...and of course the semis were just the one leg (are they still?) which obviously heavily favoured the home team. Without checking records have any away teams won a semi-final clash and qualified for the final? Why not two legged semi-finals followed by a two legged final unless you were Oxford in 2002 who were denied a chance to defend their championship thru' no fault of their own! Again the assumption that Play-Offs helps generate new/and or old fans hasn't been borne out if overall attendance figures are to be believed throughout the season which is surely what domestic speedway requires if it is to thrive. Play-Offs should be the icing on the cake but you first need a cake.

...accepted (Premier League Darts? Strewth!) and your views on where the sport should be going assuming that you still go? I've given you a few of mine without having to repeat long winded often repeated explanations. The Play-Offs have been discussed and as Moxey and other posts have suggested it's not a level playing field and different criteria more often than not.

...I've listed my criteria many times in the past (continuity/rider familiarity/a workable non-manipulative rule book/continuity of race formulae within leagues which was not always the case/length of races/an Independent controlling body/proper training structure as in Sweden and Denmark/non-reliance of foreigners in the lower league etc etc etc) Remind me which other sports use the same Play-Off system speedway as you apparently know all about other sports. The fact that I used to follow football, Ice Hockey. Motor Racing, American Football and Snooker doesn't count for anything as I no longer have an active interest in them anymore. I've named some of my views as regards my experience of many years of following speedway (in front and behind the scenes) but I'd be interested in yours and where you see the sport in the future considering that, I assume, you still attend? The Play-Offs and the GPs have been discussed and dissected enough regarding both the pros and cons but other aspects would prove intriguing.

...yes and you constantly compared the introduction of Play- Offs in speedway to other sports (football in particular) As has been pointed out to you many times in the past Play-Offs in football were introduced to decide Promotion/Regulation issues not championships (unlike speedway) Can't imagine football fans being happy with that particular scenario if it was introduced. As regards the GPs (as has been pointed out by better people than myself and to repeat my earlier post) it was thru' their introduction that riders began to pick and choose their commitments and/or regularity of meetings which created problems with continuity regarding meetings in this country. Of course one can argue it raised the profile of the sport but it has been achieved at a high price as regards the domestic programme. Depends on one's differing perspective and views. More importantly, however, the lost revenue that a one-off British World Final as well as other FIM meetings that once upon a time the BSPA would take a slice. Neither Play-Offs or the GPs have helped generate a new generation of fans. As regards my views on the sport I have posted on many occasions both the positives and negatives if you cared to read...as I know you read my posts diligently!

...and as I keep reminding you it's been generally accpted that speedway started to decline during the mid - late eighties...long before foreign leagues influenced the choice riders had to make. It's more complex than that. It wasn't until the advent of the GPs that this scenario began to change significantly. I don't think that anybody has specifically stated that by re-introducing aspects of the sixties and/or seventies and/or eighties speedway will become more popular. Changing of rules, heat formula etc etc drove many away from the sport but, more significantly, failed to attract new comers to the sport for varying reasons and/or circumstances. As regards other sports I'm not particularly interested as it's difficult to compare like with like. Each has their own agendas and media hype. However I do find it ironic that you are quick to have a go at certain posters but I fail to see anything positive from yourself when discussing speedway either from the past or indeed the present and I would be interested to learn what you once saw in the sport but now appear disillusioned ?

...who said anything about bringing chants back? You need to read my posts more carefully. I was comparing the fact that chants appear to be the norm in football (as well as other sport) but not in speedway apparently despite the continual debate about generating an atmosphere. So I'm assuming that you went during the middle seventies. What would be helpful is that you were able to highlight things that worked back then that would work now? Not everything was negative (although there were issues) which is what you keep implying in your posts despite you initiating different. You continually comment about 'now and then' but examples would be appreciated. After all the sport attracted thousands during it's last 'Golden Era' rather than the hundreds it apparently attracts now so it obviously was doing something right which it ain't now! Name one aspect of the sport that worked in the past and could be -re-emplemented now to improve the overall image?

I do find your posts about the decline and general disinterest in speedway by the media and/or masses somewhat perplexing. Many on here talk of better times in the past but you deride the past as well as the present. When did you first go to speedway and did you ever enjoy the sport as it was (forgetting the present issues now facing the sport) or have you always felt that the sport was never any good and/or to be taken seriously?

...bit like football in that respect.

Many Thanks! Just ordered my copy...will be my holiday reading at Whitby!

Is the book available as a hard back?

...no better or worse than football fans (often grown men and women) chanting banal songs!

...of course in my youth we used to do 'War Cries' use rattles and later air horns to generate an atmosphere and before people suggest that today's youth would find all that 'un-cool' it doesn't stop them from participating in banal chants at football matches and the like.

I used to follow Oxford City 'Stars' Ice Hockey team and I have to agree that it used to create a great atmosphere (especially The Town vs. Gown matches) however it's much easier creating an atmosphere within an enclosed inside arena rather than an open stadium whereby the weather will always be a factor as well as other issues.

Garry 'Cassius' Middleton....what a character! The infamous incident when he pulled a gun on Roy Trigg in the pits after a race at Dudley Wood. Read an interview with Finn Thomsen who commented that he used to have problems with Garry on track but, then again, Finn was never a shrinking violet and there was no love lost between him and the late Billy Sanders.

I recall that speedway adopted such a measure many years ago and would be interested to learn why it was dropped? I can only assume that a rider when passing over the concrete section picked up extra grip causing the bike to rear (?) or too much grip whilst waiting for the tapes to rise in that it didn't allow the rear wheel to spin? When I had a go at speedway at King's Lynn it amazed me the depth of grooves at the starting area and passing over them was like hitting a 'rumble strip' causing the front wheel and forks to vibrate!