steve roberts

...during Steve and Vanessa Purchase's tenure at Cowley we were very fortunate in that they were very pro-fan orientated. In fact I was once invited to a pre-seaon discussion with Steve and a number of others due to my contributions on the old Oxford Speedway Forum ( which incidentally Steve Shovlar used to frequent spouting his usual rubbish even back then and was invariably told to p**s off by many of us!)

...I admire your resilience!

...sorry the name Chris always comes to mind! Don't know why!

Just received the latest edition of Backtrack. As usual another super read! Interesting interview with Tony Lomas who is less than complimentary about Charles Ochiltree during his time at Coventry. Recall Tony's less than satisfactory enforced move to Cowley with Garry Middleton going the other way. Tony now resides in Reeth (James Herriot Country) and somewhere I visit regularly...if I bump into him will definitely have a chat. Also another good insight with another 'Rebel' Colin 'Joe' Gooddy....had an interesting slant about his one year spent at Cradley Heath. Chris Sear (SRA Secretary) discusses the eventual fall of the rider's union and how 'Gentleman' Hans Nielsen was always supportive of him and the cause. If you don't subscribe I couldn't recommend it enough for those interesting in reading about speedway's last 'Golden Age'...how I'm glad I followed the sport during that period.

...a rider who I would have enjoyed watching but sadly was never to be. Saw Ove ride in Barry Briggs' 1988 Golden Greats Meeting and he still showed class but to have watched him at his height would have been something else! Wished I had been around to see the 'big five' compete....Craven, Fundin, Briggs, Moore and Knutsson although Ronnie missed some seasons but I did see him during my first season (1972) which was Ronnie's last at Wimbledon.

Agree entirely.

Used to enjoy watching Ice Hockey live but it's another of those sports that doesn't come over very well on TV due to the speed of the puck!

...on another occasion Peter and Ove met at Cowley during a Golden Helmet decider and if I recall Peter won 2-1 and set the track record (63secs) that was to remain in place for 13 years!

...nice to see you back Sid! I agree entirely with the lost opportunity regarding John Berry.

I've said it before but I was never quite sure who the targeted market was in broadcasting live league matches? Was it to attract new people to the sport or to appeal to the already converted...or indeed to attract major sponsorship to which it has apparently failed on all counts.

...Tony Rikardsson was a case in point. One reason I would never put him in the same class as Ivan Mauger despite his six World Championship wins.

Saw many great riders who were able to team ride....Ronnie Moore, Ivan Mauger. Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen, Ken McKinlay, Sam Ermolenko etc etc and dictate a race. Personally I felt that the advent of fixed gates limited opportunities and have read that the introduction of lay downs made it more difficult as they were somewhat unpredictable? I always thought it was one of the spectacles of team racing and there was no finer sight in speedway.

...what the same Dick Bracher who initially refused both Per Jonsson and Jimmy Nilsen racing permits until pressure was exerted in the way of a local MP amongst others? To quote Bob Radford "...his judgement on Per and Jimmy stands as testimony to his lack of knowledge and understanding of speedway racing and the riders"

...I personally felt that the middle order riders were the ones who often gave loyal service in the past and get easly passed over when talking of the 'greats'. Oxford had a great servant in Rick Timmo and riders like him were the life blood of the sport.

...plus the fact that one could associate with the riders who often rode for the same team before the points limit dictated team make-ups which was not always based upon ability but rather on a convenient workable average especially within the middle order and reserve department. The one junior per team (although admirable in conception) was a classic example. I was fortunate at Oxford and White City as I saw the development of riders thru' the old second halves and our association with sister clubs Eastbourne and Peterborough. Riders who progressed into the main body included Gordon Kennett, Malcolm Ballard (whatever happened to him?), John Davis, Richard Greer, Trevor Geer, Paul Gachet and Steve Weatherley to name a few plus many others who turned out for various other teams (Bobby McNeil and Roger Johns for example)

...another track I would have liked to have visited. Before my time unfortunately.

...same sort of thing happened during Bill Barker's reign at King's Lynn when 'apparently' the takings were stolen from his home...alegedly.

...I played darts often in a pub league (together with Aunt Sally...now there's another TV opportunity?) but would I watch a televised tournament full of drunken louts (and that's just the women) I don't think so but as I said each to their own.

...whatever turns people on. Perhaps there's hope for other pub games such as shove ha'penny or bar billiards or even dominoes? Could attract the public's imagination if marketed correctly. Let's face it if Wrestling can be branded as a sport and featured on a Sports Channel then there's an opportunity for all sorts of activities being televised in the name of sport with the right backing and/or marketing and/or incentive.

...that's, of course, if darts can be regarded as a sport?

...or anywhere come to that!

...some 8 years ago I was in correspondence with the then owners of the stadium citing my concerns that the stadium was being left to deteriorate so that it would no longer be a viable facility with a view of selling it off for re-development. She refuted that in strong terms but I have since been found correct...a disgraceful state of affairs.

It's disgraceful that the continual decline of the site continues. I called in last month and it made for depressing viewing. I wish all those involved with saving the venue good luck but as time goes on it's becoming more and more difficult.

...yes and in the sam article he goes on to say "...Then take into account just how the media brainwashes people about football. Wherever you look it is your face.The media wants football to be successful because it sells newspapers and/or Pay TV subscriptions (let alone the advertising revenue it generates), so it is in the Media's interest to constantly ram it down people's throats" He also goes on about cricket coverage (a sport he admired) but that's another story... I admired John Berry and he was a great lose to the sport in my opinion.

...I think that John Berry's article intimated that there wasn't/isn't a level playing field when it came to facilities and/or amenities and that football, in particular, gained far more favourable incentives to unable the sport to upgrade. Speedway, generally, has had to rely on self funding and initiatives in which to develop facilities without little help, financially, from governments local or national. I'm not familiar regarding the background of the new Belle Vue facility and where the finances were obtained but any information would be appreciated. I would agree wholeheartedly that speedway needs an independent body/person to run the sport...John Berry was once nominated but soon resigned when he realised that he wouldn't get the necessary support from members of the BSPA.