steve roberts

...that's another 'Whoosh' from Orion. Loosing count the number of times that particular phrase he registers? Hate the term myself.

Tim Hunt was a bit of an 'odd ball'. I recall an incident at Smallmead once when he came racing out of the pits on his bike and hit the white kerb and went head over heals! Interesting interview he gave some years ago when he said he never swore no matter how upset he got over a decision that went against him...although he would argue the case with the ref but in an articulate fashion.

Just received my copy...a great issue to a great man. Well done to all those involved in getting the publication out at such short notice,

Apparently 'Joe' Gooddy and 'Speedie' Pete Jarman would look out for each other when they both rode for 'The Cheetahs' and woe betide anyone if they messed with either!

Beat me to it!

...my holiday reading in a couple of weeks when on holiday in the Cotswolds.

Just before my time although I seem to recall going to the speedway once during the back end of the decade. !972 was my first year and the seventies were full of characters and we at Cowley had one of the champions...Garry "Cassius" Middleton skipper of 'The Rebels'.

Endorse that.

Agree totally!

...picture of Poole, the Man Utd of speedway (according to Craig Boyce!). What a burden to carry!

Recall Ian Thomas using R/R for the retired Robbie Gardner (even though he was fourth in the averages) until Teesside's Tony Coupland decided enough was enough!

When I bought a rule book many years ago now it was ambiguous in some places and left to all sorts of interpretation...and certain Team Managers were able to use that to their advantage and Ian Thomas comes straight to mind!

...who'd be a Team Manager! I recall John Louis being quoted in an interview who was unimpressed with constant rule changing as was the late Bernard Crapper.

Interesting to read Swindon's Alun Rossiter's comment in the latest 'Star' over the wording of the above rule (number of rides)..."How do they come up with theses rules." "The trouble is it's the way it's worded in the rulebook. It's wrong, but is was very frustrating (recent encounter against Leicester), the ref was going by the letter of the book and again the SCB are bringing out so many amendments it's unreal.They write a rule and there is an amendment, all I get coming thru' is amendments, nearly every week, it's crazy. How can it be? We've got to get it right and then wonder why people get infuriated." The rule book has always been open to interpretation and created issues down the years and it appears to continue to do so.

Reported in the local press that Ari has died aged 58. RIP

Just bought my Speedway Star (two in consecutive weeks!) and enjoyed the articles on Ivan...especially Alan Wilkinson's tribute.

That is sad news if confirmed. Saw Ari ride many times and, if I recall, was the brother-in-law of Kai Niemi.

...likewise. I attended Cowley for over thirty years but since moving to York 14 years ago haven't been to a meeting since. I'm afraid the thought of having to travel to a speedway costing petrol money no longer appeals...used to walk to Oxford and I was one of the unusual regulars who actually enjoyed the second halves back in those days. 15 heats of racing just doesn't offer good value for money in my view (together with many other issues that I have often cited on this forum...over dependance on non-descript foreigners being one)

Back in the 'Good Old Days' we used to go to Reading (occasionally) on the Monday, White City on Wednesdays, Oxford on Thursdays and more than occasionally Swindon on Saturdays.

...personally I always preferred race jackets and the choice of individual leathers. It made it easier identifying one rider from another.

Many thanks for that...it just looks very messy in my opinion whereby the idea of team suits was to make the sport look more 'professional' (although I disliked them personally) and now it appears that it's left to discretion of any one promotion as to which way to go...team suits or race jackets.

Having flicked thru' a recent edition of 'Speedway Star' I happened to notice that Poole on a recent visit to Belle Vue appeared to have dispensed with team suits adopting race jackets instead. Scanning further thru' the mag it seems that some teams are re-adopting race jackets whereas others have the club insignia on their team suits. Are team suits no longer compulsory and left to individual clubs to adopt whatever suits?

...having not bought a copy for a year or two having read the Ivan tributes I just flicked thru' the rest of the magazine and pictures of similarly styled riders looking the same didn't particularly inspire me. Individuality seems to be a thing of the past.

...an interesting insight regarding Ivan's change of approach to the 1979 World Final. The more I think of Ivan's passing the more apparent that a great part of the sport that I once knew no longer exists.

Saw a copy at Morrison's today with Ivan on the front and bought it purely for the articles on the great man.