steve roberts

...definately 1976 as I recognise Paul Gachet's leathers as he was injured (broken ankle) early in 1977 and missed the rest of the season which is often conveniently forgotten when people question 'The Rebels' winning the championship that year. Great memories!

Remember Eddie wearing a red full face helmet during 1973 for 'The Rebels' before he was transferred to King's Lynn. I guess that Briggo was one of the first although Terry Betts wore one before it really became the vogue. Saw a photo of Ivan Mauger wearing one with mirrors attached to the visor but it didn't really catch on. When full face helmets became the rage I don't recall seeing either of the Grahame brothers wearing one resisting the temptation...or Ole Olsen come to that!

I'm guessing the late seventies...shame because it was one way of identifying riders with distinctive masks but of course the full face helmets which became the vogue offered better protection. Always recall Anders Michanek's scarf which he used to pull up over his mouth and nose.

...my class mates couldn't begin to imagine what it was like travelling up to White City London from Oxford every Wednesday (sometimes Tuesdays) when many had never even been to London. By 1978 (last year of 'The Rebels') I was driving up there myself after passing my driving test.

...and was presented to the crowd whilst taking a ride on Danny Dunton's Rolls Royce!

Fascinating interview with Australia's Jim Airey in the latest 'Backtrack' edition. A ride at his peak who appeared to give it all away but at least I had the opportunity of seeing him ride during a rare appearance at Cowley in 1973.

If I remember Trevor Geer was the 'baddie' during the race sequence!

Just been watching Dirk Bogarde in 'The Blue Lamp' which of course finishes off at White City...scene of my youth following 'The Rebels'. Great memories!

Elvington Air Field, near York, has that issue and causes a nuisance to local residents.

Unfortunately Cowley would suffer the same issues if it ever re-opened for speedway in the future.

...Ice Hockey, to the best of my knowledge, is an exception to the rule regarding 'team sports' whereby the full 60 minutes are played (3 periods of 20 minutes). When the puck is not in play the clock stops if my memory serves having followed the sport extensively during the eighties.

...I have just lost a working colleague thru' cancer and he was in his early/middle thirties.

...unfortunately the same thing is happening at Cowley and when I once put the question to the then owners was told that it wasn't true. Last time I looked in at the stadium it was in a terrible state and despite all the good efforts I can't see the facility remaining for much longer.

Good old Kojak...remember him well!

...trouble is SCB has a fixation about ageism and raises the issue over and over again. Gets a bit tiresome after awhile.

...remember talking to the late Bernard Crapper about the times he would appear to 'rant and rave' at the referee whilst on the phone at the starting gate. He explained to me that often he was just passing the time of day with the referee but felt the need to liven up proceedings just to get the crowd excitable.

So sad!

Local derbies generally where once upon a time there were the likes of Oxford/Swindon/Reading, Wimbledon/Hackney/White City, Coventry/Leicester, King's Lynn/Ipswich, Belle Vue/Halifax, Boston/Peterborough, Poole/Exeter etc etc. Nothing quite built up an atmosphere like a local derby.

...seem to recall Oxford had a similar pricing structure in 1972 but the programme cost 8p if I remember.

As Billy Connolly once quoted it's not whether things were better or worse it's just that one is trying to re-capture one's youth and how one remembers it.

Interesting interview with Zenon Plech (Backtrack 2012) who stated "Even with crowds of 10,000 for league matches, it doesn't cover all the money they are paying out to the riders. And if sponsors pull out..." Whether that still applies now I'll leave those familiar with knowledge of the present climate to comment.

...I must admit my heart was in my mouth awaiting the referee's decision! However my view (and it's biased of course) was that Tommy Knudsen was guilty of taking another 'square bend' as he was apt to to do and as he attempted to correct himself Hans had filled the gap. There was often tension between Nielsen and Knudsen when they met with their respective teams and both were guilty of taking each other to the fence so swings and roundabouts as far as I'm concerned.

Another good thread Sid! Best memories? 1. My very first meeting at Cowley (1972 vs. Coventry) 2. White City winning at Wolves in 1977 thereby winning the league. 3. Oxford vs. Ipswich (KOC Final Second Leg). Best ever meeting at Cowley during my time in my opinion. 4. Hans Nielsen winning the World Championship in 1986 at Katowice...I was there! 5. Oxford hammering the enemy (Swindon 'Budgies') at 'The Abbey' in 1986. Worse memories? 1. Any deaths at speedway (thankfully I was never present at any meeting when a rider was killed) but they all left a profound effect on me. 2. Travelling a great distance to be met with a postponement announcement. 3. The demise of the second half...used to have some great second halves at Cowley during 'The Rebels' era. 4. The closure of White City and Oxford as speedway venues. 5. Seeing the sport decline in popularity and I can't see it being reversed.

Thanks for that...I did wonder.

Sad news indeed. A rider who returned to the sport after a serious injury threatened to finish his career.