steve roberts

...not obviously seeing the above mentioned meeting but the 1972 (Wembley) & 1973 (Katowice)...amongst others... had their fair share of drama, excitement and controversy which I'm sure most would agree are the main ingredients in what qualifies as a good speedway event.

Looks pretty but any signs of movement on this long running saga or has Clark Osborne done a runner?

It was a subject that John Berry used to continually raise regarding the lost revenue when once upon a time the one-off final held at Wembley the receipts were shared out amongst the tracks in Britain. Once the GP series took hold that money was lost and absorbed elsewhere and the British promoters lost out.

If I recall the bike and other items were sold with the backing of the Mauger family some time ago.

Didn't Ivan's Gold Bike end up in a museum in Christchurch?

Bob Kilby was a strange one...Long winded saga but Garry Middleton (who Oxford paid a fee for) was swapped for Tony Lomas (Coventry) who was swapped for Bob Kilby (Exeter) so technically Bob was an Oxford asset. However when he re-signed for 'The Budgies' prior to the 1975 season Swindon claimed that he was one of their's having been allocated to Exeter in 1971 and therefore Oxford lost out and never received a penny for him! John Davis wanted away and Dag making it well known that he wanted to ride at Cowley a swap was struck...not sure if any money changed hands.

Remember it well...and John Boulger was christened 'Snowflake' by some of the Cowley faithful! Oxford were allocated first Eric Boocock (who retired) and then Ole Olsen (who refused to ride for Oxford...thank goodness) and eventually Dag Lovaas came to Oxford and John Davis went the other way...but, as usual, Oxford rode at Coventry early in the season before the move was made hence the anomaly.

I think Laurel and Hardy and Fred Karno together would do a better job running speedway!

Just received my copy...looks great. Saving it for my holiday reading!

Fabulous! A reminder of the days of 'World of Sport'...speedway followed by wrestling and then the results service when most football matches were played at the same time! Laurel & Hardy in the morning too!

I think it was a Dave Lanning publicity stunt...but, yes, there was talk of him joining 'The Rebels' in 1972.

Strange that Steve Gresham and Scott Autrey were pals...such complete opposites.

'Assets' have always been open to conjecture within speedway whereby promotions 'declare' some riders (foreign 'assets' in particular) as 'assets' despite rarely, if at all, putting in a appearance for said promotion.

I think the same applied to Oxford when the grass tracking community were looking for an alternative venue to their usual site (Sandford-on-Thames) prior to the Second World War.

One track I would have liked to have gone to but unfortunately closed the same year I commenced attending speedway.

...think you may right although it could be Len Silver who also rode with whitish boots?

He once got a mention on Terry Wogan's Radio Two morning programme!

Cowley Stadium attracted a reported 10,000 for the Australia vs. Poland International in 1973...but personally I think that was an over estimation although it was packed solid I remember!

Phil Morris came over as a very articulate person and developed into a good club man after the raw edges were smoothed out.

My favourite "Racers' were the late Geoff Curtis (rumoured to be joining Oxford before his untimely death) and , of course, Dag Lovaas!

...sounds a bit like me!

I think he's also featured on the Bristol Speedway DVD which I have but it's a while since I've viewed it.

I recall a story whereby Anders Michanek was boiling his chains in oil and it caught fire and he turned the fire extinguisher on it and proceeded to cover Reg Fearman's Rolls Royce in foam in doing so!

Apparently Bo Petersen, whilst riding for Swindon in 1985, rode a bike that was driven by a belt driven clutch doing away with the conventional primary drive chain...not sure if it caught on however!

I recall that it was featured on 'World of Sport' and, I think, Bob was interviewed?