steve roberts

I have some DVDs were the action was filmed from the centre green...not a good idea and the race is lost to the viewer as it's difficult to comprehend and appreciate the action in my opinion. Keep it simple!

Agree with your 1 - 5...some good points there (ran out of 'likes'!)

When the old fashioned Second Half was disbanded prior to the 1985 season Oxford would give their loanees a try out against the main team members...the likes of Kevin Smart, Nigel De'ath and one of the Chessell brothers (can't remember whether it was Gary or Mark?) plus Andrew Silver (Len was Team Manager at Oxford during 1984) with a view to the future. Kevin, Nigel and Andrew all rode for the main team on a number of occasions...Nigel for a number of seasons. I remember some terrific Grand Finals over the years...one especially springs to mind between George Hunter and Mike Sampson when the lead changed on a number of occasion...great stuff. Whether it was fixed or not nobody seemed to care. Briggo always enjoyed his trips to Poole because he always said that if you had a bad main meeting you had the opportunity to make amends in the second half because there was a qualifying race, semi-final and final heat format. Simmo often said that the final at King's Lynn often featured the 'Stars' three heat leaders...himself, Terry Betts and Howard Cole and although the money was split he said that the racing was competitive because each wanted to beat each other to prove that they were the best! I recall the Oxford Promoter, Chris Shears, putting on an old style second half during his spell at Cowley in 1995 and it proved popular. However he had his wrists slapped by the BSPA for running against policy!

...a figure purely based on observation. Of course a high percentage (whatever the exact figure?) would leave or disappear into the bar after the main event but speaking personally the group I would stand with would take the opportunity to have a good old chin wag putting the speedway world to right in between the races. Yes I've read this many times in either of the retro magazines and autobiographical books.

...now there's an idea! I'd give it another go if the opportunity was there!

Yes I used to watch the youngsters whether incorporated within the old fashion second half or a properly organised Junior Meeting. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we were privileged at Oxford when we used to watch the Eastbourne and Peterborough kids as well as the odd grass tracker in the second half due to Oxford's promotional tie up with those promotions. The same policy continued at White City and when Oxford dropped down a league it was interesting to see potential team members given a trial in the second half. Great days!

...and re-introduce a Second Half either culminating with a Rider of the Night Final or a Junior Meeting over six heats as was the case during the eighties and nineties. Agree entirely.

Yes I would agree. Saw all those riders numerous times and my particular favourite was Gordon Kennett who rarely fell off (unless 'provoked' by Steve Gresham!) Dag Lovaas was as smooth as they came and remember him often weighing up the pits bend at Cowley when he would do a wide sweep riding the adverse camber that was notorious back then before passing an opponent. More deft throttle control and track craft often required riders to suss out the best lines and I recall reading an article about Scott Autrey who would read a race and would anticipate his passing manoeuvre a lap before he would actually carry it out at the County Ground. Often saw riders fake an outside move before sweeping underneath an opponent much to their surprise...bikes were more manageable back then (although the JAP was difficult apparently) and I remember Kelly Moran saying that he found it difficult managing a lay down when he gave it a try...and there was no more skillful rider on a bike than him arguably.

Went to Milton Keynes' opening meeting...it was my 18th Birthday and I drove there thru' the pouring rain. I, personally, was glad that the meeting went ahead but in hindsight I realised that it was probably the worst thing that could have happened for the Promotion in that it must have put many first time attendees to a speedway off for all time. One consolation was that Mike Sampson won the meeting which I applauded considering his great efforts the previous season helping White City secure the title. I seem to remember that when Mike rode at the Groveway in future meetings he seemed to get a poor reception from the crowd? Had he been somehow judged 'guilty' for the opening meeting farce? Also having read the Martin Rogers editorial regarding the Poles I noticed that he couldn't resist yet another dig at White City winning the league in 1977 whilst operating the R/R facility for Dag Lovaas...gets a bit tiresome Martin!

I think he married someone called Cheryl...not sure where she was from however. Weird story but I read once that when they had split up and Cheryl had moved back to NZ the night that Jack was tragically killed on the A1 she thought she heard him call out her name.

It does seem to have been a very complex scenario regarding the ownership, or part of, various stadia, down the years.

Thereby lies one of the major problems with speedway. Bikes have been allowed to become more powerful, and some would argue, less easy to handle on tracks that have barely changed...albeit fences have improved with the removal of poles and air fencing installed. I spoke to Peter Collins once and asked him what had changed most in the sport during his time and after and his answer was that the bikes had become too powerful on tracks that were no longer designed for such speeds. Four valves were the start of the decline but lay down engines, link forks etc have taken it to another level and who knows what next development lays in store. The engine tuners must be laughing!

Yes I was at Poole (one of Terry's least favourite tracks) when he broke it.

...like Simmo or apparently Coventry during the Olsen years!

The winter of 1992 was the beginning of the end for me (started going in 1972) really although I continued to attend mostly home meetings until 2003. The supposed pay structure was introduced for the 1993 season and the promotion at Oxford felt that they couldn't offer Hans what he felt he was worth within the pay 'restraints'...he eventually moved to Coventry who were able to meet his demands with improved sponsorship etc. Funny how the promotion at Coventry were able to meet his demands? Personally I felt that Hans was made a scapegoat by the then Oxford Promotion (Northern Sports and Kevin Hedderley in particular) as their other business interests were struggling and Cowley suffered accordingly.

Remember the issue with Joe Owen...ultimately (together with certain riders non-appearances at Wimbledon) cost Hull the Championship that year...much to Ivan Mauger's anger!

Agree with that except, personally I never had a problem with Tactical Rides...only the double joker thingee! It gave us on the terraces something to debate and chew over trying to pre-empt the Team Manager's next move! For those who like Play-Offs re-introduce the Knock Out Cup. One of the most talked about meetings at Cowley was the 1985 Knock Out Cup Final against Ipswich. Allow Team Managers to put whoever they wish (except reserves) at whatever number in the team for tactical purposes. Scrap fixed gates. Go back to alternate gates. Looking at those proposals I've noticed that's how speedway used to be like when attendances were healthy...oh never mind! Living in the past again!

I was there Sid! Remember Dennis' maximum but wasn't aware that he and 'Kilb' never met during the meeting. I seem to recall a similar occurrence when Reading met Coventry and both Ole Olsen and Jiri Stancl both scored maximums riding for opposite teams but never actually met each other during the meeting!

Many thanks for that...much appreciated.

John 'Snowflake' Boulger and the rest of the Cradley team (except Sandor Levai who gave it a go) who refused to continue to ride in a meeting at Cowley due to snow.

Thanks for that!

Don't remember that Sid but I do recall Dag saying that he wished that the track for the 1974 Final had been wet during the actual meeting (it had rained prior and if I recall jet engines were placed on the track to help dry it out?) as he felt that he would have made more of an impression.

Being of a non technical sort is it possible to copy from Youtube onto a disc?

Yes I was there Sid...he was simply out on his own that day! Great stylist and i presented him with a bottle of champagne at Oxford's final meeting in 1975!

There's articles on Taffy in both the 'Classic' & 'Backtrack' magazines.