steve roberts

When I first went I used to wear the scarf my Grandmother knitted together with a red coat with blue and white strips, appropriate rosette and a badge or two...oh and not forgetting the rattle!

Yes that's right...in fact I've met Simon in York when I greeted him and his family at the visitor attraction that I work at!

Remember having a quick chat with Peter Collins at Cowley (after he had finished riding) and he was most friendly. We got into a discussion about bikes being too fast for many tracks (this was during the late nineties early noughties). I talk to Ian Cartwright occasionally when I visit his establishment in Kilburn (Mouseman Furniture) and he also very friendly and keen to talk about the past.

Unfortunately many promoters traditionally only rent/rented the stadiums which are/were often required for other events which obviously limits race day options.

One of England's greats when there were so many quality English riders during the seventies and early eighties.

Scott did come third in the 'Master of Speedway' competition embracing tracks around Europe. A major contender in my view but of course the AMA knew better when he took a stand against their administration errors and/or knowledge of the sport in Europe. Sid that was my main gripe regarding a GP format in that a rider could ultimately win the Championship without proving himself the best rider in any one particular round. Loram won his championship without winning a round but did what was required within the remit which is fair enough. I seem to recall that Olsen wished to reward the winner of a round with more points than previous (it was raised from 20 to 25 points in 1986?) in an attempt to raise the profile of the winner and make winning a round more rewarding.

Hans decided that he wanted to move back to Denmark permanently and start a family wishing to cut down on his commitments after gracing the sport in Britain for nearly twenty years.

...like it!

Sad news indeed! RIP

...now that would be interesting!

Scott would have definitely been a contender in 1979...he was very much the man in form that year. As regards Dave Jessup? According to Malcolm Simmons the infamous engine failure during one World Final was down to the fact that Dave had drilled so many holes in a jubilee clip that it eventually fell apart causing him to pull up in a vital race!

I gave some talks at a number of schools many years ago in an attempt to promote the sport but felt that I wasn't given enough in the way of support from the promoter at the time, If I recall I had been promised a bike prior to the talks but nothing materialised and I was left to try and generate some enthusiasm from my own resources (okay I was lent a team suit but hardly inspiring)

I'd agree with some of that. It may mean having to run speedway at weekends (a bit like grass tracks during it's hey days) but that's obviously simpler said than done with many tracks having to operating round their landlords and the effects of the GPs.

Personally I feel that the sport should be moving towards becoming amateur in principle. Even during the last 'Golden Age' riders often had jobs outside the sport (excepting the stars). Too many riders expect to make a living from the sport nowadays and the numbers just don't add up.

...and of course you used to see them in the second half in those days also. Remember some classics races in the Final...one instantly comes to mind was one between George Hunter and Mike Sampson.

1983 was a fabulous season racing wise at Cowley before we moved up into the British League with the stars (Nielsen, Wigg etc) and the racing continued to be excellent but with good results also. I count myself lucky having enjoyed both disciplines at Oxford.

It seems the way of everything now...that winning is the most important thing to most people. Always makes me laugh when people 'adopt' football teams...it's never Hartlepool or Brentford but generally the bigger clubs where success is based upon trophies and television exposure. Jumping on the notorious 'band wagon'. I recall a work experience student I had contact with adopting Blackburn Rovers based purely on that they had just won the Championship...couldn't tell me where Blackburn were geographically however when I asked him!

You and I together Sid would have been well used to seasons spent struggling...but as you correctly say it's the racing that is surely important. I well remember the years when Poole were not the most attractive of visitors...and Malcolm Simmons was often their saving grace.

That's alarming if accurate. No way that present day speedway can be sustainable on those sort of attendances.

Hull has some very good museums...The Deep amongst them...and is well worth a visit!

Got me thinking about other riders I saw ride before they became 'of age' so to speak! I saw Martin Dugard as an 11 or so riding at Eastbourne and Joe Screen at 15 at Brandon together with Paul Dugard (wasted talent!) Alastair Stevens as a 15 year old riding during the interval at Cowley and Alun Rossiter as Swindon's mascot back in the seventies!...I'm sure that there were many others. I got to see quite a bit of Michael Lee, first as a Boston rider, but more so when he moved up with King's Lynn at both Saddlebow Road but more regularly at White City...and when he made his England debut at Wood Lane riding against The Rest of the World.

...unfortunately I can't answer that one personally as I had stopped going to speedway by then.

Funny thing, Sid, but I recall Michael Lee and Colin Richardson competing together as 15 year olds at Cowley and Colin looked the better prospect...but, of course, history tells different. I never saw much of Carter but, although a great talent, he always appeared to be riding on the edge...but I guess that's what divides the greats from the also rans?

...plus, of course, the Midland Riders Championship rounds and Final.

Thanks Sid for that! Forgot about Wally Searl...I seem to recall he was Trevor Geer's main sponsor also.