steve roberts

The Totaliser has had a preservation order placed upon it to the best of my knowledge...may have even been grade listed. However the future of the complex is still uncertain.

Personally I prefer meetings to be close...nothing like a last heat decider to get the adrenalin going! Recall many times when Oxford pulled it 'out of the bag' achieving match winning 5-1's in heat thirteen. Two especially pleasing away wins were at King's Lynn (much to Martin Rogers' annoyance) and Wimbledon in 1984! Great days!

I wish I had your confidence but I have my serious doubts that Cowley will be saved despite assurances to the contrary.

I looked in some years ago and the stadium was looking very sorry for itself (confirmed only a couple of years ago when my uncle did same) and would need some attention...and money to bring it up to scratch. I put it to GRA at the time that their intention was to run the asset down and sell it off for development which a representative strongly denied however I've been proved correct since. A very sad state of affairs...and especially yours truly who attended Cowley for 32 years.

Remember a photo of Arthur Browning (one of the tallest) carrying Paul Gachet (one of the smallest) during the seventies!

Oxford signed Henk Steman hoping to trade in on Halifax's success with fellow Dutchman Henny Kroeze...it didn't work. Henk later turned out for Bristol in 1978 (?). Alan Johns was also the brother of Roger and Peter and was given a ride due to his connection with the Oxford/Eastbourne promotional tie up (Boy! Did we at Oxford get some super second halves in those days!) Remember well the 'Rumble in the Jungle' advert!

If I recall it was titled the Wessex 4TT and involved teams from Oxford, Swindon, Newport and Exeter...can't remember who won overall, however, although I know Oxford won two rounds.

...I may be wrong but I think that 'the Rebels' won a 4TT at Blunsdon also that year? Winning became such a habit it's difficult to remember all as we also won there in 1975! However Reading was a different scenario...always had the beating of us until we won at their new track (Smallmead) and were the first team to do so...albeit in a Challenge!

We had Rod Fox (an anagram for Oxford) write in the Oxford programme for a while back in the seventies.

Obviously before my time but always sad to read of the death of a former rider. RIP

Good old Kojak! He was good for a wind up! I think that was 1989? Was that in 1974? We had Bob Radford to blame for that Cowley defeat (he later resigned). He informed Gordon Kennett not to bother coming up from Kent as he thought that the meeting would be cancelled due to rain...it went ahead with Alan Johns as his replacement! Yes well recall the two wins 'The Rebels' achieved at Blunsdon that year. In the league and also in the 25th Anniversary Meeting when Oxford came and spoiled the party! Great days!

Yes it pleased me that Ipswich came along and stole Belle Vue's thunder that year! Belle Vue had put together a super strong septet and along came John Berry with his 'Witches' to win the double.

Strewth! That's pretty bad...although some were a volatile lot! Recall getting into some slanging matches with some of them at Cradley and Cowley. I guess the Nielsen/Gundersen rivalry brought a lot of it on although I do remember Malcolm Ballard having his car severely damaged when trying to exit Dudley Wood back in 1972.

Blimey! You've had some bad nights at the speedway...used to happen regularly!

Great sense of humour (?)...or at least I think so? Have I missed something?

Best Oxford winning the KO Cup in 1985 against 'The Witches' Oxford winning at Swindon in 1986 with Per Sorensen registering a maximum. White City winning at Wolves in 1977 to secure the championship. Worse Feeling ripped off after a meeting had been cancelled after the running of heat six. Oxford not being able to 'finish the job' and beating Cradley Heath in two cup competitions in 1986 due to the weather. The demise of the Second Halves.

Difficult to compare any great teams (I would include the 1986 Oxford team in any list) as points limits and/or restrictions dictated team strengths and limitations on same. Personally, however, I would plump for the Belle Vue team of 1972.

1. Oxford 2. York 3. Liverpool 4. Any location in London 5. Norwich

Have to base my selection on riders I saw race. In no particular order. 1. Peter Collins 2. Malcolm Simmons 3. John Louis 4. Michael Lee 5. Martin Ashby 6. Dave Jessup 7. Chris Morton 8. Kenny Carter 9. Terry Betts 10. Ray Wilson Res. Gordon Kennett

I've attended a couple of grass tracks within the last couple of years and the attendance was poor on both occasions.

Frank Ebden must have been on the button!

Yes I thought that he did...however never personally experienced it. How the sport could do with a 'Dave Lanning' now!

Agree totally!

Used to hear of riders getting to know the quirks of certain referees and were able to anticipate the starts (even making a note of each referee's system for future reference) Some riders would count One, Two, Three and drop the clutch. Some would drop the clutch as soon as the Green light came on etc...apparently some referees were very predictable!

Dave used to walk around the terraces on match day and would often be seen at away circuits as a supporter of 'The Cheetahs'. He would acknowledge the fans with a "Hello" and a nod and I often acknowledged him...a very nice man with no pretentiousness. He began announcing at Cowley back in 1974 and was a regular certainly up until I stopped going (2004).