steve roberts

Wasn't the number of riders per team reduced during the late nineties and lasted only a couple of seasons? I've lost track the number of times speedway mucks about with the number of riders per team (6, 7 & 8) certainly within my speedway life time. Also the number of heat variations down the same number of years (13, 15, 16 & 18). Even a six lap race was introduced to try and bolster interest! Do other sports change such fundamental basics as often as speedway as regards number of players per team and the length of the match/meeting? No wonder the great, late, Bernard Crapper stated that he no longer understood the rules when he stepped aside from management duties.

Mick Bell, of course, started as a junior at Oxford and was loaned out to Reading where he spent a good part of his career. Had a quite productive year at Leicester (due to Reading's enforced closure) and ended his career at Coventry. Probably better known for his Team Managing duties where he won championships at both Reading and Coventry (also as a rider whilst at both). Spoke to him once when he was Team Manager at Oxford when I was trying to make a point about a substitution rider...he kind of brushed me off!

Was at Reading (Tilehurst) at an end of season meeting when Soldier Boy got covered in flour on the centre green (after a 'tug of war' contest which he was invited to take part in). Olsen was involved in that meeting but can't remember if he was the guilty party!

They sort of appeared at domestic level after I stopped going. I do recall an argument for not having them on the straights as they tended to drag riders in (I think that Lukas Dryml was caught out once?) I would imagine that they have improved dramatically since then however. I do recall when I tentatively took my initial rides around King's Lynn that solid fence did tend to send my trousers a rather peculiar colour of brown as I edged near it. Would have felt happier if the fence had been of a softer compound!

I respect your wishes.

...why not just tell us who you are and perhaps it'll end?

They've been tried but proved unsuccessful (leakage between the covers).

Remember when Soldier Boy had 'adopted' Neil Evitts (never the most popular visitor to Cowley) and on one occasion Neil wasn't riding particularly well and was getting grief from sections of the Oxford faithful. Soldier Boy retorts 'He is the reigning British Champion you know' to which one wag in the crowd replied 'About bloody time he rode like one then!'

He used to demonise Ole Olsen back in the early seventies...was great fun listening to his rants!

...Hands up! you've got me!

...even further back. Ned Kelly!

...and. yes, I get the irony dear boy! I can go further back than that however...Buster Crabbe as 'Flash Gordon!' (or was that Ming the Merciless?)

Er! Don't understand what you're getting at? If I can be bothered to trawl back to the relevant topic/thread I seem to recall just adding a comment 'That's what public forums are like'...or some such rubbish! But, then, what do I care! PS Don't know how to post those yellow pesky faces that appear all over the place!

Remember Soldier Boy well...had a verbal 'debate' with 'Cassius' Middleton at Cowley once (in his Ray Wilson supporting years). I last read somewhere that he had won the lottery or something similar some years ago now.

...that's the nature of public forums!

Jan Steachmann was also a solid back up rider often filling in behind Todd Wiltshire whilst riding for Oxford.

He was also a 'whizz kid' on financial matters...dealing in stocks and shares and the like!

It's an interesting on...full face helmets. When I first started attending speedway they were few and far between. In fact if I put my mind to it I could probably list the riders who regularly wore one. However by the late seventies/early eighties most riders had them and It would be easier to list the riders who didn't own one! The Grahame brothers never went down that road (which was unusual) but I guess the influx of American riders helped speed up the transformation where in the States they were very popular.

As John Berry used to say 'That big hole in the ground!'

Garry first rode with one regularly when he joined 'The Rebels' in 1972. Never forgot his 'day-glo' orange helmet! Not sure when Briggo first wore one but I'm sure that he rode with one during the 1971 season if not before?

...and not forgetting Jack Millen of course!

Slightly off topic but I could easily identify riders, not only by their leathers, but by the helmets and masks they used to wear. I'm obviously not advocating that riders should go back to wearing inadequate head gear but it was so much easier then (what with the differing styles also) My uncle (who used to be track photographer at Oxford) once asked me to view his archive of photos taken during the seventies (he had long stopped attending speedway) and identify the riders for him...I could name every one which is something I would have had difficulty in doing if asked to do the same thing when I stopped attending in the early noughties.

He was the iconic rider when I first attended speedway...the one that others tried to emulate and very few did. A true star and household name...not many, if any, fill that criteria today.

Yes I remember the occasion well at Cowley re: Carl Blackbird. One of those peculiarities that occasionally crops in speedway when a rider can do no wrong and all his star signs cross...only to fade as quickly as it appeared! Although Carl did give an interesting interview in 'Backtrack' some years ago. The usual thing in speedway...not having the resources to fund first class equipment on a regular basis. Of course Oxford then signed the very under rated Per Sorensen and we were untouchable for the rest of the season!

Oxford lost by two points in the KO Cup but won in the league (40-37?) without Hans Nielsen who was banned from riding that weekend (some nonsense with the DMU!) and Neil Collins rode as a guest. Of course the rest is history and 'The Cheetahs' went on to win the Championship that year and repeated the dose in'86! Great days!