steve roberts

Email sent via PM...looking forward in seeing them! The first year we 'operated' we signed whoever we liked (no such thing as points limits and/or rider control in our make believe world!) but we did tighten the rules the following year.

It would be great to see some of the snaps! Would you be able to send some images via my email account if I was to forward my address privately? Unfortunately I no longer have any of my models having got rid of them many years ago...to my now dismay! I used to paint in enamels (my brother used acrylic paint) and would paint them accurately based on the particular riders leathers. Goggles, steel shoes you name it! There was a game (Speedway Scene I think?) that had rules but we adopted our own using distance cards, as we called them, depending on the dice thrown. We had injury status rules...all very complex and I even remember holding some of the riders over a candle so as to re-create certain styles of particular riders. We even cut a section out of the torso of a model to shorten the rider's stature! By the way my younger brother had teams King's Lynn, Coatbridge, Hull, Wolves and Bristol during different stages...a perfect replica of Steve Gresham no less!!

The tapes using weights (can't remember how exactly now) but the lights were powered by batteries! Even moulded our own helmet colours! Watered the track also...!

Now your talking...my territory totally! A group of us formed leagues running from 1972-77 (my chosen teams were Wimbledon and Ipswich...big brother got in first re Oxford!) We painted the Britain's riders (in great detail it has to be said - including adapting full face helmets) and adapted the bikes with spoilers etc and each created different tracks (occasionally with working exclusion lights etc) some which had board fences others with spring loaded mesh varieties. Sometimes we would sprinkle loose effect shale and grade in between races. Working starting gates with tapes. We adapted buildings creating pits, stands (often using scalextric buildings) and adapted airfix kit cars with trailers and racks for the bikes. Taped music would play and some of us even printed our own programmes! Worked out the averages for each team...even ran a World Championship one year and a World League Tournament based on the 1973 Daily Mirror Tournament. Great memories and wonderful times spent in my mis-spent youth! Great thread Gresham!!

I think that Spence also used a pair of old Martin Dugard's leathers?

A very young Martin Dugard - Kelly Moran Stephen Barr (or it may have been Robert Dole?) - Billy Sanders I recall Kelvin Mullarkey (when riding for Weymouth) wearing a pair of Oxford team leathers but whose they were I haven't a clue!

Tom Godel rode in a pair of Dag Lovaas's leathers. Oxford junior Phil Roberts - Hans Nielsen. Paul Bosley - Gordon Kennett (Gulf/Weslake Sponsored Leathers) Mick Fletcher - Dave Jessup (Ditto) Ian Roberts (?) - Pair of Briggo leathers...the design used by Martin Ashby, Dave Jessup, Scott Autrey, Graeme Stapleton & Phil Crump! Mark Minnett - Simon Wigg Mick Handley - Bruce Penhall Paul Dugard - Erik Gundersen Terry Kelly - Ivan Mauger Sure I can come up with some more!!

Yes I remember now! Towards the end of the season Ila Teromaa was signed from Leicester which, if I recall, unbalanced the make-up of the team in 1980. I think they never had a settled reserve department starting the 1980 season declaring two juniors? Dave Perks was one of those choices but unfortunately picked up a serious injury whilst riding for Cradley...which stuffed my team Oxford for the remainder of the season! Another Cradley rider, John Hack who was also on loan to Oxford, also picked up a career ending injury whilst riding for parent club Cradley (I think that he had been re-called mid season?) I don't have particular good memories of the tie up between Cradley and Oxford during those years. In fact we 'lost' Dave Perks eventually to another McCormack track Nottingham!

I saw this team at Eastbourne early in 1979 and indeed they were a strong team (I think Les Rumsey rode that afternoon for 'The Heatherns?') All the riders averaging above the seven point mark. Of course Dan McCormack went and upset the applecart and fell out with Steve Bastable who I think broke his ankle (?) and eventually moved to Birmingham...and McCormack soon followed!

Yes I would agree with the Cradley Heath side of 1983. Strong all the way thru' filled with riders capable of beating many opposition riders. Together with the 1972 Belle Vue side probably the two most potent 1-7 teams that I saw before serious points limit legislation and compulsory junior requirements became the norm. As a matter of interest I can't remember when the points limit was first introduced? 1980? I remember it being pretty high in it's formative years (Cradley 1983 for example) before it was reduced to 48,46 and 45 etc over subsequent years.

My bet would be Jeremy Docaster as his father was a vet! He was also sponsored by D.I.D. chains I recall. Whether he was riding for Ipswich or Reading at that time I wouldn't like to guess.

Slightly obscure observation but my brother used to live near Valentine's Park (Coventry Street or Road) opposite the Nolan Sisters!

Remember seeing Odd Fossengen's crash at Oxford that ended his career. A classic case of first bend bunching when Toni Woryna (in those days it was rare having a Pole ride in Britain!) drift slightly off line into the path of Ulf Lovaas who 'got off' his bike which collected poor Odd and deposited him in the fence. He suffered a badly broken leg and never rode again. Dave Perks a very classy act when at Oxford. The first rider to circumnavigate Cowley at 62 seconds.

Great fun! I remember reading that Middlesborough's track was affected by the tide however?

Looks fabulous judging by the article in the latest edition of 'Backtrack!'

At the end of the day nobody is being forced to read or pass comment on a particular poster's comments. I tend not even bothering to read some threads and/or posts on subjects that don't particularly interest me on this forum (which there are many...certainly some of the none speedway related subjects) and avoid certain posters for the same reason. I'm sure there are some who ignore some of my comments and/or posts which is fair enough.

White City moved the pits from under the stands to somewhere on the third/fourth bend to allow viewing I recall?

A very compact team. The top five riders had averages within the nine and seven point mark.

There is a Trotting/Horse Harness Track at Green Hammerton just outside York on the A59. I'm assuming that this was the venue of a one-off meeting that was run in 1980ish which was won by Ivan Mauger?

Shame that this post has been ridiculed by a few...I used to enjoy my visits to Plough Lane and particularly remember a meeting when Oxford won an early season League Cup fixture 40-38 after securing three 5-1's out of the last four heats! Great stuff! Never saw the great Tommy Jansson ride there unfortunately. Trouble is that Wimbledon shared the same race night as Oxford back in those days so visits were rare until Oxford changed their race night to Friday (having taken over Hackney's licence).

Learn something new every day! Oxford had a sort of track (grasstrack really) at Sandford-on-Thames prior to Cowley Stadium...I've tried to trace it but with no luck.

I'm intrigued about the original Swindon?

I remember the first time I saw Belle Vue visit Cowley they had Eric Broadbelt at reserve...and he was regularly beating heat leaders. That 'Aces' side of 1972 was exceptional and had strength throughout. Of course in later years (rider control was never really satisfactory) there were varying ceilings placed on team make-ups to try and equalise teams.

I think that it is worth noting that not all 'Star' riders rode at number one during the days of the 13 heat formula. Erik Gundersen often rode at number three so was programmed to meet the opposite number one on at least two occasions. There were others and Peter Collins instantly comes to mind. Ivan Mauger often rode at number four away from home and occasionally at number two at home!

Good observation. Of course you'll get those who point at differing heat formula/fixed gate etc as regards why riders no longer achieve averages of 10 and 11 plus but there's no getting away from the fact that riders in the past had a certain magic about them and drew crowds. I used to get excited by the prospect of watching a Mauger or a Olsen or a Briggs, Michanek etc riding at my home track...perhaps only once or twice a season. I don't recall Ivan Mauger getting beaten around Cowley, but I may be wrong, during my time.