steve roberts

I'd agree to disagree also but I would be interested to hear from Swindon Fans how popular the 'Legends Lounge' was and whether it attracted people to the speedway who otherwise wouldn't attend if only to chew the fat with ex"Budgies"?

...well the narrative on the forum is always that it's "oldies" who attend speedway so why not engage with them? I knew someone who hadn't been to speedway for years but word got out that Arne Pander was to make an appearance at Cowley and he went along to acknowledge his hero from the past and liked what he saw and became "hooked" all over again. Trying to attract a younger audience is another problem and requires a different mandate and which has been discussed time and again and there's no quick fix unfortunatey...and yes we know that it's past team members but a previous post that instigated this debate appeared to refer things were somewhat different? Just correcting that little observation to make it clear.

...there's a name from the past! Made a few appearances for "The Cheetahs" I remember. I would certainly have a chat with him but would I recognise him unless he turned up wearing his green leathers??

Depends what your interpretaion is of legends? To quote PC the likes of Ken Eyre and Eric Broadbelt would be regarded as "legends" in the eyes of some fans having been part of the successful "Aces" triple winners in the early seventies. The remaining members other than PC are no longer with us. Personally I think a "little lad" meeting any rider past or present would hopefully ignite some interest...totally different, I know, but I recall the days when riders were allowed to take children round on their bikes before H&S put a stop to that. Any interaction can only be a positive thing in my view. ...as an earlier post of mine initiated, taking Oxford as an example, there are only a few of the "Cheetahs" from your chosen year (1979) that live locally so the chance of visiting Cowley would be in the minority. As was/is the case with most teams whereby riders rarely live/lived close to their local track (even fewer now with the reliance on "foreign" imports) so, again, I don't see it as issue. Of the '79 vintage George Hunter is no longer with us. Les Rumsey resides in Kent, Carl Askew in Aussie, John Hack Manchester, John Barker and Colin Ackroyd (both Eastbourne to my knowledge) the unfortunate Pip Lamb (the midlands) who use to get rousing receptions when he visited, Mick Handley the midlands. Therefore to re-iterate few would make regular visits to Oxford. When the great Oxford sides of 1985/86 were invited to attend Cowley in 2005(?) under the Wagstaff banner they got a great reception but that was a "one-off" occasion. To repeat, again, the initiative was for past team members and not a "horses for courses" policy.

I worked within tourism for eleven plus years but really don't see the relevance. As regards the speedway "agenda" the figure that had been quoted as "200 plus" is seriously off the mark in my opnion and I had given examples of the truer picture. We are not talking about a whole army of "freebies" gaining entry on a weekly basis but turning it into a positive (and I know that it happened at Oxford) having the odd rider presented to the fans via the centre green only added to the entertainment and "nostalgia element" especially when they were able to mix with the fans. Recall the great Ivan Mauger visiting Cowley and the number of people who made a point of meeting him and his willingness to have a chat and sign autographs made for an occasion in itself. My friend's little lad was "over the moon" meeting the great man. Ironic but I personally took the opportunity of having a quick chat with Peter Collins when he stood on the terraces at Cowley on one occasion long after he had stopped riding who was there in support of his son. However the discussion was about riders who once graced their team and not a general free for all which of course paints a whole different picture and that wasn't the intention proposed by the initiative as I understood it to be?

...still don't see it as an issue. If I was to call in at my previous place of employment I would be greeted with open arms!

...however I still don't see the issue allowing ex-riders gaining free entry to the clubs they rode for using the examples of the less than dramatic influx that you implied in my earlier post on that particular subject?

...still rankled with then Leicester Promoter, Martin Rogers, as Ochiltree was regarded as the "figurehead" and suffered with a lack of communication as regards the sudden closure of Blackbird Road.

...especially Frank Ebden whose desire was to complete a meeting before I had had a chance to down a cup of tea!

Much of the site will probably have to be demolished and made safe before any thoughts of speedway returning. I wish all those fighting the cause good luck because speedway needs a thriving Coventry.

I know that Eddie once appeared at White City and had his photo taken with the team and performing a few stunts...think it was 1978?

Yes hopefully something can be done to retrieve it form the abyss that surrounds it.

...as a postscript apparently according to PC ex ACU referees are entitled to free entry at any track which strikes as "double standards'" to me?

...there were still many rider interviews I would have enjoyed reading. The likes of Tommy Knudsen, Jimmy Nilsen and Per Jonsson but, yes, I understand the reasoning behind the dis-continuation but a massive hole in my reading nevertheless.

Personally I don't think that it would be anything near that figure. Take Belle Vue's record breaking Triple Crown winners of 1972, for example (as Peter highlights in his book), where only three riders are still with us. My team's starting line up (Oxford) in my first year attending (also 1972) only two riders have survived and one, Rick Timmo, lives in NZ so is unlikely to visit regularly. With many teams traditionally having a very cosmopolitan make up the likelyhood of there being a great influx of "freebies" is negligible in my view and those who were domiclied in the UK during their riding careers how many used to live within easy distance of the track they represented including the British home-based riders? When Oxford ruled during the eighties we had Nielsen, Rasmussen and Sorensen (now all living back in Denmark), Cox (Thailand I believe?), Taylor (Mildenhall), Grahame (Birmingham), Dugard (Brighton) Butler (Australia) with only Nigel De'Ath and Jon Surman still living locally (?) and therefore wouldn't be visiting Cowley on anything like a regular basis and dare I suggest most teams would have similar examples. Of course it will become even less of an issue in the future with teams now filled with foreigners and the loss of tracks ever increasing. However if the issue was to allow riders free entry to any track then that's an entirely different matter altogether but I don't think that what's been implied?

Another on gone. RIP

All very sad! No way back from that in my opinion.

Having read the chapter in Peter's book about ex-riders visiting their track free of charge I have to agree with his views 100%. He goes into it in great detail and personally I don't see it as a problem and the initiative would only benefit the track involved with good PRO and supporter involvement. It's a shame that his friendship with Chris Morton appears to have been badly affected with events that the new Belle Vue and it's regime's policy adopted (no image of Peter Craven in the lounge dedicated to the great "Ace" beggars belief!). The talk of a museum within the new complex was also met with apathy apparently by the those in charge at the time. Ex- Cheetah, Mark Lemon, appears to follow the same directive and it's all very sad and helps creates animosity...no wonder speedway is in the state that it now appears to "enjoy". I would be aghast if I thought that my own team expected the likes of Eddie Reeves, Rick Timmo, Gordon Kennett and Dag Lovaas ( yes that name again "Chunky") were expected to pay on entry to Cowley?

As a matter of interest when were bonus points not included in the overall CMA? I always remembered it the case back in the seventies/eighties otherwise the "star" riders wouldn't have been content to sit behind their partner thus potentially lowering their average.

I've just got to the chapter when Peter states that England Manager John Berry decided not to select Peter during the 1985 season. Having read John's excelent book there was a different twist if I recall. Peter had made it clear at the start of the season he didn't wish to be considered for selection but changed his mind at the time of the World Best Pairs? John, however, felt it unfair and stuck with his original choice of Carter & Tatum.

...there's that name Osbourne again. Those at Oxford have long memories!

...which is what the majority of fans wish to see and not someone who doesn't bother if he misses the gate.

...blimey I've only just started reading it! I'm intrigued to find out what all the fuss is about?

Remember on one occasion when I was a lad going to a football match at Roker Park with my uncle (who I was staying with) who used to leave before the end of the game to beat the rush. When we got outside we heard this enormous roar and not knowing what was the cause we had to check the result on the TV when we got home!

I never bought a season ticket in all the years I went to speedway...too many variables in my opinion.