steve roberts

All sounding very positive!

The adverse camber on the pits bend was a challenge back in the seventies but Dag Lovaas was one that mastered it!

...there lies the difference between speedway then and speedway now. Local riders who you could identify with and loyalty was the key in many instances. The points limits (whereby a rider's average often over ruled ability as regards team placement) and influx of very ordinary foreign riders changed much of that. The racing aspect is all very well and why many people watch the sport but personally I think that it's far more complex than just that alone. The sport has lost many fans down the years due to changing factors which has been discussed/analysed/debated many times on this forum down the years.

...thereby lies the crux. Don't know what the figures given by SKY on numbers who watched the TV coverage but it didn't translate into "neutral" people wishing to go and watch it live in any great numbers. One has to asked the question why was that the case? I remember someone telling me that when they entered their local club where SKY was available and when asked if they could tune into the speedway the response was a massive blank.

Just my personal observations but I had a friend who prefered to stay at home and watch on SKY a match covered at Cowley rather than walk the half mile and pay his entrance fee. Don't know how much a promotion would be paid for potential lost revenue if there were many others who did same? However the bigger picture, or so we were told, was that LIVE speedway would attract major sponsors and raise the sport's profile nationally within the mass media? Didn't happen for whatever the reasons...

I've been a couple of times...worth it in my view plus the memorial garden.

That's bad customer relations but I guess par for the course with speedway promotions. Chris Shears during his one year at Cowley was another who mixed with the fans but had his wrist slapped by the BSPA for the audacity of running an old fashion second half for the benefit of the fans!

One time Oxford Promoter Steve Purchase used to come on to the old Oxford Speedway Forum and pass comments and once held a pre-season meeting where he asked me amongst others to attend due to me contributing on said forum. He also took the trouble occasionally walking round the terraces at Cowley during meetings talking to people...he was a rare breed and a nice bloke.

Thank goodness Barry is still alive...when I saw the topic heading I feared it was to announce another passing! Remember reading that it took a while for Bob Kilby to take a liking to him...Bob wasn't a fan of long hair apparently!

Yes all those involved should be congratulated because when I called in some years ago it was in a terrible state!

Return of speedway at Oxford...one of the success stories of 2022.

...my brother's due to visit this weekend so I'll ask him to remove the temptation!

Sad news...I best remember him as the Swindon Team Manager during the early seventies. RIP

Mine arrived today...my Xmas present from my brother! I have hidden so as not to be tempted to read until the festivities!

Remember Pete Reading well...I was fearing this thread was announcing his passing?

Just received the last edition...usual good read however I'm not quite sure why whenever Martin Rogers mentions White City he continually raises the 1977 winning year? Other teams had special dispensation that same season but that rarely gets a mention? Nice to see the Oxford vs. Cradley "Head to Head" during the Nielsen/Gundersen years (and prior)...clearly Oxford generally had the upper hand over the "Cabbage Patch kids". Sadly that's it and I shall miss my bi-monthly "fix".

Others will no doubt give other examples but no one dominated a season as Oxford did that year (remember every team had to declare a junior that season). Personally I felt that the signing of Per Sorensen turned a good team into a great team. Swindon's loss was very much Oxford's gain and he must have been "chuffed to bits" to score a paid maximum on his return to Blunsden on that glorious occasion we hammered the "old enemy". A great bunch of riders all worth a mention...Hans Nielsen, Simon Wigg, Marvyn Cox, Andy Grahame, Per Sorensen, Nigel De'ath and Jon Surman.

Don't remind me...it still irks that the "Cheetahs" didn't achieve a clean sweep in 1986 due to late October weather. They attempted to run the League Cup and Knock Out Finals three times at Cowley. It was decided to share the trophies but I felt we were the victors personally having gained the initiative in the away legs. We were also denied a 100% League record (winning all our away meetings) with two meetings left un-run.

Remember the encounters well...a great win at Plough Lane for the "Cheetahs" on their return to the British League only for "The Dons" to return the compliment the following night inspired by one time "Rebel" Gordon Kennett!

I can't believe that thirty years have passed since Hans last rode for "The Cheetahs"! It was a very messy ending with the then Oxford Promotion (Kevin Hedderley) called on Hans to accept what was basically a pay cut based upon new BSPA guidelines on rider's pay to help control spirallng costs (nothing new there). He put it to Hans that any difference would be made up by a Testimonial that he was due which he turned down flat...eventually moved to Coventry who "surprisingly" were able to meet Hans' demands despite the pay constraints! Left a sour taste in many people's mouths who felt that Hans had been made a scapegoat and Oxford had no option but to drop a division and the glory years were no longer at Cowley with Northern Sports selling up.

Depends how far one needs to analyse good old H&S because taken to extreme would the starting gate (inside pole) constitute a risk or even people stood on the infield?

Bit of a mystery to me as the tractor for many years would be parked between bends three and four in the centre green and I never found it a problem.

Was always my vantage point!

I remember the old Oxford Speedway Forum where the "debate" used to get quite "interesting "with one Poole supporter in particular...Steve Shovlar! However going on more recent posts he seems to have mellowed (may have something to do with his wings being clipped as regards his once beloved Tory Party over Brexit and "bonkers" Johnson?)

I've got to watch this if only to see images of an old hero of mine Hasse Holmqvist!