steve roberts

...or better still a resurrected Reading!

I first saw Hans at White City in 1977 and one could see then that he was more that your average "unknown" foreigner.

...as mentioned in an earlier post the fact that a meeting taking place at Cowley may well have made folk think twice about travelling? Anyway was a head count taken of Oxford fans present at Poole (or indeed Poole fans at Cowley the previous night) or are you just surmising?

Absolutely Sid...a record that any rider would be proud of. I'm convinced if the GP's had been around during the eighties he would have added to that total of wins no question.

...or the price of petrol may well have put people off from travelling?

The 1983 World Final was the eventual turning point for Hans when he admits himself he had got his self belief in check and could have made the rostrum after leading eventual champion Egon Muller before loosing his chain. He felt that riding a small track held him back but the move to Cowley (Swindon was a track he would have considered apparently) moved him up a significant notch and as they say the rest is history.

That was/is the beauty of the sport that someone can raise their game for whatever reason and put in a stonking performance out of the blue before the status quo is re-established! Neil Evitts won a British Semi-Final at Cowley and returned a week (?) later as a guest and failed miserably although the Oxford faithfull had suspicions as rumours abounded?

I was at Katowice when Hans won on 1986 and felt that the clash with Knudsen could have gone either way however having witnessed it at the time and numerous times over the years Knudsen was always inclined to ride "square bends" and ultimately that's what cost him trying to close a gap after it was too late. I saw him many times adopting this cornering technique and most of the time he got away with it. As regards Nielsen and the 1996 GP it has been mentioned that certain riders (Ermolenko?) went out of their way to do favours for colleagues based upon earlier history remembering John Berry commenting and Sam mentioning it in his book.

I recall an interview with Carl in "Backtrack" some years ago he said that he hadn't the resources and soon looked beyond the sport realising he was never going to make it pay?

...and yet they both won three World Finals before Erik's tragic accident which again does say sometihng about Nielsen's overal competitive ability. As regards Carl Blackbird as they say, I was there, and all his stars were perfectly alligned on that evening. He never again rose to that level.

Them were the days! When I gave speedway a go at King's Lynn we were shown a box and told to muck thru' and find the appropriate clothing...think I found matching boots?

...thereby lies the dilemma.

He was a class act at Oxford...riding "rear gunner" with Todd Wiltshire in particular.

Of course in the "Good Old Days" many, if not most, riders had second jobs excepting the "stars"...postmen, mechanics, milkmen etc. I recall even Terry Betts working in a garage during the winter months although he was on a good earner whilst at King's Lynn apparently based upon the number attending which of course wouldn't amount to much nowadays! Too many riders expect to make a living from the sport nowadays and it's not sustainable on those attending.

If I recall at Prestatyn (North Wales) in a Long Track Meeting?

Often remember my brother moaning about John Bishop when at Oxford...can't recall for what reason now?

Biased, I know, but Nielsen was THE rider of the middle/late eighties/early nineties in my opinion as Ivan was in the seventies with Olsen poking his nose in now and again although Peter Collins gave them the runaround and Michanek was sublime in 1973.

BBC4 running with a celebration of Saturday Night on the beeb with a re-run of "The Generation Game" and the "Two Ronnies" tonight...know what I'll be watching...beats sport rammed down your throat!

Plus, of course, White City "Rebels", New Cross, Wembley and Harringay...speedway most nights of the week during its height?

...obviously moving to Oxford gave him that extra incentive which was missing at his previous clubs and, as they say, the rest is history!

Certainly did Sid! I remember the time in 1977 when he was about to walk out of the Knock Out Cup Semi-Final meeting due to constant engine problems but was sweet talked back into riding by Martin Rogers on the centre green right in front of us...as these things do if Michael had carried out his threat the "Rebels" may well have taken the double that year? Also saw his bow riding for England against the Rest of the World (yes England were that good back then!) at Wood Lane.

I saw a 14 year old Michael give interval demonstration rides against an equally young Colin Richardson at Cowley...easy to say who went on to be the better rider although Colin did show plenty of potential for one so young.

To be honest Paul Dugard was a bit of a waster...could have made something of it in speedway but was never dedicated enough.

...Martin Rogers made some interesting observations about the old style second halves when I put the question to him in "Backtrack" a few years ago.

...in the "Good Old Days" they were guarenteed two rides in the old lamented second half.