steve roberts

...unfortunately it's now common place within televisised sport nowadays. Too much pontification and waffle by 'so-called" experts which is the main reason I don't bother watching sport on TV and haven't for years now.

I never enjoyed watching "live" transmissions on SKY...too much padding. Always preferred watching edited highlights of speedway on TV. Different when at a match live as I had my mates to talk to in between races enjoying some banter but difficult to replicate that at home sat by yourself!

Remember on a visit to Exeter being able to stand right up to the fence and as three riders passed I lent over only for Olle Nygren to pass by terrifying the life out of me! He was so far back I had forgotten that he was still in the race!

Sadly one track I never got to.

Used to annoy me back in the seventies when I first went to Poole that they wouldn't open the turnstiles until 7-00pm allowing the queues to build up...even as a kid back then I couldn't understand the logic as surely it's better to get people in and spending their money at the various outlets inside?

Agree!

...which also didn't attract any major sponsorship which I have questioned many times over the years?

Going to Oxford I used to stroll round and arrive at about 7-00 to catch up with all the chat...always a full night out.

The accident involving Ray was with Norman Clay.

If I recall he had been recommended by Paul Hurry? He was Hungarian from memory so I guess the name was to get thru' bureaucracy?

Had been told that he doesn't bother (his own quote) if he misses the gate?

Strikes me that Troy Batchelor has constantly under performed for Oxford this season...heard reports that when running a last recently at Cowley was popping wheelies!

Gary Williams/Guglielmi (if I've spelt that correctly?)

I have an audio talking book with Roy Hudd based upon his book about the old Music Hall & Variety Acts...makes me laugh hearing Roy laugh as he quotes anecdotes from the past!

I guess it's down to personal opinion...I used to enjoy "The Black & White Minstrels" but the point is that there was more variety back then (good and bad) unlike today's bland "celeb" culture shows in whatever format, soaps (okay they've been around for many years but not at the intensity we now experience), and the constant "crime dramas" that now appear to fill our screens.

Tyburn Gallows whose real name was Raymond Humphreys I believe? He had his name changed by deed poll!

I remember during Oxford's past that someone was "employed" at the gate to collect money and his reward was free entry to the meeting.

As a matter of interest are other clubs operating a pre-booked ticket only policy?

There has always been an element of "dumb downed" TV especially when more channels appeared on the scene but we are subjected to far more trite presented by wannabe "celebs" with very little to offer. I recall that the New Theatre in Oxford used to book in soap "stars" to appear in pantomine and they bombed as the public grew tired of their inability to rouse any atmosphere on stage without having any "live" training hence why the Theatre turned to big West End Shows to present during the Xmas and New Year period with recognised stars who understood what live theatre was all about. Top of my head I recall Saturday Evenings on BBC One being something like this: Final Score followed by the News then... Tom & Jerry (before the PC Brigade shoved their oar in!), Doctor Who, The Generation Game, Duchess of Duke Street and/or The Two Ronnies, Match of the Day, Michael Parkinson (when there were "stars" worth interviewing and had something to say) and then a late film (horror more often than not) Not a listing that was everyone's cup of tea but something for everyone.

Personally I think it odd that cash/card appears not to be acceptable on the gate? Booking for an attraction online became the norm during COVID but surely things should be getting back to some sort of normality? It's only recently that an arboretum near where I live has again accepted cash/card payments at the door which was madness in that they continued with the policy of booking online for so long...an arboretum for goodness sake!

When I repeatedly questioned "live" domestic transmissions and who the target audience was I was told having it on TV (albeit SKY and not on a terrestrial channel) it would attract major sponsors? Well it's become abundantly obvious that didn't transpire for whatever reason.

Personally I feel that when the old British League Division Two/New National/National League broke away the conveyor belt started to dry up. Remember the early/middle seventies when British talent was at its premium and we at Oxford/White City drew riders from the lower league due to our promotional tie up with Eastbourne & Peterborough and we weren't the only club who benefitted with having interests in both leagues...years later Mervyn Stewkesbury appeared on the scene with his own agenda which in my opinion proved detrimental to domestic speedway in this country.

Absolutely...having endured tennis and now golf on the beeb speedway beats them hands down if only the promoters would get their collective act together!

Remember reading Johnnie Hoskins' fascinating book "Speedway Walkabout" where he was in the compsny of a clairvoyant who was in contact with someone to do with motor cycles and her description matched that of Ken. Ken's messaage from the other side to Johnnie was "Tell Joan she is still mine".

Averages have been included in Alan's publication...I fully recommend obtaining a copy!