steve roberts

Remember when Michael Lee was offered the captaincy and he laughed at the prospect.

Just seen the trailer for the recently issued DVD " Great Races of the 70's & 80's"...looks to be a winner with some classic action. A must for all speedway connoisseurs!

All very depressing.

Sounds grand to me...hopefully the deer rut will still be at play?

Great skipper and influence to! Sadly missed.

I was due to visit the West Highlands of Scotland (Glen Nevis) but cancelled and probably won't bother booking next year either. Both Ripon and Thirsk are on my doorstep.

Didn't Bill Werbenuik have the same condition if I recall?

I know that Hans Nielsen was a great advocate to tests being carried out in an interview with then SRA Secretary Colin Gear. in "Backtrack" a few years back

I seem to recall that Oxford during the 1976 season adopted a very different approach in that whoever was top of the averages at the end of every month rode at number one and as captain and had a special race jacket dedicated to same.

I knew Matt...gave him my Oxford "Cheetahs" Skol sponsored jacket!

We had Cowley "Crusaders"!

One time Oxford junior, Keith Snelling, used to ride for Horspath "Hammers".

I recall that Wednesfield has/had a particularly strong history...known as the "Aces"?

Oxford had two cycle speeday clubs. The Horspath "Hammers" and Headley "Hawks" but I believe that the latter closed some years ago now.

Thanks for that! I'm sure that Hughie then became skipper of the "Rockets" when he dropped dowm a league?

Yes I'm sure that's right...continued during the "Simmo" years I recall but Pete eventually passed on the captaincy when he was suffering with continual bike problems?

You know I was just thinking who skippered the "Diamonds" in 1975...thought it was Tom Owen but you are correct in Brian Havelock. Didn't he move on to Workington later that season or was it during the 1976 season?

Am I correct to think that Hugh Saunders was skipper at Hackney or am I barking up the wrong tree in 1974? Don't recall it being Dag Lovaas?

Some great examples there...I remember Reg Trott being made captain of a young "Eagles" side during the formative years of the British League Divison Two when its role was to produce young British talent. I'm sure that he wasn't the only case during that period? Ross Gilbertson at Canterbury?

I have a feeling that Geoff Mudge was captain of Reading in 1972?

I guess that the Captain of any particular team over the years was generally regarding as the top man. However I can think of the likes of Rick Timmo of Oxford who was skipper of the side in 1973. Mick Bell was another down the road at Reading and there was Bob Poulson at Sheffield. I'm sure that there are many other examples out there?

None at all I would have thought.

In Ivan's book he mentions that during 1965 he had to wear a special boot and had to adopt something of a different style. He had been riding with the screws still in place which caused him problems and during the winter of 1965/6 when he aggrevated the bone thru' excessive training he had them eventually taken out. When he got back to England at the start of the 1966 season he felt much fitter and ready to tackle the new season without the worries of 1965. He mentions, also, that during 1964 he had ridden in less meetings as was usual and dropped far more points than he had the season previous.

I've mentioned it before, I'm sure, but the late Rob Woffinden used to place a solution of Castrol 'R' mixed with petrol so when he used his lawn mower he could re-live the aroma given off!

Despicable individual.