Andy Downes

Thought Leicester's main footie rivals was Coventry City ...

Remember one Good Friday doing 11:00 at Kings Lynn, 15:00 at Arena Essex and 19:45 at Hackney - around 1985 if memory serves me well

Les Rumsey only rode one season for Crayford, 1980 which was also the year I started to follow the sport My first ever away meeting was the NL 4 Team finals at Peterborough in 1980, Les was at reserve due to his average being affected by a series of bike failures; however this match would be his most memorable for the Kestrels as team manager Pete Thorogood used the reserve can have 3 fides rule to the max in the heats and final, replacing Laurie Etheridge in both his heats and Alan Sage in one of his. Worked perfectly as Les, the big track rider scored where the recovering from injury Laurie wouldn't have and the smaller track specialist Alan probably wound't have either. Les became a hero that night, the only night Crayford ever won a team competition Les's home form improved after that meeting but he left during the upheaval of personnel in winter 80/81 and never really seemed to have a good meeting at London road after he left, retiring at the end of 1982 IIRC I'm sure every Crayford fan, especially those at the showground that afternoon will remember Les with affection and thank him for the great memories we have of that day Condolences to his family

Always grateful that he saved Crayford Speedway in 1981 - just as I was getting into the sport. Knew him a little through the early Hackney away weekend trips and seemed a decent guy. Commiserations to his family

1990/1991 close season was the beginning of the end of my love affair with speedway. As a NL fan, it was decimated by the Stewkesbury Plan and within 2 years, Milton Keynes, Mildenhall, Wimbledon and my own beloved Hackney had all bitten the dust. Apart from a few matches during the London Lions season of '96, i haven't regularly attended since and living just outside Bristol as I do now, I probably never will again, merely following the sport through this site and the updates for results.

Think something similar happened to Jamie Luckhurst at Canterbury

Think something similar happened to Jamie Luckhurst at Canterbury

Just tried to enter site via their last newsletter dated 28/1/2025 - that seemed to work OK If you're really stuck, PM me and i'll send you the newsletter

Reider Replacement???

No, it gives the outward appearance of wanting to be a trendy fun city but they only seem interested in building houses and more houses. A few years ago they looked at building a much needed large concert hall/sports venue (10,000+) by Temple Meads Station but changed at the last moment to housing. They have closed down the Ice Rink and show no interest in helping Bristol Rovers build a new ground to replace the antiquated Memorial Grounds. The plan to move the Basketball team to a new stadium has been put back again to 2025

Bristol Council - appalling record regarding closing sports and entertainment facilities and failing to replace them

Plymouth was in the West of England last time I checked ...

sorry but no rider who gave his life for our sport and entertainment should ever be forgotten

was arguable an even greater Kestrel; the team captain when I started to follow the sport in 1980 and probably skippered Crayford in more matches than any other rider. He had seen his best days before my arrival but was still capable of some good performances at London Rd.

Sorry for being a bit of a pedant here, Crayford Stadium was replaced by a much smaller Greyhound Only stadium, with about 75% of the land being sold to Sainsbury's. Absolutely no way of shoe-horning a track in there, in fact many of the dog owners complain the track is too small