Sidney the robin

Was there quite alot of training schools going on in the late 60/s 70s ? Belle Vue,Ellesmere i know Broady had one at Swindon.Wouldnt it be great if we had that now that would certainly help us produce young riders in Poland are most tracks available seven days a week.?

Will Thommo sign a few copies before the launch as i probably wont be able to get there be great if he could.I can remember Thommo riding for England v Russia 1974. i think ??? at the Abbey.Frank Auffrett also rode i can remember thinking god those Russians have some shabby aquipment but god they were great value real battlers.

Well i am happy with this post fair play to you,my main point was sticking up for the era a fun time for the sport and a time that will be hard to better.

Where did you go from 1979 ???? because you are pretty limited you did not watch much racing in the 80s did you Witcher your time was Sudden Sam time and PK YES ?? 90s.😜😂

Witcher like every subject you debate you want to win fair play to you for that but the biggest thing that really strikes me with you is you have commented on riders you did not even see ride was your first meeting in the early nineties.???!

Those i named i think would of been good in any era the bottom line is i remember them as good riders forget figures we can all dress them up the difference then was every week you looked forward to seeing a top class number 1 now there are Doyle/Lindgren that is it a WATERED down product.Another point is i believe some of the riders today would not of been able to handle the tracks with loads of dirt on them todays speedway is so different.

1970/78 heat leaders i will miss some Betts,Kilby,Mauger,Briggs,Michanek,Lovaas,Persson,Eide,Davey,Sanders,Louis,Boocock 2) Collins,Sjosten,Jansson2) Wilson 2) Younghusband,Loftqvist,Wyer,Haley,Thomas,Morton2) Middleton, Moore, Olsen, Simmons,Jessup,Davis,Lee, Airey,Autrey. Pusey ,Ashby, Mcmillan,Beaton i have missed endless other riders out to.That was the level i remember not to bad for wobblers 😜 this year lets be honest the top class riders in Britain were Doyle/Freddie that was it then the next level are the likes of Cook,Thorssell,Fricke,Morris (ect)As i said before the two leagues now are closer than ever would i would pick the 1970/86 era over now i would all day long.

Some of those riders you named rode in the 90s, i believe the 1970/1986 period was a very strong one for British speedway and like yourself i hate the word wobbler it means nothing to me any rider at any level has my full respect.That period for me generally was stronger than it is today the two leagues we have now are CLOSER together than they have ever been.The BL at one time was the best league in the world teams like Ipswich had Louis,Sanders,Davey Belle Vue Mauger, Sjosten, Collins, (1980s Cradley Penhall, Gundersen,Collins,Grahame, (ect) most teams had a in/out no1 and a decent couple of heatleaders.You are right of course there were some weaker riders sometimes to keep within the averages but there is always a place for a trier or a lower class rider who is inconsistent.Personally i believe that period that i named was stronger than it is today mainly because of the TOP CLASS riders now riding in Britain but it is only my OPINION.

Name me the wobblers then my memory is fine is yours? is Greaves who averaged 2.5 ish this year a wobbler ? of course not you have an opinion on a era you did not even watch.

Going back to the modern day riders Ricko and Crump are the only two for me that would get in a top ten or near to one.No order Mauger,Fundin,Briggs,Olsen,Moore,Nielsen,Crump,Ricko,Young,Craven.

I know Wellie went to the Lew Coffin training school and then concentrated on the grass.You would know this better than most Steve Malc rode alot against Kevin Young who was highly rated often in the junior race at the Abbey Holloway,Young,Pope,Evans rode regular.Young looked good and did quite well for Oxford by the end of the 77 season Holloway was beating Young quite alot.I miss the second halves for me it served its purpose that was then and since then the sport has changed in a different direction.

How many riders made a career for themseves after starting out in old second halves? some of those were novices.At Swindon they used to have a junior jaunt race that produced a few riders over the years people forget Ashby and Kilby were juniors they started from the bottom.For me from 1970 to 86 that was a very strong period the NL was also a decent product as well and the meetings i saw were very good indeed.Young riders going in with the likes of the quality of the Owen Bros), Jackson, Hunter,Etheridge,Woods,Brown,Mcdermott,Shields,R.Hunter (ect) was a tough ask.This myth of riders turning up with 1 bike on the back of the car with a fag in there mouth gives the wrong impression sure people are generally fitter now but i dont think they are better.And today i have just looked at the 2018 series line up not inspiring in my opinion ( Moxey may have a point???) again showing there is still a closed shop syndrome in that event Doncaster,Screen,Loram,Tatum,all were thrown in at the deep end in a really tough BL league i cant remember to many wobblers riding then.🤓

I totally agree with Chunky ok we can all be bias as a example was Pedersen better than Moore,Craven, Lee,Collins,Gollob,Penhall for me he wasn't.

Race jackets i loved the old versions no thrills my favourite i suppose was the Halifax Dukes jacket.I always felt riders then looked more like team riders and they had there own individual leathers John Davis would take some beating in that department and also his aquipment was superb.

When you have a top 15 you cannot pick everybody can you ? something has to give.Pedersen has had a great career but Gollob for me was a better rider he could pull off moves on the track that Nicki could only dream of doing.When judging a rider i dont just go on how many WC they had won Pedersen won as many titles as Olsen yet for me was a level below him.Yes i go to speedway now enjoy it mostly is it Better NO is it FASTER of course it is that is the real difference now it is faster.

Can you name any others that would get into a all time top 15.? when you narrow it down the top 10/15 of all time they are the real cream.

Out of the modern day rider since the GP series started Crump,Ricko,Gollob are the only three riders that i would have anywhere near a top 10/15 of all time.

I left home to buy my first house and my mum cleared out alot of my speedway memorabilia i was gutted.I have recovered some of it over the years but alot of special stuff i have still not replaced and a old Swindon Robins racejacket with Briggs name on it was one of the items.😤

A must buy for me Thommo one of my alltime favourites.

Kurtz Woryna,J.Holder,Shanes would be in my 2018 Poole team Kurtz to really push on and those four names have a good youthfull look about it.

Well done Doyley you will be a great World Champion a fine example to everyone that anything is possible.I just hope we are able to see him in the Robins colours again in 2018 i would like to see Jason,Nick,Tobi, Zach be the first four names on the teamsheet.

I am proud to say Swindon is terrific with ex riders great to see them there and enjoy the action Broady / Crash are regular's there and endless other ex riders go i see Dukey there quite a bit to.As long as Rosco is about that will always be the case the history of the club is everything for me the past inspires you to go that bit further.When Doyley wins his maiden WC he will go alongside the Legend Barry Briggs five world titles between them great stuff.🤓

Peter Collins was a real credit to the sport he brought a great image to and firstly was a great rider who put bums on seats.I think PC is like most of us really frustrated with the sport and he knows the sport should be in better shape.

I collect pictures, photos,autographs,programmes that is my main interest i also have endless albums and scrapbooks.My two favourite items are my Tommy Jansson autographs and a TJ 1975 Wembley pennant.Also i have Peter Craven's autograph ( my uncle got it ) there is one autograph i am desperate to get that is Peter Jackson the only member i dont have of the 1967 Budgies title side.

Peter Moore.??