Sunday 8th September 1985. National League
Rye House Rockets v Poole Wildcats
Rye House Rockets v Edinburgh Monarchs (Double header)
Rye House 38
1. Andrew Silver 9+1 from 5
2. Bob Garrad 5+1 from 4
3. Kelvin Mullarkey 5 from 4
4. Rob Woofinden 2 from 3
5. Alistair Stevens 12 from5
6. Kevin Brice 4 from 3
7. Gary Rolls 1+1 from 3
Poole 40 (I think they finished 2nd to Ellesmere Port that year)
1. Martin Yeates 10 from 5
2. Ray Dole 6+1 from 5
3. Stan Bear r/r
4. Kevin Smith 11+ 1 from 5
5. David Biles 8+1 from 5
6. Gordon Humphries 3+1 from 3
7. Marcus Bisson 2+1 from 3
My then girlfriend dragged me along one sunny late summer afternoon to Rye House, where she had been as a young girl in the late 70's. My only recolection of speedway had been Dave Lannings commentary on World of Sport, which I suppose must have been a world final, dunno, didn't take much notice. Sat in the home straight grandstand as the riders bikes were wheeled out by the track staff for the parade, then....WOW!!! as the bikes were pushed off for practice, laps. The sight, the sound and the smell of 14 bikes being ridden around the track. Been hooked ever since!
I hadn't a clue how to fill out a racecard, hence the lack of any race details.The second half of the double header was:
Rye House Rockets 57
1. Andrew Silver 13+2 from 5
2. Bob Garrad 12+3 from 5
3. Kelvin Mullarkey 13+2 from 5
4. r/r (Rob Woofenden broke his collarbone in the Poole match , I recall)
5. Alistair Stevens 14+1 from 5
6. Kevin Brice 4 from 3
7. Gary Rolls 1 from 3
Edinburgh Monarchs 21
1. Steve Finch 5 from 4
2. Billy Burton 3+1 from 4
3. Bobby Beaton 4 from 4
4. Buzz Burrows 1 from 4
5. Brett Saunders 3 from 3
6. Scott Lamb 3 from 4
7. Gordon Whittaker 2+2 from 3
It was a l-o-n-g winter waiting for the season to start again