Genesis

I can remember visiting the wife's Great Aunts in their later years in the late 1990's (they had moved from West Ham to Forest Gate by then) and they told me that on many an ocassion they stood in 70000 crowds at Custom House. They absolutely loved going to speedway from the 1930's onwards and had story after story to tell. Stupid me never bothered to make a record of anything they told me!

My wife's great Aunt's were fanatical West Ham followers and would always be there on a Tuesday night plus New Cross & Hackney as well. When they passed away we found a couple of drawers full of programmes, photos and an autograph book with the likes of Stevenson, Coombes, Chitty, Wilkinson signatures in it. I spent a little time researching it and eventually spoke to the great niece of Tiger and the grandson of Eric Chitty, sending them photos they had never seen. Fascinating to imagine the following the sport had through the 30's.

Just get rid of that damned joker, win it on merit not becasue you were outgunned for a third of the meeting and allowed to catch up!

On sale now on ebay if of any interest :- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300500797784&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

From the 1930's - Bluey Wilkinson, Charlie Spinks, Nobby Key, Stan Grearex, Roy Dook, Bronco Dixon, Tommy Crooms, 'Tiger' Stevenson

Well you learn something new every day, I raced a Hot Rod at Brafield for several years during the 80's and I never once realised it used to be a speedway track. I assume it is the same site. I have not been for quite a few years now but it is still going strong with the Oval Racing cars.

I think I know what to expect on Thursday but Im pretty sure what to expect Friday - locked and/or deleted threads!

Get the team together the week before, track is slick, ridiculous running order - all valid comments to be fair, but the truth is that neither riders nor equipment are good enough! Bar Cardiff - where even then Nicholls was found out again in the final - the GB riders in the GP have been light years behind the rest. I think the promotors to a degree get some unfair stick on this point. Financially it is very difficult to keep a modern day speedway team in profit. We the punters want the best racing we can for our £ and going back to the above that cannot include - at present - a substantial number of home riders. If we are all happy to watch a lesser standard of primarily GB riders - slower, but perhaps closer? - standard of racing for a few years then maybe we could be a force again. Anyone care to place a bet on that happening though?

You are perfectly correct gentlemen and I apologise for the error. The Red Lion in Little Missenden is owned by Ron's brother, Alan, The Crown in Little Missenden in run by Ron's son Trevor. I cannot tell you if Ron still has any involvement in it but my guess would be that he still does.

You can get a nice pint of best at Ron How's pub The Red Lion in Little Missenden, Bucks which reopened this year after a major fire a year or so ago. Danny Dunton was alive & seemingly well when last seen walking down Chesham High Street just before Christmas.

Ron is still the landlord of The Red Lion in Little Missenden, Bucks. The pub is a listed building and almost burnt to the ground in 2006 I think it was. Thankfully Ron & family were all safe and it was rebuilt and reopened late last year. His son Trevor (who was a professional footballer at Watford FC) runs The Crown which is the other pub in the village.

Dire. Thought the idea was to attract more followers not drive them away! Rubbish

I dont think it ever has been. We qualified on a GB track which was the home track for 3 of the 5 team members, 2 of those riders pretty much dominate every meeting at Coventry, would everyone not expect us to go through? Riding at Lezno and the like is almost a different formula of speedway. Yes the Brits do race in Poland, yes we should have done better and yes we were down on speed, either bhp, gearing or both. I am extremely disappointed to find the riders equipment preparation was so far off the mark and I have to lay the sole cause of our failure at their door. I did not expect to win it, personnaly I did expect us to be last, but I did expect perhaps double the points tally. Also, maybe its worth watching the rerun to remind yourself of the dire lines many of our boys were running compared to the other teams and to see just how poor our gating was. If I learn that Midlo was dictating their riding tactics ("Bomber, makes sure you tuck tight on the white line", "Lads, gate as badly as you have all season please") and was personally preparing their bikes then he should take all flak! Personally I would love to see anyone else as GB manager just to see what difference it made, my bet would be none under the same circumstances.

Team Mnager has nothing to do with tonight at all. We are just not good enough with inferiro equipment and inferior riders on the Polish track. Mod: All, please use http://speedwayupdates.proboards103.com/in...85031077&page=1 for comments relating to meeting

I have no idea why there ever has to be a negative comment on Sky presentation from anyone. It's not as if anyone else in the media are knocking down doors to cover the sport. Never bite the hand that feeds you!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Bomber - just fantastic / fantastyczny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well done to Scottie. I'm always quick to say he is just a bit short of real "world class" quality, so just need to acknowledge his success tonight. (Yes I know, I know - but even the best riders get a bit of lady luck from time to time!)

Why all the negatives to people congratulating their own nation? I dont think many speedway supporters would disagree that at present we probably are only the 4th best nation in the world - debatably maybe equal 4th with the Poles when we both have a good day. If we had not made the final and Poland had, that would still have beena realistic standing of all the countries competing, as it happens we made it to the final with two good performances. Yes our gating was poor, yes Bomber and Steady need more experience and better equipment, which, God willing will happen as their careers develop. But come on guys, we came 3rd -fact. All the "ifs" about Crumpy going gung-ho for himself and handing us the rostrum are valid, but "ifs" count for bugger all. "If" Louis had gated as we have seen him for years, would he have added 5 or 6 more points to the total - he didnt so it doesn't affect the score. Individual events like the GP's and team events like the World cup take care of themselves my the actions of the competitors. What British Speedway needs to concern itself more with, is ensuring the young prospect like Stead, Harris, Bridger, Kennet ectc get as much assistance as possible so they can the competitors whose actions make us a better country in the world of Speedway. (Bloody glad to get that off my chest) Enjoy the rest of the season all!

Agreed!

So every one of Lee's bikes last night was worse than every other bike in the stadium?

If Lee Richardson had the best equipment available to him ( and whose to know that he hasn't anyway), we might see him pull out a decent GP performance once in a while, but the fact is that he is just not as good as the top GP riders and can never produce any consistency to get himself into the next level of GP riders. I really don't see that scenario ever changing. As for Nicholls, I firmly believe that he does have the machinery but just does not have the character, temprement, intelligence or concentration levels to get in with the top 6 or so. He is a vastly experienced rider now, but how many times in GP's have we seen him miss a gate, hit the tapes, over commit to bends and throw himself off etc etc, a really good EL rider but at the top level, for me, he just does not have the mental makeup of a Crump, Hancock, Pedersen etc. As a Brit rider I would love to think he could get that in to his game but I fear it will never be the case.

I thought Lee Richardson was out of his depth last season and was more than fortunate to make the GP's, but I really didnt think he would look worse this season !

Thanks Iris, thats a great help! From an enquiry on another site I have been told this : Left to right.... Eric Gregory..Wally Lloyd.... Wally kilmister...Lionel Van-Praag...Gordon Byers.....Frank Charles Alec Jackson ...standing, left

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?act...security=EtuDWz Just found this amongst a lot of Speedway memorabilia left by the wife's Great Aunts. Are they speedway riders or not? Is the one three from left Danny Dunton?