Parsloes 1928 nearly

I agree.. Seems utterly crazy to me to have a High Beech anniversary event, er, NOT at High Beech..!! Went there last year (for the first time...) and there is something literally magical about a misty February morning and able to walk around some of the still visible lineaments of the track.. I am a big supporter of the Museum, though (from the days when I played my small part helping George & Linda with collections at a couple of tracks including one of the first at Wimbledon...) and can understand why the Committee would want a set piece event there... But 2009 is going to be the 80th. anniversary of the birth of League Racing in the UK isn't it.. So why not have an event to commemorate that milestone at Paradise Park..?? Not sure what date...: perhaps the anniversary of the first Southern League meeting...?? Am sure norbold would know the relevant date.. As for Feb. & High Beech...: surely that time-worn tradition of meeting up in the King's Oak shouldn't be scrapped...?!

Many thanx for the info. Peter!!

Jessica also made an appearance for the Scorpions didn't she.. Must've been 2005 and it was a Plough Lane, of all (famous...) places. Jessica had taken to riding second halves at Wimbledon at the time...: she's a good pal of Andre's I believe... Of course a more regular female second halfer at Plough Lane in the CL days was John Carpenter's daughter, Amy who also competed in the GB Under 15s championship... Talking of Wimbledon, there was a match up at Stoke (2004 or maybe '03..?) when a female rider was named as the Dons' number eight. Didn't get a ride but entered history as the only female named in a Wimbledon 1 to 8!! She must've been local to Stoke - anyone recall her name..??? Finally, need to mention Charley Kirtland. Was Charley not in fact the FIRST rider to appear for a League team (at Somerset for Ashfield in circa. 2000)..??

It's a pity that Mr. & Mrs. Jacobs didn't call you 'Parker' rather than Norman... Then you could have been my chauffeur and not t'other way round...!!!!

I assume that this'll be the opening meeting of the season at Arlington then, will it..???

"Wimbledon...: the enemy.."??!! Remind me - should it ever re-open there - never to offer you a lift home from Plough Lane again!!!!

Hmm, am I just being a bit dim but I can't see any reference to the Junior Meeting..??!!!

Disappointing that no-one replied to this... The example set by the Dragons and STRA with details of their amateur meetings, following the superb trend-setting example of Richard at Scunny certainly HASN'T been followed by anyone at Eastbourne.. Simple question really...: DID this meeting happen..? Supplementaries...: if yes, what was the result; if not, is it going to be restaged..??!!!

Only three dog tracks left within Greater London anyhow ...: the aforementioned Wimbledon, Romford and the re-built Crayford..!!!

Happy to say that Buzz Burrows will commemorate 25 years in the sport with a meeting at Stoke in March 2009. More details to follow very shortly!!

Gee thanx..! Well, I'm guessing now that my excuse for missing this (surely unique) Saturday Night at the, er, Moving Bikes.. was that my birthday is 19 May and I must've been out that next night in some celebration event.. And of course as it was 1978 we're talkin' about the particular birthday in question was my 18th..!! (yes, that's right Mr. Peasley!! ) so a first legal drink clearly beckoned..! What a shame it wasn't in the well-stocked bars of the erstwhile 'Ladbrokes Stadium'..!!

I cannot agree with your assessment of Alan Sage!! Sagey was, on the contrary, not just a supreme stylist but also a very exciting rider, often fighting from the back to win races at London Rd., where in the early years he was supreme!!!! As for it being on a Saturday night..: well, that indeed would've been highly unusual..! I certainly never went to a Saturday night meeting at Crayford..: but then fair play I didn't see Weymouth there that year in 1978 so that would explain that.. I wonder if it was late season..: in which case that would explain why I missed it (away at Uni..!) and maybe also why it was on a Saturday..?? Quite why/how the ever-present Dogs on a Saturday would've stepped aside to allow Speedway in their slot would be a question I'd ask though..??!!! Come on Bryn or the rather reticent 1st. Bend Kestrel...: do you remember this Saturday night!! And no, 1BK...: Saturday Night is NOT for fighting!!!!

I HAVE noticed that!! But you always do!!!!

Some diversion...: from Coventry to Crayford..!!! Tom Owen actually won the Kentish Times Trophy FIVE times in a row: 100% of the occasions this individual event was staged..!!! But I have to say I don't really understand some of the rather barbed comments about Crayford in this thread. There's almost an implication (eg. "it was a different experience".. etc.) that the place was some kind of a wasteland in Hicksville or something..! It wasn't...: it was an excellent stadium. Indeed IF it was still staging Speedway today (in a world where the likes of Arena Essex, Somerset, Plymouth, Buxton & Iwade stage League Speedway) it would be regarded, I'm sure, as one of BEST actual stadiums in the UK..!! Fully enclosed with glass fronted grandstands on both straights, it wasn't known as "the mini Plough Lane" for nothing..! Only problem was...: how much it used to bloody rain on a Tuesday!! In the middle of my time as a Crayford fan I went to University...: to Leicester, another - as has been pointed out.. - Tuesday night track...: and do you know wot..?? It rained every Tuesday in Leicester too..!!!!

As I said before...: yes: the BSPA ARE still very stringent about this...!!

They must've seen you coming m8..!!!! Remember all, if you want to freeze your proverbials off THIS particular weekend: Dragons meeting at the Old Gun Site, 11am start time. I'll be warm(er) in the box!!!!!!

Not sure what point you're making. I'm just telling you what the situation is here in the UK. No meetings out of season have EVER been charged for spectators at Sittingbourne (Iwade). All training and amateur sessions have full medical cover. The one a month 'rule' relates not to one track but nationally. Thus, to quote recent examples (now sadly not the case): December was Brighton; January, Newport; and, yes, Feb. was Telford..!! Outside of those no proper, paid-for-admission meetings could be held

Okay - I stand corrected... But as you say, the editors in both versions chose to 'hide away' the GB U-15s meetings under the indiv. track sections. Let's hope this year (ie in next year's Yearbook) the U15s can have what they deserve: their own section (won't take up any more space really...) so that the reference book includes proper, er, reference of this important national championships..!

Rob , I didn't ask for it to be moved!! I was merely pointing out that the Mods are keen enough to move Conference related threads away from where they would get "reads" and stimulate interest and debate.. Ironic that for this and indeed the Bonfire Burn-up threads they've not done so. Which is good and maybe means that next season the Conference section (or dare I say it, the PL2 section ) may be treated with similar respect and common sense..!!! Though - and whisper it quietly... - TBH, surely there ain't much actual doubt that threads about amateur racing should REALLY be in the Training & Amateur racing section

There are issues (ones which have caused difficulties at Sittingbourne for a long time...) about meetings being 'advertised' as if for the public to attend, out of season.. Essentially, by my understanding, such meetings weren't "allowed" as public (ie non-club members only) events. This concept, though, did appear to be torn up with the extremely welcome stance of Scunthorpe last year - advertising very openly and widely their winter tournament meetings; and so taking those as a precedence, it has become 'safer' for clubs to advertise meetings.. The STRA never, as far as I can recall, advertise their meetings outside essentially of club membership and 'those n the know'.. I doubt that'll change; but a more 'liberal' approach via Forums like this is probably fair enough now that the Scunny amateur meetings are very much on the public agenda.. And so worth mentioning then that there is a Dragons meeting (club members only; I think day membership can be paid for spectators..?) at Sittingbourne (Iwade) on this coming Sunday.. 11am start time..

Er, can't let THIS pass by without a severe dose of: :mad: :mad:

Or, and here's another novel idea, they could have some kind of world championship...!!!! As long as people support the fundamentally flawed idea of picking riders rather than have them qualify then they'll be controversy like this. Hans Andersen was left out the other year...: if he'd have been in it there's ample evidence to show he may well have won the title that year. He'll perhaps never have a better year and therefore a better chance.. Are people going to change their minds about the daft selection process now then..?? Coz if not, can't really see how you can then quibble over the random decisions made in an inherently random system..!!!

I started to go to Speedway in 1972 so just too late for West Ham.. For the whole of my adult, working life I've lived and worked in the East End/East London so meet people all the time who remember Custom House so fondly. In fact for people of a certain age around here, it's extremely rare for them NOT to have been regulars at West Ham Speedway.. Feel really left out that I never saw the place.. Would particularly have loved to have seen my good pal George Barclay ride there.. And of course, with my East London connection a similar thing applies with Romford, which I also only just missed out on... It's so sad that two awesome stadiums like Custom House & Brooklands are no longer with us... How East London misses and all the poorer for their loss...

Er, no. There's a section called Conference League and in there, it seems to me, is the best place to discuss subjects like the CLRC, Conference Fours, Pairs etc. But no, the Mods ALWAYS move within minutes any thread opened on those subjects to this "Testimonials & Indivdual" etc. section!! However, there is also a Training & Amateur section and it is clear that STRA (just like Dragons club and Scunny Winter Championship etc.) meetings are appropriate to be discussed in THAT thread... Ditto indeed with Grasstrack.. (but the Bonfire one has remained here for a couple of weeks now) Funny how, in reality, the ONLY threads Mods rush to move are the ones relating to the Conference!!!

I know you'e one who always argues things should be in their right place on this 'ere Forum, Bryn, so surely this thread should be with all the other amateur/training meetings in: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...hp?showforum=12 On that subject (ie of amateur meetings and of being in the correct section ) check out there for details of Sittingbourne (Iwade) winter events/sessions including a Dragons Meeting this coming Sunday 16th. Nov. 11am start.