Parsloes 1928 nearly

Yes, interesting that the name 'Speedway' rather quickly replaced 'dirt track racing' over here (perhaps coz one of the leading promotional companies was called 'International Speedways'..?); but, as you say, in most other settings Speedway is the name for a venue rather than the activity taking place there.. Last year there was a brief debate on this subject in respect of Wisbech Speedway..: this is another, like Abridge, listed in 'Homes'(as others have said, the 'essential' book in any Speedway library.. ) when it was revealed that Wisbech had, had matches back in the '30s and '40s with the likes of 'proper' Speedway teams Middlesborough and Sheffield. Hearing too that the track at Wisbech was a grass and dirt surface - comprising dirt on the bends and grass on the straights - I felt really that Messrs Bamford & Jarvis might consider classifying it as a 'proper' track. Someone who knows John Jarvis replied that he (ie John) takes the approach that he needs written proof they were speedway ventures with a fixed location, copies of match reports he can reference before he can log them in. Grass tracks, he went on, tend in the main, not to be fixed to a particular location... Though some of these clearly were... Without knowing for sure, I do think that several of the tracks referred to as 'Grass Speedway' in fact could be 'moved-up' so-to-speak, into the main Speedway bracket..: especially if they did indeed have team racing against sides from established shale tracks. Don't know if Abridge could be one of these..: interestingly, Abridge seems to have been running at exactly the same period (just before and just after the war..) as Wisbech.. What kind of events are listed in the prog. you've got Paul..: are they individual classes like grasstrack or was there any team racing, Speedway-style..??

There was a lad whose name I think was Marshall Pugh who was the star of the show when Ian Hoskins promoted briefly at Majorca the mid-'70s. I believe he did pay one visit over here and rode some second-halves at Canterbury (run then by Ian Hoskins' dad, Johnny)... Does speedyguy know anything about that Majorcan project..?? BTW, best wishes to Russ and Claire. D.

Thanks for this. Interesting that the Wembley museum DOES acknowledge Speedway..:and that is very good news!

Okay! Sounds good enuff for me then!!!

Hmm, BOTH Tai's parents are British..:and indeed he was born in the UK..!! Not so sure that Sam or Byron can count on GB parentage though can they..??!!

And who would you rather see :a load of Danes and Czechs in a PL match..??!!!

I understand that Dave Kennett was a massive prospect before an injury early-ish in his career set him back. He was, in the time I watched him ride (for Hackney and winning the BL title with White City ), a more than useful middle-order rider in the top division; but I believe a lot more had once been predicted for him..

Hmm, Elkins had two EFs... And the Pope's Catholic!!!

Hmm, I could be wrong about Justin's appearances for the Wildcats.. : heck, it's late here..: considerably later than in downtown Cahokia IL, I'm guessing But the challenge matches by Weymouth, before they entered the league don't seem to me to 'count', whereas 'Training League' matches by Iwade might..??!! Geez, it's a complicated business!! Glad you recall our meeting up now, Steve. How goes it with the darts these days..?? Would be great to see you back in action over here..!

It certainly IS getting 'messy'. Take the example of young Jerran Hart. This year is just his second in the sport. Last year as a Grade One starter he appeared in the CL for Rye House (4 times), Stoke (3 times), Boston (twice) & Oxford before signing for Sittingbourne (the appearances for the other clubs before signing for the Crusaders cannot accurately be described as 'guest' appearances, which the 2008 Yearbook incorrectly lists them as... ) He also appeared in the Academy League (which, has been suggested, should count in the calculations used in this enduringly interesting thread...) for his parent club Lakeside plus Poole and Rye House. He has now made his PL debut for Newport. So, at 17 years of age and, as I say, just a week into a second season in the sport that's NINE 'different' clubs...!!!

And the Iwade Colts..!! Not Weymouth in a competitive fixture though, I don't think.. His five 'engine failures' at the tapes when captaining the then non-league Weymouth in a challenge at Wimbledon did for his chances there I believe..!!!

"Ivor Brown"..?? No relation to that guy from the Pit Bend Loonies who throws darts for a living, was he..??!!

Okay, I stand corrected!!!! And Derek Timms rode in that league for Wimbledon then..?? That's nine years before becoming a Crayford Highwayman..??? I take your point also about the 'junior' leagues (after all,it is your thread.. ) but don't brand the Conference in that same bracket..: the Conference is a pukka 'third division'... I think things will get 'messy', though, with respect to the current 'Academy' league as all sorts of weird things have happened there with rider appearances...

10 - DEREK TIMMS (Aldershot, Cradley, Crayford, Doncaster, Middlesbrough, New Cross, Plymouth, St. Austell, Wimbledon Res, Wolves) Much as I'm delighted to see Crayford get another mention on the list via Derek Timms, am puzzled by the reference to "Wimbledon Reserves". To my knowledge a Wimbledon reserve or 'second' team has never ridden in an accepted, competitive league (ie NOT including your 'Southern Junior' type league) so though Timms, I assume, did turn out for such a side, surely this can't 'count'..??!!

Will always be a significant rider to me as he featured on the front cover of the programme of the first Speedway meeting I ever attended: at Canterbury in 1972!!!!!

Right..: there's more!!!! In 1994 when back at Middlesbrough, Buzz appeared in the CL for the Cleveland Bays: ie the 'Middlesboro II' team based at Cleveland Park. Last year he was again a Cleveland Bay but that incarnation was - as their revised name this year more clearly shows - 'Redcar II': a completely different club/track despite adopting (in '07 only, it seems..) the same name as the earlier third division club. Disregarding speedyguy's attempts to cloud an issue which previously was totally clear (which incidentally, you'll note he only did once Buzz was mentioned - check out his inglorious record of slagging off Buzz whenever he can across the BSF.. ) - this means that Buzz's total is up to 15 ..: as follows: Scunthorpe ('84) Edinburgh ('85-6) Middlesbrough ('87 & '92-94) Glasgow ('92) Buxton ('94-'96) Cleveland (ie Middlesbrough II) ('94) Sheffield ('94) Belle Vue ('94 & '02) Coventry ('94) Hull ('94) Long Eaton ('95) Stoke ('97-'02 & '07-?) Stoke II ('03) Wimbledon ('03-'05) Cleveland (ie Redcar II) ('07)

Come on..: that is utterly daft!!! You are seriously suggesting that by riding for Wimbledon in 1949 and then again in 1951, this counts as two different clubs..?? You may as well say that every time the team changed it counts as a different club: in which case, can I nominate Chris Hunt in 2002 as riding for 29 different clubs..: all called Wimbledon?!!!!

"lost interest"..??!! That is a disgraceful comment - dismissing at a stroke all the people to whom Speedway at two of the nation's most important tracks mattered for decades. How do you think Oxford fans feel that what would've been the 60th. anniversary of their sport there was cruelly taken from them because the landlords "lost interest" ..??! You will bend over backwards to defend the GRA, speedyguy, and this stance is doing you no credit whatsoever. What happened at Wimbledon and then repeated at Oxford by the GRA is indefensible...

Right. If the solitary appearances for these two clubs 'count' in George Major's list, then so should Buzz's one appearance each for top league clubs Hull & Coventry in the mid-'90s. They too feature in Oakesy's publications and, are NOT 'guest' appearances...!! Added to the extra one identified earlier, this pushes Buzz's total up to 14 Am I a man on a mission this morning or wot..??!!

I see that in Wal Morton's impressive list, 'West Ham Reserves' gets an mention..; and, for example, Tony Featherstone's list includes both King's Lynn and 'King's Lynn II'. Well, in that case - you need to add the Stoke CL team (the Spitfires) to Buzz's list as he rode for them (in early 2003), as well as his stints with the senior Potters. Call them 'Stoke II' and Buzz's total should be up to 12..!!

Hmm, not sure on which clubs Glyn did ride for but I know the current Redcar Bears' Team Manager is riding again on Saturday 29th. March: at his home track (Redcar Speedway) in Round One of this year's Short Track UK championship! Nephew of another rider mentioned on this thread, Neil Collins: Les' son, Aidan Collins will also be appearing. Action starts at 4.30pm - see http://www.shorttrackuk.com/news.html for full details!

I must admit I never knew that Steve Weatherley had ridden for Wimbledon... What year was this..?? Bringing things much more up to date, Grant MacDonald & Danny Betson rode for Oxford last year (in what looks like being the Cheetahs last season) having done likewise for the Dons in '05, their last campaign. And the same applies to a rider who will NOT share the place of affection in Wimbledon fans' hearts that Grant & Danny rightly have: New Zealander, Andrew Bargh. Bit-part Dons (but Dons, nonetheless in the '02-'05 period), Chris Mills and Chris Johnson have also ridden for Oxford and so 'count' on this ever-growing list!!!

Hmm, to paraphrase you, KevH., can I take it from the haste in which the subject is changed from a possible future for Speedway in London E15 (or 9 or 3..!!) to events back at Canterbury - that, your interest in the former "didn't come from the heart?"..??!!!

I know you didn't write it..!!!! Seems odd to describe a crash with concussion as a "tragedy"..! The second crash, that was the tragedy..

Hopefully I won't get accused of hi-jacking the thread by including the following link..: many interesting (I think/hope...) pix of the Olympics site in all its current dereliction and including many views I'm sure former attendees of Hackney Stadium will recognise... http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/london2012/ I wonder if there's any interest on here at all for a campaign to get a replacement Speedway stadium out of the post-2012 'sustainable' package for what they now call the Lower Lea Valley..??