Parsloes 1928 nearly

Hmm, well a slightly odd way of describing the event... I believe it's been styled as the 'Celebration of Speedway' event since moving to the Speedway Museum at Paradise Park Wildlife Park from High Beech. The rationale behind the event before that, was to commemorate the first Speedway meeting in the UK (debate no doubt would ensue if on a 'history' thread!!), where it happened behind the King's Oak pub. And therefore it was held on a Sunday in Feb. Moving to Paradise Park was because it's relatively near and the museum's there, of course, but the date has basically remained around about the same time ('twas 19/2 last year). I'd assume it's going to be on this year not least as 2013 is a landmark year..: 85th. anniversary of that first High Beech meeting and worldwide, 90th. anniversary of the first ever Speedway meeting in Australia (now I KNOW that'll spark a debate!)!

And of course a recent THREE-times World Champ WAS born in Britain!!!! Which answers the question about Adam Ellis. British parents both, working abroad and so Adam born in France. Still makes him British!! Still can't see how Master Swart, as he has an English mother would be a 5 not a 3...

The strange concept of patriality relates to grand-parents doesn't it... This young man has an English mother so the same as Stefan and counts as British on that basis. The likes of Heeps have 'patriality' but shan't ever be represented GB: they're Aussies...

Calamity tends to follow Deano around.. We were on a Sittingbourne Crusaders Northern Tour with a Saturday meeting at Redcar followed by an afternoon one at Scunthorpe. Knowing that the journey wasn't a long one on the Sunday with plenty of time so no need for an early start, seemed safe to have a late one in the bar at the Middlesborough hotel we were staying. We finally left the bar at around 2am - only to find that that the hotel had put a notice up in Reception that as it was the Middlesboro' Fun Run the Sunday morning unless vehicles were out of the car park by 7am they would have to stay there 'til 2pm!! As the van with the bike in was, of course, in the car park it meant a bloody early start!! DOH!

Wouldn't he be entitled to a 3 rather than have to ride on a 5?

Mad Welly scored 18 for Swindon Sprockets at Plough Lane funny enough on Buzz's debut for the Dons in '03. He also scored 18 riding his one and only match as a Sittingbourne Crusader the next year! In both cases contributing basically half his team's total! I think you could be right too about once scoring 20 points ast Wimbledon... He was indeed one of the most prolific visitors to Plough Lane in the CL era.

You are of course 100% right. And with all due respect, great as the likes of Huxley, Kempster, Tauser & Lamoreaux certainly would've been, they are all way before the time of ANY of us on here (well except Bryn of course!!!) so really it's hard to comment on their inclusion. IMHO, 'Greats' should also be judged within their era, status of the club at the time and the impression/contribution they made at the time which is why I'd include Buzz.. Waiting now to get shot down by those who won't accept that concept....

I agree 100% Ian - but to be fair, this Forum is a very insular and specialist thing; and what's debated on here effectively goes no further... To the new public we need to attract in the local area and hopefully across Kent, this WILL be a whole new team, a new place to enjoy a sport many won't have seen live before and the riders will be "their" riders. To me it will be nice to able 'spin' the riders as local in as many ways as possible, so those from Kent or Sussex and/or who started their racing at Iwade are ideal - but Speedway fans will pick their own idols... Whoever would've thought a rider who'd spent his whole career riding for northern clubs and without an overly spectacular reputation could become a living legend at a London track...: I speak of Buzz at CL Wimbledon of course. Proof too that a 'veteran' in a third tier club ain't necessarily a bad thing. My wish for the new place is crowd pleasers like that, because what's really going to get the crowds in is thrills and excitement. Bring it on!!!

It was 6 August 2003 - I have the scorers down as: Wimbledon 44 (Wayne Barrett 12; James Clement 1; Gareth Hickmott 1+1; Peter Collyer 6; Mark Burrows 21[M]; Chris Hunt 3; Matt Cambridge 0) Boston 49 (Luke Clifton 8; Rob Hollingworth 15; Darren Rolph 1+1; Roger Dickerson 3+3; Dean Garrod 13+3; Peter Boast 9+2) (CL) Boston obviously must've used R/R. Buzz I think got a six pointer win in his 21. Still a strange configuration of scorers - with 33 points coming from the home side's top two riders and still losing by five points!!!

Agree would love to see Marc (who I first saw ride as a 12 year old up the road at Iwade) in the Kent side...: not sure on his current fitness/injury situation...

How about Dean Garrod's paid SIXTEEN (13 + 3) in a two point win by Boston at Wimbledon in 2003..?! A strange match that as Deano got that 13 and Rob Hollingworth got 15, yet for the Dons Buzz Burrows got a 21 points max!!!

Any all time Arena team HAS to include Andy Galvin, surely...!

Many thanx - mucho appreciated!

Good on yer Rhys mate... The burgers are on me next time!!!

Hmm, but Legg, Simmons & the younger Compton seems a pretty random selection of individuals to compare with Ivan Mauger! Maybe in 2008 or whenever this now ancient posting was made it was rather more current!!!

Well I remember that meeting too as it was the first meeting I ever attended at Plough Lane! Billy did indeed replace a rider and finidshed unbeaten but not enough to win the meeting! What happened was that his Ipswich team mate John Louis broke the tapes in his fourth ride (unbeaten at the time..) and meeting reserve Billy came in took his place and won the race! That though was his only ride of the meeting!!

Right, I'm thinking my quote was referring to Ivan Mauger...?

Genius!!!

What was that quote and response all about..??

You might have stumbled on something here... How about the Kent Kryptons?!

Er, I think Vincent's original posting was ironic..?! Justin certainly could on the odd occasion cut the mustard I'll give you that, but his last 15 rides at Plough Lane (for the Dons then Weymouth) saw him simply stay at the gate so I'd respectfully suggest there was more wrong than just some questionable machinery. At other times (when he actually, er, got to the first corner of a race, every time he was passed (even if leading when passed) he would pull out of the race... Not the stuff of 'greatness'...!

Fair point about the horse - the county symbol of course. Colts is good - a previous name for Iwade (the 'other' Sittingbournbe club) though. The symbol (a rampant white horse) is known in heraldry as Invicta and, in truth, if the decision's been made to use this symbol then it really forces the hands and the club name should surely be that: Kent Invicta... There has been in relatively recent times a senior sporting side in the county with this name, the short-lived Rugby League side which played at the old Maidstone United ground. Ironically Maidstone's misfortunes financially saw them lose that ground and until the end of last season were ground sharing at Sittingbourne's ground right next to Central Park. The other use of the name Invicta is in a Step 6 division below the Kent Football League - contains among its 16 clubs, Lydd United! This is a very new football league only in its second season. Invicta FM was also the name of the Kent county commercial radio station (and they did for a while, give quite good coverage to Sittingbourne Crusaders) but now that's called Heart FM - so can't see any obstacles really to using the splendid Invicta name.

Er, yes I know.. Some muppet though wrote in the Wimbledon programme for some while that our Deano came from Widnes...! Come to think of it the muppet was..., moi!!!

Spitfires would of course be a great name but as the Kent County Cricket team already use that moniker can't see how that would be possible. Kestrels ticks the boxes: connection with Crayford; good old-fashioned alliteration.. But I actually quite fancy 'Hurricanes'...

A great idea though Crayford's start time was 7.45pm not 7.30pm!!!