Parsloes 1928 nearly

Talking of Tom, he's aleready three times a national champ at Under 15s level in any case: twice winner of the STUK Youth title and inaugural ACU British Junior Short Track champ too...!! Here's a brief hot-off-the-presses news release from STUK re. Tom's plans for 2009: 2007 & '08 Junior Champion Tom Woolley, has been confirmed as a CCM factory team rider in 2009 and is expected to be part of a three man team with three-times STUK champion Marco Belli and Richard May in the Pozzani Silkolene Short Track UK Championships. Tom who was honoured at the annual ACU Awards night in Northampton last month is over the moon at joining up with the CCM Team. The Burton-based youngster, who's ridden Speedway at his home county track of Buxton said, "I would like to thank every one at CCM for giving me this opportunity. CCM invested in the youth classes which has helped me to get to this stage in my racing, I hope to repay them even more now by winning as many races as I can". I reckon young Tom has an outstanding future ahead of him and his route so far is proof there's more than one way to the top. I wonder if the Hitmen have him in their plans at all for 2009..??

Well, a previous rider who like Marc had the U15 title 'nailed on' if he'd been able to ride in enough/all rounds was Brendan Johnson.. Once Bren got in a CL team (Oxford) he did miss U-15 rounds and as a result missed out on the title.. That was a big shame IMHO and would be ditto with Marc if that happenerd..

And excellent to see that there are "earlier" season rounds this year.... I do hope, personally, Marc Owen can compete in enuff rounds to get enuff points to win it.. After August his opportunities may get limited in the U15sC as he's going to VERY much in demand in the NL once he turns 15...!!

The sixth we've heard is Newport.. But there could yet be a magnificent seventh...!!? There MAY be another venue (currently mothballed) coming back into the picture, which if it does has been possibly ear-marked for an U-15s round in '09.. Watch this space...: should be news within the fortnight!!!!

I thought a photo of yesteryear might be the last time you bought a round...!!!!

The last bit of news from Central Park was that they planned to lay the track, build the acoustic barrier etc. in the Spring with a view to holding some opening meetings before the end of the season.. Even if the latter doesn't happen (could be planning related reasons why it's better to wait 'til next season begins.. ) then it is still looking very good for Speedway at a brand new venue to the sport and one, as you know, that is an extremely modern and well-appointed stadium, for 2010...

Oh gosh, we're not going to enter ANOTHER sequence of speedyguy being confused about which Sittingbourne is being discussed!!?? Ken is referring to the new track at Central Park, which though happening too late for the 2009 League season is very much still on...!!!!

Railway land, I'd guess; or possibly owned by LBB...

'Tis true that when I started going to Speedway in 1972 (not 1932 like yourself!!! ), it was during Crayford's interregnum and so 'twas indeed at Kingsmead where my allegiances lay..!! Would've been a good subject to discuss in the box at the OGS I'm sure...: but you know what happens, Mr. Williams leaves the country for a bit and whoops, there goes another Kent league track....

My abiding memories as a kid at Canterbury were leaning right over the fence on the third bend and taking a face full of shale. I guess it was our way of saying to Dave Piddock, Les Rumsey and your uncle Ted that we were "Close To You"...!!!

The new thing (can't call it a stadium..!! - it's a crock of proverbial!!) stands in what was (Bryn can correct me..) the pits area of what used to be the superb multi-use Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium... Sainsburys occupies most of the footprint of the old stadium site...

You couldn't find a "safe place to leave your car"..??!! At High Beech..??!!! What were you afraid of...: a bunch of car-jacking badgers...??!!!

I'm sure our norbold will confirm that NOTHING will fill him with more trepidation than the streets of south London in the Parsloesmobile...!! I mean, how many red lights might there be...!!!

I agree - and surely crying out for some kind of anniversary event sometime..: take the vintage bikes along, fire them up...etc. Opened in April 1934 so, blimey, that makes this April the 75th. anniversary...!! Come on norbold, do you and the Museum want to organise an event..? You'd sell more books; and why, I'd even give you a lift down there... New Cross was before my time as a functioning track but I certainly knew (and still do...) a number of people who attended there and it was part of folklore in my South London childhood... The only track where my late father (born and bred on the Old Kent Road..) ever watched the sport...

It's an excellent read... My only gripe is that Sittingbourne's golden years have been completely missed out...!!!!

Am sending you a PM, Phil.....

Cheers m8. I was thinking I was the ONLY Gavin & Stacey fan on the BSF...!!!!!

Er, no...: wrong sit com I'm afraid!!!!

Why not contact Dave..; you know Dave, from Dave Coaches...!!!!

Thanx to speedyguy (on a different thread) drawing attention to this earlier posting.. Anyone know if all these dates are still current..???

I agree it was confusin'!! I WAS talking about New Cross but HT replied talking about Castleford... The 'Blue Sox', fairly amazingly, is the totally daft American-style moniker bestowed on Halifax RLFC in the modern Super League era of Rugby League..!! My team (well I married into it all! ) Widnes - though disgracefully excluded from the Super League - have the far more suitable nickname of 'Vikings' Though I still say, 'Up the Chemics'!!!

Er, I think you'll find HalifaxTiger was talking about the one-time Castleford track rather than South London's very own Frying Pan...!!!!

Which just about sums it all up doesn't it!! Why have a Speedway track or stadium when one could have instead...: a piece of waste ground...!!!! Has the old New Cross track site ever been built on..?? I recall my Dad pointing out the site (on which the contours of the former track were clearly visible) in the late '70s and I seem to recall seeing it largely unchanged even after the New Den was built..?? Surely that can't still be the case, can it..??!!

I think that, that is indeed a very sensible idea... The whole way in which qualification (such as there is...) happens the season before goes against a general concept of an annual indiv. championship. Personally I see no harm in a concept that a rider can't have one glorious season (like Havvy back in 1992) and win the ultimate accolade in that year.. Sure the true greats go on for a number of years but that shouldn't preclude others from a chance.... Perhaps the best example is John Louis. Comes to the sport from Moto-cross in his late '20s and yet within a couple of years and in his FIRST season as a First Division rider he's 4th. in the World Championship!! Following it up with a rostrum position a couple of years later!!!! Now THAT could never happen now!!!

A rose by any other name and all that.... The argument - being argued generally by people who don't actually know that much about the old system (yourself excepted!!! ) - has been that the one-off World Final was horribly flawed, could be won by any old rider who "got lucky" (sic) on the day.... etc. And that it's much better to have a series of meetings spread over a longer period of time with the "aggregate" winner a fully deserved champ.. So, IF the World Final really was that pants, then back in 1976 when the GP series was first tried out and contained the World's elite, then surely public opinion would've declared it a fat better alternative and it would've replaced the old World Final..??!!! Didn't happen.. I'll remind you what did though... The winner of that inaugural GP series was Peter Collins...; who, er, "got lucky on the day" etc. in Katowice later that same year to win the WF too....!!!!!!