cinderfella

Just a few memories and questions going back to the early 70s when I was in my early teens. I've been racking my memory for a while now trying to recall the members of team Briggo and apart from Briggs himself I can recall Dave Jessop, Scott Autrey, Martin Ashby and Phil Crump wearing the distinctive red with black and white trim. I was just into my teans my recall is a bit vague. Was Terry Betts another of the 7? Can anyone tell me why green was always considered unlucky and few riders wore green leathers? I believe Bert Harkins was the first rider to wear a full face helmet in British Speedway (manufactured by Bell) along with his white boots. I also recall the yellow ocre with tartan trim leathers he wore and noticed he still had them at 75th anniversary parade at Coventry a few years back. John 'Tiger' Louis with his tiger striped sleeves always looked the part. The Glasgow Tigers's Supporters Club if my memory serves me correctly also purchased red leathers with white sleeves for the Tigers team around 1970. When I think back to the 'monkey masks' and bulldog clips for holding sheets of plastic rip-offs and gleaming chrome bikes under floodlights with the riders in shiney leathers I can't help thinking todays Kevlars and bike covers have taken some of the sparkle out of the sport.

As a former employee I was aware that Sky were behind the change to helmet colours. Their intention was (and could still be) to have all riders wearing helmet cams and using the four coloured interactive buttons on the remote control the viewer could select which of the fours riders they 'viewed' from!

How about a Templeton/McMillan feature? Two set of brothers who were also uncles/nephews in the same team! Or a feature on brothers; Tom & Joe Owen, Bobby & Jimmy Beaton, Soren & Christer Sjosten, Sid & Mick Sheldrick etc

Great to see some great talent and the future of speedway on show. It was just a pity ity the ref spoiled it a little by holding them for too long once the green light came on causing at least 3 to loop.