TonyMac

Quite likely, but it really depends how successful the Rayleigh one is. One of the beauties with Rayleigh was the availabiluty of good quality action footage, thanks mainl to Terry Stone (whose camera filmed it originally) and then Ken Burnett for converting it. But that isn't the case with most defunct tracks. I guess you're thinking of a possible Sunderland DVD? Many of the ex-riders are still around and can be tracked down for interview, but footage from the 1971-74 period is apparently very thin on the ground. I'm nt convinced people will buy a DVD on their sadly defunct track unless it contains a fair sprinkling of old races to go with the new interviews.

Retro Speedway has produced the first in a new series of DVDs on defunct tracks... RAYLEIGH ROCKETS 1968-73 ON DOUBLE-DISC DVD FOR JUST £12 Three hours and 40 minutes of pure nostalgia, featuring: New filmed in-depth interviews with former Rockets favourites Dingle Brown, Terry Stone, Graeme Smith, Tiger Beech and manager Peter Thorogood. Also brief interviews with Laurie Etheridge, Alan Jackson and Pete Wigley. *Full colour cine-converted racing footage from the following meetings: Ray v Crayford (H & A in 1968); Ray v Canterbury (1968, 1970 & 1972); Ray v Eastbourne (1971); Canterbury v Ray (1972); Ray v Ellesmere Port (1972); Ray v Hull (1972); Rye House v Ray (1972); Eastbourne v Ray (1972), plus clips from Ray team practice at Hackney in 1973; and Estuary Eagles v Ray cycle speedway. *Apart from the interviewees, the above includes action footage of Allan Emmett, Geoff Maloney, Hugh Saunders, Bob Young, Nigel Rackett, Brian Foote, Trevor Barnwell, Les Ott, Peter Claridge, Ivan Miller, Dennis Mannion. *Many previously unpublished still photo images and a feast of Rayleigh memorabilia. If you were a fan of Rayleigh Rockets, a regular visitor to the defunct Essex track or simply a speedway supporter keen to find out all there is to know about one of our much-missed defunct venues, this 3hr 40 mins DVD will entertain and evoke fond memories to treasure forever. Relive a golden era of two-valve engines, monkey masks, open-face helmets, Cortinas and Zephyrs, and those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines! Rayleigh supporter David Jones bought this DVD from us and says: “I have viewed the Rayleigh Rockets DVD and thought it was absolutely brilliant. From the cover to the content, I found it just breathtaking. Best £12 I've ever spent, I loved every minute of it.” To order this new DVD for £12 (post-free in the UK), go to: http://www.retro-speedway.com Or phone our Credit/Debit Card Hotline on 01708 734 502.

Announcing the latest DVD from Retro Speedway MORT: The CHRIS MORTON Story There are speedway riders and there are speedway RACERS! . . . Celebrating the spectacular Belle Vue and England legend, one of the sport’s greatest servants and a true racer respected the world over for his clever and courageous passing manoeuvres. Thrill again to the sight of Mort at his brilliant best at Hyde Road, Wembley, Katowice, Olching, Bradford and beyond. In a series of candid new interviews, British speedway’s first MBE recipient re-lives his greatest races over his glittering career and recalls the highs and lows . . . British Champion, World Pairs and World Team Cup winner, as well as the World Finals that still haunt him. This double-disc, four-hour package includes rare, previously unseen footage from the Morton family archives, including 70s grass-track action and British Lions’ tours to Australia, his meeting with The Queen at Buckingham Palace, plus insightful contributions from some of those who know him best. There are also many previously unpublished pictures of Chris. And to bring his remarkable story right up to date, we catch up with ‘Modern Mort’ in his role as Belle Vue’s Director of Operations on race night at Kirky Lane and his ambitious plans for the new National Speedway Stadium. There were riders . . . and then there was CHRIS MORTON! Whether you support Belle Vue Aces or just delight in seeing a real track craftsman at work, MORT is a must for all true speedway followers. Retro Speedway's Tony McDonald says: “It’s been great working with Chris on this exciting new project because he’s put as much effort into this as he does promoting and, of course, throughout his racing days. “As well as much great racing footage of Mort at his brilliant best, typically winning many races from the back, he has uncovered some old colour cine footage of himself and his British Lions team-mates on tour in Australia in the mid-70s, which we have had converted to DVD for inclusion on our double-disc package. “It’s fascinating to see the Lions, including Peter Collins, Chris' elder brother Dave Morton, John Davis, Doug Wyer, Reg Wilson, Jimmy McMillan and the late Kevin Holden, getting up to all sorts of fun and games while relaxing away from the track. There is footage of them larking around in swimming pools, playing silly games and showing off their balancing skills on water skiis. We also see Chris in his early grass-track days. “Mort is fondly remembered as one of the most exciting racers of his era and his all-action talent on a bike translates perfectly to DVD. "We took our cameras into Chris’ Cheshire home and he did a fascinating voiceover describing some of his greatest races . . . and also one from a World Final that he admits still haunts him.” As well as video footage, the DVD also includes many previously unpublished still images spanning every year of his long and illustrious career, including a number from the old Hyde Road. To order this double DVD for £16 (post-free in UK), go to: http://www.retro-speedway.com or phone our Credit/Debit Card Hotline on 01708 734 502.

Jack, you are a wind-up. Is this the same JSH who invented speedway motorcycle dirt-track racing, the electronic starting gate, shale, leg-trailing, the folding footrest, the laydown engine and leading front forks? We should be told.

Romford v Rayeigh Rayleigh v Eastbourne - ignited by Silver & Lanning/Dugard. Eastbourne v Canterbury Evitts v Tatum Carter v the Collins bros (Peter & Neil) Carter v Sigalos Sanders v Thomsen Mildenhall v Rye House (circa '79). Olsen v Younger Danes on the way up (circa '80)

Among those riders and clubs to be featured in the next issue of Backtrack will be... CHRIS MORTON - one of the sport's greatest servants and entertainers. GRAEME SMITH - the deep-thinking Kiwi on why his own promoter accused him of throwing races. MILTON KEYNES - the nomadic Knights, including words with BOB HUMPHREYS. CANTERBURY REUNION - we report from Denzil Kent's homecoming party. RAYLEIGH - how and why the Rockets were sadly grounded, with comments from Dingle Brown, Peter Thorogood and Tiger Beech.

ISSUE 15 (Winter 2011-12) of CLASSIC SPEEDWAY, our quarterly retro speedway magazine, is out now… RON HOW Tribute From pauper to prince, Ron How came a long way in life and on the track. we recall the successful career of the former Wimbledon and Oxford star and eight times World Finalist. One of the quiet men of speedway and one of the most underrated of England’s major talents, Ron How has died aged 81 after a long and brave battle with prostate cancer. From a self-confessed peasant farming family in Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire, he rose to be world class during a speedway career that lasted for 15 years, spanning the 50s and 60s. One of the many tributes to How came from four times World Champion Barry Briggs, a rival while Ron was at Harringay and a team-mate of his with Ronnie Moore, at Wimbledon. “It’s really sad,” said Barry. “His record doesn’t really show how good he was as a rider. He was hard, but fair, an all-round good bloke. I’m sure Ove (Fundin) feared racing Howie more than he did us, because he was an out-and-out trier. His ready laugh will be sorely missed.” ERIC HOCKADAY Exclusive interview Eric is truly a man for firsts. And as we reveal, not just the very substantial proportion of firsts past the finish line he recorded during a 17-year career in speedway. Eric Hockaday, who celebrated his 82nd birthday in September this year, was deeply involved, in one way or another, in some of the sport’s most significant events during the turbulent years of the 60s. Eric rode in the Provincial League’s first match in 1960. With several years experience behind him, including appearances at the top level with National League Coventry, he was snapped up by eventual PL champions Rayleigh and proved a major points scorer. Some four years later he should have ridden for new club Cradley Heath at Exeter, in the notorious fixture which launched the PL’s rebellion against authority. Like many other riders, including some Dudley Wood team-mates, he was at first reluctant to ride ‘black’ and hesitated before throwing in his lot with the Provincials. When another 12 months had passed, and the bitter rift between the sport’s rival competitions had been healed, Eric was again in pole position when speedway history was made. For the first-ever British League fixture at Coventry’s Brandon Stadium, he rode for Cradley in the very first heat. TOMMY SWEETMAN Q&A The former New Cross, Wolverhampton, Exeter and Hackney rider looks back. Recalling the happiest periods of his career, he says: “Seasons 1963 to 1966 inclusive. During this period I captained the Wolverhampton team to the Provincial League championship, won individual open meetings, won three World Championship rounds and gained international honours for England and Great Britain. I also promoted at Rye House, ran my own optical business, went through the transition into the British League successfully, competed in the British League Riders’ Championship Final and generally enjoyed myself. I maintained an average of between 8.6 and 9.2.” ERIC LANGTON: Legend A selfless legend who put his beloved Belle Vue team before personal glory, we profile the great Eric Langton, who came so close to becoming the first World Champion. He said: “I retired in 1947 when I was 40. I realised that I probably wouldn’t improve much more and it was best to get out while I was still at the top. I suppose my career was successful considering the amount of money I earned and the number of trophies I won. My career was immensely satisfying. “I have always thought that determination was the principal characteristic in the make-up of the successful speedway rider and thought I possessed enough of that. But meeting Tommy Price (England’s first World Champion in 1949) socially here in Perth recently made me realise how lacking I had been, and how well endowed with great determination he was. It carried him to the top.” Plus… Ian Hoskins on his father Johnnie's BRADFORD discovery and John Hyam on the lone survivor from the 1949 World Final, CYRIL ROGER. Tributes to PAT CLARKE, NEIL STREET, JIMMY WRIGHT, DUDLEY McKEAN. SECOND STAR - this time it's Rayleigh Rocket GEOFF MALONEY. Speedway's brief trial at AYR in Scotland. Your letters and the 1970 EASTBOURNE EAGLES in full colour. And our latest quiz - can you name the riders in our 60s line-up and the identity of the two body colours? ----------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL OFFER FOR ALL SUBSCRIBERS All subscribers to Classic Speedway will now receive a glossy 6x4 photograph of a Speedway Superstar FREE with every issue, starting with Belle Vue & England legend PETER CRAVEN. For full details and how to subscribe for just £14 a year in the UK, check out our website at http://www.retro-speedway.com

Totally agree with you there. 'London Lions' has a good ring to it, especially as it incorporates the famous Wembley team nickname, but that wasn't enough to keep speedway going at Hackney.

But Derek, can you really blame people brought up and having been spoilt on the likes of Ronnie Moore, Trevor Hedge, Tommy Jansson, Roger Johns, Todd Wiltshire and co from the previous BL & NL eras for not braving the worsening cross-capital traffic, for what was THIRD DIVISION standard racing with its inherent drawbacks (heaps of effort and enthusiasm - yes, but also lots of mistakes, falls, reruns, lengthy delays, etc)? What promoters have to grasp is that whatever level you operate at, there must be an acceptable level of skill and entertainment worth watching to justify the time, trouble and cost of attending. That applies to any sport and every part of the entertainment business.

Finding a plausible site within the London/M25 area is not the issue. The biggest problem is one of finance - who will foot the bill for a brand new stadium to house declining sports such as speedway and dog racing? . . . Which leads to the next problem of the lack of people who will come and support it. If Wimbledon and all the other old London tracks had been pulling in good crowds and were viable, most would still be staging our sport. Yes, many were sold for redevelopment (West Ham), but the harsh reality is that attendances for league speedway were poor. Take White City as an example. Ditto West Ham in their latter seasons. Crowds at Wimbledon in the last era there were down to the small hundreds, weren't they? Yesterday I spoke to Pete Thorogood, who revealed that Crayford didn't make any money as a speedway club after its first comeback season of 1975. "The people didn't come," he said. The only way speedway could feature in a new stadium in the London vicinity is if the land owner/constructor was a diehard fan with more money than sense. I'm afraid the future template for speedway in Britain is not to be found in a newly built stadium surrounded by housing and objectionable residents, or which is too costly to build, but in rural outposts such as Sittingbourne, where rents and break-even levels are minimal.

Well said, BFD. Drives me mad how many people share their copies of our magazines, instead of buying their own.

Alas, there can be very little hope of league speedway ever returning to the capital, for various reasons. The biggest drawback to it is a lack of interest/crowd. The demographics of the Hackney/Stratford (indeed most of East London) area have changed massively since Hackney closed, so they would need to draw sufficient support from much farther afield. Look how crowds have dipped at most venues in recent years. Which construction company is going to speculate on building a sporting stadium capable of housing speedway in the current economic climate? Reading being a prime example. The only realistic chance would be for a GP at the Olympic Stadium, possibly in addition to Cardiff. I'm all for nostalgia and hope, but let's get real here.

Issue 46 is out now and includes... SILVER HELMET Following on from our in-depth look at the Golden Helmet in our previous issue, this time we take a close look at the history of its ‘little brother’. The Silver Helmet match-race title was introduced in British League Division Two at the start of 1970 and we have every result from then until the end of the Backtrack era in 1990. Also, readers share their own memories of special Silver Helmet races (read why one irate Eastbourne fan threatened to assault the Peterborough track photographer), while columnist John Berry questions the merit of a competition that was dominated by just a handful of riders, including the Owen brothers and Steve Lawson, for long periods. MARVYN COX INTERVIEW Former England star Marvyn Cox has certainly travelled far and wide for club and country and his globetrotting days are far from over. We caught up with the one-time Rye House, Oxford, Bradford and Poole favourite who once rode in the World Final on a German licence. NEIL STREET TRIBUTE The speedway family in all corners of the globe is mourning the sad loss of Neil Street, one of the sport’s genuine nice guys who had such a positive influence on countless others. We look back at the life and times of the Australian gent and mechanical maestro who rode in Britain for Exeter, Swindon and Newport and changed the sport forever. JAMIE LUCKHURST INTERVIEW Always the self-publicist, Jamie Luckhurst allows Backtrack to probe his inner thoughts to discover what made him tick as a promising young rider for Canterbury and Wimbledon, the ‘voices from God’ that made him quit Edinburgh, how he suffered and saw enough pain, his ‘flippancy’ and how much he now enjoys the carefree life of a glamour model photographer. KEN WRENCH INTERVIEW Ken Wrench is one of the longest serving and most respected announcers the sport has ever known. We talk to the man who became part of the Belle Vue furniture and is still the ‘voice’ of the Aces today. BRUCE PENHALL COLUMN The double World Champion, newly-inducted to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Detroit, is back with a tribute to his former protégé Greg Hancock following his recent Grand Prix World Championship win after a gap of 14 years. Greg joined Cradley Heath in 1989 on Bruce’s recommendation and he has always followed his career with keen interest. BP also reflects on a double 30-year anniversary . . . his brilliant and memorable victory in the last Wembley World Final of 1981, followed swiftly by Cradley Heath’s first-ever British League championship success. MALCOLM SIMMONS COLUMN Profiling a rider featured on his new Simmo’s Super Brits DVD, Malcolm writes about former Scottish No.1 Jimmy McMillan and in the start of a new series looking at speedway Fashions & Fads in the 70s and 80s, he talks crash helmets and just how handy he was with a welding torch. Simmo tells of his delight at completing the restoration of his 1978 machine, complete with the original Weslake engine he used that season to top the BL averages with Poole, and how he recently caught up with his old mechanic. HEAD2HEAD – Peter Collins v John Louis in 1975 They were Britain’s top two but how did Belle Vue’s PC and Ipswich icon ‘Tiger’ John fare in their head to head battles throughout a watershed season for the sport? John was crowned British Champion, finished third in the world and led the Witches to their first BL title (with the Aces placed second), while Peter retained the BLRC and led England to glory in the World Team Cup. AND ANOTHER THING… John Berry climbs back on to his old hobby horse in condemning the guest rider system that still plagues the sport today. Whisper it, but his Ipswich team actually used a guest who scored a maximum for the Witches in 1972! Plus… Q&As with IVAN BLACKA, who tells of a rider rebellion at Edinburgh, PAUL EMBLEY and WAYNE JACKSON, plus your letters and photo coverage from Ipswich’s 60th anniversary reunion. To order this issue or to subscribe, visit http://www.retro-speedway.com

Not so much a 'great race' as three riders who made basic mistakes by riding the wrong line at different stages of the race. Paznikov looked like he was on his way to Wembley tube station off the fourth bend, and where on earth did Persson come from? Agree, though, picking the winner after the first bend would have been difficult!

Hopefully I have some idea! Going to press today (Thurs) and subscribers should receive it within the next 10 days.

The PC v Mich KO Cup final classic of '73, Loramski's thriller with Chris Louis at Brandon in '97 and Jan O's Guld Barre epic in '90 have already been covered earlier in this thread, so how about.... 1977 Hackney v Exeter Thommo goes round the outside of BOTH the team-riding pair of Autrey and Mauger from Exeter to win the race and hand the league title to White City. 1971-73 Most Bengt Jansson races at The Wick Banger goes in wide on turn three and pulls his trademark cutback to the line to pass bewildered opponent in the last 5 yards. 1974 World Team Cup Final Wroclaw holds its breath as three riders - Plech, Jessup and Lofqvist - pass and re-pass each other in a four-lap epic that ends with DJ snatching it by inches after a beautifully executed last bend pass round the outside, while Plechy tries to dump Christer on the centre green - he didn't know which way to look! 1975 British Final PC passing Simmo to win. 1979 BLRC John Louis, the oldest rider in the field, flies round the boards and withstands a desperate last bend lunge up the inside from Bruce Penhall to win the title. 1981 World Final BP v Ole Olsen & BP v Tommy Knudsen - both races won by inches on the line. 1982 World Final Heat 4 - Les Collins wheel to wheel all the way with Bruce Penhall and Les re-passes BP on the outside to hold on for the win that should have set him up for the world title. 1982 World Final Heat 14 BP v KC. It's all been said. 1985 World Final @ Odsal Erik G going round two Americans to win a vital race, though perhaps they could have made it harder for him. 1990 World Final @ Odsal Shawn Moran outwitting Per Jonsson to nip back under him coming off turn two in their first battle of the night. A few there to be going on with. The thing is, these are ones we tend to remember most and with such great affection because they were all televised. How about all those great races that were not captured on film and therefore only those who were present can talk about. That's why I like Andy Wilko's memory of 'Slim' Jim's exploits to hold off Ivan.

Sad to report that Ron How died today, soon after entering a hospice. We will pay full tribute to the former England, Wimbledon and Oxford star in our next issue of Classic Speedway magazine. In the meantime, do you have any particular memories of Ron that you'd like to share with readers?

Can anyone please help with video footage and a copy (scan) of the programme from the 1993 Northern Riders' Championship final at Sheffield? I will check with him, but I don't believe Mike Bennett (MBI Videos) were still filming Sheffield home meetings by then, so wondered which company would have been covering Owlerton meetings that season? Perhaps Tigers' fans can confirm? Regards the prog, a scan of the front cover and the race results pages would be great, to our email at: editorial@retro-speedway.com Many thanks. Tony Mac

'Dicko' did beat Neville Tatum to win the Silver Helmet in 1987.

Thank you. Any chance of a link to that site? Just thought he/she might he attempting a world record for the number of multiple forum threads that could be started with the same question (minus the obligatory 'please' in each case) that could otherwise be confined to one longer thread listing all the riders' names he/she requires info on.

Who is dlprezes?

John Louis actually beat Russ Dent in 1971 after both Dent and George Barclay had earlier been beaten by Alan Wilkinson (of Rochdale). Don't think Dave Gatenby ever had a tilt at it in his Sunderland days.

That's a good story, Rod. At least you had the honour of holding the SH, no matter how briefly, so look out for a name-check in the next issue of Backtrack. Do you have a pic of you with the famous headgear that we could possibly use with the feature? As it happens, Roy Carter had won five consecutive challenges before you took the title from him. And Roy originally won it from . . . Paul Tyrer!

The first ever Silver Helmet match race took place at Romford on their opening night of the season in 1970. Was anyone on the BF at Brooklands that night to see Bombers' Ross Gilbertson (nominated to defend the title on the back of his 1969 record) beat Ipswich's Ron Bagley? Ron then beat Ross the following night? to become the new holder, such is the rate at which the old Helmet would frequently change hands. C'mon, please keep the memories coming...

Nice one, Bellers. Please keep it coming...