TonyMac

There's a three-and-a-half page interview with Mike Lee, talking about Mildenhall's relaunch on Sunday and the future there, in today's issue of Speedway Star.

Ian, Not many I'm afraid - but follow this link and you'll see the 28 ex-Stars we have. http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autogallery/autogallery.php?show=1.British%20Club%20Teams%20and%20Riders%2FSunderland

Issue 43 of Backtrack is out now and here’s what you can look forward to in another feast of 70s and 80s nostalgia . . . SHAWN MORAN INTERVIEW The story behind the spectacular rise and fall of one of the sport’s biggest stars, Shawn Moran, is a compelling one. The former USA, Sheffield and Belle Vue favourite talks candidly about hitting rock bottom after his glittering career came to an end and how he’s now beginning part two of his life. Here’s a very brief taster of the kind of honesty ‘Shooey’ has displayed in our exclusive interview: “I’d say my drinking got really bad from year 2000. I’d mainly stick to beer but every four-to-six months I’d knock back shots – as if to remind myself where NOT to go. I’d wake up some mornings and not know what had happened the previous night. It was hopeless really but it became a way of life that I got used to.” “I still like a couple of beers but that’s all I have now – usually no more than two per day and Sabine makes sure that’s my limit,” he says. “She’s got me under control. I can’t say that I exactly wanted it but I guess I needed it! “We did what we wanted to do and had a great time doing it. Titles and trophies are great to have but they are just things on the wall. To have won more, even the World Championship, wouldn’t have changed us as people in any way. We enjoyed our sport, big-time. It was all good.” John Berry also presents his own profile of the popular California who went so close to winning the world title in 1990. TOMMY ROPER INTERVIEW In another revealing and candid interview, we talk to former Belle Vue, Halifax and Hull rider Tommy Roper about what might have been and how he turned speedway regrets into lasting success away from the track. Tommy says: “I was a bit upset when I finished speedway that I didn’t put more effort into it and take it more seriously. But had I done so, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. I enjoyed speedway more than most other guys. But I do look back at it now and think I could have achieved so much more. On my night, when I wasn’t tired out and my bike was running good, I could beat anybody on the right track.” TONY CLARKE INTERVIEW He was a No.1 for West Ham and Newport before ending his career with Wimbledon and Wolves. But the name of Tony Clarke is also associated with Russian bikes that went missing before the 1972 World Final. Read on for the truth about that and much more. “Yeah, I nicked ‘em. In those days the Russians used to bring over lots of bikes, engines and equipment – not to use as spares, but to sell while they were here to get their hands on some western currency. I didn’t have the money to buy it from them, so I thought, ‘f*** it, I’ll help meself’ - simple as that. They had everything stored in a lock-up near Wembley Stadium car park – anyone could have nicked it. I know who grassed us up, though, although he would never admit it.” THE BOSS: RONNIE RUSSELL INTERVIEW He’s a larger-than-life East London “geezer” and one of the most no-nonsense promoters the sport has known. But Ronnie Russell is better known for his heroic role in foiling a dramatic attempt to kidnap a member of the royal family. In this revealing new interview he re-lives that fateful day in detail, looks back on his introduction to speedway and explains why he made arrangements for his own funeral. Ronnie recalled: “Ian Ball went round the other side of the car and came behind me. Mark Phillips saw this and pulled Princess Anne back inside the car. I turned round and there was Ball, standing and pointing his gun at me. He had a very drained look on his face, glazed eyes and I thought, ‘either you’re going to shoot me or I’m going to hit you, whichever comes first’ - and obviously it was easier for him to pull the trigger.” MICHAEL LEE INTERVIEW For new Mildenhall co-promoters Michael Lee and Kevin Jolly, their new venture signals a return to the venue where they first raced speedway. Mike says: “I remember those days very fondly. When I first rode at Mildenhall as a 13 or 14-year-old, the track had just been built by Bernie and Barry Klatt in a potato field and they had straw bales for a safety fence. Kevin and I both rode for the Tiger Cubs in their winter training school matches and we were talking about that the other day. We travelled to places like Stoke, Crewe and Iwade in a lorry – riders, mechanics, friends and our bikes and equipment all piled into the back of a 40ft container. We had a lot of fun and they were memorable times.” ROBERT HENRY INTERVIEW As Mildenhall mark their welcome return to league speedway in 2011, we caught up with Fen Tigers legend Robert Henry, probably the National League’s ultimate team man. Rob says: “I thought I was a fair rider and had the same respect from opponents. I never did the dirty on anybody and I don’t think anyone did to me. I went through 11 seasons with no serious injury, so my approach must have worked.” IAN THOMAS TRIBUTE Speedway has lost a great showmen and one of its most successful promoters and team managers. Richard Bott, who read the eulogy to Ian Thomas at his recent funeral, leads the tributes to a magical man who will be sadly missed. “He wasn’t averse to staging confrontations with visiting team managers. If a speedway meeting was going a bit flat, Ian would grab the centre green microphone and shout abuse at his opposite number or even the referee.” MARK LORAM INTERVIEW With a new DVD out to coincide with his recent farewell meeting, Mark Loram is back in the spotlight again. Here we recall with him the early stages of the brilliant career of Britain’s last World Champion. Mark says: “As a kid you dreamed of becoming World Champion and to do it was obviously very nice at the time. It was my reward for all the hard work I’d put into my racing over the years and a way of giving something back to my sponsors and all the people who helped me to get to the top. But what meant just as much to me was entertaining the fans. To have people come up to you in the bar or the pits car park afterwards and say how much they had enjoyed watching me ride meant a lot to me.” DAVE PERKS INTERVIEW One of the unsung heroes of Cradley Heath who later became a National League star with Nottingham, Oxford and Long Eaton, Dave Perks looks back. Dave says: “That was just fabulous, to win those two trophies with Cradley. The fans had supported the club through some pretty lean years, so it was great to finally give them something to celebrate.” Plus… Q&As with KEITH CHRISCO, KEVIN HOWLAND and JULIAN PARR. We mingle with former Leicester riders and bosses at the Lions’ recent relaunch meeting. AND ANOTHER THING . . . John Berry presents a history of Rider Control. To order this single issue or to subscribe for the year, go to: http://www.retro-speedway.com

You might not question the price as much if you (like us) had spent countless days/weeks/months scanning thousands of original negatives taken at meetings all over the world and spanning the early post-war to the late 90s, most of which will never be bought. Many of these images are rare, if not totally unique, and, as such, come at a premium. And a number of people DO buy the pics for sale on the Retro Speedway site.

It WAS printed in someone's front room! The man behind STP was Don Allen, who sadly died a couple of months ago. Don was based at Collier Row, Essex and used to report on Hackney and West Ham (as well as Leyton Orient FC) for the local Recorder newspaper group. In the pre-internet age, STP provided a good service if you really wanted to keep up to date with latest news and detailed match reports and heat details from the London/Essex tracks (instead of waiting for Speedway Star). For instance, I believe you could buy an updated copy at Hackney on Friday night that had the previous night's reports and detals from Wimbledon and Romford. Don used to type it all on his home typewriter, staple it and sell it around the tracks. Think there were two issues per week published during the season. I have a couple of copies here and perhaps we should do something on STP in the next issue of Backtrack.

Check out our Facebook page for a new extract from our new DVD and to hear Mark sum up what speedway meant to him. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000692754563#!/video/video.php?v=196618850371205&comments You can hear the emotion crackling in his voice and see it in his eyes.

Good news announced on the BSPA site this morning that Greg Hancock has agreed to ride in Mark's meeting next Wednesday. And Ryan Sullivan, another rarely seen racing in Britain these days, has also been confirmed.

Backtrack will be off visiting and interviewing SHAWN MORAN next week. He will be our main front cover man for Issue 43. Does anyone have any favourite memories of 'Shooey', good stories or anecdotes about this popular racer they would like to share here on the forum? What are your favourite races involving him? Maybe a question or two you'd like us to put to the former American ace? Let's hear from you... Cheers, Tony Mac

Look what we have for you in Issue 12 of Classic Speedway.... TOMMY ROPER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW You wont see successful businessman Tommy Roper at any speedway reunions and he doesnt usually reminisce about the old days either. But he made an exception for Classic Speedway and, after an evening of warm Yorkshire hospitality and a whole raft of amusing and interesting tales, were very glad he did. It took his speedway career a while to get going. Spells with Bradford, Sheffield, Middlesbrough and Long Eaton along with a brief retirement preceded a move to Halifax, where his career really came alive and he helped the Dukes to a memorable British League and KO Cup double in 1966. From there he went to glamour club Belle Vue before winding down his racing days at Oxford, a return to Halifax and finally Hull. In a 14-year career he proved he could live with the best of them on his day but if his mum and dad had their way, it would never have started at all. TONY CLARKE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Fearless on track and off, former West Ham favourite Tony Clarke gives a rare and candid interview in which he tells all about his battle for stardom, why he didnt stay at the top, the gift that former team-mate Gary Hay gave him as a result of the Lokeren road crash and theres also a confession about Russian bikes that went missing! CLIVE HITCH Q&A His riding career began and ended at Rye House, and in between he had spells with Coventry and Halifax, but it was with the Swindon Robins that Clive Hitch enjoyed most success. Now retired and living near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, he looks back over his career with Classic Speedway. RONNIE MOORE BOOK At a time when retired riders with a story to tell publish their autobiographies or DVDs chronicling their career, Ian Hoskins was somewhat amazed to find a little known biography about former double World Champion Ronnie Moore that was published 35 years ago. The Ronnie Moore Story, as told to Rod Dew, was published in New Zealand in 1976. Weve a taste of whats inside the 190 pages . . . LEGEND: PHIL TIGER HART A chance meeting on the other side of the world transformed Tiger Harts life and led him to become a Birmingham legend and one of the sports most enduring figures. CHARACTERS: JOHN SOMERVILLE If you want to know anything about speedway badges, programmes or photos, then Scottish collector John Somerville is the go-to man. We dragged him away from his scanner long enough for a rare interview. ONCE A JOLLY SWAGMAN DVD Review IT is almost impossible to imagine viewing a modern feature-length film in which the plot revolves around speedway but it did when the Rank Organisation made Once A Jolly Swagman at Londons Pinewood Studios in 1948. And now it has been re-released in DVD format for all of us speedway romantics to enjoy. A young Dirk Bogarde, in only his fourth film role, plays the lead character Bill Fox, who attains superstardom and all the trappings of success with the fictional pre-war Cobras speedway team. Find out how you can order a copy of this DVD direct from Retro Speedway for £12.99 + P&P. http://www.retro-speedway.com

BACKTRACK MAGAZINE Issue 42 January-February 2011 Look what we have for all you nostalgia fans who loved speedway in the 70s & 80s... TOP 20 FOREIGNERS OF THE 80s Of the 10 World Finals staged in the 80s, only England’s Michael Lee and Germany’s Egon Muller – cashing in on home ground at Norden in ’83 – managed to interrupt a decade of domination by three genuine superstars of the sport. American Bruce Penhall succeeded Lee as World No.1 in 1981, in the last final held at Wembley, before retaining his crown in his native California a year later. After Penhall suddenly quit racing that year, the sport was monopolised throughout the rest of the 80s by Danes, and Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen in particular. They both won three individual world titles apiece between 1984 and 1989, not to mention a host of World Team Cup and World Pairs gold medals as Denmark emerged as the super power of the decade. But how to split the top three in a list of Top 20 Foreigners from the 80s? Once again, we’ve entrusted John Berry with that difficult task . . . BRUCE PENHALL COLUMN Following on from the Top 20, the American former double World Champion gives his insight into his main rivals of the 80s, including the Great Danes, his fellow Californians and Kenny Carter. MALCOLM SIMMONS COLUMN Super Simmo hankers for the return of the Golden Helmet mnatch-race championship and the World Pairs. He also voices his fears for his former club King’s Lynn and runs the rule over the GM engine. CHRIS & GEOFF PUSEY He was one of the most colourful characters of the 70s but talented Chris Pusey never fulfilled his enormous potential and died prematurely. We reveal what happened to the Belle Vue and Halifax star who became a near recluse. We also talk to Geoff Pusey, who has his strong views on what happened to his elder brother, as well as reflecting on his career that took in spells with Belle Vue, Stoke, Long Eaton and his NL title-winning heroics for Middlesbrough. PETER ADAMS INTERVIEW In the second of our two-part interview with Peter Adams, the Wolverhampton team manager tells how he came back to the sport, the key to his success, future ambitions, why he has never wanted to manage the Brits, as well as revealing a funny side that few have seen. AND ANOTHER THING... Introducing a new series in which we examine the major issues that changed the shape of British speedway during the Backtrack era. This time we look at ‘Foreign Flops’ and the Anzacs who flooded into the British Leagues, including a full list of every Australian and New Zealander who rode here from 1970-90. RICHARD GREEN INTERVIEW His never-say-die attitude to racing made him a cult hero at Exeter. But as former King’s Lynn and Mildenhall youngster Richard Green reveals, his hard riding reputation made him a marked man elsewhere. BERNARD CRAPPER A tribute to a key man from the Oxford Cheetahs’ glory days whose commitment and caring nature continues to benefit others. THE ART OF MANAGING John Berry (along with Ron Bagley) guided Ipswich to back-to-back league titles in the mid-70s before managing England to World Team Cup glory in Poland in 1977. Here he explains the now dying art of team management and names those he rated most highly. Plus... Time to salute Briggo, plus Q&As with Geoff Bouchard and Ernst Bogh and more... To subscribe for £17.50 a year in the UK (the price rises to £20 from Feb 21, so get in quick to save money!, go to http:// www.retro-speedway.com

Issue 42 has just gone to press. Full details to appear soon, but just to whet your appetite... It includes a nice four-page piece on the Pusey brothers, Chris and Geoff, including a new interview with the younger of the Polka Dot Kids. Plus in-depth interviews with Richard Green,very much a marked man in the NL era, and part 2 of our chat with Peter Adams. Also . . . Bernard Crapper tribute, Ernst Bogh, Geoff Bouchard. And John Berry's Top 20 Foreigners of the 80s. So who do you reckon came out on top? Let the debate begin, or is it cut and dried? Not forgetting Bruce Penhall's opinions on his main rivals in the 80s. Or Simmo, reminiscing about the Golden Helmet and why he thinks it should be brought back, and the World Pairs.

Just to say thanks to all for your help, it's much appreciated. We've compiled a list of Anzacs who rode for British teams in the period 1970-1990 (inc) and there were several question marks, which I hope that, between us, we've now resolved.

To assist with some research we're doing for an article to appear in the next issue of Backtrack magazine, can anyone please confirm whether any of the following ex-riders were Australians or New Zealanders and, where known, the states/cities they originated from? Alongside the names are the seasons in which they first rode in the UK, along with the name of their first club. Many thanks for your help. Cheers, Tony Mac --------------------------------------- 1973 Denny Morter (Berwick) 1970 Bob Tabet (Ipswich) 1974 Brian Chaldercott (Scunthorpe) 1974 Brian Donovan (Scunthorpe) 1974 Dave Mackay (Canterbury) 1974 Merv Salt (Canterbury) 1970 Warren Hawkins (Crewe) 1970 Ray Cousins (Crewe) 1970 John Mulligan (Crewe) 1971 Ray Hassam (Crewe) 1970 Jack Lee (Doncaster) 1973 Wayne Hughes (Ellesmere Port) 1970 John Ingamells (King's Lynn II) 1970 Geoff Langmaid (Long Eaton) 1974 Mick Durose (Long Eaton) 1973 Jack Walker (Peterborough) 1972 John Bowerman (Scunthorpe) 1972 Alan Davison (Halifax) 1973 Dave Buttgieg(Poole) 1974 Russell Foot (Weymouth) 1971 Max Amor (Reading) 1971 Bernie Hornby (Workington) 1971 1974 Alan Sorensen (Swindon) 1971 Bob Abell (Wimbledon) 1974 Keith Anderson (Birmingham) 1970 Chris Blythe (Workington)

IF you haven't yet bought our big bestselling book of 2010, Michael Lee: Back From The Brink, then have a read of the introductory chapter below. It will hopefully whet your appetite for more... It's a bit more interesting than your average speedway book. INTRODUCTION BACK FROM THE BRINK THE prisoner being driven away from Newmarket Magistrate’s Court in the back of the prison service van was feeling anxious about what would happen next. He had been refused bail and had to accept that he was on his way back to jail, where he’d spent the previous two weeks on remand after being arrested by police and found in possession of an “astronomical amount” of drugs. Soon after the meat-wagon left the court, it reached the main A12 road and looked as if it was about to head back towards Norwich. Michael Lee knew Norwich quite well. He’d spent two previous prison sentences in Norfolk’s capital city for minor drugs offences and was sent back there again, only this time for committing a much more serious crime that would ultimately carry a three-year sentence. By now 40-years-old, he’d lost a lot of weight and was feeling tired, hungry and dejected at being denied bail. He knew he was heading back to his cell. But it soon became clear to him that it wasn’t the familiar one he’d left behind in Norwich that morning. The vehicle slowed at the main junction and turned right. As it did so, he managed to catch sight of one of those familiar green road signs through a tiny window. Alarm bells started ringing in his head. It read: ‘LONDON A12’. “Hey! Where the f*** are we going?” he shouted with panic in his voice. “Where are you taking us now?” The two other prisoners sharing the squalid, cramped conditions with him were equally frightened and confused. Within the next few hours Michael Lee, the 1980 World Champion and one of the greatest speedway riders of his generation, would be arriving through the gates at Brixton prison in South London, one of the most notorious jails in Britain and home to murderers, psychopaths, rapists, paedophiles, armed robbers, junkies and all the other dregs of society. But what was he doing there among the low-life? How had it come to this? Michael had been dubbed a so-called ‘bad boy’ and ‘rebel’ of speedway following a number of high profile brushes with authority that led to a year’s ban from the track and countless other problems that brought about the premature end of a once great racing career. When he fell out of love with speedway in the early 80s and, in his eyes, the sport turned its back on him, he felt isolated and persecuted by officialdom. He needed to replace the thrill of racing a 500cc bike with a new adrenalin buzz, so he turned to a new lifestyle dominated by drugs. Michael literally produced hundreds of his own cannabis plants, took amphetamines and snorted cocaine “by the bucketful” on such a large scale and for so long that he is convinced he would be dead by now if he hadn’t come to his senses in time. He became such a “full-on” cog in the drugs underworld that for a while he made a very lavish living as a drug-dealer, comfortably earning thousands of pounds a week. He loved the lifestyle, the fast cars and the parties – a far cry from his golden days on the track where he was idolised by thousands. But he wasn’t a murderer! And Brixton prison wasn’t for him. So how did it come to this? Following a series of revealing interviews with Michael and members of his close family, friends, team-mates, rivals and others who knew him best, his astonishing story can now be fully told. The King’s Lynn and England legend – one of only six Englishmen to have lifted the world title and twice a World Team Cup winner too – recalls all the exhilarating highs and depressing lows of his turbulent life, on and off the track. It’s been a heck of a rollercoaster journey and, at times, a very painful and emotional one – not only for Mike, but also for his loved ones. Especially his parents, Andy and Valerie, who have seen the best and worst of him for more than 50 years but have stuck by him through it all. With Michael’s soul laid bare, this book can’t have been easy for them to read. But at times it’s been a very rewarding adventure, too, with many highlights to remember along the way. Michael won more races in his first year of racing than many riders have managed in their entire career. He has turned his life around completely through sheer hard work and dedication, his renewed passion for speedway and his mechanical engineering skills, he has established himself as one of the most respected and successful engine tuners in the business, with more than 15 star riders now putting their trust in him to produce the goods. In recent years a couple of respected promoters have recruited him as their Technical Advisor, tapping into his enormous wealth of experience both on the track and in the workshop. In 2010 he was back among the big-time on the Grand Prix circuit. It’s been a remarkable turnaround. When Michael and I first spoke about turning his compelling story into a book, he had it in mind that it would be a straightforward ghosted autobiography, with me putting his thoughts and memories into words. The problem with that limited approach is Michael’s natural humility – he wouldn’t have wanted to dwell on his many achievements as one of Britain’s all-time greats in the way some others like to boast about themselves. One of the things this modest man is not very good at is talking about himself – well, not in a positive way! It’s one of his most endearing qualities that he appears almost embarrassed to recall his finest moments and the countless brilliant things he did on a bike, but record them we must and I hope the biography approach has enabled me, along with the input of numerous others who have contributed, to do full justice to just how good a rider he was from such a very young age. I hope the book will answer questions and provide an insight into a very talented and gifted rider who has divided opinion almost since the day he burst onto the scene as a child prodigy. Michael will always possess strong views, while others also have the right to express theirs. You can make up your own mind. As an authorised account of his life, Michael naturally had the final right of veto on any comments that he didn’t particularly like or agree with – and I’m sure there are opinions voiced by others here that will have made him wince or cringe with embarrassment as he and his partner Nicky proof-read the finished version. But it’s typical of the brutal honesty he has shown throughout this soulsearching process that he didn’t ask me to alter or delete a single negative word written about him from any of the following pages. That takes admirable strength of character and we should respect him all the more for his willingness to accept criticism from others. Probably Michael’s biggest achievement is that he has survived the worst times and is still here to tell the story! Not only that, but he has re-emerged as a much stronger, mature and wiser individual. With the help of certain people and due to the manner in which he has responded to their trust, he has regained his dignity and self-respect and turned his whole life around. When you think how badly out of control his life became after he quit racing, he really has come back from the brink. Tony McDonald http://www.retro-speedway.com

Issue 41 has just gone to press and should be mailed out to all subscribers by next Wednesday-ish. Contents include: John Berry's Top 20 Brits of the 80s (who DID get top spot?) New interviews with: PETER ADAMS COLIN TUCKER STEVE FINCH JIRI STANCL NIGEL FLATMAN JOHN HACK RAY WILSON Plus a 3-page feature by Richard Bott... time to RESPECT Bradford's Odsal, the track that gave us one of the most entertaining World Finals ever in 1990 and also a more than half decent one in 1985. You can subscribe for just £17.50 a year in the UK at http://www.retro-speedway.com

Alas, I fear he has gone beyond Manchester and has now reached a final signpost directing him towards either King's Lynn or Poole!

Hang on a minute, I think he's taken a detour south...the suspense is killing me.

Better start getting the front cover pic out and ready for this next issue. The 'Picture Library' man at Retro Towers is shuffling hesitantly towards a certain Northern club's photo file... ... but who will it be?

WORLD CUP WILLY The Ray Wilson Story Produced by Retro Speedway, £16.00. Running time: 3 Hours. RAY WILSON was one of the greatest English riders of his generation, an outstanding world class performer for club and country. He began his career with Long Eaton in 1963 but when the Archers moved to Leicester five years later it was a move that saw him establish himself as an international star who would make history on the world stage. Indeed, it was his 12-point maximum for the victorious Great Britain side in the 1971 World Team Cup Final the first full score by any Brit - that earned Ray the enduring nickname World Cup Willy. In this entertaining double disc production, we visit Ray at his Leicester home to film him reliving an illustrious career that brought him a host of major titles, including the 1973 British Championship, a hat-trick of World Team Cup winners medals and one World Pairs title. The former England No.1 and skipper recalls those magical Wembley occasions when he led his country to victory against Sweden, Poland and the USSR. He reveals the secrets to England successes during this golden period for British speedway, including an insight into his brilliant partnership with Terry Betts that brought them glory in 1972. He talks about his years as the local hero of his beloved Leicester Lions and his relationships with team-mates and fellow heat leaders such as Anders Michanek, John Boulger and Dave Jessup. And what it was like riding for his father, Ron Wilson, at Blackbird Road. Weve video action footage of his brilliant victory over Martin Ashby to secure a place in the 1975 World Final at Wembley, plus other races featuring one of the countrys most respected and well-liked racers. As well reflecting on his halcyon days with Leicester, Willy also explains why he finally left the Lions den in 1977 to end his racing days with Midlands rivals Birmingham. And bringing us right up to date, we follow Ray to Leicesters Beaumont Park, where he gives us his views on the Lions new home. With many still photographic image to complement the video footage, including colour cine action from Leicester, plus interviews with Rays wife Jane, new Leicester Lions boss David Hemsley, club historian Alan Jones and a word with Rays long-serving ex-mechanic Frank Lewin, this three-hours DVD is a must . . . not only for all Ray Wilson fans, but anyone who respects him for the true national hero he became. To order your copy for £16 (post-free in the UK), visit http://www.retro-speedway.com or phone our Credit/Debit Card Hotline on 01708 734 502.

Thanks chaps for your interesting debate and exhaustive but informative research which has made for good debate. A couple of points though: 1. Tend to agree with Falcace that the importance of the long-track should not be overblown. Many would argue, quite validly, that the emphasis here was on speed and top machinery, and not skill. 2. Rob, as you know I have a lot of time for Michael and Kenny for that matter. But there is a school of thought that they were both the architects of their own (speedway) destruction in the 80s, especially Mike who went off the rails. KC, it could be argued, suffered too many injuries borne out of desperation (especially the one at Ipswich prior to the ’81 World Final). 3. While ML’s pass of Bruce in the 80 WF was brilliant, there can surely be no doubt that Mort produced similar feats of amazement week after week at Belle Vue. Home advantage? Not much. Hyde Road was the fairest track in the land. 4. I share Rob’s inclination to give added emphasis to what a rider achieved at the highest level, in World Finals when the pressure was really on, and in this respect ML was the man in both 80 and 83 (he would probably have won it had the final not been in Germany). In this respect, Mike of course cannot be compared to Jerzy you know who. 5. But there is something quite relevant in what Falcace says about Mort’s consistency year in, year out throughout the whole of the 80s. He remained a constant quality rider, for club and country, well after Mike and Kenny had fallen by the wayside for whatever reason. Let the debate continue!

QUALITY post Dave C, which also underlines what a positive force this Forum can be when it indulges in lively and constructive debate rather than abuse or slanging matches. However, I would challenge your comments on IMG since they acquired the rights to the SGP. A great deal of what they have achieved may not be obvious on the surface but, believe me, much has been done to improve and strengthen the behind-the-scenes operations... senior staff on site earlier in the week, better procedures as far as the actual running of a GP is concerned, greatly improved scoreboard and interview areas, which now compare with anything in soccer's Champions League, a race day operation that runs like clockwork. And don't forget that the TV pictures that go around the world are ultimately under the control of a director appointed and employed by IMG and that is also an area that has been greatly improved. The SGP series will expand beyond Europe but let's not lose sight of the economic climate of the past two years. A deal to stage a GP in New Zealand early next year was desperately close and will hopefully be revived and secured for 2012. It is the lack of suitable speedway venues in both Australia and New Zealand that is proving the stumbling block rather than finance. Rob Armstrong, the Global Head of Motorsport at IMG, and the man who brokered the deal to secure the rights from John Postlethwaite, is currently based in Auckland and that is significant. Your comments re Ole Olsen are both valid and correct but it was time for change and Tony Olsson has a different approach and has made great efforts to produce better racing tracks ... and the proof of the pudding, etc, etc. And this year we were blessed with the most competitive SGP field probably since 1995. But sometimes you get a little lucky. Heavy rain in both Croatia and Italy greatly benefited the tracks but Prague, which could be terrific if the promoters spent a little time and money, was again poor. With regard to what BSI/IMG pay the FIM for the rights, the figures suggested would appear to be about right and it is true that the FIM pay prize money. But they also receive huge revenue from the licence fees paid by the staging tracks and, of course, the riders. I have no idea what profits IMG generate from the SGP and such information is quite rightly a matter for them. I do know from personal experience that they do not skimp or cut corners in ensuring that the SGP product stands comparison with anything other sports, let alone motorcycle racing, can offer. Pinegen, the publishers of Speedway Star, are fortunate to have the contract to produce programmes for the SGP events promoted by IMG themselves and our remit is to do the best job possible and certainly not the cheapest, which has so often been the case with speedway in the past. And it is a pleasure and a relief to work for a company that pay their invoices promptly. PHILIP RISING

You can rule out any second division riders. How can any competing in the second tier, racing against second tier opposition, possibly be considered for a place in the Top 20 Brits of the 80s?

GOOD old Humphrey Appleby is back and up to his old tricks of knocking the SGP series with uninformed comment and factual errors. You don't like the SGP Humphrey and that's fine ... everyone is entitled to their opinion. But, for the record: the SGP wasn't and certainly isn't dying a slow death and sponsors aren't pulling out, at least not of their own accord. A change in government regulations in countries like Denmark, Poland and Sweden forced out a number of online betting companies at a very late stage this year but you will see a big difference in 2011. You say that television coverage was increasingly relegated to the red button. By that you presumably mean Sky as viewing figures in Australia, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, which also take the series live, were very encouraging. And the number of countries taking the highlights package is still going up as is the overall TV audience. The red button decisions taken by Sky angered and disappointed many within their own organisation but I don't think anyone could argue that it was the result of poor fare being provided by the GP meetings. The number of countries and organisers vying for a SGP meeting is growing and not just in Poland. Elsewhere Humphrey criticises BSI/IMG for not putting anything back into the sport but surely that is the role of the FIM, who receive millions of pounds each year in revenue that should be filtered back into speedway and not flittered away in Geneva. The prime theme of this thread, Tony Olsson's debut season, is more accurate. Tony has done a terrific job but the Ole Olsen knockers should also remember that he was still responsible for the tracks in Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Cardiff and not even Tony could do anything about Prague. PHILIP RISING

Aye, but it were National League! With all due respect to Stevie and his supreme efforts for the Tigers over yonks, can't see any NL stars sneaking in to this list.

RETRO SPEEDWAY T-SHIRTS Following our initial request for ideas, we now have (in conjunction with our friends at Lynhurst Print) a number of designs availabkle to purchase, including our unique HEROES series featuring clubs and faviurite riders from days gone by. To take a peek at what we have so far (wuth more Heroes shirts to follow), go to our Facebook page by clicking this link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000692754563#!/album.php?aid=26472&id=100000692754563 As I say, more shirts will be added as and when they are ordered by our customers. In fact,Lynhurst are currently producing and processing orders for Heroes shirts of HACKNEY, BIRMINGHAM, HALIFAX, BERWICK and BRADFORD NORTHERN, and we will display these, too, as soon as they are ready. You can order our t-shirts for £15 each direct from http://www.lynhurstprint.co.uk/prices.php?link_name=retro%20speedway (add £1 for XXL). We can add/delete riders’ surnames to suit your requirements (we recommend between 15-20 names), although the rider action pic and club body colour used remains constant. If you can’t see your favourite team displayed here in our T-shirts Photo Album on Facebook, then just ask when you visit the Lynhurst website (they also have a phone number) and they will contact us with your request.