TonyMac

Andy, Thanks for responding positively and for your constructive comments. Thanks too to the rest for your kind comments. I'm sorry if I came across as touchy but having put so much into launching and producing Backtrack, I'm naturally disappointed if our readers have any gripes - and we like to address them. It's not easy to please all the people all the time and, for instance, if you don't happen to like one of the riders we feature, then what can we do? We just want to know what you like and dislike - in fact, the next issue will include a readers' survey which we hope our subscribers will complete and return to us. One change we are considering is to reduce the 'main man' feature, probably to no more than 5 pages, as this has taken up a large per centage of the overall content in previous issues. It is probably justified where genuine legend like Mauger and PC is concerned, but 10 pages on one rider is possibly pushing it too much and I acknowledge this. Having said that, the Simmo interview for issue 14 will be like no other EVER PUBLISHED - hard-hitting, highly contentious and totally absorbing. Watch out for it, because it will have everyone in speedway talking, as will his forthcoming book that we are publishing...(OK, it's a blatant plug, but I'm sure you will want to read what Malcolm has to say in SIMMO: THE WHOLE TRUTH, on sale at the start of June.

Care to elaborate on your useful throwaway line? Criticism is always accepted, but constructive criticism is always better and more likely to achieve a satisfactory result (assuming you would actually want us to improve, as opposed to lose readers who might think your comment representative of the majority?) So where did we go wrong with issue 13? If you share your thoughts with us, we might be able to re-attain the high standards you expect. Sorry to sound so sensitive, but I can't stand it when people hide behind anonymity when criticising others and anything.

Looking ahead to just some of the delights lined up for our next issue which we're working on now.... MALCOLM SIMMONS - Main Man BERNIE PERSSON (as long as our man in Sweden can get to him in time for our mid-May publication date!) BOBBY GARRAD DAVE MORTON GRAHAM MILES KEN EYRE Etc, etc, etc Would be good to hear of some of your favourite memories of these guys... PS - For the smart wotsits among you, 'Etc, etc, etc' was NOT one of those here today-gone tomorrow foreigners tried by Birmingham or Halifax in the late 70s/early 80s either! OK, before you get heavy, I admit, we gave two rides to Timmy Joe Sheppard! Some you win, some you lose.

Tel Ted it's about time he subscribed himself, especially after that pic in the new issue of him chasing Steve Lawson!

At the start of our third year of publication, issue 13 is typically packed with lots of new exclusive interviews and special features to evoke great memories of speedway’s last golden era… Main Man – Chris Morton We visit the Cheshire home of one of the sport’s greatest thrill merchants to find out the races that gave him the greatest pleasure and why he couldn’t gate very well when it really mattered on World Final night. Belle Vue and England legend Mort shows around his loft to reveal a couple of motivational factors from his early days with the Aces. He talks candidly about why he felt he needed to get away from the Manchester club in 1980, only to stay and enjoy his best-ever season. He laments the passing of Hyde Road, explains why he had to change his riding style and reveals what made him make a comeback for one last hurrah with Sheffield in 1993. Finally, Mort looks back at the team managers he rode under at both Belle Vue and England, including some forthright views about his unhappy relationship with Backtrack columnist John Berry. JB gives us his own personal insight to Chris Morton. Read what the former England boss really thinks of the Belle Vue star. Also featured… Phil Herne One of the top Australians of the mid-70s, Phil looks back on the highs and lows of his career. From featuring in the races in which one Aussie rider was left paralysed and another was killed at the same Sydney track just a week later…to the glory of his country’s first-ever World Team Cup success. Phil reveals the rider he rated as the best Aussie of his era, and also looks back at his BL days with Birmingham, Newport and Bristol. Tom Owen The first of our former National League giants featured this month, the former Newcastle and Stoke No.1 reflects on a successful racing career that began at Barrow. Tom also explains why he can now walk an inch-and-a-half taller than when he last rode a speedway bike 20 tears ago – and the buzz he still gets from racing . . . pigeons! Steve Lawson Our second former NL giant, this time the undisputed Mister Glasgow who, almost single-handedly kept the Tigers roar going during difficult years for the nomadic Scottish club. Steve takes us from his early days at Workington to a richly-deserved testimonial with Glasgow, explaining why he was happy to remain one of the big stars of the second division rather than move up into the top flight. Brian and Gary Havelock On the eve of the sport’s opening at Redcar, we talk to both halves of the most famous father and son combination in the history of north-east speedway. Brian, the Bears’ new team manager, rewinds his own racing career that took in Sunderland, Workington, Newcastle and Middlesbrough. And Gary, Redcar’s new skipper and No.1, tells us what he recalls of his dad’s riding days and the influence he had on his journey to World Championship glory. Mike Letch Not a household name in speedway terms, but Mike is a very remarkable figure in Australian scuba diving circles. Remarkable? Well, Mike has been paralysed since crashing as a promising junior at Rye House in 1970. With amazing courage and candour, he relives the horrible moment when his riding days ended and his new life began. Don’t miss this amazing and very uplifting story of how one man’s determination and bravery turned tragedy into triumph. John Scott The likeable man behind the most successful USA Test team in speedway history. In this special feature on the late American team manager, we talk to some of those who knew him best to find out the key role he played behind the scenes and why the colourful Californians all had total respect for the English gentleman. Managing to Succeed Former Newport, Reading, Oxford and Eastbourne team boss Bob Radford reveals his memories, good and bad, of managing at different tracks in the late 60s and early 70s. Who was the King’s Lynn star who claimed Radford’s Reading riders cheated at the starts on their way to the 1973 league title? Book extracts We bring you exclusive extracts from two new books published to coincide with the start of the new season. In an excerpt from Wheels and Deals, Ian Thomas reveals how promoting at Newcastle turned very ugly for him in a disastrous 1984 season that saw him him rock bottom, losing his job and his home. We’ve got current Belle Vue star Jason Crump, dipping into his book, A World of My Own, to pay tribute to the man he credits most with helping him on his way to becoming World Champion. And it’s not his father, Phil! Remember 1980? Britain was facing another economic depression, but there were only happy faces in the England camp as the Lions completed an historic grand slam after losing the Test series to USA. A month-by-month look back at the first year of the 80s, when Reading were BL champions, Rye House won the NL, John Lennon was shot dead and the nation went crazy for Rubik’s Cube! ______________________________________ A SUBSCRIPTION TO BACKTRACK FOR ONE YEAR (6 ISSUES) COSTS JUST £16.00 IN THE UK. JUST PHONE OUR CREDIT CARD HOTLINE ON 01708 734 502 AND SIGN UP USING YOUR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD. OR GO ONLINE AT WWW.RETRO-SPEEDWAY.COM

Yeah, Mike also remembers that well. It was the Mike Letch Trophy individual on October 18, 1970, and it was won by a promising Ipswich rider called John Louis! JL later presented a cheque for monies raised to Mike before he returned home to Oz. I advise anyone to read our new interview with Mike, it's so uplifting and a lesson to us all not to feel too sorry for ourselves.

Any particular reason why we should ask that? - pse elaborate for those who weren't in the know at Owlerton back then....

We've got a lengthy interview with Bernie Persson lined up for issue 14 of Backtrack. Has anybody got any particular questions you'd like us to put to him? A couple of major World Final incidents spring to mind - his clash with Mauger in 1967 and, again at Wembley, the infamous 1972 tangle with Briggo that cost Barry his little finger. Speaking to Briggo at the VSRA dinner, he still hasn't put Bernie back on his Xmas card list! Bet Cradley fans won't have a bad word said about him, though...

Issue 13 of Backtrack is out next weekend and one of our exclusive interviews is with Mike Letch, a former Aussie junior who rode second halves at Hackney, Peterborough and a number of other tracks before he suffered a tragic fall at Rye House in 1970. The crash left Mike disabled but this incredible man is far from downcast and, as our story vividly tells, he has rebuilt his life so successfully that he is now a wheelchair athlete and diving instructor back home in Brisbane, Oz. Here are just a few poignant paragraphs from a most uplifting story that deserves a read. Mike is talking about THAT crash with fellow junior Freddie Sweet that proved a life-changing moment... Mike says: “I believe Freddie never rode again and I was saddened by that – he took the crash hard, but I got him to come up and see me at Stoke Mandeville and promise me that he’d keep riding. “He was a good mate and I was very sad that it knocked him around so badly. I cast no blame – it was just a racing incident. I would love to hear from him if anyone knows where he is. “The next morning I woke up in hospital in Harlow to find myself very much alive – I couldn't believe it. “Some days later I had a very sad-faced doctor tell me that I would never walk again and he couldn't understand that I had just been given my life back, that I should be dead and that was he was telling me was no big deal. “I felt like I had got out of jail free – remember, this was just four weeks after the Lokeren road tragedy and everyone was feeling a little mortal in those days. I was very glad to be alive – I didn't need anything else.” Does anyone remember Mike - perhaps you were there at the Ace of Herts meeting that fateful day, August 16, 1970? For the full, astonishing story, and how courageous Mike turned tragedy into triumph, don't miss issue 13 of Backtrack Magazine...

Just to let you all know that we at Retro Speedway will have a table set up in reception at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry from this Saturday lunch-time, when we will be selling the following: BOOKS: WIGGY! (£15.99) Sliding Into Hell (£8.99) Confessions of a Speedway Promoter (£14.99) MAGAZINES: Backtrack (current issue 12 plus back copies) VSM (current issue 52 plus recent back copies) COASTERS (£15.00 per set of 6, or £2.99 each): 70s Set 80s Set Legends Set So if you need something to read during the afternoon (and you're not propping up the bar!) while you're waiting for the VSRA dinner to start, or want to take the opportunity to buy one or more of the above because you just haven't got round to it yet(!), Susie and I will be there to serve you from Saturday lunch-time onwards. You can also renew your Backtrack or VSM subscription if you wish, or just simply pop over for a chat and to say 'hello'. It will be great to see you all! Cheers, Tony Mac

Thanks Lejon, The book on Tommy that we will be publishing in May of this year (and which has the enthusiastic and full support of Tommy's family) is, in fact, an English translation of Magnus Nystrom's excellent book that came out in Sweden last year. But there will be more words and many new pictures added as we remember Tommy on the 30th anniversary of his tragic death.

We at Retro Speedway are in the process of producing a series of new biographies on three former world class riders. They are: MALCOLM SIMMONS The late TOMMY JANSSON ERIC BOOCOCK What we're looking for, to hopefully illustrate in the book itself, are items of related memorabilia that can be adapted for printing in the book. Stuff like rosettes, stickers, posters (we already have Eric Booey's Testimonial brochure from 1974), ticket stubs, etc, etc, which have a distinct relation to the riders themselves. We would merely wish to borrow items for scanning before returning them to their owners. And the pay off is a nice mention for you in the credits section of the book! So if you were a fan of any of the above three riders, and think you have something useful to offer any of these three books, pse get in touch. If you'd rather reply in private, pse email me at editorial@retro-speedway.com Many thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you. Tony Mac PS - All three books will be out by the summer....

Arrrggggh! Before anyone reminds me, everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but the last two comments leave me dumbfounded and a bit puzzled as to what exactly speedway fans expect from a book. Iris, are you honestly saying that you'd rather see page after page of boring statistics than read the tributes of some 60 people from the world of speedway, all with something interesting and unique to say about Wiggy! I can accept constructive criticism, but replacing honest words and good copy - all 100-odd pages of it - with stats is taking the biscuit. This has already been recognised as one of, if not the best, speedway books EVER produced, and thankfully your negative comments seem to be in the very small minority. Don't take our word for it. Speedway Star Editor Richard Clark knows a good read when he sees it. Here's an extract from his review: "Full credit to Gareth for bringing him back into our lives so vividly, wisely letting Wiggy do the talking! But there's much, much more to this book, too. Brother Julian's compelling foreword and widow Charlie's heartbreaking testimony are moving, frank and, strangely, uplifting. As is the effect of the countless tributes that also help fill these pages. Tributes from so, so many people genuinely touched by this man Wiggy. Ivan Mauger might not strike you as the most emotional of men. Read his thoughts on Wiggy and judge the six-times World Champion anew. Hans Nielsen, a machine? Read on, read on. The measure of the man is that the tributes resemble a who¹s who of track racing. This is a unique speedway book about a unique speedway person. Gareth and Retro Speedway's Tony McDonald have done the Big Man proud. Do yourself a favour. This Christmas, spend some getting to know Wiggy." Finally, thanks to all those who took the trouble to post their positive reactions. Please keep 'em coming... I'll get back in the pram now...

The new issue 52 of the quarterly Vintage Speedway Magazine is out now. Featured in this 44-page issue are... Issue No.52 – Volume 13 No.4 – Winter 2005-06 Ove Fundin – exclusive extracts from the soon-to-be-published Ove Fundin book. Over six pages of VSM, the five times World Champion recalls his early days, he names the only rider he considered to be his mentor and why he never had a ‘special’ bike. Some of the legendary’s Swede’s greatest rivals, Barry Briggs, Ronnie Moore also recall his obsession with winning in this brilliant preview of the book, Ove Fundin: Speedway Superstar by John Chaplin. Louis Lawson – a new and in-depth, six-page interview with the former Belle Vue and England star, who reveals why he threw away the chance to win the 1949 World Final and what forced him to quit racing. George Newton – continuing our popular, new series on the great leg-trailers, this time we look at diminutive former New Cross favourite Georgie Newton. Classic Match, Norwich v Belle Vue – they didn’t come much better than this 1957 Britannia Shield Final at the Old Firs, when Ron Johnston’s Aces pulled off an unexpected win over Fundin, Aub Lawson, Phil Clarke and co. in Norfolk. An extract from the new book, Classic Meetings, by Norman Jacobs and Chris Broadbent. My Hero – A VSM reader reminisces about the impact Aussie legend Jack Young had on him as a young supporter growing up in Edinburgh. Alf Wells – read the amazing story of the former Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bradford rider who almost died and lost both of his legs after contracting a mystery virus in his native New Zealand. Nottingham double act – Forget Clough and Taylor and Torvill and Dean, Nottingham’s first big twin successes were Fred Strecker and George Dykes, the 1930s Nottingham White City track duo. Stan Bradbury – in part one of this interview, the former Stoke rider relives his near-death experience in Sweden. Plus… Our regular columnists: Eric Linden, Ian Hoskins, Collectors’ World and more… ____________________________________________________ To subcribe for one year (4 issues), phone the credit card hotline at Retro Speedway on 01708 734 502 or send cheque/PO (payable to Retro Speedway) to: VSM (Subs), 103 Douglas Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1AW. You can also subscribe online at http://www.retro-speedway.com Rates: UK = £12.00 Europe = £15.00 Rest of World = £18.00

Issue 12 it out now... Main Man – Scott Autrey The man who led American speedway back to the top, Scott was the US trailblazer in the early 70s, paving the way for the stars and stripes heroes who followed him to Britain. In our latest major exclusive, Autrey explains why he left California to seek his fame and fortune in the British League and why, after becoming World No.3 at Wembley in 1978, he did not quite go on to reach the very top. Scott, now living in Texas, also reflects on how he conquered the spectacularly dangerous Exeter track as well as his spells with Swindon and Poole. The lessons he learned from his Falcons team-mate Ivan Mauger. Read why Bruce Penhall wasn’t the first American speedway movie star. Scott considers, too, what it was like being the ‘Old Man’ of the exciting USA Test team that triumphed over England and later won its first ever World Team Cup. Our top columnist, John Berry, also provides his perceptive insight into the highly popular Autrey. Also featured… Armando Castagna The popular ‘Italian Stallion’ on his struggle to put himself and Italy on the world speedway map, his British League experiences with King’s Lynn, Ipswich and Reading. Castagna also reveals the rider he disliked most – and why. Edward Jancarz Fourteen years after the former Polish No.1 was murdered at his Gorzow home, the city where he made his speedway name, lived and died has now honoured him with a permanent memorial statue. In a fascinating, if at times sad, in-depth analysis, supported by the very candid views of Eddie’s first wife, we trace the dramatic rise and fall of one of Poland’s greatest ever riders, who spent all of his British League career with Wimbledon Dons before alcoholism destroyed him. Alan Wilkinson Latest in our series of exclusive interviews with wheelchair-bound ex-riders. The former Belle Vue captain looks back on his career with Rochdale and the successful Aces before the 1978 crash that put him in hospital for nine-and-a-half months and left him paralysed. Wilkie also recalls the crash in the home match v Swindon that changed his life. Dave Younghusband One-time England international who was a British League championship winner with Halifax before less happy days with Cradley Heath and then going on to manage Newcastle’s all-conquering National League team. Dave reveals how he needed all of his renowned Yorkshire wit to help cope with a family tragedy. Remember 1973? Jerzy Szczakiel – who? – ‘stole’ the World Championship from Ivan Mauger’s grasp…England dumped their Anzac allies to go alone and win the WTC at Wembley…Reading and Boston were the respective league champions…Michael Crawford was driving everyone mad as Frank Spencer…glam rock was set to dazzle us…young boys and girls were sucked in by the Chopper bike craze…and Ted Heath’s Tories led us into the EEC Common Market before petrol rationing and a fuel crisis. Join us for a detailed look back at the year of 1973, on and off the track. Glyn Taylor He could beat the best of his fellow Australians back home in Perth during the 70s, but Glyn Taylor’s BL career with Reading, Crewe and others was largely unfulfilled. Now he faces another challenge in his skills as a reputable track curator, building the new circuit at Redcar. Edgar Stangeland One of the early Norwegians to make his mark in the BL, Belfast-based Ed recalls his days with Newport, Exeter, his beloved Swindon and Wimbledon before being handed the poisoned chalice that went with constructing the controversial Bristol track. Plus… A quick word with Geoff Bouchard, John Berry runs the rule over the British League champions of the 70s, another successful Sunderland reunion, your letters and more great memories from golden days gone by. Can't get it from your track this week? Obviously! Then isn't it about time you subscribed and brought all those great days flooding back... A six-issue (one year) subscription (UK) still costs only £16.00. Or £22 Europe, £30 Rest of World. And word has it that the cover price will be increasing soon at the tracks, so best to save a few pounds because subscription prices are to remain as they are. You know it make sense... Just phone us on 01708 734 502 (civilised hours, naturally!) and have your credit/debit card handy. Alternatively, subscribe online at http://www.retro-speedway.com Take care. Tony Mac

SPEEDWAY is set for rare national coverage on BBC Radio Five Live this Thursday evening, when the widow of Simon Wigg will be interviewed about the much talked about new book, WIGGY! – In His Own Words. Charlie Wigg will be one of the guests appearing on Sport On Five, hosted by Mark Saggers, from 9pm. You can tune in on either 909 or 693 on the Medium Wave. Or for people outside the UK, you can listen to the show via the BBC website at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/index.shtml?logo Charlie's 10,000-word contribution to this much acclaimed book in tribute to her late husband – including her heartrending account of Simon’s last days and how she and the couple’s two children struggled to cope with his death five years ago – has been a key factor in the success of one of the fastest-selling speedway books ever produced. As well as talking about the success of the book, Charlie will also reflect on Simon's brilliant speedway career in the 80s and what really happened leading up to his sad death from a brain tumour in November 2000. What, you haven't bought your copy yet . . . ! Well... WIGGY! runs to 272 pages, including 16 in glossy full colour and more than 200 great pictures, and costs just £15.99. To order, phone Retro Speedway (the publishers of Backtrack & VSM) on their Credit Card Hotline number of 01708 734 502, or order online via their website: http://www.retro-speedway.com

Can you please help to put me in touch with the person who took or provided this pic - to see if there are any others available, or if there is a high-resolution version of this one that we could use in the next issue of Backtrack? It's about time we ran a good, lengthy piece in memory of Steady Eddie. Many thanks for any help.

All copies have been airmailed out. I know someone in Oz who received their copy this morning, so it should be with you very soon...unless your postman likes retro speedway!

HANS NIELSEN is our big name exclusive in issue 11 which, after a slight delay while we put the Wiggy book to print, has now gone to press and will be mailed out to all subscribers next Friday (print presses permitting). The Main Dane has given Backtrack a candid interview and no doubt most people will turn straight to the page where he talks about his feud with Ole Olsen in the mid-80s. Hans has some pretty strong things to say about that and he's also commenting on current affairs from Denmark's perspective. He thinks it's wrong that Hans Andersen has been axed from the GP seeds for next year. And he reckons Nicki Pedersen will win another GP title. Hans says he would probably have won another two or three world titles if the GP had been introduced from the start of the 80s . . . or if Frank Ebdon hadn't been in charge of the 1993 & '94 World Finals! At least John Berry sticks up for Frank in his profile on Nielsen in this issue. What a nice guy that Johnnie Boulger is, too. Really candid and modest about himself and his career, saying he lacked the professionalism of the top riders and that he let down the Leicester team and fans when he returned for his second spell at Blackbird Road, because he spent the 1977 season experimenting with four-valve engine set-ups at the expense of his Lions' performances. Hans Nielsen and John Boulger . . . just two good reasons why you should now subscribe to Backtrack - if you haven't already done so. There aren't many better ways to spend 16 quid! Cheers, Tony Mac

Just an invitation for readers to submit any memories of 'Odd Things' that you may have seen in your time supporting speedway, in the period between 1970-1980. For example, does anyone remember a Romford v Hull match (1971), when Heat 10 proved so chaotic, with exclusions and mechanical problems, that rather than cause a further delay to the meeting, it was actually re-run AFTER heat 13! Or, as someone on the forum mentioned some time ago, Cradley Heath staging several Saturday night 'home' matches at Belle Vue, when the Aces were racing away from Hyde Road? Or Steve Watson (Workington) racing with a glass eye, and Dave Detemple (USA) racing with an artificial leg. Or Shawn Moran riding under the pseudonym of 'David East' when he first arrived at Hull. Or Mick Handley turning up for meetings and unloading his bike from the back of his lorry, having just driven straight from a his day job? Or Peter Collins winning the KO Cup for Belle Vue in 1973 whilst operating BOTH clutch and throttle with the same hand. Or Len Silver spectating among the Hackney crowd, after being banned in 1976 following his fracas with a ref at Swindon? Or...you get the picture. All contributions gratefully received. Tony Mac

ISSUE 11 of Backtrack is out now and includes... Main Man – Hans Nielsen He’s one of the greatest riders ever, and without doubt is the most successful of all the Great Danes to have graced the British League. In this eight-page exclusive with Hans, we look back on his BL days with Wolves, Birmingham, Oxford and Coventry, at the World Finals that got away and how he finally conquered his World Championship hoodoo. (At this point, we would like to apologise to referee Frank Ebdon, who, contrary to what we have stated, did NOT officiate at the 1994 final at Vojens – it was in fact Dutchman Hennie Van Den Boomen who crucially excluded Hans that day. Sorry, Frank!) Probably the most compelling part of this new, in-depth interview with the Main Dane is his take on his bitter dispute with the legendary Ole Olsen, who ostracised Nielsen from the Denmark team in the mid-80s and compounded that act by siding with Hans’ main rival, Erik Gundersen. Read what Nielsen has to say about his infamous feud with the most powerful figure in Danish speedway and today’s GP director. Bringing it right up to date, four times World Champion Hans talks of his new life as a property developer, helping his wife’s business and how their two children are now making their own mark in competitive sport. Our top columnist, John Berry, also gives his personal insight into Nielsen, whose heroics at the 1978 World Team Cup Final led to JB offering to resign as England boss. John Boulger One of Australia’s all-time greats and the top Aussie around in the early 70s, we caught up with John on his recent flying visit to Britain. The former Leicester star looks back in this four-page exclusive on his highs and lows with the Lions, plus his time spent with Cradley Heath in between. John captained his country to the first-ever World Team Cup victory in 1976 but he reveals that probably his proudest moment came two years earlier, when he and Phil Crump almost pulled off a World Pairs shock. The Adelaide taxi driver, who is also pictured recently with fellow former Leicester star Ray Wilson, reflects candidly on why he didn’t make the breakthrough to world class status. Kelly Moran The colourful Californian reveals his likes and dislikes, best and worst, in this three-page question-and-answer interview, including why he feared the worst after a hard race against Phil Crump and why team-mate Dennis Sigalos had everyone laughing at Hull. Colin Richardson Candid four-page interview with the former National League Riders’ Champion, who was a 70s hero at Eastbourne before under-achieving in the top flight with Wimbledon and King’s Lynn. Colin also admits his surprise that his son, Grand Prix contender Lee Richardson, has become such a success in modern speedway. Exeter Farewell Our exclusive coverage of the End of Era meeting at the County Ground in October, including pictures and quotes from the Falcons’ luncheon attended by Ivan Mauger, Scott Autrey and Vaclav Verner. Oxford 1985-86 Reunion We were at Sandy Lane the night Hans Nielsen and most of the other riders from that great Cheetahs team of the mid-80s were reunited. Again, plenty more exclusiove pics of those former Oxford favourites as they are today, plus brief updates on Andy Grahame, Per Sorensen, Troy Butler, Jens Rasmussen and Klaus Lausch. …And Peterborough Pics and brief report from the recent reunion of Peterborough Panthers, including most of the founder members of the inaugural 1970 second division team. Taffy Owen One of the biggest characters around the old second division scene in the 70s, Taffy Owen finally reveals his true age and looks back on happy days with Belle Vue Colts, Rochdale and Workington in this three-page interview. Happiness is 40-38 (and 49-47!) Looking back at the crucial 1983 National League match between great rivals Mildenhall and Newcastle. Plus…Your letters. Book Reviews Why our two new books, Wiggy! and Sliding Into Hell, should be top of your Christmas list. __________________________________ Don't forget, BACKTRACK continues to publish during the winter. To ensure you don't miss either our November or January issue, why not take out an annual subscription today? It costs only £16 a year (6 issues) in the UK to have every copy mailed direct to your door. And if you've already subscribed, how about treating a friend or relative to a sub as a special gift this Christmas...

Issue No.51 – Volume 13 No.3 – Autumn 2005 Look what's on offer for us golden oldies... Gote Nordin – exclusive, new interview with the ‘Gentleman Swedish Star’ who had spells with Belle Vue, Newport, Poole, Wimbledon, Wembley and Halifax. The former world No.3 reflects on his days as one of Sweden’s top riders. Clive Featherby – another top exclusive, this time with one of the toughest characters to ever grace the British track scene. Clive talks candidly about his days with Sheffield and King’s Lynn, when he was regarded as one of the most forceful riders around. Leg-Trailers – a new series where we look at the thrill merchants who used to shift cinders using the spectacular leg-trailing style. Your Heroes – VSM readers tell us the former favourites who really pressed their buttons! Vic Duggan – the former Australian and Harringay star is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Memories of a 40s Fan – looking back to the post-war boom period through the eyes of a young London speedway fan. Plus… Commentator Dave Lanning’s 50 up…Mike Tams…Leicester Super…Collectors’ World…Chequered Flag (including tribute to Les Hewitt). _______________________________________ TREAT SOMEONE TO A SUBSCRIPTION TO VSM THIS CHRISTMAS! It costs only £11.20 (UK) for a year's subscription to Vintage Speedway Magazine, so why not treat a friend or relative – or even yourself – this Xmas and arrange for all 4 issues to be mailed direct to your door. Overseas rates (sent by airmail): Europe £15 Rest of World £18

I certainly wouldn't insult a very talented and nice man like Arne by comparing him to the other AP you mentioned! Blimey, Pander had real talent He is apparently very well and living in Norfolk and we hope to interview him very soon for VSM Mag...but not Backtrack, which is 1970-1989 remember! Wrong bit of the history section!

Many thanks to all those who have emailed or posted tributes so far, but shame on you if you haven't done so already. We've extended the deadline, so if you're reading this, don't log off without typing a few appropriate words in memory of a great all round motorcyclist... C'mon, imagine how nice it will be for Wiggy's young children, Abi & Ricki, to read many, many thoughtful tributes about their Dad in this book? There are nearly 4,000 members of this forum, so where are you all? How long does it take, for God's sake, to write a one or two line message, if you can't come up with anything more substantial? So instead of wasting time squabbling over silly issues, or boring most of us with innane postings about nothing of any great importance to anyone but yourself (I appreciate it's a free world, but some of the drivel here could be confined to personal email), why not do something worthwhile . . . and GIVE US SOME WORDS ON WIGGY! Thanks for taking the time, and please don't take this personally (unless the cap fits!) Tony Mac

Cheers for that!