Ron Butler

If only they were available with an English commentary - even dubbed over the live one would suffice.

I feel that Scott Nicholls is one of the greatest team riders England has produced. Both at national and club level he continues to excel. I do feel, however, that he lacks that extra edge that marks out the great individual contest competitor. Speedway being primarily a team sport this is not in any way to Scott's detriment except, of course, financially.

Thank you for the change of currency, Ballinger. Hopefully Beesboybert will follow your example.

Yes, I have an objection. I'm proud to be British and very thankful that, in spite of the much vaunted special relationship with the USA, the country of my birth is not yet the 51st state of America. I feel that the currency used should be GB pounds- definitely not American dollars

No speedway should not follow the example of Formula 1! After over 60 years as a speedway supporter I am rapidly losing interest in the sport due to the constant changing of the rules by those with responsibility for organising and running it season on season. The change to the scoring system instituted this year could well be the death knell of my interest in speedway.

Thanks for that. Sounds interesting enough to record. Senior Management is in possession of the TV at that time!

Thanks for that, Ian. Both my admission price conversions were incorrect. They have been amended.

QUOTE (Robbie B @ Mar 2 2009, 06:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tony Could you do an item on the cameramen of speedway, the people who bring our sport to life, with their excellent pictures (Wood-Wright, Alf Weedon, Mike Patrick, Trevor Meeks, etc). And also how technology has changed the way speedway pictures are now taken, over previous years. Robbie, I think you mean Wright Wood. It an be confusing when people have a Christian name that is usually a surname. I used to work with a guy named Smith Sellers! Hope you don't mind me correcting you. Regards, Ron.

1946. Belle Vue [Hyde Road, of course]. Admission: Popular Side - 1 shilling and sixpence [decimal = 7.5p] Grandstand Side - 2 shillings and sixpence [decimal = 12.5p] Programme: 6d [decimal = 2.5p] As far as I can remember all riders were paid on a starts and points basis at £1 per start and 10 shillings per point. There was no 'appearance' money. Also in that era there was no sponsorship of either club or riders.

This is a great sporting tragedy. I too have closely followed your efforts to bring speedway to Spain. I'm so sorry that all your hard work has come to nothing.

An old man at 46! Both my kids are several years older than you, son. You're just a sprog - still wet bwhind the ears. Perhaps you want the photos for you old dad! Seriously, Rebel, sorry I can't help in your quest. Happy hunting.

Advancing years having dulled the memory somewhat I can't remember when the Gazette ceased publication, Bobbath. It was around in the 50s/early 60s I think. Following the death of my friend Tink Maynard in a track crash in the 60s I lost interest in speedway for some years. When I returned to the sport the Gazette had ceased publication. I agree to some extent with your final comment. However, having a head teacher and primary school teacher in my extended family, I'm of the opinion that there is a strong element of the old adage about not being able to make the horse drink involved. Regards, Ron.

I've never found a weekly speedway journal to come anywhere near equaling the overall quality of the Speedway Gazette. If only I could get my eyes on a copy or two I'd be in my personal cinders heaven!

If you've found 'quite a lot' why don't you recommend some? Surely this isn't a case of "Pull up the ladder, Jack. I'm on board!"

My input wasn't meant to taken that seriously, Paul. I was just having a gentle dig at the grass-is-always-greener-on-the- other-side-of hill brigade. Sometimes I get a wee bit mischievous and have a bit of fun. Not all us old codgers are miserable old sods.

Alas, alack and lack-a-day. So many dreams of rich pickings for the minimum of work have Crumpled into ashes. Oh dear; how sad; never mind eh!

Hi Steve, I knew Frank Swift was a victim but I thought there was a Frank McLean involved. I've looked the disaster up on Wikipedia and found that there was no-one named McLean on the passenger list. Must be one of my 2LGCs going off at a tangent - again! Thanks for the loan of yours, Keep flashing! Ron.

Philip Rising is still associated with the Star, I think he is the editor. Wasn't a journalist named Frank McLean a victim of the Manchester United air disaster? I don't know whether it was the same person.

The excellent In Memoriam site states that a Goran Andersson died on 21 July 52 at Aldershot. I have no personal knowledge of this as I was in Egypt and completely divorced from speedway at that time.

Boy! is your face r.e.d? If it isn't it ought to be!

Thanks for that Bobbath. My age varies from day-to-day. 'Old codger' is more of mi self-deprecation. I actually tried sanity once but it was driving me mad so I gave it up! I remember Reg well as a great rider who was always fiercely competitive but very fair.

'Little grey cells' after Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot who often used the phrase to describe his brain. Being an old codger of seventy-six summers I use it as a form of self-deprecatory humour and sometimes refer to 'my two remaining little grey cells'. In moments of weariness and fatigue - or sheer laziness - I tend to use the abbreviation LGCs Regards, Ron.

I'm in complete agreement, Ian, on both counts. It's a great honour for Ivan; I can't recollect another rider being thus honoured.

In a word, Dan, absolutely superb. That's one word from each of my two remaining LGCs

Perhaps a slim chance that Scott Nicholls will win one now that he has cut down on his commitments. I fear Chris Harris has little, if any, chance. He's not really GP material yet. Given a couple of years he could be.