moxey63

I got this book last week and can verify that it's certainly worth the price. There are enough anecdotes out there that could fill dozens of other books like this in the future. I have always thought about doing one myself.

Can forum members please refrain from submitting questions about various riders from the bygone age - I am worried that you may be keeping Matt from concluding the third part of his superb A-Z series. Come on Matt.... get your head down!

PM sent

1999 CRAVEN SHIELD FINAL First Leg, October 30 Coventry 55 (Billy Hamill 14, Joe Screen 12:1, Shaun Tacey 10:2, Brian Andersen 9, Andreas Jonsson 6:1, Scott Robson 4:2) Peterborough 37 (Ryan Sullivan 15, Sam Tesar 8, Nigel Sadler 7:2, Jan Andersen 3:1, Jason Crump 2, David Howe 1:1, Mario Jirout 1:1) Second Leg, October 31 Peterborough 55 (Crump 13, Tesar 11, Jirout 9:2, Sadler 7:1, Sullivan 7:1, Howe 5:3, Andersen 3) Coventry 35 (Hamill 17, Jonsson 7:1, Andersen 6:1, Tacey 4:1, Robson 1:1, Gary Corbett 0) Aggregate: Peterborough 92 Coventry 90 Information taken from Alan Robertson's British Speedway Leagues 1991-2009 Book.

If we followed that rule, there would be no Belle Vue in the Elite League.

Born in Burnley, Abbott helped manage Sheffield after the war before making a racing comeback. Rode for Burnley in 1929, Preston in ‘30-31, Belle Vue 1932-39, helping the Aces win the 1933, ‘34, ‘35, ‘36 National League. Abbott once said he would ride until he was 50. Suffered fatal injuries after crashing on July 1st, 1950 at his home track, Odsal. Aged 48, he was believed to be the sport’s oldest rider of that era. Lloyd Goffe, immediately behind Abbott after his fall, tried unsuccessfully to avoid him. Veteran Abbott, who joined Bradford for £250 was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital, but the bad news was kept secret from the Yorkshire crowd. His whole career had been littered with injury, having the nicknames of “Indian-rubber Man” and “Iron Man” because of his many knocks. In 1936 he came back from Australia on a stretcher!

That was the Cutting It series of programmes - Champions! was the name of the programme and did feature Eastbourne riders as well as Havelock.

I look forward to hearing from you, Bob C. Please can you PM me when you have found it, and we will discuss. Thanks I have in my collection - Test Rider (Scott Autrey), one on Sean Willmott from 1978, the Workington one (Blokes, Birds adn Bikes?), the Reading one (The Other Side), Gary Havelock (Cutting It - Champions!); Warren Pole and the two he did about Speedway and Ice Speedway about four years ago (Ulitimate Biker Challenge).

What made-for-TV documentaries have been done featuring speedway through the years? I remember ones on such riders as Scott Autrey, Sean Willmott and more recently Gary Havelock, but am really interested in the John Davis one from the mid-eighties. Are there any more?

Nigel Nothing wrong with your name, so don't go changing it on my account. Of course I don't mind the banter. However, I would advise you to change your location (only kidding!). Also thank you to Ian Martin, who obviously likes a good sense of humour when he comes across one.

Nigel So glad you're taking it in the way it was meant. By the way, I would have liked my name to be Nigel - anything's better than Cedrick!

Nigel I wasn't directly talking to you - I thought you may have been too busy pressing the smilie buttons - I was talking about you. As for your name, please forgive my attitude... Nige. Afterall, it was the first thing your parents gave you. The song "A Boy Named Sue" sprang to my mind for some reason. Oh, and you missed out Nigel Pearson.

Obviously a man whose personality and humour are a perfect match for his Christian name. And even more demeaning is that he appears to be a Brummie.

I don't believe the Speedway Star would make such a mistake. That bloke who wrote the piece needs sacking, especially in the week thousands of lives have been ruined by the floods in Cumbria. Who's up for getting Burfield the sack? I could set up a petition on the 10 Downing Street website.

Rob Did you suffer from any form of cramp, once you'd hung up the microphone?

Personally I think the racing was much better years ago than it is now. Newbies criticise people like me for saying it was, saying we’re dinosaurs. But they wouldn't know any different. I feel despair if, say, in 15-20 years time, the newbies of today are saying that racing was better when they started watching the sport. Imagine what speedway will be like then!

Rob We get the feeling that racing was better in the olden days, but maybe it was just more interesting. Tracks weren't as smooth back then, so riders couldn't go full-throttle for four laps. More skill and throttle control were required. Races seemed less predicable back then, even if there may not have been as much overtaking as we like to remember.

Rob I suppose the price was linked to the fact that KM were the only company recording meetings for the purpose of selling to supporters, so I suppose they could name their price. It was a time when video recorders started being more affordable, and now, 20-odd years on, I have got over that £20 outlay!

I loved KM Videos and indeed have many of their meetings on tape, one being an original of the highlights of the 1982 England v America series, which I purchased off ebay. Think they are something of a cult product now, though I must add that I wasn't impressed back in 1982, when I bought the Hackney-Belle Vue match from them, to find it was less than half-an-hour footage for £20, a lot in those days.

I suggest, jawa10 is it, to PM the seller to find out the information you require. That's what I would have done.

Me grow up? I don't know anything? So how come I, Mr. Ignorant, had to supply you with the answer to a question you needed - that's why I won the print. Remember? Jim, if you want the print back, pay the postage and you can have it. Sums you up really, taking from the winners the prizes you've given away. How pathetic. Breaking into someone's house and stealing their property is a lot worse than copying a few videos from 30-odd years ago. You may live in a world of crayons Jim, but please act more grown up.

This man seems a bit of an Indian giver.