Grachan

Can't remember on entrance, but may have been "unofficially" cheaper if you just turned up for the second match. It was one programme for the meeting with two seperate score sheets incorporated. One meeting - interval - other meeting.

I just have a random pile of mags in the bathroom and that happened to be amongst them. I think it stayed because it had Martin Ashby in it. And now it will stay forever - because it has me in it!!

Just had the shock of my life looking at this in the, ahem, "bathroom". I glanced at the crowd picture from the 70s on page 11 and there, staring back at me, was my 15-year-old self! Quite weird. Seen the picture load of times and never noticed before. Three rows back. Two in from the right. Gawky, semi-longg-haired teenager looking at the camera. That's me that is.

What about a park bench? You see them in many parks dedicated to various people.

Must be the same picture that's on the website then. Good call to include the mighty Leonard Raba!

Be interesting to see what sort of line-up they come up with. Personally I'd love to see people like Shawn McConnell, Andrew Silver and Brian Karger there, but we'll see. Anyway, enough of that. Let's all find something to moan about shall we.

Interesting. Certainly a bit of a "speedway" shape to it. Thanks for that. Funny how that area was used for houses but the rest remains grassland isn't it.

Reading's Tilehurst site is now Stadium Way Industrial Estate. Click Swindon's first track - from 1928 to 1930 - was at The Autodrome, behind the Duke of Edingburgh pub in Gorse Hill. I assume that would be the piece of grassland in this picture. Click Bristol Knowle Stadium is now houses, as in this picture. Not the defunct track shape a bit lower down but the actual site of the houses. Petherton Road and Ravenhead Drive are built on the former site. Click

Jerzy Szczakiel deserved to be Poland's first World Champ because he was the one who won it. None of the others did, so didn't deserve to - with the possible exception of Plech who seemed to be robbed of a possible place in the 1973 run-off by a bizarre refereeing decision.

I used to love watching Swindon winning at Oxford on Screensport. Presented by Lee Richardson's mum. Those were the days.

Not really. Not for me in 1982 - and I got the house to myself for 2 weeks. Oh yes!!

I know.

It's a fascinating piece of footage isn't it? After seeing the same few stills for many years I couldn't believe it when I came across that on Pathe News. I particularly like the shot where they are on the start line and people are milling about at the side of the track. I think it gives a bit of a taste of the atmosphere. And the bit where some bloke nearly rides off the track and into the crowd! Interesting to see no broadsiding too.

I think to win a World Final twice you have to have more than just home track advantage going your way, so respect to Freddie I say.

I went in 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983... Start getting a bit confused with the years then. Best take a look at Wiki. 1985 in Bradford. I went to that one. The 1987 one in Amsterdam. Seen more people at Blunsdon on a cold, windy evening. 1988. Vojens. The last one I went to was 1990, when Per Jonsson won it. I think the Wembley ones had a special atmosphere. It was a real treat seeing Peter Collins win in Katowice. And Per's win was a good one too. Also always enjoy the way people get so narked about Egon's win in 1983, so, in its own way, I like that one too. (Edited to remove 1982. Not sure why I put that because I wasn't there. Was at Reading Festival. Watched it on Betamax when I got home)

Hmmmm. Let me think... Nope. Still can't work out what all the fuss is about.

Still can't believe people are making such a fuss about this.

Didn't Ila Teromaa make the 1978 World final, so 1978 looks a good bet. I recognise everyone except the guy behind Peter Collins. Mike Lohmann perhaps? Or am I just being a bit dim?

I went there a couple or so years ago when I was working nearby and had a look. I took some photos of how it was then, and it was little more than a piece of wasteland. you could still make out the track shape though, and odd traces of fence etc. http://www.geocities.com/gam_noticeboard/cbury

Or, for that matter, pages.

The deaf and dumb bloke selling pens.

Monkey Masks Booing opposition riders without being told they "put their lives on the line for our entertainment" Cheese and onion rolls from the back straight bar at Swindon It being only 10 years since Swindon won the league New Polish riders being guaranteed to be useless.

For what it's worth it's the same formula as they use in the GP but without the semi-final and final. Don't have it to hand though!

Definitely. I used to go to Oxford regularly as a neutral quite often, but that stopped me and I never did again.

It was a genuine question actually. Just wonderd what was so great about it. I'm neither pro-GP or pro-World Final. If anything I'm starting to grow a bit tired of the GP now and would be quite happy to see a return to the one-off. I just don't see bad track preparation on this occasion as a reason to say the GP should be replaced. Soppose that had been World Final night? Would it have been any different?