star ghost

Arne Pander and Rune Sormander are the two I will mention. Together with the greats who rode when there was no World title to win. Cordy Milne and Wilbur Lamoreaux were top Americans but I think Scott Autrey also deserves mention. Unfortunately Jessup didnt bother enough to even go to the practice so he has no place in my ideas

That is a bit like ex-Ipswich & Norwich rider Ken Last. He didnt always finish 4th

Sorry but I cant wait till Christmas, have to send off for it right now

Andy Buck was one of the riders who took part in Cyril Cranes meeting at Norwich and he won the trophy that day. Cyril was fined for running the event as no permission was granted by the authorities. I think another competitor was Buster Chapman. The meeting is covered on the Defunct Track website run by John Skinner under the Norwich section and there is a presentation photo of Andy getting the trophy. I think Andy went on to ride for Scunthorpe at one time

I feel sure Eddie's popularity will stand the test of time. At Wimbledon he became the big star of the team. He won the Internationale into the bargain. Among the Polish team men of the touring teams he would have been number one with only Tadeuz Teodorowicz to match him in the scoring stakes. I always looked forward to seeing him ride against Norwich and then Kings Lynn after the Firs was torn down. Another Pole who always put up a good show against us was Konstantyn Pociejkowicz but he never had a time here as a League rider like Eddie and Teo did

As Wessexwanderer says the riders there all did a good job for other teams, so there is reason that they could have proved to bind into being a more than reasonable lineup for the Saints. Airey & Guasco were both capable of hitting high scores anywhere and with Sharples around they would have a good top end for the team.

I know that Harwood Pike had a transport business after he packed in riding Speedway. One of his drivers was Reg Wilson of Sheffield fame. Harwood started his racing days at Sheffield I think then moved on to Birmingham and Norwich after the War. He then joined Wombwell Colliers where he formed the top order with little Len Tupling, Harwood then went to Leicester where he got suspended for throwing the A C U Steward in the bath, fully clothed, after the official had upset him over Pikeys gating techniques. According to the accounts told in those days Harwood did give the bloke reason to fine him in the first place anyhow but Harwood just did not accept his ideas of how his starts should be done

Harwood Pike & Joe Bowkis are correct ................. Now await someone saying they were joking

As usual with mentions of old timers I must add Wandering Wal Morton and Geoff Pymar

Only recently when Sky took over running speedway, I think it is spelled running not ruining

Helmet colours pre-war would have been a blue and a yellow for one team and a red and a white for the other. red and white were the away team at that. In 1946 when I first went to Norwich it was red and blue v white and yellow. The rules said red (post office) and blue (royal) were the home colours. This only lasted the 1946 season with officialdom. The People Speedway Guide quoted page 87, rule 162, Identification Colours - Red, Blue, White, Yellow & Black and also the 1947 fixtures, this was done as the steward (ref) found it difficult to pick the different white & yellow on wet nights, they didn't just cancel in those days. Stenners 1948 states yellow band 4" deep at the bottom. The People Annual only printed the rules they thought would be beneficial to spectators and these were printed with the official rule numbers. These numbers went up to 523. Again for 1953 the y&b became a quartered cover. I can remember it being in a Stenners Annual where some altered rules used to be listed. A lot of programmes still listed r, b, w, y anyhow although the y/b was actually worn by riders. Nowadays there are variations like orange and pink in use by some riders I think it is difficult to pick blue or green under lights moreso than white or yellow

All these questions about Wigan 1947 can be answered by a quick look at Speedway Researcher I think. You will find all the answers there It would be interesting to me to know what happened to Don Houghton as he rode for Norwich 1946 and Wigan 1947 then he vanished from my records. I would welcome any news of this ex pre-war Sheffirld rider

Johnnie was at Hull for a time then joined Norwich and was sent to the Bloaters where he saw out his time. I think he might have been with Odsal before going to Hull. He passed on a few years ago on the East Anglian Coast at Lowestoft or Yarmouth As you say Johnnie and J D of Sheffield were about on a par. I think J D was in wartime Speedway at Belle Vue so may well have come under the eye of Alice Hart

Another "Lady in charge", as they say, was Peggy Waxman and I think she was at Wigan, however she was not as well known as Alice Hart. There was yet another "Lady in charge" in the pits at Yarmouth Bloaters, but she was mechanic to Johnnie White, then became Mrs White when they got wed. I dont recall Johnnie blaming his mechanic when he failed to finish a race.

Konstantyn Pociejkowicz = used to ride for the Poland touring sides who came to the Firs Stadium, Norwich in the 1950s Ken Last = Unfortunately named who rode for Norwich & Ipswich in the 50s/60s Bassey Davey = Another of the Norwich juniors he also rode for Tamworth I think Porky Veal = Norwich junior who also rode at Rye House Spike Rhiando = No-one really knows who he was Bunky Miles = Norwich junior of the 1950s Crusty Pye, Gruff Garland, Bat Byrnes, Buck Ryan = some of the riders in the 1940s second division Karl & Lionel Kilmeyer = Brothers from somewhere like Austria in the 1940s

I have checked the site and the details are not there So it looks as if you have to rely on some other knowall

I can only say ................... Try Speedway Researcher Website

GOOD LUCK HENKA & FREDDIE ERIKSSON

My condolences to Erics family & friends. The tales he has passrd on through Rosco will last forever Another ex- Norwich Stars man goes. They are building one hell of a side up there. No worries about averages either

Watching Bob Roger, Georgie White and the Robins riding against Norwich Stars BUT This reminds me Hedon at Hull died 60 years ago

You are right there Sir Josten as the rain on Saturday always fell in Manchester and not at the Firs Stadium here in Norwich, even when we rode the Aces here.

Brian I thought the Ronnie Genz move was a "Rider Control" decision............rather than an Oxford "letting him go" one

Tommy Roper started out at Odsal, Bradford with Tommy Toll and rode at Belle Vue also. He was always a tough rider to beat and as you say had his best days with the Dukes in the British League. Never an individualist I dont expect Tommy had any pretentions of being World Champion but was always ready to have a go whatever conditions or opposition

I recall Danny Lee was at West Ham in the late 30s and I think he rode for Hammers Reserve team during this time and filled in for Max Grosskreutz's "Norwich Select" against the Hammers in one second-half match at Custom House. This was a match arranged between Max and his pal Bluey Wilkinson. The 9-heat match was on 24/9/37 and resulted West Ham 17 Norwich 37. Bert Spencer & Wal Morton 9 maximums, Dick Wise 7, Wilf Jay 5, Reggie Hay 4 and Danny Lee 3 were the Stars scorers. Jock Sweet & Bill Birtwell were non-starters and replaced by Reggie Hay & Danny Lee from my info. Roy Duke suffered a serious back injury whilst with Norwich in 1947 and he was subsequently replaced in the Stars line-up by Ivor "Aussie" Powell who was signed from West Ham. Roy suffered this injury in a Challenge match v West Ham Alan Smith was found & trained by Max at the Firs as a member of the Norwich Stars whilst Malcolm Craven was told by Max "you will not make a speedway rider" if reports could be believed, he went on to join Wembley & Birmingham after those early rides at the Firs. Max, for once, was to be proved wrong, but it was maybe the only time he was. Charlie Challis was with Crystal Palace & Birmingham pre-war. In 1946 he was with Norwich for a while, then joined Plymouth Devils in the new Third Division with Len Read and also rode in open meetings for the then new Leicester track.

Tony Childs rode at the Firs Stadium in Norwich along with Cyril Crane before they sold our track for building in 1964, that makes it the early 60s.