star ghost

Firs Stadium, Norwich (Speedways greatest loss .... I am biased I know) Blackbird Road, Leicester Hyde Road, Manchester Caister Road, Yarmouth Any Southern Area League track. Speedway being lost at these places is heartbreaking Only Rye House remains of them today and even that is not the original

1946 easily with Bert Spencer, Tommy Allott, Stan Dell, Gruff Garland, Syd Littlewood. Frank Hodgson, well those were some of the riders from then, and the Division One top men who came visiting for second half and challenge matches. The best thing any kids dad could do was to take them to Speedway that year. The end of the war and demob came at the right time for this kids dad. Is it really 62 years ago???????? Have things changed so much or is it just my imagination.

1965 was a bad year for me as the greatest track, and team, The Firs, Norwich Stars, was torn down to make way for some shoe-box houses, but at least Maurice Littlechild & Cyril Crane eventually got Saddleboe Road on the map

I do not remember "paid" maximums as such from those days. On the Researcher website results, for Norwich results, I have included bonus points for comparison purposes and I think others doing the site have done the same as I have. I am pretty certain there were no bonus points in pre=war matches

I seem to remember reading about Eric being in hospital after the leg had started to heal. He had a dream he was about to fall, shot his leg out of bed .............. and promptly rebroke it. I agree Brian Buck would be the chap to contact Ross, as he is "Mr Brummie" when it comes to the track history

I think the match against Poole was the last ever Speedway at New Cross track. I think they folded a few days later

Ah well .... Bert Spencer, Tommy Allott, Paddy Mills, Stan Williams etc v Graham Warren or "Tiger" Hart would havebeen o k as well

I thought Jessica Lamb rode for Plymouth in some early Conference meetings when the devils restarted

That Bert Edwards was a Belle Vue junior and was generally referred to as Bert Edwards II (or 2nd)

Never mind Norman, you have since been educated to the fact that Ove Fundin became & still is the greatest speedway rider this earth has or will ever know about My first meeting was at Norwich in 1946 when my dad took me, 6 and a half years old, to see the opening match against Sheffield. Just imagine seeing Bert Spencer & Tommy Allott on a first visit. These two remained in my memory as they were two of my heroes of the 40s Second Division. Tommy was one of the very few who could match white line leg trailer, Bert Spencer at the Firs Stadium. Then there were Wilf Jay, Paddy Mills & Ted Bravery together with Roy Duke & Donnie Houghton in the Stars team against Tommy Bateman, Stan Williams & Jack D White for the Tigers. It is no wonder I was hooked on Speedway for ever.

In that case "he" was Freddie Johnson. Rumour had it he won the money to buy his JAP machine on a local "spot the ball" competition in a Norfolk newspaper.

the "book" is in fact a C D and a very worthwhile Tennersworth of Speedway info at that. As time goes by it will expand with additional sections added and become the Speedway Bible that I once thought my Stenners were.

Tony - This could have been Terry Allen, who was an ex-Stars Junior in the days of Peter Atkins, Derek Strutt and the Sayer twins. Maybe on the other hand, it was Ronnie Lynch, he was an Aussie, who I last saw going over the fence at a training school at the Firs, I have been informed he is now a health & safety man at a Speedway track. Maybe Mildenhall or Kings Lynn. The most memorable bloke in the pits that I recall was Freddie who came from the "Fundin County". He was a great little bloke who had been following Speedway "for hundreds of years" as they say. He seemed to know everyone from Frank Varey at Belle Vue to Billy Bales at Norwich. I last recall Freddie as the "Pit Gate to Track" controller at Kings Lynn in the 80s or 90s. And he had a JAP which he would ride at the end of season meeting at Saddlebow Road. One season he fulfilled his ambition when he went on track with Ove. A real charachter in the best sense.

Yes Jim.The Firs certainly seemed lot different at some Junior meetings compared to the nights when the Stars like Ove, Aub & Billy were riding. But then Barry East, the Sayer twins and Peter Atkins & co had their supporters also

Speedway Researcher has a listing which has been supplied by Barry Stephenson of all matches & dates they were ridden on. I expect you will find the answer to your query on this list

One year we found the british final at Coventry was cancelled. A hasty discussion with the bus driver saw a load of us turn to Crayford for the night. Tom Owen was brilliant as usual. He won the trophy that night and I think that was his third year in a row he had won that individual meeting. When we got back to Norwich we were all happy that we had seen some speedway, even if some had never visited Crayford before. As for myself this was the only time I ever went to Crayford, but it was a different experience after all.

It is noticeable that all mentions of the Firs at Norwich are coupled with Ove. Great Man that he was I would have thought that the sight we did see, Bert Spencer in the 40s, legtrailing on the white line should get a mention. A track I only saw once, at the age of 7 was Glasgow White City which will always remain in my memory, though I dont remember much about that match with Norwich, I missed out on the Aldershot of Southern Area days. Any Sunday meetings from the S A L were always great days, Rye House, Ringwood, California, Eastborne & Brafield. The riders would not have got rich but they showed heart. The grass-track speedways in the Fenlands and the Kings Lynn Flood disaster meetings of the early 50s were meetings I wish I had seen also

Arne used to work for the Lotus Factory near me, played pool for the "Windmill" Pub in Wymondham and lived in the Hingham area where he had a Pub. A few years back Arne was taken to Oxford to watch England meet Denmark in a Test Match

Unfortunately life and people are not that way disposed Tony even if they belong to a caring speedway community.

We must not forget two more "Great Danes". They rode for Norwich Stars .... Keihn Berthelsen & Kurt W Pedersen. In the 50s when K B came here the Continentals all seemed to be judged against the Swedes like the fabulous Fundin. No-one could stand that comparison so they were not rated by anyone. Kurt was signed by Norwich as a replacement for Aub Lawson, another who was irreplaceable at Norwich. Without the likes of Keihn the sport would have died in Denmark, so he should be rated a top bloke of his day and a link between Morian Hansen and Arne Pander. Arne was one of the great riders who didnt ride in a World Final

Jock Sweet, ex Norwich 37 to 39 was a pilot during the War Malcolm Craven ex Norwich, Birmingham, Wembley pre-war then West Ham after the war went to Canada when he packed in Speedway to fly a crop-duster aircraft.

Please dont be silly Steve NO-ONE ever beat Ove @The Firs To have a Copper in the crowd it would have to be Norwich v Wimbledon or Ove v Ron How or Cyril Roger v anyone I know ........................... I am biased ............ You dont have to tell me

Funnily enough the first ever "Butlins" was at a place called INGAMELLS and not Skegness as everybody would have it believed. A bit like the story of who invented Speedway really.....................

My Lynn History Book has been returned. Martin Rogers lists ........................................ John rode for the Starlets 1969 - 23 matches, 82 rides, 70 + 13 bonus points, 4.05 c.m.a and in 1970 - 22 matches, 67 rides, 52.5+10 bonus points, 3.73 c.m.a with 1 paid max in 1970

John Ingamells was one of the Kings Lynn Reserve side who probably broke all records with the number of riders called up to complete a season in British League Division Two. I do not think John rode for any other team after his efforts for the Starlets in that traumatic season. He was English, I think. My Kings Lynn Story "Forty Years" by Martin Rogers is not handy but it says about John somewhere in it I think.