Reviresco

I was going next Monday (Kent v Kings Lynn) and would be more than happy to drive you down (and back I suppose), especially as I am not in paid employment at the moment. Let me know sometime, either by: reply here, PM, Facebook (not Twitter, I never pick up my Twitter DMs) or by using my Cell (or mobile phone). But I see it is Danny Ayers birthday on 16th, so may leave it until the 15th when they host Belle Vue. We would have to get away by 4pm I reckon to ensure a safe trip over the Bridge and down the M2. The stadium (main stand) takes some beating and the track could be brilliant if prepared properly. I have been chatting with Master Shanes after his brilliant performance on grass at the weekend, and he has not confirmed, but I would be desperately disappointed if he did not wear a Witches' jacket before the end of the season. I'm sure that he would accept the booking after the grasstrack on Sunday. We have chatted about this on other Threads, but the reason I think that 1984 stands out as THE year in Witches history is the unexpected nature of the League and Cup Double; Sigalos let go. Billy begrudgingly given the captaincy ahead of John Cook who was back in the fold after JB had said "never again" (the amount of credit Billy deserves for keeping John Cook interested, motivated and in the UK has never been recognised.) An untried Richard Knight, Niemi could have gone down as well as up, Flatman as vulnerable as ever and the trump card in Carl Blackbird being allowed to "Double-Up" from Mildenhall.. Belle Vue were made clear favourites and certainly thumped the Witches at home in the League. Cradley were the coming team, Reading looked strong. In my opinion, Bill was the top rated rider racing in the British League that year following his Runners Up placements in both the Individual and Pairs World Titles in 1983 and had only finished with an average under 10 the season before as he had been asked to drop his average and let Dennis go for the magical 11 point season ending average. From memory the Witches got off to an ordinary start in the league and were probably fortunate that the first attempt at the League match at Reading was abandoned, but the re-arranged night at Smallmead will live with me forever. There was tension and magic in the air that night and when Bill gated in Heat 1 the tension lifted and we knew it would be ok, but every heat had the programme board gripped tighter in the "lucky" position. I didn't smoke, but I did that night - out of every orifice.... and then the celebrations and the biggest smile I had ever seen on the Kid's face. The 1st Leg Cup win at Hyde Road seems to be so underrated and doused down by the state of the track that night, but it was so pleasing that Billy finished his Hyde Road career with an outstanding Captain's maximum. The following days 2nd Leg was a formality but a huge crowd turned up and having driven back from Manchester to London and then to Ipswich the next morning, the overwhelming tiredness fitted in well with a surreal day on the Heath. Less than six month's later, of course, the Kid was dead. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Witches won the PL Pairs last season and would most likely have won the Fours but for the Lewi Kerr accident. Of course it did help that Pairs expert Rohan Tungate was in the team last season.....

Yes it was Lewis Bridger. Decked out in his Revolution Speedway colours it could only have been him or Lewi Kerr. I'm not going to get into the debate about Riders, as they all ear my utmost respect whether they score a 15pt maximum or run four last places and, when speedway is a riders only form of £ income, they are hardly going to score badly on purpose. I know that Cam doesn't read these pages, but if he did, I wonder what a 20 year old kid, nine thousand miles away from home would think if he read that his riding was "comical", "overriding and going backwards"? Knowing Cam he would most probably agree, but when you've stood in the pits with him after the meeting and tried to get his head up and back focused after a meeting like that and with three horrible away tracks coming up on successive nights, it is not the confidence booster that he needs right now, When asked by a young lad for his advice on taking up the sport, without thinking, Cam said, "Do the opposite of what your brain tells you to do",,,, Shame that I missed you Statman. Would have been good to say hello especially to someone who know Kevin Teager. Chris Louis was definitely interested at the end of last season and had BWD down as a guest in one meeting before the BSPA ruled Bradley unable to guest in the PL and then had him pencilled in for the 16 Lapper until he was forced to withdraw (can't remember the reason), and booked Paco Castagna instead and the rest, as they say, is history...

Speaking with Danyon on Sunday, he was keen to ride on Thursday but hadn't received a booking yet. I understand that the deal with Rye House was that Danyon wouldn't be used too much in the PL this season and was allowed to develop in the NL, so maybe we will be seeing some different faces in the No. 7 jacket - including I believe, and hope, the awesome James Shanes who had a cracker of a meeting for Kent earlier this evening and had a tremendous outing on the Grass on Sunday. Jake Knight of course brings along a family connection with the awesome Witches Double winning side of 1984, captained by the greatest rider ever to put on a Witches race jacket .... discuss...? That night at Reading followed by that night at Belle Vue still send shudders down my spine.

Rohan Tungate v impressive at Hoddesdon yesterday, especially after a fairly spectacular off in his first ride after attempting a ridiculously ambitious pass on Robbo. I thought I was going to catch man and machine at one stage. Definitely won the Rebels the match with two jet propelled gates in the 13 and 15 and lowering Eddie Kennet's colours twice in the process. Cam struggling with confidence, lack of (home) match practice and a track that didn't ride how it looked, particularly on 3 & 4. Nice run of away fixtures now to bolster his confidence..... Danyon discovered a bent frame (bent the wrong way) after his cartwheeling spectacle at Foxhall on Thursday and will struggle to have it fixed by Wednesday. Hadn't heard yet whether he will be required at Sheffield on Thursday, but surely CL has to go with him for the rest of the season, much to Steve Jenson's chagrin as that was not part of the deal.

Very impressed by Jack Smith and Tom Bacon. If this is the standard on NL racing the sport is in good (young) hands. Danyon reported a bent frame as a result of his spectacular spill at Foxhall on Thursday, which goes some way to explaining his lower than expected score and may have contributed to throwing a chain when he straightened up between bends 3 & 4 in his first. Hopefully he will have both frames sorted by Wednesday and he will be in the Witches side at Sheffield on Thursday.

Will be staying on to watch this and see how Danyon goes on his return to Hoddesdon and after his spectacular spill at Foxhall on Thursday.

Well, they hadn't heard about me that's for sure, lol Looks like I am on a northern tour later this week: Sun: Rye House Double Header Mon: Kent v IoW Tues: ? Weds: Either Birmingham or BV Thur: Sheffield v Ipswich Fri: Edinburgh v Rockets Sat: Berwick v Rockets Sun: Newcastle v Rockets Mon: Danny Ayres & James Shanes v KL Thur: Witches v Saints, Stags, Scorpions (Josh Auty booooooooo) Haven't looked at the weather forecast, but I wonder how many of those I will get to see? And which Spearmint Rhinos I will frequent, lol.

By the way..... Has anyone seen or heard from lewy.....?

Thought the theme was Super Heroes, not Mister Men...? LOL. If you have the time and capability, it would be good to get the (not really Berwick's) mega phone for the next home meeting, if you are off sunning your self somewhere. Lets face it, we are all super heroes, forming the" Massif" and picking up Ipswich Speedway kicking and screaming and getting it to the place it is now, the envy of every speedway track in Britain, with the way the fans lift themselves, the riders and (at last) other fans. So if we just turned up as ourselves I reckon that covers off that category. We will though have to turn up as "Knitting Zombies" one night as a homage to those that have moved on - and no I don't mean died, those that have moved away from the "Mass If". Their loss our gain. Have we all got dark suits, to be the Blues Bros? There must be something simple we can do, that doesn't take much organising or expense? As I started watching speedway in 1969 and watched most of my speedway in the 70's, my next This Guys will probably be an homage to the 70's. Some say the decade that style forgot, but in fact a lot more fun than the 60's and a lot more classy than the 80's, with an amazing eclectic mish mash of musical styles and fashions. The last decade of innocence before AIDS raised its ugly profile and the Internet and the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the USSR, changed the world forever. This may be delayed if a GB athlete (not just athletics) does something special at the Olympics, like Mark Cavendish at long last winning an Olympic medal of any colour, something, amazingly, he has not done as yet. Cav from the IoM of course, so maybe a Three Legged Race or an appearance for Jake The Peg, diddle diddle diddle dum, with his Extra Leg ..... Then again, maybe not, ROLF, ROLF.

Good "cod" waco, you are the life and "sole" of the party aren't you. That joke gave me a "haddock". .... I could get "battered" for those comments. Anyway, looking forward to my first visit to Hoddesdon for five weeks or more. Be interesting to see how much the stadium has changed - Sponsor's Lounge Mr Jenson, lol? Hopefully Cam will be 100% and his machinery will have been sorted and he doesn't override against the Aussies in the opposition. Also, hope Eddie is back to his imperious best, Robbo gets double figures, Gentleman Leigh finds some gating prowess and some speed, The Friendly Ghost picks up points in all his heats and the Reserves outscore their counterparts. If that happens, Rockets will win by half a dozen. Will be staying on for the NL match too, and watch the Return of Danyon, especially after hsr pearler on Thursday at Foxhall. The way he cartwheeled across the track and was strapped down and placed in the ambulance, I thought he had broken every bone in his body. Then there he is in the pits after the meeting, smiling gingerly and having a mere flesh wound (well damaged ribs).

Quite the opposite in deed. Disruptive influence. Don't think they appreciated the Peruvian Captain Jack siting at his desk and his parrot sh!ting on it, whilst eating bombay duck (bobs head down),

"It was a thoroughly enjoyable nights racing for so many reasons, the racing, the team ethic, the noise from the terraces and Danny Ayres!" "I'm loving the, 'bring an instrument along gang' on the back straight and so are the boys down on the track, so please, keep it up. No in fact don't just keep it up lets encourage everyone throughout the holidays to bring along anything to make yourselves heard, the more inventive the better!"

Just beat me to it Baldy. When I spoke to him and his dad in the pits after the meeting last night, you wouldn't have been able to tell that he had fallen off once, let alone done the Cartwheel of the Year in Heat 4. Just kicking himself that he missed out on g-his first PL heat win and a decent points score. Bless him. Will be doing the Double Header at Hoddesdon on Sunday and then probably do the, suggested by Beer Hut, midweek double of BV on Weds and Owlerton on Thurs, plus a visit to Rhinos of course. When in Sheffield and all that, lol.

Just been sick in my first beer of the evening. What do you want Baldy? A ride round on the Green Machine? Found a bit of my draft post from hell o'clock this morning: "it was really good to meet you at long last Sue and I am so pleased that you made the huge personal effort to get yourself round on to the back straight with the Massif. It was a real pleasure and fantastic to hear the stories of how the (always brilliant) Updates Site came about." Danyon declared fit to ride for the Brummies at Hoddesdon on Sunday in the second part of the Double Header which follows the Rockets v the Rebels. Could be a cracker and must be six weeks since I saw speedway at Rye House. Will be interesting to see the stadium changes that have been effected, to turn Rye into the Place of Pace in Hertfordshire - including a sponsors' lounge bar of course, lol. As I was "asked to leave" my place of employment this afternoon - talk about kicking a macca when he is down, and am getting paid for next week, I will probably be doing the BV match on the Wednesday and the Witches visit to Owlerton on Thursday next week (Tigers there for the taking at the moment possibly?) Anyone know of any temporary jobs going? Oh, they are all in Jeopardy are they? I'd better move to Jeopardy then... What is the post code for my Sat Nav please?

British (100%)

Wrote a post when I got home from a party in Colchester after the speedway at 04:30 but it seems to have disappeared, but then again I may just have imagined it in my haze of pilau rice, onion bhagees and Bombay Duck (head bobs down). I don't think I've ever been the very last person off of the Heath, but I was last night after stopping and chatting to Danyon and his dad (both great guys), Foz and a few other triders including the inimitable BB who was so humble after his outstanding display of skill, courage, pace and Danny King Consecutive Heat Wins awareness (Gee, its been a long time since I saw what Ben did in Heat 13) - luckily the same referee as was in attendance for the recent Rye House match was not in charge last night, or he may have given the victory to Master Blaster Barker and not the Captain. Then escorting Sue back to her vehicle and chatting for a while - where did you disappear to Baldyman? Danyon was full of regret at missing out on a good pay day and his first PL heat win (should have listened to Uncle Macca's free Facebook advice DH, lol, and no I won't not be mentioning that again young man)., but well and not showing the signs of his (and his bikes) amazing cartwheel duet. At least man and machine came out of it well enough and he will be in attendance at Hoddesdon on Sunday. Can only see Danyon progressing to a full international status ina couple of years.

Towels on seats tonight then.

Just taken 40 minutes to get out of Ransomes / The Havens from Haven Power. Not sure why, but every exit was blocked up. Some rumour of an incident and a security alert involving people stealing cars and crashing into parked ones and another being left on thye Orwell Bridge. From my incident with the police two nights ago, the Suffolk Constabulary are on Full Alert for any incident. No idea what to advise as, eventually getting on the A14 west bound was better than trying to get through Town. Leave early has to be the Massif Mantra. Rain will really mess up my this guys tonight, unless I fly in on a magic carpet (hint). Not brave enough to wear it in, so will change when there. Did I read a request earlier for the tennis racquets?

Best Wishes to Connor Mountain. A Guest Witch for a couple of meetings only to date, but a rider who has represented the Witches (and shown so much spirit and potential) is a special speedway rider. A Big Hill for Connor to climb. We can only wish him a full and speedy recovery. Massif respect Connor. As one rider suffers misfortune, another steps in and Alec Douglas now has the opportunity to test his skills and fine tune his riding into a PL prospect for 2017 and a future Team GB international, in my honest and humble opinion.

I don't want to "rain" on anyone's parade but the heavy showers forecast for the afternoon followed by scattered showers in the evening (as per BBC Radio Suffolk) doesn't bode well. Would be a pity after having a run of Thursdays and then the great atmosphere last week, care of Massif, Kevin Long and D Ayres esq. Another good score from Danyon in the NL last night 8+1 including two heat wins. I didn't go (but will see him in his return to Rye House in the double header on Sunday), but the always excellent Speedway Updates site shows Heat 3 as: Heat 03: Re-Run X2: Hume, Smith, Widman 5-1 (14-4) 62.34 (Mountain - Fell / Excluded) Line Up: Hume, Ritchings - Tapes Smith, Widman, Mountain Comments: Unsatisfactory start, Ritchings broke the tapes and Smith will take his place in the re-run. Re-Run: Race Stopped. Mountain has taken a nasty bang into the boards on the backstraight of lap 1. He had gated but Hume went past him before he got out of shape and Mountain is excluded from the re-run. Ambulance coming onto track as Mountain is complaining about back pain. Luckily we have a 2nd paramedic tonight, so 2 minutes goes on for re-run. Re-Run X2: From the gate. Read more: http://speedwayupdates.proboards.com/thread/15902/birmingham-mildenhall-nl-27-2016#ixzz4FgARLfzJ Many Thanks to the (always excellent) Speedway Update site for that information. A service enjoyed and respected by all in speedway (unless you make a comment about the Foixhall track of course.... lol) #massifattack

The Lord CL moves in mysterious ways his wonders to behold - EDIT perform, not behold you heathen..... There is no such thing as "not music". There is good and bad music, but not "not music".; What we produce is a Massif Noize, With our bells and toys, and all the girls and boyz, will share and enjoyz (apologies to any Slade fans out there). Can't promise a new musical instrument like last week, as I have been cleaned out by intranet shisters again and by a couple of young ladies who thieved from my house (just waved a couple of Suffolk's finest goodbye after receiving text message threats), but this guy's got a new disguise - from indigenous native american to native of Bollywood. Just hope it stays dry as my sari may run in the wet, and is not great for use when escaping the Zombie Knitting Needle attack. Be there Thursday at 7:30, if you are feeling Flirty, Shirty or just damn Dirty. Geez, I need to see a meeting at Hoddesdon again soon to get my sanity back. If Mr Hawkins is mentioning the atmosphere in this patches (dispatches) then he is defo referring to the Massif and the feedback he got the last three weeks, since the pretty in pink Rye House match with our homage to Wimbledon, when we have really ramped it up and Mr Ayres (you just gotta love him Scotty) finished bridge building betwixt track and stands. good to see the Witches at the ITFC open day and interesting that they are using Crackers and Alec Douglas - and they have a "plan" for Alec too.... Interesting?

Being lazy here, but did we know that Stefan is out injured at the moment...? Have invited him to visit us at Massif Camp Site 1 on Thursday. EDIT: Doh, yes we did as Gentleman Leigh is guesting isn't he (then I don't usually take much notice of what "lewy" has to say. So Danyon v Leigh in Heat 2. Mmmh, could be an interesting target for young Mr Hume to aim for, with a dive up the third bend on lap three predicted.

An East Lothian kiss on the cards Scotty?

Why did the chicken cross the road? To meet up with it's father called "lewy"..... And we know what male chickens are called.... Thought I'd just seen "lewy" on Sky Channel 902 but realised that it was Lacey Lorenzo's right breast.....? Bet "lewy" will be "crowing", if the Devils get within 7 points though. Typical keyboard worrier (not spelt incorrectly)...

Difficult to cheer when you are being pursued by knitting Zombies...