Reviresco

New South Wales State Solo Championships this weekend. Could be an interesting one considering who may be taking part and where its being held: http://entertainmentvenues.com.au/events/544/NSW_SOLO_SPEEDWAY_CHAMPIONSHIPS/

And we're assuming that Jason Doyle rides at least to his 2015 standard, coming back from a big off in his last race and with a change of home track at the start of next season, and again mid-way through the season. (Hope you're mending well Jason.) Guess Rosco is planning a winter in Oz next year with all the Roos signed up for the Roobins.

The Lakeside website is stating that as Lewis' status is an Elite League asset, it gives the Hammers first choice of his use. With 3 x riders named in EL teams and a couple going to have some overseas commitments, you can see the Witches struggling to field their 1 to 7 on a regular basis next season which is never good for continuity or for the fans.

So, two of the lads who were looking for visas - Proctor and Campton, win State Titles this weekend. Will we see the same next weekend with the South Australian and NSW championships.....? The NSW meeting could be an interesting one, given where its apparently being held http://www.aelec.com.au/EventViewTrainingDetails.aspx?Bck=Y&EventID=932&DisplayType=T&m=0

Congratulations to Lewi Kerr and his partner Jessie on the birth of their son Cooper.

Yep, Kenneth Bjerre signed on for Tarnow in 2016, so that rules out a Bjerre/Panthers/Sunday combination http://speedwaygp.com/news/article/4584/bjerre-sticks-with-swallows

Outside Assistance?

Alex Davies confirmed as signed on by Scunthorpe back on 12th Nov - http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=4542

Guessing that's why the Rye House car park is in such a state then, if you can do all three in the same place?

100% British...

Remember a 2nd Half of a Good Friday meeting versus Hackney being snowed off at Foxhall in the late 70's. Finding the car on the Heath was fun. Then driving to Waterden Road in the sunshine along the A12 for the return evening fixture. Remember also a nightmare journey home from Foxhall due to fog. Luckily linked up behind a fruit and veg truck heading to Covent Garden and followed him the 50/60 miles.

With Niels, Janowski and probably Zagar not riding in the EL next season, plus Darcy's enforced absence, that takes away the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 6th rated riders (by average) from 2015 and seriously dilutes the product on offer. It also leaves Jason Doyle as the only rider with a 2015 average above 7.9pts.

David was a class act on and off the track and a lovely guy. Really cared about the sport too.

Well, the Newcastle announcement does refer to Lambert as 'the former Kings Lynn ace' so who knows... http://www.newcastlediamonds.co/news/article.asp?id=100474

I first travelled to Hackney in my Austin 1100, along the Eastern Avenue, down Leyton Road, then up Carpenters Road (I remember the smells) and park at the bottom of Waterden Road and walk up from there. There used to be a decent fast food place in Leyton that some of the riders used to stop at after meetings. The Media Centre for the 2012 Olympics was built on the site of the Hackney Wick stadium. Since the Olympics, the Centre has been renamed Here East and the following links provide info on what is going on here, including a home for BT Sport: http://queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/the-park/business/here-east http://hereeast.com/discover/buildings/

No problem Joe. (David Steen was another Zimbabwean, I think.) I'm happy to be corrected, but I'm pretty sure that both the Prinsloos were born in Zimbabwe and both Peter and his brother Chris rode for Rhodesia in Tests against South Africa. Chris was Deon's father. Deon tragically passed away as a result of a car accident before he had reached 40. Looking at Belarus again, there was a Belarus team that took part in the World Team Cup qualification in 1994, represented by Viktor Sidorenko, who won their heat against Slovakia, and Sergei Manuilov with Leonid Taranov as an unused reserve. (Sidorenko and Taranov also rode for Belarus in the Ice Team Championships.) So you may want to make up the Belarus team from their names. (I see that Kazachstan have been in the Ice Team Championship final a few times, but you probably don't want to go down that route.) Rest of the World 'A' & 'B' sounds like a plan.

Zimbabwe, when it was Rhodesia, had some decent riders. From my memory: Mike Ferreira; Peter & Deon Prinsloo; Denzil Kent - probably others. There was a guy who had a few rides in Britain in the mid 80's, James Hayhow, who came from Zambia but doubt we could find him a Pairs partner. Is Mikhail Rybchik the Belarus rider you already have, Joe?

Yeah, realised yours was 72. Mine was more of a response to previous posts #113/116

Tai has tweeted already that he is signed up for Sweden, Vetlanda, and Poland, Wroclaw, for 2016 and that his Polish contract is for 2017 too. He's also said that speculation that he's returning to EL, amongst other things, is a mile off...

If you are taking Rayleigh up to 1969, are you going to include them from 1970-73 when they had complete BL2 seasons before closing and moving to Rye House? Having researched a bit further, I am pretty sure that the rider listed: 1968 Crayford: as Colin Cook 1969 Crayford: as Colin Clarke, and 1970 Crayford: as Colin Cook should more correctly be shown as Colin Clark and being the same rider who appeared once as a No. 8 for Romford in 1971.

Yes, Romford closed and moved to Custom House as the West Ham Bombers for the start of the 1972 season, but were able only to complete 12 x league matches in BL2 before they lost their home at Custom House and the promotion moved to Barrow. West Ham Bomber's last match was at home to Hull on 23rd May 1972 although they were due to ride as West Ham at Workington on 2nd June 1972 but the meeting was postponed due to rain. The Barrow Bombers first official fixture was away at Peterborough on 9th June 1972 with Mike Sampson and Bob Coles from the West Ham team riding.

The following are the details for Romford 1969-71 and West Ham 1972 that I have which may be of some use, even if just for cross-checking purposes. BL2 and KO Cup matches: Romford 1969: Ross Gilbertson, Phil Woodcock, Charlie Benham, Frank Wendon, Brian Foote, Ian Gills, Brian Davies, Des Lukehurst, Chris Yeatman, Tony George, Brian Curtis, Roland Schofield, Adrian Baker, Roger Knight, (Barry Duke, Mick Steel & Brian Read rode for Rochester but not for Romford). Romford 1970: Ross Gilbertson, Colin Sanders, Brian Foote, Phil Woodcock, Kevin Holden, Charlie Benham, Ian Gills, Geoff Penniket, Des Lukehurst, John Hibben, Tony George, Frank Wendon, Mike Holt, Dave O'Connor. Romford 1971: Charlie Benham, Kevin Holden, Brian Foote, Mike Vernam, Colin Sanders, Ian Gills, Bob Coles, Stan Stevens, Mike Sampson, Bruce Edgar, Terry Shearer, Dene Davies, Clark Facey, Phil Woodcock, Dave Percy, Ted Spittles, Ron Edwards, Colin Clark. West Ham 1972 (12 League matches only): Kevin Holden, Brian Foote, Bob Coles, Stan Stevens, Mike Sampson, Mike Lanham, Ian Gills, Charlie Benham, Vic Cross, Ted Howgego.

Yes, sorry, it was just a remark about where the copyright line had appeared on that picture. When I first looked at it it looked as if it was written on the front of the vehicle. Just a flippant comment. Ignore me - most people do.

For anyone who wants to listen to this, but can't obtain BBC Radio London on 94.9FM, you probably know that you can listen to it on-line, and there is usually a facility to catch-up for some time after the broadcast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiolondon/programmes/schedules

No mention of Romford in any of 1969, '70 & '71 (and West Ham in 1972). I've only looked at 1969 - 72 but the Rye House 'rider pool' looks as if it has a few e&o's, for example: I believe that Charlie Benham, Ron Edwards, Dave Kennett & Dave Piddock represented Rye House in 1971; - Pete Scanlon = Paul Scanlan, maybe. Crayford 1970: - Colin Cook = Colin Clark (shown as Clarke in 1969 - and as Cook again in 1968)?