BOBBATH

Seeing the item on West Ham and the picture of W.Ham 65 made we wonder whether Dave Lanning is still involved with speedway or what is he up to-I guess Dave would be about 65 or 66 now-what a showman.Also I think all the riders in that picture are still with us other than Ken M. and Reg T. , right?

Thanx for a wonderul website-really enjoyed the Yarmouth entry-is the stadium still there??

Can't someone find out-this is really weird.

Having read the wonderful memories of Waterden Road-my track was Somerton Park. I realise it was not a popular track but I have many happy recollections of the meetings there and the enthusiatic crowds -particularly in 1964 and 1965-and it was a great place then-anybody out in forumland have similar memories.I recall Alby Golden(RIP) breaking the track record; the guy we all loved to hate(Ivor Brown-God bless him); and the tremendous fan base in Waspland; Ron How of Oxford being unbeatable there ditto Jimmy Gooch and how excited we all were when he joined the Wasps. I recall when I lived in Champaign, Illinois, USA(hi chunky in Kahokia) trying to explain to my girlfriend -from Oklahoma-about the Newport Wasps. She thought it was hilarious because in the US,WASPS is short hand for White, Anglo-Saxon Protestants.It would have been like having a team called Reading RC's. I recall drinking Whitbread Trophy beer in the bar behind the stand opposite the starting gate-you had to join the Newport County F.C. Supportes Club to get in. By the way what happened to Whitbread Trophy and Watney's Red Barrel-was in UK recently and you can't buy it anymore.Happy days I wish I could bring them back-anyone out there have Somerton Park memories like this.

Is Gary Middleton dead ???

Frigbo-this is v. interesting-it sounds like people have died that I was unaware of-do you plan to post this data when done-I realise it must be a massive job-names there I haven't thought of for years e.g. Fred Collier.Is it true that Col Cottrell has passed away??

Surely Graham Coombes isn't dead-he's real young-sorry to see Brian Craven died at a very youing age

Danny also made the World Final one year I think.

Good for Danny with his artificial leg-wish he could get a few mill from Paul McCartney instead of the evil woman!!Good on you Dan always a class act..

Billy was a great rider, but career longevity wise both Squibb and McGregor beat him out I think.

That's great that Lew Coffin is still with us-he must be a great age now!!

I think its gotta be Jim Squibb-but have learned some interesting thing from these posts tho' .Fascinating altogether.

Anybody have any views on this-JS went for many years, but also Gordon McGregor was riding in 1950 I think or thereabouts for Motherwell, and I saw him in 1970 riding for Doncaster Dragons. Both these guys had very long careers-are you aware of anyone who can match then in this regard-I just also thought of Ronnie Moore-he started in 50 or 51 and was riding in the early seventies but he had a five year break in there 64-68 I think.

Vonny, don't forget to tell your dad how fondly he is remembered by many Newport fans-including this one here in Canada, give him my regards and tell him I still recall his final ever race (against Clive Featherby)!!It was on Friday July 9th 1965 and my program shows Penniket, Paulson,Featherby(ret), Bradley(f) was the way it finished.It was heat 6, your dad had one ride previous to that and finished 2nd to Billy Bales. All the best and enjoy the reunion.

Wasn't Eddie Reeves with Oxford in 64- I thought Colin Mckee might have been in the PL and for sure George Major was with CH.Therefore could it be 1963.On second thoughts Colin might have stayed back in Aussie in 64

I reckon they are all still with us-in fact you can go and have a pint in Ron How's pub-have one for me while you're at it!!!!

So nobody knows where John is today???

Anybody out there remember Bish.Rode for Oxford from about 63 to 69, with a one year brteak(67) when he rode for Newport- a good solid second string guy, tall , and I think had a band for a while.Is John still around???

Sorry bout that-the Bluey Scott of Motherwell etc-he is the guy whose first name is Eric.The Soton/Plymouth JACK Scott is not Bluey (Eric) nor as far as I am aware any relation to him. Are there any other old Prov. League fans out there who can help me explain this-I'm having more trouble with this than the Gay Speedway Riders thread I started or the world's tallest ever rider thread(Graham Miles)!!!!!!!!!!

Just to make sure folks know: the Bluey Scott mentioned in this thread is different from the Soton/Plymouth Jack Scott.The former rode for Motherwell in 1951/52/53/54-then he seems to have gone somewhere else.He came back for PL Long Eaton in 63 and then moved to Middlesbro in 1964-when he got to the PLRC Final.Jack Scott rode for Soton 1959/60/61-and also Plymouth in 61 when he too made the PLRC Final.Bluey Scott never rode in the top division of the old NL.Interestingly enough in Peter Morrish's great book British Speedway Leagues 1946-64, the Jack Scott I mention here is referred to as Jack Scott 2nd.Don't know who the first one was -but it was not Bluey whose first name is not Jack.I'm now confused myself-can anybody add to this(not my confusion)

Isn't it the same guy-Bluey had a long career-there was also a Jack Scott(different guy)-Jack had fair hair and the one I'n thinking of rode in the PL also-for Plymouth.

Leave my girlfriend outta this!!

Sorry Andout,I am mortified about this misinformation from me-glad Bob is still with us tho'-I hope I am wrong about Dave Dodd too-though I am sure I heard he passed away.This has got me thinking-does Bob live in a small town in Ontario-something like Sterling or Sunderland, I am sure that I heard of another ex Brit rider who passed away -this will really bother me-but glad to be wrong.Next time you e-mail Bob pass on my apologies I am sure he will have a chuckle, perhaps you could let me know if he knows about Dave Dodd.

Here is a piece of Neath trivia-I think they had two reps in that years' PLRC-won by Len Silver.Trevor Redmond who won it in 1960 and Charlie Monk-who ALMOST won it the last year it was raced i.e. in 1964.I know Jon Erskine made the PLRC one year and scored 0 points -perhaps 1964??or was it 1963. By the way those old PLRC Finals were great meetings weren't they?

If you see him, tell him to drop by Paris speedway-I'm sure he would an honoured guest.Is the beauty queen he married Canadian or British -just wondering!!