BOBBATH

thanx Norbold the only other one I'm not 100% sure about is Cliff Watson

I haven't been to that area of London since 1967 aagh!!

Is the Lesney factory still there??

Sorry Norbold-I forgot about Cyril-where is he by the way-so I guess its 2.

With the sad passing of the great Vic Duggan-I reckon the last survivor of the 1949 WF must now be Louis Lawson. Any thoughts from anyone-the only other one I am not sure about is Cliff Watson.

Good project-are you doing just league games , or league+ cup. or all including challenge matches.Are you including bonus points and are you doing the CMA like Bryan Seery used to do in Speedway Star in the late sixties and seventies.Sorry for all the questions but it sounds fascinating-good luck.

Its best if you have hi-speed internet. Here's what I do Step #1 Google #youtube.com"Step #2 click on the entry" youtube.com ".step #3 in the little search window put something like Southampton speedway or norwich speedway or even Ove Fundin.That's how I did it anyway-actually there is quite a bit of speedway on there including a heat from the 1958 World Final. All the best

I thought Eddie Rigg had emigrated to Aussie-am I wrong or did he move back

If you go to youtube you can see parts of Southampton v Norwich from I think 1962, also Bristol 1960. These were put on by Grachan who is on this forum-big thanx mate. Its great to see Banister Court and Knowle again-if you've got anymore of that era -it will find a grateful audience here.Great to see the old Soton and Norwich racejackets in action and in colour. Brian Hamilton you may enjoy this also.

That's right-- Marion was Jack Hughes sister-anyone know if they are still around??

Can't help re this-but I remember Ray well -hope he is still fine.

Will you plase leave my wife out of this!!!

Brian I think it was easier in the sixties to hitch hike-I once went all the way up to Aberdeen from Cardiff in two days-I used to hitch from Nottingham to Sheffield and Halifax to see the Tigers and Dukes-also I recall seeing the British Final at Wimbledon in 1966 and then hitching back to Nottingham.Easier days perhaps but I wonder what I would have done if Ian Brady and Myra Hindley had picked me up or that weird guy from Gloucester who killed all those people with his wife-can't recall his name but they lived on Cromwell Rd Gloucester. Scary possibilities but I lived to tell the tale and am still a walking and a talking!!!!

Now we have some old Wasps fans in forumland-I'm thinking of you Railway end-does anyone know where Sandor is, or Bob Hughes or Geoff Penniket or Freddie Powell or Peter Harris or for that matter any other Wasp.

Brian-just before my time-but if you go to Speedway on disc-(one of the people who is on this forum set it up)-you can see racing and pits views from a meeting at Halifax in 1949-against Stoke I think-and Arthur is front and centre. I think he passed away some years ago -but I am sure other forumland people can add more-his brother in law-Jack Hughes was also a rider-I think Arthur reached his peak when he came 3rd in a World Final in the fifties.Thank you for bringing his distinguished name to this forum

Thanx Railway End-are you an old Somerton Park attenddee -if you ever see Ian give him my regards and remind him of the trip. Happy New Year to you too!!

I recall my first visit to Long Eaton in July 1965-a British League match v. Newport.The Wasps had not at that point won an away meeting-but this time stood a good chance as Long Eaton were without Ray Cresp.I hitch-hiked up from Cardiff and was rewarded with the Wasps winning 32-46.Ray Harris(RIP) was the Wasps reserve and was usually not so good away from Somerton Park but came thru with 7 pts. from 3 rides, including a great win over the Archers skipper Ken Adams(RIP). These two guys were veterans even then and I remember chatting to an old time fan who thought it was great to see these two former Stoke team-mates race in the same heat again. The scorers in that meeting were for Newport: Biggs 11,Erskine 9, Vandenberg 8,Golden 8,Harris 7,Penniket 2, Hughes 1. For LE: Adams 10, Kid Bodie(Howard Cole) 9,Storer 6, Hitch 3, Sharp 2, Ray Wilson 1,Malskaitis 1. I'd forgotten Clive Hitch rode for the Archers. I still have the programme. I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time(and then Leicester in 68). I remember the pub right at the back of the stadium and also the fish and chip shop which was just outside the 3rd/4th bend entrance. I used to catch a Barton's bus back to Nottingham. Hope these comments and rider listings bring memories back to others. Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian??

Thanx Shazzybird-Ted Hubbard was after my time but I read about him-did he ride for other teams also???. I recall the Wimbledon of the mid sixties with Nygren,Luckhurst and Hedge as heat leaders-I also recall -I think -Bob Dugard, Mike Coomber,Jim Tebby and John Edwards.As a sidebar I lived in the same lodgings(briefly) as John Edwards had once lived in-he was there a year or so before I arrived-I recall the address-20 New Century Road, Laindon, Essex. But for the life of me can't recall the landlady's name.I think John lived for a spell after that in the US.Recall him being with Stoke and CH in PL days

What a dam shame-glad he enjoyed Aussie tho'

Anybody know what John is up to. Usually a second stringer-but a trier-as I recall it-he rode for Stoke in a match in 1963-wasn't supposed to and then had his points rescinded. Stoke thereby lost the match and Wolverhampton got the title as a result.Anyone else recall this.

Who was your Uncle Ted ,shazzybird??

In I think July 1967 I saw Wimbledon v Exeter-the only time I ever sat and watched from the restaurant(not as good as standing on the terraces)-Wimbledon won but Tommy Sweetman beat Olle Nygren for the Silver Sash surprisingly-I had also seen the British semi-final alluded to above in 1967 and I think the British Final in 1966. My main memory tho is a sad one. A couple of years ago visiting London I took the underground to Tooting (Broadway or Bec) and walked up Garratt Lane to the old stadium just to see it-a trip down memory lane-I remembered that there were homes on Wimbledon Road-now I think knocked down. It was a depressing trip-I saw the outside of the stadium-no longer any speedway and reflected that not only the speedway is gone -but the local hard working British folks who supported the team seem to have gone-God knows where. I didn't know where I was either-but it sure as heck wasn't the Britain of the sixties-in fact it didn't look like Britain at all.!! Just the memories in my mind lived on.R.I.P.

Ok but what about Dennis day mentioned earlier in this thread-was a buddy of Len Silver's at Exeter I thnik,then I think he rode for Hackney in 64-Hackney had a good team that year and almost won PL-lets think, Pratt,Trigg and L.McGillivray were the heat leaders then I think,Poyser,Brian Davies, and was it Dennis Day or Sandy McGillivray?

Now there is one I remember and wondered about myself-Ted Laessing-I recall him being really keen and studying the Newport track before he was due to ride-this is when he was a second half rider, sometimes in the team-perhaps 1967? I know after that he rode for Kings Lynn afterwards and didn't he have a tuning business,?he was an Aussie right??.Quite taciturn at that time along the lines of Charlie Monk.While a good rider when he started at Newport people thought he would go right to the top.Would like to know what he is doing.

Brian Hamilton-it seems you and I are of the same vintage re speedway following and the names we bring forward!!Further re Geoff Mudge-when did he retire-did he go back to Aussie- also in Bob C's post(Hi there Bob) Dennis Day and Cliff Cox are mentioned-anyone know where they are.Dennis went bald real young I think.