keef

I think the attendances have steadily increased from 2001( less than 40,000), to a peak of 45,000 in 2010, then went down a couple of thousand last year. You see a lot more Polish fans there now, which adds to the noise and atmosphere, and sales of booze!. Cant make it this year on the bank holiday. Dont think the Olympics will affect attendances, but a poorly performing British rider might!

Nigel...one of the best riders I've ever seen. Remember the brothers riding for GB v. Sweden, 1968 Swindon, 12000 attendance. Nigel 11 plus 2, Eric 9 plus 2. Outscored by Ashby, top rider in series, and other Robin Broady. Mauger and Betts also in GB team. I think Briggo and Fundin were out injured. Swedes included Michanek Jansson Nygren Sjosten Harryson Persson. GB won at Swindon but lost series 2-1. Mauger had a nightmare series. Loved those blue Booey leathers.

According to the SWindon manager and riders the other night at the supporters club quiz, the youngsters in Aus, Poland, Scandanavia, have good training facilities for their 80c.c machines. Over here we dont have the same. Swindon are hoping to start a training school soon. Rosco was saying he would like to see the BSPA buy the defunct Newport track, but it wont happen. He was also saying speedway is so expensive now to when he rode.

He still lives there, so does Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull...friendly guy Keener. Modest Martin Ashby still has his motorcycle repair business in Marlborough. Someone said Hitchy is suffering from ill health. Think Pete Munday lives down New Forest area. Barry Duke still living in Penhill, dont know if he still does his motor-cycle display shows. Still plays table tennis, and was working as theatre technician at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary. Broady still attends some Robins matches. Crash on the terraces every meeting, even though he could sit in Legends Lounge.

Must have been a bloody jinx then!!! Hitchy was one of my Swindon favourites, at number 2 partnering Briggo. He was in the first heat I saw at Blunsdon in 68. Great competitor, great clubman with the likes of Keener, Munday, Bouchard, who had solid if unspectacular second-string averages. Still Wiltshire speedway legends amongst us over-50s!!!

Would agree with Hampel, with Greg, Gollob, Crumpie, Pedersen following. Our Aussie postie films the Grand Prix series and says apart from AJ all the riders are a friendly bunch. Lowest should be Lung.

Well done to Greg...and Lindback. First 3 pretty much as expected. Hans and Harris not disgraced, surprisingly finishing above Holder Jonsson and Bjerre, who were disappointing. Would have liked to have seen Wardy, Protosserwiecz, Schwein, or Bratch instead of Lung and Bunion. Roll on August and Cardiff.

The Fish had a creditable night tonight at Blunsdon, with 9 points. Always liked him for Swindon, a real trier.

Like Steady perhaps he wasn't getting paid properly?

Martin"Crash"Ashby from his many falls in the early days at Bristol's Knowle track. Mike Broadbanks"Red Devil"red leathers.

Great clubmen for The Robins with over 200 appearances, would include Briggs, Adams, Ashby, Crumpie, Killer, Broady, Keener, Jones, Hitch, Munday, Bouchard, Mad Wellie, Karger, Chessell, Williams, Gjedde, Nilsen, Street, White, Malone. Probably half were born or lived locally. The Boococks, Betts, Craven, Morton. Sjosten, etc., were solid clubmen.

The ones I've seen in no order would probably include Craven, Collins, Lee, and any two from Simmons, Jessup, Morton, the Boococks, Ashby, Wilson, Loram, Carter.

There doesn't seem to be the same amount of riders coming from grass-track nowadays. Also youngsters cant come out of school, as in Poland and Scandanavia, and have a skid on their local track. We dont see many top British riders in the main events on Sky, unlike the 70s when Britain was number 1 in the world, and speedway was shown on mainstream tv. Swindon and other clubs riders should promote in the local schools. You never see local lads in the team compared to the 60s/70s when half the team were local, and mostly British. You see STFC involved in the community, why not the Swallows? more should be done to help British riders, too many overseas riders are coming into the Uk.

Feature on modest Marlborough-flyer Martin Ashby in the Gazette and Herald this week. Swindon teammate Barry Briggs said "Martin Ashby at one stage was the best rider in the world but didn't realise it". Still chat to the unassuming Wiltshire legend on the Blunsdon terraces. I would put Mauger and Fundin slightly ahead of Briggo in the races I saw between them from 1963-1972. Best race I ever saw was Briggo-Ashby Swindon-Exeter about 68/69. Neck-and-neck for 4 laps, Crash won by wheel width.

It certainly is more expensive to attend than years ago. Could it be the lack of local/british riders, and too many changes in team personnel?Lack of a world-class British rider. Poor delapidated stadia. Poor national newspaper/ terrestrial tv coverage?

My bruv, big Robins fan, lives in Adelaide, and was at The Oz Championships at Gillman. Said he was very impressed with Tungate. The Suffolk Roos must be faves for the title I reckon.

Adams-Zagar... superb for Swindon in 2009. The Morans Hancock-Hamill Havelock-Carr Collins-Morton Ermolenko-Correy Holder-Ward Collins-Grahame Miller-Jorgensen Leigh Adams was probably the best team rider i've seen.

Bruv said Holder looked very fast at Gillman, just half a second outside of Adams track record. Tungate, an Ipswich rider this season, looked pretty handy. Gathercole poor. Had good chops with Holder and Watt.

Swindon's Great Dane will walk it.

Would be very surprised if Sheffield finshed bottom. Somerset and Ipswich look very tasty.

Stoney and Steady in the Premier at Worky Ashby and Kilby at Blunsdon in the 70s Briggs and Mauger for NZ 60s/70s Lennon and McCartney Simon and Garfunkel Basil and Sybil The Two Ronnies Blackadder and Baldrick Laurel and Hardy Batman and Robin Bill and Ben The Blues Brothers Del and Rodney Trotter Steptoe and Son Enfield and Whitehouse. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore Reeves and Mortimer Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant Sooty and Sweep Tom and Jerry Radford and Kennedy Adams and Bould The Comptons Fleming and McEnroe Mcnamara and Mcnamee Barrington and Edrich Lock and Laker The Bedser Twins Strauss and Cook Marks and Spencer Holland and Barrett Burke and Hare Chas n'Dave Sonny and Cher Fish and Chips Eggs and bacon Lamb and Mint Curry and Rice Spag and Bol Light and Bitter Vodka and Orange Rum and Coke Rolls Royce Elephant and Castle Highbury and Islington Tooting and Mitcham Corinthians and Casuals Trinidad and Tobago Germany and France

Best for me the Mildura boys Crump and Adams

Yes Rob hard for me to say, but the guy peed me off by forever beating Swindon riders. The best 10 for me, that I've actually seen, would probably be: Fundin Briggs(Swindon) Mauger Nielsen Olsen Rickardsson Craven Collins Crump and any from Adams Knutsson Moore Gundersen Michanek Penhall Hancock Pedersen.

Not forgetting his perfect 12.00 away average in 1986 . 11.83 overall...bloody awesome.

About 60 fans were in a mass brawl at Cowley also, with the Swindon supporters coach being attacked afterwards, then some Robins fans got off and chased the Oxford yobs up the road.