keef

Swindon-O****d...only time I've seen a mass brawl at a speedway match. Fundin-Briggs Briggs-Mauger. Mauger-Olsen Nielsen-Gundersen Crump-Pedersen Pedersen-Andersen Adams-Crump Nicholls-Harris Batchelor-Holder

1969...I think...Briggs Swindon v. Ashby Exeter(having been loaned out from the Robins).Neck and neck for 4 laps, Ashby won by tyre width. 2007.. Harris beating Hancock Crump Adams in final to win British Grand Prix. 2007...Swindon needing 5-1 to win at Coventry in heat 15...Adams away leaving Nicholls and Schlein for dead. Chrzanowski rounds both for Swindon to win, sending Swindon fans wild. 2009...60th.Anniversary meeting at Blunsdon, Adams blasts through from back on bend 2 to shred opposition and win final, sending Swindon fans wild ...again! Loads of others over the years.

Never saw Carter ride, but from 1963 my choice would include Collins, Craven, Lee, Nigel/Eric Boocock, Wilson, Ashby, Jessup, Louis, Betts, Simmons, Morton, Wigg, Loram, Broadbanks, Kennett, Tatum, Les Collins, Pusey, McKinlay among the top 20 British riders.

They might be nice looking , but are they gonna win fock all at Foxhall Risager and Doolan are massive let-downs.

Well done Greg...couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

I seem to remember my brother telling me about The Abbey duel...16-17000 there, they had to shut the gates...the good old days

Correct compo I was thinking of The Boulevard.

Cheers chap For league racing I think New Cross started in 1934 with Walthamstow- National League, Wembley West Am Wimbledon White City Arringay Stamford Bridge Lea Bridge Crystal Palace .1929 Southern League, Ackney 1935 National League. I read that Wolves closed between 1930-50. Middlesboro started in 1928, Southampton 1928.Stoke 1929.Plymouth 1931.Bristol 1936. Liverpool 1928.Leeds 1928.Birmingham 1928.Sunderland 1964.Bradford 1945.Hull 1971.Cardiff 1928.

So looking at those figures that makes Wolves the oldest existing club in British speedway, followed by Brum, Belle vue and Coventry, all racing in top league. Eastbourne also, at number 7. Would like to see Sheffield and Newcastle back in the top div. When did Poole, Peterboro', Lakeside, Kings Lynn, Ipswich, Reading, Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Exeter, Leicester, Newport, Norwich, Southampton, Stoke, Middlesboro', Halifax, Cradley, Wimbledon, Wembley, West Ham, New Cross, Hackney, start racing? I know my local club Swindon have had continual racing since 1949.

Thanks guys

Would anyone have the tables for that year, unfortunately the first and last year of supporting the famous New Cross Rangers, the pride-of-south-east London.

Dont be so bloody silly, where would the campers get access to water and toilet facilities? I cant see them running across the track during a race to buy a drink or hotdog...elf and safety and all that. It would be too crowded on there too, so very few tents could be pitched. Imagine the sight of tents in the background, with someone using a camping stove, as the winner is photographed on the rostrum. And how could people sleep with that noise around them. Just not feasible

Hancock Gollob Hampel Holder

Good to see both IOW reserves are Swindon lads, which is 2 more than the Robins side.

Same in Swindon, people that have never been to speedway have heard of Leigh Adams, and all the over-40s would mention Briggo, Kilby and Ashby from the 60s/70s. It has a speedway heritage, with the likes of Coventry, Poole, Wolves, Kings Lynn, Cradley/Dudley, Workington, Ipswich etc., Would be interesting to see if Bristol return in 2012, as they were the best-supported club in the late 70s. Is that bloody horrible Station Hotel in Dudley still there? Worked for a company in Tipton, and had the misfortune to stay there.

True cityrebel, we moved out of south-east London in the 60s, along with about a million other inner-Londoners, to the overspill town of Swindon, after following New Cross, then Wimbledon. Luckily Swindon had a speedway team, otherwise we would have probably stopped following the sport. Most Londoners now probably live in places such as Essex, Kent, Herts, Surrey, Sussex, Berks, Bucks, plus the new/expanded towns throughout the country, like Swindon, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Peterborough, Basingstoke, Andover, Crawley, Banbury, Basildon, Aylesbury, Kings Lynn, Emel Empstead, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Mildenhall, Hastings, Corby, Bracknell, Stevenage, Arlow etc., etc., I suppose sadly that the once massive London clubs such as West Am, Wembley, New Cross, Wimbledon, Ackney, White City would struggle to make a capital comeback.

Hope with the influx of holidaymakers that the Islanders can double their gate, compared to the 200 or so fans when I was there in May.

The same applies to my local club, Swindon. No meeting for 3 weeks, but every meeting they run at a loss. They lost £154,000 last year, when crowds were higher than this season. People probably find other things to do. There are certainly a lot fewer meetings in the National League to sustain interest.

Yep it's a pity the IOW are no longer in the Premier, I remember them destroying Workington's unbeaten home record in 2004...Boycey and Tresarrieu. They won a few trophies with Boycey and Holder in the line-up. Good thing Wightlink Ferries are still involved. We saw a couple of Ryde Taxis minibuses ferrying fans to the pier head. A guy was saying they used to get 500-600 for PL home meetings, which doubled in the summer hols.

Make that 5,001/2 tanked-up merchants. Enjoyed my 1st. Grand Prix in 2005 the most. I think it's always better when the Brits are doing well. Noisier atmosphere. Only 1 heat win this year.

Bloody hell SC you must get through a few BIG Macs that weekend We spend about 150 quid, including tickets, progs, transport, bets, Greggs Bakers, drinks. If we go next year will probably go on one of the Swindon supporters coaches, after trying car and train.

True IO, but i'm a stubborn git, and have seen a lot worse on Highbury's North Bank, Swindon's Town End, and Millwall's old Den's Cold Blow Lane End. There needs to be better stewarding enforcement of drunken misbehaviour. Lucky there are about 20,000 empty seats.

Yeah we did that, 29 quid each, and got seats right at the top of bends 3-4 in middle of beer-swilling/spilling, chanting, standing, fighting fans. Would have been ok if the missus weren't there. If we go next year will probably go for seats on top tier, above starting gate. Empty there.

Yeah bad news this wet summer, affects crowd levels as people aren't sure whether to risk travelling or not. It's an expensive stretch of water from Pompey. Went to Smallbrook in May when on holiday, KOC v. Newport, (decent weather in spring though, April/May). Couldn't have been much more than 200 there. How many were there last night? The Islanders will need to have decent weather this coming school holiday as someone said the crowds double then. Good Luck Islanders, nice set-up they have over there.

Good post...sad to see the state of British speedway now compared to the 70s/80s, when England ruled the world with World beaters such as Collins, Ashby, Wilson, Betts, Louis, Simmons, Jessup, Morton, Lee, Davis. We haven't won it now since '89 at Bradford, with that team of Doncaster, Thorp, Tatum, Wiggy, Crossy.