Speedway Meeting In Aid Of Garry Stead

[Shorty]

I think a lot of people were impressed with the turn out, including myself. There was a lot more there than a normal Stoke meeting but many people did it for Garry.

FT - Take it you don't remember me.. I did say hi!

Mr Clemens.. Amazing post. Thank you.

[full-throttle]

sorry shorty,

[SCB]

Gary Stead Benefit Meeting : Stoke ...........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You've done it again. Another superb report which leads you to believe you're almost there.

 

Your post may be 10 times the size of most but they're infinitatly better than most.

[micro]

Another cracking post Mr Clemens, captured the true spirit of the evening.

 

Had a great time and it was brill the see the old boys really going for it!

 

My drive there and back wasn't the easiest - fog's great but I'm glad I did it.

[speedyboy]

What an excellent piece of pros, nice one.

Gary Stead Benefit Meeting : Stoke

 

I could feel the memories as I ran my fingers over the metal of the fence surrounding the track at Stoke

Memories of a young man speedway training to ride a speedway bike

My boss’ son falling on the track – and taking him to hospital - that was my last sight and memory of Stoke Speedway track from 1987 twenty long years ago

 

In years to come – other people – might run their fingers along that metal and recall Gary Stead – who he was – what he is – and what he meant to the patrons of Loomer Road

 

Like the Sheffield meeting – this was a meeting I wasn’t going to miss

My route was already laid out – over the moors – through Mottram – M60 – A34 – follow the Industrial Estate signs and there you were  - only I weren’t

 

There was a queue of traffic at the foot of Mottram – that didn’t look as if it was likely to move in the next few days

I turned into Glossop and followed the – Buxton – Leek – Stoke route – up and down hill and vale – as I drove along I imagined I was on the Redcar racing strip

 

The higher into the hills I drove – the foggier it became – the rain was falling hard

But right then – I decided I was going to Stoke – for even if the meeting was rained off – I was prepared to pay my entrance fee – then party till dawn with those who showed up – to celebrate Gary Stead – but the rain was already abating when I drove through Stoke – so the chances of seeing some racing was looking promising

 

I drove into Stoke looking for the IE signs – but they are never around till you’re about half a mile from them anyway

But I knew I had to get to Newcastle under Lyme so I followed that sign – turned left on the A34 – and after awhile realised I was going the wrong way – turned around and eventually those IE signs appeared

 

Only one other person was there when I arrived – (a Belle Vue supporter) - making me think that perhaps it had been rained off – but I decided there would have been a notice on the gate saying it was off it had have been

 

The BV supporter was a nice guy to talk to – he told me where to park in the stadium – and told me how they took your entrance fee from you as you sat in your car – this was drive through Speedway at its very best

 

Having arrived there at 5 pm – there was awhile to wait before other supporters descended on Loomer road – so I decided to look around the old place

And what an old place it is – but having visited a few run down stadiums following speedway since 2005 – I knew it was what happened on the track that mattered – not the décor

 

I could see the riders riding round the track on training day – the memories were vivid hanging around – waiting for them to be relived – perhaps Gary Stead was looking down at the track – at all those memories gathered their – waiting for him to relive them too – as the wheels of speedway bikes turned on the surface of that raceway?

 

It was nice to meet Peter Adam’s brother – who – when I told him – he looked like the man in charge – said that he was having a hectic day – getting things organised for the big night – but he said the racing would take place

I imagine this man – was one of those instrumental in getting this benefit day on for Gary Stead – and deserve the praise for getting a meeting on – in those dreadful conditions

 

People were arriving – the stage was being set – the riders were there – I hadn’t seen Gary Stead anywhere – but this was a different stage – from that at Sheffield

An event for the ‘home crowd’ – and for those – like me – who were determined to be there – to show respect – for a rider – who I had rarely seen on the track – but how had given his all for the sport – and paid – the highest price – almost

 

The track had – had a good soaking earlier in the day – so I wasn’t expecting the riders to – do something on the track – that wasn’t possible to do – race competitively

There had been four bad falls at Sheffield in the first meeting – Richard Hall is still struggling with his injury

But unfortunately – Gareth Isherwood had to withdraw from the meeting – with a broken wrist – after his second ride – let’s hope the injury is not too serious - and he recovers soon from this

 

The riders were slipping and sliding round the track – there were a number of falls – with riders being reinstated on the insistence of the Race Director – in the pits

No it wasn’t Ole Olsen – King of the Slick – it was – Gary Stead – orchestrating the meeting from behind the scenes

 

Ben Barker was looking good – riding hard - determined to win this meeting – as was Rory Schlein – sole Elite League regular – who stalked Adam Allot – who got a rolling flyer - finally passing him – round the outside on lap three

 

In his second race Schlien slowed after three laps – it being obvious that he thought the race was over for some reason – but he was so far ahead – that when he realised – the race was still on – he opened the throttle – and cruised round to win all the same

 

This incident prompts me to mention the dipsh*t who decided it was a cool thing to do – to put their sidelights of their vehicle on – AGAIN - during this particular race

The reason this person gets special mention is this – bearing in mind the circumstances we all were in attendance at this meeting

 

I was stood at the fence talking to three people – when – as the meeting first started – everyone saw this car parked on the bank – directly in line with the track – from tapes to first bend – turn their side lights on

 

That this person knew what they were doing was obvious because –

A: If they were there to watch the racing – sat in their car – why was the front of the car facing away from the track – and not towards it???

 

B: I had looked in that direction more than once – immediately before the racing started – and there were no red lights shining then – or everyone would have noticed – and they would have been asked to turn them off

 

C: As soon as the first race started – the sidelights came on – so why would they be turned on – other than the fact – they who turned them on – turned them on purposely

Those stood with me – who I talked with through the meeting – agreed with me – the lights were not on just before the meeting started

 

D: When Rory Schlein slowed – I noticed the red lights on again – the kid with the two adults – asked me now I knew it was the same car – and I told him – because the car that put the lights on the first time – was parked next to the white van – and the second time they came on – it was the car parked next to the white van

 

There was a later incident of this type – another car facing forward – had their car headlights shining down – between the tapes and the first bend

Stoke’s track clown – headed towards the offender – to tell the owner – to turn out the lights – but they went out before he got there – so he turned round and came back

But he should have gone to both drivers of each car – gave them the clown’s wig and the red nose – and said – ‘here you have them – your need is greater than mine’

 

The racing improved all the time – as the track dried out – but Rory Schlien wasn’t going to be beaten – while Ben Barker was busting a gut to keep in touch with the Coventry Bee – in case any mishap suffered by Rory – worked to Barker’s advantage

Luke Preist was out there on the track – good to see him back – winning a race – getting back into the fold – being there for Gary Stead

 

The riders were interviewed after the meeting – naturally the interviewer – should wish to congratulate Rory Schlien – not only on his win on the night – but the triple with Coventry – but Rory wasn’t having any of it – he was there – he said for Gary Stead – and for no other reason – Rory knew he could celebrate tomorrow – today was something else

 

When Ben Barker spoke – it was obvious – winning the meaning – meant a great deal to him – you could tell by his emotion when speaking – that this was his intention – and he was beating himself up for not doing what he intended – but what he might now realise – is – that he was a winner – by being there – trying as hard as he could – for one reason – Gary Stead – who I am sure told him as much after the meeting

 

And congratulations to – George Stancl – third placed – and to all the riders who competed on that treacherous track – with red lights ablaze – all there for one reason to acknowledge – but for the grace of God go they

 

And there was also – the veteran speedway riders racing

Les Collins – Alan Grahame – Gary O’Hare – Rob Hollingsworth

I had seen them racing at Sheffield – and was impressed by Alan Grahame in particular – who looked then – as if he had never been off a bike – and looked as if he could still do a job in racing – if called on to do so

 

Les Collins won race one – and Alan Grahame won race two – but it was their last race that set the place alight

Something happened in the last race – that held the audience spellbound

 

No one might ever know what happened but – they went through the second bend onto the back straight – and it wasn’t like the old days – no not at all

It was the old days – you could have thrown the proverbial handkerchief over all of them

 

It might have been a world championship decider – for no one was giving an inch

It was blood and guts – no quarter asked or given

And the place was – ELECTRIFIED – old codgers swooned – young fans didn’t believe what they were seeing – we were – one and all – transported – for those few seconds – to the world where speedway was speedway

Then Alan Grahame emerged – ahead of the crowd through the third and fourth bends

To win the race

 

The crowd was in raptures – car headlights were flashing all along the back straight – headlights dipped in tribute – to the grand old masters of speedway – doing their thing

 

I spoke with Neil Machin – at Scunthorpe today – he was there at Stoke

He happened to mention Peter Collins and Chris Morton – in reference to riders being cornerstones of teams – in contrast to riders now – some of them who are here this season and gone the next – because of enforced team changes – from the powers to that be

 

This reference of those riders – reminded me of the racing at Stoke by the veteran races – and I said to him – ‘you saw them last night’ – and immediately his eyes lit up – and a broad smile crossed his face – in recollection of what – we had all been privileged to see at Stoke – four top class racers of yesterday – turning it on for us – and for Gary Stead

I don’t know what most people think of Neil Machin – but I have found him to be a gentleman – he even gave me a cigarette and a Sheffield Speedway cigarette lighter

I shall treasure it always – well at least till the lighter fuel runs out

Talking of promoters - you could see also – how - what happened to Gary Stead – has affected deeply – the emotions of Dave Tattum

What happened is a cut that runs deep through Mr Tattum’s psyche

I don’t think he has come to terms with it at all yet – and maybe it never will

But it showed last night – that here is a man – who cares deeply about his riders

 

Many people remained behind after the meeting – to take part in the auction going on in the bar after the meeting

So many people were there you could hardly move

I saw that Andy Smith was there – which didn’t surprise me at all – him being there for a fellow rider

 

I don’t know how much money was made during the auction – as the bidding was taking place – round the bar area – and it was almost impossible to get down there – as there was so many people trying to get down there too

 

I had a conversation – with a stranger – they know who they are – an interesting chat about things concerning speedway – but time was slipping by and I had a two hour drive to make – taking the original route – I was going to take – only finding out that the mileage was the same – whichever route I took

 

The event was finally over – it was time to move on – to get on with life – as we all have to – and has Gary Stead has to – and with this thought – I could hear echoes – of what this year has meant to Gary Stead – Stoke management – riders and supporters

And to all of us – the speedway family – and here is what those echoes said to me

 

Now and Forever

 

We can carry all this as a cross

We can think about all we have lost

We can think about

All the things we do

In life

And count the cost

The results of all this

We carry with us

Now and forever

 

And then we think of

This fallen rider

And think of

The price he paid

To deliver to us

What we desired

And thus we come

To lay at your door

All the tribute we owe you

Now and forever

 

We gather all of us together

To stand and applaud

All he has given us

We admire his resolve

To keep a smile on his face

No matter how many obstacles

He has to climb over

Each day from this moment on

Now and forever

 

And then we can go home

And slide into bed

Satisfied we have done our duty

Curl up snugly

Legs tucked in

Warm and cosy

Is it then we remember

That he will never be able to do this

Now and forever

 

Do we believe

Because we have

Made our contribution

In gathering together

To pay this our tribute

That we can forget you

Now this moment

Of our deliverance has passed

Are we with you just for now

Or forever

………………………………….

 

This thought is for all the riders who have fallen this season

And for those who have paid the highest price

 

There is an old Fats Domino song that sums up the love of a rider for their speedway - the first line says it all

 

'Oh what a price

I had to pay

For loving you'

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Baille]

Was this meeting recorded? If yes then the can someone point me as to where i can pick it up. My 3yr old son is a huge Rooboy fan and was upset at missing out on going to the meeting so to get it on DVD for him would be great.