25yearfan Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 I am always a little concerned when someone says that "X would be well supported". There are so many factors involved. The crowds would be made up of very different people to those who watched the original "Saints". Expectations are different today to 40 years ago and there would be relatively few who would remember the traditions of the Saints. Those who do remember those days, would find speedway to be very different. That is quite obvious - many of the spectators who followed Southampton speedway up until the early 60's closure wouldn't now be with us just like many who I stood with at the Firs, (Norwich speedway) but that doesn't mean that a new, young generation of fans couldn't be found. I bet theres quite a lot of old Southampton Saints fans still about anyway! Southamptons a big place so the population is there to draw a crowd from. How many people from Southampton go to Poole speedway or IOW speedway the nearest tracks to the city? - Probably not many, but if speedway returned to Southampton I bet many persons from the area would be enticed to go. Southampton remains in my opinion like Norwich, Bristol, Halifax, Exeter, Cornwall, Wimbledon, Cradley, Leicester and no doubt others a totally untapped potential hotbed of speedway. If only the local Council could see this! Good luck with the reunion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Hi all, reading this thread with interest, as my Dad (Dick Bradley) is going to the reunion thought we might come along too, looks like a good day out. Can anyone recommend any B & B s in the area thought we might make a little break of it, thanks.hi vonny its andy the organiser of the reunion what i,ll do for you is send a list of b and bs to your dad(dick) there are plenty in the new milton area and bournemouth and christchurch are only a 15 minute drive from the museum so glad your dad is coming if its anything like the last one i done in 1998 it was a cracker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 (edited) That is quite obvious - many of the spectators who followed Southampton speedway up until the early 60's closure wouldn't now be with us just like many who I stood with at the Firs, (Norwich speedway) but that doesn't mean that a new, young generation of fans couldn't be found. I bet theres quite a lot of old Southampton Saints fans still about anyway! Southamptons a big place so the population is there to draw a crowd from. How many people from Southampton go to Poole speedway or IOW speedway the nearest tracks to the city? - Probably not many, but if speedway returned to Southampton I bet many persons from the area would be enticed to go. Southampton remains in my opinion like Norwich, Bristol, Halifax, Exeter, Cornwall, Wimbledon, Cradley, Leicester and no doubt others a totally untapped potential hotbed of speedway. If only the local Council could see this! Good luck with the reunion! many thanks im off up to high beech to morrow to press gang some more into coming not that they need much encouragment if anyone is going im the gezzzer in the ducati jacket ps a large majority of the poole crowd would go to saints if reopened many of them come from the city cheers andy Edited February 16, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 the other thing about southampton it produed more types of speedway bikes than any other city rotrax erskine and mattingleys all came from southampton and briggo also had his jawa dealership there as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Hi all, reading this thread with interest, as my Dad (Dick Bradley) is going to the reunion thought we might come along too, looks like a good day out. Can anyone recommend any B & B s in the area thought we might make a little break of it, thanks. hi vonny its andy again a guest house i would recomend is the beech tree guest stuart road highcliffe ver y nice£60 per night double and only about 1 1/2 miles from the museum and also near the sea and shops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonny Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 hi vonny its andy again a guest house i would recomend is the beech tree guest stuart road highcliffe ver y nice£60 per night double and only about 1 1/2 miles from the museum and also near the sea and shops Hi Andy thanks for your reply and the help with B & b s, a lovely area to stay in, we are looking forward to the show and I know Dad will enjoy meeting up with old faces from his racing days and having a good natter. Thanks again Yvonne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Here is a link to the Museum. http://www.sammymiller.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonny Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 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. Hi Bobbath, thankyou for your comments about Dad, I seem to recall his last race was discussed here on the forum about two years ago in a Newport thread, he crashed, broke his arm and called it a day! Fortunately in spite of the injuries during his racing days, Dad enjoys good health and is pretty good for his 83 years. I will pass on your kind regards from Canada thankyou, best wishes to you, Yvonne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 (edited) hi everyone oddy again went to high beech yesterday and did something all promoters should do "pressed the fleash" as they say and this is the current list of riders hoping to attend dick bradley brian crutcher pete smith freddie williams jim gregory stan stevens terry stone bert harkins trevor hedge clive hitch billy bales john fitzpatrick stuart wallace bill booth arthur hewitt dave collett pete seaton pete sampson"ginger"abigail col smith norman strachan terry day johnnie hole jim knott tony knott jack geran don hardy john taylor mike broadbanks john hammond dave moxham and wait for it"sudden" sam ermolenko nearly dropped dead when he said yes . at the begining of this post i said riders hoping to attend as july is a long way off situations change and there maybe alterations but at the moment everything aok also we have a minimum 50 bikes coming collectors fair trade stands johnny cash tribute band raffle auction autograph and photo sessions and interviews.as americans say "be there or be square" and its all free oddy Edited February 18, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 (edited) this is for those people who be coming from a distance to the reunion,a want to make a weekend of it there two camp sites close by the 1st one is hoborne bashley park sway road new milton 01425612340 no tents or trailer tents allowed but facilties inc night club in door pool 18 hole par 3 golf course restuarant and amusement arcade shops and telephone kiosk and its only 600 yards from the museum.the other one is a forestry commission site holmsley carvan and camping site forest road thorney hill bransgore christchurch dorset bh23 7eq booking 08451308224 site01425674502 this is a forest site for both caravans and tents it has a shop launderette showers and power points telephone kiosk and is approx 1 1/2 miles from sammys hope this helps you all oddy Edited February 18, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) can anyone help out there although im a member of the world speedway riders association and we are issued a rider directory every year one name that has dissappeared from the book is bjorn knuttson i am trying to contact him can any help with an address file answer in my personal messages thanks oddy Edited February 22, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 here are some more faces coming to the clebrations firstly the flying banana himself brummie favourite george major and he is trying to get the original 007 wolverhamptons james bond coventry world finalist rick france and cradley favourite john hart to come too .other definites are ex wimbledon world finalist leo mcauliffe and i.o.w conference league favourite colin crook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted February 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 (edited) here is the latest new first the bad then the good unfortunately bert harkins is unable to attend due to a wedding in aberdeen on the same weekend bert sends his best wishes though now the good new stars definetely coming and confirmed this weekend reg duval ex coventry jack geran exeter don hardy exeter colin gooddy poole ken middleditch poole and the white ghost george white swindon have all said yes more names by the day also i am getting a full face crash helmet signed by all the riders at the poole gala meeting plus all the world finalist and champs that are going to the poole dinner and my do and this will be auctioned in aid of the speedway riders benevolent fund at sammys on 20th july so bring some cash with you oddy Edited February 25, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted March 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 (edited) ted leasseing and johnnie hole will be there please please come come to the party the more money i raise the greater it helps people like laurence hare pip lamb alan wilkinson krystof ceigeilski etc help me to help them remember they they gave their all to entertain you Edited March 1, 2008 by oddfossengen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted March 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 just been talking to stuart wallace on the phone he informs me that there will be at least 3 coach loads of ex saints supporters travelling down on the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 This sounds great-wish I could go -any chance of pictures being taken and posted-it would be great to see the former riders as they are today.Hope everyone has a good time. (P.S. to Norbold can you go and measure the height of the riders to see if anyone there is taller than Graham Miles!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted March 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 This sounds great-wish I could go -any chance of pictures being taken and posted-it would be great to see the former riders as they are today.Hope everyone has a good time. (P.S. to Norbold can you go and measure the height of the riders to see if anyone there is taller than Graham Miles!!!) hi bobbath yes photos will be taken and will appear on the southern classic speedway site plus i have a video company coming on the day and there will a video for sale or dvd to remember this classic day ps if you cant come please tell a friend who can iwant to raise loads of money yours oddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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