TonyMac Posted July 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 Just remembered the vendor in the white coat shouting, "Speedway Star, Speedway Mail". At the start of the meeting he stood at the turnstiles, then during the meeting he walked around. Best bit though was at the end of the meeting when he had copies of the Star from years back on the floor and he sold them cheap! Aye, that would surely be Rab Bryceland, a loyal and dependable seller of Speedway Mail for us for many years in the 70s & 80s. In those days, the bundles of papers would be put on the freight train at London Euston and be thrown off by staff at Glasgow, where Rab would collect 'em from the parcels office before selling them at Blantyre (No.1). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 What I miss most about speedway in the 70s: Hyde Road, best track ever! Big home crowds, week in week out The wealth of different teams - more variety Riders were characters in those days The amazing skills of the likes of PC and Mort The sheer passion and excitement of speedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george.m Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 Aye, that would surely be Rab Bryceland, a loyal and dependable seller of Speedway Mail for us for many years in the 70s & 80s. In those days, the bundles of papers would be put on the freight train at London Euston and be thrown off by staff at Glasgow, where Rab would collect 'em from the parcels office before selling them at Blantyre (No.1). I can remember him at Paisley and Coatbridge in the 70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 I can remember him at Paisley and Coatbridge in the 70s. He continued at Shawfield and the early years at Ashfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted July 22, 2010 Report Share Posted July 22, 2010 First meeting I went to in 1976.............I was 14 and still got in to Poole at kids rate til I was 21............ The funfair and zoo at Belle Vue..........anyone else remember the pub with the revolving door????????? Being able to go into the pits and often across the centre green to get riders autographs.......... Speedway Mail My jacket with all the badges from the tracks I visited on it...........still got it in my wardrobe and will never part with it............ Going to Cradley Heath and getting home at 2 in the morning and then going to Belle Vue at 6 the same morning............. White City Proper second halves Getting back from Ipswich at the same time as my Dad was getting up to go to work........... Programmes that you could actually read...........still got loads but think the rosettes got binned when we moved 8 years ago Neil Middleditch with long curly hair.................. John Davis with Dark hair............... If I think of any more I'll post them later.............. RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarletrider Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 What I miss most about speedway in the 70s: Hyde Road, best track ever! Big home crowds, week in week out The wealth of different teams - more variety Riders were characters in those days The amazing skills of the likes of PC and Mort The sheer passion and excitement of speedway Spot on AndyM - totaly agree with you - PC was the greatest "racer" of them all, and Mort was just a whisker away - and Hyde Road .... WOW! "The Mackem" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george.m Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 He continued at Shawfield and the early years at Ashfield Deserves an MBE for services to speedway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mervjankefanclub Posted July 25, 2010 Report Share Posted July 25, 2010 (edited) He continued at Shawfield and the early years at Ashfield Are you sure he was at Ashfield, DJW I cant remember him being there, in fact I dont even think he was still around during the last years of Shawfield and it was his son who took on the role during this period. Like George mentioned, what I remember most about Rab, was when he sold his old Stars at the end of the night at the last couple of meetings of the season. They would just be spread all over the ground and all the youngsters, myself included, would rummage through them, only interested in the action covers, it was only portrait covers that would be left come the last meeting - happy days Edited July 25, 2010 by mervjankefanclub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollie roger Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 I see people mentioning their tracks Speedway Star seller, at Blantyre we had Rab Bryceland in his white coat standing at the turnstiles shouting at the top of his voice......"Speedway Star!, Speedway Mail!....... programmes!!!" Then near the end of the season he would lay out all his old Stars on the ground for sale and all the kids would be rummaging around looking for the best front covers. Also remember buying old programmes for two pence from future Tigers team manager Ian Steel who ran the Tigers Den up at the fourth bend. The Scottish Best Pairs Championship Sunny Sunday afternoon meetings, although Friday nights were best and always will be. Walking to the Stadium in the wet, hoping the red and white striped flag was fluttering up the pole at the entrance, which meant the meeting was on. Riders wearing their sponsors body colours during the second half. Every visiting team having a support there. Kids running about with a coke can on their foot acting as a steel shoe. Going for a pee round the back of the small stand at Blantyre One and trying to negotiate all the corrugated steel piled up behind it. Watching meetings from the bookies stalls at the back of the stand. DICK Barrie................nah, on second thoughts <img src="http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_smile_tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_smile_tongue.gif" /> Going to Canterbury to "support" the northern teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollie roger Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 I see people mentioning their tracks Speedway Star seller, at Blantyre we had Rab Bryceland in his white coat standing at the turnstiles shouting at the top of his voice......"Speedway Star!, Speedway Mail!....... programmes!!!" Then near the end of the season he would lay out all his old Stars on the ground for sale and all the kids would be rummaging around looking for the best front covers. Also remember buying old programmes for two pence from future Tigers team manager Ian Steel who ran the Tigers Den up at the fourth bend. The Scottish Best Pairs Championship Sunny Sunday afternoon meetings, although Friday nights were best and always will be. Walking to the Stadium in the wet, hoping the red and white striped flag was fluttering up the pole at the entrance, which meant the meeting was on. Riders wearing their sponsors body colours during the second half. Every visiting team having a support there. Kids running about with a coke can on their foot acting as a steel shoe. Going for a pee round the back of the small stand at Blantyre One and trying to negotiate all the corrugated steel piled up behind it. Watching meetings from the bookies stalls at the back of the stand. DICK Barrie................nah, on second thoughts <img src="http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_smile_tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_smile_tongue.gif" /> Going to Canterbury to "support" the northern teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Just thought I would add a little twist to this and put down what I don't miss about the 1970's but happens today. Playing around with the clutch and gardening at the gate. Ignoring starting marshalls instructions. After a red light unsatisfactory start....going back to the pits. We have put a stop to all this in Canada, primarily because we have about 45-50 races (not all Speedway) to get through in 3 hours and having these theatrics would make it impossible to complete. Oh yes...and all this for 5 quid!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollie roger Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 What about Crewe Kings Track at Earle Street.Fast and exciting or what!!!Being brought up on Wimbledon,Crayford & Eastbourne,Crewe seened absolutly ginormous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted September 4, 2010 Report Share Posted September 4, 2010 (edited) 2-4-6-8 chant. Big crowds, away fans, chanting, local riders, Saturday nights, Golden Helmets, Test matches, World Finals, more teams in league, crap souvenirs(such as Swindon Robins car sun visors),year bars, rosettes, climbing in, dodgy aircuts, being in the pits, the speedway special bus, second-halves, unobstructed track view, getting hit by shale, rubbish hot-dogs and soup. Briggo, Mauger, Olsen, Ashby, Kilby, Michanek, Collins,the Boococks, Betts, Wilson,Lee,Louis,Simmo,Jessup, Kennett, Crump and lots of others. Tracks in London...Wembley, Wimbledon, White City, West Ham, Ackney. When the British League was the best in the world.When the Brits were a world force in speedway. Live speedway on bbc/itv. Results/tables and news in the dailies. Edited October 14, 2010 by keef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stansolo Posted September 4, 2010 Report Share Posted September 4, 2010 From a midlands perpective, Coventry,Cradley,Wolves and the Brummies battling it out in the big league, not forgetting the Express & star 3tt, the midland 4's and some tight battles with the Leicester Lions. And of course all the above posts .. nice memories with great characters.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
847084 Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 Thanks folks for some wonderful memory nudges. Lots i'd forgotten. On the culinary side, a word of praise for the hot dogs at leicester. proper sausage in half a baguette with onions. had to buy one early, it took half the meeting to eat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star in Exile Posted September 15, 2010 Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 (edited) Trees - I first went to Lynn in 1973. I will never forget the walk each saturday night from the South Gates to the track going down saddlebow road past the Beet factory (before the A47 by pass was built) I was too young to own a sar and would catch a bus into Lynn from Middleton. Standing on the apex of bends 3&4 with my large perspex sheet/programme holder so I didn't have to pop my head down when the bikes came past Getting excited at seeing cars with bikes on the back as we drove past them on motorways when we were on holidays. Large Stickers across the top of windscreens Collecting yellow fixture sheets from the office to stick up at the village post office and bus shelter (man I wish I had kept a couple) And Lynn progs definitely had an aroma ! Amazing what you remember. Exotic foreign riders, like rare Poles coming over for Pride of the East. Talking of which - Pride of the East in late October and car tailbacks snaking into Lynn..... Although I only caught speedway at the end of the 70's I'd say: Big Sunday afternoon meetings in the UK, with parades of cars etc 70's music The certain smell of the KL programmes soup Having no worries about standing directly behind the one wooden fence, bobbing down when the riders came past Being totally filthy after a meeting, dust in your hair, ears and nose lol The flags and bunting flying in the centre GREEN at Lynn Riders sitting on their bikes on the track before each race (something they should bring back!) The water bowser lorry at Lynn Track rakers!! BLRC at Belle Vue Wembley The anoraks you could buy underneath the stand at Lynn My yellow and green scarf Golden Helmet match races Edited September 15, 2010 by Star in Exile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star in Exile Posted September 15, 2010 Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 To think - if they had made the main character in the series 'Life on Mars' - a speedway fan instead of a footie fan, it would have been so easy to film at a current speedway track and replicate the 70's :-) Not many changes needed at most tracks, incl the fashions being worn by the fans ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted September 15, 2010 Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 The occasional dead heats with those half-points! Though they made a comeback this week!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornagainlion Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) Your name being drawn out by the Junior Supporters Club to be ridden round on your favourite riders bike during the interval (although in my case it had to be by Ashley Pullen, as Kelvin Mullarkey had been knocked off by Merv Jankie (surely not), collected Hughie Sanders and ended up being bashed round by the safety fence so he couldn't take me (sigh) Sitting on big cushions my mum had covered with gold and blue material on the concrete stand at Rye House The riders having flour fights and stuff in the last meeting of a season Being part of a large away support at speedway meetings Chanting in the stands (Give us an R etc.) Weslakes! Watching Peterborough riders trying to ride Areana Essex before it had a safety fence and getting excluded for going too wide Watching the Inter-Continental Final at White City Watching speedway in a full Wembley Stadium Being in the crowd for the filming of King Cinder Buying replica race-jackets in the club shop and wearing it as you rode round on your Grifter push bike at home Getting home after speedway to eat buttered crumpets as you watched the Muppets on TV Riders with proper names like Dingle Brown and Tiger Beech Seeing loads of Banners at speedway Driving up to away meetings and (a) being passed by the riders doing over 100 ( seeing loads of other cars with the team scarf's jammed in the top of the car windows Cars with speedway related Sun Visors Wearing the race jacket and blue tinted googles blagged from the pits at the end of meetings as my cousins, mates and me raced round the block on Choppers all wanting to be Jessop, Wilson, Collins or Boulger. Tuesday night meetings at Blackbird Road My uncle always getting the hump with someone trying to get off Brandon car park Going to Wembley Visiting Kings Lynn or Ipswich as part of our family holiday to Hunstanton Riders with side burns and so much hair they would have never got a New Era baseball cap on Edited August 10, 2011 by bornagainlion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidncohen Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 BLRC at Hyde Road Speedway Express Open meetings that seemed to be worth watching and winning The WC qualifying rounds at British tracks The European Final Speedway on World of Sport Speedway being the 2nd largest spectator sport next to football The Swedes The year the Swedes were banned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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