pandorum Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Far, far superior to the speedway star which was always a down market rag for me. I bought Star, Express and Mail but Speedway Mail was the only one I found intelligent. Liked the newspaper style it had but time moves on and the inferior but flashier Star 'survived' (if you can call the overpriced rag we have now surviving) and The Mail fell to the wayside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 It must be acknowledged, though, that the Star was always superior in most respects. Although not in critical comment! In my imagination as well, the Mail had stronger editorials. I've still got quite a lot of Mails in the loft, so I'll have to go and see if my memory is correct. Well, we obviously couldn't run to a PC for anyone in those days. Things must have been hand-to-mouth as even in the 1980s a PC was surely affordable for most businesses? It would presumably have paid for itself in reduced production costs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 It's true that the inclusion of Mondays results worked well for Speedway Mail, with Wolves and Reading riding on that night. I used to write the Reading articles in the early 90s. I would knock them out on a Tuesday morning on one of those old white Amstrad word processor things with the boot up disk and dot matrix printer. Then I'd fax it off to the magazine before going to work. Having Mondays even gave me a scoop over Speedway Star, even though I had no connection with Reading speedway and just started doing the articles for the fun of it because they was no regular Reading article in the magazine. I was told on the Monday that Mitch Shirra has signed for The Racers, so made that my story. When Speedway Star came out there wasn't even a hint of this happening. Reckon I should have got an "Exclusive" headline for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) Although not in critical comment! In my imagination as well, the Mail had stronger editorials. I've still got quite a lot of Mails in the loft, so I'll have to go and see if my memory is correct. Things must have been hand-to-mouth as even in the 1980s a PC was surely affordable for most businesses? It would presumably have paid for itself in reduced production costs as well. Tony Barnard was particularly adept at strong editorials and most of what he wrote in the mid to late 80s would still be very valid if published today, if not more so. He would tie them up in knots over their own rules and regs. But for his age (he had just retired when he joined the Mail part-time), he could have been the ideal independent administrator the sport needed then and now. He was articulate, efficient, very knowledgeable about all aspects of the sport and had a firmness about him that commanded respect. He was also very likeable, so had the whole package really. He was a thorn in the side of the FIM, as well as SCB manager Dick Bracher (though DB did respect him) and also the BSPA chairmen of the day, Maurice Ducker, etc. Not that any of them ever took any notice of what we printed. Tony deserved great credit for his commitment to the Mail. Likewise, the Star also ran hard-hitting editorials in the late 70s and early 80s, predicting many of the problems that have plagued the sport before and since that time, but no-one who mattered in authority listened to them either. Our facilities and publishing methods were quaintly prehistoric. It's true that the inclusion of Mondays results worked well for Speedway Mail, with Wolves and Reading riding on that night. I used to write the Reading articles in the early 90s. I would knock them out on a Tuesday morning on one of those old white Amstrad word processor things with the boot up disk and dot matrix printer. Then I'd fax it off to the magazine before going to work. Having Mondays even gave me a scoop over Speedway Star, even though I had no connection with Reading speedway and just started doing the articles for the fun of it because they was no regular Reading article in the magazine. I was told on the Monday that Mitch Shirra has signed for The Racers, so made that my story. When Speedway Star came out there wasn't even a hint of this happening. Reckon I should have got an "Exclusive" headline for that! A belated 'well done' but this would have been after my time, Grachan, otherwise your name would have been in lights! The Fax machine. I remember thinking how much it revolutionised our working lives at the time. Edited March 22, 2013 by tmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Main Man Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks Tony for stopping my brain whiz round trying to remember the Mail seller at Cradley --yes Alf Ferkins and his daughter ...always had my copy ready for me so they could get a good plug from me on the tannoy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I wish the 'Mail' could come back (in the Newspaper form). What a happy time that was. THREE Speedway periodicals to pick from, all were quality productions - how lucky we were in those days. Sadly, things change, and not always for the better. :sad: On the plus side, we now have 'BackTrack' and 'Classic' Speedway which is a big consolation. :approve: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks Tony for stopping my brain whiz round trying to remember the Mail seller at Cradley --yes Alf Ferkins and his daughter ...always had my copy ready for me so they could get a good plug from me on the tannoy!! Even Anders Michanek, when interviewed for Backtrack back in '05, said how he remembered Alf's daughter, Brenda. She kept in touch with Mich long after his brief spell with the Heathens in '77. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambo Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Ahhh..Happy Days as the Coventry correspondent for 'The Mail'. I got 'volunteered' for the job by my mother who had complained to Tony Mac about the lack of Coventry coverage. I think a lot of us preferred the Mail to the Star as it seemed to have a stronger editorial package, particularly when Alex Alexander took over. So much that it was banned from sale for a while at a couple of tracks. Working for The Mail gave me the chance at photography from the centre green. My first opportunity coming at the World Cup Final at Bradford, marred by the horrific crash which resulted in the injuries that sadly ended Erik Gundersen's career. There I had my first lessons in positioning myself for Speedway photography from none other than Alf Weedon. I will always remember his very first words to me.... "Oy mate! Get outa my f***ing shot!" It was only after seeing the blurred print-outs of my efforts that I realised how good the photographers were in those days! I can recall my pride in seeing my name in print for the first time in The Mail as a 'by-line' and also my first ever face-to-face rider interview, with Gary Guglielmi. Along with that, I fondly remember interviews that I did with Nigel Boocock, Charles Ochiltree, Ole Olsen and Hans Nielsen, who I visited in his British home. Hans and Suzanne were so welcoming and I was shown around Hans' Trophy Room. That one room seemed bigger than my house! Rick Miller and John Jorgensen were always happy to give up their time for interviews too. Ahhh...Happy days indeed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Main Man Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Even Anders Michanek, when interviewed for Backtrack back in '05, said how he remembered Alf's daughter, Brenda. She kept in touch with Mich long after his brief spell with the Heathens in '77. And of course when Mich was at Cradley we had the Anders Michanek column in the Mail as well (wonder who helped him with that!!??? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandonmole Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Gambo, I think you will find "more than a lot of us" preferred the Star to the Mail - just check the sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 particularly when Alex Alexander took over. What happened to him? Didn't he go off to the states or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 What happened to him? Didn't he go off to the states or something? Yep, think he moved to the USA. We're trying to contact him for his account of his time with the Mail via Facebook and Twitter but we've yet to make contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 I can recall my pride in seeing my name in print for the first time in The Mail as a 'by-line' and also my first ever face-to-face rider interview, with Gary Guglielmi. Me too - plus when I got the front page once as Reading closed in on the league championship. I only ever did one "proper" interview, which was with Jeremy Doncaster for the World Final edition. Most of my quotes came from Tim Sugar or - in one case - Todd Wiltshire's dad. Other than that I relied upon what riders said over the PA and the tape recorder in my pocket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Me too - plus when I got the front page once as Reading closed in on the league championship. I only ever did one "proper" interview, which was with Jeremy Doncaster for the World Final edition. Most of my quotes came from Tim Sugar or - in one case - Todd Wiltshire's dad. Other than that I relied upon what riders said over the PA and the tape recorder in my pocket! Are you saying that in essence all you reported was what Reading fans already knew,as long as they were at the home meetings ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 BUMPED into Peter Baker in Auckland today. He used to supply Aussie news to the Mail I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiegal Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yep, think he moved to the USA. We're trying to contact him for his account of his time with the Mail via Facebook and Twitter but we've yet to make contact. yes the BIG MAN is alive and doing very well in Texas...lovely guy...you can contact him on FACEBOOK...spoke with him 2 weeks ago..in fine fettle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Are you saying that in essence all you reported was what Reading fans already knew,as long as they were at the home meetings ? Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted March 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yup. Beats re-writing a weekly press release from a club, which is what quite a few lazy 'scribes' tended to do in days gone by. yes the BIG MAN is alive and doing very well in Texas...lovely guy...you can contact him on FACEBOOK...spoke with him 2 weeks ago..in fine fettle. He must be playing hard to get because he is not responding so far. BUMPED into Peter Baker in Auckland today. He used to supply Aussie news to the Mail I believe. Yes, Peter was a very reliable and credible source for Aussie news and reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMac Posted March 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 In my days as a Speedway Mail track correspondent, and that was certainly before everything went computer orientated, I well remember on one day a week finishing work at my 'day job,' and then making my way round to the Mail HQ to 'do my bit' and arriving to see yourself TMC and John Bolle both be slaving away - well that's what it looked like! Bryn, can you (or anyone else) please recall the chronological chain of editors who succeeded me after 1991? I understand that you had a stint? Philip Lanning and Tony Barnard also held the poisoned chalice before Alex Alexander took over in 1993. By the way, Alex is now in touch from Texas and is putting together his account of the latter stages in the history of the Mail for the feature that will appear in the next Backtrack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambo Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Bryn, can you (or anyone else) please recall the chronological chain of editors who succeeded me after 1991? I understand that you had a stint? Philip Lanning and Tony Barnard also held the poisoned chalice before Alex Alexander took over in 1993. By the way, Alex is now in touch from Texas and is putting together his account of the latter stages in the history of the Mail for the feature that will appear in the next Backtrack. Neil Webster(?) took over from Alex. Sadly, Neil passed away shortly after the Speedway Mail ceased publication. ATB Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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