WembleyLion Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 I remember Belle Vue walking out at Hull in 1974 I think. It was 15 - 9 after 4 heats and ended up 60 - 9! Also Reading walked out of the last three heats at Hackney once - result 45 - 30! A cock up to come to mind was Berwick sending the wrong two riders out for a race at Rye House a few years ago. They were both excluded after the end of the race! More recently Barbara Horley changed the race result of heat 2 at Rye House but only after a few more races had been run - made a right mess of the programme! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted May 17, 2015 Report Share Posted May 17, 2015 During the Chris Shears era at Foxhall there was certainly a couple green light start meetings although I cant for the life of me remember dates and opponents!! There was also "The Redi Hire Pairs" held in awful track conditions - really deep and wet. Times I recall in the region of 74-78 seconds when the track record was just under a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymour Dix Posted May 17, 2015 Report Share Posted May 17, 2015 (edited) I remember at Newport's old Somerton Park Track in 76 I think there was a problem with the red lights around the track not working. Maurice Morley the Newport promoter wanted the meeting to go ahead using the red exclusion light as a signal to stop the race, combined the track staff waving red flags around the track . The riders were quite happy with the arrangement, however the referee wasn't and the match was postponed. The following week as a guesture of good faith everyone was let in free regardless of weather they had a readmisson ticket Edited May 17, 2015 by Seymour Dix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted May 18, 2015 Report Share Posted May 18, 2015 Remember when Belle Vue didnt bother to turn up at Berwick in 1991. Big crowd in the stadium, think they arranged a mini meeting with berwick riders and second halfers! Didn't Berwick run all 15Hts with only the Berwick riders on track, it was quite noticeable which riders were keen to return the following season as they had the most engine failures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 19, 2015 Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 Didn't Berwick run all 15Hts with only the Berwick riders on track, it was quite noticeable which riders were keen to return the following season as they had the most engine failures. Wow! A quarter of a century back and it seems like yesterday. I recall Berwick's first ever trip to Belle Vue, a Gold Cup match in 1991, and we were all dragged outside for about half an hour, due to a bomb scare. Since then, the Belle Vue site has been wrecked by that said bomb hitting it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 Didn't Berwick run all 15Hts with only the Berwick riders on track, it was quite noticeable which riders were keen to return the following season as they had the most engine failures. The Terry Lindon regime. I think the Serious Fraud Office finally managed to pin something on him a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted May 20, 2015 Report Share Posted May 20, 2015 The Terry Lindon regime. I think the Serious Fraud Office finally managed to pin something on him a couple of years ago. Obviously it was good to see the best riders riding at Berrington, but it almost cost Berwick its speedway, and the less said about Linden the better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 The 1967 British Final at West Ham, when the riders threatened to strike over pay just before the start, was a major story at the time. 'Night of Shame' Speedway Star editor Paul Parish called it. I remember that evening well. I was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 Hang on a minute-didn't that also occur at the 1963 Prov. League Riders Final at Belle Vue and also at the 1965 British Final at West Ham(I woz there). Amazingly I also attended the 1967 British Final at West Ham (that was the time Rick France qualified for the World Final) and don't recall the strike thing-wasn't the Paul Parish story about the 1965 British Final-reckon I'm right- I just dug out Speedway Star of 10 Sept 1965(I really gotta get a life) and on pages 6 and 7 is the Paul Parish story-he mentions "Night of Shame" but the actual article is titled "Black Night". I am sorry to have to correct tmc and Norbold -of all people- but I reckon you both owe me a pint. Further piece of trivia on that evening-in Heat 5 Peter Vandenberg inflicted the first defeat that Charlie Monk suffered in the WC campaign till that point. It was the only 3 pts. that Pete Vandenberg got that evening. Charlie went from 4th to 2nd by overtaking Bill Andrews and Ronnie Genz, but couldn't catch PV. If he had he would have at least been in a run off for the last WF spot and could have beaten the other two in the run off -Mike Broadbank and Gordon Guasco. sadly Charlie never did make the WF. I remember the evening very well-first one with a mixture of PL and NL riders as first year of BL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill94d Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Further piece of trivia on that evening-in Heat 5 Peter Vandenberg inflicted the first defeat that Charlie Monk suffered in the WC campaign till that point. It was the only 3 pts. that Pete Vandenberg got that evening. Charlie went from 4th to 2nd by overtaking Bill Andrews and Ronnie Genz, but couldn't catch PV. If he had he would have at least been in a run off for the last WF spot and could have beaten the other two in the run off -Mike Broadbank and Gordon Guasco. sadly Charlie never did make the WF. I remember the evening very well-first one with a mixture of PL and NL riders as first year of BL. Never worked out why Charlie Monk never reached a world final, with all his talent. I know why the other big gun north of the border didn't and that was a little incident at Meadowbank. He was never confident after that of taking the top riders on in case he fell off again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Blanchard Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Wilkie throwing the ladder to the refs box above the grandstand at a Saddlebow Road onto the centre green in a fit of pique, when he was upset about a decision the ref made at the Bank Holiday meeting of Kings Lynn v. Belle Vue. I have photo's of that, so funny. Edited May 23, 2015 by Jim Blanchard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifer sam Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 My own favourite was the Oxford v Cardley match on 3 April 1975. The meeting was held in snow, and Cradley walked out after heat 7 leaving Oxford to ride round on their own to win 58-14. I remember a couple of matches at Oxford being called off in good weather due to an over watered track. I actually gave up going to Oxford every week as a result. 1992 vs Swindon and Cradley Heath? All the best Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 cock-up rather than walk out. 1969 i think Teesside v Canterbury - the Crusaders were carrying their men and machines in a converted bus which broke down. Somehow Ron Wilson cobbled together a Northern Select team to replace them - including Barry Crowson who was travelling seperately and Alan Knapkin there was an announcement that you could leave the stadium and get a refund or readmission or whatever but very few did in my memory. Ron Wilson had his critics but he ran a tight show and i don't recall many weather call offs - not while he had sawdust to sprinkle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 cock-up rather than walk out. 1969 i think Teesside v Canterbury - the Crusaders were carrying their men and machines in a converted bus which broke down. Somehow Ron Wilson cobbled together a Northern Select team to replace them - including Barry Crowson who was travelling seperately and Alan Knapkin there was an announcement that you could leave the stadium and get a refund or readmission or whatever but very few did in my memory. Ron Wilson had his critics but he ran a tight show and i don't recall many weather call offs - not while he had sawdust to sprinkle Aye - those were the days. :approve: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamBouchard Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Probably a bit late now, but, just off the top of my head, I can think of enough incidents at Long Eaton in that period to fill a couple of pages. At least eight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruiser McHuge Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 I can remember a lot of incidents happening...I just can't remember who they were or exactly where they were as they were that long ago ! I remember Michael Lee walking out of a televised England v USA Test match in protest at Frank Ebdon and the new tape touching and rolling procedures ...Ebdon kept stopping his races for his starts and Lee stormed out of the meeting ...I remember him giving an interview in his civvies whilst the meeting was still going on and saying the new starting laws and especially Ebdon were killing speedway.. I remember Scott Autrey falling off in the wet at Hyde Road for Exeter and going home after 2 rides because of the wet track.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 I can remember a lot of incidents happening...I just can't remember who they were or exactly where they were as they were that long ago ! I remember Michael Lee walking out of a televised England v USA Test match in protest at Frank Ebdon and the new tape touching and rolling procedures ...Ebdon kept stopping his races for his starts and Lee stormed out of the meeting ...I remember him giving an interview in his civvies whilst the meeting was still going on and saying the new starting laws and especially Ebdon were killing speedway.. I remember Scott Autrey falling off in the wet at Hyde Road for Exeter and going home after 2 rides because of the wet track.. almost correct. Lee did storm off but never got changed. The interview was in his leathers and he said the rule was killing speedway. Asked wether he was going to ride he said he had to it was England. I think the incident is on You Tube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 almost correct. Lee did storm off but never got changed. The interview was in his leathers and he said the rule was killing speedway. Asked wether he was going to ride he said he had to it was England. I think the incident is on You Tube If it's the same one I'm thinking, I am sure later on Lee was interviewed in his civvies, the May Bank Holiday 1984 match at Ipswich. He was sick of referees hounding him and said he was totally hacked/jacked off with the sport. The referee that day was Frank Ebdon. If my memory is correct, wasn't Lee wearing a black jacket in the last interview? How times change... when I actually got angry at England being beat, when I actually sat in front of the goggle box for any kind of speedway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Hammer Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IXs1WS_OyPI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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