Gavan Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Blimey. Thanks for the starting this thread...1990 was my first season aswell. I still remember Lee's debut aswell - what a turnaround. My 1-7.. 1. Per - along the lines of what you said, when he gated, it was frankly boring! Go on Per, miss the start... reel them in! 2. Dave Mullett 3. Jan Andersson 4. Janusz - i remember his first ride, running a last i think, but riding in such way that had everyone so excited.. an amazing rider for us in the short time he was with us. 5. Todd - my all time favourite rider. 6. Matej Zagar 7. Andrew Appleton Rider i wished we'd signed... - i'll also say Crump - as a rider i did not like him one bit, but i will always remember him guesting for us multiple times when Per was injured and he spoke so sincerely on the PA at Reading letting us know he would cover Per as much as he could as he respected him so much. I can remember being choked as he said it all those years ago, and to be honest it still chokes me a bit now. Special mention for Mr Phil Morris who was a talisman for us both on and off track for years, and i will always be thankful to him and forum member Big H for saving me from a beating at the hands of a large number of workington fans one night on a northern tour at that pub they all went to after the meetings up there! And of course, there can only be one team manager... Tim Sugar. Unassuming, tactically astute and most certainly a legend as far as the history of the club goes. Cheers Tom. We followed Mark Loram around and 1990 was both Mark and Todd Wiltshires debuts in the top flight, Mark at Kings Lynn. I went to Kings Lynn v Reading early that season and from memory they both rode at reserve and Mark got 19 and Todd 13 or something. By the end of the season Todd was World number 3.... Also remember Todd saying Mark was the safest rider he ever rode against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Reading was my local track for many years. Had my first meeting been in 1973 or 1975 I may well have ended up supporting them, but fate took me to speedway for the first time in 1974, so, as a result, Reading... BOOO!!! My own favourite period at Smallmead would have to be the early 90s, when I went regularly and saw them almost on equal terms to the mighty Robins. Almost! Not quite!. 1. Anders Michanek. It was amazing to go to Reading in 1975 and see Anders Michanek riding. He was, like, World Champion! 2. Jan Andersson. A great club man who I got to be on speaking terms with after seeing him in the queue dressed up as a chamber maid at The Rocky Horror Show in Oxford. 3. Per Jonsson. You think you have him beat. You're just getting ready to cheer. Last bend. Still beating him. Damn! He got past. 4. John Davis. Much fun to be had booing John Davis on the back straight. Then he signed for Swindon and you realized he was actually alright really. 5. Armando Castagna. Always made me laugh when Armando won a race an Nessun Dorma got played. 6. Dave Mullett. Proper club man. 7. Martin Ashby. Because he's Martin Ashby. Special mentions to Doug Underwood (in case the track needs sorting), Dave Steen (in case the electrics go wrong) and Eugeniusz Blaszak (in case you need something from the shops). Didn't I read something about that in Backtrack :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest compost Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) Didn't I read something about that in Backtrack :) It was also mentioned in the '76 yearbook. For me Bernie Leigh Bob Humphreys Hans 'Split' Wasserman Tony Briggs Terry Betts Jan Anderson Dave Mullett No.8 Ian Gledhill Special mention for Boley Proch, Martin Ashby and Banger Jansson but I couldn't fit in them in the 7 Hans had just qualified for his first world final (1978 I think) when he broke his back in a long track crash. Anyone heard how he got on (I don't think the Reading promotion mentioned how he was doing in the programme notes at the time) ? Edited August 4, 2017 by compost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldRacer Posted August 6, 2017 Report Share Posted August 6, 2017 My favourites from my era Dave Mullett Per Jonsson Jan Andersson Mitch Shirra Matej Zagar Todd Wiltshire Armando Castagna I remember watched Lee R's first few meetings and seeing him way off the pace. The potential was there though. I loved and learned a lot from arnieg's book. Gutted I only saw Anders at Jan Andersson's testimonial. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagonshocker Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 Only used to go to Smallmead initially as an away fan but got to go a lot more during the Wellie days as a rider than promoter, naming a 1-7 as a Swindon fan would normally be using the head than heart but to be honest I have a little bit of a soft spot for The Racers because of Malcolm and subsequently Glanzie so there both in my side along with Jan, Michanek , Terry Betts , Zagar, and Boogaloo only because I loved having down as the Villain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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