Sotonian Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Almost every meeting Glasgow staged at Derwent Park during their 1987 'season in exile'. Didn't one of them get abandoned after the track was 'watered' with slurry? I think the bowser had been filled from a nearby river which, unbeknown to them, had been contaminated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Didn't one of them get abandoned after the track was 'watered' with slurry? I think the bowser had been filled from a nearby river which, unbeknown to them, had been contaminated! Crikey - I bet that put them in the sh*t. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) Didn't one of them get abandoned after the track was 'watered' with slurry? I think the bowser had been filled from a nearby river which, unbeknown to them, had been contaminated! I was at that meeting. Don't recall it being abandoned. I do remember the riders coming back to the pits after the first heat. They were covered, head to foot, in slurry. Typified the shambolic organisation of that Glasgow-at-Workington season. Hard to believe the Tigers re-emerged at Shawfield, a few months later, with huge crowds and professional presentation. Some of the Derwent Park crowds struggled to reach 350, partly because Glasgow had such a poor team (only Boston, also kicked out of the league, were worse), partly because the track/racing was a joke and partly because Glaswegians didn't want to trek down to Workington while west Cumbrians couldn't see the point of watching somebody else's side. EDIT: I'm going to stick my neck out and say the 'slurry' meeting was on the August Bank Holiday Monday (31st) afternoon against Middlesbrough. It was baking hot. The Bears won 53-23. Just dug out the programme. Promoter Dave Thomson clearly feared the worst when he wrote, in his Tiger Talk programme notes: "I would be surprised if we get through today without one or two hiccups behind the scenes as most of our regular track staff and officials are not with us." Explains the water/slurry fiasco. I seem to remember Glasgow skipper Steve Lawson later described the afternoon as the worst experience of his speedway career. Edited August 4, 2017 by Piotr Pyszny 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Piotr Pyszny...............Trailing down to the East Midlands from Teesside to report on a Long Eaton v Middlesbrough match in the (I think) 1995 season. Glorious summer evening, not a cloud in the sky, yet the meeting was called off. When I queried the ref's decision, he took me out on the track. It was like a ploughed field! Too dangerous for push bikes, let alone speedway bikes, was his summation. This must have been a different meeting to the one I was thinking of but I'm sure it was Middlesbrough. They refused to ride so Long Eaton's riders scored 5-0's in every race. Also at Long Eaton on a lovely June evening, with Ove Fundin and his wife present, the track had been over watered and the match called off. I can't remember which team was the opposition then but I know I was cheesed off driving over from Leicester for nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) Another that sticks out in the memory: I was holidaying in south Wales (as you do) in spring 2002, and drove over to Carmarthen to watch the Dragons' opening meeting (versus King's Lynn's juniors) at the Showground. Big crowd on, and the track wasn't fit for racing. It simply wasn't ready. Nobody could get the bikes sideways on the turns. I watched the meeting in the company of a Newport regular, who described it as a travesty of speedway. Can't imagine any first-timer would have seen much point in returning. Did Carmarthen end their chances, there and then, of making a success of staging speedway in south-west Wales? The opening meeting at the South Tees Motorsport Park, Redcar versus Sheffield, in 2006, wasn't much better - for the same reasons. Track unfit for racing. And first impressions count, don't they? Edited August 5, 2017 by Piotr Pyszny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Another that sticks out in the memory: I was holidaying in south Wales (as you do) in spring 2002, and drove over to Carmarthen to watch the Dragons' opening meeting (versus King's Lynn's juniors) at the Showground. Big crowd on, and the track wasn't fit for racing. It simply wasn't ready. Nobody could get the bikes sideways on the turns. I watched the meeting in the company of a Newport regular, who described it as a travesty of speedway. Can't imagine any first-timer would have seen much point in returning. Did Carmarthen end their chances, there and then, of making a success of staging speedway in south-west Wales? The opening meeting at the South Tees Motorsport Park, Redcar versus Sheffield, in 2006, wasn't much better - for the same reasons. Track unfit for racing. And first impressions count, don't they? I was at STMP and I'd describe the track as very poor rather than unfit. Massive crowd that night, the only time I have ever watched speedway from the 3rd bend there. Speaking of opening nights, I was at Barrow in 1985. KO Cup 2nd leg v Exeter. The facilities were spartan to say the least and the pits had apparently blown away in a high wind during the preceding week. It was absolutely freezing and the first few heats took ages. Then the lights went out. This was traced to the generator which had failed, but it was fine because the tractor could be used. Someone ran across the centre green, jumped on the tractor and proceeded to drive it away only for it stop. Cue man with petrol can. Tractor on its way, lights on, ragged cheer. One race later, huge bang, lights out, meeting abandoned. It might be bizarre, but its a meeting I'll never forget and one that I don't remember with anger, regret or disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Clemens Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Saying speedway is a shambles is like saying the sea is full of water 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 I wouldn't know what you are talking about. I don't do Twitter, Facebook etc. I avoid them like the plague. It's a shame you do that. I don't do Twitter but enjoy Facebook as there are some great groups on there ~ Nature Watch, Speedway, Border Collie, German Shepherd, Staffordshire Terrier etc., all of which I am interested in. It's not all rubbish and photos of people's dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehone Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 It's not all rubbish and photos of people's dinner. what sort of idiot would keep posting pictures of their dinner?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalan Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 what sort of idiot would keep posting pictures of their dinner?! Oh you'd be so surprised Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Hunter Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 This must have been a different meeting to the one I was thinking of but I'm sure it was Middlesbrough. They refused to ride so Long Eaton's riders scored 5-0's in every race. Also at Long Eaton on a lovely June evening, with Ove Fundin and his wife present, the track had been over watered and the match called off. I can't remember which team was the opposition then but I know I was cheesed off driving over from Leicester for nothing. Yes, it was. It was Mildenhall in June 1986, and I attended that one as well. I was a glorious evening by the time Long Eaton took to the track for the first of their 13 5-0's, but IIRC, there had been one of those summer downpours at around 6 o'clock, so the track could have been termed as 'a bit on the damp side', at least to start off with. However, it did dry out very well and Gerald Short actually won heat 13 in a time not far off the track record.... Both Dave Jessup and Mel Taylor received bans at the subsequent hearing, a year each, I think, suspended for a year. They were also fined around £1000 each for their troubles. Mildenhall captain Rob Henry was fined £500, but didn't receive a ban. Most of the discipline panel's ire fell on the Fen Tigers team manager, Maurice Everett, who it has to be said, was a real trouble maker and pain in the backside. He alone was fined £1000, an unprecedented sum for a non rider. And it wasn't long after that the SCB/BSPA told Mildenhall to dispense with his services or face a sanction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave the Mic Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Could be some whinging Aussies who appear to dominate page 2 and 3 of this weeks speedway star. When will they give it a rest and move on. What is done is done and if all they are interested in is the Visa, then maybe the whole idea of Aussies riding in the UK. Needs reviewing. Amen Thank you for the explanation Grachan. Only in Speedway. Ole Olsen refused to ride for Hull if I remember correctly. He did. Good old rider control. Allocated to Hull & refused to go. Said he would retire if he didn't get a move to Coventry, which of course, he did. Two good things came of this:- 1) Rider control was abolished & 2) Barry Briggs stayed in the BL to race for Hull instead of retiring. Rider control was nuts - Wayne Briggs was racing for Glasgow in the early 70's & lived in Scotland - he was allocated to, wait for it, Exeter, so retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted August 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 How does tonight's Leicester v Charlie Chapman's Kings Lynn Stars compare? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 How does tonight's Leicester v Charlie Chapman's Kings Lynn Stars compare? Thanks only to the brilliant Dan Bewley, there will be a lot worse. His contribution turned a true and complete disaster into something just about worth watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topaz325 Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Seems to be a new craze in warnings and re starts . Spoiling meetings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyretrax Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 "Stars of Tomorrow" at Berwick,what a joke of a line up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Leicester Hunter..............Yes, it was. It was Mildenhall in June 1986, and I attended that one as well. Ah thanks. At least I got the 'M' bit right. Thanks for all the details. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted August 6, 2017 Report Share Posted August 6, 2017 And it goes on today - sadly! Leicester V supposedly KL Stars last night. Shambolic for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Hunter Posted August 6, 2017 Report Share Posted August 6, 2017 Ah thanks. At least I got the 'M' bit right. Thanks for all the details. No probs Gemini. It's meetings like those that stay in the old memory bank! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted August 6, 2017 Report Share Posted August 6, 2017 No probs Gemini. It's meetings like those that stay in the old memory bank! Sadly not much stays in mine these days. Anything new that goes in automatically deletes older ones as my memory database is full. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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