Your best speedway year

[Pinny]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I just remember that in 2002 at Oxford he never looked the same rider having previously displayed great potential. Yes I seem to recall that he went on to ride with a certain amount of success in the GPs but after a somewhat disappointing year at Oxford he moved to pastures new.

Yeah i think he was with Poole when he was flying in GPS and had a nasty accident. Remember him hitting the fence on the home straight and loram having to lay the bike down

[salty]

Didn't he (Lukas) have a nasty crash at Poole in a GP qualifier? Or am I dreaming that.

Of course his brother Ales had a bad one at Oxford which looked touch and go for a while.

[BWitcher]

20 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Oxford signed the Dryml brothers in 2000 on very high assessed averages I recall at the time. They somewhat struggled that year but came back all the stronger the following championship winning year. Lukas in particular was a revelation until a very zealous coming together with Peter Karlsson at King's Lynn when both went clattering into the fence. Lukas picked up a damaged knee and it played havoc with him for the rest of the year (picking up some unwanted publicity also it has to be said) and in my opinion was never the same rider again although he did go on to compete at the highest level for a number of years it has to be said.

Ah the year Oxford truly lived up to their nickname.

Lukas indeed was a revelation.. as were his guests on the tracks he didn't like when he was off competing in a knobbly knees contest or whatever other random excuse he and Oxford would come up with

[steve roberts]

20 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Ah the year Oxford truly lived up to their nickname.

Lukas indeed was a revelation.. as were his guests on the tracks he didn't like when he was off competing in a knobbly knees contest or whatever other random excuse he and Oxford would come up with

...wasn't without precedence. Halifax did the same when Kenny Carter was injured in 1984.

[Terry]

I've mentioned 76 but I've got to talk about 2 other years.

1980. After finishing bottom in 79 and making just one change in Roman Jankowski for Bobby McNeil we were slaughtered by King's Lynn 20-57 in the early season gold cup.

I think that result gave us the kick up the backside we needed. We had a great year with Bo Petersen topping the national averages for most of the season, before eventually finishing fourth. Losing at home to Cradley in early October ended our title challenge, but after being used to finishing near the bottom of the table it was was great to hit the heights and finish second to Reading.

I've got to mention 'the year of the Kestrel.' 1988, what a year, two draws and two defeats both by 47-49.

Winning both legs of the London KO Cup. An all British team. Captain fantastic Andy Galvin team-riding Chris Louis home for so many 5-1's.

Cheering on Loramski to the British U-21 title at Eastbourne at the grand old age of 17...that's when I knew he was a future world champion.

 

[iris123]

I’d say 2005 I think, was also a great year. Here in Germany there was Matze Schultz, Hefenbrock, Smolinski, Kroner, Wölbert and a few other youngsters all coming through at the same time. The one from Bavaria who was also a kick boxer who I think went to Berwick for a while and Danny Knakowski, who ended up in prison 

[chunky]

14 hours ago, Terry said:

Winning both legs of the London KO Cup. An all British team. 

    

[iris123]

17 minutes ago, chunky said:

    

I ignored him 

[chunky]

7 minutes ago, iris123 said:

I ignored him 

Were you at Plough Lane the night of that "friendly" (the London Pride Challenge) when two last heat exclusions (which I can only describe as total b*llocks!!!) gave the 'awks the win???

[Terry]

44 minutes ago, chunky said:

Were you at Plough Lane the night of that "friendly" (the London Pride Challenge) when two last heat exclusions (which I can only describe as total b*llocks!!!) gave the 'awks the win???

I was there. Todd Wiltshire and Neville Tatum wasn't it?

I remember Dave Lanning telling the home fans to calm down!

[chunky]

39 minutes ago, Terry said:

I was there. Todd Wiltshire and Neville Tatum wasn't it?

I remember Dave Lanning telling the home fans to calm down!

Yes it was!

I have the video of it, and you can hear Dave pleading with everyone!

[iris123]

1 hour ago, chunky said:

Were you at Plough Lane the night of that "friendly" (the London Pride Challenge) when two last heat exclusions (which I can only describe as total b*llocks!!!) gave the 'awks the win???

Can’t remember it off hand. But tbh it doesn’t surprise me. I don’t have a great memory of individual meetings like say Sid does. If I look at my Programmes and it is in my collection, then I was there

I might have even been at the same Glasgow meeting . I went to. Glasgow v Wimbledon one year around that time. But I was mainly up for the footie and it coincided 

[chunky]

1 minute ago, iris123 said:

Can’t remember it off hand. But tbh it doesn’t surprise me. I don’t have a great memory of individual meetings like say Sid does. If I look at my Programmes and it is in my collection, then I was there

If you were there, I'm sure you would remember it! As Terry said, Dave was really trying to calm everybody calm down, and this was the closest thing I've ever seen to a full-scale riot. And it was a "friendly"!!! Bleedin' Galvin... 

[iris123]

Yes by then I was doing shifts, so had no option other than to miss meetings now and again working from 6-6

Edited May 10, 2020 by iris123

[Chadster]

Those early season Dons v Hawks challenge matches in the NL days were something else, it always seemed to me that the league meetings were quite tame by comparison. I do remember that last heat 5-0 and the uproar in the stadium. Happy days!

[Ovalman]

Were the East End derbies Ackney v West Am as feisty?

My dad, a Wembley fan, said Arringay matches were feisty affairs in norf London.

Edited May 23, 2020 by auntie doris

[bruno]

On 5/8/2020 at 6:02 AM, Sidney the robin said:

You had the pleasure of seeing Tommy defeat Ashby in the helmet at Cradley in 1976 Salty.!!!

Just spotted this Sid I was there only 15 but I remember it, I think we were riding Swindon that night which makes sense but I'd have to check it out. Strange isn't it the golden helmet meant so much back then but today wouldn't mean a thing today

Edited May 28, 2020 by bruno

[steve roberts]

7 hours ago, bruno said:

Just spotted this Sid I was there only 15 but I remember it, I think we were riding Swindon that night which makes sense but I'd have to check it out. Strange isn't it the golden helmet meant so much back then but today wouldn't mean a thing today

Yes I remember when the Golden Helmet was a match race between the holder and the highest scoring opposition rider...infact the very first meeting I attended Garry Middleton relieved holder Nigel Boocock of the tifter! Then, of course, it was decided to run a monthly challenge which caught the imagination at the time. I witnessed many memorable challenges over the years before it reverted back to the on-off and finally disappearing (together with the helmet!) altogether.

[BOBBATH]

Steve, just want to clarify your last post re  the best speedway year (1965 of course). I just want to respectfully note that in 1965 both the Golden Helmet and Silver Sash match races  ran in tandem. The Golden Helmet was  a best of three races on the holders and challengers home tracks. If after two meetings on this basis there was a tie, a third best of three races at a neutral track occurred. This was a continuation of the Golden Helmet Match Races  which were in the old pre-amalgamation National League. The monthly challenger was nominated by the promoters committee ( I think).

The competition you refer to which  involved the highest opposition rider against the holder -if they met in the same meeting -was the Silver Sash. This was a continuation  of the pre-amalgamation Provincial League match race championship. The  Golden Helmet was run on a monthly basis so in 1965 there was a Golden Helmet  championship in each of the months of May, June, July, August, September, and  October. Barry Briggs won every one over 2 legs-the guys he beat over 2 legs -(nobody took him to a third leg decider)  were in order; May- Charlie Monk: June -Ken Mckinlay (I saw the second leg of that at Newport on June 11th): July-George Hunter: August- Nigel Boocock:, September- Sverre Harrfeldt: and October- Olle Nygren So Barry kept the Golden helmet over the close season and was the holder when 1966 started. I was interested to see that Charlie Monk was the first nominee for Barry to ride against-this shows the high regard which Charlie was held in-but also maybe because the logical first PL challenger would have been Ivan Mauger who unfortunately had an accident very early in the season and was unavailable

As regards the Silver Sash that year-that was competed for far more frequently ( 7 times in May alone) of course depending on the schedule, there were various holders-in order Pete Jarman, Olle Nygren, Jim Lighfoot,, Ken McKinlay, Bob Andrews Eric Boocock, Jimmy Gooch and Colin Pratt-who was the holder at the end of the season. I got to see one of those races. In the Newport v. Wolves fixture on April 19th Pete Jarman was the holder, Jack Biggs was the highest Newport scorer -so the Silver sash match race was Pete v. Jackie- Pete won. Pete Jarman was the first holder in 1965 because the pre season champ was Ivan -who lost to Pete by default because of his injury (see above).

The only reason I know all this is because I kept (and still have)  The British Speedway Handbook -1966 Edition which covered the 1965 season. Hope this post brings back some memories of other forumlanders who can say about 1965 "I woz there"!!!!!

 

 

 

 

[customhouseregular]

On 5/29/2020 at 7:18 PM, BOBBATH said:

Steve, just want to clarify your last post re  the best speedway year (1965 of course). I just want to respectfully note that in 1965 both the Golden Helmet and Silver Sash match races  ran in tandem. The Golden Helmet was  a best of three races on the holders and challengers home tracks. If after two meetings on this basis there was a tie, a third best of three races at a neutral track occurred. This was a continuation of the Golden Helmet Match Races  which were in the old pre-amalgamation National League. The monthly challenger was nominated by the promoters committee ( I think).

The competition you refer to which  involved the highest opposition rider against the holder -if they met in the same meeting -was the Silver Sash. This was a continuation  of the pre-amalgamation Provincial League match race championship. The  Golden Helmet was run on a monthly basis so in 1965 there was a Golden Helmet  championship in each of the months of May, June, July, August, September, and  October. Barry Briggs won every one over 2 legs-the guys he beat over 2 legs -(nobody took him to a third leg decider)  were in order; May- Charlie Monk: June -Ken Mckinlay (I saw the second leg of that at Newport on June 11th): July-George Hunter: August- Nigel Boocock:, September- Sverre Harrfeldt: and October- Olle Nygren So Barry kept the Golden helmet over the close season and was the holder when 1966 started. I was interested to see that Charlie Monk was the first nominee for Barry to ride against-this shows the high regard which Charlie was held in-but also maybe because the logical first PL challenger would have been Ivan Mauger who unfortunately had an accident very early in the season and was unavailable

As regards the Silver Sash that year-that was competed for far more frequently ( 7 times in May alone) of course depending on the schedule, there were various holders-in order Pete Jarman, Olle Nygren, Jim Lighfoot,, Ken McKinlay, Bob Andrews Eric Boocock, Jimmy Gooch and Colin Pratt-who was the holder at the end of the season. I got to see one of those races. In the Newport v. Wolves fixture on April 19th Pete Jarman was the holder, Jack Biggs was the highest Newport scorer -so the Silver sash match race was Pete v. Jackie- Pete won. Pete Jarman was the first holder in 1965 because the pre season champ was Ivan -who lost to Pete by default because of his injury (see above).

The only reason I know all this is because I kept (and still have)  The British Speedway Handbook -1966 Edition which covered the 1965 season. Hope this post brings back some memories of other forumlanders who can say about 1965 "I woz there"!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Great post and many thanks. I am having trouble accepting 1965, my best speedway year was 55 years ago. Good Lord I feel old.