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Reading Speedway - Smallmead.


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On 6/22/2020 at 10:20 PM, The H Man said:

 

So unless a multi millionaire speedway fan fancies buying the old site back from Green Park owners and convincing authorities around developing site for leisure then sport is gone forever in the town.  

Blimey can you imagine what they would want for it?!

We are however still searching for a suitable site somewhere else in the area in the hope of "doing a Somerset"...

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On 6/23/2020 at 5:15 AM, cityrebel said:

The pre meeting downpour helped make it a pretty good meeting though, compared to the awful race off a couple of days earlier.

Indeed the downpour helped produce a decent track, but when the Saturday afternoon inspection from the Council's H&S man initially concluded that the grass banks were too wet to allow the punters to use, panic set in I'll tell you!  So many great stories from time with the Racers/Bulldogs.   

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22 hours ago, skydog said:

Blimey can you imagine what they would want for it?!

We are however still searching for a suitable site somewhere else in the area in the hope of "doing a Somerset"...

A Somerset type of project would be wonderful, we all keep our fingers firmly crossed it might happen one day.  

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3 hours ago, The H Man said:

Indeed the downpour helped produce a decent track, but when the Saturday afternoon inspection from the Council's H&S man initially concluded that the grass banks were too wet to allow the punters to use, panic set in I'll tell you!  So many great stories from time with the Racers/Bulldogs.   

Tell me about it, i had to sit on a plastic bag!

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3 hours ago, The H Man said:

Indeed the downpour helped produce a decent track, but when the Saturday afternoon inspection from the Council's H&S man initially concluded that the grass banks were too wet to allow the punters to use, panic set in I'll tell you!  So many great stories from time with the Racers/Bulldogs.   

I remember the World Team Cup Qualifier in 1979 that really should have been abandoned and watching the gutsy Gordon Kennett battling against Kellly Moran without his goggles.

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I only went to Reading in their last season when they dropped back into the then Premier League. I seem to recall going there 4 times that year with Somerset for a challenge which we got thumped in, won in the League Cup, won in the league (which I think was the last ever match at Smallmead?) and in the KO Cup on a very hot and sunny afternoon. Jason Doyle romped to a 21 point maximum in what I still regard as the best performance that I've ever seen, going from last to first in the space of a lap off 15 metres in heat 14 for an 8-1 with Matthias Kroger.

Ahhhhhh they were the days.....

Edited by Najjer
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47 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I was there Steve. Speedway racing on custard!

I have actually seen custard powder used on a speedway track - to mark out the white line (@ Poole)

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On 6/25/2020 at 12:48 PM, racers and royals said:

I suppose you were an essential person/worker who had to be there on Saturday and was able to watch the match  :)

No mate.  I quit pre-season the terms were worse than working for Pat & Bill :-) ;-)

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22 hours ago, arnieg said:

I have actually seen custard powder used on a speedway track - to mark out the white line (@ Poole)

It certainly wasnt a Dream Topping. ..

Buddum Tish......

I'll get me coat...:D

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On 6/25/2020 at 8:20 PM, racers and royals said:

you can even watch some of it again here with the dulcet tones of Dave Lanning !  

 

You would never see any of today’s high fliers take to the track in those conditions. In those days riders just got on with it and in doing so showed some respect to the paying punter. These days they are over rated and  over paid thanks to Poland and most have no respect for anyone but themselves. Add to this the fact that the cost of participating as a rider forces most would be riders out of the sport and with fewer riders/countries competing then all you highly paid individuals will suddenly find no one can afford to play with the few elitists who think they are Gods gift to speedway. Make it cheaper to enter and participate as a rider with standardised equipment and stop the nonsense of needing three or four bikes. Those who want to be like formula one drivers, stick to GPS and keep out of league speedway.

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50 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

You would never see any of today’s high fliers take to the track in those conditions. In those days riders just got on with it and in doing so showed some respect to the paying punter. These days they are over rated and  over paid thanks to Poland and most have no respect for anyone but themselves. Add to this the fact that the cost of participating as a rider forces most would be riders out of the sport and with fewer riders/countries competing then all you highly paid individuals will suddenly find no one can afford to play with the few elitists who think they are Gods gift to speedway. Make it cheaper to enter and participate as a rider with standardised equipment and stop the nonsense of needing three or four bikes. Those who want to be like formula one drivers, stick to GPS and keep out of league speedway.

John Berry as honest as he can be answering some rather awkward questions.

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