Best thing about the 60s &70s

[chunky]

5 hours ago, cityrebel said:

A lot of blank years inbetween. I loved Wood lane. It was a short ride on the 220 bus. I only missed 4 meetings there from 1976 to 83.

Yep, I spent a lot of time on the 220 too!

I was never as regular as you, but I loved my visits there...

[steve roberts]

9 hours ago, customhouseregular said:

I must admit I enjoyed my few visits to Wood Lane.

I would travel from Oxford every week following the "Rebels" after their re-location form Cowley. I got to see the best of both worlds. British League action at Wood Lane and National League at Cowley...great days!

[Sidney the robin]

On 6/17/2021 at 11:03 PM, cityrebel said:

We've all been weaned off it Sid. Last year i attended 4 meetings, my lowest total since 1968, which was my first season. This year I've done 9, which includes 2 amateur meetings at Lydd and 1 on the grass. I really feel we are entering the last professional era for the sport in this country.

Can you see any hope for the future city?  can the sport be reinvented.

[Ovalman]

Still chat to Reg Luckhurst on facebook messenger. Some faves from the 60s..Craven, Fundin, Squibb, Penniket, Knutson, Briggo, Hitch, Nygren, Hedge, Luckhurst, Ashby, Kilby, The Boococks, Betts, Broadbanks, Wilson........

[longlivefrankie]

Iconic race jackets, trips to Wembley, Wimbledon & Belle Vue for major events.  The lights being turned off in stands during races. The superstars - Briggs, Mauger, Moore, Olsen, Fundin etc. trip's up & down the motorways including stopping at services. going to multiple meetings on bank holidays , once in 1976 I think doing Reading v Hackney, White City v Hull & then Wimbledon for Internationale on Whit Monday.  I used to get a badge & year bar from each track I went to if possible.   The smell of the bikes warming up. Seeing teams visiting once a year or at most twice.  Coming home covered in shale! I

guess nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

[E I Addio]

11 hours ago, norbold said:

Yes. Exactly that.

I'd also like to add the magnificent, the unbeatable, Bjorn Knutson - class personified - and following the rise to stardom of Malcolm Simmons. Plus my old mate, Stan Stevens.

And to the old timers, Aub Lawson.

Yes, My memory of Knutson is that he was so accurate it was as if he was riding round on rails, almost in the same tyre tracks lap after lap. Apart from the rise of stardom of Malcolm Simmons, one of my all time favourites, we saw the rise even further of Norman Hunter , my first No1 favourite rider. I was gutted when he went to Wolves, and even more gutted when injury stopped him progressing further. I was so sure he was on the verge of a World Final appearance.

Lets not forget “ Gentleman “ George Barclay . Pretty much out if his depth in the top league but as he used say when I used to chat  to him at Lakeside, “I was the one who always came fourth” . Never a star but no rider was ever more deserving of the title “ Gentleman”. A truly lovely man. I don’t know if he is still with us but the last I heard he was suffering with dementia, which is tragic for such a nice man. His wife Linda was lovely as well.

I never saw Aub Lawson ride, but I spent my early years living in Otley Road which of course led straight down to the main gate of the stadium. Aub was a household name among the older generation in the whole neighbourhood,for years after he retired. He is one of those riders at the top of my   “Wish I had seen list” as is Tiger Stevenson, who I think I am correct in saying only ever rode for West Ham in his entire career.

Fantastic memories that I wouldn’t have missed for all the tea in China.

 

[E I Addio]

4 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Can you see any hope for the future city?  can the sport be reinvented.

I see no hope Sid.even if the sport were really well run society has changed. People are not interested in such a basic sport in today’s high tech electronic world. Also , with the price of Land and pressure to build houses it becomes uneconomic to keep a big stadium going just with speedway and dog racing, then shut during the winter months. Even dog racing is only a fraction of the size it used to be. I think Romford is the only dog track left in the London area whereas there used to be 40 in the 1960’s.

[steve roberts]

44 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

I see no hope Sid.even if the sport were really well run society has changed. People are not interested in such a basic sport in today’s high tech electronic world. Also , with the price of Land and pressure to build houses it becomes uneconomic to keep a big stadium going just with speedway and dog racing, then shut during the winter months. Even dog racing is only a fraction of the size it used to be. I think Romford is the only dog track left in the London area whereas there used to be 40 in the 1960’s.

Unfortunately I have to agree with those sentiments. Always amazes me when we go out for a meal and couples aren't engaging with each other instead both looking into their phone devices (at what goodness knows?) as society seems hell bent on succumbing to technological gizmos which often requires a solitary existance rather than socially mixing and interacting. Very rarely on the bus I talk to anyone (pre-covid) as they're all staring into their devices same as in the staff room where I work. Okay the world has strunk but at what cost?

[norbold]

2 hours ago, E I Addio said:

 

I never saw Aub Lawson ride, but I spent my early years living in Otley Road which of course led straight down to the main gate of the stadium. Aub was a household name among the older generation in the whole neighbourhood,for years after he retired. He is one of those riders at the top of my   “Wish I had seen him list".

 

 

Aub Lawson won the first race I ever saw. He beat Split Waterman in Heat One of the Britannia Shield match, New Cross v. Norwich, 11 May 1960. He went on to score 16 paid 17. The only New Cross rider to beat him was Jimmy Gooch, who instantly became my favourite rider.

Another favourite, both at New Cross and West Ham, was Reg Luckhurst - though he was more of a pop star of course. 

[steve roberts]

Unfortunately I never went to the speedway during the sixties which is to my eternal regret as the track was just round the corner from where we live and I would have been old enough to have attended. However the seventies were great years and during my teenage years speedway was all that I was interested in as I soon preferred it to football. Thursday nights at Cowley were magical and my early heroes were Garry Middleton, Oyvind S.Berg, the Lovaas Brothers and Gordon Kennett. Dag was the master of the adverse camber on the pits bend at Cowley with his majestic swoops and who could forget Gordon's white line riding when battling from the back. Great memories!

[customhouseregular]

4 hours ago, longlivefrankie said:

Iconic race jackets, trips to Wembley, Wimbledon & Belle Vue for major events.  The lights being turned off in stands during races. The superstars - Briggs, Mauger, Moore, Olsen, Fundin etc. trip's up & down the motorways including stopping at services. going to multiple meetings on bank holidays , once in 1976 I think doing Reading v Hackney, White City v Hull & then Wimbledon for Internationale on Whit Monday.  I used to get a badge & year bar from each track I went to if possible.   The smell of the bikes warming up. Seeing teams visiting once a year or at most twice.  Coming home covered in shale! I

guess nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

Long live nostalgia. In my head I’m still 19 and going to Custom House on Tuesday.

[Sidney the robin]

18 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Unfortunately I have to agree with those sentiments. Always amazes me when we go out for a meal and couples aren't engaging with each other instead both looking into their phone devices (at what goodness knows?) as society seems hell bent on succumbing to technological gizmos which often requires a solitary existance rather than socially mixing and interacting. Very rarely on the bus I talk to anyone (pre-covid) as they're all staring into their devices same as in the staff room where I work. Okay the world has strunk but at what cost?

A great point Steve and surely a good reason as any for most offices having there employees back.Otherwise social skills will be lost forever  and the worrying thing is many people like having there life run by the government making there choices for them.

[Sidney the robin]

19 hours ago, E I Addio said:

Yes, My memory of Knutson is that he was so accurate it was as if he was riding round on rails, almost in the same tyre tracks lap after lap. Apart from the rise of stardom of Malcolm Simmons, one of my all time favourites, we saw the rise even further of Norman Hunter , my first No1 favourite rider. I was gutted when he went to Wolves, and even more gutted when injury stopped him progressing further. I was so sure he was on the verge of a World Final appearance.

Lets not forget “ Gentleman “ George Barclay . Pretty much out if his depth in the top league but as he used say when I used to chat  to him at Lakeside, “I was the one who always came fourth” . Never a star but no rider was ever more deserving of the title “ Gentleman”. A truly lovely man. I don’t know if he is still with us but the last I heard he was suffering with dementia, which is tragic for such a nice man. His wife Linda was lovely as well.

I never saw Aub Lawson ride, but I spent my early years living in Otley Road which of course led straight down to the main gate of the stadium. Aub was a household name among the older generation in the whole neighbourhood,for years after he retired. He is one of those riders at the top of my   “Wish I had seen list” as is Tiger Stevenson, who I think I am correct in saying only ever rode for West Ham in his entire career.

Fantastic memories that I wouldn’t have missed for all the tea in China.

 

As my kids often tell me Addio on a regular basis( they take the mikey out of my memorabilia collection.) Dad you are living in the past the world moves on.Would not give up the memories for the world and endless members on this forum would agree with me.The biggest plus from the sport is that did quite a bit with my uncle and Dad which was great and my two boys who were both keen up until about 16 when girls and other interests took over.My biggest regret is not seeing Bjorn and the iconic PC ride my uncle did and told me his memories of them both he said they were capable of more world titles .The  big five Ove, Briggo, Bjorn, Mirac, Peter ( later Ivan) has to be up there as the strongest era.Swindon we’ll have been blessed really Briggs, Crash, Kilb, Broady, Crump ( snr / son/ Scott, Leigh, Darcy ‘ Doyley, ( ect) been very. lucky other  favourites are Wellie( Holloway) Clive Hitch, Shawn McConnell Per Sorensen, .Visiting riders the no 1s who were the stars for me what a treat to see a different one every week hence Mauger, Olsen, Boocock x2) Bettsy, Wilsonx2) Louis, Collins, Sjosten, Middleton,Janssonx2 Loftqvist, Sanders, Lovaas, Morton x2) Moore, ( ect) great days.

[steve roberts]

1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

A great point Steve and surely a good reason as any for most offices having there employees back.Otherwise social skills will be lost forever  and the worrying thing is many people like having there life run by the government making there choices for them.

People ask me what did I find different working in a University Department for 17 years and how it evolved? Put simply when I first started the group that I worked with would swap ideas seeking advice amongst themselves as regards their particular line of work/research...lots of banter. At the end of my career (albeit working with different people) the emphasis had changed dramatically. Computers had really taken hold and although some conversations took place the office had become much more quiet with people staring into computers with much less interaction taking place.

[Sidney the robin]

17 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Unfortunately I never went to the speedway during the sixties which is to my eternal regret as the track was just round the corner from where we live and I would have been old enough to have attended. However the seventies were great years and during my teenage years speedway was all that I was interested in as I soon preferred it to football. Thursday nights at Cowley were magical and my early heroes were Garry Middleton, Oyvind S.Berg, the Lovaas Brothers and Gordon Kennett. Dag was the master of the adverse camber on the pits bend at Cowley with his majestic swoops and who could forget Gordon's white line riding when battling from the back. Great memories!

Your memories of seeing Hans progress from a world class rider to a superstar has to be up there as one of your greatest memories Steve surely…?Personally was never a fan felt he was a bit of a gating tart quick but nothing else how WRONG was i i admit it got it badly wrong as i have done endless times on this forum.My memory of Hans is just how underated he was as a team rider helped endless riders progress his team riding with Dugard, Sorensen, Butler, Rasmussen, Wigg, stick in the mind.To have a rival like Erik pushing you beating you but you come out on top shows how strong his mentality was.His rivalry with Erik  to me is like a same scenario as Briggs v Fundin   Lendl v McEnroe, Holyfield v Tyson, Ali v Frazier, Senna v Prost .

Edited June 20, 2021 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts]

22 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Your memories of seeing Hans progress from a world class rider to a superstar has to be up there as one of your greatest memories Steve surely…?Personally was never a fan felt he was a bit of a gating tart quick but nothing else how WRONG was i i admit it got it badly wrong as i have done endless times on this forum.My memory of Hans is just how underated he was as a team rider helped endless riders progress his team riding with Dugard, Sorensen, Butler, Rasmussen, Wigg, stick in the mind.To have a rival like Erik pushing you beating you but you come out on top shows how strong his mentality was.His rivalry with Erik  to me is like a same scenario as Briggs v Fundin   Lendl v McEnroe, Holyfield v Tyson, Ali v Frazier, Senna v Prost .

I recall seeing Hans as a seventeen year old riding for Wolves at White City (think he scored 7 or 8?) and it was obvious he was going to make it in the British League but who would imagine then how he would go on to dominate things as much as he did? Remember one classic race at Swindon when Hans was a "Brummie" and he and Phil Crump passed and re-passed each other many times over the four laps...great stuff!

Personally I felt that Martin Dugard could have gone further in the sport and I think moving back to Eastbourne was a mistake. Similar with Gordon Kennett who I felt should have moved to Swindon after the closure of White City? Or "ifs and buts".

[Sidney the robin]

36 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I recall seeing Hans as a seventeen year old riding for Wolves at White City (think he scored 7 or 8?) and it was obvious he was going to make it in the British League but who would imagine then how he would go on to dominate things as much as he did? Remember one classic race at Swindon when Hans was a "Brummie" and he and Phil Crump passed and re-passed each other many times over the four laps...great stuff!

Personally I felt that Martin Dugard could have gone further in the sport and I think moving back to Eastbourne was a mistake. Similar with Gordon Kennett who I felt should have moved to Swindon after the closure of White City? Or "ifs and buts".

Dugard i knew was the better rider longterm than Silver but for me he should of moved to a bigger venue. He was a rider though exciting tough as old boots like his dad ( RIP ) really admired Dugard (snr) Eastie was always prepared well.Gordon should of moved to the Abbey in my opinion certainly one of the best visiting away riders at the Abbey in the late 70s.Going back to Hans how he brought Per Sorensen on was amazing was a real fan of Per at Swindon and always knew there was a rider in there.

[steve roberts]

18 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Dugard i knew was the better rider longterm than Silver but for me he should of moved to a bigger venue. He was a rider though exciting tough as old boots like his dad ( RIP ) really admired Dugard (snr) Eastie was always prepared well.Gordon should of moved to the Abbey in my opinion certainly one of the best visiting away riders at the Abbey in the late 70s.Going back to Hans how he brought Per Sorensen on was amazing was a real fan of Per at Swindon and always knew there was a rider in there.

Per was an inspirational signing for Oxford making a good side into a great one!

[Sidney the robin]

16 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Per was an inspirational signing for Oxford making a good side into a great one!

We often talk about Hans Steve;  you must of seen him more than most of us on the forum certainly when he approached his superstar years.He has to be in the top seven ever ?  ( easily one of the best ever longevity wise impressive).A question Steve i have no idea why did Hans/ Ole have a funny relationship baffled me i know Ole helping Erik was wrong really not a wise move .Now i believe Ole and Hans are ok and that is great really liked Ole as a rider a class act ( sorry Steve didn’t want to join the Cheetahs.!,,,Tommy Knudsen is a rider often forgotten a class act was unlucky in 86 could beat Hans/ Erik on a regular basis and was a hell of a rider remember his riding in Long beach USA outstanding came back after horrendous back injuries and was still a force.

[steve roberts]

17 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

We often talk about Hans Steve;  you must of seen him more than most of us on the forum certainly when he approached his superstar years.He has to be in the top seven ever ?  ( easily one of the best ever longevity wise impressive).A question Steve i have no idea why did Hans/ Ole have a funny relationship baffled me i know Ole helping Erik was wrong really not a wise move .Now i believe Ole and Hans are ok and that is great really liked Ole as a rider a class act ( sorry Steve didn’t want to join the Cheetahs.!,,,Tommy Knudsen is a rider often forgotten a class act was unlucky in 86 could beat Hans/ Erik on a regular basis and was a hell of a rider remember his riding in Long beach USA outstanding came back after horrendous back injuries and was still a force.

Sid I think that the Ole/Hans thing went back many years. Infact Bobby Schwartz made a comment in the latest "Backtrack" issue during a World Pairs Final when Hans went against Ole's instructions. Trouble was that Ole was strong willed and would often impose that on other riders but Hans like Bo Petersen were their own men and didn't go along with it. Remember reading that when Ole and Ivan would share a plane together Ole would remark being 'done again' by Nielsen. Essentially I felt that Olsen felt that his position was being challenged as the 'Main Dane' and those he couldn't mind control upset his ego! And, yes, the fact that he turned a move down to Cowley upset a few but not me as it brought the majestic Dag Lovaas to Oxford instead!

Edited June 20, 2021 by steve roberts