July 25 Newcastle
July 30 Plymouth
August 3 Isle of Wight
August 6 Coventry
August 7 Berwick
August 8 Buxton
August 9 Wolves
August 16 Belle Vue
August 25 Somerset
August 26 Ipswich
August 29 Birmingham
August 30 Scunthorpe
September 1 King's Lynn
September 5 Glasgow
Jason Crump has joined an elite band by winning the sport's three main individual
honours in a single season. Tracy Holmes pays tribute to the
Aussie and looks back on similar successes in previous years.
Barry followed the Berwick Bandits during the seventies and eighties and he includes
the high-scoring Steve McDermott in his seven. There's also a place for the late Wayne
Brown.
You may notice from the adverts above and to the left that we've opened a new online shop that
allows you to purchase from amazon.co.uk and support this website at the same time. If you're intending
to buy something from amazon, speedway related or otherwise, we ask that you consider ordering it
through our shop. The cost and delivery timescales are exactly as per the main amazon site.
Weekly world rankings for speedway riders are now available at speedwayranking.125mb.com. They
seem to be fairly comprehensive though no explanation of the underlying calculations is given. No surprise that Jason Crump is currently at number one.
Further down the ladder you'll find Joe Screen at 35, Gary Stead at 141 and Benji Compton at 571.
Andy Waddington is looking for a Weslake rocker cover - Can You Help?
Jim Roberts wants to know who the Wimbledon number four was in 1981 - Can You Help?
Edinburgh Monarchs' official club website (edinburghspeedway.com) has been completely overhauled. It's the biggest relaunch in the site's 4 year partnership with GPNetMedia.com.
Edinburgh's Press Officer Mike Hunter said, "It's often been referred to as the best club website in speedway, and now it's just got even better."
"Instead of the customary pre-season relaunch, our web team at GPNetMedia.com have taken a different approach this time around, and we've relaunched at the end of the current season. They have done a superb job."
The site, whose hit counter has topped a staggering 3 MILLION views since January this year, has more new features planned for the future, and they'll be unveiled to the fans during the closed season.
Howard started off as a Hackney fan but follows the Ipswich Witches these days. His team includes some
superstars of the seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties.
Methanol Press' latest book
is called When Eagles Dared: A Whimsical Account from the terraces behind Board 51
(and lurking at tracks elsewhere) of a Triumphant Eastbourne Speedway season with
ultimate success missed by a merest Cat's Whisker that features those handlebar
heroes: Nicki, Floppy, Mooro, Deano, Watty, Shieldsy plus bosses, Cooky and Geery,
and a vital yet innumerable cast of others - the whole experience crowned with the
unique aural accompaniment of MC KC, oh, and not forgetting our own inimitable "Arena
track specialist" Mr Steen Jensen... but sadly missing a chat with the Dugards
By Jeff Scott: Obsessive Author of the yet to be award-winning Showered in Shale
Jeff will be signing copies of both "When Eagles Dared" and "Showered in Shale" at
Coventry (20th Oct); Eastbourne (22nd Oct); Poole (25th Oct); King's Lynn (27th Oct)
and Rye House (28th Oct).
"
It's sad really when you look back to the days of Hyde Rd, but hey let's not look back
but forward instead. Hopefully the new ownership will go ahead, the crowds will flock
back, which will bring in much needed revenue to improve the facilities. I can feel the
good old days coming back again. COME ON YOU ACESSSSSSSS"
Steve 'Heathen' Walton:
"Great site - very
professionally done and love the magazine. Any chance of a Cradley article in the near
future? The 'club' will never die and still creates a hugh interest from the masses
that used to flock to the sadly lamented Dudley Wood. I followed from 1973 until their
demise and had the pleasure of witness some of speedway's greats donning the famous
'Ummer' race jacket - the 1983 League winning team being the arguably the greatest
speedway team ever? Keep up the quality."
"Great and interesting photos of Bannister Court, the home of
the Southampton Saints. It seems such a crying shame that speedway isn't staged in a
big city like Southampton. I'd of thought a multi sports stadium featuring speedway,
greyhounds and other sports would be popular in Southampton. Immagine the interest
that local derbies between Poole and the Southampton Saints would create! "
There still seems to be some dissatisfaction with the current Grand Prix system.
Some fans feel there are too many rounds, some object to its 'closed shop' nature and
some dislike the qualification system. Keith Butler believes he has
come up with an alternative system that addresses all of these points.
There's a real vintage feel to this side, it's been selected by Mal who followed the
Harringay Racers for many years. He confidently predicts that this team would be
unbeatable.
"Interview with Jimmy Mac interesting but far too short, any chance of a more in-depth version at a later date? Remember him as a fresh faced kid at White City 40 years ago and sure that he would have a host of stories, particularly regarding the the many winters he spent in Oz representing GB."
"I used to be a Glasgow Tigers fan and went to White City, Hampden Park, Coatbridge, and also Love Street in Paisley to see the Tigers. I still remember the likes of Charlie Monk, the Templeton brothers, the Beatons and Neil MacFarlane. So this is a nice site to re-kindle the memories."
"Having just watched the steal of the century, Reading beating Peterborough, I decided to check out the web to see if there was any information on a certain Mr Charlie Monk. He was my first sporting hero at the tender age of 5 or 6 years old when my father took me along to the White City in Glasgow. Sadly the White City closed its doors to make way for a new motorway and my days of watching Charlie and speedway came to a premature end. Thankfully I have my memories and I guess the young supporters in the East of England showground will never forget tonight. Congratulations speedway!"
"I want to make it quite clear that we, as a club, have no problems whatsoever with Scott Nicholls. We have a professional relationship with Scott, which has always been kept separate from personal issues, as it is with all of our employees.
That is the case for all of us, including Colin Pratt, who from day one has chosen not to interfere with the private lives of his partner's daughter and our captain, although obviously being aware of their relationship.
We all know that young people can and do make mistakes, but everyone involved will be given our full support.
What has happened will in no way affect the club and our continued quest for honours either this season or beyond. We are aware of immediate speculation and can confirm that both Scott and Colin will be with us next season and, if anything, they will have an even stronger working relationship."
Avtar Sandhu's response to the season's biggest talking point so far
These pictures of the Miskolc circuit in Hungary are courtesy of new contributor Andy Reid.
We'll be featuring more of Andy's continental track pictures in the months ahead. It's probably
best to clarify now that this particular Andy is not the former Cradley, Glasgow and Barrow rider.
5th October 2006
Greg Hancock Competition Winner
Last week we offered you the chance to win a copy of Jim Blanchard's
fantastic painting of Greg Hancock.
The question we asked was:
In which year did Greg Hancock make his British League debut for Cradley Heath?
And the answer was:
1989
The lucky winner of the draw is Alison Cowe
Everyone else will just have to buy a copy. These are available as limited edition
lithograph 'printers proof' art prints for £24.99
Something a little different this week with these pictures taken in the pits at Southampton in 1961.
Gary McCormick was the photographer and he was using a box-brownie camera, can only
assume he left his camera phone at home that day?
We'd be delighted to hear from anyone else who has old speedway photographs they'd be willing to share.
Dave started off as an Exeter fan and has been announcer at Newport, Somerset and Swindon. He mixes his favourite Falcons
with some others that he's enjoyed watching.
Robert Rogers wants to know if the tractor at West Ham had a nickname - Can You Help?
Rob Devine needs technical information on the GM MK 2000/86 and MK 2000/90 - Can You Help?
"Having read the extract from Jeff Scott's book I can see why it is viewed as a significant addition to the speedway library. It is certainly written in an interestingly-analytical style and certainly I am sure from his own personal, honest view. Perhaps his thinly-veiled criticism of Steve Ribbons might carry more credence if his research had extended to establishing that the Rye House revival came before the Wimbledon example. I do hope that the rest of this very personal account, which seems to be widely-supported in the sport is based on more accurate, basic research. It doesn't augur well for the rest of the book, quite frankly.
Mr.Scott quite rightly states that a quoted promoter has a strong reputation within the sport; equally it is possible for someone with such a reputation to behave unfairly towards a genuine enthusiast who took a very dead Rye House speedway and put his heart and soul into reviving it. Quite frankly, I find the extract patronising and snide, but then I have my own opinion, much as Mr.Scott has his. Sharper research would leave me more accepting of his conclusions sampled here. "
"Funny Jim should mention his Uncle's Willie and Doug. I see there is a bit on them both in this weeks Speedway Star. Nice to see that Jim is still involved in Speedway as too many that actually understand the sport are lost when they retire."
"It would be brilliant for everyone - the riders, the fans and Colin Horton - if we could go on
and win the title.
But things like this aren't just handed out on a plate and we know only too well what a good
team Reading are - they have proved it up here twice already this season.
Winning the league is as good as it gets in a team sport and the memories from 1999 and 2004
are very special."
Peterborough's Ryan Sullivan on the play-offs
Wayne Roberts of the BBC's award-winning Planet Speedway
show caught up with Jim McMillan
for last week's show. The Scot talked about his racing career and his new life as a machine examination expert.
Don't miss this week's edition of the show - Wednesday at 7pm.
