Post by PLUSTAR on Jun 5, 2010 17:23:50 GMT 1
« on: November 28, 2009, 02:42:23 AM »
QUESTIONS FROM MERV JANKE FAN CLUB
Q You spent the first few years of your career with Newcastle and after a decent 1980
season you took the whole of 1981 out, why was this?
NC got married and speedway was only a hobby and not important. i needed security with having a mortgage and bills to pay.
Q I think it is fair to say you had a run n or two with officialdom, who was the best
and worst referee you encountered during your riding career?
NC the worst was Jim McGregor but there was also plenty of good referees around in them days, it was about four guys racing and entertaining the crowd rather than it been about the referee.
Q After Stoke folded was the decision to come to Glasgow an easy one to make?
NC very easy always got on very well with Neil McFarlane. I thought the traveling mite of been a problem but I had 2 very good seasons at Glasgow and the travel was never a problem. We use to travel up Saturday night and stay at the Southfield hotel owned by Stewart Mcdonald’s mum and dad we were always made very welcome and it was just part of the Sunday afternoon meeting at Shawfield.
Q After nine seasons with Stoke your were due a testimonial in 1993 did the fact
it was staged at Shawfield affect it in any way?
NC no I had a lot of help from different people and it went really good the people that helped
did so much to make the day run smooth I could never thank them enough. it would have been nice to of had my testimonial at stoke ,’cos after all I had 9 years there but it was not to be.
Q What is your seven from heaven line up, from ex-team mates only?
NC Tom Owen, Eric Monaghan, Mike Wilding, Bobby Ott, Shane Bowes, Paul Thorpe,
Kenny Carter
Q I remember reading a story about you many years ago about a farmyard incident
when you were a lad, are you still afraid of Geese?
NC yeh just keep out the way of em nasty things they are
Questions from Jim Neil
Q Do you still keep in contact with your old mucker, Eric Monaghan? What is he
doing these days?
NC yeh still see and speak to Eric . after working with turkeys for 30 years he now works for a mate of his in a Volkswagon dealership organising the transport of new cars all around the country.
Q You won the best pairs with Eric. The competition must have been pretty fierce.
What made you both better than the rest on that particular night?
NC it was just one of those nights. I didn’t have a very good meeting but Eric went through the
night unbeaten and I did just enough, we always rode well together he would just ride the
outside and I would go round the line. it was like that every time we went out even when we
won the pairs we never talked about anything before just I went off the inside gates and Eric
took the outside,
Q Have you had many run ins with the speedway authorities in your time?
NC no not really just the trouble I had with Jim McGregor, when I eventually got banned, 19
years I raced speedway and never had any trouble to talk about, but the McGregor thing
was nothing to do with what happened on the track it went back to my Glasgow time , but we
had better leave it at that so as Ii don’t get in any bother,,
Q You has a very successful time here at Glasgow. If pressed, what would you say
was your most precious memory from that time?
NC not one memory but too many to mention, winning the league and cup twice, my testimonial
the civic reception , the end of season supporters night and all the fabulous people we met
and helped to make two very successful seasons for Glasgow, I would like at some point to
be able to come and see all those people again at some point if ever such a thing could be
arranged, fabulous two years wonderful memories...
Q I recently re-watched a video of your testimonial meeting at Shawfield. Some excellent
racing and an enjoyable meeting for all concerned. Did it all go exactly to plan and did
you have many sleepless nights whilst arranging it?
NC no sleepless nights because as I said before such wonderful people organising everything ,
possibly the worst night was the night before the meeting was a worry because you never
know with the weather.
Q How difficult it is to prepare the track at Loomer Road after a stock car meeting and do
the stock and speedway fraternity get along well?
NC nowadays there are no cars at stoke so it is quite easy now the problem use to be was that
the cars will race on anything and use to leave it in such a state it was difficult to get back
rite especially if the weather was against you. Dave Tattum and the team spend a lot of time
preparing it the way it needs to be. it is always difficult to get a track that is rite for seven
men.
Question from Grasscutter
Q What was your worst speedway injury?
NC when I was seventeen I damaged my kidneys, spleen, back, broke my collarbone in an accident on press day at Newcastle and was in hospital for two weeks. apart from that just the normal speedway injuries.
Q How did you enjoy your stint as a team manager?
NC yeh it was good apart from upsetting the Glasgow supporters one night at stoke, but
anybody that knows me will know that I hate to see stoke get beat and if I can do
something to stop us losing I will just like Glasgow used to do under Neil McFarlane.
I reckon I learnt some of the tricks off Neil..
Q Was the traveling to Glasgow a killer every week?
NC as I explained earlier the whole Glasgow experience was brilliant..
Q Who was the best team manager you raced under?
NC without a doubt Ian steel/ Neil McFarlane both very good at the jobs they did for Glasgow
speedway.
Q Did you enjoy your days at Newcastle?
NC not really Ian Thomas was a hard man but the experience of being part of a very successful
promotion stood me in good stead for later in my career it was hard at the time but I learned
how to deal with situations....
Q Do you still keep in touch with any of your friends in Glasgow?
NC we go on holiday with the McDonalds every year. speak to Neil McFarlane now and again
then just see whoever when Glasgow come to stoke or the rare occasion I get up to Glasgow
Q What do you do for a living now that your speedway days are over?
NC I drive a wagon mainly on MOD work all over the country and really enjoy the job just like I
enjoyed my speedway days. funnily enough I was at the shipyard on the Clyde a few months
ago waiting at the gate to go in cos it was dinnertime when I saw Fraser{ from the days at
Shawfield he use to mechanic for me] walking out , so I shouted him and we caught up on old
times over dinner. where ever you go it is surprising how many people from the past you
catch up with,,, so if you see a big white volvo with stoke speedway stickers in the window
riding around Glasgow it’s probably me so give us a wave you never know
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Thanks to Crabby for taking time to answer these questions and thanks everyone who sent questions in.
Oh and Grasscutter for once again arranging this Q&A session