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Post by coombes on Feb 24, 2019 14:15:12 GMT 1
Glasgow Cycle Speedway fixtures for the coming season 31 March v Fife 13.00 7 April v Hull 15.00 14 April v Bury 12.00 19 May v A& T 14.00 16 June v Stockport 14.00 7 July v Sheffield 12.00 ; v Edinburgh 14.00 All fixtures at Myrtle Park, formerly Cathkin. Hope to see you there.
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Post by jim on Apr 6, 2019 18:33:00 GMT 1
Glasgow Cycle Speedway fixtures for the coming season 31 March v Fife 13.00 7 April v Hull 15.00 14 April v Bury 12.00 19 May v A& T 14.00 16 June v Stockport 14.00 7 July v Sheffield 12.00 ; v Edinburgh 14.00 All fixtures at Myrtle Park, formerly Cathkin. Hope to see you there. A reminder about tomorrow's meeting at Cathkin. Attachments:
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Post by jim on Apr 7, 2019 16:58:01 GMT 1
Just back from Cathkin. At sixty eight years of age, Frank Auffret (ex Middlesbrough, Leicester and Hull rider) is one hell of a lot fitter than I am at two years younger than he is. Saw him race in a couple of heats and he was speedy, with track craft and gave every bit as good as he got ---- and then some.
Didn't keep track of the score, but Hull were pretty much well on top.
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Post by drosser on Apr 11, 2019 0:10:15 GMT 1
Just back from Cathkin. At sixty eight years of age, Frank Auffret (ex Middlesbrough, Leicester and Hull rider) is one hell of a lot fitter than I am at two years younger than he is. Saw him race in a couple of heats and he was speedy, with track craft and gave every bit as good as he got ---- and then some. Didn't keep track of the score, but Hull were pretty much well on top. Good to hear that an useful ex speedway rider like Frank has kept an involvement. There can't be many riders who convert from 500cc to leg power. Are you sure his name is not F Auff-Ref - I think that I have heard the fans chanting that at Hull.
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Post by coombes on May 13, 2019 8:51:17 GMT 1
Next Sundays meeting against Astley will now be an 11.00 am start. Alarm clocks have been provided!
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bbuck
Falling off with Martin McKinna
Posts: 88
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Post by bbuck on Aug 3, 2019 15:55:46 GMT 1
Best wishes to anyone who might remember me from my own Cycle Speedway days. I started as a rider in 1953 but was never much good so I concentrated on the admin side of the sport. My one and only club began life in 1948 as Birmingham Lions, later changing our name to Oldbury Lions and then in 1979 to Sandwell. We were forced to shut up shop at the end of 2014 when the land on which our track was situated, was sold by Sandwell Council and the new owners wouldn't allow us access. I carried on as Midland League Secretary and Recorder for another two years before I decided to stand down and let someone younger take over. I am very proud of the gold watch which the Midland League gave me on my "retirement."
I loved my time in Cycle Speedway and if I could have my time over again, I would do it all exactly the same. It's a great sport and there are some wonderful people involved in it.
Good Luck to the Glasgow club.
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Post by coombes on Aug 3, 2019 18:52:54 GMT 1
Hi Brian. I remember the Oldbury visit in late 1969 - report below. Not one of my finest afternoons! Good excuse that we had a cup final the next day!
Oldbury
This meeting was held on the afternoon of October 11th 1969, prior to the Coatbridge Monarchs v Cradley Heath speedway meeting in the evening. Oldbury were Cradley supporters. This was to prove to be quite historic as it was the last time the Monarchs rode at Coatbridge. The licence was sold to Wembley during the winter.
Oldbury rode in two meetings in Glasgow, against separate Hampden and Kingsway sides, on the Saturday and against Liberton in Edinburgh on the Sunday morning before going home.
Brian Buck, the Oldbury team manager, sent a report on the meeting to The Spokesman" magazine. With the KO Cup final the next day, Hampden were not taking any chances and lost 55-41
Hampden: Colin Caffrey 12; Dick Barrie 9; Mike Blair 7; Pete Gentles 4; Moosh Nicolson 4; Nicky Nicolson 2; Neil Grant 2; Gordon Aitken1 Total 41
Oldbury ; K Baker 12; D Perks 10; P Cockburn 7; D Davies 7;
J Rudland 7; S Bastable 6;
M Slater4;LBate2: Total 55
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bbuck
Falling off with Martin McKinna
Posts: 88
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Post by bbuck on Aug 10, 2019 15:18:33 GMT 1
I remember that week-end very well. We had a really good time. All of the Oldbury riders clamoured for another Scottish trip, and we made it an annual event for several years afterwards. After the Cycle Speedway, we went on to Coatbridge Speedway - my one and only visit to the Cliftonhill track. I'm a lifelong Brummie, but the rest of the group were all Cradley supporters.
Of that Oldbury team, Dave Perks, Keith Baker and Paul Cockburn all went on to have a try at motor speedway, but only Dave made the grade. I still see Dave from time to time, and he is still an Oldbury Lion at heart! We used to run a club individual, the Oldbury Championship which Dave won three times, so when we changed the club's name to Sandwell in 1979, we bought a new "Sandwell Championship" trophy and presented the original to Dave at Cradley Heath Speedway. He was thrilled, and still has the cup today.
Our club laid claim to being the oldest in the country, having been founded in 1948 (as Birmingham Lions). We moved to a new site just outside the City in Oldbury in 1962 and changed our name to Oldbury Lions. When the new Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was founded in 1979, we adopted the Sandwell name. Sadly, the club was forced to disband in 2014 after Sandwell Council sold the sportsground to a private school. The track compound wasn't actually in the sportsground, but the only access to it was through the sportsground and as the school was a fee paying school for problem kids, for security reasons, they wouldn't allow us entry to the premises so we had no choice but to give it neck. We sold off all the equipment we could, and donated the cash to the Speedway Riders' Benevolent Fund.
Good days - I often think of those happy times.
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Post by coombes on Aug 10, 2019 16:37:00 GMT 1
Brian, is the "S Bastable" mentioned 8n the report Steve Bastable?
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bbuck
Falling off with Martin McKinna
Posts: 88
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Post by bbuck on Aug 11, 2019 14:56:53 GMT 1
No - It should have been T. or A. Bastable! Tony Bastable was with Oldbury/Sandwell for over 40 years first as a rider and for many years afterwards as a very efficient Treasurer who kept the club finances on a very even keel. I still see him occasionally and we enjoy talking about the old days. He isn't related to the speedway Bastables Harry and Steve, and the Bastable is a very common Black Country name.
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bbuck
Falling off with Martin McKinna
Posts: 88
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Post by bbuck on Sept 20, 2019 16:34:40 GMT 1
I'm pleased to learn that Cycle Speedway is still alive and kicking in Glasgow. The sport has had a rough time in recent years with numerous clubs disbanding. When my club came to Scotland for an annual week-end's racing in the 1970's Cycle Speedway north of the border was really thriving - especially in Edinburgh where there was an expanding league competition and one of their clubs Sighthill, were good enough to win the British Team Championship.
It's sad that the kids don't seem to take to the sport these days - they really don't know what they are missing. I'm 80 now, and too old to do anything other than watch (and wish!) but if I had my time again I would do it all again.
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Post by coombes on Sept 21, 2019 7:41:09 GMT 1
Sighthill weren't the only Scottish team to win the NACSA team trophy. Edinburgh's Ecurie Alba and Glasgow's Shields Raiders also lifted that huge trophy, Shields beating Wednesfield at Uxbridge in 1971. Sadly the demise of Speedway in Edinburgh in 1967 led to the sport unravelling rather badly, something that also happened in Glasgow when the Tigers moved to Coatbridge.
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