AFTER attending Reading's home match against Workington on Monday, guest 'Writer in Residence', Jeff Scott pens his latest addition to his Racers blog, 'Lapping it Up'.
-- 21st April
The first Premier League match of the 2008 season sees the arrival of the Workington Comets at Smallmead.
When I bump into Communications Manager, Andy Povey, by the track shop he tells me, “I’d be happy with 46-44 and a last heat decider. That said you can never tell here ‘cos we have such a fair track. I know everywhere says they have no home track advantage – even Lakeside claim this – but we really do have a fair track. If you make the start, have a good engine and ride a sensible line you can do well ‘cos we have no real surprise bumps and the like to catch people out. They have a strong top three but a long tail, so I’m pretty confident!”
Also hovering by the turnstiles is Paul Oughton (a go-getter from the commercial team) since this is the first race night that youngsters aged under 11 can sign up for the free Junior Racers Team membership scheme. The anorak in me would definitely like to own one of these snazzy membership cards even without taking advantage of all the benefits it confers. These include free entry to meetings, discount at the track shop, an invite to the pits from your favourite rider and a birthday card from him along with regular emails. If this doesn’t catch and fire the imaginations of our speedway audience of the future, then it’s hard to know what would! Paul is dead keen on the initiative and has set himself ambitious targets, “I aim to have 500 kids signed up by the end of the summer – I have no illusions that it’s a stretch goal but it’s a great scheme and could be the future lifeblood of the club!” I wonder if there’s any mileage to be had for the club in trying to contact Ricky Gervais to offer Smallmead as a possible location for his new television series that goes under the working title The Men from the Pru. It’s set in Reading in the early Seventies. When interviewed in the Observer Ricky said, “We wanted to show, for instance, that the sexual revolution was only really going on in Carnaby Street. Not Swindon, Not Reading.“ The early script features a character being asked, “What do you want to go abroad for, when there are parts of Reading you haven’t seen?” Paul likes the idea, “not being funny, Smallmead would be a free prop and they wouldn’t need to change much!” Obviously, some creative camera work would be required to disguise the huge changes that have gone on in the surrounding area near to the stadium since it opened in 1975. But, with Elm Park no longer in existence, what better way to capture the spirit of the times?
The visit of the Comets brings some notable speedway characters to the town. Indeed, the reminiscences about Carl ‘Stoney’ Stonehewer come thick and fast. These stories vary from, “the last time he was here he was attacking some old bloke – the track raker – until Rusty Harrison pulled him off” to “it’s good to see Stoney back – one time he came here there was tons of dirt on the track and he said ‘we ain’t riding unless you scrape it all off’ and Ivan Shears did as he said and we lost!” When I arrive in the pits, Workington promoter Ian Thomas along with the talismanic Stoney is in animated conversation with the referee, M. W. Bates. The referee has a smart executive briefcase, the rider wears jeans since he has yet to change into his kevlars, while Ian proudly sports a baseball cap from Las Vegas with a Merryweather-Hatton logo (“It was one of the highlights of my life. It was amazing! The sheer atmosphere of the event, never mind the fight itself, really put Cardiff to shame - and Cardiff’s brilliant!”). Apparently something they discussed was Stoney’s recent £300 fine for making a rude gesture at Lee Dicken (“he could have got value for his £300 fine and kicked him in the knackers!”). Smallmead has many memories for Ian, “I sealed the League here in ‘82 when Belle Vue won here. The last time I came with Workington we had loads of people fighting [in the pits] and had to get a police escort out of the place. It wasn’t just riders – about 20 of them - I have the video at home. Even the flipping Lion said to Kakey [Kauko Nieminen] ‘do you wanna a fight?’ The Swede [Anders Henriksson] got excluded but Stoney got fined £1000 suspended for three years. I’m pleased to be back here. I even tipped Reading for the title ‘cos I think they’re the best team – I think they’ll go a little bit faster and turn the corner before the others! Being realistic I don’t think we’ll win here tonight – though, it won’t be for lack of trying – but we stand a good chance tomorrow at the Isle of Wight. It’s like a home track for us - we went there four times last season. I will say, if we win here tonight we’ll win the league - there’s a quote for you! Barring injuries, of course.”
With a show business background, the vexed question of speedway attendance levels has Ian always looking for ways to innovate and attract new fans to speedway. “We had Jack P. Shepherd, stage name David Platt, like the footballer, from Coronation Street – I don’t watch it myself - along at Workington. He’s a bad lad in the series and the week before there was a whole episode on him. He came along at 6 o’clock, posed for photos and signed autographs, went on parade and span the coin before he sat in the grandstand. We had 400 extra on the gate. Even if only 20 come again regularly it’d be a brilliant exercise. We never charge any extra either. People still criticise saying ‘why can’t we have speedway people?’ but I’m trying to attract non-speedway people to come along too. If they don’t like it they can go for a cup of tea, go to the bar or sit in the toilet. Something must be working right ‘cos crowds were nine percent up last season and we’re 14% up for the first four meetings. This season it’s been cold everywhere, mind, and Saturday was my first dry meeting of the season. This looks like it will be the second.” Throughout his career Ian has invited many personalities to speedway tracks where he has worked. These include Ken Dodd, Max Bygraves, Jim Bowen, Bill Maynard, Colin Crompton, various look-alikes (Del Boy, Prince Charles, James Bond, Matt Ford), Blondini (“blows himself up in a coffin”), Henry La Mothe (“belly flopped from 40 feet into 12 inches of water – he was a support act for Evel Knievel – he must be dead now as he was 69 then”), Dan Limburger (“fell 60 foot on fire into six foot flames”) and “a one-man band who played 104 instruments while running the 100 metres in 14 seconds though he fell over when he did it. It was great thing to say – 104 instruments!”
Tonight we have our own entertainment revolution at Smallmead with the shock retirement of club mascot, Rory the Lion. Paul Hunsdon tells us, “Rory is going on an extended holiday” and that his replacement is “appearing after Heat 11, so keep your eyes peeled”. I would mourn Rory’s passing but, when he refuses to give me a lolly during his last circuit of the dog track, I realise enough is enough and his time has come to retire. After further build up and sincere thanks to the Evening Post for their sponsorship of Rory, the new mascot Wacky the Racer strides across the centre green. Paul greets him ecstatically with, “no expense spared – he’s got his marigolds on!” Interestingly, Wacky wears a Racers number 8 tabard, which is more than can be said for the riders because their new look kevlars appear to have dispensed with these fripperies. Wacky cuts a distinctive figure in white boots, blue trousers, yellow body and a square head. He’s quickly accepted by a gaggle of youngsters who rush over towards the start line area to greet his arrival. In the commentary box, Bob Radford (who tonight occasionally sounds like he’s in a sound-a-like contest to replace Clifford the Dragon on the Listerine adverts) is equally amazed with Wacky, “with those colours, Paul, he could be sponsored by IKEA”. Domestic arrangements are clearly on Bob’s mind all night, “time now for a word with our Commercial manager Paul Oughton – we’re all wondering what washing powder you use? That shirt looks incredibly white!” In reply, one of the track rakers shouts out “Omo!”
Close to the starting gate is also the area where the fondly regarded prize draw is held. Ticket number “769 on the buff” wins the highly sought after third prize, “a box of clotted cream fudge and toffee selection from Bognor” that Paul assures us “are in date for another week.” All eyes were also on the finish line for the race of the night – Heat 8 – where Jamie Smith, Joe Haines and John Branney all thrillingly diced for position and dominance behind race winner Danny Warwick. The result of the meeting wasn’t in doubt from the second heat and the stand out performance from the Racers was, in my opinion, from Jamie Smith who rode with confidence and élan. Ulrich only dropped one point to Kauko Nieminen, something that caused Paul Hunsdon incredulity, “well, you don’t often see that – Ulrich having his colours lowered at Smallmead”. For the Comets, Daniel Nermark also looked pretty imperious but it was Kauko rode to the most race wins for the visitors, while Stoney endured one of his poorer Smallmead visits. Though a Reading asset, John Branney revealed his lack of track time in Berkshire with a paid three score for the visitors. Overall the Premier League home campaign got off to a flying start helped in no small part by a good all round team performance.
21st April Reading v Workington (Premier League) 54-39
