IN 1980, it was Bob Kilby’s turn to celebrate a Testimonial year and the Swindon rider, elected as captain, was in excellent form until a crash at Poole caused him to miss half the season through injury. There were, as to be expected, a number of comings and goings, as promoter Wally Mawdsley tried to find a winning combination.
Regrettably, the-then Robins’ all-time record points man, Martin Ashby, was released and he went off up the M4 to join Reading. Martin’s contribution had been immense and in league matches alone he made 452 appearances in the famous Swindon race-jacket, scoring 3980.5 points, plus 236 bonus.
Popular Norwegian Rolf Gramstad was another to depart from Blunsdon, and he subsequently linked up with Leicester. Meanwhile, two riders were signed from Exeter – namely the American international Scott Autrey and Australian Steve Koppe. Autrey went on to finish the season as the Robins’ top man, scoring 329 points for an average of 9.97. However, Koppe failed to find form and was gone by the end of April.
Unfortunately, the high-scoring Phil Crump didn’t appear until June, having been given leave of absence by Mawdsley to remain at home Down Under in order to set up and establish a motorcycle business. Milan Špinka was missing more times than he was actually around and John Barker, another new arrival, found the pace of British League racing far too hot.
To assist the side, veterans Reidar Eide and Nigel Boocock made fleeting appearances, but the most promising name on the horizon was Mike Ferreira, who was really setting the National League on fire at Canterbury. Another bright spot was the improved form of Steve Gresham, who ceased to be a villain and became the hero of the Robins’ fans.
Swindon were a real Jekyll and Hyde team, managing to win no less than five league matches away from home but, to offset that, they lost three and drew two meetings at Blunsdon! Once ‘Crumpie’ had returned, he backed Autrey all way, averaging 9.41. But the Robins lacked a third heat-leader, as the final averages of other regular team members proved: Gresham (7.40), Kilby (7.23), Špinka (6.46), Steen Mastrup (5.49) and Malcolm Holloway (4.93).
As in 1979, Swindon could only manage eighth position in the league again, as Wally Mawdsley expressed concern at the fall in crowd figures. Although fewer fixtures were staged than the previous season, Blunsdon still hosted a remarkable 34 meetings throughout the year.
Just two full-blown individual events were held in 1980 – as opposed to a remarkable SEVEN individual meetings in 1979 – with Larry Ross tasting glory in the Artdeans Knock-Out Trophy, while Michael Lee won the Daily Mirror-sponsored Silver Plume. The Master of Junior Speedway was also held, but only as the second half of an Anglia League representative match against the Scottish Junior League, with David Blackburn emerging as the victor.
In the Knock-Out Cup, Swindon battled past Eastbourne and Ipswich to reach the semi-final but, despite a terrific effort, the Robins went down to a narrow aggregate defeat (111-105) to Belle Vue. In the Midland Cup it was the same story, with defeat at the semi-final hurdle to Coventry by 79 points to 77 on aggregate.
The Robins did fare better in the Inter-League Knock Out Cup, however, overcoming Peterborough in the first round, Eastbourne at the quarter-final stage and Leicester in the semi-final. On a bitterly cold September night at Blunsdon, Swindon flattered to deceive, though, going down to a 41-37 defeat in the first leg of the final against King’s Lynn. Although they battled hard in the second leg at Saddlebow Road late in October the Robins lost 42-36, with the aggregate result unfortunately being an 83-73 defeat.
Blunsdon proudly staged a Test match between England and the USA on 24 May, with the Americans claiming a well-earned 59-49 success to seal overall victory in the five-match series. Scott Autrey and Dennis Sigalos led the Americans with 15 points apiece, while Bruce Penhall yielded 14. For England, the top dogs were Dave Jessup and Michael Lee with 12 points each.
A four-team tournament was staged as Bob Kilby’s Testimonial meeting on 31 August, with a Vikings team recording 34 points to win, with the Yankees in second (scoring 30), the Union Jacks third (19) and the Global Stars fourth (13). Among the riders paying their respects to ‘Kilb’ in his special meeting were Hans Nielsen, Bo Petersen, Erik Gundersen, Bruce Penhall, Bobby Schwartz, Dave Jessup and Malcolm Simmons.
Finally, in the big domestic meeting of 1980 – the British League Riders’ Championship at Belle Vue – Scott Autrey represented Swindon and scored 8 points.
In 1981, Steve Bastable arrived via Birmingham and was made skipper of the side in place of Bob Kilby. Bob was still getting over a back injury and, in the end, didn’t ride at all. Young Swede Bjorn Andersson, brother of Jan, arrived at Blunsdon and did very well; together with the immaculate Phil Crump, plus Steve Gresham, Malcolm Holloway and Steen Mastrup, that gave Swindon a very useful top six, which virtually picked itself.
Mike Ferreira, still at Canterbury, was a tremendous No. 8, but it was the second reserve spot in the team that was up for grabs, with many riders being tried. Young Finn Veijo Tuoriniemi, who had been with Eastbourne during 1980, was given an opportunity but failed miserably.
A number of raw, but promising novices were also tried and these included Terry Broadbank (son of Mike), Steve Bishop, Kevin Smart and Martin Satchell but, like young Australian Darryl Simpson, they were out of their depth in the British League.
Dane Jens Henry Nielsen (brother of Hans) and Swede Lennart Bengtsson were also given opportunities. Nielsen, who rode during his holiday period, looked as though he could be the final piece of the Swindon jigsaw but, unfortunately, he wasn’t interested in a full-time speedway career in Britain.
Despite the problem reserve slot, Swindon rose to third position in a sixteen-team British League, thanks in the main to the marvellous Phil Crump. Crumpie was back to his best and bagged another mountain of points (313 to be precise) to finish with a 10.39 average.
The gritty Aussie was well backed-up by Bastable, who also won the British Final at Coventry. ‘Stevie B’ attained an 8.75 average, while there was a great deal of solidity about the rest of the team, as borne out by the final averages: Gresham (7.18), Mastrup (6.85), Holloway (6.83), Ferreira (6.73) and Andersson (5.01).
The Robins’ rise up the league table saw a marked improvement in home form, with two losses (against Hackney and Wimbledon) and a single draw (against Ipswich) to report. Away from the Abbey, Swindon tasted victory an amazing seven times – at Belle Vue, Coventry, Eastbourne, Hackney, King’s Lynn, Leicester and Reading – whilst draws were attained at Hull and Ipswich.
In the Knock-Out Cup, Swindon drew Edinburgh from the National League and a train carrying the team, management and supporters, was organised by the ‘Mad Wellie’ Malcolm Holloway. The journey to the Scottish capital for the second leg of the tie took place on 12 June and, in what was a thrilling match, the Robins won by just 2 points – thanks to a wonderful 18-point maximum from that man Crump.
Swindon went on to beat Leicester in the next round, before losing both legs of the semi-final at the hands of Ipswich. A new competition, the League Cup, was launched, but Swindon didn’t fare too well, finishing fifth in the eight-team Section B table. A couple of home defeats (against Ipswich and King’s Lynn) out of seven matches gave them little chance of progressing in the competition and so it proved.
Test match speedway was again held at Swindon, with England facing the USA on 2 May. England avenged the previous year’s defeat, running out victors by 64 points to 43. Michael Lee topped the England scoring with 16 points, while Steve Bastable and Dave Jessup each bagged 13. For the Americans, Bruce Penhall scored 11, with Steve Gresham notching 10.
Local Swindon newspaper, the Evening Advertiser, began the sponsorship of a big individual meeting in 1981, with Bo Petersen becoming the first Evening Advertiser Superstar. The only other big individual meeting at Blunsdon was the Godden-Newton 16-Lap Super, when Phil Crump showcased his famous stamina to emerge victorious. ‘Crumpie’ later represented Swindon in the Belle Vue-staged British League Riders’ Championship, recording 10 points.
The 1982 season brought changes to the speedway scene at Blunsdon. The often controversial American, Steve Gresham, was posted to Reading, while Mike Ferreira moved full-time to the Robins’ nest. Regrettably, the rider from Zimbabwe failed to settle at the Blunsdon circuit and was, in fact, far better for the Robins on their travels. Czech rider Jan Verner was also introduced to the team, but he struggled badly and was released after only five league matches.
Most of the old guard returned, including the brilliant Phil Crump, along with Steve Bastable and Malcolm Holloway, who was the new team skipper. The highly promising Martin Hewlett became a full-time Robin, following a loan spell at National League Exeter.
Meanwhile, Bjorn Andersson was a late arrival on the scene, thanks to a stint in the Swedish Army and a battle with the Department of Employment in order to secure a work permit. Promoter Wally Mawdsley’s efforts with the DOE proved to be successful and, after arriving in June, Bjorn fully justified Mawdsley’s faith by upping his average by nearly 2 points a match.
The season began with the League Cup but – after a home and away winning start against Poole – everything went pear-shaped for the Robins, as they finished bottom of the Southern Section after winning only one further match! Swindon fared no better in the Knock-Out Cup, with a quick-fire first round exit against Eastbourne courtesy of losing both legs.
The Robins did reach the semi-final of the Midland Cup, however, only to be crushed by a powerful Cradley Heath side. After losing the first leg 49-29 at Dudley Wood, Swindon went down to an embarrassing 54-24 reverse at Blunsdon in the return leg.
When the league began, Swindon just couldn’t put it together consistently but, considering that, a final position of eighth wasn’t too bad. A total of four defeats at home didn’t help, but this was offset by four away victories (at Halifax, King’s Lynn, Leicester and Poole).
As usual, Crump led the scoring and Andersson played his part when he arrived. However, Bastable’s contribution was down and with Ferreira failing to master the Blunsdon track, it was hardly surprising that the Robins lacked any consistency. Holloway tried hard and enjoyed a reasonable year, reaching the British Final.
Crumpie piled-up 272 points in the league, averaging 9.44, but he was very much a one-man band and very much emphasizing this, Bastable next in the averages on a 7.65 figure. Andersson obtained a useful 6.47 average and Holloway couldn’t be faulted for finishing with a 6.13 figure. However, the expected performances from Ferreira and Steen Mastrup never materialized, as their final averages revealed: Ferreira (5.27) and Mastrup (4.62).
Crump made it to Los Angeles for the World Final but scored only 4 points, which was certainly not a true reflection on the durable Australian’s ability. Bastable was Swindon’s entry in the British League Riders’ Championship (at Belle Vue), scoring 7 points. Stevie B was actually in the meeting instead of Crump, who had gone back to Australia with his wrist in plaster, thanks to a track spill.
Tragedy struck on Saturday 11 September when, after scoring 8 points in a home British League match against Birmingham, twenty-year-old Martin Hewlett collapsed and tragically died a few days later in hospital. It was a terrible shock for all concerned and a Trust Fund was quickly set up to help the dependants in the young rider’s family. Martin had come through the junior ranks at the club and was on his way up the speedway ladder. The youngster had impressed with his on-track battling and had done well to average 4.62 in a team that had struggled.
A benefit meeting was staged for Hewlett at the end of the season and this saw Swindon defeat Reading 43-35, prior to the Swindon junior team (the Sprockets) beating Exeter by the same score in the second part of the special double-header. Former Swindon favourites Martin Ashby, Barry Briggs, Bob Kilby, Edgar Stangeland, David Ashby, Geoff Bouchard and Norman Hunter also took to the track in order to help raise funds to help the youngster’s dependants.
In spite of the Robins’ indifferent performances, promoter Wally Mawdsley couldn’t be faulted for giving the public plenty of speedway action, as he staged a total of 36 meetings throughout the season. That total included the Evening Advertiser Superstar event (won by Phil Crump) and the Newton Oils/Daily Mirror Marathon (won by Alan Grahame).
Among other prestigious meetings held at Blunsdon was a Test match between England and the USA, which the Americans won by 60 points to 47. Shawn Moran and Bruce Penhall bagged a dozen points apiece for the victorious Americans, while England’s best were Dave Jessup (12) and Kenny Carter (11).
The National League held their Pairs Championship at the Abbey, when supporters from all over the country converged on Blunsdon for a real feast of speedway. Eventual winners of the event were Weymouth, represented by Martin Yeates and Simon Wigg, while the runners-up were the Long Eaton duo of Alan Molyneux and Dave Perks.
Famous Czech team Red Star of Prague visited the Abbey Stadium for a challenge match, which saw Swindon run out winners by 45 points to 33. The visitors’ side included former Robins Jan Verner and Milan Å pinka amongst its ranks, with the rest of the team made up of Jiřà Štancl, Jiřà Hnidak, Petr OndraÅ¡Ãk, Ladislav Hradecký and Stanislav Kubicek.
During the winter, speedway would dominate the local press, as what appeared to be a power struggle developed between promoter Wally Mawdsley and his accountant Richard Vowles. Vowles was also Mawdsley’s partner and there were, it was reported, cash flow problems.
In 1983, the team (taken over by Richard Vowles, who won the battle for control) was woefully weak and the Swindon public had much sympathy for their new promoter. The only bright spot was that Phil Crump remained a Robin, for Crumpie – who was due a Testimonial – had apparently refused to ride for the now departed Mawdsley.
Bjorn Andersson also stayed put and Malcolm Holloway, who had also been at loggerheads with Mawdsley, also remained at Blunsdon. Steve Gresham would return from Reading, but Steve Bastable was on his way to Coventry, with Danish rider Alf Busk heading in the opposite direction.
Often, in the early weeks of the season, it was a case of the superb Crump vs. the opposition. Andersson started brightly in the League Cup, but then suffered injury and, unfortunately, no sooner was he fit, than he was injured again.
To add to Vowles’ problems, Gresham wasn’t showing anything like his normal form and he quickly vanished from the scene. Martin Yeates was something of an enigma since, before he left to continue his career with National League Weymouth, he had shown that he did have what it took at Swindon by beating some of the leading British League heat-leaders. Mysteriously, though, he also lost many points to lesser riders.
Australian Phil Herne was signed from Leicester and showed reasonable form. Meanwhile, young Dane Per Sørensen came along, but he wasn’t the heat-leader that Vowles sought. Busk took time to find any sort of form and Bob Kilby tried a brief, but unsuccessful comeback.
Czech rider Milan Å pinka also re-appeared for a spell, but he had completely lost form and was gone after just eleven league matches. Small wonder then that Swindon finished in the cellar position in the British League, but promoter Vowles had learned a great deal.
The Robins won just six home league matches and enjoyed a solitary away success at Leicester. The remarkable Crump carried the side all season long to finish head-and-shoulders above the rest on top of the Robins’ averages with an amazing 9.85 figure. The mighty Aussie also represented Swindon at the British League Riders’ Championship, scoring 8 points.
Many guest riders were used throughout the campaign, but to no avail. Put frankly, the support for Crump was minimal. Behind him in the final analysis, the next in line were Andersson (6.27), Yeates (5.74), Holloway (5.39), Herne (5.38), Busk (5.03) and Sørensen (3.09).
In what was, quite simply, a disastrous season, Swindon also finished bottom of their League Cup section for the second year running and suffered a first round exit in the Knock-Out Cup at the hands of Wimbledon.
The Abbey Stadium again played host to a Test match, as once more England faced the USA. It was England’s turn to win by 57 points to 51, Chris Morton top-scoring with 16 points. Meanwhile, Bobby Schwartz and Dennis Sigalos headed the American score-card with 11 points apiece.
Michael Lee enjoyed himself in the wide-open spaces of Blunsdon in 1983, for on 1 July he lapped the circuit in 66.5 seconds to equal Peter Collins’ four-year-old track record. The meeting in which Lee equalled the record was the Evening Advertiser Superstar event and it was fitting that he should go on and take the prestigious title.
Crumpie enjoyed a very successful and much-deserved Testimonial year and his special meeting (a three-team tournament) was staged on 2 October, with many of the world’s leading riders taking part. The result was a win by a single point for the Michael Lee Select (who totalled 43 points), while Ole Olsen’s Vikings scored 42 and the Pacific Stars recorded 22. Showing the high regard in which he was held many top stars turned out for the Aussie, including Erik Gundersen, Hans Nielsen, Billy Sanders, Simon Wigg and Jan Andersson.
Richard Vowles determined that things would be better in 1984 and showed that he wasn’t afraid to spend money, paying out a hefty fee to Hackney for Danish international Bo Petersen. Other moves on the rider front saw Malcolm Holloway move up the road to Reading, while Finn Ari Koponen, along with flamboyant American Shawn McConnell joined the Blunsdon set-up.
Alun Rossiter, who had been the club mascot as a youngster and had developed through the junior ranks, also moved up into a first-team slot as a useful No. 8, whilst also assisting Weymouth in the National League. Unfortunately, injuries forced the early retirement of the very talented Bjorn Andersson, who completed a solitary league match. At the end of the season, Kevin Smith arrived on loan from Poole, riding in only three league matches and scoring paid 10 points.
The Robins moved up the league table to ninth position and also fared better in their League Cup section, finishing one off the bottom and handing over the wooden spoon to Exeter! Swindon’s home form was much more consistent, with just two defeats (to Cradley Heath and Ipswich) and a couple of draws (to Belle Vue and Eastbourne) to report.
Away from home, however, there was just a single success at Coventry. Meanwhile, in spite of three attempts to race the league fixture at Belle Vue bad weather intervened and the match was never held. Ipswich won both legs to dump Swindon out of the Knock-Out Cup in unceremonious fashion but, in the Midland Cup, the Robins got involved in an epic semi-final battle with Coventry.
At the first time of asking, both sides won their home leg by the exact same score (45-33), thereby drawing 78-78 on aggregate. Unbelievably, both teams again won their home leg by the same score (46-32) in the replay to again tie on aggregate. With the match going to a second replay, Swindon dug deep to only lose the first leg 40-38 at Brandon, before eventually finishing the job off at Blunsdon with a 43-34 success. Regrettably, there was no fairytale ending, though, as Cradley Heath defeated the Robins in both legs of the final.
Crump again headed the Swindon averages with a 9.94 figure, but Petersen gave valuable support in scoring 239 league points for an 8.06 average. In a more solid outfit, the Robins’ top two received good middle-order backing from Koponen (6.23) and McConnell (5.59), while Sørensen improved his average from 3.09 to 4.96. Busk, however, went slightly backwards, dropping his average to 4.79 in a disappointing year for the Dane.
For the fifth successive year, England faced the USA in Test action at the Blunsdon bowl, with the Americans taking a 58-50 victory. Dennis Sigalos led them to success with a magnificent 17 points, while England’s best were Chris Morton (13), Dave Jessup (12) and Kenny Carter (10).
On the individual front, Petersen qualified for the World Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he did particularly well in notching 9 points. Crump, meanwhile, represented Swindon in the British League Riders’ Championship at Belle Vue, but could only muster a 5-point tally. However, the mighty Phil did win the only open event at Blunsdon in 1984, becoming the Evening Advertiser Superstar on 6 July, when romping to a full 15-point maximum against class opposition, which included Hans Nielsen, Mitch Shirra, John Davis and Bobby Schwartz.
In 1985, the team became known as the Adver Robins, having received valuable sponsorship from the local Evening Advertiser newspaper. With Wimbledon opting for National League racing, England international Malcolm Simmons came to Blunsdon, giving the Robins a third heat-leader alongside Petersen and Crump.
When Jimmy Nilsen finally arrived, promoter Richard Vowles had the basis of a good side. The signing of the Swede was a feather in the Swindon promoter’s cap, since the Department of Employment had, at first, refused to grant the young rider a work permit. Vowles, with the help of local MP Simon Coombs, fought the decision tooth and nail and was finally successful. Nilsen proved his worth with 91 points from sixteen league matches, for an impressive first term average of 6.54.
Swindon made a fast exit from the Knock-Out Cup, losing both legs of their first round clash with Ipswich. Meanwhile, in the League Cup, the Robins had to be satisfied with mid-table mediocrity in a competition they had never done well in. There was to be no chance of glory in the Midland Cup either, with Swindon losing to old rivals Oxford at the semi-final stage.
The Blunsdon track record took a battering in 1985: firstly, Shawn Moran reduced the best-ever time to 66.4 seconds on 27 April, when Sheffield were the visitors in a League Cup encounter. Four months later, on 26 August, Erik Gundersen ran riot, slicing an incredible seven-tenths of a second off the record when clocking 65.7 seconds in heat two of the Robins’ British League match against Cradley Heath. Remarkably, two heats later in the same match, Gundersen blitzed around the Abbey in 65.2 seconds – a full 1.2 seconds faster than Shawn Moran’s record, which had stood at the start of the meeting!
Swindon once again hosted an England v. USA Test match, with the Americans thundering to a 66-42 victory. Lance King topped the victors’ scoring with 17 points, receiving great support from Shawn Moran (13) and Bobby Schwartz (10). For England, Kelvin Tatum (12 points) was the only rider to reach a double-figure tally.
The date of 19 September, however, would be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as the Robins tried to stage a home league match against King’s Lynn. The referee called a halt to the meeting after a three man pile-up in the very first heat. Arguments raged and, following the abandonment, Vowles sensationally quit as promoter, a decision which left doubts about the future of speedway in Swindon.
Happily, peace was soon restored, with Vowles taking on former Robins’ stalwart Neil Street as team manager in order to relieve some of the pressure. However, Vowles was a disillusioned man and, although he stayed on, he never really forgot the events of that September evening.
At the end of the season, Petersen said he was retiring while Simmons hankered after National League racing at Hackney. The Robins would miss Petersen, who actually outscored Crump and finished on top of the averages with a 9.33 figure, but Crumpie did miss all the October fixtures due to a niggling wrist injury.
‘Simmo’, after going like a steam-train in the earlier part of the season, suffered an alarming dip in form to finish with a 6.72 league average; meanwhile Per Sørensen showed some real flashes of brilliance and upped his average to 6.59. Ari Koponen found points hard to come by but still averaged 6.46, whilst Alun Rossiter slightly increased his average to 4.13.
The Robins finished eighth in the sinking British League, which now boasted just eleven tracks. Home form was again Swindon’s Achilles’ heel, with losses to Coventry, Oxford and Sheffield, while Reading stole away with a draw.
Home favourite Petersen won the prestigious Blunsdon-staged Evening Advertiser Superstar event in 1985 and also represented the Robins at Belle Vue in the British League Riders’ Championship, scoring 5 points.
In 1986, Richard Vowles tried yet again to make Swindon a success. He signed Finnish star Kai Niemi from Ipswich, whilst Alan Grahame came on loan via Cradley Heath. Danish international Finn Thomsen, whose previous tracks included Hackney and Poole, was also signed but broke an ankle in pre-season practice, so Swede Richard Hellsen was quickly signed from King’s Lynn to plug the gap in the side. With each team having to track a junior, Rob Fortune was also brought in.
The ever-reliable Crump was back as was Nilsen, so things looked pretty good on the team front. When Thomsen was fit again, Sørensen, who’d struggled somewhat to find form was released and subsequently joined Oxford. This move proved to be the making of Sørensen, as he linked-up with Hans Nielsen at Cowley and learned so much from the well-titled ‘Main Dane’.
Vowles expressed concern at crowd levels and tried to form a company to inject more finance into the club. But, due to the terms of his agreement with BCA (British Car Auctions) – the owners of the Abbey Stadium – he failed. And, by the end of July, he realised that he couldn’t possibly carry on.
A challenge match on 2 August against a British League Select proved to be his final meeting in charge. The team then went back to the stadium owners, Kai Niemi went back to Ipswich and, for a brief but worrying week, Swindon Speedway actually closed down while the ownership of the licence was sorted out. With BCA now at the helm, Ted Nelson and Bill Chandler were left in charge of speedway matters.
With the take-over Neil Street left and Brian Talbot became team manager in his own right, having previously shared the job with ‘Streetie’ To replace Niemi, a very promising Danish boy called Brian Karger was signed.
On 20 September, Blunsdon staged its 1,000th speedway meeting, when Cradley Heath provided the opposition for a league match. Beforehand a presentation was made to Bob Jones, who was still working at the track as machine examiner, for his loyal service. ‘Joner’ had served Swindon well and, remarkably, had never missed a meeting since the track first opened.
Veteran Hellsen proved to be a shrewd signing, finishing the season with a 5.95 average. Meanwhile, the club’s scoring was again led by the majestic Crump, with an average of 9.17. Nilsen finished the season with a creditable 7.90 figure and Grahame was a real hero. Having suffered from Hodgkin’s disease throughout the season, he often therefore rode in pain and discomfort but kept going as long as he could and averaged 5.50.
Of the Danish connection, Thomsen was something of a disappointment, scoring just 84 league points (average 5.37), but Karger looked to be a real prospect and got better with every one of his fourteen matches to average 4.89. Fortune tried hard, but was out of his depth in the cut-and-thrust of the British League and a final average of 3.40 gave a fair indication of a season of struggle for the youngster.
A bitter pill for the faithful Blunsdon fans to swallow occurred in a league match against Oxford on 11 October, when the Robins’ oldest rivals hammered Swindon 56-21, with former rider Per Sørensen recording a paid maximum for his new club.
The Robins finished their league campaign in eighth place and, as had happened in 1984, the away match at Belle Vue was never staged due to inclement weather. Swindon kept their travelling fans happy with victories at Coventry, Ipswich and King’s Lynn, but four defeats at the Abbey were certainly not welcomed by the beleaguered Blunsdon supporters.
The opinion had long since been echoed that the Abbey Stadium circuit was too fair and all visiting riders were capable of turning up and doing well, irrespective of whether they had previously ridden the track. This theory could certainly be borne out by a closer look at the Robins’ home results over the years!
After beating Ipswich in the opening round of the Knock-Out Cup, Swindon came unstuck against the old enemy, Oxford, losing both legs of their round two encounter. The Robins enjoyed their best-ever League Cup campaign, however, finishing fifth in the final table and only missing out on a semi-final place by one position.
The courageous Grahame represented the side in the British League Riders’ Championship, scoring 6 points. ‘Big Al’, as he was affectionately known, also won the only individual meeting held at Blunsdon in 1986, namely the World Championship qualifying round, which was run early in the season on 11 May. On the ultimate stage, Nilsen qualified for his first World Final in Katowice, Poland, and rode brilliantly to finish fourth with 11 points.
The 1987 season looked like being potentially difficult as Swindon kingpin Phil Crump retired and remained in his native Australia, having been troubled for some years with a wrist injury. Coming into the Robins’ nest was a new signing from Reading: one Mitch Shirra, the Kiwi with a fiery reputation.
Alun Rossiter, after a very good season with Coventry, came back to race full-time for the Robins, while the services of the exciting Andrew Silver (of National League Arena-Essex) were utilized, as and when required. In the backroom department, Ron Byford became team manager, having gained valuable experience with Exeter.
To the delight of the Swindon supporters, both Jimmy Nilsen and Brian Karger improved, and tireless Swede Richard Hellsen was as steady as a rock and didn’t miss a match. In mid-season, the services of another Swede, Conny Ivarsson, were obtained and he certainly impressed, scoring 117 points. Meanwhile, the junior berth was filled in the main by Matthew Cross and a young rider from New Zealand, trying hard to make a good impression, namely Stephen Rose.
Shirra was a delight to have on board and never let the side down: in fact, he and Nilsen fought a friendly season-long battle within the club to be the No. 1 Robin. It was a very close-run thing, with the Swede just nudging ahead with a 9.73 average, whilst the pint-sized New Zealander attained a 9.66 figure.
Thanks to the two-pronged attack, Swindon rose to a very healthy third position in the final league table. Indeed, the Robins became one of the most attractive sides in the country, winning five of their away matches (at Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Oxford, Reading and Wolverhampton). At Blunsdon, however, it was the same old story, with two defeats and a brace of draws; otherwise Swindon might have scaled even greater heights.
In the League Cup, the Robins slipped back to seventh in the table, but one wonders what might have happened had they turned around some of their slim away defeats. No fewer than five matches were lost 40-38, while a further two resulted in 41-37 defeats. Swindon saw off the challenge of Reading in the Midland Cup, but were knocked out at the semi-final stage by Coventry.
The Abbey Stadium again played host to a World Championship qualifying round, which saw Jeremy Doncaster triumph with a superb maximum. At the British League Riders’ Championship, Swindon were represented by two riders for the first time, with Shirra notching 8 points and Nilsen recording 4. In the two-day World Final, held in Amsterdam, Holland, Nilsen totalled 22 points (9 and 13) to again finish in fourth place overall, while Shirra yielded 12 points (7 and 5).
It was all change at Blunsdon in 1988, as Shirra went back to Reading and the spectacular Andrew Silver was signed, albeit on loan, from Arena-Essex. Swindon would have loved to track both riders in their side, but the points limit ruling just wouldn’t permit it. With the arrival of Silver, young reserve David Smart went the other way, joining Arena on loan. Conny Ivarsson was another who didn’t return from the previous season but, in his place, Swindon signed another Swede, World Ice Speedway Champion Erik Stenlund.
A new sponsor took over (local motor company Walker Jackson) and replaced the Evening Advertiser, who had done such a great job for the previous three years.
The Robins hit trouble in the first home meeting of the season against Getingarna, the touring Swedish side. In heat ten, Nilsen was involved in a nasty track spill with Jan Andersson and Per Jonsson, injuring his shoulder and wrist. Jimmy’s injuries were to keep him out of the saddle for some weeks and, as if this wasn’t enough, Stenlund was injured in a meeting in his native country.
Co-promoter Ron Byford (now working full-time on speedway at the Abbey) grafted hard to fill the gaps in the side, as guests were used in abundance until the return of Nilsen. There was a glimmer of light towards the end of the season, however, when yet another Swede was enlisted, namely Peter Nahlin, who rode in just six league fixtures.
Hellsen and Gary Chessell were ever-present in league encounters, as the team finished in a disappointing seventh spot. With eleven teams competing, the British League was played out with all the sides facing each other four times (twice at home and twice away).
That equated to a mammoth 40-match programme, with Swindon suffering from their usual indifferent home form, which saw them lose to Belle Vue (twice), Coventry (twice), Cradley Heath, Ipswich, King’s Lynn and Oxford.
Thanks to Nilsen’s early injury, there was no real star in the camp and Nahlin actually topped the averages on just 7.68, slightly ahead of Karger on 7.59 and Nilsen on 7.31.
After a bye in the opening round of the Knock-Out Cup, Swindon went down to old rivals Oxford in the next round. In a two-legged battle of epic proportions, with both teams giving it their all, the Cheetahs came out on top by the narrowest of margins, 91-89 on aggregate.
In celebration of sixty years of British Speedway, a Diamond Jubilee tournament was organized, featuring a series of matches involving England, Denmark, USA and Sweden. Swindon Speedway was proud to host the meeting between Sweden and USA, which was won by the Americans, 47-43.
In a thrilling meeting, the victors were led by 10 points from Lance King, while Mike Faria scored 9. The Swedes had three men in double figures – Per Jonsson (13), Erik Stenlund (12) and Tony Olsson (10) – but lacked the strength in depth of the victorious American squad.
Something very special happened at Blunsdon on 8 October, when Barry Briggs brought back all the members of the 1967 league title-winning side to race an exhibition match against the Swindon Soft Water All-Stars, a team made up of riders from the same era.
It was the All-Stars who won 34-32 and the fans flocked to the Abbey Stadium in their hordes, filling the place with its biggest attendance for many years. How they loved to see their former heroes in action, with Bob Kilby showing that he’d lost none of his rocket-fuelled speed from the gate.
On the individual scene, Mitch Shirra returned to Blunsdon to win the BCA Classic with a gutsy display, while Karger represented the Robins in the British League Riders’ Championship at Belle Vue, scoring 5 points.
On a wider level, the impressive Nahlin underlined his undoubted potential, when he became World Junior Champion at Slaný, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. Also on the podium with Peter were the second-placed Henrik Gustafsson and fellow Robin Brian Karger.
The British League lost two teams before the 1989 season got underway, with Sheffield closing and Ipswich opting for National League racing, thus leaving just nine tracks. American Bart Bast was welcomed to the Robins’ nest, joining Nahlin and the now-purchased-outright Silver.
Nilsen (elected club captain) and Karger were back, with Chessell and Smart filling the reserve berths in the side. Meanwhile, Richard Hellsen and Alun Rossiter left for National League racing at Long Eaton and Poole, respectively.
Cruel luck hit the Robins on 6 May, in a league match against Oxford, when Nahlin crashed and suffered a fractured vertebra. Danish youngster Tom Knudsen was quickly signed as a replacement, but in the event he didn’t stay long, due to a contractual dispute with his parent club back in Denmark. Meanwhile, with Bast finding the pace hotter than he expected, his contract was cancelled and into the side came experienced England international John Davis.
In the league, Swindon were vulnerable at home (as usual), where they lost half-a-dozen matches – against Coventry (twice), Cradley Heath, Oxford (twice) and Wolverhampton. In a rather mediocre season, the Robins ended the season in sixth place. Nilsen was top Robin, averaging 8.33, closely followed by Karger on 8.05. Regrettably, the figures for the remaining regular members rather fell away, as follows: Silver (7.31), Davis (6.67), Nahlin (6.42), Bast (5.15), Chessell (5.05) and Smart (3.70).
Wolverhampton saw to it that Swindon didn’t progress beyond their opening tie in the Knock-Out Cup, while in the new Gold Cup competition the Robins finished stone last in the southern group table.
The Abbey Stadium again played host to a Test match between England and the USA and, somewhat surprisingly, the English Lions ran riot to win 75-32. In a powerful performance, England’s main men were Kelvin Tatum (15 points), Neil Evitts (15), Jeremy Doncaster (14), Martin Dugard (11) and Andrew Silver (10). The only member of the USA side to offer any real resistance was Lance King, who scored 12 points.
For the first time, a full-blown 1,000cc sidecar meeting was held at Blunsdon on 23 September, when Australia defeated England by 50 points to 38 in a Test match. Some of the world’s top sidecar exponents took part in the meeting, including Paul Pinfold, Brian Ash, Alan Artus, Darrin Treloar, Gary Moon and Shane Soutar.
The only individual speedway meeting held at Swindon in 1989 was run the day after the sidecar event and saw John Davis triumph in the Bike for Life event. The meeting, organized by team sponsor Walker Jackson, was a charity event with the intention of raising sufficient money to pay for Babylog ventilators to be installed and used at the Paediatric and Special Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon.
Finally, Karger rode brilliantly to finish third (behind Shawn Moran and Hans Nielsen) in the British League Riders’ Championship, scoring 12 points. Nilsen also represented Swindon in the major event at Belle Vue, where he recorded 8 points to finish in sixth position.
CALL FOR SITES
Swindon Motorsports Ltd launches ‘Call for Sites’ to help identify new motorsports arena in Swindon.
IN 1980, it was Bob Kilby’s turn to celebrate a Testimonial year and the Swindon rider, elected as captain, was in excellent form until a crash at Poole caused him to miss half the season through injury. There were, as to be expected, a number of comings and goings, as promoter Wally Mawdsley tried to find a winning combination.
Swindon went on to beat Leicester in the next round, before losing both legs of the semi-final at the hands of Ipswich. A new competition, the League Cup, was launched, but Swindon didn’t fare too well, finishing fifth in the eight-team Section B table. A couple of home defeats (against Ipswich and King’s Lynn) out of seven matches gave them little chance of progressing in the competition and so it proved.
Crump again headed the Swindon averages with a 9.94 figure, but Petersen gave valuable support in scoring 239 league points for an 8.06 average. In a more solid outfit, the Robins’ top two received good middle-order backing from Koponen (6.23) and McConnell (5.59), while Sørensen improved his average from 3.09 to 4.96. Busk, however, went slightly backwards, dropping his average to 4.79 in a disappointing year for the Dane.
