How ironic that Glenn Hoddle got knocked out of The Chase because he got the mullet question wrong 
Off Topic Bill Nicholson Arms
- Thread starter ShelfSideSpur
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A true legend, Valentino Rossi, bows out tomorrow at the age of 42.
A true great...quite possibly the greatest of all time alongside Surtees, Agostini and Kenny Roberts. One of my brother's grandchildren is named Rossi...and not after the bloke from Status Quo.
His stats are the best.
And he’s the craziest ever. Seemed to have no fear whatsoever.
Differing eras with differing challenges. Surtees retired to race F1, Roberts was also a champion flat track racer (speedway in America), who didn't want to spend his life in Europe. Agostini just hoovered up titles -15 World Championships.
They were all incredible.
You'd have an easier time spinning it as part of the learning experience if it happened in Chemistry, sure.
Saw Rossi ride many times in moto GPs in the UK and a few times in Europe, a true great
Rossi would have held his own in the great era of Roberts, Sheene,Mamola ,Spencer,
Every era had their greats Duke, Sertees ,Ago, Roberts , Hailwood and for the Brits of a certain age Barry Sheene ,who would be the best is hard to say due to technology and money pumped into the sport
I used to work with Ray Pickerall who was a team Triumph rider and went with him to many races ,introduced to Reid, Cooper, Tait and many other British riders from that era and fortunately met with Mike Hailwood who was a true gent
I was taken to bike races from the age of 7. I swear it's part of the reason that I've got terrible tinnitus. Most years, our family holiday was a trip to the TT or some of the continental GP's. I missed the 60's British heyday of Hailwood, Ivy, Read, etc. but caught the years that Read won on the mighty MV and Sheene's wins. I also saw Texan, Roberts' first European rides, including winning in his first wet race at Mallory in March. He rode it like he'd been doing it all his life...extraordinary.
One of my brothers raced for a decade before a broken back, suffered at Oulton Park, meant that the FIA wouldn't give him a licence. He and his Mrs are two of the talking heads in this film...
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Personally, my favourite riders were Phil Read, Ron Haslam and an Australian, Greg Hansford. Read apart, they didn't win anything of note, but they were thrilling to watch. Unfortunately, it killed most of the Haslam family, but Ron never let his bike's limitations restrict him. On a really competitive machine...Who knows?
Hansford was similar, but hugely tall and rode those magical Kawasaki triples. I saw him drop his blke at Brands on the opening lap, pick it up, dust it down and finish in second place, in a top Superbike World Championship field. By the last lap, the entire crowd were cheering him on. Fantastic.
I loved Read because he rode the MV like it was the greatest honour in motor sport...and in an age of screaming two strokes, it made the most magical sound. Happy memories!
My introduction was the Transatlantic trophy races held between thr UK and USA usually held over the Easter holiday weekends in the 70s , 1st race was at Brands Hatch and the yanks brought over an " older" rider called Cal Rayborn II who rode a flat track Harley, the noise from this machine would wake the dead and as it was a flat tracker it was not suited for the longer GP tracks and the pit crew had to strip down the top end between races to aid cooling
Sadly Cal died riding for Suzuki in New Zealand 1973
This race was about 72 at Brands I was 15,my mate was older and we spent that weekend travelling to Oulton park and Mallory park on an old Triumph speed twin that broke down every 50 miles
Barry Sheene was the up and coming rider who didn't make the team that year but rode on the undercard on a private Bultaco machine , remember clear as day the buzz of seeing him sitting on the grid in his full face with the hole drilled in it so he could have a ***
Those days you could walk round the pits and see the riders and bikes ,crews had beaten up old Transits and riders if lucky got a caravan or camper
The smell of Castrol R brings it all back
Sadly Cal died riding for Suzuki in New Zealand 1973
This race was about 72 at Brands I was 15,my mate was older and we spent that weekend travelling to Oulton park and Mallory park on an old Triumph speed twin that broke down every 50 miles
Barry Sheene was the up and coming rider who didn't make the team that year but rode on the undercard on a private Bultaco machine , remember clear as day the buzz of seeing him sitting on the grid in his full face with the hole drilled in it so he could have a ***
Those days you could walk round the pits and see the riders and bikes ,crews had beaten up old Transits and riders if lucky got a caravan or camper
The smell of Castrol R brings it all back
I was there that first year and for years after...Mick Grant, Ted Croxford and Peter Williams on the JPN's, Percy Tait. Barry Sheene's brother in law, Paul Smart for the USA, Dave Aldana...Happy, memories as many riders were still on 4 strokes - mainly 750 Triumphs. Read rode a Kawasaki 750 triple one year to decent effect. By the early 80's the Yanks had us licked and the 4 strokes had all gone, but for 7 or 8 years it was a magical ride.
We used to camp. Most of my family were in a caravan. My dad put me and my older brother in the awning and as you will recall, it was ****ing bitter most years...still worth it though.
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Today's Birthday boy is Roger Morgan, age 75 also his twin brother Ian
How did the song go
Roger,Roger Morgan Roger Morgan on the wing
How did the song go
Roger,Roger Morgan Roger Morgan on the wing 
Be right back, mixing a ****load of concrete to avoid falling down that particular rabbit hole...
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Must be Paolo then
I forgot about him....
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Considerably better than that midwife of The New Boring that the club are glomming onto...
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Right, time to put my feet up and watch some Amiga porn
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Conte has produced such a feeling of optimism amongst us all, I hope we remember he's only just started and will need some time to knock this soft team into shape.
It's hard not to be excited when in just days he seems to have identified all the problems with this team. Suddenly what comes from Spurs sounds professional in a highly detailed way.
It's hard not to be excited when in just days he seems to have identified all the problems with this team. Suddenly what comes from Spurs sounds professional in a highly detailed way.
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