Yes, you're still with the Blunsdon Blog and its associations with Swindon, but this blog is being written about some very special visitors to the Abbey Stadium, Swedish Champions Lejonen from the town of Gislaved in Sweden.
For many people, the 60th Anniversary meeting was the high spot of the season but as soon as I saw that we would be hosting a match against Lejonen, that became the special one for me.
A year and a half ago Neil Wise (Tattinger Marsh), Phil Rice and I went to Sweden to sample Swedish speedway first hand. We took in Elite League action at Vetlanda (and were treated with outrageously good hospitality there), 2nd Division racing at Filbyterna (where the great Ove Fundin first started his racing career) and then Alsvenskan racing (equivalent to our Premier League) at Lejonen. We returned later in the week to Lejonen to take in a junior three team tournament.
At the time of our visit Lejonen were riding high at the top of the Alsvenskan table and had just bolstered their squad with the signing of Chris Holder. We were told that Chris's signature was invaluable because they were planning on moving up into the Elit League for the 2008 season, a great stride forward for the club from the town of Gislaved. There was much excitement at the club and that excitement was passed onto the three English visitors who simply pitched up to watch a speedway meeting yet were treated like passing royalty. Nothing was too much as far as the Lejonen club was concerned - we were made to feel like real guests. Bo Pettersson, one of the club stalwarts, plied us with food and drink and showed us the club house, and we were greeted with friendly smiles and handshakes where ever we went around the circuit by fans who showed such pride in their club. Just brilliant.
The rest is history - Lejonen won the Alsvenskan league, acquired the services of a certain Nicki Pedersen and swept to am Elit League Championship in their first year back in the top flight. Crowds of over 4,000 were a regularity and over 7,000 packed into the Axcelant Stadium (one of the oldest speedway stadiums in the world) to see one match. What a success! And while Phil scorned his bright blue and red Lejonen fleece, Neil and I have worn ours with pride.
The day started rather earlier than I would have preferred. My daughter, Steffie, had successfully applied for a place on a special educational visit to Auschwitz through the Holocaust Educational Trust. That meant that at 2am we were on our way to Luton Airport for a 5am check in. It's amazing how quiet the A40 / M40 / M25 / M1 etc were at 3am. Having dropped her and another student off at 4.45am I headed back down the M1 and took the M4 turning off the M25, heading for an early breakfast and a good strong cup of coffee at Reading services on my way back to the track.
Slightly refreshed, and considerably poorer, after drinking an excuse for black coffee, I pitched up at Blunsdon at 7am. Nobody was around but the sun was up and it looked as if a brilliant day was in prospect. "Enginemeister" Bob Crowther arrived at 7.30am and together we waited for the arrival of Punch and Gerald and a chance to get into the stadium.
8am and we are ready to work (but only after another caffeine blast) While the others (Roy, Arron and Mick take on the work of cleaning the banners used last Sunday), Bob starts up the engines and begins to hook up the blue catch fencing, and Gerald and Punch, not forgetting Ronnie, begin on the track, Mark Price and I try to solve the problem that is the turn 3 air fence.
We got away with it on Sunday for the 60th anniversary bash. Even at the start the panels were sagging and they looked very dodgy by the time the end of the meeting arrived. It's an air loss system but the amount of air loss is now getting perilously close to being in excess of the air being pumped in. With the panels on the floor we undo all the buckles that keep them together and check the pipes that keep the air flowing from bag to bag. Everything looks OK. I cut a new hole through the safety fence and move the air pump closer to the middle of the panels that make up turn 3. Using a double flute (a flute being the pipe that take air from the air pump and directs it into the air bag) we set up a system that will blow air in both directions along the length of the air fence. We fire up the pump. I'm in a dichotomy - half of me wants the air fence to inflate perfectly; half wants it to stay as it was, leaking air and soft to the touch.
The Law unto Sod pertains and the blessed thing inflates as it should. There is far more pressure than previously. I am gutted. Even though the air fence now stands erect (yes, I have thought long and hard about the use of that word) we still haven't found the cause of its failings on Sunday. Mark and I decide to put the movable panel that covers the entrance to the pits in place. Usually this would be done just an hour before the meeting but we need to be sure that it isn't the root of all evil. It inflates reasonably well.
We retire to the confines of Number 96 for a cup of coffee, leaving it all running. The mid morning sun is very warm indeed, in stark contrast to conditions in Poland; Steffie texts to say that they've landed in the middle of a snow storm / blizzard.
Bob Crowther makes his final check on the air pumps and then departs. It's surprisingly hot out and the banners are drying well. We are having to water the track because we've been informed that Troy Batchelor, Ryan Fisher and Stoj all want a practice session mid afternoon. It's well documented that riders in Poland and, to a lesser extent in Sweden, can practice at their home tracks whenever they want. This is an ideal situation and one that we cannot replicate here in the UK where nearly all tracks operate in mixed sport stadia. We have to share the facilities with greyhounds and so, Thursday is the only time when riders can practice, but practicing just a matter of hours before a meeting can bring about all manner of problems. For a start, we have spent numerous hours packing down the surface after the last meeting and that work will have to be repeated after the afternoon practice. Also, we don't want to put banners up on the air fence - they'll get plastered and then need re-cleaning - but if we leave the fence unbannered there is a real chance that the velcro, that attaches the banners to the fence, will get dirty and will not be as effective.
Up on the roof of the home pits, Adam Law has drawn the short straw and is painting the new mounting block beneath the water tank. Water pressure at Blunsdon is hopelessly low - old pipes, massive domestic housing developments etc. So that we can operate the showers at a reasonable pressure, without burning out the pumps, we need to improve the mains pressure. Our solution has been a large water tank on the roof, affording quite a height of water. Sadly, since last year, the pressure has dropped even more so we've had to lift the tank even further up, and Adam has the job of tidying it all up.
Troy is the first rider to make his appearance. At 3pm he takes to the track and quickly settles into the track. Stoj arrives with a new engine and spends his time setting up the bikes. Ryan appears and puts in a few really quick looking laps, although it has to be said that all riders look really fast when they are out there on their own.
Late afternoon and the other riders start to appear. We are significantly behind schedule with the track. Gerald and Punch work hard while Ronnie puts down a new top dressing. Mark and I put out the banners and try to clean the worst of the muck off the kickboards on the main and back straights.
We continue to water. The sun is very bright but, as the afternoon turns to evening, the temperature begins to drop quite drastically and we have to watch the surface very carefully - in conditions like this moisture starts to come back to the surface.
It's good to meet up with the Lejonen guys. Their team manager, Anders Froyd, spots my Lejonen fleece and stops to chat. He's delighted to see the pictures of the track that I took out at Gislaved and then presents me with a Lejonen badge. Sadly our friend Bo Pettersson has been unable to make the journey over.
But there are some old friends in the away pits - Davy Watt, Chris Holder, Seb Ulamek, but no David Ruud.
The match goes ahead in cold but clear conditions in front of a big crowd - not as large as as the season opener but much better than I would have expected given that times are difficult and it is the second meeting in a matter of days.
Man of the Match is to be decided by Neil
Wise of Tattinger Marsh Ltd, of Cirencester and Marlborough. Neil is one of the original Blunsdon Bloggers and toured with me in Sweden. In the photograph above he and his party have just presented Leigh Adams with his Man of the Match trophy. I've "borrowed" the photograph from Les Aubrey and the main Swindon web site not only to acknowledge Neil's support for the Robins but also to thank him once more for providing me with web space to host the blog.
But I can't let the opportunity pass without bringing your attention to the fleece that he's wearing and the cap that he's just removed. The fleece - it's a Lejonen fleece. The hat - it's a Rune Holta cap.
Once again the track staff perform wonders to get everything tidied away quickly and we are able to leave at 10.30pm. As I climb into the car my son Dave, who's been working the pit gate tonight, reminds me that I've been up and working for 22.5 hours without a real break. For a "desk jockey" like me, that's just too much and I'm not getting any younger, as my son adds.
And the result? A win for Swindon, but then Lejonen were without Nicki Pedersen and Leigh Adams!
Lejonen Lions
1. Chris Holder 2 1 6! 2 3 - - 14
2. Tomasz Jedrzejak 0 0 1 1 - - - 2
3. Davey Watt 3 6! 2 2 - - - 13
4. Ricky Kling 0 1 0 1 - - - 2
5. Sebastian Ulamek 2 2 F 1* 1 - - 6(1)
6. Daniel Davidsson 2 0 1 0 - - - 3
7. Emil Kramer 1* R 0 0 - - - 1 (1)
Team Manager: Anders Frojd
Referee: M D Robinson
I've just received an email from Ian Hawkins, our great friend from Edinburgh track staff. Ian was responsible for the wonderful EdinBlogs last year. Sadly, he's not been too well over the winter and is still somewhat under the weather, so everyone down here sends their very best wishes.
Ian sent me through some Quantas jokes in an email and, because they brought a smile to my face, I thought I'd finish with a selection on the blog. Until next week ...
"This is priceless!!!! In case you need a laugh, remember:
It takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one.
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by the Qantas' pilots (marked with a "P"), and the solutions recorded by maintenance engineers (marked with an "S").
(By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had a crash.)
P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft...
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200ft per min descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny. S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
