Easter Sunday,  April 2

The last Speed XI match of the season

The Speedway XI will play their last match of the season on Easter Sunday, April 2, versus  their old rivals, the Television All-Stars. It will be a charity football match and take place at Chalfont St. Peter Playing Fields, Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks, and the kick-off will be 3 pm.
  Admission charges are 2s. and 3s. 6d., and the proceeds will go towards the benefit of local charities.
  The Speedway XI are optimistic that both Barry Briggs and Ronnie Moore will be available for this game. Other well-known speedway riders, including Ron How, Danny Dunton, Bob Andrews will be in the team.
  The Speedway XI wish to apologise to those supporters who travelled to this ground on Sunday, March 19. Unfortunately the game was cancelled late on the day before the game and as STAR-News was already on sale, there was no possible way for them to advise of the cancelation.
  However, some of the team men travelled to the ground and explained the position to many supporters who turned up and they appreciated that it was a matter over which nobody had any control  under the circumstances.

Easter Monday, April 3

WIMBLEDON 64   SWEDISH TOURING TEAM  20

The Swedish Touring side offered little resistance to Wimbledon at Plough Lane on Easter Monday, only Goran Norlen and Rune Sormander extending the home riders.
  Norlen rode a thriller of a race in heat 6 to head home both Maidment and Andrews for the Swedes' only heat winner.
  There was a sensational spill in heat 7 when Ake Andersson crashed into the safety fence and broke his machine in two. Andersson, who was unhurt, received a cheque for 5 pounds from a generous Wimbledon supporter, to help repair his bike.
  When Sormander clashed with Ronnie Moore in heats 11 and 14, the sparks flew, but the 'Don' passed the post first on both occasions.
  Not a very interesting match for the larger-than-usual crowd.
   WIMBLEDON: Gerald Jackson 12, Ronnie Moore 11, Ron How 8, Bob Andrews 8, Cyril Brine 8, Cyril Maidment 7, Jim Tebby 5, Gil Goldfinch 5.
  SWEDISH TOURING TEAM: Rune Sormander 6, Goran Norlen 6, Curt Nyqvist 4, Ake Andersson 1, Leif Larsson 1, Kjeil Lutteman 1, J. Ekroth 1, Kjeil Svensson 0.

Monday, April 10

The promise of an attractive meeting between Wimbledon and Swindon was spoilt by rain. The Dons on their own racestrip overcame the conditions more quickly than their Wiltshire rivals and had little difficulty in winning this National League match by 53-24.
  Only Neil Street and, to a lesser extent, Ian Williams were able to offer any opposition to a Wimbledon line-up who gave an effortless exhibition of the best way to ride a wet track.
  Skipper Ronnie Moore was undefeated in his four rides, while Cyril Maidment dropped his only point to team-mate Bob Andrews.
  Due to the waterlogged state of the track, the second-half of the meeting was abandoned.
   WIMBLEDON: Ronnie Moore 12, Cyril Maidment 11, Gerald Jackson 9, Cyril Brine 9, Bob Andrews 8, Jim Tebby 3, Ron How 1.
  SWINDON : Neil Street 8, Ian Williams 5, T. Teodorowicz 5, G. White 3, B. Meredith 1, B. Roger 1, B. Brett 1.

Saturday, April 15

Swindon Robins, who were swamped by Wimbledon and the weather at Wimbledon a week past, on Monday came near to winning at home on Saturday when it was their turn to play host.
  Although beaten 34-44 the Robins were only two points behind the Dons at the end of heat 11, and really deserved better. But the Dons took two 1-5 victories in heats 12 and 13 to finish top dogs.
  Carlsson had an unfortunate start with his new club. He came out in heat 3 for the first time riding with Brian Meredith against Bob Andrews and Cyril Maidment. At the second bend Andrews tried to cut in front of Carlsson and was brought down. The race was restarted and at the same bend exactly the same thing happened with Andrews again taking a tumble. The race was finally won by Meredith with Maidment in second position and Carlsson in third.
  Ron How and Ronnie Moore both with maximums, scored four more than the rest of their team-mates put together. Moore, needless to say, put on an impeccable performance, and How's was not much less so
    SWINDON : Ian Williams 9, G. White 7, Neil Street 6, A Carlsson 4, B. Meredith 4, T. Teodorowicz 3,         Brian Brett 1.
   WIMBLEDON : Ronnie Moore 12, Ron How 12, Bob Andrews 7, Cyril Maidment 6, Gerald Jackson 4, Jim Tebby 2, Cyril Brine 1.

A bid for the transfer of Bob Andrews

 from Wimbledon to Leicester

was turned Down by Dons promoter Ronnie Greene last weekend. 

Monday, April 17

National League Match

Wimbledon Supporters expected Belle Vue to provide strong opposition, and they were not disappointed. This match was one of the best encounters seen at Plough Lane for a long time.
  All the races were exciting, but two stand out as speedway classics; Heat 9, when Johnston and Fisher scored a maximum for the 'Aces after a terrific duel with Maidment, and heat 12, in which there was a blanket finish with How, Johnston and Duckworth crossing the line in that order.
  Heroes of the Belle Vue side were Bob Duckworth and Peter Craven, but every man in the Manchester side was a trier from start to finish - and that might be something for other sides to remeber when visiting Plough Lane.
  Ron How showed that he was back to his best form with a maximum for Wimbledon
     WIMBLEDON : Ron How 12, Ronnie Moore 9, Cyril Brine 9, Cyril Maidment 5, Gerald Jackson 4, Jim Tebby 3, Bob Andrews 2.
    BELLE VUE : Bob Duckworth 10, Peter Craven 9, Ron Johnston 6, D. Fisher 6, S. Payling 3, J. Kitchen 0, Bryce Subritzky 0.

Monday, April 24

WIMBLEDON 53    COVENTRY  25

The old order changeth not! Wimbledon just waltzed their way through this National League match against a spiritless Coventry team, winning by 53-25. The Dons, save for Gerry Jackson, were on top form and toyed with the Midlanders, who only managed to win one heat, the fifth, by 4-2.
  The team riding of Ronnie Moore and Cyril Brine was superb. Their complete understanding of the others' technique was speedway perfection. Coventry had no rider capable of breaking this duet.
  Top scorer for the visitors was Nigel Boocock with 7. Disappointing was the form of Jack Young a man far removed from a peerless rider who won the world championship two years in succession and frequently inspired Australia to test victories.
  Local publicity for the match, indicating a close meeting was in store, failed to attract the fans. The "Dons" may be winning - but the supporters are tiring of seeing them do it by the odd forty points nearly every week. It is impossible for other tracks to strengthen their teams, the racing talent just is not there. The solution rests with Wimbledon if they want to provide close racing for their fans.
     WIMBLEDON : Ron How 12,  Cyril Brine 10, Bob Andrews 10, Ronnie Moore 9, Cyril Maidment 5,  Gerald Jackson 4, Gil Goldfinch 3.
    COVENTRY : Nigel Boocock 7, Jack Young 6, L Owen 3, N Nicholls 3, K Bentke 2,  R Mountford 2,                  J Lightfoot 2.

Wednesday, April 26

NEW CROSS  31     WIMBLEDON 47  

New Cross were far from disgraced when their local rivals Wimbledon visited them in the K.O. Cup match, despite a 16 point margin in the score, the racing was excellent.
  After heat 3 the Rangers looked certain of getting a thrashing having lost the first two heats 1-5 and heat 3 by 2-4, the score was now reading New Cross 4 Wimbledon 14. The Rangers then fought back with five 3-3 drawn heats.
  Gote Nordin had the crowd on their feet in heat 3 by challenging Cyril Maidment all the way and taking second place to the Wimbledon boy. In heat 5, Nordin again rode a good race to finish third to Ron How and team-mate Leo McAuliffe.
  In the final heat with a track now very wet and slimy, Split Waterman fell, cutting two fingers on his left hand which were caught in the clutch, as he picked himself up the crowd cheered and to their delight he did a cartwheel.
    NEW CROSS : J. Fitzpatrick 8, Split Waterman 7, Leo McAuliffe 6, Bengt Brannefors 3, Reg Luckhurst 3, Gote Nordin 3, Bobby Croombs 1.
  WIIMBLEDON : Cyril Brine 10, Cyril Maidment 10, Ronnie Moore 9, Ron How 8, Bob Andrews 5, Gerald Jackson 3, Gil Goldfinch 2.  

May 1961