Steve Shovlar

I was told I would receive them from now until 10 days before the event.

Glad my post was taken in the spirit it was meant. I went to the Sheffield round of the WTC a couple of years ago and the crowd was good, the racing good, the weather terrible. We left a sunny south and by the time we got near Sheffield it was heavy shower dodging time. The worst of the showers missed until the last third of the meeting, when it ruined what would have been a great Team GB win. On returning south the roads were bone dry and we never had any of the weather Sheffield got. Now I am not saying that we will have a dry week. But the chances are better than the weather up north. The fans who travel from Poland, Sweden, Denmark and other countires will not want to go to Sheffield, lets be honest. It's an industrial town that doesn't really cater for tourists. Poole on the other hand is set up for tourism. Today my wife and I went down to Poole Quay to push the pram about, and it was beautiful. Palm trees, pubs all open and busy, the warm sun shining, pleasure boats taking people around the harbour and to Swanage etc. You could have been in any country in the Med. fans will love it and that's why Benfield have chosen the south coast. It has nothing to do with Terry Russell. It was a sensible legistical decision. Good road and rail access, plenty of accomodation, nightlife and the chance of better weather.

Lets be honest here. If we in the south can't afford the ticket prices, the people up in the north with their ferrets and pidgeons and hankies on the heads knotted in each corner with their trousers rolled up to their ankles, shouting "ekky thump", will have to miss two rent payments, or do an extra shift, "down pit".

I just don't think he has what it takes to be a world champ.

Jeffster, there are better riders about who will relegate Jonsson to the also ran booth, along with Max, Holta, Sullivan and a few more. Younger riders are making their way and in the next couple of years we will see new names dominating the GP series. Bjerre, Lindback, Andersen, Hampel, as well as Crump for a couple more years and Adams. As for Dryml, last year he made great strides and was becoming a world beater. Since his bad crash he has taken gigantic leaps backwards and looks a shadow of the rider he was last year. A change of club, the injury and he has a hell of a lot to do to remain in the GP.

Jonsson world champ? Never in a month od Sundays. Hasn't got what it takes and will never be in the world top three. Hasn't improved at all in the last couple of years and although he did well yesterday, it won't happen again in a hurry. A nearly man, who is being overtaken already by better, younger riders.

Just wait till next year when Brazilian wonderkid Lindback storms the GP Series. Make Bjerre look like a novice.

It was a big shame for Tony as he was on fire last night and looked like the winner. He had made a superb pass of Adams when the ruts on the forth bend caught him out (as it did others) From going through to the next stage and a possible victory, the crash cost him the chance of winning this years title. He just never had enough time to recover for the eliminator. Pure bad luck.

I think Steele had a stinker. Two dreadful decisions. Crump should have been excluded for his fall, as Nicki Pedersen had the racing line and was leading. the reason he made such a fuss is because he was right for a change. bad call number one from Steele. And Bjerre should have been out for bashing into Richardson. Why would Richardson fall? He wasn't looking at Bjerre, and the next thing he is out of control when Bjerre bashed into him in a frantic move. I am not having a dig at BV, as both are their riders, but as I saw it both Crump and Bjerre should have been excluded. Crump especially for acting like a dying swan when he could have stayed on the bike but decided to take a dive. Anything to win eh Jason? And not much has been said about Hancock, who did to Nicholls what Pedersen did to him. Hancock took Nicholls out and but for Scott wanting to stay on could have got Hancock booted out.

Yes I agree that both rode well, but TRick was unfortunate and didn't have time to recover. He had passed Adams when he lifted, and was never likely to do anything in the eliminator after such a nasty fall. Bjarne rode well too and but for a small error would have made the semis. Trouble with us Brits is there is nowhere for us to practice during the day. If I wanted to take my bike and do 100 laps, where could I go and do it on a Saurday morning or Tuesday afternoon? Answers on a postcard please.

agree totally.

Shocking decision from Tony Steele to Exclude Pedersen. Crump could have stayed on board but flopped down like a drama queen, throwing his hands in the air to make it look even more dramatic. He could have stayed on. Steele called it very wrong. Pedersen was leading and had the racing line.

Benfield are running it in the top of the back straight grandstand. Not sure how to get tickets though! I do Found out hospitality tickets are £65 with seats and a meal. Not bad at all.

I have just spoken to wayahead. The grandstand is sold out but there are tickets left for the stands. However, if you use the phone number on the back of the speedway star, you annot choose where you can sit in the temp stands. Its a first come first served basis, and you may end up on the forth bend. On their website Wayahead.com you can choose which bend you want to sit on, either one, two three or four. So we now know that all bends are having temp stands built. As a sidenote, Matt ford is interested in continuing to hire these temp stands if Poole make the playoffs.

Maybe not in Eastbourne but the grandstand at Poole is a sellout, and that's through the number given on the back of the Speedway Star. As I said there are tickets left at Poole on the bends, but doesn't it say the same in this weeks Star? I havent managed to get a copy this week to back up what I am saying, but have been told that the second in command at Benfield has reported it. Either way it's good news and looks like the place is going to be heaving, which is the idea.

From what I can gather the main grandstand is sold out. A friend of mine tried to book some seats today and was told that it was sold out and that the only tickets left were some standing and some on the temp stand on the first bend. I haven't see this weeks speedway star but in there Benfield confirms what I have said. Considering that the main grandstand only holds 1200, officially, Benfoeld state they are adding a further 2000 seats on the bends. So where the standing will be I have no idea. Obviously along the front of the main grandstand, and on the forth bend, but where else? Also told for seats its first come, sit where you like, which means getting there very early to get the best seats. If Poland make the final, their fans tend to arrive hours before tapes up so I hope they don't open the gates too early!

Still some standing available.

When I said sellout I meant the main grandstand. Only tickets now left are on the temp stands and standing on the forth bend. Looks like the place is going to have a fantastic atmosphere, which is exactly what Benfield wanted. Don't know how many of us Brits have purchased tickets but I hope we are not outnumbered by Danes, Swedes and Poles! But I will be there with my English flag cheering the boys on to victory!

Benfield are running it in the top of the back straight grandstand. Not sure how to get tickets though!

What a shame if they revert to the old 20 heats, two semis and a final. The current setup is excellent. Sudden death, two thirds and your out brings early excitment to a meeting and the 20 heat formula cannot acheive this at all. keep it as it is I say.

yep! TRick is the perfect world champ and will again be crowed king this year.

INteresting to note that Poole hotels are completely full up for the WTC week. Bournemouth still has plenty of vacancies though. So if that's the case it looks like its going to be a full house on the final, and probably if Team GB are in the playoff. BRING IT ON!

I aready have booked my tickets. A 4 meeting ticket works out at £22.50 a seat, so I think that is a very fair price. When I booked they said that booking had been very steady, so whether or not most of you are not prepared to pay it, many others will and the semi and final will be full, as Poole only has a small capacity. I can see it now. People on here who are saying they are not prepared to book at those prices, will have a change of heart when the final approaches, only to discover it's a sell out and through their initial displeasure at the prices, they are gutted to have missed Team GB win the WTC. I agree prices are steep if you just buy a seat for the final, but there are many fans coming from Europe who are buying tickets for all meetings, and that is not expensive.

Cardiff 2004 There are soem pics of A61, Pammie, Shazzybird, Tom Elwood, Crissie and more!

I thout Sam was OK but he really messed up the rider intros. the riders didn't know when to walk and the way he announced it was flat. "The nest rider is Mark Loram blah blah blah (couldn't hear what he was sayng because of airhorns) blah blah...Loram" He should have said "The last British world champ and a rider who loves to battle through from the back. On great form at the moment and ready to set the stadium alight...the one and only MARK LORAM!" (now the airhorns go mad and Loram walks.