AndyM

Doesn't this depend on where the event was held? Sure, I'd back Peterborough at Awalton but not necessarily at other tracks. All very random - anyone can win on the day, so it's scarcely scientific!

Absolutely - as a rider he was far more unpopular than Mauger in my circles, and in his current role he often seems to go out of his way to antagonise many people. Nevertheless, if he has a constructive opinion on the way ahead let's hear it.

Because there is so much competition for leisure time over here. Sad to say this, but speedway has failed to reinvent itself to keep pace with all the other ways British spectators have to spend their time. It's just not as exciting or interesting, and our promoters have steadily diluted the leagues, tinkered with the rules and left many fans disillusioned. And unlike SCB, I don't agree about cost being the biggest factor. If anything, our sport has become totally devalued and underpriced to make it a viable business. Sure, there are some people for whom that is the deciding issue, but the vast majority of potential and ex-fans will probably spend much more on other leisure pursuits because speedway just doesn't cut it any more. Doesn't matter if you give it away free, you'd still not get the volume of spectators week in, week out that we had even 20 years ago. Unless the sport changes its approach, the haemmorage of spectators will continue and domestic speedway will die out as a viable entity here in the UK. Sorry - doom-mongering over, but what I say is unquestionably true.

Thankfully, he came back for the Aces in 67 and won his 5th title, and the rest is history!!

Quite right. At its best it was a 1-leg contest with the weaker side at home, and just occasionally there were upsets. Also true that the stronger clubs had everything to lose (in terms of reputation and pride) and not a lot to gain - but then, the same is true in the FA Cup 3rd round, and fans love that. Any reason why this event should not capture the imagination? After all, we still go to watch meaningless challenge matches...

Yes, I know that the track record changed with the track, and I'm pretty sure Dave Morton held it at some point thereafter. Makes me wonder what the record might be if the track was open now for riders on modern machinery - probably about 60.4 seconds!

And what about Rex Harrison? Granted his speedway career took a bit of a back seat behind starring in stage and film musicals but I reckon he might have been one of the greats - leg trailing while singing The Rain In Spain? haha

Wot u on about, Schumi? I didn't mention or refer to the Andersen/Hampel clash. Chill! As for Mr Gollob, I watched it several times and it looked as clean a drive through a narrow gap as you're likely to see. Yes, Nicky did congratulate him though I suspect he was cursing a bit in private at being overtaken by anybody once he had his nose in front.

It was a great manouevre, perfectly safe and without touching anybody - vintage speedway worthy of my hero Peter Collins! Nicky was probably shocked that anyone could pulled it off! My point was simply that he's been known to do similar things himself, which is anything but an insult. Do you disagree?

Well that was an incredible final, and one of the few truly worthy of winning a Grand Prix. Fantastic ride by Gollob, though he only seems to do it in front of his own fans nowadays! Bet Nicky is a bit sore after getting a taste of his own medicine!!

Is it me or is that the slickest track on the GP circuit? Appalling!

My son went with his mates on their usual weekly trip to Paradise Park last week. He loved it, though it needed someone to explain to him who all the riders were and what historic events were being commemorated. However, he did say they weren't charged to look around the museum, so I don't know quite how they managed that.

I won't go into the full story, but I once wrote a play about a boy who was intent on committing suicide and did a lot of research into the subject. Still got the books, in fact. What fascinated me was the fact that many people are making a "gesture" and never intend to actually go through with it - just make a cry for help. Yet for one reason or another many people still manage to die pointless deaths because they can find no other way to express their misery. Sad.

Sadly there seems to be a very high incidence of suicide among speedway riders, which I guess must be related in some degree to the high stress levels, lack of security and lonliness of a life spent travelling without family and without much psychological support. Could there be any other reason?

Does he have any regrets? What would he do differently if he could have his time again?

Yes, there is nobody currently within speedway with the ability to see big picture. Everybody is so involved in the day-to-day running of the sport or individual clubs they can't see the wood for the trees. Besides which, this process needs a different skillset. Bringing in outside skills is arguably the only way we're going to get an aggregate view about which direction speedway needs to follow. Certainly thinking of season-by-season survival only won't help - we have to make assumptions along the lines of what proportion of clubs will keep going, which will fold and which new ones will replace them, if any.

Then you're condemned to make the same mistakes repeatedly. Incremental changes need a medium or long-term vision just as much as radical shifts - even more so if you want to avoid the sort of aimless knee-jerk approach we know so well.

All excellent points, Tony. For my own part, I'd want to start with that step back with a 10-year review. That is: 1) conduct a thorough 360-degree review of the past 10 years of UK league speedway management and use honest appraisal to complete a SWOT analysis to pick up the best and the worst 2) develop a vision for how speedway should look in 10 years time, covering all aspects of how it is run at every level, how many clubs will operate, how financially viable it will be etc. 3) use scenario analysis to review what must change to get to that point, and what external influences will impact on the change process. Only then can you start developing realistic solutions without the usual knee-jerk reactions. Take that long-term review process and you start to realise how much needs to be done and how we can only win by being much more ambitious and radical than we've previously considered. Let's be blunt about this - the survival of domestic UK speedway is at stake here and we have to take it very seriously.

That's the point. Sooner or later Nicki will have a brain seizure and do something rash. When things aren't going his way he's unpredictable, where Crumpie can gain through greater consistency. Very few riders can keep it going for a whole season, if any.

All things are relative. The margins are small, so machinery may make a material difference... but at this level I think it's all in the mind - if you truly believe you're going to win, you probably will. Crump may be having a few doubts, and it shows...

Can't vouch for Sub, Lindback isn't but I am. Allegedly!

Ahhh... he's quite cute and cuddly when you get to know him!

Not even one-timed, sorry. Just world class!

Sorry - did someone call?!

He's shown flashes of brilliance, but to be truly world class you need to do it consistently under all conditions. That's my definition and I'm sticking to it.