AndyM

It wasn't dusty though, Bryn, which you would expect if it had dried out, and it wasn't watered during that match either. Irrespective of the press conference, it just looked woefully under-prepared.

No disrespect to the lads in the squad, but that really does indicate the pathetic strength in depth we have nowadays. Time was when we had a dozen or more genuinely world class riders to choose the WTC squad from. In those days, most of this squad wouldn't have got a look in.

Thanks for your honesty, Marko. Any idea how on a beautiful day this could have been possible? Who made the decision to screw up such an important meeting for the track?

Very true, every time I go there I end up hugely disappointed. If anything, it was worse this time. In fact, it was worse than Coventry, and that's saying something!! What was very noticeable was the time they spent grading every four heats. AFTER the grading there were huge bald patches on the track - it really did look like the M25!!

Brendan Johnson got 2nd

Just got back from Lakeside, which was a damn sight quicker than getting there!! Delighted to meet Crazy Sue, Donna, Bob C and Lisa Colette there - hope our paths cross again. Also worth saying that that's the first time I've ever seen a huge queue at the turnstiles to get in there - people are usually fighting to get out!! Congratulations to Lewis Bridger, who was clearly the best rider on the night and deserved his win, but I do have two gripes: Firstly, the track was ohhhhh so slick. There were very few genuine passes all night and the majority of races passed almost entirely without comment on my programme. For a big meeting like this, why on earth could they not prepare a decent grippy track and showcase the sport with plenty of entertainment for the paying public? Second, I might be accused of being a fuddy duddy, but the semi and final format just serves to undermine the event. It leads to injustices like Rob Mear, who had an otherwise excellent night, hitting a rut on the second bend of the semi while out in front and thereby missing the final, despite being joint 2nd top scorer. And frankly if it is supposed to ratchet up the tension and excitement, it doesn't work! Much better to stick to 20 heats and award the prizes on that basis alone. One more little thing: is it possible for the promotion to turn on the speakers in the bar so we can hear announcements there? Thank you!!

It's very noticeable that while the previously dominant teams in F1 don't like the regulations that have eliminated their inbuilt advantage, the sport is getting a lot of positive press from the fact that different drivers from different teams are now winning races and the whole thing is much less predictable than for a long time. Evidently the viewing public approves of more opportunities for passing and a more open title. Is it not time for a similar rethink within speedway to level out the inbuilt advantage apparently enjoyed by some riders within the GP circus, at least as far as their equipment goes? Should we not be relying totally on skill and less on equipment to determine the world champion? The idea someone had for bikes in league matches to be owned by the home track and allocated by a lottery might work well in GPs. If every machine were otherwise identical, would it be the same riders who won out every time?

Thanks Jim. I would have a host of questions for PC but for now here are a few: Looking back on your career, what if anything would you have done differently? What was the real reason you 'retired' for a year? Apart from the infamous match races with Mich in 1973, what was your most memorable race? Do you regret only winning the world championship once? Which riders of your era did you most admire? And which Belle Vue Aces riders? What would you change about modern speedway to reintroduce excitement?

Says it all. Is he organised any more professionally nowadays?

do Crump and Pedersen have faster machinery or is it just their attitude that makes the difference?

Yes, that was the point - I was asking what a rider has to do to break into the elite circle.

As in the winner and top 5 each year comes from a very small group. 7 winners in 14 years of GP is not a great record.

Makes you wonder why it's become like a closed shop. Riders don't need to be much better to dominate the rest. Maybe they are more rested without so much league racing, but there are other factors too. Interesting to read that Padraig Harrington employs a backup team of 6 to help him on the golf tour. They comprise the senior coach, a swing coach, a putting coach, a physio, a fitness coach and a sports psychologist. Who do the top GP riders take around with them, other than mechanics and possibly management?

Wouldn't want to see speedway adopt this rule, though like F1 I think our authorities should be reviewing the machinery used in order to simplify, standardise and slow down the sport, reducing costs in the process. Also I think we should adopt sin bins from rugby so a rider guilty of an offence could be banned from his next 1-5 races depending on the seriousness.

If everyone could foresee everything impacting on their deals life would be so easy, wouldn't it! In the real world, circumstances change and contracts get renegotiated in every line of business on a daily basis. The only reason a club would negotiate a deal like that in the first place is because they had guarantees which somebody else welshed on. What choice have they got? Go out of business but stick to the letter of Nicki's contract?

Nicki's income is unsustainable in the current environment, and he must know it. If it is a 50% cut (do we know that for sure?), it is because anticipated revenue has fallen and the club can't continue with existing contracts, not because of any desire to backtrack on contractual commitments - if that were the case, nobody would do business with them. The point is that every club will start to feel the same constraints and sooner or later he will have to lower his expectations or give up speedway and move to F1 or something else. In times of recession, you have to cut your cloth...

Do you remember that there was a case recently where people voted for a pay reduction at a factory to save the jobs of fellow workers? If circumstances have changed and the club in this case can't afford it, Nicki, who isn't short of a bob or two, should stay loyal and think of the common good by accepting a pay cut until such time as the club can afford his original deal. He would be rewarded for his loyalty in the longer term. Taking the attitude he has does nobody any good.

More fool him! I hope he finds himself out in the cold.

You could argue it's better to put up temporary stands in stadia with permanent tracks than put down temporary tracks in another stadium?

So if nobody is prepared to pay Mr Pedersen the money he feels he wants, he will probably end up riding for nobody and much the poorer. Will riders start to discover the hard way the impact of the recession and to downgrade their expectations?

Don't care whether it's a joke or not - they should do it!!

Would that we could have a Shawcross for the 21st Century to kick speedway up the proverbial. But neither the ACU nor speedway itself could afford such an esteemed barrister!

I have vivid memories of going to the Belle Vue funfair with my dad, then queueing up to the Hyde Road track for the evening match in 1976 with Dancing Queen by Abba playing. Sometime before that, I remember In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry playing at BV. And Fanfare for the Common Man by ELP and Tokyo Melody, obviously. All of the above songs I always associate with great days at the best ever speedway track!

Always an entertaining and combative rider and nice guy, though my abiding memory of him is a match at Leicester against the Aces where he led an absolutely charmed life to score a paid 18 point maximum, thanks to PC suffering an engine failure in front of him, Mort and Wilkie having problems that let him through as I recall. But if any rider deserved that luck, John was that man!

Arguably 1976 or 77. PC was on fire, the Aces team were just brilliant to watch - fantastic entertainment every time a winner, particularly at Hyde Road. I really enjoyed my speedway in those days.