Lioness

Excellent post DW....never thought to try and illustrate it that way. Surely it just goes to show that no way should a points deduction be considered

Falcace if you check out the SWC reduced to 8 thread you'll see Steve was being facetious ;-) Steve please can you stick to be sarcastic-I cant spell facetious! lol

Grachan, very best wishes to you and Mrs Grachan (and mini and soon to be ickle Grachan too!)

Thanks Bryn.....hope you have a fantastic time over there

Let's just put paid to any rumours that may start from here it was Rooms Addy not Room!!!! This is bringing an old phrase to my mind......now what is it??? Oh yes...... Methinks the lady doth protest too much!!! :twisted:

BTW Steve I don't.....keep your hands off oor Rory! :twisted: :clown

Great pics Marty! I am surprised at Sidewinders....it looks quite small and somehow I thought it was all 'big' tracks.....some of these Aussie's have been telling us porkies over here! lol. Gillman looks awesome!

Hmmm.... and there was me thinking it was done on merit ;-) :? I see what you mean though Norbold-hadn't noticed that!

From SGP site (hidden amongst the GP stuff!) The FIM Speedway World Cup (SWC) format has changed for 2004 with a reduced number of teams (8) that will lead to much more exciting racing in the earlier rounds. The new format will consist of four events. The top eight teams in the world will race in the first two events (four teams per round) with a four team Race Off on the Thursday and four team Final on the Saturday night A step forward methinks although in a strange way I will miss the 5 man races! (but not the worry over safety on it being run on tracks that were too narrow!!)

Heading says it all! Full story can be found at http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/newsframe.php?pr=840 but basically the wildcards are:- Mark Loram Great Britain Lukas Dryml Czech Republic Mikael Max Sweden Lee Richardson Great Britain Hans Andersen Denmark Jaroslaw Hampel Poland A couple of surprising ommissions anyone? For me I am surprised Bajerski never got in Full riding order is:- 1 NICKI PEDERSEN DENMARK 2 JASON CRUMP AUSTRALIA 3 TONY RICKARDSSON SWEDEN 4 LEIGH ADAMS AUSTRALIA 5 GREG HANCOCK USA 6 TOMASZ GOLLOB POLAND 7 SCOTT NICHOLLS GREAT BRITAIN 8 RUNE HOLTA NORWAY 9 RYAN SULLIVAN AUSTRALIA 10 ANDREAS JONSSON SWEDEN 11 MARK LORAM GREAT BRITAIN 12 PIOTR PROTASIEWICZ POLAND 13 LUKAS DRYML CZECH REPUBLIC 14 MIKAEL MAX SWEDEN 15 BJARNE PEDERSEN DENMARK 16 LEE RICHARDSON GREAT BRITAIN 17 HANS ANDERSEN DENMARK 18 BOHUMIL BRHEL CZECH REPUBLIC 19 KAI LAUKKANEN FINLAND 20 ALES DRYML CZECH REPUBLIC 21 JESPER B. JENSEN DENMARK 22 JAROSLAW HAMPEL POLAND QUALIFIED RESERVES Riding N° Name 25 JOONAS KYLMAKORPI FINLAND 26 SIMON STEAD GREAT BRITAIN 27 RAFAL DOBRUCKI POLAND 28 BILLY JANNIRO USA 29 ROMAN POVAZHNY MFR 30 CHARLIE GJEDE DMU

Sorry guys had a little couple of days away! Sorry Shazzy, wasn't ignoring ya! Thanks Sean for doing the poll Honey you are in BIG trouble.......I sense another poll Shazzy-what dya reckon? What way should Honey be dealt with....actually no, better do answers on a post card lol :twisted: :evil:

Typical Male ML....they have to confuse things :twisted: I'm with you!

Would that not be quite a lot of names Shazzy? Do you know who falls into that catagory?

I think she's been having you on all along Kev.....she's not really a Canterbury fan :twisted: Shazzy, you've been outed!

Come on all you Kent/South East based people....give the girl some backup! Actually come to that they cant tell from an e-mail addy where someone comes from can they?........hmmm, got to dash, got some e-mails to do :clown

Isn't that something for screwing nuts? :twisted: (NO Steve Hone/Lt etc, DONT! lol) I think you mean wench hon!

I'd second that from a different point of view! for Shazzy it brings back the past and memories she has, for a relative newbie like me it gives an insight into what went on in speedway before I became interested. I might not post much in here(I can only go back 5 years so theres little point!) but I do get a lot out of reading other folks memories and it often makes me realise why some things are done the way they are now. So thanks folks and keep posting whether you think they are rants or not!

Kiwipirate give Theo Pijper a shout on from us Monarchs fans.....he's a nice lad and we'll be shouting him on from afar!

....and please tell us privately so none of these other pesky clubs can get a look in ;-) :twisted:

Sorry Mylor I am not sure how it answers some of my points, can you clarify a bit for me please (I'm blonde I tend to be a bit slow on the uptake!) The way I see it the ones who will be dropped and suffer the most are thos 5 and 6 point second strings. Somebody like for example say Derek Sneddon who will probably be on an average of around 5.2. Too high for the CL but not experienced enough for a CL team to consider him a suitable 'old hand'. Teams would then look towards the CL to steal their best youngsters on 3 points PL average. Teams would then try and persuade some of the potential stars of the future to step up-say someone like Adam Roynon. Undoubtedly a talent but not ready to step up as yet but if he knocks it back he might not get another chance so he has to step up when not ready.(I say like Adam as I realise he is too young atm). Soon the youngsters who look good prospects are snapped up. So instead of then taking a risk on guys like for example Gary Flint (no disrespect meant) they decide with the new countries in the EU to go for a cheap 3 point Czech instead. I just cant see how it would make UK speedway anything other than weaker. It would seriously affect all three leagues, British riders would be most susceptable to loosing their place and it becomes even more of a curse than ever being second string. theres no incentive for reserves to improve because to do so they either have to be superstars like Eddie Kennett and get to heat leader in a oner else by improving they do themselves out of a team spot. I am probably being very niave here, I don't have the depth of knowledge of speedway many on the forum have. Please feel free to put me right on where I've gone wrong

Look at the averages of the finishing PL league teams. The majority will have to make adjust ments to reduce to 45. To ask them to reduce to 40 would be farcical and lead to more current PL second strings being unable to find a berth. Instead teams would be more inclined to ride with lower average riders and would be plucking CL riders before they were ready or bringing in foreigners with patriality. Result? A weakened CL, riders being forced to step up to PL level before they are ready and more sub standard foreign riders in the PL. As a result the sport in the UK would become weaker in so far as young GB talent is concerned and the incentive for current reserves to step up is removed and any natural progression made more difficult. Just my opinion

I'm fully with you SCB whoever happens to be the richest and poorest in whatever league. To do something along those lines would make last years Bloody Loopy Cup running look efficient and fair. It will also encourage riders to 'throw' races when the gradings are about to be re-allocated. I mean why struggle to be a grade A 9 point rider when you can be the pick of the crop of grade B on 8.99. Height of stupidity in my opinion. They just seem to get worse

#107 looks familiar.....its not David Walsh is it? ps I also think 109 is Andy Smith..... :?

Aww schucks thanks WATigerman Another pic I can sort of drool over although he got better with age lol. I take it thats quite an early picture? early to mid eighties maybe? He's only about the third rider I've been able to ID in your excellent photos....I wish I'd discovered speedway sooner :-( Off now to drool....thanks again!

Porky I fully agree with you. The stereotyping that goes on amongst people who have never been to a speedway meeting as well does not help. I'm not your typical fan. No-one in my immediate family goes to speedway or probably knew it existed, I'm not into motorbikes per se, I just suffer terminal nosiness which made me go and see what on earth was going on at Armadale that night. Would I have gone in if I had known what was on in advance? Probably not as I had heard all the stereotyping about 'petrolheads' (ignorance itself as petrol isnt bloody used!) and I would have missed out on one of the greatest sports on earth. The rule changes are sometimes detrimental to the sport but the problems faced in getting people through the gates are much more deeply rooted and at a far more basic level. We need to get folks in through the gates first before they can discover how ludicrous the BLC is!! We also need to get round that falacy that speedway can only appeal to bikers!