britmet

How many more Rounds in the Chmpshps ? - and where and when? .

QUOTE: Do the Hitmen have no more matches before the cut-off then? According to the SGB webite under 'Fixtures/Sept 2010' KL take on Buxton for their last NL match on Sat. 11th. BUT there's nothing on the KL site to this effect, and Buxton's site (latest 'News' = July !) has it as TBA. - ?? QUOTE: the pointless Dudley league match against Weymouth the following week, - does that even need to be run now ? Most certainly. We still want to sit on top of that table ! QUOTE: The 12/9 deadline was agreed by all the chairmen at the AGM prior to the start of the season. The EL Cut-off has flexed. With no TV screening why is the NL seemingly inflexible ? Why is any Play-Off even needed ? The more sensible PL doesn't need one to determine its Champion, - a few top-of-table season fillers to bring in a crowd for a match against a strong draw. This subject (under at least 3 Topic headings) has raised more postings on this site than any other recent matter. The promoters must realise the issues that the subject causes in all 3 leagues. Okay, Sky calls the tune in the EL, but there is no excuse for the other leagues to make a fool of our sport. In 2009 the EL commenced the season declaring the Play-Offs would involve the top SIX teams - in a NINE-team league ! ! How ridiculous was that? Common sense eventually prevailed and an AGM agreement was justifiably changed.

. Congrats to every one of the Heathens, - that's just what we needed to make it absolutely clear we're going to top the table ! And what a way to do it, (10pts down at Ht4,) keeping everyone on the edge of their seat until the last few heats. There's no way that speedway in any other league can produce not only close nail-biting results like this, (and Yes, I have been watching EL during the '00s !) but also give us individual lap-by-lap excitement such as we again saw at Monmore on Tues. On behalf of every one of the Heathens followers I'm sure, - Our thanks lads, for giving us a team to be proud of. .

Can we have a link to see it please? Meanwhile, here's my shot of Pat F, taken 1961 in Plymouth colours, (when they wer ethe Bulldogs re-located from Bristol of '60. http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/47058/2424745820103948496S425x425Q85.jpg My enduring memory of PF is from that year, '61, when local emerging novice at Dudley Wood, Alan Totney gave him a great run in their 2nd Half heat which so excited the crowd that the promotion put on an extra race, a Match Race between the two.

On a visit to Coventry Cathedral last week I was quietly pleased to see on display his biography by NJ & JC for sale in the Cathedral bookshop. .

NO Chance ! .

We've had this topic on here before. I attended all 5 PLRCs, and the favourite for the first was local Cradley hero Harry Bastable. Harry had been nigh on unbeatable since his return to Cradley from NL Leicester. However he'd already booked a foreign holiday and it was impossible to find a flight for him to get back for the league's newly-devised big night. Cradley had been selected for the initial Championship because a) it was a Saturday track, (high attendance ensured from travelling fans,) it was in the Midlands (central for a league with teams at the extremes of Edinburgh and Bristol, c) it was considered a 'fair' circuit for riders, (it had been built modelled on Wembley: 367yds v 378yds,). Consequently, to 'spread it around', the next two PLRCs were to be in the South, (Harringay,) then the North, (Belle Vue,)in turn . No doubt the ability to take in the Zoological Gardens and make it a full family day out, topped with a fireworks display that the likes of most of us had never before seen, ensured the that the North retained the big event thru into the next decade (as the BLRC.) On this day if no other dedicated speedway fans took along granny and the kids,(as indeed did we later in the '60s at BLRCs,) Yes, I'm sure the Cradley programme header was mis-print. Ex-Wembley Lion Trevor Redmond obviously liked the track similarity and sailed thru the mtg in 1960: he was doing the same in 1961 until that chain snapped. I reckon he'd burnt himself out thru '62 trying desparately to make Neath a going concern: he was promoter, rider and general factotum there, as well as running St Austell and Stocks at Newton Abbott. He was the only rider to appear in all 5 PLRCs if I remember correcty, representing 5 different clubs, Bristol, W'ton, Neath, St.Austell & Glasgow.

Title script font too fancy, - and 'Bucc v Dudley' too insignificant on the front page.

Maybe its because all the Heathens fans were early, in the front of the queue, - we had to wait >30mins for the gates to open - , and all got a programme. It would be the locals, who turn up just in time for the parade, that might not have got a prog ! .

Tell me if I'm wrong, anyone, BUT I believe, - as in all 3 leagues - , that the playoffs will be decided by the league position as they stand on the Cut-off date. Is that not so? So Sept 12th it will be, if the orig'l posting here is correct.

Looking at the race cards, what does it tell us when 7 of the 8 teams show who's the team captain. The missing captain is: - ? (- not given in the BSPA release either.) It now seems that as well as picking and choosing whether they will or wont ride in Lge teams, ELRCs, etc, Grand Prix riders are doing the same with the SWC. No Nicki Pedersen, no Jonsson, no Crump, (and no Adams.)

http://soccer-live.pl/transmisje.php?id=motorsport This morning its now showing as being transmitted at 1900hrs CET(=1800 BST.) Whether thats a change to yesterday's initial reaction because of the German GP at the same time, or whether its a recording 4hrs after the event (for the same reason) I'm not sure. You'll need Players like TVU, TVAnts, Sopcast, Media player, then find which one is giving the best streaming.

Event 1 Rained Off. I wondered why the race card didnt match what I was watching via t'internet. The mtg having been called off due to rain the Polish channel is showing last year's Final. Ev.1 is due to be re-run tomorrow, Sunday, at 3pm. .

Try also posting on the Speedway History Forum. http://speedwayhistory.proboards.com/index.cgi

I echo the comments on the race-jackets, (but despair we'll see them again,) and the quality of the pics. Nice to honour Erik at the concl'n of the slideshow.

From the 20 names listed on Wed. no Nick Morris. - ? Didn't he make it there or was he too low down the list to enter ?

MyP2P.eu http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?&competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=motorsports&allowedDays=7 or Soccer Live http://soccer-live.pl/transmisje.php?id=motorsport The later seems a better bet of late.

Just to be clear, THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST OF 3 SEMI-FINALS ! Top 5 plus a reserve qualify for the Final in Gorican, Croatia on July 24th.

When & where is the 2nd leg of the Danish Chmpshp ? .

Brian Brett has gone,sadly; Ronnie Moore is stll around and you can pick up a interview by Briggo on him not so long ago, here ; ; Brian crutcher has turned up a few times at 'do's' in the south. There's a biography of him out, and a few up-to-date shots somewhere on a website,......

Can anyone provide winners of the annual Dutch Golden Helmet that was run in August each year in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, in the '50s, 60s, or earlier. After racing the Sunday elsewhere, usually in Veenoord, the squad of riders would move on the Monday to the capital for the GH. (This was not the Veenoord GH that started later and was won last year by Damian Sperz of Poland. ) .

Just recapped on this thread: One has to question if the past attraction was the trophy of a Golden Helmet, per se, or the Match Race itself. I must believe the later, be it the monthly H&A best of 3, or the single post-league race where the top scorer challenged the holder. Of course the riders would want paying; yes, they want to get away after Ht.15 (except where the financial attraction appeals !) But in its heyday, it was the opening event, - before league racing commenced. Only in this format can it be 'promoted' heavily, in advance, to bring in add'l supporters to cover the prize money. I see no point in a full blown mtg with the Helmet as a prize, - too man riders dont bother now with such competitions, (i.e. the ELRC,) and changing a cup for a helmet wont appeal, especially if its polycarbonate full-face 21-century safety gear. Reflecting on past winners, indeed John Louis had a good run in both formats in '73/'74 at the time of the transition, but Olsen's amazing 19 consecutive wins in ‘72/’73, (post-mtg single race format,) and Briggo and Peter Collins' 12 monthly successes, (H&A best-of-3 format,) stand out, post 1960. The master of the Match-Race however still remains Jack Parker and his 20 monthly successes between 1946 and 1951 with only 3 defeats in that 5-year period. You can see all the detail on this website http://speedwaychampions.kk5.org/login/453...home/4538411176 - - "Golden Helmet/British MRC" page, plus pics of various Golden Helmets, old and new, and their holders. .

More than once on a Monday evening in '71/'72 a visiting rider would turn up in the pits at the last minute, admitting that they'd walked the track and been waiting, wondering where the others were. Eventually to realise they were at the wrong track ! They'd gone to the original Alex Stadium on the other side of the road. .

Athletic tracks: Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh, Birmingham Alexander Stadium, (today's Perry Barr Greyhond & Speedway stadium.) . .

Because 4 laps make a mile ! .