Gemini

I'd like to bet you wouldn't dream of posting them either. The second part of your question is easy to answer. A speedway fan is someone who still attends - in other words a fanatic which in this concept is what 'fan' is short for. A speedway follower is someone who no longer attends matches for various reasons but still takes an interest in the sport via social media, T.V., forums etc.

Perhaps I should have made my post clearer as it was a response to one person in particular which is the post I quoted, so change that to 'ex fan' not 'ex fans'. I'm all for expressing views and giving opinions what is wrong with the sport if it's constructive criticism. I do enough moaning myself if there are sunbreaks and endless laps of tractor grading to sort out a crappy track that should have been prepared properly before the match started not while it's on, but what is constructive about this post? I mentioned speedway to a friend who is a National sports journalist. He grinned and suggested its links towards one of Walt Disney's original cartoon characters! The clue is in 'MM'!!! Perhaps it's supposed to be funny and I'm just having a sense of humour failure. So you have posted these comments on one of the Facebook groups and other websites you're involved with? I mentioned speedway to a friend who is a National sports journalist. He grinned and suggested its links towards one of Walt Disney's original cartoon characters! The clue is in 'MM'!!! I don't seem to have come across it yet but would be interested to read the responses if you could tell me where to look please. Oh....and for the record I've been a Speedway fan for almost as long as you - 67 years - but I'm not just a follower I'm still a fan.

I've seen my home town spelt some weird ways but that's about the best so far.

I can never understand why ex speedway fans bother to come onto a speedway forum just to run the sport down and not only that but seem to take delight in doing so at every opportunity.

Okay I'll stay at home then. If it's alright with you I'll still take her to Peterborough and Coventry where I don't feel unwelcome.

Will you please stop going on about dogs. Ask anyone who stood by me or walked by and they will tell you she was asleep on her blanket the whole time, apart from when she had a few biscuits and a drink in the interval. The promotion are also £14 better off because I went whereas I wouldn't have done otherwise.

Anyone hear what Norrie was complaining about after the meeting? I know it was something to do with the guests Lakeside had but I was keen to get home after getting soaked before the match started so was on my way out. It's good that dogs are allowed now so I made my second visit of the season but I didn't know until I got there that they are confined to the 4th bend so when it rained we both got soaked. It was quarter to ten when Norrie was speaking and there was still the MDL match to go. I don't know but perhaps I'm getting too old for all this hanging around watching tractors go round as I'm finding all the track grading increasingly irritating, plus an interval even though there was a delayed start due to the rain. I'm wondering how many fans stayed behind to watch the youngsters as most seemed to be heading for the exit. Must be disheartening to see the majority of fans leaving because it's so late.

You should try going out of the other gate as there's no waiting there. Also if you're turning right like I do you can do your good deed for the day and let someone out of the other exit where everyone is queuing up.

I don't think it will. There hasn't been a meeting for 3 weeks so I reckon there will be a good crowd tonight. Nice weather and half the Coventry team riding will also probably mean a few Bees fans making the trip.

Proved last night by one outfit leaving the track in the display race. Luckily no staff were standing there and the driver managed to get back on the track again. Presumably if it had been during the 'proper' meeting he would have been excluded.

Probably a reincarnation of Subedei/Lady Luck.

Blimey! It will be like being at Coventry. First time for Lucy tomorrow so she should feel at home and go to sleep like she usually does. Just hope all the Bees riders come through the meeting safely.

I was always hoping David might finish his career riding for his home town club in the Premier League but it wasn't to be. Good luck for the future David. Sensible decision to get out while you are relatively still in one piece.

My friend from Basingstoke isn't on here but I'm sure he wishes the same as you. He would turn up at Coventry with matching hat and scarf whichever team it was, but now it's just the red/white of Swindon.

It would be like this if there were no play offs though. What is not healthy is to just have 8 clubs in the Elite League. I was just replying to Drop a cog's post concerning Coventry fans. Glad there were quite a lot there ~ I don't have Sky anymore so don't know what the attendance was like. Personally I've never been to Lakeside and the furthest I've travelled for a match is Oxford. Any further and I'd want to be staying for a few days to make it worthwhile.

Lakeside on a Monday night when it's on Sky? I don't think it would have made any difference to the Coventry support whether it was for the league or top.

Was there a Doctor in the house? I don't have Sky so haven't watched the meeting but from comments it sounds like it was a good one. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured riders.

Hope it's not wet. Well, actually I do hope it's wet as I support Coventry.

Are you SCB under another name?

Sometimes you excel yourself with daft comments. I'm sure Mr Sandhu would love to hire the stadium out to a group who are trying to stop him from doing what he wants to do with the land.

Good job I didn't or I wouldn't have known who he was. I've just about got him sussed out when I see him at Peterborough now but it's taken a long while.

I think Sky generally want matches where the visitors at least stand a chance of winning, which unfortunately Leicester probably don't. Anyway, they've already been to Beaumont Park once and we're in the same boat at Coventry with only one visit. Boat being rather appropriate on that occasion.

I await with bated breath for the outcome. I had to google that saying as I wasn't sure if it was bated or baited or even what on earth it means. But apparently.......Breathing that is subdued because of some emotion or difficulty. Origin Which is it - bated or baited? We have baited hooks and baited traps, but bated - what's that? Bated doesn't even seem to be a real word, where else do you hear it? Having said that, 'baited breath' makes little sense either. How can breath be baited? With worms? There seems little guidance in contemporary texts. Search in Google and you'll find about the same number of hits for 'baited breath' as 'bated breath'. In one of the best selling books of all time, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (whose publisher could surely have afforded the services of a proof-reader), we have: "The whole common room listened with baited breath."

You can save mine and quote it again the next time I'm having a moan. For the record my dislikes are sunbreaks and unnecessary delays due to crappy tracks having to be sorted out during the meeting. That's about it really as I've never been interested in the statistical side of speedway so things like that don't annoy me. With regard to Cardiff - yes that's me and why I don't go any more. Don't like rowdy people whether they're Poles or not and sick of spilt beer and having to get up to let someone go to the toilet every five minutes. Much more comfortable at home.

Not suitable for me then. Speedway here may have its faults ~ and many of them ~ but I still enjoy it. It's nice to be able to stand (or sit) next to visiting supporters without any aggro. Perhaps a bit of banter but that's it. I'm looking forward to seeing my Swindon friends on August 21st and if the Robins win I will congratulate them, although it may be through gritted teeth.