norbold

I don't think it matters who's showing the Grand Prix series this year. I read somewhere that no-one will be watching it anyway without Darcy Ward in it.

Is that a joke, Jacques? Careful.

You mean the new definition of a joke is only something you find funny. You know, people find different things funny. Not everyone appreciates the same humour. My wife, for example, can't see anything funny in Airplane, can you believe it? It doesn't mean it's not funny just because she doesn't think it is. So, for some of us, the interchange on norbold's hole is quite amusing and it really doesn't matter whether you personally find it funny or not. So, if it's ok with you, we might make reference to it again should we feel like it. And yes, I did know that is a quote from Muddlo.

Interesting you use the tag line #FIMareajoke, Jacques, when you don't even know what a joke is.

One thing I can be sure of is that no-one will finish up with an all-expenses paid trip to Australia and New Zealand on the strength of it, however many pages it is!

Otherwise they might finish up at the bottom of norbold's hole.

So sorry to hear that. As well as seeing him ride in his Hackney days, I met Tich several times in later years at various functions and while researching. He was always good company and very helpful. R.I.P. Snailum.

Quite right, WK. We don't want this thread taking over from norbold's hole as the longest ever thread do we?

I think I made a mistake once, but I believe I got away with it.....

5000! About half as many as norbold's hole I believe!!!

No.

Is the cheque in the post, chr?

When my publishers pull their collective fingers out!

I've just seen a preview of the long awaited statement: "I am very grateful to the FIM for being so lenient with me. I know what I did was very wrong and wish to take this opportunity of saying so. Drinking the night before a big meeting is very silly and I promise not to do it again. I have no wish to be nominated as a Wild Card in any GP this year, nor do I wish to be handed a place for next year's GP series. I intend to work my way back by going through the qualifiers in 2016. This would be only fair to all other riders on the circuit. "I have decided I need to leave Poole and find a team and management who will give me proper support and guidance in my future career. "I wish to thank all my fans for their continued support. I know I don't deserve it, but I am very grateful you have stuck by me. For your sakes, I intend to completely turn my life and career round." Or was I dreaming?

Really good piece on Anglia News tonight. John Louis, Dave Gooderham, Mick Hines and Ron Bagley reminscing over the 1975/6 champion teams including a nice tribute to Billy Sanders.

Hmmm, can't quite help thinking the 1936 Olympics are remembered more as the Jesse Owens Olympics than the Olympics Gretel Bergmann missed!

But if he hadn't been there we wouldn't know and we would remember them for some other reason. They wouldn't be remembered as the Olympics Jesse Owens missed.

Absolutely, Rob. The American clean sweep in the 1937 Speedway World Championship is much quoted as well as Jack Milne's individual win that year. Does anyone know, remember or care that arguably the greatest rider of that period, Bluey Wilkinson, missed the final due to injury?

Olympic Games 1980 and 1984; Wimbledon 1973. All proved that the event is bigger than individuals or even whole teams.

You're beginning to sound like Muddlo, SCB.

Over two days without a mention of Darcy Ward or Middlo. Ooops! Damn!

Perhaps Darcy can be an expert pundit. He can explain what riders get up to the night before a GP.....

Sweden? There are far more English riders.

And of course, you're not actually comparing like with like as Walthamstow (if that's your 6th London track) was in the 2nd Division, so you should also count Hackney in the Provincial League in 1964, making three London Clubs, not two.

Still irrelevant to the subject under discussion. In any case in 1964 Hackney, West Ham and Wimbledon were all open and joined in 1970 by Wembley. So for the first two years of the 1970s there were four London tracks open.in the British League.