Grand Central

Frankly, if it is true that this been dropped. Then we should be damned grateful. The method you suggest for deciding teams is just bonkers. More Mickey Mouse than anything I gave ever heard.

Those of who, at the time of the AGM, said that the promotion and relegation malarkey was crap. Were shot down in flames as being doom-mongers by those who saw sun shining out of a Buster-shaped orifice. Sometimes it is better to get the simple things working before promising what is not achievable. In Speedway terms we must always set our hurdles very low indeed. About an inch high seems just too much.

i have been an avid Mauger fan my entire life. No one else comes near. Watching him at Hyde Road in the seventies just took my breath away. When he left I became a Falcons fan overnight. I remember screaming from the home straight stand in 1974 when there was an almighty row over the starting gate. When Exeter came to The Zoo. The atmosphere was just incredible that night. All because of the presence of The Very Best. And one of the best races I have seen in my life was when he won against Simmons and Collins in the World Best Pairs at Belle Vue in 1977. It was just simply awesome. Everyone knew that he was just so damned special. You could just feel it. I wish his family ever future successand happiness. And hope all his memorabilia goes to people who really cherish the items fully. You will be very fortunate people. Ivan Mauger is, and will always be, the greatest.

A comedic episode indeed. After reading that article I'm now not sure that Peter Oakes is really Peter Oakes. His writing oscillates between between various modes. From that of a latter day John Pilger exposing the scandalous activity of an African Dictator. To parts where his wounded feelings at being the intended victim of an elaborate hoax are painfully on show. Written in the style of a pius country parson who has been 'goosed' in the vestry. Clearly this Toto is a nut-job. Which could have been made plain in two paragraphs. But at least this is light relief from the dark clouds over 'real life' Speedway in Britain.

Stuart Shirley.

What sort of strange hold does Lynch have over promoters. Time again he gets picked up for work when he has no discernible talent. Just look at him in the interview with Tatum. Rambling nonsense. Like they let the village idiot in.

I made no comparison with years past. That is quite irrelevant in the context we are discussing. The SGP has pretty much the best riders it could have at the moment. Looking to substitute from the outside right now would not improve the field. The qualifiers that come from the challenge may do that anyway.

Someone always has to finish last and some have to be down the lower reachs of the series. The SGP this year is so strong that those finding themselves in that position at GPs are still a lot better than those outside at the moment. NKI should definitely get the pick over Madsen for that reason alone. Pedersen should be evaluated according to what else he brings to the series. If he can still mix it with the best then his 'panto villain' status gets the vote. But if he cannot get back to that level of performance then he would be a rather sad figure; so be let go..

This question is like trying to find a distinction between a Kn0b-head and and d!ck-head. There may be one. But I'll be off doing something else more fruitful when a decision has been made.

Seems a very sensible decision by the SCB and an equally appropriate sentence.

Yes. Obviously.

Hancock was doing well enough to qualify until injured and still a 'proper contender' going into every round He would be due a wild card for that alone. He has a unique and unsurpassable GP record of twenty years plus. How could ANYONE consider him unworthy of a wild card? I would imagine that he will be able to claim a GP place for as long as he wants it himself. After all, all the people that matter seem to just love him as well. And to put this in context. I cannot stand the man. One little bit. Just because I cringe and squirm at his every appearance on screen. And find the whole 'look at me I'm 84 but still get down with the kids' as nauseating. I know that counts for nothing.

On the whole I agree. It's been happening all week at Wimbledon. And in Speedway it's just the same with BT as it was Sky before. I cannot understand the obsession with studio chat nor with inane interviews with barely coherent riders. Whether English is their first language or not. You NEVER learn anything of interest at all. And these dopey airheads they keep picking up for the pit chat ...words fail me. As they so often do them. Natalie is the best we have had so far. But still pretty pointless. Scott is not good at all. And I'm afraid Suzi has been woeful. Was she always this bad? Shouty and Kelv are not faultless by any means. But sticking with the world feed and getting rid of all the rest would be so much better. But there is one small mercy. No Ermolenko. We must be grateful for that alone.

In a very different way, though.

Comparing the coverage of the Vastervik round with that from Kings Lynn. Have to say the camerawork from Sweden was far superior. The camera positioning with much lower angle to the track gives a much better 'spectator-like' view of the racing and a greater feeling of speed of the action. The (seemingly) british fixation with mounting cameras way too high on the home straight so that we get a 'drones-eye' view of a race is much poorer. And the ridioculous obsession, in this country, with use of the first bend super high crane is just dreadful.

God God.. it's only minutes into this and Ermolenko is p!ssing me off with his totally useless drivel. And on top of that the camerawork is appalling.

I know I am a bit weird ... but can't agree on the camera angle issues here. Just had a quick look back at last years Sky coverage from Wimborne Road and they seem to use a camera angle from the home straight that is way too high. So looked back at many previous years and realised that Sky always seemed to have that angle far too high. And yet I never noticed it. It gives you a very artificial view that 'takes you away from the action'. And I absolutely hate the high crane that they use on the first bend at some tracksthat gives a view that 'flattens' the action in a quite bizarre way. I'm all for the way BT are covering it. Only problem - I admit - is the stand roof in picture. But so far, so much better for me all round.

You would think that they might wish to contrive having the World Champion involved. But then again it is Hancock. So not surprising they have dodged that one.

The weirdiest thing about the Royal Mail .. is how different their service is claimed top be for different businesses. I have worked in the same NHS anxillary business for 30 years; the last twenty in ownership. In that time there has been a massive move to courier servives for boxes sent to us daily. The servive has ranged from quite good to appalling. And when something goes missing it is a nightmare to get restitution even with high value stuff and supposedly 'tracked' methods. I have never, myself, needed to use couriers to send out my items. In the last twenty years I have NEVER had one single Royal Mail letter or packet go astray. That would be out of probably somewhere near 10,000 sent. EXCEPT when I send a doctors letter. 50% of those are claimed by the surgeries to have never arrived. And a similar number of letters from hospitals via the Mail are also said to be 'lost in the post'. It's almost supernatural.

Not really true. From the very first meeting in 1929 at Hyde Road it WAS 'Belle Vue. But Speedway in Kirky Lane the year before in 1928 was never 'Belle Vue' That was a 'retro fit' from 1988 when the Aces moved in. But not historically accurate.

They get their arse into gear at 7.15 OR EARLIER. And complete the easy peasy simple task of gettng those 200 in for 7.30. Promoters are total idiots for not sorting this out. And sycophantic supporters who make excuses for them are actually worse.

I think the Star folk just did it for a laugh. With it being the April 1st issue, and all. Getting two of the most unsuccessful managers of the modern era to give an insight into their 'knowledge'. Surely, if they had the first idea what made a winning team, they would have put more of them together It did feel a bit like we were 'mocking the afflicted' by putting the poor old dears up for public ridicule. But entertaining nonetheless.

Just had a look at the website and looks as if it has already happened. Getting rid of that nasty thing of the last few years and back to the 'proper' Ace.

" BVA raised issues with the track sub base at turns 3 and 4 on 17th March 2016 (2 days prior to the Grand Opening Event)." I haven't heard that specfic claim before. Not that BVA just had an issue with 'the track', on two turns. But with the sub base itself. Two days BEFORE the GOM event. I thought the sub-base issue was only revealed to BVA in the days following the GOM when the 'test holes' were dug. I notice that MCC do NOT say in what form was this 'raised' by BVA and, more particularly, with whom?

There is no doubt that the wounds are open and the pain excrutiating for Fred. Unfortunately I doubt that there will be an outcome that offers the healing he needs.