Grand Central

A scan of my young schoolboy-filled-in programme https://www.dropbox.com/s/13ei3rnbgy66lcs/Halifax%201978-10-22_page1_image1.jpg?dl=0

Again just terminology and semantics.'Deemed' to be based in Australia. He is travelling from the Uk just like Holder, Bachelor and Doyle. Just a poor show not to take his gear the same way as them, gratis. Penny pinching, tight and just a bit nasty on the part of BSI. Whatever the excuse. .

I don't get the 'obviously' point here. It seems ''obvious' to me that he should be given the same terms on transport as the permanent guys. Other words I could use would be 'decent', 'right' and 'proper'.

It is certainly neither edifying, or just, either for the wild card for the Australian GP to have to resort to public begging just to fund his costs of getting to the GP. Even the most incompetent media-conscious organisation could have dealt with that better. Surely there is a 'spare' member of the Olsen family who could see that is sorted out. PDQ.

"The kid the with the gammy leg ...he's carving them to pieces." Classic.

It is certainly a shame, for us spectators, that Emil is choosing to miss the SGP. No doubt. But no more than that. This is his choice. Or at least it is his choice to take the advice of others who tell him that this is right choice. So why are we fussng so much. We all make choices, some of them better than others. But we must each live with the outcome. In later life he will probably regret it greatly. And hopefully he will take it out on an elderly Suzzi.

.Personally, I find the background to all these things quite fascinating; it could make a good winter feature in the Star to go behind the scenes on some of them. Especially, now that a good number of years have passed. On Norden, though, what with the new seating and still massive capacity .... It actually looks reasonably impressive now! It does look much more like a decent GP venue than Teterow. . Pity, standards really have slipped.

.Ok ... Fair enough, my (mock) sympathy for Ole will not be requited. But the original point made by another poster was to equate a GP at Teterow, on a par with a World final in Norden. That does seems about right. A 'mix' of venues for 2016 that has high points of Cardiff, Melbourne and Stockhom will 'surprise' us with an off the beaten-track 'gem' such as Teterow. Rather similar to that 'mix' of venues for the early 80s World finals... Wembley and LA Coleseum followed by the 'surprise' of Norden. Not quite how we viewed it, was it? Perhaps, as you say, a 'mix' ... not at all a backward step. Possibly. .

It certainly makes you think doesn't it? It makes me feel a little sympathy for Ole Olsen! Imagine striving to get the temporary tracks right ... in Melbourne, Warsaw(?), Cardiff, Stockholm and Horsens. Just so that they can put GPs on at great Stadiums. And BSI simultaneously give them out to god-forsaken places like Teterow. When they are leaving Bydgoszcz, Vojens and Gorzow (?) to lie fallow. Call me cynical but could it be about money? And NOT Speedway.

I would go with Peter Collins to win. Also Michael Lee to be in the top four, probably top three. But I am a little young to know and decide about the relative merits of Knutson and Wilkinson. I wonder if those who have given their top three and have made a decision on these two chaps could give some guidance on their thinking?

I tried a clear and helpful explanation. You don't get it. Fair enough. I hope the guys in Ryde do.

Totally irrelevant. This one is embarrassingly amateurish. It does give a dreadful impression, and I am sure that was not the intention. Offering poor advice wrapped up with good wishes is terribly unhelpful. They need to know just what a mistake they are making before they blight their own position You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

I find it quite comforting that the girls have "Nice" emblazoned on their left bosom. Of course agree. But it is a great excuse to keep repeating it every time they are shown.

I assume that was four straight wins and engine failure while leading in the other.

Is this meant to be ironic? It is being so positive, surely, about the Grand Prix that has been your hallmark, after all.

On my first reading of the Harkess interview I all too easily fell into my default position of being uber-critical of all those at the top of British Speedway admin. I was about to call him 'hapless' and other derogatory terms. But after a little more thought, I have reconsidered. The truth is. He actually is in the same position as me. Exactly. He can identify all the problems. He knows that an awful lot of them are self inflicted by those within the sport on each other; but he also knows full well that NO ONE is capable of changing that. He knows many of the problems are from the international nature of the sport; and he also recognises that SGB is such a small part of that, it will not be changed from here. And knows that pretty much all the other problems come from a changing outside world and society in which Speedway is a very ill-fitting part. That has no real solution at all. No after all these years in charge, thinking once that he could do something to halt the decline, he has come to the same conclusion as some of us here. Survival, and managing to eek out as long as we can, that is our only option. Lets make the best of what we have whilst it's here, but be wary of all those saying that THEY know what will work to change things for the better. They think they do, but they are probably going to be wrong. To change my tack completely from where I was before reading his interview. I would say: 'Step down Alex - not because you have failed, but because you deserve the retirement'.

daveallen81 s correct in every respect. It may sound fatalistic, but true. For those that have fond memories of the past. We will retain them, and wallow in them. For those who enjoy the sport today, then cherish it, attend it, and enjoy it for as long as it lasts. It will go on for years, but in a declining way. Best accept that and get the most out of it along the way. But to be honest, for those with big ideas about change. Who are convinced they know how to improve things. Don't waste your time, money and effort; unless you can afford it easily and would enjoy chasing a pipe dream. It will not get you anywhere. I've stopped kidding myself that there is a way to achieve success any more. But, hopefully, I'll still be here when they switch the lights off for the last time.

I still think it's a daft example.If KL had gone behind by six points, it would have been a totally different match. So it just does not ft as an argument. But is it fair? NO ! I have said that before, several times Tacs subs never were. And I don't care ! I loved them. . It was a damned good meeting.No reviling anyone from me. Another of my best ever meetings, the 1993 league decider won by a The Aces on the last heat. Thank god for the tac sub that got them back in the match when they went behind. Another wonderful night. I have never been kept awake at night by the unfairness, of it all. .

What are you talking about? Kings Lynn were never behind on Wednesday, let alone 6 or 10 points behind. Pretty stupid example.

Quite true.I must not be like you. I have watched Speedway all my life and throughout the whole of it tactical rules have been in operation. And I loved the old tac subs. From the first moment I could fill in a programme, and add up the scores, I was quite enthralled by the tactical possibilities of a team going 6 points down. To watch meetings with real tacticians as Team Managers like Peter Oakes with Exeter in the seventies, or John Berry and Peter Adams was a joy. So exciting, mentally stimulating and allowed so many discussions and arguments on the terraces. Some of the best meetings I have seen in the 'olden days' were MADE by the tac sub. One of the most famous I saw being Hackneys mammoth turnaround at The Shay in 1980 when they came from miles behind to win by one point at the end. Beating MY team using tacticals. Breathtaking, exhilarating. Heartbreaking. Wonderful it was.

Great bit of analysis there. I think the crucial point is that folk getting their knickers in a twist about 'fairness' can be allowed to do so. On their own. And the rest of the Speedway world can fret not a jot. In ninety odd per cent of matches the tac sub worked at giving tactical interest among the audience, probably tightening the match up for extra excitement, but at the end of the day the leading team still won. But there was just a glimmer of hope offered to the trailing side mid match and just a little extra tension for the leaders. Fine, just what we want. Brilliant. The data shows that on practice the TR performs rather similarly. So the only question should be which one to use. I would prefer the old tac sub, exactly as was. But I fully understand that the TR is far cheaper for the promoters, so they will choose that one. Only word of caution to them is that in the real world the subjective 'feel' by many punters. Right or wrong. Is that doubling points just looks stupid and 'circus like. It is worth them remembering that.

.Slight malfunction on the memory as it was Trevor Hedge who won a Heat 1 of the Cup final ahead of Jim Tebby and Ivan. Ronnie Moore actually brought wonderful Cyril home ahead of Ivan in his next ride. And then ivan went and fell in the last race of the match to round off a real nightmare. Interestingly, all this at Wimbledon came just two or three weeks after Paulson had beaten him at a Belle Vue. That Wimbledon Cup Final was a real humiliation for The Aces; with them going about 20 points down mid meeting and never stood a chance. Mind you Belle Vue had just won the League AND Ivan had not long won his record breaking third title in a row. So we could afford to give the other lesser teams a little success of their own. It only seemed polite. .

I have a marked programme from that meeting. Not marked by me but from the notes that have been added it seems obvious that the guy that did it was actually there. It has Geer 0-1-3-1-0 for 5 points and just the heat 14 zero for Yeates. The couple of extra notes written in are that Middleditch didn't actually break the tapes in Heat 14 he was excluded for crossing the start line with both wheels. And Colin Richardson was excluded from Heat 16 as he crossed the inside line with both wheels during the race.

No we didn't go that night. But remember the 'story' of it. Amazing that such a small event could still be remembered by people, who were not actually there, so many years later.

All good points Sidney.