Grand Central

I thought I may be alone in thinking that the Taxi ride mentioned by the OP was not that exceptional at all? Back in the seventies we knew an old boy who used to go to Halifax from one of the outlying Pennine villages who did a similar journey themselves on an almost weekly basis. There was an another old chap that I chatted to occasionally at Rye House some years ago who did likewise from somewhere quite obscure and distant just to get his weekly Speedway fix. BW may not know this, but it is quite expensive to run a car nowadays With track closures, the distance from our nearest tracks has got larger and larger over the last few years. In the end I imagine I could spend this guys taxi bill each fortnight just on Speedway travel alone, quite easily. I'm afraid that is what people do to follow Speedway. We are all a little barmy in our own way to be still spending so much money, time and effort on the damn sport. To be honest, we all deserve a medal for still caring at all. .

No it wouldn't appease everybody at all. As it would increase costs again. And that is the only reason it was removed. That is why no sane promoter would ever return to it now. With or without tinkering.

Uncle Len would not be complaining about fairness though. It would be money. I always imagined that, after the toss for gate positions ,the coin he threw into the crowd was actually attached to him with elastic so he could retrieve it.

I really do wish that the arguments here over tactical rides and old tac subs could be made with more genuine understanding of each side. The TRUTH is that mathematically the old tac sub method was more 'unfair' than the newer tactical ride. BUT that to most people it never actually 'felt' like that. The tactical ride was introduced solely for cost cutting. Never to improve fairness. It achieved that aim very well. But to many it just seems a 'bad' rule. I have no idea whether such tactical rules have EVER had a dramatic effect on attendances. But, from memory, I never remember anyone complaining in the 'olden days' about the unfairness of tac subs (TWK excepted, no doubt). But I do remember a great detail of 'tactical talk' on the terraces on when or how they would be used. They may have been very unfair but they had the double whammy of tightening matches up and giving an extra dimention to the contest. Truth is I personally do not care one jot about the unfairness. I really liked tac subs. And I equally really lament their loss. Fairness, cost cutting etc are piffle to me. BUT I do hate the double point tactical ride. And the Joker in the SWC. Its just how I feel

For clarity. The Speedway News (12-10-1957) report for the meeting on September 30 at Poole says the Battle of Britain Trophy was awarded to Ken Mckinlay for finishing second in the Thompson Memorial Meeting, by the local RAFA.

There was a Battle of Britain Individual meeting held at Poole on September 30, 1957 These were the results: Brian Crutcher 15, Ken McKinlay 14, Aub Lawson 12, Gordon McGregor 11, Brian Hanham 10, Jimmy Squibb 8, Ronnie Genz 8, Jim Lightfoot 8, Ron Mountford 8, Terry Small 7, Dick Bradley 6, Maury Mattingley 5, Bill Holden 4, Frank Bettis 2, Norman Strachan 1, Merv Hannan 1, Dick Howerd 0.

Gustix ... You, helpfully, offered the definition of a troll. Not me. I happen to agree that it is a pretty accurate summary of some of your own behaviour on this forum. Any further explanations that you require may need more specialist assistance.

. As definitions go that sounds just about spot on. Now you have successfully diagnosed your own affliction. Are you going to mend your ways? .

I feel that we are overdue an intervention by the Archbishop of Sunderland. To defend the indefensible, yet again. 'It is his right to post utter drivel. But how dare you point out his madness, John?' I am reminded of the episode of Blackadder where Edmund put his underpants on his head and pencils up his nose to simulate insanity. "Wibble!" .

Shows what I know! I had put Mike Lee first as I thought that had been out the longest, but that was the 'Mike The Bike' DVD I was thinking of, not the 'Racing' Series. 'Kenny Carter Number One'. "It's written on my Van"

My guess would be 1-Michael Lee 2-Kenny Carter 3-Kelly Moran 4-Billy Sanders 5-Bruce Penhall

Oh quite agree. But I have yet to see a rider get any sort of 'improved' outcome, by swinging his helmet or kicking someone. When has NP ever found it helps?

Quite obvious that NP was wronged in this matter. It is his reputation that is his worst 'baggage' in these matters. And the authorities inability to divorce his past from each subsequent incident is lamentable. But his responses only highlight, yet again, the contrast with Saurday night. Just what a wise head Tai has on his young shoulders.

Exactly right. This 'extrapolating backwards' using the results from the 'old system' to judge what would have happened under a totally different system is comically flawed. EVERYTHING would have been different. In many, many ways. Ivan Mauger's 'professional' approach and commitment to being World Champion would have been decisive. He would have been massively better positioned to set up a 'GP team' of back up, so much more akin to the twenty first century guys. Most of the others would have been floundering.

One has admire the maturity of Tai. His reaction to the Final exclusion and his composed TV interview afterwards. Once the ref has made a decision like that, no matter how poor it may be, there is no currency in mouthing off. The ref won't change and all you'll do is 'wallow in negativity'. Best answer is to pocket the points and move on to another World Championship win. Quite a classy guy.

Not me

Saints preserve us! The conspiracy is outrageous. The revelations about Ted Heath will be wiped from the front pages.

Absolutely true. But ... then again ... More unfair to the leading side = More effective at its goal of artificially tightening matches up. Especially in a 13 heat format. That may also be why we liked it, as well?

I, very often, love to argue. Just for arguments sake. But even I have to laugh that one of the issues Speedway faces at the current time is the dilemma created by Terry Russell owning a small percentage of Speedway Star 25 years ago. For sheer bloody minded irrelevance that takes some beating. Well done HA.

New tape rule? What has that got to do with this discussion?

Well, obviously nonone can know about these hypothetical things. But I genuinely do not think that Mauger would need the BL to 'keep sharp' at all (In the context we are supposing). It was several matches a week in those days, remember, so it was more jading than it was 'energising'. And he would have been immensely better prepared to just do whatever was needed in in the 1970s GPs than most others; except perhaps Olsen. No modern GP rider who is a potential champion would dream of dropping out of league racing in the modern era. PROVIDED the league is POLAND and that pays such fantastical sums of cash. So that theory really remains untested by anyone of Mauger's calibre.

This 'fantasising' about how the GPs round have worked out in retrospect is all a little contrived, to me. The truth would have been very different, I feel. As everything we know now about those days would be changed in many ways we cannot properly figure. Someone like Ivan Mauger would have set himself up with a totally different approach. He may have opted out of the BL in the early seventies and devoted everything on the GPs. He would have put together an invincible team. Don't think anyone else would have stood a chance for the whole decade; and with the reduced workload his career would have been extended in to Greg Hancock territory, quite easily. The old boy would have been champion many times more than 'just' six.

Interesting subject this one. I would be really interested to see what tmc's sales figures show for each of these single rider DVDs. Not prurient interest in his business. But to relate the sales and interest in the individual riders. Olsen, was someone I really disliked. Absolutely hated, as a rider, in the 70s and 80s But I have to also admit that as a 'grown up' I think he was brilliant, as well. Probably the best Danish rider to date.. Better than Nielsen, Gundersen, Pedersen. Them all. But I could not bring myself to pay one single penny to buy a DVD of him. Let alone £16. Daft isn't it? Sorry Tony.

This is the footage that is being discussed https://www.dropbox.com/s/fclsvhav5e4ex21/Overseas%20Final%201984%20Belle%20Vue.avi?dl=0

Quite true. And I imagine these are the real considerations that will matter when BSI, and their usual confidants, come to mull these things over. Once the Top 8 and Challenge qualifiers are known. They could be helped in that deliberation by the 'right choice' of wildcard at the Challenge, of course.