Grand Central

Fair enough, quite understand. It's just that I expressed a wish yesterday for just a little extra info. And everyone rounded on me as if I was traitor-to-the-cause.

From what PR told us I don't think that the races were taken too seriously to be taken as proper 'results. A fee was paid to the riders, not points and prize money so it was not meant to 'matter'. Tape offences etc were not penalised and there was no 'runoff' etc as positions were not too relevant. Must have been quite an experience to have attended, and participated in though.

BSI have put a short video package of this meeting up on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=majPPW-mtQ4&feature=youtu.be All looks and sounds as good as people have said. .

All really good news. Thanks for passing on the information.

That was actually in May 1980. My memory of the incident was that Mikael Lohmann was blamed on the terraces for the incident, particularly by the Halifax fans. Their anger being largely tempered by the horrific injuries Mikael suffered and his previous 'Duke' status. I thought it was subsequently understood that his footrest had broken causing him to 'straighten' up and 'spear' McKeon a-midships. Not really 'fencing' at all. There was a feature on this in a recent Backtrack edition

I happen to think that a meeting of this type could be a cracker. I shall certainly be keeping a check on YouTube in the next few days to see if any justifiably proud parents have taken some illicit video of their lads at the Millennium. .

I agree that this is a very positive thing. And the fact that it is young British riders who are bring given the chance is great. A bit odd to criticise any Speedway fan being marginally interested in who those lucky young guys might actually be. Similarity, the thread title. Being a bit jokey ... Is it no longer possible to chat in a way that retains a little 'lightness' of touch ?

.As you rightly say it may be nice to know who is riding. So let's just be nice, eh? .

It is June 23. The day of the Top Secret test meeting in Cardiff. I know that the most recent Sky televised meetings at Coventry and Lakeside LOOKED as if they were being held behind 'Closed Doors'. But this one actually is keeping the public out; not just coercing them to stay away by presenting substandard fare. So I just thought there may be some smidgen of interest among us here. The information on Speedwaygp website last week was " In order to maximise this opportunity, BSI Speedway, will put on a practise event that will be open to selected British (non SGP) riders on Tuesday June 23. This will give BSI Speedway and the Millennium Stadium the opportunity, not previously available, to run through many elements of the event. " After that we have been told absolutely nothing at all. Unless I've missed it. Anyone able to enlighten us with a little more ? .

To be fair, for most of his time, Sam has been used as the 'comments' and 'colour' man who was supposed to have an opinion rather than offer BBC-type impartiality. The fact that he has never fulfilled that role well but still continuingly employed is amazing. His total inability to see anything other that 'Greg's point-of-view' in all the years he has worked has proved quite comical at times. But only when we have been able to decipher what the hell it was he was trying to say.

Ah, the old 'cold morning' excuse. Next we will get the 'large Oaks from little acorns' one being used.

About ten years ago. I have just about recovered.

For anyone interested the line in question is on page 221. I would hate for anyone to attempt to read the turgid tome from the start and lose the will to live before you got to it.

That guy looks like he could be World Champion, this year. Oh, but ....

At first I thought that Sidney was displaying his age again. But then a second look at his post and I realise he may be ahead of the game. He gets his milk in ibottles ! Steve Jobs' legacy is safe. .

Amusing to hear Sam struggling to find the right word to describe Emil's manager Tomasz Suskiewicz. Ended up settling on 'coordinator'. I think the word 'puppet-master' may be beyond Sam, but I think we know what he was trying to say.

Word from Sweden is that he is watching it from behind the Sofa. The kids are making hand gestures at him, they learnt from Nicki.

I'd score Nicki a 9.90 there. Tom Daley has a lot to do to improve on it with his next dive.

You were saying ?

Pleased to hear Sam Ermolenko reach to to the far limits of his intellect and vocabulary to pass his unbiased comments on Greg Hancock 's actions this evening. As illuminating as a 5W low energy lamp, as always.

Absolutely. Unfortunately I cannot make it that night. Bizarrely the 4th of July has been 'annexed' my US friends, of all things. Let's hope this threads a good indicator of the 'buzz' created.

.PR actually just used it as a cheap debating point with me to try and score a hit. Perhaps, I goaded him a little. We really do know what fencing means. It is ugly and an attempt to downgrade it into meaning something else to get out of a 'miss-speak' is a bit daft. And a tad transparent. In the olden days Ivan Mauger and Ivor Brown had a feud. Mauger hated Brown with a passion and he later admitted it was the only time he deliberately tried to 'fence' someone He meant hurt him intentionally. As we all know, really deep down, if we are honest I think we should leave this particular point alone now and move on, for safety's sake. .

Yes, if 'fencing' no longer means 'fencing' for the wordsmiths among us. What does 'backtracking' get defined as nowadays?

I am always amused about how people see things from their own perspective. To me this thread and the Darcy Ward thread (in fact all threads here) just tend to show that on every issue, about every rider, there is a massive spread of opinion. Wide and diverse but all strongly held. I suppose that is the point of forums existing. Greg and Nicki here, and Darcy elsewhere, have those that love them extolling their virtues and denying their misdemeanours in strident fashion just as those that that disagree stick to their guns in opposition. What is most funny is those that place themselves in one extreme camp who then complain about anyone even having a contrary opinion. We agree on some things and disagree on others. That is all. No reason for bleating (even though it is funny).

I think someone may have had a 'whiff of the barmaids apron'. And then stumbled into the wrong room