Grand Central

Keeping a pile of shale under a tarpaulin with the pile in a sort of pyramid shape is, of course, blindingly obvious. It was the way in which this was 'revealed' in Cardiff week that was so comical. Along with the much vaunted 'control' and 'monitoring'. That so surprisingly turned out to be not worth a row of beans. To have put so much belief in it was so quaint. .

Last three years we found it best to bide our time. Got better deals from top hotels in the last week than by booking so far in advance. Really good deal at The Hilton this year.

Why not? Is that not what ships are for? Then they would arrange it into a pyramid shape and keep it at their state-of-the-art, climate controlled facility in Wales between each years event. Surely that is foolproof.

I think someone has staggered into the wrong thread. The direction of the 'anti-BSI ranting section' is clearly signposted. As you well know.

Well that's my attempt at trying to garner a consensus up the spout. Your Earl Grey is my Lapsang Souchong.

It is a little bizarre how so many people are arguing so much about so little. The pictures and commentary are from the world feed. So totally the same from Sky or Eurosport. The only difference in content is that Eurosport have covered from Parade through to presentations which most people prefer. Eurosport have had the Carter Clown as voice over. He knows nothing and talks gibberish. Sky had Heuwen and The Muppets in the studio. He knew nothing and they talked gibberish. All we actually need is a chap who knows something and can speak in a fluent manner on Eurosport. And then we'd all be happy. I think.

Not missed. Just misunderstood. You did say mainly, that is true. But it seems that you really meant 'ONLY where it makes my point,' 'Disregard all other information and make no other inferences of your own. You must work by my rules.'

But it would also make the job of a Manager choosing obsolete. And Harris would have to be dropped in favour of King, by the same logic. .

Middleditch has said that it was a 'hard call' to pick Kennett. I bet. Imagine how much easier it would have been if he had been riding well enough. .

It certainly would be unusual for a broacaster to choose to have a female interviewer 'not in shot'. Which is strange as they must all have been employed for their skills not just their looks.

Sorry, trying to edit my post on the likely identity of Tony Carter's famous Speedway Dad and managed to lose it. Starting again ... The only two Carter's I can come up with are ROB CARTER from the early eighties in the North and the Peterborough stalwart of the seventies ROY CARTER. The photos I've seen of Tony Carter seem to show him to be a fair ringer for Rob Carter but any son of Rob Carter could not have been around early enough to have memories of the seventies. At first I was convinced that ROB was the man but now I don't see how he could be.... So ROY CARTER may be the one and this would tie in with Tony's long association with MCN in Kettering. I stand to be corrected again. I've corrected myself more than once already. .

Your genuflection is understandable. Though not creditable. .

Here is a whole load of tosh about him http://www.paddockch...ke-passion.html (sorry already posted) How about a competition to find out the famous Dad? He looks, what, thirty something? So his Dad must have been riding back in the early eighties? What is that accent, where in the country? And he's ginger.

Oh Really! SS must have the phone number of every promoter current and past and every rider current and past. You must have friendly relations with people from every rank of the Speedway community from Sponsors, to creditors; from referees to track staff. And you are telling me that you do not have the journalistic ability in Surbiton to come up with more important detail to inform the debate than me. Give any of those people half a shandy and they would spill all sorts of beans.

Journalism. That is all.

Apparently the GP is in 'Wonderful, Wonderful Moldow'.

Absolutely. 1p.

The strongest GP Line up for years. Probably the weakest line up of referees for years.

Absolutely right. Many people have written almost exactly the same as Philip Rising has done. Some more articulately. With the resources available to SS one would have expected a whole lot more.

I see that tickets bought in advance for the Kings Lynn SWC Round are £15. This seems just about right. It would not be unreasonable to expect a league match to cost a few quid less. But not more.

You are quite correct. No one here has ever suggested such a thing. But some sports pay a lot of attention to the music. To enhance the experience. Speedway does not. That's all.

That must be it. Some sadistic promoters have instituted a new tolerance test for their supporters. 'Just how much bad music can you stand before you are put off coming entirely?' As Cityrebels limit has not yet been reached., Any ideas on Uncle Len's next bit of torture?

That is only true to a point. Cardiff is just once a year. League Speedway three or four times a month is a totally different matter. We are 'happy' to be pay over the odds for a one-off meeting that is far from being 'just another speedway meeting' like you say . Whilst we do want value for money very few people would pay £29 for a stonking, all value-packed speedway meeting at their local track twenty-odd times a year. No matter how wonderful a night they had. My point remains the same all along. The product I get in British Speedway 'feels' to me to be worth £10. I cannot see anyone currently promoting improving on that 'feeling', quite the reverse. It would just seem sensible that as many costs that can be cut, are cut so that the price I am charged is somewhere in the ball park of the value. Not, as it is at the moment, six or seven pounds more costly that it feels to be worth.

You're quite right. And you'd already given a very full explanation of the history. But now, on top of Speedway's current woes, some of us are objecting to decisions made fifty years ago. Almost as if by moaning today we could change the past. Which is a bit rich even by this forum's standards. I know Matt Smith is ending his stint as Dr Who. But is this some strange audition for the role of the new Time Lord?

Well said. People keep making unrealistic comparsions just to make a point. But just their point. They compare chalk and cheese. Then come up with the bright idea that a 'Chalk and Pickle' Sandwich might taste good. In Poland.