Steve Shovlar

God I actually laughed at one of Baron Greebacks posts! by the way Kylmo was it you that purchased the Wembley flag from me on Ebay? The winners name was Kylmo!

Well I went to Eastbourne early once to have a look around the town. No wonder Beachy head is the place to go to if you are feeling down, and after walking around Eastbourne dodging all those zimmer frames its not suprising so many jump off those cliffs! The place is not very nice. Horrible beach which has no sand, lots of retirement people and the place is quite run down. Be careful on the pier as your foot might go through the rotten planking. Visiting Beachy Head is well worth the drive to the west of the town to get great views over the channel and down on the lighthouse. Don't go to near the edge though as it's a long, long way down! Arlington is situated in a nice area of woodlands near polegate. There are a couple of decent country pubs nearby. We are getting there around 5.30 for something to eat. I am test driving a new Toyota Land Cruiser so it should be fun coming up in that. Poor garage are unaware I bought a new Range Rover yesterday though! Still, nice to try it out on a run! Up The Brits!

Who are you trying to kid? Yes you are right. Peterbourough is only 90 miles from Sheffield, while Poole is 117 from Eastbourne, making this years meetings more spread out.

There was an amazing 5 pages of speedway in Saturdays Bournemouth Echo! Well done to the Echo for doing such a brilliant spread. It had interviews, pictures, complete rider profiles and pictures of every rider taking part, and great interviews with Middlo, Olsen and Matt Ford. Could'nt beleive just how much coverage the paper gave to the event! Interesting to read what Matt Ford said about the prices. He said when you consider that Wimbledon rode in the Conference leage last week and it cost £11 to watch it, with no stars and only 15 heats, how is watching a World Cup Final with all the worlds top stars expensive for only £25, when you also get a further 10 heats? He said there will be tickets available on the day to the playoff and the final, so if you are thinking of coming to support Team GB, your country needs you cheering them on at the stadium, not sitting at home where your shouting will not be heard. COME ON TEAM GB!

Tickets sold!

I am offering a bargain to a fan who want cheap entry to the semi and final. John Leslie and Kylmo are just two very sad old gits who have nothing better to do than try and ruin what is a genuine offer to any speedway fan who is thinking of coming down to the meetings and wants to save a small fortune (£30) on gaining entry. Thanks Steve

Deal? Deal?....no-one mentioned any deals when I was booking tickets......grrrrrr...or is that some other sort of deal? The deal was buy tickets for all four events and get the lot for £95. so 95/4=23.75 a ticket, which these are. If you buy tickets for the semi and final, the cost of £75 for the two meetings. So by getting these two tickets from me you save a whopping £30, or basically you get into the semi for free and pay normal price for the final, with a guarenteed seat. As standing is very limited and not in the best positions, this is a real bargain, whether Kylmo or John Leslie likes it or not. Still available.

You order these tickets or pay on the door and its £75 for both meetings. The reason they state such a low fee is because they were a 4 ticket deal for £95.

These are genuine tickets purchased by me. Here are scans of them with my name on it. I purchased a 4 ticket set for someone who now cannot make it. I have sold Monday and Tuesdays tickets, (Tabby had the Tuesday one from me last night) Still available.

No you will not have my company, as I am selling them as a spare I purchased for someone else who now can't make it. Still available.

I have a ticket for Thusday and another for Saturdays final for sale. They are both seating tickets. If anyone wants them, the price is £45. Of course you can stand if you so wish. The price to buy direct is £75, so this is a good saving. I can post out quickly so you will have them well before the event. Thanks Steve

Sheffield to Peterborough is roughly the same distance Poole is from Eastbourne. Why on earth go to such dismal places when the event can be held in nice places like Poole and Estbourne? Would Johnny Foriegner enjoy an afternoon walking around Sheffield or a few beers in the many pubs and restaurants of lovely Poole Quay, and maybe take a boat ride around the harbour or enjoy all the blue flag beaches? I think the last paragraph answers the reason why Poole has been chosen over a large industrial northern city.

The whole idea was to run these meetings at smaller stadiums, to get an excited crowd create a party atmosphere. Rather large queues and packed terraces than a Sky camera panning around a grandstand with many empty seats.

No actually its called a large crowd. Something not seen at BV for many a year.

Ok Tabby it's yours! I will bring it along next week to Poole. I am going on the Monday, Thursday and Saturday, but not the Tuesday. Don't forget your tenner!

I have a ticket for the seating area on the Tuesday at Eastbourne which I am not going to use. You can of course use it to stand, and I am letting it go for a tenner.(less than half price) If anyone is interested in it let me know and the first person that wants can have it. You can either pay by paypal or cheque/cash. I have it here so will post it out straight away. Cheers

From what I can gather viewing is limited on the standing tickets. Along the front of the grandsatnd, where you will need to get there ealy to get near the front. and on the forth bend and first bend, again have to get there ealy to get at the front. As there are no terraces at Poole (the tarmac is flat) if you are 4 back from the front you will either have to be tall or bring a box!

Yep coming down for the Team GB meeting and Thursday and Saturday at Poole. Should be a great week of speedway. Hopefully not too many will stay at home when our riders need to see and hear the support on the terraces.

I was told I would receive them from now until 10 days before the event.

The Poole promotion has been contacted several times by professional ticket sellers (touts) who wish to purchase large batches of tickets. They have obviously been turned down by the club. The club have also been contacted by several very large nationwide companies, who wish to purchase large numbers of tickets for their staff. The Poole promotion have advised the companies in question to contact Benfield direct. They have also stressed once again, that tickets for the semi final and final are selling fast, and advise fans not to leave it much longer before booking as tickets are already very limited. The temporary stands being erected by Benfield will not remain after the final after all. The cost of the rental reaches over £25,000 if the Poole promotion wish to retain them for the playoffs.

Glad my post was taken in the spirit it was meant. I went to the Sheffield round of the WTC a couple of years ago and the crowd was good, the racing good, the weather terrible. We left a sunny south and by the time we got near Sheffield it was heavy shower dodging time. The worst of the showers missed until the last third of the meeting, when it ruined what would have been a great Team GB win. On returning south the roads were bone dry and we never had any of the weather Sheffield got. Now I am not saying that we will have a dry week. But the chances are better than the weather up north. The fans who travel from Poland, Sweden, Denmark and other countires will not want to go to Sheffield, lets be honest. It's an industrial town that doesn't really cater for tourists. Poole on the other hand is set up for tourism. Today my wife and I went down to Poole Quay to push the pram about, and it was beautiful. Palm trees, pubs all open and busy, the warm sun shining, pleasure boats taking people around the harbour and to Swanage etc. You could have been in any country in the Med. fans will love it and that's why Benfield have chosen the south coast. It has nothing to do with Terry Russell. It was a sensible legistical decision. Good road and rail access, plenty of accomodation, nightlife and the chance of better weather.

Lets be honest here. If we in the south can't afford the ticket prices, the people up in the north with their ferrets and pidgeons and hankies on the heads knotted in each corner with their trousers rolled up to their ankles, shouting "ekky thump", will have to miss two rent payments, or do an extra shift, "down pit".

I just don't think he has what it takes to be a world champ.

Jeffster, there are better riders about who will relegate Jonsson to the also ran booth, along with Max, Holta, Sullivan and a few more. Younger riders are making their way and in the next couple of years we will see new names dominating the GP series. Bjerre, Lindback, Andersen, Hampel, as well as Crump for a couple more years and Adams. As for Dryml, last year he made great strides and was becoming a world beater. Since his bad crash he has taken gigantic leaps backwards and looks a shadow of the rider he was last year. A change of club, the injury and he has a hell of a lot to do to remain in the GP.

Jonsson world champ? Never in a month od Sundays. Hasn't got what it takes and will never be in the world top three. Hasn't improved at all in the last couple of years and although he did well yesterday, it won't happen again in a hurry. A nearly man, who is being overtaken already by better, younger riders.