SCB

A superb book. If you're an Ipswich fan of the era you will love it, if you're a speedway fan of the era you'll love it, of if like me your a speedway fan now (and not even born in that era) you'll love it. Some of the insights into running a speedway team, managing and about a few of the old riders (and promoters) are simply great.

Now that I agree with!

I have sat in all 3 tiers, anywhere form the 2nd bend to the 4th bend. Worst place is the 2nd bend, bottom tier. No atmposhere at all. The backstraight on the top tier was not so great and the 4th bend has been good twice, once on the front of the 2nd tier and once at the back (nobody sat behind us. Just find out where the Poles are sitting and sit by them pre-meeting the Prince of Wales and Sams Bar are quite good

Roman Povazhny was in the meeting himself. So someone else had to be "Superman". Makes more sense for it to be Mads. Just looked at the photos, theres a couple of Kristian but nothing with Mads and/or superman.

I think we're confussing bonus point for a rider and bonus point for a team here. Rider bonus point are not relevant for the reason Grachan explained. statos use bonus points when working out averages and riders/promoters use it to work out what they're paid but they have no effect on the team and so the fans don't need to worry about them. Bonus point for the aggregate win, are relevant to the team and the fans as it may (and does) change league results. BilaHora, A fair answer, one to which I guess there is not real answer, yes, a team that scores 44 (50ish these days with TR's I guess) and losses are not being oticed, no more so than a team that scores 15, 18 or 30 (or even 0!). the only answer I can give is I have been to Arena Essex and seen my team lose 46-44 yet go through tot he next round of the KoC and I have been to Arena Essex and seen my team lose 68-22(ish) and get no league points. Both times I drop home for 3 hours feeling terrible. So what if my team had won that first time, did it matter? No, not at all, as long as they stayed within 5 points we went through in the cup. To me, it's a win, draw or loss, nothing more or less and I personally hate people who say, "well we only lost by a point", as at the end of the day, the team lost. I'm not saying thats right and you may be right with your point scoring system btu what happens if a team is set for so many points and are assured of a point but a bit more work MIGHT just get them the win? Will they accept the already given points and the easy ride? Maybe, where as these days the team HAS to go for the win or get nothing. It could be self defeating. Prehaps the answer is to try it in the Premier Trophy?

Alternatively, TR could have sat back and not bothered going to Sky, he'd not get his £265,000 but the clubs would not get their £45,000 either. Surely letting him have £265,000 is not unfair as without him the sport would have 0 (NONE, nothing, zero) from Sky.

I don't think Sky did it for the point scoring system. They did it because it's cricket it x (I'm sorry, I don't know how many) men vs x men. One throwing a ball at 3 (5?) sticks and another man stopping him. The rest of the men try and catch the ball. Why can't speedway be about 4 men (or women) on 4 bikes racing for 4 laps to come 1st and score 3,2,1 and 0 point (no mention of 6,4,2 point you'll note as thats another sily thing IMO). The score should not and probably is not of relevance to Sky (be it football, cricket, speedway) as they want entertainament at the end of the day. Don't try claiming that the scoring system has meant anything to Sky. I could argue that Sky would have paid £250 million if the point scoring system was better, who knows?! I think the sport is already over complicated, being already complication is NO excuse for making it more so, if anything it's a reason to make it simpler. Scrap double points, guests and the other silly rules. Just answer me this, what is wrong with 2 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for lossing and 1 for the bonus point?

I believe he actually failed the drugs test at the Overseas final after taking medication the track doctor gave him. Or so he claimed.

How about double R/R?

Sorry but nothing will make me change my mind that it should be win, draw and lose. Not win by x amount, win by other amount, draw, lose by x amount, lose by another amount. I just don't like it, it's weird. I actually think the BSPA have the perfect points scoring system at the moment myself.

As far back as the 1950's the promoters were saying the same as they are now, the favourite? Cost cutting!!!!

I bet the BSPA laughed at him?! It's no good having someone with a bit of forseight if the rest ignore it.

In which case, why use the TR?

Seems the meeting was something of a joke with no start marshall, then start marshalls who didn't know what they were doing and causing Wato to think the final was about to start, so started to rev the bike only for the race not to start and Wato's bike to stop.

Pinny, I think you're under estimating some of them Aussies. They're pretty good at there long track over there. Wato shoudl be favourite but there are a couple of rider who can beat him, Lee Herne for one.

Is that the same Jimmy Jansson who rode for Hull a few seasons ago? If it is, has he improved since then? Is he worth signing in the Premier League on 3.00.

Speedway track food! Mind you, you can't even gte that at Newport. I think it's burger or cheese burger.

Vog, First of all, add a year on (sadly). Yes, I did a-levels (evil things they are) but no, I didn't ask for help (mainly due to the subject I studied not requiring it). Within reason I have no problem with people getting answers from where ever they can, the biggest part of a-level work is getting info from as many sources as possible, I did actually defend people trying to get help off the net (to an extent). That said I didn't constantly ask on the forum for people help/work. Thats no reaserch it's getting other people to do it for you, IMO.

Dda Iow. (I've either said very good, so it is, or I have said something else, so it's not!) To be fair, if you want a decent grade you can't just look on the net for it, most of whats on the net is incorrect and should be taken with a pinch of salt. While it can be a good starting point, nobody would write an essay and base there findings on what Joe bloggs wrote on his website on June 5th 1998, well, nobody wanting a decent grade!

I'll do your physics. I can't do English

Doesn't everyone secretly (or not so secretly) love a rider with a temper? you can't help but like a rider who is willing to kick the bike, throw helmets/goggles or generally lose it when they lose. Prehaps it's just me but I think it shows how determined they are to win.

How did Scott Smith look Did he look like the rider who struggled to average 3.5 for Newcastle or did he look like a rider who could be a PL heatleader? I won't ask if he was exciting as thats obvious, 0 or 21 points, Scott Smith as exciting as they get! So did Scott kick the bike, thorw the helmet or the goggle or did he just shout at someone? Or was it a bit of everything?

A description of SCB and Jills GP, heat by heat. Heat 1, SCB jumped up and down in front of Jill who kept teling him to move out of the way. A rider won and SCB jumped up and down some more. Heat 2, ditto heat 1. Heat 3, ditto heats 1 and 2. ..... Heat 6, alcohol arrives. SCB does not jump in fornt of Jill as she got the drinks, it's only fair. Heat 7, normal service resumed. I think there was an interval and a mad dash to the toilets about now, my memory is a bit hazy (well it was at the time so what chance do I have now?!) The evening went along them lines all night really. Heat 10, I thikn by now we had made friends with the non-English speaking Poles and were discussing certian riders GP prospects (BTW, none of us can speak Polish either, the international Language of, riders name and a thumb up or down was how it went) and how rubbish David Kujawa is and how to say his name. Heat 25 and Greg Hancock was winning and SCB was jumping more than he had all day, I think Jill was too. Greag lead all the way with Leigh Adams passing Rico for 2nd after Rico went wide trying to pass Greg. Greg went wide on the 4th bend and SCB stopped jumping. Greg won and SCB started jumping again. What about that for a review of the GP? Special thanks should go to Ugly Kid Joe for getting us tickets and picking Greg Hancock as the eventual winner and of course to the forums very own Robbo, who had the job of "official programme filler in-er" which did result in a few conversations with our new Polish friends when he didn't know who had come where (some people, memory of a goldfish). The fireworks were good, I missed the pre-meeting "entertainment" (trades description act? It's normally so bad I go for a walk in the stadium) and the beer was expensive inside the stadium. BTW, in some heats I think I missed some of the passes, I remember David Norris passing some guy called Tomasz(!?) at one point.

Are you saying riders are not paid per point? Basically, Poole were already top of the league and nothing could change that, they did not want to win, they wanted to lower their averages, so they did not score points, you could have offered them all the points you want, they still didn't care.

Now there is a good marketing campaign! Dont advertise the speedway, advertise the social aspect of the speedway to people and get them in that way!