Tactical Sub

Middlo - Patriotism, Passion, Honesty, Courage and, above all, Integrity. Congratulations to you and all 6 GB riders for giving us the best week of international speedway in 15 years. Silver Medal ?.........you were all winners to me.

Yawn, yawn, this same set of anti-GB comments has been peddled on about 5 different threads now by FR. Its been ignored every time - the people who were there and who watched on TV have overwhelmingly come to the same broad conclusion:- 1) Super Event 2) Super Fans 3) GB dominated from heat 3 on and lost it in the final two heats off a dead gate 4) Sweden were great and deserved to win 5) Andersen made a complete idiot of himself 6) The refereeing wasn't great but that and the luck are part of sport and together probably evened themselves out over the night 7) ALL THE GB TEAM AND MANAGEMENT WERE HEROES WHO DID EVERY ONE OF US PROUD Can't accept that ? - well, there's always the exception that proves the rule.

Cruibins - Grilled Pigs Trotters, Irish style. Is there no part of the little blighters that humans won't scoff.......? (Realise there is only very tenuous link to Speedway)

Thanks arnieg - brings back great memories, it was the last time I was with my grandfather before his departure to the great pits in the sky. I remembered the Tigers won but couldn't remember the score.

Don't forget pork scratchings Gem. or gammon

This misses the point pretty spectacularly imho, hardly anyone who's come on here has not said the Swedes didn't deserve to win. Indeed most have congratulated them and acknowledged their victory. Most have also said that PK would probably have beaten Scotty anyway. There's no sore losers there - and whatever happens (probably nothing) to Andersen it won't change the result, so the only reason why people are having a go is because they are fans who value and want to maintain the integrity of the sport.

in charge of driving the team bus maybe...........

Hmm, I make that 44 posts to 1 in favour of Middlo. Make that 45, the British gave their all last night and on a great occasion for Speedway which has won it loads of new friends we were pipped at the post by an excellent group of Swedish riders. People are right to point out that this was the first time that Middlo has had all his top riders available and look what happens, we wipe the floor with Sweden and Poland once and we just get squeaked in the final, after having annihilated the favourite Danes and the Poles again. I'm not going to even comment on VV's suggestion, its designed to be deliberately provocative imo and has backfired spectacularly with the unanimous support for the men who have given us our best international week in 15 years. Having spent a month in Portugal the comparisons with Sven are ludicrous - the guys last night did not go into a defensive shell, bore the pants off everyone and hang onto a 1-0 lead ! GB attacked all night. Moreover, Middlo does not have the highest paid bunch of prima donnas in the world to choose from but just enough riders for a competitive team if all fit. IMHO the football team underchieved but, if anything, Middlo and the boys overachieved. I might as well deal with the other point which some other wind-up merchants are making about Sweden being the best team all night. Well, not true really is it, GB were in front all the way from heat 4 to heat 24 with maybe one heat exception and it was only really the last section of races where the Swedes got the better of us. Take nothing away from the Swedes as they were excellent but GB looked winners all the way and deserve nothing but credit for their performance. Mark, Lee, Gary, Joe, David, Scott and Neil - you were great and if you're all fit and on top form you'll win it next year.

I'm looking for the programme from the first meeting I went to. It was Sheffield v Coventry at Owlerton in 1977 (give or take a year) and the Sheffield team included Wyer, Wilson, Pendlebury, Persson and Allott amongst others. Can anyone help ?