False dawn

Whereas now, we southerners have to take the whole day off and possibly the next morning

It's kind of o0dd isn't it. You could almost imagine that the Glasgow faithful will boycott this one because Craig isn't in the team. Meanwhile, the rest of the British fan base (with the exception of Edinburgh) won't travel north of the Arctic circle.

I do hope so, if we get Glasgow in the final.

Good idea. But it had been there 4 hours and got clamped.

I'm sure we've had conversations on here in the past describing how riders have put the clutch lever on the right i.e. on the same side as the throttle. I've always had some difficulty imaging how this can work but apparently it is possible.

For me, that makes sense if the latter stages of the GP qualification system took place after the GP series had finished. How about this. The primary qualification could take place alongside the GP series with no current GP riders involved. This could result in the top 9 going through to be joined by the bottom 7 from the current series after the last GP. These 16 would then compete in the GP Challenge (what a meeting!). The top 6 from this go through to be joined by 1 wildcard. You can argue about the numbers but the philosophy of how riders would qualify, for me, would be very fair. The also rans from this year get a last chance and a significant number of new riders get an opportunity as well. And as a real bonus you don't get any current GP riders, qualifying for next year half way through this year's series (with the possible exception of the SEC champion).

You've got to feel for Dominik Kubera. 3 GPs, 3 semis, 2 finals and 2 podiums. At the same rate of scoring over 11 GPs he would have finished with 161 points placing him 3rd ahead of Emil in the overall standings. I know statistics can be misleading but if it had been me, I'd have lost my birth certificate

Considering their record against Leicester this year, I would think they might choose them (assuming Scunthorpe don't pull off the unthinkable of course).

Having been there in 1973 when Ivan lay in the dirt as Jerzy Szczakiel completed 4 laps to become the World Champion, I'm tempted to say that it ain't the stats that live on, it's the name on the trophy. It shouldn't be so, but that's the way it is.

It's sold out. The Poles have bought them all. I'll get my coat

I am told that the Welsh Tourist Board pay a large sum to ensure Cardiff is the only GP held in Britain.

The issue is simple once people get the right mindset. Under the "every point counts" system, heat 23 was nothing to do with the World Championship (beyond the race points scored). It decides who is the winner of that GP. That's it. The race points scored throughout the series decides the WC. It is very indicative when in commentary it is said, "It doesn't matter what happens here [early heats] as long as you make the semis". What more damning comment of the current scoring system do you need?

If you'd been "selling" speedway over the past several decades, Colin would have been one of the fixtures and fittings. A stalwart by any definition. We're worse off without you Colin. Rest in peace.

Should ask a referee. According to most fans I know, all referees should have Specsavers on speed dial.

You may have had to wait a while last Saturday, but heat 15 of the second meeting (NDL) was the best race I've seen this year (and this year I've been to every CL track plus the NSS and Mildenhall). With respect, a lot of folk say they've been to Leicester and it was crap. Well it was crap, was being the operative word. The current team and the current track curator (Stuart Dickson) have worked very hard to prepare a track with more shale and better overtaking opportunities especially around the outside. I would make one qualification. The forecast for the weekend looks rubbish. In such conditions, like many tracks, the management tend to go for a slick track to increase the chance of completing the meeting.

Wow, you've revived a memory from a few (!?) years ago. Brandon experimented with a raised platform in front of the stand once upon a time. Only problem was that the nearby fans could climb onto the outer edge of the platform blocking everyone else's view. I sent this to Mr Ochiltree "When watching the MRC and hoping the winner's a Bee, with Ole on top, the presentation's a flop, 'cause the fans on the terraces can't see". I'm not sure if my foray into prose had any effect, but the platform never appeared again.

I found myself at the Edinburgh Kent match recently (don't ask). There was some weather concerns but they managed a 74 minute meeting, including 4 lots of track grading! I ended up in a bar in Glasgow at 21:20 with my head spinning and that was before a pint or three.

Funny that. I guess you always remember the riders in your first year. Ken rejoined the Bees in 1970 for one season. I remember he was a super face gater and it was said that he mentored Tony Lomas who was also hot from the gate. In fact, I remember that Tony worked for Triumph Motorcycles as some sort of test rider. He reckoned he was constantly sharpening his gating at traffic lights.

As you're not on the doorstep, I'll forgive you 1967 Midland Riders?! Crikey, you go back farther than me (well sort of). I count my support of the illustrious Bees from only 1970. But that's not the entire story. I'm reliably informed that my late Dad took me to Brandon at quite a young age. I do vaguely remember a rider on his celebration lap coming down the back straight where we were standing and he had both arms in the air. I remember thinking, "How can he ride a motorbike with no hands on the handlebars?". No spring-loaded throttles or cut-outs in those day eh? Anyway, near as I can tell, that must have been in the 50's. Might be time to grow up soon. Footnote: According to my records there were 13 (contracted) riders who rode for Coventry in 1965.... NIGEL BOOCOCK (England) 1959-1976 LES OWEN (England) 1957-1973 RON MOUNTFORD (England) 1957-1968, 1970-1972 JIM LIGHTFOOT (England) 1953-1966 RICK FRANCE (England) 1960-1972 ROGER HILL (England) 1965-1975 COL COTTRELL (England) 1962-1971 HOWIE BOOTON (England) 1962-1965 CHRIS HARRISON (England) 1965-1968 COL SMITH (England) 1960-1961, 1965 FRED HODDER (England) 1965-1966 RON BAGLEY (England) 1965 PETER GAY (England) 1965

Glasgow On a slightly lighter note, I did a few meetings in Oz in 2007 when I was racing sidecars. The Aussies did their level best to get as many meetings on for the visiting Brits (plus one Dutchman) and to our great delight, one of them was at Mildura. Well the meeting did start so it doesn't strictly qualify for this thread but due to torrential rain the meeting was rained off. Beat that for the longest distance from home you've been to a rain off!

More to the point, who pays the away fans travelling expenses? It's a rhetorical question btw.

Great post about a great era in Coventry's history. But I have to take issue with your, "Can't believe the track is gone" comment. The track is still there and there are some persistent and talented people fighting very hard to get it reopened. There's even a potential buyer. And before anyone says that I'm living in a dream world, I know the odds are stacked heavily against ever seeing the Bees at Brandon again. But there is a chance and the faithful still believe we might just see that dream come true.

Not a bad time all things considered. I know the track record is 55.59, but a "usual time" in heat 1, looking at live updates, is generally in the 57's. Hardly unrideable eh? Actually, Dan can take a few accolades.... 1. Fastest time of the night. 2. A full maximum. 3. Only rider to broadside his machine. This would all be very amusing had I not spent 11 hours on the road yesterday to witness this one non race. Oh well, there's always the trip to Kent tomorrow.

The twins have to be in Edinburgh Friday as well.

From my perspective it was the home riders who didn't want to ride when they finally took the track. Cookie was all but lapped by Dan Thompson.