False dawn

Isn't that 2 miles from the NSS?

Sounds like a plan. Aren't there any restrictions on this car park that would prevent speedway fans parking there?

The predictions aren't what make me smile, it's the "Ifs and buts" people put along side them. I'm reminded of a saying my old boss used to say, "If my auntie had b*lls, she'd be my uncle". I think I'll keep my coat on this time

I guess I never really thought it would happen, but I'm sentimental enough to have hoped. Perhaps he'll sign for Peterborough

Oh, there are loads of folks on here that can tell you exactly who is going to make the playoffs and who's going to win the league. If pressed, they'll tell you the team scores in both legs of the final. Us normal mortals might as well hibernate for the summer and read about in the Star come November. Now let's see who takes that seriously?

Wouldn't it be a bit of fun if we could formalise this prediction process. For example, we all predict our 1 to 7 for the League. Then come October we "measure" who's prediction is the best. Sounds like a job for Racers-and-Royals to me!

Yes but...... Like all these things it's very hard to be black or white in the final judgement. For example. I'm a Bees fan. Our "home", since 1928, is still there in Brandon. The stadium, the track, everything. Granted it would take a deal of time, effort and money to restore it to working order but there are some splendid folks working tremendously hard to get us the right to race there again. Which category do we fall into?

And what else are we going to do between October and March?

There is the Chunnel. I don't think they're going to fill it in now we've (nearly) left the EU. Alright. I'll get my coat (again).

Oh boy. This is twice this week that I've broken the unwritten rule (one of mine at least), that you don't quote your own posts. Are Edinburgh/Armadale going to sign one or two riders to ride for their newly launched team, some time soon?

Get your coat

Fellow posters. It would be remiss of me not to point out what RobMcCaffery has said earlier in this thread. I, like many other posters, dislike what the BSPA has decided to do in preventing a nomad Reading team from entering the NDL. However, there are other factors. It's only 4 pages. Read the full thread.

Come on Rob. I got out of line. You showed me the error of my ways. I apologised. I was amused, here, that people started saying almost the exactly same things I had, and the conversation seemed to be rerunning itself. No comment about your response. I had already acknowledged your better knowledge on this subject.

This discussion is like flares. If you wait long enough they'll come round again.

Except those that haven't been granted entry, e.g. Reading presumably

Never a dull moment when Roman was about. RIP

I heard they'd signed Anders Michanek, Dag Lövaas and Bernie Leigh as their heat leaders before the BSPA refused them entry into the league.

Just to report that I've just booked two pairs of tickets successfully. Print at home links sent via email and I've printed them. There was someone who said they had problems getting their tickets was there not? Could it be that the important email to print at home went to their spam box? A question. I've been to the NSS twice and have street parked both times. But for such a meeting as this, are their other options? I assume you can't book car parking at the stadium (?). But are there better options to parking at the stadium?

I remember reading some years ago an article about Billy Hamill. This was in his days at Brandon so was probably 2002-3. From memory, he had a plan to set up equipment on the centre green which I assume was "talking" to a transponder on his bike. The idea was that, in practice, he could measure his speed at all points on the circuit such that he could then determine his performance throughout the lap. Having measured many laps and experimenting with different lines etc. he could then determine the optimum way to ride the circuit. I wish I could tell you the end of the story, but I never heard anymore about it. Sounds like a good plan though, eh? And that was getting on for 20 years ago.

I apologise for my earlier outburst. We are clearly alike in the length and depth of our support. This would have been my 50th year at Brandon. And I saw the Bees being run in the NDL out of Leicester for allegedly questionable motives. However, from your much wider and deeper experience of actually doing something about reviving teams, you speak with far greater authority than I. Can I believe that there are folks in our sport that do things for less than the most laudable reasons? Life teaches me the answer to that one. So my comments were from the heart and arguably a bit naive. Would I change, even if I could?

I have no real opinion about Ulrich, but to say he is a trier could mean anything from Lee Adams to Eddie the Eagle Don't mind me, I'm in a funny mood I'll get my coat.

That is interesting. To a nerd like me at least, who seems to be a part of a dying breed interested in track records etc. A technical question. Can you reliably time races on a DVD playback? Are there reasons why the recording or the playback may not be strictly in real time?

No offense meant but this has got me riled...... I cannot imagine anyone ever has or could ever make any worthwhile money from such a venture. So, in answer to your second point, what's wrong with putting out a team with "an old name" as an enthusiast's dream? Besides, whatever happened to having teams competing in a development league to provide opportunities for new and upcoming riders that the public want to see and are willing to pay to do so?

But apart from that it's brilliant eh? Seriously. As a Championship fan who has never been to the Kent track, I did think that I might just make the trip this year. Should I abandon my plans?

Sorry to bang on about this but I've been discussing this with my other half. The more we talked, the less I can understand the thinking that went into this policy. Despite the many and various bad opinions of the ruling body, often voiced at length on here, I do try, at least, to have some empathy for it's position. But sorry, on this occasion, I have not the first idea of the logic behind this crazy stance by those in charge. If the promoters, collectively, are trying to destroy racing in the third tier, this is a good first step.