False dawn

I don't see the word (or concept) "friendly" ever mentioned except by you to support your argument. You won't see Max or Craig or anyone else in the pits on Saturday treating this as a friendly. If you've degraded this meeting to that level in your mind, you've missed the point.

The one person who has a half way credible reason to miss this meeting is Jason Doyle. Will he be missing? Not on your Kelly. You're wrong, with respect. You can ask if this is right or wrong. And I'll counter you at every turn.

Oo eck. The World's about to end. False dawn and Steve Shovlar agreeing! What next? We might both be right at the same time.

So you're asked if you'd "like to" represent your nation, the World Champion will be there, even bloody Tai is riding for us (God Bless Him) and you pull not even with a sicky but to have a rest? Not on in my view. I was considering a near 12 hour round trip drive to see this very special meeting. It makes you think twice. I'll say more.... This is a very special meeting, designed, in part, to capture the public's imagination. Those of us who remember test matches of old know precisely what I mean. For the newer fans, don't you want to beat those Aussies? I for one, don't want to be playing the "What if" card if we lose. We don't want to leave anything out there do we? This is historic.

I kind of agree with you but the main reason for this shake up was to give someone other than Poland a chance to win. If we go for any 3 riders and any 2 from 3 in each race, Poland will win, sorry to say. I know we all got excited because GB did so well. But take your GB hat off and that was a bloody exciting two days of World championship speedway with some riders pushing as hard as they do on the individual GP front. For me, deciding a championship at the World level on the basis of one race is wrong, particularly over two days. The best team should be the one to get the most points (4 3 2 0). It there is a tie, forget the count back, then you can have a race off. And then I might revert to the 3210 format. A 3 all means you go again. The heat winner in the first 3 all getting the pick of the gates in the second run off and so on. 2nd and 3rd should never be the winner. That doesn't make sense to anyone, especially the casual fan.

Ivan Mauger. Surely one of the first, maybe really the first rider to take a professional approach to racing. He certainly raised the bar for the rest of the speedway world. Many others modelled themselves on him and achieved great things as a result. Ivan was not just a good rider. The record book proves that. He left those of us who saw him race in no doubt of his greatness. I did have the pleasure of meeting him at the Sheffield press and practice day about 15 years ago and I was struck by his quiet unassuming character. RIP Ivan. Thanks for the memories.

AJ. didn't like that did he?

It's a shame that the managers on Monday didn't remind their riders of the gardening rule in their premeeting briefing.

Telford was never this cold!

The AGM can decide the World is flat. That doesn't make it right!

Comments regarding any individual are not relevant if they have no direct bearing on our desire to have a Coventry speedway team in Coventry. They are relevant, however, if the said individual has provided (questionable) financial information to Brandon Estates which they are using to "prove" speedway at Coventry Stadium is not viable. Any friend of my enemy, is also my enemy.

It's very simple. If the governing body invent a set of rules they have to be: 1.Make sense. 2. Fair. 3. Be applied equitably (same for everyone). Then this is legal and not open to challenge. For example, the points limit for each club passes the above 3 rules. So is not open to challenge. Build a side to 60 points and it cannot be justified within the rules and cannot be accepted, legally. Invent a rule that doesn't pass all 3 rules (e.g. rule 3) and you are liable to challenge, legally. Are we clear?

No. But this year it was because it was applied to riders of equal standing in a differing ways. It's easy. Apply the bloody rule or not. But do it to everyone.

Easy mistake, it's actually Greg McHancock who is riding in the Scottish 2nd division.

A Good analysis Steve Roberts from speedway's point of view. The reason Sky put speedway on TV was for none of the reasons you put forward of course. They wanted more people to sign up for their subscription services and increase their income. But would any of us have refused to have speedway on TV though? But did we make the most of putting our league sport in the shop window alongside the GPs and SWC? It has taken us many seasons to realise that it's important to have a good crowd at televised meetings and take actions to make this happen. Of course, this season we have a much bigger problem. With fixed racing nights, any televised meetings are inevitably competing with other live meetings impacting the attendance of several meetings not just one. Another need for fixture planning (err, what's that)?

We can't even "photo start" let alone finish

You're right. In fact only 3 inches needs attention. The top 3 inches.

No, that's a draw. It's rare indeed. I think I've seen 2 in 48 years! By comparison, I've seen 1 race where all 4 riders were excluded. And I believe deadheats are not "allowed" under FIM rules i.e. GPs, SWC, U21 etc. The referee has to declare a result even if the riders cross the line together.

I'd refer you to Bryan Seery but he is, sadly, no longer with us. Older fans will remember eh? You seem to think riders can only score whole numbers of points. Not so. For example if two riders tie for first place they both score 2.5 points. The total points are therefore, the same i.e. 5 points for the first two places.

Oh come on Norbold. We all know you were there.

Seems sensible. Does that mean it won't happen?

Ah but, the smell isn't nearly as good!

And the whole of Coventry, speedway fans or not, had heard of Nigel Boocock. 18 years in the same team will do that for you.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree

You didn't say where the finish line would be. I think Plough Lane is the only circuit where the start and finish didn't coincide (Fd stands by to be hit with a barrage of other examples!). More than once riders shut off as they passed the start line after 4 laps only to find their opponents whizzing by to the finish line further down the straight.