False dawn

The money ain't the issue. The agreement with Torun was according to the promotion "to the benefit of all concerned". No it wasn't. I am only one fan but it didn't benefit me. And I'm not a Peterborough supporter. There are such things as contractual obligations. There is a level of trust with the public. I was treated with contempt and I won't go away. Principles for sale? Not on my watch.

Actually, I could only manage a mini marathon these days (the knees, you know?). Eddie would have made a good speedway commentator. "He's a strong lad, he'll get up" would be true, a large percentage of the time in speedway.

The SpeedyBee if my memory isn't completely fading. The idea of a track spare has disappeared. Perhaps at the National League level, the concept could be reintroduced. The fact that riders at the introductory level of the sport are expected to have two bikes, not just runners but highly competitive machines is bonkers. We want these lads (and girls, please) to learn their trade and be the champions of the future surely? Of course they want to win and their clubs want to be league champions. But let's get the priorities right. Track time, race craft, mechanical skill, team riding (what's that?) and dealing with the press and fans. Surely these are the attributes we should be seeking to develop? Oh well. Maybe I'm just an old fogey?

As in English (sorry British) you mean?

You can ride in the British Championships but don't have the temerity to imagine you're going to Cardiff if you win.

Or which league you're going to be in,or which night you're going to run on or anything else for that matter. But that should never stop our dreams from soaring to great heights, limited only by our own aspirations. I'm a Bees fan, I should know.

We could just let more rides in. If you come last twice in a GP you're out...... Hang on. We tried that daft idea didn't we? Prequalify each round? Then we could have all our heat leaders missing the whole week of a GP. The truth is. It's a bit like democracy. What we have ain't perfect but it's about as good as we're going to make it. Look at the line up this year. It has been the best ever (my opinion). I said it at the start of the year. Whoever wins it this year will deserve it (and I'm not one of his fans, damn it),

I'm going to be in Tenerife.On the up side. I'm going to be Tenerife AND, if I can find a friendly bar, I can watch the second leg of the promotion/relegation match and know who's going to be riding in which league next year (he he)

It's interesting isn't it? Based on some of the arguments on here, there are riders who will finish in the top 8 who don't deserve to go into 2018. The ideal solution would be for the bottom 7 and the top 9 from the Challenge to race off for the 7 spaces. Trouble is, when would you do it? Boxing Day?

For goodness sake. Make the punishment fit the crime and be consistent. The lad didn't pull a sicky or breakdown on the motorway or get money to be somewhere else. He owned up and said he was left without suitable equipment after riding on Saturday evening. Does anyone, knowing how much it costs to put even a "standard" bike on track, think that this is so surprising? Such treatment is likely to push struggling youngsters out of the sport altogether.

Because we give ourselves no wiggle room at a time of the year when rain is a distinct possibility. And do you think the farcical (whoops there's that word again) relegation meetings should be run at all, given air time and squeeze forward the play offs? You're right, there is plenty of time to run the play offs. But there is a chance a really good meeting, be it the end of a semi or a leg or two of the final, might not be on TV. Is that silly or just farcical?

I did say last week, "Heavens help us if we get rain next week" and guess what? My prediction came true. Good old Sod's Law eh? We do paint ourselves into a corner don't we? Reading the above, we're faced with guests and/or track availability and/or TV "requirements". This is descending into farce.

U bent van harte welkom

Kelly Velda from Groningse will also be in the Speedway class this season next to the Powergirls class. Last season, Kelly rode in the Ladies Class and 125cc Special Class. The young lady in April fourteen has a new 500cc Jawa for the speedway. For the time being, no grass-bait special will be available, but in the future this is not unthinkable. Well that's Dutch into pigeon English

I think BT said this wasn't going to be televised Might not be talking about the same meeting, sorry

You know, that could work now. The difference is that modern day riders would want a customised paint job with their name on the side!

Perhaps if the BSPA stop pissing in the wind, we wouldn't have so many wet tracks to dry out. Alright, I'll get my coat.

You could go further (a bit like Match of the Day) and show one meeting live followed by the other which had been recorded. Just "look away" as they say in the news if you don't want to know the result i.e. stay off here and social media till you'd finished watching both meetings. It still feels live if you don't know the result. Trust me, I watched the last F1 race late Monday and I still cheered when Vettel turned left. [Whoops, now I've openned another can of worms]

I'd be happy to give them another 5 years if they'll agree to keep speedway on our screens!

Does anyone else have a sense of deja vue? Didn't PK retire last year? Just kidding. It was great to see him turn up in Swedish speedway on Tuesday TV. And not just turn up, but winning races. Peter is a true gentleman and anyone would have been proud to have in their team. And I mean team, Peter was a trier, always, but he was also there for the team. A rare animal in my many decades of support but a pleasure to see, even when he was on the other side. The sport will be a poorer place after he retires. I hope he remains in some other capacity.

This is such a close call I'm tempted to go to BV on Wednesday to see the outcome. We can argue about the play off concept till we're blue in the face but this is what's it's all about. Home and away aggregate ties, built for for television. But wait, the cameras aren't going to be there. Pity really. Might be a better tie than the finals.

Sounds like Dan Bewley was a deserved winner. Well done young man, we celebrate your victory.

Is this it? https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/product/5517/bookazine-broadslide-sideways-on-top-bikes-and-star-riders-from-speedways-golden-age Free postage!

But knowing the BSPA it would be a bit like that coin toss on TV a few weeks ago when Danny King managed to get the coin to land on it's edge!

Things aren't always what they seem..... Pinewood Studios: A speedway track complete with pits was built on backlot as a replica of New Cross Stadium. http://www.thestudiotour.com/movies.php?movie_id=388 Not the reference I was looking for. I'm sure someone, during a previous thread on here, posted a picture of that set which was just one corner of a circuit.