Parsloes 1928 nearly

Hmm, taken you all year to finally join in the 'argument' me old mate!! You're wrong about the Crayford fans, I know personally of at least 20 who are going tonight! You're not ALWAYS right, speedy!! Your geography's not great either, as the Crayford 'heartland' area is extremely close (and, er, always has been! ) to Arena Essex... Ask Bryn!! And the reason to go...?: well obviously the news about the 'reunion' of former riders, a large number of which as I said are arguably more Crayford than Hackney is obviously one. And also that with the Hackney 'experiment' at at end, it is possible this will indeed be the last time a Hackney Hawks team takes to the track. Or if you'd prefer me to put it, a team calling itself Hackney Hawks. I remain bullish that we could get a new Speedway track within the Eton Manor area of the Olympic Park but I certainly (and this is my personal opinion) would not envisage branding such a team as Hackney..

Hmm, never mind 'awks, expect to see, with that line up, a considerable contingent of Crayford folk present tomorrow night!!!

Whatever... As I say, can see if one or either team end up being difficult it all heading for that last weekend when then it's in the lap of the (weather) gods...

Yes I'm sure that's right - as I said no tradition really of after meeting activity in the bar at the NA as opposed to say the IoW, Stoke,, Wimbledon etc. I think you did a great job conducting the auction from the centre green and as you say many machinery and other rider related probs plus filthy weather setting in, so personally I think what you got towards the pot was a good effort..

Well that's the day set for it... IF they don't use that date one can see fast looming on the horizon an NL play off final on the last weekend of October yet again!!

So it has indeed succumbed to the weather - which means a restaging when now..? Hopefully in time for the first leg of the Final to go ahead at West Row as planned (Sunday week..)..

I doubt that was really a feasible choice... After all dates are limited (especially with Stocks at Stoke) and with the Potters having a Saturday race night and the FTs a Sunday that order was surely inevitable..

I got home at just past midnight as we're swapping notes!! You're right about Tuff - we put in a really plucky performance and established himself as mine and davidba's favourite 2011 tourist! He was even leading his last ride before there were fallers and there had to be a rerun.. So he was very unlucky to end his evening's efforts with just one point to his name... Well done to 'Tuff of the Track'!! Of the race jacket - could I respectfully suggest that the auctioning off would work better in the indoors setting of a club house/bar..? Difficult in a place with little post-meeting bar activity like the NA but maybe could've asked interested parties into the bar at the interval..

Rocco "Caveman" Scopellite also looked pretty impressive - in between the falls which bedevilled the tourists all night... Terrific entertainment though - well done all!

I agree 100% - and I see that another NL side are doing likewise: linking a training session with a place in their NL team for one of these late season matches! http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.13454.4

Why are you Coventry folk so angry all the time..?! (1) It's only a sport; and (2) shouldn't those who care about the sport be celebrating that we have such an exciting young talent in our midst..?

Sooner rather than later I hope... Not doing the sport a whole lotta good to keep have WCs in their late '30s/early 40s!!

I'm sure we all hope this won't be the case but the sentiment you present is one I can certainly understand.. The words 'baby' and 'bathwater' spring to mind..

Saw Tom Armstrong get a paid max for the Bulls at Perry Barr earlier this season - looks some prospect... An Aussie, 'natch!! But tell me, why hasn't he been able to ride in the League this year?

Harsh words indeed - considering Tim just made the squad up to the permitted eight and that they can hardly have been seen to have gained in either respect!

You could do with paying more attention as I clearly stated that in the USA they "used" to have that system for deciding draws... Glad to see that you've confirmed your own argument is utterly bankrupt as again you seek only to be rude rather than actually come up with any constructive points or sensible responses...

Am certain there is still the provision for no. 8s and that some sides have used them this year... Didn't Hackney names Rhys Naylor at no. 8 when Dudley visited Lakeside earlier this season?! And though often not having named one wouldn't matter clearly with the bad luck the Potters encountered today it would in this instance have at least meant they could put out a rider...

Blimey I might at that..!!!

Well in that case then yes, Stoke made an error by not naming a Number Eight...

What absolute rubbish! It's clear I'm talking about football leagues in THIS country. I'd expect nothing other than play-offs in the USA game - they after all used to ban draws by always having a penalty-style shoot-out at the end of games which had finished level!! You do your argument no favours by being so rude. Look it's 100% clear that play-offs are box office but that doesn't make them right - from a sporting poinrt of view it's equally 100% the case that they are not right. Alright, actually I'd admit that I've long advocated Speedway adopting a more crowd-friendly approach and the old-style hamming-it-up style of promotion etc. Having Play offs meets that mould. But then I see what happened last winter and the enormous amount of time and energy so many gave to a row about the tiny minutiae of the rules on team composition etc. and how they were applied - with two major EL clubs threatening to withdraw; and to me that shows for many the sport matters more than being popular.. So yes, let's go play offs but then let's also stop arguing the toss about team make-ups (for example in the context of this thread about whether the young and supremely talented Master Heeps can be allowed to entertain us in the NL/this coutry or not..). You can't really have it both ways...!

Ha,ha,ha... No I'm NOT going to rise to the bait! I was going to, but due to the curfew coming up later I need to move onto the next thread!!!

Not JUST the Premiership but in fact I know of no football league which decides its title this way.. Let's have your theory on why not...

Only if the three rider races were one involving R/R which I'm not sure they were, were they.. Well done to the FTS but in truth shows all that's wrong with the play-offs as yet again a championship leading side has imploded at just the worst possible time, through a combination of injuries and off form riders. Such things even themselves out over a season but not in the play-offs - there they're totally decisive.. I await Mr. V. telling me that the P/Os remain a brilliant concept and that I'm some kind of dinosaur for supporting the traditional league championship idea..!

Rugby League used to do this with an end of season play-off type event called the Premiership. Thus there were proper League champs (ie -shock! horror! - team finishing top of the league) and a separate money-spinning event of considerable status too, comprising the top 8 with a neutral ground cup final. Of course RL have abandoned that in favour of actual play-offs to decide the champions but they only did this to please their Sky TV paymasters which is exactly why Speedway's Elite League do so... Quite why the non-televised National League follows suit I'm unsure.. I don't think the PL do, do they..?

I think it would have to be an NL Young Stars level side as this is the way this tour is pitched and with no 'guests' planned in the tourists' side... Also the article in this week's Speedway Star suggests that's the sort of line-up KL are putting out... Should be a good 'un!