davidba

Cheers, i knew i could rely on you!

Hopefully my back will be properly healed by August so i have booked a flight to go see Piraterna v Lejonen on 3rd August. Last year when i had been due to go i had planned to stay in Linkoping and head back to Nykoping on the train early the next morning. However having looked on the Swedish travel site there doesn't seem to be any transport out of Motala after 21.27 train to Mjolby anymore? Staying in Motala or Mjolby aren't options as i can't get back to the airport in time the next day(Ryan Air 10am flight), so my question to Johan, Anders etc is, presuming the meeting is on from 7-9pm, do i really have to rush back to the train station for that train, or have i missed another option? How far from the train station to the stadium in Motala, will i have to pre book a cab to make it? Thanks

Thanks it's just my addled brain looking at the options from the other Leszno stations!God knows how i will get there in one piece.

Can't see on the Leszno site what times they are due to start their meetings apart from the challenge tomorrow at 3.30pm.Anyone know i they have a regular start time?Basically i booked to fly to Poznan on 2nd May, get to Poznan at 11.10 am and it looks like i could get to Leszno by about 2pm.I've made a reservation in Poznan that night but have just seen that the last train between the two goes at 8.20pm.So if its starting later than 5pm i've little chance of getting back to Poznan that night and as i cant see any affordable accom in Leszno itself i may give up on this trip, maybe go to Poznan v Gneizno derby match instead. Any help appreciated.Thanks.

Are Gettingarna still gonna ride out of Bajen?Thought i read something about them racing some/all meetings elsewhere?

I'm going to have to put a younger photo on my profile!!

Hi tomcat, It's not been postd on here, but is on many Swedish/Polish websites, here's one dodgy translation Swedish to English translationShow romanization UNDER THE SAFE SOURCE: Wasps put out of business. Chairman Lotta Johansson has been fired. Debt makes it impossible to continue. I think SVEMO are now considering an application from an Eskilstuna based team to take their place in Allsvenskan. Fxitures now messed up and many riders out of work!

Just read about Gettingarna closing down, sorry to hear that.

Many other Brits in 1st and 2nd division: Div 1 James Wright also at Miskolc Josh Auty -Gdansk Joe Haines, Ed Kennett and Ollie Allen at Grudziadz Danny King at Poznan Chris Harris at Rzeszow Div 2: Simon Walker at Rawicz! If you add in those in the top league Bridger and Woffinden at Czestochowa Thats 13 Brits with contracts(Though not necessarily rides!) in Poland. If my maths is right i make it 8 Poles with teams in the UK in 2010!! So much for being swamped by Poles!!

It's the kind of mean spirited behaviour that makes me despair,what harm would a small plaque do?Good luck to your continuing efforts to commemorate that special place.

Isn't the last leg supposed to be available for us Poms to watch live online?Or did i dream that?

Anyone know when the first division fixtures are out? I'm close to finalising my foreign trips for next season but can't until i know when Daugvapils are racing at Poznan.

Not much point in Jensen signing then is there, with Ward a cert barring injury?

Do the Polish teams need to track a polish youngster in each meeting or can they both be foreigners?Just wondering how often Jepsen Jensen will ride for Torun with Ward a dead cert to ride each meeting?

Hi Eddie, I stayed in the Hotell Ostergyllen about 400 metres to the left of the train station.I cant afford fancy hotels at swedish prices so the 480 kroner a night was reasonable and the lovely receptionist let me off 30 kroner when there was no change! If you are going to those 3 tracks then it would be more central to be based in Norkkoping. I stayed in a private room at the youth hostel there though and of course not driving i planned out where i could possibly walk/bus it from, if your driving between them your life will be much easier as they are really all not that far from each other. Sounds like a great trip! All the best David

Any idea when the fixtures are out, i have to decide whether to go to Piraterna v Rospiggarna or Lejonen and would like to stay 2 nights and take in Filbyterna on the Wed too, stay in same hotel in Linkoping from last season.

Just finished the book, what a tragic tale, his life seems like an overdramatic b movie. I think when the story of the killings reached me it just made up my mind at the time to turn my back on the sport i loved so much in my childhood. Lucky for me i had the chance to see the error of my thinking nearly 20 years later. I just hope the kids have managed to have a normal life without the demons that Kenny carried around with him.

Great footage, thanks for posting. Really brings it home how London, once so rich in clubs and traditions is now lost to speedway. I live now only a few miles from where West Ham and Hackney were but have to travel to Hertfordshire or Essex for speedway, tragic. Must have been great to go to different tracks each night within London, oh for a Ashes to Ashes style trip back in time!

Harris you are one very lucky boy!

I see Wroclaw, Czestochowa, Rybnik and Pila have had their licences turned down but can appeal. Are they likley to get through second time round or will each league be losing teams?

Just bought one, along with the Tommy Jansson book, winter reading, though i fear both will hardly cheer me up!

Is Gdansk really getting a qualifying round and a leg of the final of the under 21's?

Sadly i didn't see that legendary race, being 8 years old i was reliant on when my dad would drive us to Hyde Rd, and though 4 boys pestering him did mean we meant many times, he was often reluctant due to the constant threat of having his tyres slashed or wheels removed by the local scallywags! I did see Michanek once but i cant remember the year. Last year when my parents moved from my childhood home i went through some boxes in the attic but could only find about 10 old programmes and not the Reading meeting one, so don't know exactly when it was and my dad cant remember and my older brothers have turned their back on the sport so much they wont even try to remember!! Have seen the picture of Anders i used to have on my wall for so many years, on Mike Patricks website, and am now trying to get the money together(Hard when your out of work) to buy myself a large print for Christmas.

Sure hope so, loved my visit to Krakow but it was a long time ago now. I remember the beautifull old town and atmospheric cellar bars and loads of nuns milling around!! Add in speedway and you've got the perfect weekend away!