chunky

He was "ready to race"!!! Steve

For those who think Hancock is a spent force? Steve

Could have been SO much worse... Steve

I didn't know he had tried to blame the ref for that? A totally irrelevant comment... Steve

Perhaps in Poland, there might be... Steve

It doesn't matter whether they are at the tapes or not; they have to be "ready to race". Steve

Exactly... Steve

Nope. As Philip stated, they have to "be ready to race", not just "at the tapes". As was just confirmed on the commentary. Steve

I also think it is interesting that the commentary has now been "silenced"... Steve

But that shouldn't make any difference to a "rule"... Steve

The rules are there apparently for the ref to apply how and when he feels... Steve EDIT: As was just said, the "rule" wasn't applied in Heat 18

My thoughts exactly. As I said, Greg was "at the tapes", but he was nowhere near ready. Steve

Greg was at the tapes, but he certainly wasn't ready... Steve

You've seen it now, so what do you think? I think Tai was ready before Greg... Steve

If the tracks aren't consistent, and the riders aren't consistent, why should the refs be any different??? Steve

Nobody wants to read crappy posts from "hating tarts" on here either... Steve

Okay, found it now; thanks! Just wasn't sure exactly where to look... Steve

That's more of what I was thinking... Adds a little bit of interest with an "us against them" feature. It would be a help to see the whole evening's programme. Steve

Very interesting! Of course, there were no "official" teams in 1928, so that was probably some kind of representative event. You only have a small snippet of the pic here, but were there any other similar events on that programme? Where was that, incidentally? I had a look on the Speedway Researcher website, and didn't find anything. I know that George Reynard rode at some of the northern tracks, and had ridden at Rochdale the previous Saturday... Steve

Right, two-valve uprights, black leathers and monkey masks, all things that can be reintroduced and will bring the crowds flocking back? Get rid of TV or live-streaming, and that will bring the crowds flocking back? Rebuild Hyde Rd, Plough Lane, County Ground, Dudley Wood, Waterden Rd, The Shay, Blackbird Rd etc? That would bring the crowds flocking back? I miss holiday camps, the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Specials, the Kursaal, the family butcher, going to footy and changing ends at half-time, paraffin lamps and gas mantles, and Payne's Poppets, but just because there are bunch of us oldies who feel that we have gone in the wrong direction,, they are not going to turn the clock back for us.... Steve

I know that youngsters need to get the experience, but other than a handful - a very small handful - of riders over the years, very few have benefited from being thrown in at the deep end. Sure, they have potential, but chucking them in against top riders usually does nothing other than destroy their confidence and end a promising career before it has even started. Look what happened back in the 80's (I can't remember what year), when they introduced the "compulsory junior"; it achieved absolutely nothing. Incidentally, please don't just claim that us "older fans" are "out of touch with things". I am one of those, and I am only too aware that things have to change, but I just don't know what the solutions are.... What I do know is that throwing kids to the lions, and putting out a sub-standard team resulting in a tedious and one-sided match is not one of them. Steve

What about Todd Wiltshire, David Cheshire and Lee Derbyshire? Steve

Are my posts invisible to everyone? Arena Essex was the first team I mentioned yesterday, and I named several others. Now you are all coming up with the teams I said! Steve

Same with Anglian Angels and Southern Rovers. Steve

Arena Essex, and the Fife Lions, although the latter never competed in a league. There have been several second/junior teams, such as Devon Demons, Norfolk Braves, and Cleveland Bays. Steve