Grachan

Speedway on shale was banned in Japan in the late 1960s because it was apparently too dangerous - which is rather ironic seeing as they are the country that invented suicide bombers. I've actually been to a couple of these meetings. They are called "Autorace" rather than speedway, and it's just gambling - pure and simple. The riders even parade round the track on their bikes before a race so you can choose who to bet on - like horses round a paddock. It was an interesting experience but it's nothing like speedway. There's no teams, no meeting winners or anything like that. Just individual races for betting on. I remember there being a nasty crash in one race and the ambulance came onto the track, bundled the rider into the back with typical Japanese efficiency, and took him away before the riders even came round for another lap.

Meeting abandoned due to Swindon being 8 points up.

Looks like Batch has thrown his toys out his pram. Swindon should come out for 5-0s!!

Flippin' heck. Gone 9.30 and they've only had 2 heats. That'll get the crowds flooding through the gates!!

Why are you going on about children? Tai isn't a child and never had his tattoos when he was one. If my own kids wanted tattoos when they are still kids I would say 'no way'. If they want tattoos when they are adults I would probably advise them not to but it's up to them. Would it make me love and respect them any less if they did then get them? Of course it wouldn't.

No idea. Why? Is there a point behind that question? I would imagine Jason Crump had a British passport. He was, after all, entitled to one and rode his first season as a Brit I believe.

Yeah, I've often thought there have been assumptions made too. Patricularly as I recall Tai himself said he was held up due to visa problems with the Australian GP last year. He wouldn't have needed a visa if he was a citizen, although, of course, it could have meant for some of his team rather than himself.

From what I can gather, you need to be over 16 and have been a resident for 4 years to apply. Tai moved away at 15. It may be possible that his parents could have applied for citizenship at some point. I think they could possibly have included him in their own application if they did. But I've seen nothing to say anywhere that they or he became an Australian citizen, and he wouldn't have qualified any other way other than on their application. He certainly couldn't have applied for it on his own. Your mate is, presumably, over 16. They wouldn't have automatically become citizens just by living there 10 years, so it would depend if they applied for it or not. I know plenty of people who are resident in the UK but never needed to become citizens. As he was under 16, as far as I can see, the only way he might have got it is if they had applied for it and included him at the same time. Whether or not this actually happened doesn't seem to be stated anywhere, and unless he or his mum confirms it I guess nobody knows for sure. But living there from the age of 5 to 15 on its own wouldn't qualify him for citizenship.

Go into any gaming store or a branch of Cex and most of the staff will be cultivating the same image of tattoos and piercings as Tai. Lots of people look that way these days. People said the same things about men growing their hair in the 1960s. Plus ca change..

Can you explain how Tai could qualify to ride as Australian? As far as as I can see, from looking online in the past, he wouldn't be eligible for Australian citizenship as he wasn't born there, he was born to (presumably) British parents and he moved away before he was an adult. To qualify he would have had to reach adulthood there. His parents would qualify (should they have chosen to) but not him.

Sure. Tai swearing on live tv was the issue, but I don't see the relevance regarding Chris Morton and how whether or not it was on live tv makes any difference,. It was a simple comparison of what is worse. Swearing on live tv or deliberately knocking a rider off.

I very much doubt it, considering there was no live speedway on tv back in the glory days. Is that relevant then?

Hans Nielsen was probably the best rider I've ever seen. So stylish and practically unbeatable. I've always been a fan of Hans. True quality. Tai, however, is a different animal. He is what he is, and what he is is what makes him a champion. Hans, who is seen as one of the greatest of all time, won his first World Title at 26. If Tai wins this year - which is still a good possibility - he will have won 3 world titles by the time he gets to the age when Hans was when he won his first. Take away the parts of Tai that you don't like and maybe you will lose the other parts too - the parts that make him a World Champ.

Just adopt the Elite League race format. They won't get anyone below 5 then anyway.

It's an intensifier. It intensifies the awesomeness.

Chris Morton deliberately knocked Alan Grahame off and broke his leg. Do you think using a swear word is worse than that?

It said he was in Metro. I get all my facts from Speedy69, Metro and The Evening Standard. All 3 are free so it's good enough for me.

Thanks for explaining to me. It's now clear to me that Tai pulling out of the British Championships to concentrate on the World Championships has no similarity whatsover with Andy Murray pulling out of the GB team to concentrate on the Olympics. Thank you. You will now forever be my guru on these matters.

If you swear, why would you not swear in front of your wife? Surely you wouldn't marry someone you can't be yourself with. My wife swears too. So does my daughter. I gave up telling her to stop ages ago. Have you heard the music young people listen to these days? Kids wouldn't even notice Tai using a swear word. It's farty old speedway fans who are getting all high and mighty about it, not kids.

Oh well sorry about that. A comparison then. Both opting out of GB events to persue individual glory. Did you really need that explaining to you? Somehow I doubt it.

A bit of a Tennis parallel in the papers this morning. Andy Murray has withdrawn from the GB Davis Cup side so he can concentrate on the Olympics.

Lewis Hamilton did a spot of crowd surfing. Imagine what people on here would have said about Tai if he'd done that.

I didn't say it was right. Just that's the way it is nowadays.

What's the capacity of the stadium for speedway?

You lot must hate Adele! How old is Tai? 25. What is Adele's latest album called? 25. Coincidence? I think not!!! I don't think anyone at Cardiff even heard his potty mouth anyway, but saying stuff like that is actually pretty standard these days at large public events.