Grachan

So can you explain how he was eligible to ride for Australia? I've looked but can't find a way he is Aussie.

So if Greg is a second string but has a higher average than Nick, who is a heatleader, who rides in the heatleader position in the team?

He'd still be entitled to that anyway, even if he had dual nationality. It is based on your passport, not which speedway team you ride for.

How many times do people need to be told? He is not British for his own convenience. He is British because he was born here to British parents. That's it. British. Not sure how it is convenient to him. He doesn't ride in our league. Greg Hancock was also acting in a similar manner when the USA anthem was played. He chooses to live in Sweden. Is he Swedish? No. He is American. And nobody questions it. Tai is not, in any way, Australian. If he was he wouldn't need a visa to go there.

In this current climate, any initiative that encourages a certain section of fans to stay away is a bit stupid really.

Even with a low points limit, the best teams tend to get to the top by choosing the best available riders on certain averages. The rest are then left to pick over what is left, and it can mean having an uninteresting side that struggles. You can bet that whatever the points limit, the likes of Poole, Swindon and Coventry are going to be near the top come the end of the year - and two of those sides are in danger of not being around much longer. But other sides need to be kept competitive in this era of low crowds and team struggling to survive financially. The points limit can make quite a difference at the moment with the league losing top riders every year.

On the BSPA site they are all listed as 3.00, so it will be a slight gain from that. Not much, though, if it's as you say. Don't worry. Everyone might get a chance to nick someone from Swindon's side half way though the year if a house appears on the back straight..

I thought it was a bit high too, although if the reserves are getting converted averages it counteracts it slightly. But if riders are dropping out of the UK then it may cause problems for some clubs. Leicester, for example, could struggle. Then again - do we really need total equality at the start of the year? I remember a time when a good old 60 point thrashing over 13 heats was seen as great entertainment.

The BSPA site has them all at 3.00!

Does anyone know for certain what averages Wright and Nielsen are coming in on?

Has he? Didn't he say, when interviewed at the Grand Prix, that he only had a 3 month visa for Australia? Why would he need a visa if he had an Australian passport? I'm not fabricating anything. Why do you say I am fabricating stuff? I looked it up. These are the rules for Australian Citizenship. http://www.beyderwellen.com/immigration-questions/2.html#FAQ2 "Q2: How do I become an Australian Citizen? You may become a citizen of Australia in one of three possible ways. These are: By birth: In Australia people automatically become an Australian citizen if they are born here and one or both of their parents is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia. By descent: If you are the child of an Australian citizen but you are born overseas you will generally be granted Australian citizenship. There are a number of rules that might apply to people in this category. These are indicated in the Australian Citizenship Act, 2007. By grant: If you are a non-citizen of Australia you can apply to become an Australian citizen. You must meet several requirements, which generally are that you: Are an Australian permanent resident Are over 16 years of age Have lived in Australia as a lawful resident for a total of four years where absences of a cumulative duration of less than 12 months will not matter, including 12 months as a permanent resident immediately preceding the date of application where absences of a cumulative duration of less than 3 months during this period will not matter Are of good character Have a knowledge of basic English Have an adequate knowledge of your responsibilities and privileges as a citizen Are likely to reside in, or to maintain a close and continuing association with, Australia if granted citizenship" Seeing as Tai moved back to the UK at 15 to takeup a Speedway career, perhaps you can tell me which part he qualifies under? Plus he was born in the UK to British parents. Even if they became Austrlian citizens he would not have the right by birth as far as I can see. If he has Australian citizenship then it doesn't fit in with what I have read on it. (Edit - just realised you may have been referring to Jason Crump - in which case it's as SCB says. Jason has a case for British nationality, but, as far as I can tell, Tai doesn't have one for Australian nationality)

Actually he's not an Aussie. He has no claim on being Australian. British parents. Born in Britain. Never lived in Australia long enough to qualify for citizenship. Maybe he has a strong connection with the country, and grew up singing their national anthem in school - but he ain't an Aussie. Jason Crump is more British than Tai is Australian.

That's not cheating. It's a tactic, and not a particularly good one either. If he instructed 2 riders to throw a race they could have lost out on a 5-1. So even if they gained 3 from the tactical, they potentially lost 8 points from a 5-1 to a 1-5 by throwing the race, so they would have lost out.

Absolutely. A complete rip off of the fans, which was a much more common occurance back in the 'heat 6' days.

Golden Helmet. Carl Blackbird beat Hans Nielsen. I remember that. I was there!

If you look at 1967, Swindon won the league title despite missing Barry Briggs for about a month. They had no guest facility and had to use their number 8. Also, there was a meeting at Swindon held in pouring rain from the start. It was abandoned after heat 6. The match write up said that nobody could complain about the rain off as it should never have been started. Swindon's match at King's Lynn was restaged due to King's Lynn using an ineligible rider in the first match. The restaging was the final match of te season and the one where Swindon clinched the title. The Stars, by the way, were at the bottom of the league and wanted to sign Ove Fundin but were told they weren't allowed. He then signed for Belle Vue, who were in contention for top spot. There was also an article in Speedway Star about the problems speedway faces and the lack of characters in the sport!

Because he's not Australian. He's British. If you read the requirements for Australian citizenship, he doesn't qualify as he moved away before he was 16. He's British.

That looks like it, Gustix. Very interesting. That would certainly explain it.

Some interesting old footage here from Pathe News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SppQc6ieJfs&list=PL6wiRn3_YDsAOoil72rMpMSVG2Qfp1uF2&index=2 There's some great old stuff on there, as we all know. But this one from 1932 interested me because, when the riders are introduced, Jack Parker is announced as the "present World champion". I assumed this must be becuase of the well known "Star Riders" Championship, but looking it up he only won that in 1934. So, any idea why Jack Parker would be announced as World Speedway champion in 1932? Golden Helmet holder perhaps? Or was it just the announcer bigging him up?

Hi Steve! I used to think that when the GPs first started under the knockout system, that Hans would win all his qualifying heats. Gundersen, meanwhile, would struggle through via the eliminators and then beat him in the final!

I was always a bit of a closet Neilsen fan, if the truth be known. The guy was out of this World, which is why I always feel he under performed in World Finals. And got a 12.00 away average in the same year.

Quite possibly. Not Neilsen though. There was nothing like Nielsen in league racing.

Plenty of riders made 11+ under the old system, but of the riders I've seen only Neilsen would, in my opinion, be just as dominant if the current system had been in place.

Ole Olsen rarely averaged over 11 even at his peak and in the old system, so I doubt he would. Or Ermolenko. Mauger possibly would though. Being World number 2 after the reigning World Champ has realised he's not going to win and has eased off is a million miles from becoming World Champion for the sixth time.

Would that be the same Ivan Mauger that spent the majority of the 1980 season as reigning World Champion? Not sure Chris Harris did that in 2015. On the subject of race formats, averages and so on, there are all sorts of factors that bring averages down now. Rae formates, tac sub rides in heat 8, gate positions, nominated riders races and so on. But stick a 1980s Hans Neilsen in amongst all that and I bet he'd still average over 11 with bonus points.