Grachan

Poole are pretty much nailed on second place in the league, so could maybe afford a bit of average dropping, but too much would be a risk. I can't see Holder getting down below 7 without them risking a top 2 spot, even if they do try and get him down to fit Darcy in next year. Don't see why people get so outraged about it anyway, even if Poole do do it. If team strengths are dicted by averages, then it's a perfectly legitimate tactic to ride taking those into account as far as I can see.

I wouldn't say Swindon are on a roll just yet. We had a couple of good wins at Wolve and Lakeside last week, but also had a defeat at Poole in between. We're doing ok, and still hopeful of a play off place, but I think you're over-egging the pudding there. Also, we just won at Wolves so Sod's law says we'll lose this time.

I've always tried to remain positive about the new stadium being built. But when you turn up to a match and see houses actually being built INSIDE the current stadium and no signs of a new one you suddenly realise how final things are getting. As things are, I'd say never mind next season, I reckon we should worry about completing this one. If the builders are told they have to stop building their houses because of the speedway track it only takes one to get fed up waiting and plunge his digger into the fourth bend and we're done for. At the moment I'd say that the EL could be losing Swindon, Coventry and Lakeside very soon. I don't know whose responsibility the building of the new stadium is, but they need a kick up the backside. Remember the Racino?

That'll explain why I'd never heard of him then.

Swindon Advertiser http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/13521440.SWINDON_ROBINS_50_LAKESIDE_HAMMERS_39__Guest_Branford_comes_up_trumps_as_hosts_hold_off_valiant_Hammers/

Banford rode well. I'd never heard of him but he had a couple of decent wins. Now I read the match report and it turns out he's Australian. Grateful to have a guest at reserve who could score points, but how come Australians can ride at reserve? And how did he get a visa? Does he have British parents?

Decent meeting tonight. It was close for most of the match and Lakeside looked dangerous, but Swindon put in a big finish. Darcy Ward was excellent tonight. It's great having him in the side, and crowds are looking healthy too - possibly as a result. Good point for Krcmar, beating Howarth. He looked pleased with himself too, doing a celebration lap. Great to see the riders coming out into the crowd for autographs and photos. It's always nice when that happens.

That's a joke, right?

Is my brain deceiving me, or can we use Chris Holder as a guest for Nick Morris from 1st August?

As I recall, ITV didn't show the Overseas final that year, but had a single camera there to show a couple of Kenny Carter races. I remember one of them was against Phil Crump. Why would I remember that? Why??

I think Sedgeman's average was too high.

Really enjoying it so far. Bringing back some good speedway memories of the Carter v Penhall rivalries. I've already been over to Youtube to watch the 1981 Overseas Final. Carter's interviews with Gary Newbold really were tv gold.

Okay. You persuaded me! I just bought it.

Oh give over. You're no more Polish than Gater1 is a Poole fan.

So was mine.....

Did you complain about Wimbledon using the Vietnam flag? All Somerset have done is do what other teams, such as Reading and Lakeside, have done in the past. Reading adopted the old Harringay nickname and emblem. Lakeside did the same with West Ham. Somerset have taken over the "Rebels" from Oxford and White City.

It was interesting to see a programme on Channel 4 last night, called "Inside the Klu Klux Klan". The conferderate flag was very prominent in the organisation. They were all flying it outside their homes, had sew on patches on their clothes. One member even wore Confederate Flag trousers!

Hey, what's this? Another Swindon topic being hijacked by Poole fans?

I think you've missed the point of what people were talking about. It wasn't about EL being better than PL, or about how good a league the lower league is. It was about whether or not the PL is a stronger league now than the NNL was in 1975 in terms of the ability of the riders in it.

So does that mean that Iwade and Mildenhall juniors were better than todays PL teams because Michael Lee was riding?

In 1974 it was the Second Division In 1975 it was the New National League In 1976 it was the National League. I know this is correct. I'm a genius on 1974 to 1975 speedway.

Not sure exactly. I remember watching Lee Complin and thinking he was so good, then went to Reading to watch him. I expected him to be brilliant, but he just struggled at the back all night. By the way, wasn't Michael Lee NNL, not NL?

I don't think its as simple as low admission price. I think it's a dual effect of low admission plus promoting that too and publicising the event. It does seem that, without these, people don't bother to go and stay at home. So it's quite surprising how this can turn things around completely and result in some of the best crowds of the season. Some people say it proves that admission should be cheaper, but just doing that along would, I reckon, not make enough impact long term t ocover lost revenue. But promoting Sky matches as one off events with low admission means people like myself who tend to pick and choose are likely to choose those matches. I see Lakeside are doing a £5 admission too. Be interesting to see how it compares to Swindon's matches and Lakeside's own "Free Admission" match a few years back.

This is one thing we have in our favour. The council have said that the current stadim cannot be demolished until the new one is built. Without that being put in place, Swindon would probably have closed down in 2007, never to be seen again. Like Poole, Speedway has quite a high profile locally, which is a good thing in situations like this. But it's still all a bit 'fingers crossed'.

I used to watch PL speedway regularly at Sheffield. Watching it, you form your own ideas of who are brilliant riders and who are not so good. It was a shock to see how different the levels are, when riders at that time I thought were brilliant would ride in the EL and suddenyl be completely outclassed. EL was a lot stronger in those days, mind.