Grachan

So earning £600 a week now qualifies as slavery does it? Kunta Kinte definitely missed out on that one.

This certainly hints at it - although it could be a reference to the NL reserves ruling. http://www.swindonrobins.co/news.php?extend.2101

I think it's far too silly an idea. My idea. Scrap the TR completely. No need to a TS. Just stick with the league points scoring system for wins/draws etc.

Yeah. I think we all miss the glory days of the "let's try to get speedway on the telly" campaign.

I would have done a reply saying that by God I meant Matt Ford - but I got beaten to it!

They still have play-offs though. And the play-offs aren't pathetic either. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but they are actually quite popular.

I don't understand the negative connotations that go with "chequebook speedway". There's a points limit in place and teams work around that as best hey can. If a team such as Poole has the resources to bring in replacements then surely that is a god thing. Would it not be better if all teams could bring in replacements rather than using R/R or guests? Why should a team be penalised just because they're not broke all the time? They are restricted by the points limit. Surely the top sides must have some leeway to remain at the top.

Can I just take this opportunity to point out that I haven't commented on this topic yet and don't intend to in the near furture. I may reply in the more distant future. I'll post in the near future to let people know if I intend to post in the more distant future. #michaellevellanddarcyward

The irony being, of course, that you hark back to a time when speedway riders had greased back hair, fags hanging out their mouths and wore black leather. Hardly a sign of being a member of mensa, was it?

Ah right. In any case, Tai rode the last two rounds knowing what he needed to do. It was interesting on Polish tv when they interviewed Tai (in English) after he won. The interviewer said to him: "I'll tell you the difference between your championshp and Mark Loram's championship. The difference is YOU were the man to beat."

Tai's GP average was 13.40 Emil's was 12.67. Plus Tai's injuries came in GP's and would have hampered his average through lost points resulting from that. Totally deserving Wotld champion despite injuries to other conteners. Also, he had the highest average and was leading at the time of Emil's injury.

He's 50-1 to finish second. Same odds as Christine Ohuruogu. http://sports.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/Awards/BBC-Sports-Personality/Sports-Personality-of-the-YearAwards/BBC-Sports-Personality/Sports-Personality-of-the-Year-s794

There's much excitement on the BBC Breakfast sofa this morning, because World Speedway Champion Tai Woffinden is coming in, and he's bringing his bike.

Re-tweeted by Tai Woffinden.

I watched the GP with Polish commentary last night. At one point, just after Tai won the title, the commentator reeldd off a list of riders. It went something like this: Mark Loram, Gary Havelock, Michael Lee, Peter Collins, Barry Briggs, Ronnie Moore, Freddie Williams... Not sure what the list was meant to be!

To be fair, I think he actually managed to stay on when he demolished the flower beds!

I recall that happening to Swindon at Oxford once courtesy of Nielsen and Wigg.

Yes.

The first ever meeting I went to at Swindon was Swindon v Wolves in 1974. At that meeting they announced that Graham Guthrie had died! The presenter that night and for a long time after was called John Sutton I think.

Peter York offends me (but I guess I am one of the pc brigade so no surprise there). He'll do things like shove a microphone in the face of a child in the crowd, ask them something, then take the mickey out of their answer, or just copy what they said in a "thicko" style voice. He may well know his speedway, but he makes constant bad decisions. Like deciding to do a Coventry Bees war cry in the 2007 play-off final while Lee Richardson was being placed into an ambulance with an oxygen mask over his face.

I think you're missing the point. If, as someone suggested, there should be 40 British riders in the Elite League, then pretty much all the British riders in the Premier League would have to ride in the Elite League.

Oh well. That's the Premier league down The Swanee then.

Out of interest, which 40 British riders would you like to see in the Elite League?

It was Rob Fortune at Swindon. They had to loan their 2 pointer from Peterborough because they couldn't find one of their own - and there were a lot more British riders around then! John Surnam at Oxford. I think they signed De'Ath from Long Eaton? He wasn't their 2 pointer.