Grachan

I've been through a few meetings over the last couple of years where TRs have been used (normally when people have complained about the result being false). I did this by looking at how the first two probable Tac Subs might have been used and basing their success on the scores from the TR (eg if the TR produced a win, so does the TS), plus guessing how any further probable Tac Subs may have gone based on the form of the riders. Every time I have done this the match would have been closer under the old TS rule. The TR is a horrible rule for me as it emphasises this unfairness and imbalance in the scores so obviously, but the TS rule was more unfair. Personally I see no reason why we need either. The low points limits these days are enough to ensure scores should remain relatively close. I know it can create closer matches, but it's just horrible. Imagine if someone loses the Play-off final because of it! Nightmare.

Did they have safety fences on the inside in the sixties then? http://www.speedwayplus.co.uk/images/honest3.jpg

I though he did! I wasn't sure if I'd actually imagined that or misheard it.

Colin. Sorry about that case of mistaken identity. I remember seeing the Durex advert in a barbers shop once when I was getting a hair cut (Something for the weekend sir.) It's possible I'm getting the picture confused with a birthday card I once bought which DEFINITELY had an action shot of Gordon on it. I vaguely remember the Mars advert. Didn't the guy with the Mar bar say: 'I hope the lads win tonight', or something like that?

The thing I remember about Gordon Kennett is that he was used in a Durex advert.

I'm sure I remember Gordon Kennett riding for Swindon one year. Or was that as a no 8?

I think there was a thread on it a while back and TMC was on it! I went with Tee-Mill tours and was also given 'provisions'. We were most fed up with gerkins and stale bread rolls by the end of the trip.

That seems a bit of a dodgy contract. I'm not surprised he got snotty. Still, he did sign it I suppose.

The 'technicality' being that he didn't enter it.

Didn't Loram opt out of the qualifiers? So I see no reason why he should be in the GP. Lee Richardson and Chris Harris look the likely two to pick from if one more Brit is allowed. Lee hasn't proved himself this year, and has also opted out of the qualifiers so I wouldn't give it to him. In fact, if he's at Swindon next year, I'll be glad if he's not in it. It might improve his league form. Therefore it has to be Harris, who has shown he can do some good meetings at international level. I don't see him doing any better than Richardson has this year to be honest, but there's no other choice really. Loram is a better rider, but Harris deserves it more.

He was great in 'Kung Fu'.

That's no fun. That's how I'd have said it anyway.

While we're on the subject, how do you pronounce Miedzinski?

That's definitely the one, even if I did get the teams wrong!

Thanks. I'll check that out. It seems they have stuff on quite regularly as I've just watched a match. Couldn't quite work out the teams - one was shown as GTZ and the other ZKZ - which I think was Stal Gorzow because of the Mickey Mouse body colour. A few riders looked quite impressive. Pawel Staszek. A bit of a gating tart, but beat Walasek pretty easily when he did gate. Mariusz Staszewski won the match for the away side with a round the boards overtake. I liked him. Had a bit of Nicki Pedersen about him. Never heard of these riders before, but they looked pretty useful. Jonas Davidsson rode. Scored nothing!! EDIT - Hey, Peatbog, I've just noticed that it was you that I got the information about this from on Digital Spy! Thanks. (That Manko bloke - that's me that is!)

I don't know if this has been mentioned before but there is a channel on the Hotbird Sattelite called 'Edusat' that shows Polish Speedway and it is showing a meeting right now!

So what? I don't see what point you're trying to make. Hans andersen has a winner's mentality, which is why some people can't stomach him. Personally I thing he's good for the sport and it makes great telly when he loses his temper! All he's saying here is that he lost his position in the race. Don't see what your problem is.

It depends how you look at it though. Did Nicholls cause Zagar to fall? I'd say he didn't. He rode into him pretty hard, and, as I said before, you could put a case for unfair riding there - though I can only remember one time when a ref has excluded someone for unfair riding when the other rider has stayed on (Kai Neimi I believe was involved, but I can't remember if he was excluded or the victim!) The ref obviously excluded the rider who caused the race to be stopped, and what caused the race to be stopped was Zagar laying the bike down to try and get try and get a re-run. If he'd excluded Nicholls in that race, then he's have also had to exclude Crump in the other one.

Make that a minority of two then! That's how I saw it as well.

Well, I appear to be in a minority of one on this, but I reckon the ref made the right decision. Yeah, Nicholls hit Zagar going down the straight - I suppose you could argue a case for unfair riding there - but he didn't knock him off. Watch the replays. Zagar does the old 'shut the throttle and bail out' trick that has become common place these days to get a race stopped.

Leave the poor love alone. She was probably still reeling from Andreas Jonsson taking the mick out of her for thinking Swindon were riding.

Danny Bird in the GB team? Do me a favour! I'd pick Olly Allen over Bird. There's a big difference between doing well in the Premier League and doing well in a World Cup Race Off. It would be far to big a gamble to put in a PL rider - even one who knows the track - over the established internationals currently in the side. Chris Louis is a possiblity for either Harris or Stead. Other than that, I'd leave the team well alone. Once Bird has proved himself in the EL, then maybe consider him.

Could they not have had the final at The Madjeski Sadium rather than Smallmead. It's only about 200 yards away after all. It is supposed to be a World Cup Final after all, and I really feel Smallmead is an embarassment when it comes to staging this type of meeting. I was at the Madjeski last Monday and it's a super little stadium. Would be perfect for putting in a temporary track and the meeting could really be sold/promoted if they had it there. There's no football at the moment after all. They could still have had the play-off at Smallmead, and those going to that would be tempted by the sight of the stadium next door when they went. I reckon they'd get a big crowd if they had it there. I'm sure there are valid reasons why they couldn't do this, but wouldn't it be great. It would be a final in a fitting place and one that would certainly get me going along, whereas having it in the current stadium, with all the parking problems that entails plus the price of the tickets, I don't think I'll be going.

Perhaps there is a non-English rider you would like to suggest has deserved it more. Fair enough. I didn't know that.

I'm pretty sure they'll have a Swede as it's in Sweden. Isn't that the way they normally do it? They certainly have a Pole at the European GP. Also, would they really want to risk Hans Andersen winning another one and being hailed as the 'true' champion?