Grachan

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?

What a great story it would have been if Andy Smith had, once again, qualified for the GPs. I was looking forwad to seeing if he could do it. Poor old Smudger must think that the entire British world is designed to stitch him up. If he was next in line then he should go through. A chance to give the British Final credibility has been missed here.

Did they interview Leigh 3 times? I thought the last two were repeats. To be fair, Leigh was unbeaten up to his last race. Did anyone notice, by the way, that despite Leigh being the meeting leader at the time of his last race, Tony Millard didn't mention the fact that he was in last place at all during the entire race?

I don't see how you can say Leigh deserved to get into the final more than Antonio. It's not like he had an ef or anything. He just failed to pull it off at the last hurdle. Same old story for Leigh. I've given up even expecting him to get into the final any more. There are two things you can almost guarantee in these GPs. Leigh Adams will baffle with another failure, and Scott Nicholls will fall off in a key race. Well done to Lee Richardson tonight. Did well. Not earth shattering or anything like that, but enough to stick two fingers up to the dullards who reckon he shouldn't be in the Great Britain team. Talking of sticking up two fingers - well done Hans. Proved a point tonight.

There's loads of trains to Reading from Paddington Station. Get a tube to there and you'll have no problems reaching Reading. It's the first stop as long as you get a fast train. There's normally a line of taxis waiting at Reading station.

I remember the cycle speedway at Hungerford. I watched a few matches there when I was younger, and a few mates and myself used to ride our bikes round the track sometimes. When I was a kid the team that rode there was actually called 'Swindon', even though Swindon was about 15 miles away. The track closed down and was allowed to grow over and the Cycle Speedway moved to the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon proper (must have been late 70s??).

Especially when you consider that those below him weren't promoted a place. That would have meant that nobody was world champion.

Who's that nerdy looking curly topped anorkak type with Simmo on page 8? Anyone other than me find the Ken Eyre 'then and now' pictures highly amusing? This month's lookalikes: Bernt Persson - Philip Seymour Hoffman (P10). Graham Miles - Bob Dylan (P31).

I agree the event would be richer if Andersen was in it. He would be a real contender this year. At the end of the day, though, he failed to qualify. This left him at the mercy of the qualifying system - unfortunately at a time when it was all down to selection. He has a opportunity to get in next year and, hopefully he will. It also shows a flaw in having qualification for next year a season behind. Last year I still never thought of Hans as a true, out and out World Class rider, but this year he has become one but has to wait until next year for an opportunity to ride in the GP.

When I boughht my tickets I asked for seats on the home straight but they said there were none available! Obviously they decided to fill up the back straight first before selling home straight tickets.

Interesting odds. Steady has been in better form that Lee this year, but if one of them is going to suddenly come up with a blinding display that gets them into the final I'd say it's more likely to be Richardson. I've got my usual 10p each way on him anyway.

We're very lucky to have it on Sky. If it wasn't on there it wouldn't be on at all - certainly not live anyway. When has terrestrial TV ever shown live speedway anyway? Even when the sport was at its peak it was highlights later. Yeah, it would be great if BBC1 decided to replace Dr Who with the live coverage of the Speedway GP, but if anyone there made the decision to do that then they'd be out on their ear pretty damn sharpish I'll bet. Points of View would be interesting viewing that week though.

I've done a good old fashioned, traditional scorechart. If you want it, it's here. http://www.grachan.co.uk/speedway_ind.pdf Might be worth checking it's right though. I think it is, but I've just done it and you can never be sure! Text came out quite small when I printed it, but not too bad. PS - if you do check it and it's wrong, you will let me know won't you?

Easy solution. Get Sky.

We were. Had a letter to sign giving permission for our daughter to be photographed for this and at school events etc. At her Christmas play parents just turned up with camras, videos etc. and just took whatever they wanted and nobody batted an eyelid. I think it's a nonsense if you can't take photos of events just because there are children there. I'm not sure how real this claim is. I've certainly never come across it in reality.

I'm going on a Swindon coach. Five coaches going. More than Coventry. Nur! I bought 5 tickets last week - one family of 4 and one old age pensioner ticket for me dear ol' mum (Gawd bless her). Can't believe they only offer concessions in the cheapest price tickets. When I ordered them I was told they had no more £29 tickets left on the home straight. If true - although the guy on the phone did seem a bit dozy - then that must be better than previoius years.

Even more off target, but.... I remember that day really well. Swindon were at Coventry that evening and I went up in my Dad's car. Going to the stadium there was a gauntlet of people on the sides of the roads waving banners, scarves etc, plus people hanging out the windows of packed trains celebrating. Can't remember the Speedway though.