Grachan

I remember at both Reading and Swindon, you'd get a massive crowd gathering around the exit at heat 13, many of whom would run into the car park before the race was even finished. I used to get a lift with one guy who used to do this. Never understood it myself. Much easier to leave half way through the second half and avoid the queues. I think some people these days over-estimate what second halves meant to the majority of the crowd.

Big difference between heat 15 and the rider of the night final. The rider of the night final meant sod all to most supporters and they'd already gone home - a lot of them after heat 13. To people who left after the main match they are getting two more races than they did under the 13 heat format.

Susan Shaw was married to Bonar Colleano, who was in Once a Jolly Swagman. There's a clip of this on youtube showing a wall of death ride.

Take heat 15 out of the averages and you'd get higher top-end averages and, possibly, more representative ones too.

Recorded it and watched it. It's actually a very good film, and a very impressive cast. A couple of things I noticed. Nice bit of product placement by Ex-Lax, and Bill Fox being a rubbish team rider.

Who suggested that? They are 9.00 riders so should not be.

Wrong decision, if so.

Thanks. Yes, I think this is going to cause a major problem. http://pa1.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess/files/DE47D3810B3EB1575DE713CC93B288A5/pdf/S_RES_18_0027-BARRATT_HOMES-653036.pdf

Is there a link to these objections anywhere? I've always been relatively positive about this happening, but once the developers start objecting then the slope gets more slippery. At the moment, literature online makes it clear that the stadium is right next door and lists it as a local amenity. One thing, I think, that Swindon have in their favour over clubs like Reading and Coventry is an enthusiastic and determined promotion, plus a lot of backing from the local government. If this does fall through I feel that there will, eventually, be another track built somewhere. I do wonder if they shouldn't be looking at options down that route anyway just in case.

They changed before this year. I think it was last year, but may even have been the year before. I remember reading about it. Those riders would have been ruled out last year too. (Edit - it was January 2015 - http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/3924/british-speedway-in-visa-crisis )

There has been no change in rule. As mentioned above, last year no rider had a top tier average, with everyone having one single average. As a result, everyone was eligible for the lower tier and some riders took advantage of that. This rule has been in effect for as long as I can remember - riders over 6.00 in the top tier cannot drop down. With regards the riders from overseas, the new visa restrictions were pretty well publicised a couple of years back.

Other example of races continuing include Ivan falling in the 1973 run-off and Egon Muller's tumble in the 1976 final.

I was there, supporting Jan, too. I remember thinking he looked absolutely terrified on the truck at the beginning!

I think he played for it, actually, to try and get a re-run. Didn't he stay down on the track, too, to get the race stopped but the ref let it carry on?

If that's the case, he managed to negotiate getting it on another channel. I think people have always been unfair to TR regarding speedway on TV. If he made money out of it, so what? We were able to watch a lot of televised speedway over the years because of it, so hopefully this will now continue despite some promotions apparently being against it.

They seemed a lot happier paying for it when Terry was involved. People can comment all they like about Terry Russell, but when he was negotiating TV deals there was regular speedway on the box from the start of the season to the finish and very few doubts about whether or not there would be.

Hans must be top, in 85 or 86, when he scored that remarkable 12.00 average away from home. When you rode against Oxford in those days, it was as much about whether or not anyone could beat Hans as it was against actually winning. I think Jimmy Nilsen beat him a few times if memory serves me correct. Plus, of course, Carl Blackbird!

I agree, it's nonsense, although I think all they are seeing is low attendance on covered meetings sometimes. However, it has been shown several times, that if a meeting is promoted properly then you will get a good crowd at a televised meeting.

Peter Collins' win in 1976 made front page news in the Daily Mirror.

Mauger was top man a bit later, too. I started going in 74 and remember him as the best. One of my speedway highlights is seeing him at Exeter and leaning over the fence as he came hurtling down the home straight. The only rider who has dominated league racing in the same way, for me, is Hans Neilsen. Those two were remarkable, but Mauger had a World Championship edge that Hans never quite had, despite winning 4 titles.

Out of interest, what is it they are bitching about? Is it likely to affect the deal?

Who wins if the final is 3-3?

I believe the lease was shortened because they never invested in the stadium.

I don't agree that the girls that do the starts at Swindon are doing anything sexual or wearing anything skimpy. They are just part of the presentation. There is an element of it with the GPs though. I don't think the tv companies help matters with some of their camera angles either.

Getting a bus from the town centre is fine if you live in Swindon. I love 25 miles away, and if I go I have to get home from work and then drive to Swindon. I normally get there about 7.20, just in time to park and go in. I can see people getting there early to get a parking space, leaving nowhere to park by the time I arrive and without time to go to the town centre and getting a bus.