lucifer sam

Good point Colin. Turning your argument on its head for a moment, and looking at a possible 1980 Grand Prix series... The line-up could have been: Ivan Mauger Michael Lee Ole Olsen Peter Collins Dave Jessup Billy Sanders Zenon Plech Kelly Moran Jan Andersson Bruce Penhall Chris Morton Hans Nielsen Scott Autrey John Davis Phil Crump Or any of these could have been in: Bo Petersen Bobby Schwartz Gordon Kennett Dennis Sigalos Malcolm Simmons Larry Ross John Louis Edward Jancarz Finn Thomsen I've probably missed a big name or two as well. It's not possible to match that sort of list in 2015. There's no way the likes of Batchelor, THJ and although it pains me to say it (because I love watching him race) Harris, would have got near a GP series in 1980. All the best Rob

So when someone makes a statement you don't agree with they are "acting like a child"? We were having a sensible discussion until you decided to start hurling around the insults. I believe the skill level of the modern-speedway rider has slipped, probably thanks to the rocket-ship lay downs, which require the riders to hang on, rather than develop as much trackcraft. It's why I believe the ultra-skilled Woffy will clean up for a few years to come, especially when Greg & Nicki retire and if Emil doesn't see sense. All the best Rob

BWitcher, is it impossible for you to have a sensible discussion without resorting to insulting the other person? All the best Rob

Name one of those riders who couldn't complete four laps on a wet track. The current World No 12 can't. I'd argue there were probably more skilled riders than him in the National League in 1980. In fact, I know they were. I recall several meetings held at Oxford in the pouring rain and yet the riders could handle it. Unlike a 2015 Elite League No 1. All the best Rob Stop the insults - it does nothing for a meaningful debate. All the best Rob

Did I? Where exactly? All I mentioned was that nearly every World Class rider was competing in the 1980 British League. Are you really claiming that was the case in 2015? All the best Rob

The format has little to do with it. In 1980, almost every top rider in the world rode in the British League. In 2015, I'd say around a fifth of the top riders ride in the Elite League. 1980 is therefore, by definition, tougher. Another point: tactical subs. A heat leader could often spend the latter half of a meeting with some exceptionally difficult rides, if additional heat leaders were thrown in against him. And we're talking proper heat leaders. All the best Rob Modern-day Poland is different: a very, very tough league. Similar to the British (Super) League of 1985, where some very good riders ended up with some very average averages!! Put Emil in the current EL, and he'd average 11.00+ no problem. All the best Rob

But the above argument falls down when you consider the number of World Class riders in the modern day Elite League. In 1980, most of the 17 BL sides had three World class riders (it's not an exact science: some teams had one or two, others four or five). They are almost non-existent the current EL. For example, Swindon had a No 1 in the play-offs who couldn't complete four laps on a wet track. A rider like that wouldn't have been a second string in 1980, yet alone a No 1. Yes, the current EL format does pitch heat leaders against heat leaders. But when those heat leaders are weak, it's not that tough. 1980 (around 50 World class riders in BL - around three per team) No 1 rider met No 1,3 and 5 a total of five times - meets five world class riders in four outings 2015 (around 10 world class riders in EL - around one per team) No 1 rider meets opposing No 1 three times - meets three world class riders in five outings 1980 was tougher. All the best Rob

Now corrected. I'm just wondering how BWitcher reckons the current Elite League, which probably contains around 10-15 of the top 50 riders in the world is tougher than the 1980 British League, which contained around 45-48 of the top 50 riders in the world. All the best Rob

You're saying the likes of Mauger and Olsen would only be mediocre riders in the current Elite League? Really????? What are you on??? All the best Rob

Far more world class opposition. Look out 1980. So many world class riders, that reigning champion Ivan Mauger failed to reach the final and Ole Olsen was only reserve too. All the best Rob

What are you talking about? I'm certainly NOT a Poole fan You might want the same riders in the GP year in, year out (zzzzzzzzzzzz ) but personally I think there should be a limit of, say, 3 permanent wildcard seeds per rider. After that, they have to qualify. There's no way a rider should get up to 6 nominations, that's far too many. All the best Rob

How does what AJ did in 2009 or 2010 or even 2014 determine how good a speedway rider he is NOW? Using your logic, I reckon Ove Fundin should be the Swedish rider in the GP, because he won the World title five times. All the best Rob

Posa was 54. International licenses expired at 55, but the rules were changed, because there would have been uproar to tell the reigning world champion that he's too old!! All the best Rob It's subjective and down to opinion, though. I would say Penhall, as well, but Hancock is not an incorrect answer. It's someone's opinion, just as some people would say the best-ever American is Jack Milne or Scott Autrey and so on. All the best Rob

I think I would alter the qualifying system as follows: * Top 5 from GP series qualify * Top 5 from GP Challenge qualify * World Under-21 Champion qualifies * Three seeds (one of whom must have never been a permanent GP rider before) * Two wildcards per round All the best Rob

The other way to look at it is that AJ finished below a guy who missed a quarter of the GP season. All the best Rob

Joe, this is the sixth time that AJ has been handed a wildcard, one more than any other rider. Surely that's too many. Especially when there are the likes of Vaculik, who could come in and do a better job. I hope he's been told to finish in the top 8 next year or finish in the top 3 of the GP challenge. All the best Rob

What's your obsession with Bomber? He qualified fair-and-square on merit. There's 11 riders who qualified for the 2016 GP series. Bomber is one of them. I agree Vaculik would be a good addition to the GP. But it would be in place of another seeded rider. I would suggest AJ. All the best Rob

That makes no sense, with two Swedes seeded already. I'd use the reserve spots to nominate riders from nationalities not already picked e.g. 1. Vaculik 2. Milik 3. Smolinski Mind you, I'd have Vaculik in instead of perennial charity case AJ in the first place. All the best Rob

Oi!! Wayne Carter truly has the patience of a saint. All the best Rob

Barry does the music. Graham does the announcing. All the best Rob

I think it's the sixth time he's been seeded in. In which case, he supersedes the other three, who were all seeded in 5 times. All the best Rob

AJ again? How many times he has been seeded in now? All the best Rob

Full story here: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=4515 Second signing to be revealed next Thursday. All the best Rob

Off the top of my head, 1951, 1960 and 1985 were three other years with a three-man run-off. All the best Rob

SCUNTHORPE’S Eddie Wright Raceway will feature in a forthcoming episode of the hit BBC3 programme ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’. No plot spoilers are allowed; simply to say it’s well worth watching! Here is the official BBC blurb: “Joker Kyle has just three weeks and £12,000 to pull off the perfect wedding for his bride-to-be Kate. Kate dreams of a traditional affair that’s all about her, with a perfect dress to match. But Kyle wants his wedding day to go with a proper bang – he wants to put his bride into an old banger, onto a race track and then send her down the aisle, demolition derby-style. Will Kate flip when she finds out his plans for a smashing day? Will Kyle’s plan to rent a wedding dress backfire? Or will his whole wedding end up as a write-off?” The episode, which kicks off the tenth series of the ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’, will premiere on BBC3 on Wednesday, October 28th at 9pm.