BigFatDave

Thanks Philip. Still looking at Prague, are we?

In keeping with tradition would that make the SWC June 22nd? Just checking my diary and my neighbours' bank accounts.

Popular Winners! Well Done Oz!

...and precisely where would us Aussies & youse Poms be without Bragging Rights?

With the Walkabout closed for refurbishment there's not really much reason to go this year.

If I was you I'd check Law 41:5: LIMITATION OF ON SIDE FIELDER:

Interestingly there's no 80cc racing in Oz; 125s then 350s when you're old enough, and no 500s (in competition) until you're sixteen, which makes the achievements of youngsters like Arthur Sissis (now with MotoGP), Brady Kurtz, and Max Fricke even more commendable; having to get used to a different machine as soon as they get off the plane in Denmark. If you're planning a visit to Oz this coming Winter, no Speedway trip would be complete without a visit to Kurri Kurri on the 19th January to see the Under 21s and Under 16 350s: one of our best meetings. No quarter asked or given - these kids are riding for Sheep Stations!

Word was that Ryan was unavailable that weekend anyway, rumoured to be moving house. As for the rest of the criticism of the Oz Team, it's more a reflection on the posters themselves - none of these armchair critics ever miss a chance to slag off the Aussies, that is when they're not slagging off their own country's riders.

You have to remember the equation is governed by who wants to ante up the Dollar$$$ - if Prague wants to cough up more loot than anyone else then they'll get it.

Have to let the anti-Antipodeans have their usual whinge, Steve. Never let the truth get in the way of a chance to slag off Aussies. Fine collection of Chips displayed by so many juvenile forum members.

Well Done Denmark, but PLEASE - no home team qualifying straight to the final; five-man teams again and NO Joker in future.

Just stopped raining.

If you do so much how come it's down to Aussies to support your youngsters? 50P for a sticker too much for you? Of course it's up to each and every one of us to support our sport and our riders - how is that comment 'way off the mark'? The GPs are working with a finished product, aren't they? Don't see too many weekend wobblers on SKY, do we? If you enjoy the sport you should be trying to help, not leaving it up to everyone else to do your job for you. Who are these dilettantes who own a Speedway Club as a hobby - care to name names? So what are you going to do about it? Get off your backside and chip in, or sit back, leave it up to everyone else, wait for the sport to go down the gurgler and then say "I told you so"? If you're too blinkered to see that for everything we put into Speedway we get a direct return, then that's a bit sad, in my opinion. Support the Back the Brits Campaign or kindly leave the room, there's no middle ground where you can sit back in your comfy chair, rail against the Authorities and the Promoters & wait for someone else to do everything for you. The only people acting like little kids are those who can't see past the ends of their noses, who won't even try to help 'cos it's all 'too hard'.

I'm sure all true Speedway Fans will join together in the Back the Brits campaign to support young riders. I'm equally positive the vast majority who've been mouthing off on here about the poor state of UK Speedway won't put their hands in their pockets, even to buy a 50P sticker, to help those lads on the Darren & Sharon Boocock Scholarship who are making a determined effort to improve themselves by giving up the delights of a British Winter to slog away under sunny skies in far away Australia. These boys learn everything from the ground up: from building and maintaining a bike to washing it down afterwards - a la Gollob - and their determination to succeed is evident in their results, making those of us who support them Downunder extremely happy with the return on our investment. All you have to do is put your money where your mouth is - remember, Money Talks, Bulldust Walks.

Couldn't agree more - so far it's been pretty good value - can't believe how poorly Poland are riding tonight, or why KK isn't in the team - he grows an extra leg in SWC.

A boy can dream!

.....as long as he supplies the consumables Personable young chappie as I recall, bit worried about the skirt but! Incidentally I'm hearing all sorts of rumours about SWC being in Poland next year, with Belle Vue being a long way off yet. Any others heard the same yet? Looks like I'm gonna hafta learn how ta spell Bydgoszcz properly.

I was there last year and I reckon that crowd was a lot bigger. I might even dig out my tape of last year to confirm, but there were many wide open spaces last night where last year there was wall-to-wall people.

What a ride from Chris!

Crowd looks way down on last year.

Charlie looks radiant tonight.

When the Darren & Sharon Boocock lads come to Oz they're given a complete grounding in Bike Mechanics from the ground up, and the results speak for themselves - a new generation of riders coming through who know which end of a bike is which.

Australia have had four riders in SGP before now, spook. If they're good enough they'll be in.

Have to disagree mate. You've got eight current or former GP riders and at least four others who wouldn't disgrace a GP. Makes for an interesting sudden-death meeting I reckon. Did Ben Barker get a reserve berth?

I thought one of the reasons for the new Belle Vue Stadium (if it ever gets built) was accessibility. In my view tracks like Perry Barr and Monmore Green, which only allow spectator access to about one third of the stadium, detract from the ambience of the meeting, however good their racing surfaces, etc.