*JJ

Also, try Facebook/Scunthorpe Amateur Speedway. There is plenty of information about training on this (They seem to have stopped using this forum).

You can ride a 500cc bike at 15. You don't say if you have a bike or not? If not, the best thing is to go to Wayne Carter's training school at Scunthorpe, and have him show you the basics on the mini-track with a hired bike. After that, if you buy a bike, there are training schools at Scunthorpe, Rye House, Peterborough etc: see the tracks' web sites. You can hire 500cc bikes but it is expensive.

Something like this was tried at Birmingham back in the seventies/eighties - a thick rope was laid behind the back wheels as the riders came to the tapes. What happened was that the riders fought and struggled to get their wheels over the rope again! Unless the riders are forced to cooperate, nothing will change. This was the reason for the tape-touching, as opposed to breaking, rule. Did ... A couple of years ago, the start marshal tried to make Iversen come to the tapes (he was trying to get a flyer). When the start marshal tried to pull Iversen's wheel forwards, Iversen tried to hit him! Again, referees must make the riders cooperate.

You don't have to pay to watch amateur speedway - there's a meeting this Sunday at Scunthorpe, entrance free for spectators. You can watch up-and-coming British riders, including two from Birmingham.

I stand corrected then!

Wasn't it Les Rumsey? Who once rode for us doubling up. I seem to remember him guesting for us in an inter-league competition at Rye House, and scoring an 18-point maximum! Not even Hans Nielsen could do that!

Wilson is the third most common English surname!

Yes, the link does work, but the video seems to be the inside of a box all the way through! Is this just me? Other videos work on my computer.

Well, that was very thrilling ... not. What went wrong?

Don't bother - Perky is going to Cradley!

This explains why he was practicing at Rye House last month. I did wonder!

Very interesting, Mr. C: and thanks for the programme!

Adam Ellis for Birmingham.

I thought that it was to be used as a (reasonably) central training facility: hence the 'National' title. This is something which is badly needed.

Well, it's yellow and red now!

Well, I bought mine in a shop on Thursday and it was all right.

I won't be mistaken for a Potty in my Brummies coat! But the colours are taken from the Birmingham coat of arms. This is quartered, part blue and yellow (hence the football team) and part yellow and red. No red and white, thank you!

But is it really the National Development League any more? Isn't it really just the Third Division these days? There are separate Northern and Midland Development Leagues.

Shock horror!! Stoke colours? At least you can see the yellow! It will be better than the EL race suits, which have miniscule club badges somewhere down on the rider's groin.

Sadly, I wasn't impressed with Stoke when we went there in September. The place is a tip, the atmosphere was like a funeral feast in a home for incurables, the crowd was miniscule.

Tony Mole said that they will have race jackets in the traditional yellow and red; I presume the same as those used for the two challenge matches at Monmore Green a couple of months ago?

There are plenty of young riders out there, but it will need some lowering of standards; no Cradley-type teams.

There are plenty of riders about, just don't expect any Cradley-style teams!

Guy Martin was riding flat track at Rye House on Sunday. Pity someone didn't tip off the media!

Why not? If teams were more equal, there would be better racing. I went to a couple of Cradley matches this year; talk about boring ...