andrewrunagall

I can only think of the following when it comes to green in Speedway: 1) When the Speedway World Cup was relaunched by the FIM, for the first few years, there was a fifth rider in each heat, which wore a green helmet colour. 2) All 3 British leagues replaced the white helmet colour with green, just for Sky TV's betting service's benefit a few seasons ago. 3) Simon Wigg 4) Thomas H. Jonasson 5) The best Speedway pundit ever, Jonathan Green.

Soon, I'm going to have to cancel my Sky subscription, as it's gradually creeping up in price, but as Sky Sports Mobile and Eurosport Player are about £10 per month each, I'll probably switch to that as everything else I watch is either on Freeview or it can be downloaded… somehow. Should save me about £50 a month, plus more during the off-season.

I've been keeping an eye on Tai ever since he came back to the UK, and was so very pleased when he joined Rye House, of course I was sad to see him go after his second season with us, but he has grown up a lot in just a few years. I know he's made a point of it before that it's his body and he could do what he likes with it, but I find all his tattoos hideous, and just shook my head when he posted photo's of his girlfriend getting a "sleeve" done on Instagram, but their choice. It's a shame really because I think that his image will put off a lot of TV people asking him to be on their shows (although he did have a good publicity run before the season started). Overall, as long as he doesn't defect to the Aussies, he can be world champ as many times as he likes.

I think Sam Ermalenko put it best, that if Nicki made a point that it was his fault rather than running over to his bike and riding as if nothing happened, it might of ended up differently. Speaking of "red card" incidents, does anyone remember the Ben Powell incident at Newcastle back in 2008, now that deserved a "red card".

I remember my one and only visit to the Hayley Stadium for the Prince of Wales Trophy the day after the 2003 British Grand Prix, it was about halfway through the meeting, and during the interval, the tractor was out grading the track, upon it's last lap of grading, the driver turned right as he wasn't looking where he was going, straight through the safety fence.

Forthcoming Speedway on TV this week: Peterborough Panthers Vs Newcastle Diamonds: LIVE: Tuesday 29th April at 7:30PM on Sky Sports 1 Repeats: Wednesday 30th April at Midnight, 4AM and 10AM on Sky Sports 2, at 7AM on Sky Sports 4 and at 2PM on Sky Sports 3 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Speedway Gold (Hull Vikings Vs Belle Vue Aces, 1999): Tuesday 29th April at 9:30PM on Sky Sports 1 Speedway Gold (Wolverhampton Wolves Vs Ipswich Witches, 2004): Tuesday 29th April at 9:45PM on Sky Sports 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Speedway Grand Prix highlights (Bydgoszcz, 2014) Thursday 1st May at 9AM

Which is the best track you have been to? Exeter, it's been a few years since they went but I was just fascinated to see bikes going flat-out for all 4 laps. Which is the worst track you have been to? Arena-Essex/Lakeside, I've yet to see a good race there out of the hundreds of times I've been there. Which has the best food you have tasted? Rye House (2002-2008), it really was decent fish & chips. Which has the worst food you have tasted? Rye House (2008-present), I know that they've changed suppliers, but it's just not as good as it once was, I do feel sorry for the away fans who try it out these days. In terms of facility's ie toilets, seating, access which is the best place you have visited and worst? Best: Cardiff, I know it's a temp track but it's a whole day event, great city for walking around in, every seat is a great seat in the stadium, although the toilets do get very crowded before and after the Grand Prix. Worst: Arena-Essex/Lakeside, sorry Hammers fans but there's no good places to see the whole track, the toilets are too scary for me.

Sorry for not posting anything so far this week, as the Sky meetings have been on Tuesday this week and will be Tuesday again next week, I'm just delaying what I post. I should get next weeks screenings up later tonight.

As of next week around London, there is a free film festival happening around the City, I took a look as the list and didn't really see anything worth watching at first, but then I saw that on Thursday 1st May at 7:45PM, the café/bar "No. 178" in New Cross is going to be screening "Once A Jolly Swagman". More info here: http://www.freefilmfestivals.org/whats-on/new-cross/details/262-once-a-jolly-swagman.html

Well, I don't really want to say what I'm using exactly but what I will say is that what I am using is free.

Here's one that we all know, Mark Loram is the only rider to win the world championship without winning a single Grands Prix that year. I don't know if it's ever been done at another time, but Reading did win three times in three days in three different nations (at Edinburugh, at home and at Newport, I think)

I remember that too, and it was pretty recent, but I can't quite remember who was involved.

But if he was replaced by a guest, he wouldn't have his name on both sides of the scorecard.

I did hear a while ago that a former SGP rider was complaining that one of the reasons that the FIM want everyone to wear leathers is because Armando Castagna (who is one of the officials in the Grands Prix these days) owns a large stake in a leather company in Italy and that he's pretty much doing the same as Briggs with the whole dirt deflector thing.

I seem to remember being told that Alan Mogridge was the only rider ever to be declared for both the home and away team in the same meeting, obviously as rider replacement for one team and actually riding for the other.