Wackie

I think the fact that we still have a team to support with a promoter/team manager in charge who seems to give a sh!t is more of a draw card than anything. If our new promotion went down the same route as BSI of throwing money at the club (and that's what they'd be doing by including Zagar & Simota in this line up) in a hope that it would bring in more fans I don't think we'd have to worry about how many people come through the gate because it would be locked with the "Closed" sign pinned firmly to it. If Reading drop to the PL next season because it's more financially viable & sell Matej, Janusz, Travis etc so be it. Surprisingly enough people came to watch speedway at smallmead before we had these riders as assets and people will still support Reading speedway after they've gone. The only rider who's ever affected Reading crowds in the past 20 years or so was Per Jonsson, and with all due respect neither Matej, Sam or even Greg could match the passion that Reading fans had for Per. I don't honestly think that any new comers who attend this meeting would be overly impressed at seeing a couple of GP riders blitz the rest of the line up either, where as the riders named as competing look like they could just serve up a bit of close racing entertainment. SCB - You been hit by a pedantic stick lately?

Yeah can imagine the result of the meeting would go down to the wire with the likes of Greg & Matej lining up in it. In case you've been living in some parallel universe for the past couple of weeks, you might like to know that Greg isn't riding in the UK at the moment. Seems like the news of Reading's financial troubles missed you too, so no, it's not really ironic or completely unexpected that there's no Matej or Sam riding when you consider the points money & travel expenses that would have been incurred had they been asked to ride.

Asked my Malaysian friend to translate and yep, it pretty much says that Malaysia also hope to become the hosts of the International SGP in either 2009 0r 2010. Can tell you now, a SGP in KL would p!ss all over Cardiff experience .

Yeah but you love your "cheese" don't ya Chivs!

Looks like crowds are down all over Sweden. Noticed in the Speedway Star last week that one of the lower division (2nd I think) Swedish teams had a grand total of 40 supporters turn up to watch

Oh & Havvy wouldn't dream of making a sarcastic comment, have biased views or make a joke of a situation would he.

Personally I think Paulco is along the right lines with his idea of a diagnosis.

Oh lighten up, thought it was quite quick witted & amusing myself.

Did Andersen a fat lot of good in the end though didn't it. He who laughs last.....

Those odds changed a bit from yesterday. He was 33/1 this morning, but 25/1 last night. Can't moan though i still had a nice little earner.

Nice one Andrea's, you just made me a good few quid.

My money'd be on Pedersen Paulco, Hans apparently has sore wrists! Nice touch that the riders are sporting black armbands out of respect for Kenny Olsson.

It's a GP Shawn not our EL, can you see the likes of Andersen & Pedersen riding cautiously!!

As much as I'd love to see him carry on the GP form he's started with, I don't think this is going to be a track Bomber enjoys. Final line up. Crump N Pedersen Hancock Andersen

More very sad news, condolences to Kenny's family & friends. The sport carries a very high price when things do go wrong for these riders who we love to watch race. RIP Kenny.

Judging by the pages I've scanned through all messages of congrats for the riders in this meeting will get swallowed up in the Poole/Wolves nursery spat. But anyway, CONGRATULATIONS BOMBER - think 98% of speedway fans were cheering you on tonight. Congratulations also to all the other young brits who took a big step up tonight and qualified for the next GP qualifier and also Lewis Bridger who just missed out. National Team future certainly looked brighter tonight watching those kids scrap it out for those places.

If you read my post again it intimates that last night Crump looked a shaddow of the rider who dominated the series last season. I fully expect him to be up there fighting to retain his title this season, but don't think he's going to find it as easy as it was last year. Both Hancock & Pedersen know what it takes to win the World Title, both look hungry for it again this season. Yes, Pedersen won the first GP last year, then what 2 days later when of to have major surgery on his arms which pretty much put paid to his championship chances. Can't see Hancock having the same bad luck again this year as he did in the 2006 series. They'll have both learnt from Crump's dominance last season will be better prepared to challenge him in 2007, but I don't think anyone has written Crump off this year!

Quality reply Erik. No doubt Nicki has been looking good this year, whilst Crump looked a shaddow of the rider who lifted the title last year during the first GP Don't think we're going to see Crump being a run away leader in the GP series this season, Pedersen & Hancock will be up there scrapping it out with him and with possibly AJ and Andersen in the mix too.

Believe all you want Subedei, but as much as I like Kolodziej he's not GP material yet and head to head over the course of a season with Nicholls would imo come out 2nd best. He may have more talent on a bike than Nicholls, but it's not fine tuned yet, and throwing him or any other young rider of the same ilk into the GP at this stage of his career would do him no favours at all. Zagar on the other hand has improved each season he's ridden in the UK, and whilst it may have come as a shock to some, it certainly didn't come as a shock to those who have watched him race week in week out for the past few years that he had the ability to maintain a top 8 place in the 2006 GP. Your constant banging on about Nicholls being undeserving and lacking integrity which by my reckoning has been going on for, oooh about 2 years now and seems to crop up at some point in any discussion you have, is doing you no favours at all though, it's making you look just a little obsessed. I those of us who haven't hit the "ignore" button yet know what your opinion on the situation is, how about giving it a rest for a month or two.

Someone throw Sub a new bone please!!!!

He's probably just spotted someone from Poole in the crowd and developed a limp again.

Thanks Tomaz, that's a relief to hear.

Any news on how Zagar is?

I thought there was some mistake there for a minute!! What a brilliant idea and fantastic to see Per's not lost his touch. Nice touch from Greg getting Per involed again. I remember his testimonial at Coventry when Per came over and did a few laps (they couldn't get him off the track ) in a specially converted buggy Not a huge JC fan, but knowing Per was/is his hero, I guess there was little doubt that he'd go out and win the thing for him. That's made my day.

Well Crump's now won his world title this year, so even if there is a spot or rain or two we shouldn't have him leading the great revolt to get the meeting abandoned again.