Wackie

I can see a complete shock result arising from the challenge. Lindgren, Dudek & Fricke top 3!

Back on the big stage 2017 His time's long gone! Poole would have been better off with an injury replacement coming in for Andersen. He might have one or two good meetings a season, but he'll come up against far better riders in the PO's

I wouldn't be surprised if drug use was widespread througought speedway. In all the years I attended Smallmead I can only remember seeing officials arrive once to carry out doping tests. They caught one rider with recreational drugs in their system that night, and another mysteriously hurt his back unloading his van and pulled out of the meeting so wasn't tested. I understand that nitrous oxide (or was it ozide?) was a favourite of a particular group of riders just a few years ago.

Hardly, race jackets are still quite easy identify. The one shown in the OP is before my time, but I still recognise it. They wear race jackets in SGP/SWC/SEC etc. too, so still have a place within speedway.

Maybe not '74 or '73. The colours in the national race jacket were inverted those years by the looks of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULFVIrvTc0 Video is great! Almost like a Pathe news reel.

Getingarna came over and rode some challenge meetings in the 70's and 80's.

Swedish team jacket early/mid 70's. Edit: may have been pre-70's too, just remember pictures of Anders Michenek wearing that one when he won the world title.

Never guested for you on a wet track then?

It's amazing to think how far treatment for spinal injuries has come in the past 20 years, and even more amazing to have the real hope that in a further10 years time he may not even need a wheelchair. .Unfortunately we know some riders who have had similar injuries to him in the past, where the treatment and rehab available wasn't so advanced at the time of their accidents, but that's the nature of progress and I'm sure they will be pleased things have progressed so life's not so tough for future spinal injury patients going forward.

Thanks for sharing the video Steve, great to see Darcy making good progress and being so positive. He may be more high profile and receive more attention and fundraising than other riders who find themselves in a similar position, but his plight will also drive forward that of those who unforutnately follow him and have their speedway careers cut short by similar life changing accidents.

To be fair, Greg never quit Reading mid-season. He was only signed to ride until May, BSI conveniently forgot to mention that though at the start of that fateful season they pulled the plug halfway through.

Tree's you taking up R72s mantle of trying to twist something good into something bad with this? You'd be amazed just how few medals and trophies rides keep, or display, I know of an ex world champ who lost his individual gold medal in a house move! Seen tv programmes where riders show that their lofts/their parents lofts/garages etc. are full of medals and trophies stuffed in boxes and draws or just piled in a corner. A silver medal was a fantastic achievement for Team GB on Saturday, but as Woffinden said himself, it's still first loser and that medal will mean more to that little girl than it would to him.

There's also a video on the speedway friends facebook page of him picking her out of the crowd Saturday, and a photo of her tucked up in bed with her medal still round her neck and a grin like a cheshire cat on her little face. A memory she'll treasure for many years I'm sure, and one of the reasons this sport can be so bloody great!

Same as that Shawn. I didn't like Crump or Nicki Pedersen for years, but grew to be fans of both. I put Woffinden in the same bracket as these two, in fact there's many similar traits! But I am warming to him, can't deny that he is a fantastic to watch on track, and despite what anyone says, he is British, wants to ride for Team GB and at the moment is pretty much flying that Union Jack single handedly on the interrnational stage. Will the BSPA take any notice of him and how he wants to take Team GB and British speedway forward? I doubt it, too many vested interests in their own business and not enough longterm outlook - been the same for decades, and has driven the sport into a downwards spirals in this country. It's a shame, because whatever he's done, it's obviously worked and isn't just about fast engines. Was an interview with Woffinden during/after the final on Saturday where he stated the Brits got together at the start of the season for a meal and one of the riders stated that training etc. wasn't required, just the will to win - be interesting to find out who that was and whether they made the team for Saturday's final. Seems like it's not just the BSPA singing from his hymn sheet too though. Edit: Did you see the photo's on facebook of the little girl he took onto the rostrum tucked up in bed with her medal still round her neck and that massive grin still on her face? That is priceless and one of the things I love most about this sport. Doesn't matter whether they're a PL reserve of a world champ, riders still interact at a very personal level with the fans, you don't see that in many other sports these days.

Yep, and pulling stunts like this won't impress anyone either! https://www.facebook.com/hilary.battersby/videos/10153927065207568/

Last nights meeting seriously lacked the Nicki P factor, it was dull and only the close score at the end kept any lingering interest for me. Seen some footage of practice, looks like less dirt on the inside, but then someone else said they were relaying the track after practice!!! Hope it's a different ref tonight - far too many rollers at the start last night.

My god, it's like the circus has come to town. :icon_smile_clown: Where is Starry in anycase?

I thought lots of the starts were unsatisfactory too. Who was the ref?

Nah, I hope Australia are level with Denmark/Russia going into heat 20 with the Aussies pinning their hopes on Doyle, then Emil, Puk & best of all Fisher all beat him. That'll p*ss on his fireworks.

There's loads of old skinheads in the UK with a teardrop tattoo on their face too - doubt they killed anyone either! It's just a tattoo ffs, the days of no ink below cuffs or above collars is long gone, I agree that too many younger people have tattoos without thought and consideration these days and may live to regret them. But then there are others who do put thought into what they're having done and what it means to THEM, rather than it being just a fashionable fad.

To be honest, I think this will be one of the most open SWC finals there's been. No outright favourite really and all of the teams competing have a rider or two who reguarly blow hot & cold.

Most people who regret their choce of tattoo didn't put too much thought in beforehand as to what they were having inked on them which is why they regret it afterwards. I don't think that's the case with Woffinden, a tiny dot on the face in the grand scheme of all his tattoos is quite insignificant really. Hi Windbag72 Anyway, enough of all this nonsense about peoples own choices - if it doesn't affect you, what does it matter? Less than 48 hours now until the final, lets get behind all our boys and make some f**king noise!!!!

My old neighbours never had a clue what speedway was, but used to hear me shouting & screaming at the GP's, so asked about it in the end. They watched a GP and asked me to take them to a meeting as it all looked (and sounded through the wall) so exciting. Never did get around to taking them. Re the attire of speedway fans - you want to go to a Moto GP/WSB/BSB round. I'd say at least 50% of the fans are wearing a t-shirt or cap of their favourite rider. It's not disimilar to what you see at speedway and nobody there seems to have a problem with it.

Expect Nikki Pedersen will be back from holiday for official practice too.

Wow! Dragging dead and seriously injured riders into an argument - that's vile. It's all well and good having a bit of banter about Tai Woffinden, but this has gone way to far.