salty

Surely Cricket has to be John Arlott? But the point made is valid. Dave was synonymous with Speedway during it's 70's boom. RIP.

Matej, Magic, Nicki and Emil for me. Feel sorry for Jarek, but it would be very tough on Magic if he didn't get a pick after missing out by just one point.

Ironic you should say that on a Nigel thread. He does love to declare "on a 5-1" after half a lap.

Always glad that a rider can retire fit and healthy. Thanks for the memories Kauko.

After two good rounds I hope Matej can get into the top 8 after Melbourne. Even if he only misses out by a couple of points, I reckon he has shown enough over the past two years (and past two rounds) that he would be deserving of a pick. It seems, however, that he suffers from the same thing as Rune Holta (in his time as a GP rider) that he isn't the right nationality to attract "key markets" and therefore is less likely to get a pick than other riders who do represent the "bigger" nations.

He will stay as a FTR as long as it suits Ford for him to do so. But I hope the other promoters don't fall for the use of the PL average trick again. Every play off he delivers and if the rest of the team had been anywhere near the pace he would have been the match winner again this year.

Best team won. Newman and Ellis deserve loads of credit for keeping it so close, but the top 5(4) of the Pirates were poor.

It's called an "educated" guess. Something beyond your comprehension.

But the other promoters have plenty of form for sanctioning things that favour Poole. The decision to use Premier averages from last season allowed Poole to get a much stronger reserve pairing than if the more logical elite averages were used. But then CVS managed to net Kyle Howarth as a reserve so maybe there was some horse trading there. Buzz off the heat leader list massively favoured Poole and again its hard to see how the other promoters could fail to see how illogical that decision was. Add the Lindback average farce and you have 3 massive decisions that have helped Poole this season alone. Conclusion has to be that the other promoters aren't that bright (possible) or they have reason to keep on the right side of the Dark Lord of Dorset (more likely). Either way, it's decisions like this that mean I don't bother with domestic Speedway any more.

Cradley v Newport. 28th September 1968. I was supposed to have been going to see Wolves (football version) v Liverpool that afternoon, but the people taking me let us down, cue plenty of tears. To make it up to me the folks took me to Dudley Wood that night. Love at first sight, smell etc. As for Wolves...Liverpool gubbed them 6-0.

Count back or run off?

Ye of little faith! Great performance by the Chemics.

"Charging" down the back straight or "charging" into the bend. So they can "stamp their authority" on the race.

Ta I make it nearer 12K, so a sum of less than 7K. Difficult to believe it would be so divisive. Surely precedent is the key to this? If it's always been split 4 ways before hard to see why it should change.

Anyone know what the prize money for second in the WTC would be? Can't imagine it would be that massive to fall out over.

Football isn't the enemy here. The second that Luke Johnston and his gang at RCP got their hands on the GRA, Wimbledon was always going to developed. Up until recently the RCP website had a load of old tosh about its plans to re-energise the dog tracks, whereas the more prosaic truth was that they just borrowed a load of money to buy GRA knowing that there would be nice profits when they knocked them down for development. Seeing as Speedway has been lost to Plough Lane for over a decade it is the greyhound fraternity that will feel the loss the most.

Go on then, spill!

The episode where Pietersen had to go to a hotel and meet each of the squad one by one and beg forgiveness so he could be "re-integrated" prior to the India tour was bizarre. You suspect that they expected him to refuse to take part in such an exercise so that he could have been not "reintegrated "

Thank you.

I would have thought Pete Jarman would be a decent score? Rode throughout the 60's and also had that NL spell at Arlington at the end of his career. Edit: Meant to add how much I have enjoyed this thread and topic.

I don't mind going off topic haha. I would have been pretty negative about Pietersen and only picked the book up when I saw it in the library. Still no great fan but at least it was good to see his side of the story. I'm mates with a guy who knows Ian Bell quite well and he said to me at the time that the atmosphere in and around the team was poisonous and it certainly wasn't all KP's fault and that Bell got on well with him. His explanation of the texting rings true and it was certainly dealt with differently than the Twitter account run by Broad's mate that ripped the urine out of KP. As usual I don't think things are as black and white as we are often led to believe. As for Tai, again it would be nice to know the full story behind the "retirement" from GB duty.

Currently reading KP's book. Good to read his side of the story, although it is one sided it does illustrate the bigger picture a wee bit, particularly the clique within the England cricket team.Given that other riders have walked away from GB I think the Speedway issues are likely to be less complex. But it would be nice to know exactly what they are.

No garlic bread or wedges. Would be no surprise if it's down to finance. Unfortunately, it is understandable that the BSPA, which is made up of promoters and promotions who are not exactly awash with money, want to keep a tight hold on the purse strings. I guess their logic is that they don't actually gain too much from a successful GB team. Whole episode begs a few questions? Is the World Cup a viable entity? Is money being made? And if so who gets it?

Wouldn't it be great to learn a few more facts before forming opinions?

Regardless of Freddie taking Magic's front wheel, surely Lindgren had his two wheels over the white line entering the bend?