Dave Goddard

Thanks for listening tonight everyone. I will admit, my head was all over the place during Sunday's broadcasts and I struggled a lot, but tonight for me went 100% better.

Hello from the studio

Please don't turn this into yet another slag-the-commentators thread. (Although I expect it will, because you've got to listen to me again tonight )

Have there been any team changes from Friday's scheduled running of tonight's match?

So much for getting a tea break between matches...

Just be glad we've actually got some live sport after the last few months.

Has a decision been made re Iversen for tomorrow yet?

Bikes are on track for the track test, which is not being shown by our picture feed. Once a decision is made we should have pictures.

Track prep currently taking place in Poland.

Has a No8 been confirmed for Wroclaw please?

Well it's not Dublin this time for obvious reasons.

Never thought I'd say this in 2020 but....HELLO FROM THE STUDIO

Probably

Where does it say who no 8s are, can't see it anywhere?

I am now very pleased to be able to confirm that I will be commentating

Out now or released Thursday?

Why on earth are the home team numbered higher than the away team? I've never understood that.

A related question - when are grading breaks during Polish meetings?

Yes you're right, I remember it being shown on the local TV news and realising how lucky Sam was.

I used to have a video with both of those crashes on - Brett's was horrible, the bike seemed to pick up speed as he hit the fence and then it dashed him into the wall at full pelt on the outside of the tarmac oval. Mark Simmonds was certainly the king of crash at Exeter - I remember another one from 1998 when he and Danny Bird locked together into the third bend and went straight on into the fence, Bird went over the fence and ended up on the terracing while Simmonds went up about fifteen feet into the air and flew Superman-style before smacking back onto the track, while the other riders somehow managed to lay their bikes down to avoid the carnage. One of the first televised matches at Monmore Green against Ipswich when Sam Ermolenko and Jason Bunyan ploughed at full speed through the turn one fence and nearly ended up in the pits, a very long delay before racing resumed in that one. A Midland Trophy meeting between Coventry and Wolves saw Ronnie Correy and a couple of others in a huge first bend pile-up leaving all three in hospital (I cannot recall who the other two were) - I remember that one because for some reason I had a premonition it was going to happen, my mum was stood next to me on the terracing and before the race I just said to her "There's gonna be a big crash in this heat". The rest of the meeting took absolutely ages to complete in boiling hot weather, the second leg was at Monmore in the evening and it was clear that everyone was hot, knackered and fed up and being only a challenge match no one was really that bothered about it! Another at Monmore was about three years ago when Richard Lawson of Lakeside tangled with Peter Karlsson coming off the last bend and both of them smashed through the flag stand next to the tapes, nearly running over the start marshal, the Wolves flag girl and Porky the centre green presenter. And a couple of years before that when in the opening heat of a match against Poole, Freddie Lindgren came off on the second bend of the opening heat and suffered a huge bang on the head - the way the medics reacted initially made a lot of people fear the worst. And those are just some of the ones I remember!

My parents remember the Grand Prix series, and especially the Berger Paints sponsorship, because apparently the audio from this TV ad was played either before or after every single heat!

Lefty, that is a wonderful tribute to Mark and far better than I could have put it. He really did pioneer the concept of the internet in Speedway, and indeed helped me begin my own journalistic career because I started out penning match reports for the Wolfcry forum while still in my teens. My family became part of the Wolfcry collective and had some incredible times travelling to meetings and social events - Mark and his many friends made speedway fun, which is what the sport should be. His impromptu 50th birthday party on turn two at Belle Vue, organised by Ruth and others, still lives strong in my memory today, and thanks to him and his vision I have made several friends for life through Wolfcry. Even away from Speedway he always had time for everyone and was always willing to listen to anyone's problems, a truly special man. Rest in peace Mark, and thank you for being a friend to everyone.

Oh my. It was a real pleasure to commentate on Danny racing over the last few years. He was without a doubt one of the most flamboyant, entertaining and passionate riders I have ever seen in my career, and I would always look forward to what crazy victory celebration he would come up with next! He would always engage with the fans more than anyone else as well and it was so wonderful to watch him in action. Love and condolences to Danny's family and many friends, Dave Goddard.

Thankyou for watching and for all the info this season guys and girls

Well I did NOT see this coming.