John Leslie

Oh dear...you'll be in trouble. Don't you know that the likes of Danny Kaye and Max Bygraves are just what we need to bring the people flooding back to 21st century speedway. I'm buying into it already...I'm off to get a dirty wolfsport anorak and print myself an excel racecard to fill in with multicoloured pens.

It was Belinda Carlisle, who was fairly good. Certainly not one of the worst pre-meeting singers we've had (*cough* Chas 'n' Dave *cough*) . There were also 4 stunt motorcross type riders who were very good, although they did seem to go on too long doing the same things. If they'd had a few more tricks they'd have been excellent. Some unknown bloke (someone Charles?) sang Delilah and Land of my Fathers and then sang the National Anthem not very well. Why not get Belinda Carlisle to sing it since we're paying her? (she'd know that one without miming wouldn't she?)

I wouldn't suggest a song for Bjarne at all. You miss the point. I'm saying do away completely with the naff idea of playing some crap song that no one wants to hear just because you think it has some bizarre tenuous link to a rider in the race.

Yes.

He's from Aus...or Bristol.....not Oz. He's from Holstebro...nowhere near Copenhagen. Just find this playing rubbish old records just because they might have some vague connection to the rider, very naff and embarrassing. Especially when you've clearly failed CSE geography. If it was a modern song, and actually relevant, it might just work.

This year's crowd was definitely down on last years, but only very slightly. I think last year's is still the biggest so far at Cardiff.

Thought the presentation music was poorer than normal this year. Most of the normal crowd participation stuff was still there - Amarillo, Who let the dogs out etc....ok it's crap music, but it works well in a large crowd like that. The 'Rule Britannia', and 'Land of Hope and Glory' as Bomber got up and walked back to the pits would have been brilliant and highly appropriate at that time...only it had already been done 2 or 3 times earlier. But as for playing 'The Wizard of Oz' everytime there was a race winner from "AUS", and the 'not-so-Wonderful Copenhagen' every time there was a race-winner from somewhere miles from Copenhagen....well that was awful...embarrassing...Whoever came up with that idea should be stood behind the referee and shot together....(not wasting two bullets on them..they're not worth it). NB. 'Oz' is a fictional place with no connection to "Aus" and Holstebro is about as far away from Copenhagen as you can get in Denmark...I'm surprised they didn't play 'Scotland the Brave' for Chris Harris!

You must be an idiot, and as blind as the referee, if you think people were cheering because they want to see a rider being hurt or injured. People were cheering the sense of great poetic justice which had been done thereby stopping the GP turning into a bigger farce than that which they had already seen through the actions of that rider, his buddy referee, and Danish godfather. It was a cheer for Leigh Adams, for Bjarne Pedersen, and justice.

You don't really need him to answer that one do you?

You'll be needing a mirror then.

If you can ride 80cc up to the 8th Birthday, but can't ride 125cc until the age of 9, does that mean 8 year olds are banned and have to take a year out? Or could they perhaps break the rules and ride 80cc up to their 9th birthday?

When and where are the next rounds of the British U-15s? I'd like to get to one, but the two rounds so far have been at opposite extremities of the country at times when I just couldn't get there. I can't find any details of the where and when of the next round.

The Millardism that bugs me more than any other is "line abreast". One race last night three riders went up the back straight side by side and Kelvin said they went into the back straight 'three abreast'....fair enough....three in a line. But Millard says they've gone into the back straight "line abreast". what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Nicki spat his dummy...Andersen did nothing wrong. Referee held the tapes far too long. And what about the start tart in white? She was a big girl!!

Just wondering....that saddo who has to hold Nicki's hairdryer....is he also in charge of picking up the toys and putting them back in the pram?

They've now had 4 comments, and display the best 3 on the website. The one who's opinions they think are irrelevant?? one Margaret Vardy!

That's a superb report.

Speedway isn't meant to be ridden on a billiard table...it's a test of throttle control as well as speed. But when Pedersen gets into trouble he just keeps the throttle on and prays it will sort itself out...sometimes it does and sometimes it causes huge crashes...but it was his decision to keep the throttle open. The track was superb and gave superb racing, riders like Harris, Crump, Hancock, even Nicholls, used every inch of the track and control to race brilliantly. That interview just makes Pedersen look a right wassack...an even bigger wassack than the fool who's daft enough to hold the hairdryer for him.

yes, and last night's racing was far better.

He's right for once. I've been to every British GP too, and that was the best racing by miles. The best racing in ANY G.P. ever. Fitting that the best rider won it, and the one who gave the most entertainment. Most of his fellow competitors seemed happy for him, and full marks to Crump for making Harris stand up on the victory parade and holding on to him. Biggest ever crowd at Cardiff, but next year's will be bigger because everyone who was there will surely be coming back with extra people Hans and Nicki crashing out in the semis was also very popular with the majority. Track looked slick and flat, but then went on to produce the most amazing racing...many races with 3 riders disputing the lead...sometimes all 4. BSPA need to get a DVD of that out to every potential major sponsor in the country. Only downsides: Why do the kids only get one race each? and why at 5.30pm when the stadium is almost empty? Presentation lacked a bit...when the riders came round individually why weren't they introduced over the PA? PA was rubbish on top tier. McDougal brother were inaudible (which wasn't a bad thing), and the poor sods had to stand round for an eternity waiting for someone to start the tape. Black woman wasn't much better, Ray Quinn was OK, but suffered from the poor sound quality. Chas and Dave thankfully didn't last long. A bit of that Rabbit thingy song, then I wondered why they were singing Amarillo, only to find that they'd already buggered off without singing Snooker Loopy and we were back to the PA. But still..the best GP ever.... The biggest crowd...brilliant racing...the right winner.

..and short arms

Got to say I was impressed with the ref tonight. With the track as slimy as it was, I was expecting a few incidents and the likelihood of a Polish referee getting the decisions wrong. But the guy did well - only one slightly debatable decision. Heat 9 - Richardson comes down on his own - easy decision - ref gets it right. Didn't bottle it and put all 4 back. Heat 11 - Sullivan comes down on his own - easy decision - ref gets it right. Heat 13 - Linback goes down as Crump takes him on the inside - looks a tricky one - but ref gets it right - Lindback caught napping (the guy's probably tired) and leaves a gap you could drive a bus through. Crump goes through, Tired Tim wakes up, tries to turn back, sees Crump there, tries to avoid him and goes down. Semi final - Nicholls clean pass of Nicki P. Hairdryer boy puts it down - Ref gets it right again despite Pedersen giving a Jackanory story about how he was in front at the time! Semi final - The tough decision he may have got wrong. Nicholls going faster was always going to catch Andersen. Andersen is naughty of fthe 4th bend and down the straight turning left into Nicholls. Nicholls is naughty back giving him a shove. Into the bend and Nicholls is favourite to get it, but Andersen still leaning in and Nicholls still fighting back. 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Could have given the decision either way. Final - Jonsson takes Crump too wide - classic first bend all 4 back - ref gets it right.

Come on be fair to Shovvy. He really hasn't got time to come on here and whinge about the inept displays of Twicky-the-Blond and street-cool MC Rapmaster Tonio in the G.P. He's far too busy on another thread whinging about Poole's inept display in the Elite League pairs!

Reckon the crowd must have topped 40,000. Top tier quite full on back straight, but sparse on home straight. Presumably set up that way for the sky cameras? Atmosphere in the build up wasn't good. The P.A. seemed distorted, and there was not real attempt to build the atmosphere up. They did get it going about 6.50 but thn killed it to near silence with the embarrassing 'Speedway ©Rap' on the big screen. Under 16's on WAY too early. About 5.15pm this year to a nearly empty stadium. Disgraceful. Bonnie Tyler OK, but suffered from the distorted sound system. And was eclipsed by Tony Christie. The track was pretty rubbish. But I don't know why people are surprised by this. You can't lay a decent track from nothing in 3 days. It's always going to be flat and without a decent depth of shale. It's impossible to compound a decent depth of shale and build up any banking in such a limited time. What do you want....its the atmosphere of a 40,000 crowd in a mega-stadium with a dodgy track that sorts the men from the boys, or its 8,000 to Coventry with an OK long established track and poor atmosphere....I vote Cardiff. Referee a little dodgy. Richardson a touch lucky in getting away with skittling everyone in his first ride...but maybe the ref giving the benefit of the doubt due to the newly laid track. Pedersen mugs the ref by laying it down on the first corner after being outgated by Crump. Heat 10 an awful ragged start that should have been brought back. Had the ref dozed off? Hampel-Hancock final the only difficult decision and ref was probably right. Going to be one unhappy rider whoever is excluded. tough on Hancock but it had to be him. Crump - the best on display. Deserved winner despite the Hancock/Hampel incident. Hancock - a bit of a rash move in the final cost him. Perhaps should have backed of Hampel and had another go on next corner. Should have been content to keep Crump behind even if it meant letting Hampel win. Pedersen - Where was he? At least we got to see his hairdryer on big screen. Rickardsson - its over. So far behind Crump he now needs snookers. Nicholls & Richardson - Had their moments, but middle order. Didn't utilise the massive home support to make a mark. Stead - Took an awful battering in one race, but got it together at the end. Certainly more worthy of a GP place than Protasiewicz, Iversen and co.

I did exactly the same. One of the first in at 5.00pm, less than 5 minutes in my seat before the lads went out. One race each, and then about an hour and half of some crap 'stars-in-their-eyes' wannabees singing crap Abba songs. (And this year we get some washed up old welsh bird).