Rebelfan

So all 17, 18 or 19 year old's first consideration is a mortgage to avoid being thrown on the streets........honestly, on what planet are you on? I knew a guy in his late teens was holding down a full time job, also a part time job to fund his motor racing career, he lived in modest accomodation (not quite on the streets but not far off) and he would beg & borrow to go racing and fulfil his dream, he now drives in the American Le Mans, has won a number of championships both sides of the pond and can afford quite a few houses! It's about hunger & ambition to win, if a mortgage is the first consideration then he's in the wrong career

A mortgage should not be a consideration for a speedway rider, the problem is they are not hungry enough, or maybe just not good enough e.g. Kennet, Bridger

Pretty naff response I must say, the issue is not to do with gate receipts its is how the sport is being run - the lack of British riders isn't to do with a lack of funds I will congratulate you however on you being able to unearth some British talent in that Australian Speedway Academy on the south coast!

Last night demonstrates perfectly how pathetic the situation has become, but when you have 'promoters' who have a totally different agenda to that of the development of the national team. I haven't been to a match for almost 10 years, in truth I have much better things to spend my money on, elite league speedway is dull, GP is a great product but I have little interest because I want to see a British rider. The people running the sport and the promoters have not invested in british riders, choosing instead investing in cheap eastern european our southern hemisphere labour, that lack of investment and lack of strategy is why we now have the real threat of no British rider in the GP series. In terms of the talent to replace Chris; Kennett - He is not a world class rider, he's found his level Woffinden - Thinks he's a world class rider, but needs to grow up Bridger - Here's a guy that I never understand, whoever is advising him should be taken out and shot, little/no talent - the phrase 'all the gear - no idea' comes to mind, but yet he seems to think he's next years world champion Barker - Nice lad, plenty of endeavour, but doubling up this season?? could he make something of a wild card - in short No Not sure what the implications are for British Speedway as I don't follow it closely enough, but I sincerely hope it hits the British Promoters, those at Poole and Peterborough in particular who seem to have forgotten British Riders. I am in business, quite successful too - it is not rocket science, look at Poland last night, stadium full of Polish people supporting successful, world class Polish riders, people watching that for the first time on TV will be tempted to go to their local Polish track to see this for themselves = potential season ticket customer! What a very sorry state speedway has become in this country

Only one word to decribe messrs Harris and Nicholls - woeful, the latter in particular looking completely outclassed. It's no wonder we are in this position, you only have to see how good our UK promoters are at nurturing foreign talent in the Premier League and how we are swamped by foreigners in the Elite League (I live in P'boro - you wont find me paying good money to watch the Danish B Team) don't the promoters get it - if we bring on home grown talent we will eventually bring success at an international stage and therefore raise the profile generally of the sport which they will benefit from. Thank god for SkyPlus & fastforward, meant I didn't have to sit through 3 hours of that durge last night

1973 - Oxford Vs Reading, think it was 30/48 to Reading, abiding memories of the smell and the noise - wow! We had messrs Kilby and Ulf Lovaas, they had Michanek and Dag - no contest, but it didnt matter, I was hooked

* Some absolutely awful journeys (e.g. Oxford to Hyde Road in the back of a Mini) * Big tracks * True superstars - Mauger, Michanek, Collins * Golden Helmet - could go seasons without seeing it * Wills Internationale on the BBC * Daily Mirror International Tournaments and the Grand Prix @ White City (Ole and the helmet colour!) * The inter-league KO Cup, when there was the occasional upset, remember White City nearly losing to Mildenhall) * Truly despising all that was Reading, especially the DJ/JD era * Dag Lovaas (God!)

TRACK: Oxford CAPTAIN: Hans Nielsen OTHER RIDERS WHO HAD TO BE IN THE TEAM (assume they are at their peak): Gordon Kennett, Dag Lovaas, Marvyn Cox, Hasse Holmqvist, Malcolm Ballard, John Dews PROMOTER: Bob Dugard TEAM MANAGER: Roger Jones ANNOUNCER: Was never too bothered RACE NIGHT: Thursday 7.45, just a great atmosphere in the place and I knew whether at school or work that it was only one more day to weekend MARCH OUT MUSIC: Never remember what they had in the 70's/80's but always amusing watching the track staff's attempts to march in time with what they were playing