witchnut

Earlier in this thread there was reference to a CreweChelmsfordRayleigh team. I'd really like to know what the Chelmsford connection was, I've lived close by for best part of 20 years and watched my speedway at Hackney and Ipswich with occasional trips to Arena but sadly never to Rayleigh while it was in operation. Witchnut

Strictly speaking I'm sure you are right, but the way the GP Championship results table is constructed and published all riders (nominated riders, reserves or wild-cards) amass points in the same way, if Hans was to say come third overall on points scored he would have an Olsen-proof case for inclusion next year. Witchnut

Thought I remember the Berlin track/mudbath that year was an american football stadium, so not a regular real track. Witchnut

What no one has considered here is that whoever gets the slot has to have a comprehensive sponsorship package behind them to qualify or be wild-carded and to then do themselves justice in any GP, this isn't something that many of the young or even established riders being suggested can just pull together quickly. Remember that riders of the GP callibre of Billy Hammill had this problem. Witchnut

Have tried other places but last three years we have been on Turn 1, middle tier (M3) just above the pit entrance and enjoyed the view. There is always a lot going on down there - hardly a dull moment as well as good place to see the racing. I think you would be happy with any of the places your are considering. Personally I wouldn't want to be in the upper tier, too far from the action. Witchnut

The guy is deluded somehow. Faded out of Elite after clowning around for more than enough years to have made it or given up. Witchnut

Channel 4 ran a highlights program for one season, as I remember they were using Sky footage and graphics. I would have thought Sky would be glad of the revenue from re-selling the highlights, after all its not competing with their live coverage and they ould agree on transmission times that were mutually acceptable. Matt

Anybody out there think that a weekly 30 min saturday speedway round up program would be viable on a UK terrestrial television channel, and that it could be both sufficiently interesting for speedway fans and also be accessable enough to create interest for non-speedway fans and convert a few. My proposed program would contain: International news, with pics, video clips and short interviews with those involved UK news, with pics, video clips and short interviews with those involved Weekly feature, pick from: a team, a rider, a country, a GP, history, an incident Elite table positions noting any exciting changes and a few "heats of the week" purchased from Sky, ReRun wherever Premier table as above Conference table as above Whats happening in the following week, in the UK, and abroad.

I thought Hans' statement was measured and well thought through, right down to the final; "best wishes to all riders in the 2006 competition". I don't think this in any way reduces his chances of wildcard rides or 2007 qualification. I think what all this proves is that fiddling with the GP format and qualification criteria, as has been done over the recent past will give rise to these anomolies which, with the reduced size of field are made more acute by decisions influenced by rider nationality and who sponsors who, which wouldn't have been so critical in previous years. Witchnut

The trikes from 2004 were far better in my opinion, you could see the riders. Witchnut

Really! I couldn't see anything going on from where I was in the middle tier and was shocked to see the picture posted. I'd be really p****d off to have those guys in front of me for any length of time. I wonder what the reaction would have been if you'd asked for a move up to empty seats in the middle or top tier when you couldn't see. Witchnut

I don't want to moan about Rickardsson who was generally very fast and exciting on the night. But in this very early incident he was clearly way off the pace, in a battle for 3rd / 4th place. Having had the chance to correct his wrong gearing he flew in the re-run. I don't believe he had been touched by Norris despite the theatrical dive into the air-fence, I feel sorry for the rider who was 1/2 lap ahead losing it on the re-run . Witchnut

I'm sure I had received my tickets before this time last year. Is it just me? has anyone else their tickets yet? Anyone know when they are coming out? Witchnut

How about having points added/subtracted for use of tacticals, say 5 points for a win but only 4 if you used a tactical, or 6 if you won and had had a tactical used against you. Witchnut

Many of you serious researchers will have already seen the site, and possibly also the pictures in other publications but for those that haven't there is some interesting material at Evening News24 Witchnut

I'm going to be in Ljubljana 15-16-17 October, is there going to be any Speedway on in the area? and I need recommendations for a place to stay. Can anyone recommend Bit Centre Hotel or Souhostel Witchnut

Great mpeg Grachan, what was the meeting? who were the other riders involved? Wouldn't it be great to have a thread on the forum with everyone chipping in their favourite video clips, I mean quality clips like this. Witchnut

Looking at the BRMC site (link in original posting) made me think that the guys that were attempting to get Norwich Speedway running at Swaffham might look at part of the Snetterton complex. Then I thought that Peterborough, Mildenhall, my team Ipswich and Kings Lynn who took issue with the Swaffham proposal would all say it was too close to their home tracks. What do you think? Witchnut

When I was investigating travelling out there I found a coach company on the internet (not an organised trip) that does a scheduled service from London to several polish cities for about £100. Problems as I saw them were that I would have to go out on a Thursday and Back on a Tuesday, and that it still reqd a short train/local bus link up at the other end. Witchnut

Anybody remember Lisa Wibberley riding at Arena early '80's? Witchnut

Just to let you know that I phoned the "foreign" number 0115 912 9000 and purchased my tickets before 08.30 this morning. Get in quick if you wan't a specific location. The tickets I purchased had gone up in price compared to the price for the same seats last year. Witchnut

somebody wanted a seating plan: here is the url to the 2003 seating plan which I'm sure will give you the info you want. http://www.speedwaygp.com/2002media/2003ca...iff/stadium.htm Cheers, Witchnut

I've seen Arenas' name mentioned already - who is the other team going to come into the BEL. Witchnut

Thanks Joanne, I received a very polite e-mail reply from Benfield yesterday stating that the tickets weren't on sale yet (stating the obvious!) and that the release date would be posted on the SGP website and in Speedway Star. Anyway thanks to you I know now. Witchnut

Thanks Kevin, good points: Of course we don't have 10 teams in the EL so the 36 match league is not possible. When I look at the Ipswich fixture list as it stood at the start of the season the first league match was Mar 27th, the last league match was Aug 28th! Beyond end of August were reserved dates for the various cup / play-off matches but the net result was that our last match was the 16-lapper one-off on Sep 16th! season finished. Because of council regulations on the total number of stock-car and speedway matches in any (I think 8-day) period we can also end up with no-meetings following bank holidays where we have just generated interest in potential new spectators, even though it is a school holiday - Easter for example. On your point about riding away on your teams home night generating a no-meeting, this doesn't happen to Ipswich much but I know that some promotions years ago actually planned for this and ran one-off competitions while their side raced away. Witchnut