iris123

I'm not really sure what the scene was like in the early days.Most European countries had a popular dirt track scene back then.Look at Austria back even as recently as the 50s and they were getting 40,000 crowds.When we think of Austria now it is a backwater.And I just thought it interesting that the part of the country where speedway has a foothold in Italy i.e the north, is the part of the country where most emigrated to Argentina from A little bit I put on here about the early days in Italy http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=80998

Could it be the large European..... Italian,particularly north Italian population?I heard or read somewhere that in the early part of the last century the Italian agricultural workers used to work the crops in Italy part of the year and then go to Argentina when their crops were ready,moving back and forth during the seasons.Any new ideas in Europe at the time would have been taken over to Argentina.Argentina had a massive immigration from Europe,second only to the US at one stage.Uruguay is also similarly populated by mainly European ethnic groups,but in much smaller numbers and not sure they had the tooing and froing that Argentina had

Think most countries have different rules But to answer,i think in football rules differ as well,so no big thing.Just this week the german paper was going on about an English rule that was different to the german one of punishing people who dive to gain an advantage

This is a classic Guy starts a topic asking a somewhat sarcastic question-gets some great suggestions-man makes his excuses and leaves

Think you have to look past the name and see what sort o deal was and is made.Mentioned it on a previous thread about sponsorship,but a big name doesn't neccesarily mean a "big deal".Robert Barth was sponsored by Coca Cola I think and Tobi Kroner by McDonalds.Both had the logo prominently on their kevlars,but they were just local deals rather than with the national or international hq

Isn't he still doing 250cc? Down for the 250cc YGT this season and dwn for 250cc meet in Brokstedt on 1.05 and done a 250cc meet a week or so ago here

Didn't know that.Thought he would have a boutique like Peter Osgood did

Was going to say,if he is going to Lonigo,then he has been given a WC through to the semi.Hardly being messed around

Barry Briggs did have his record shop in the 50s.Not sure if it lasted into the 60s or exactly when it closed

Weren't the or at least one of the Templeton brothers farmers?Maybe Andy Meldrum as well.I seem to remember at least one rider who used to miss southern meetings at certain times of the year because of work on the farm.....

Was this a rider who had everything arranged by his club I wonder?Just that I have a Polish colleague who's son had to go into a Polish hospital on one of their holidays last year and he said the place was terrible and was glad to get back to Germany

Not at all.As a title/competition I think it is well down the pecking order.Never been a fan and have said so many times on here.As a meeting it could though provide some great racing looking at the line-up.Just trying to answer a question put on here.Maybe,and it is a big maybe they could sell it to a tv company.I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they signed a contract with not too much time to get this on tv.Next year they have more time and no excuse

They do that in the Bundesliga,and you know what,we still get good and bad heats and good and bad meetings........not saying it wouldn't make a difference,but not a great one from what I have seen

It is being run by another company who have to market it.Think it was stated they tried without any luck to get tv interested.Guess they didn't have too much time and maybe next year will be different? It is also the question of is it easier or harder to get a tv deal with a one-off meeting rather than being able to offer a series of meetings that will fill space?Tv companies probably like being able to do deals for more rather than 1 meeting.They then have to do loads of deals with loads of people to fill the time with lots of one-offs

But they have been at loggerheads for years now.A decade or more with the elder brother at least.They even stepped in to stop him getting a GP wildcard from Latvia,so I guess if that is their wish they will do the same here.Something is definitely not right in Russia and it isn't easy to knw who is in the wrong....guess you are going to side with the federation,whilst most fans will side with the riders

It never is for me when I am next to someone who is smoking

Going to have to be lucky as all those cities are in for rain tomorrow.It is what NASA predicted after all.....

You can't really say Peter Karger has let you down,because he isn't very good and is getting a point or two and that is his level.Whoever went out and signed him has let you down.Karger has been around for quite a while and never done that good,so why someone thinks he is PL level is beyond me

Used to travel quite a bit with the bike.Like I said,it was fairly easy from work to Hackney and Arena.They used to let me in with the bike.I'd also ride over to Croydon and then down to the station near Eastie and ride to the track and from inside I could keep an eye on my bike.Sometimes when the weather was good I would ride from South London all the way down and back.Remember Eddie Toogood would pass me going over the hills before East Grinstead.Would also do Rye House on the bike. Then I got a motorbike,but was a bit reluctant to go to hackney as one of my work mates told me he had his battery nicked from his bike at Hackney and also had his car broken into in the car park as well.....

Yes,must admit they had some great riders down the years and most came through the ranks

Used to enjoy my trips to Arlo,but that was back in the days when they had some great riders like Gordon Kennett,Colin Richardson,Martin Dugard,Dean Barker,Dean Standing etc and also used to be a regular at Arena for the first couple of seasons.Used to work in Covent Garden,so it was pretty easy on the push bike after work to Arena or Hackney

Sounds like it might all be ok,just as long as Shovlar doesn't spoil it and tell us the result

Thought it was a great idea in Gelsenkirchen.Remember one of my German friends asking me what Freddie Williams looked like.I had to tell her I had no idea unless he still looked like he did in the 50s,as I hadn't seen a photo of him from any later

Why do you think that????

Oh my....Finland with less slots than Ukraine,France and Hungary....now on a level with NZ and Belgium etc.I know you have mentioned that they have financial problems,but I am seriously surprised.Took my eye of the ball and now looks like you better get that track up and running before the sport dies a death like it has in Austria.....