iris123

I just see it as yet another change that will be used as an excuse,just like the whole threat of the Russian league was blown out of proportion and used as an exuse as to why certain clubs couldn't sign riders......think it was Berwick that came out with that one even though there was only maybe 2 foreign juniors other than Russians(who don't race in the PL anyway)there.The UK can't expect a monopoly on race days.Those times passed decades ago.The UK hasn't moved with the times and can't expect other countries to restrict their race nights,just because the UK has lumbered itself with a major problem# As for youngsters coming over to Europe,even that is slowly changing.Wasn't there an American in the Swedish league?And at least two young Australians,Camo Heeps and Brady Kurtz have used Denmark as their stepping stone into Europe.....also one or two Argentinian as well

What is interesting and fits with my thoughts is that Robert Gene Tellas mothers surname was Kruse(-Haar) which is a surname to be found in Vienna.Could be way off here,but I was thinking if Gene lived in Vienna he might have found a wife there and emigrated to the states.I was sort of thinking maybe his father was an Abyssinian diplomat in Vienna and married there as Gene seems to be of mixed race.....still a mystery so far though

Yes.He certainly was listed as an Abyssinian in certain meetings.Think in Czecho for instance.Just interesting that in international meetins in Austria he was listed as a local,rather than from a foreign country.Having seen photos of his father then there is an African link there I would say.Looking further at the children of Robert Gene Tella,both sons became good sportsmen,so..... http://www.sjearthquakes.com/club/front-office http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2014-02-01/auburns-ryan-tella-welcomes-chance-redemption-new-coach-year

In Robs defence, he said he couldn't put it better.And judging by some of his posts on this thread,i believe him

That is not like you Jesper!!! But I think most of us would agree

You haven't read through the thread Ray,as I have already shown it has been brought up before.In 2009 at least.I remember discussions on the subject,quite possibly not the 2009 thread.That was just the one that I found within a minute of doing a search.......

Also heard from my friend in Ufa that at the next meeting it won't just be music with a militaristic background being played,they are planning some sort of military theme involving fighter or bomber airplanes!!!! I did suggest a re-enaction of Battleship Potemkin,but she said that would have to wait until next season.So........

See from the Weissenbach report that Bauer states the fact that he received a wildcard for the world championship series shows the FIM know he was right with his protest and refusal to ride in the Challenge meeting

One could also ask the question as to why the use of the flag gained popularity at roughl the same time as the black civil rights movement in the south?Coincidence?

Here is a southern opinion as well..... And in all honesty it isn't often that a racist admits to being a racist......a very recent incident,in the best possible taste http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/philip-anselmo-denies-being-racist-after-white-power-shoutout-at-dimebash-event/

Today is the 75th anniversary of Gab Kadyrovs birth born 27.01.1941 died 31.07.1993

But that is the point the historians were making........over time and distance and possibly peoples ignorance there is a danger that they lose sight of the meaning of things.The flag was always a problem,but in America in the 60s and 70s there was a sort of nostalgia for those things.The country was still very racist..... We also had a period in the east of Germany when there was a thing called Ostalgia,i.e a nostalgia for the communist era.An attempt by some at least to play down the evils of the regime and pick out things that were good. That is also a worry as I say of some historians that this could happen with the Nazis.We have had a few cases of prominent people trying to pick out things during Hitlers reign that were good Distance often changes the power of images.I remember going to France in the 70s/80s and there were Red Army Faction t-shirts openly on sale!!! You could probably go back then to New York or Sydney and find IRA t-shirts on sale.They were seen as heroic 'rebels'.It doesn't make any difference if I went down the road with a UVF t-shirt and people didn't understand what it was,thought it a nice symbol and made no objections.It would still be objectionable

Rob,stop trying to squirm around here.It wasn't ok then it wasn't ok back in the 70s and it isn't ok now.Whether some people didn't say so back on one thread that they might never have looked at is neither here nor there.We can say that Hitler was ok at first because although some people gave warnings most didn't take any notice.You asked for a link to earlier than 2015 concerns and I gave it to you...........As someone earlier pointed out,the problem isn't with the nickname it Is the flag

Back in 2009 Rob.Do I need to look further? http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=46141&page=2&hl=%2Bconfederate+%2Bflag&do=findComment&comment=1408062

I am surprised at you Rob.Never heard of Stamford Bridge or Danelaw???? I think you will find that Hull lies in the part of the country that came under Dane or Norse rule. As it was back when the Rebels flag was used in speedway,most of us were young and didn't understand it's meaning.It was just a nice design and a bit trendy.But those that chose it were adults and should have known a bit better.Seems like common sense has ruled and the flag has been dropped.It is fairly irrelevant if some don't understand its meaning or others sit at home in their rebels underpants,wearing a Ku Klux Klan head dress and a Hitler on tour t-shirt.What people do in their own home is mainly their own business.In public it is another matter. There was a discussion on tv last night about the legacy of the Nazis which at one point turned to the recent trend to make Hitler a bit of a comic figure and some historians were appalled and saying this was making him seem foolish and harmless when he was anything but.......

http://www.speedway.org/kalender/2016/index.html

I just remember there was a bit of talk on the net about him(her) and questions being asked.Think it might have been on the speedway.org report of the meeting as well.

Personally we have 'our' own Rebels much closer to Somerset,so I wonder why they didn't use a yellow harp on a green background or even the Starry Plough flag from the Citizen army.That would upset the pc brigade!!!!!

Have I missed something in the UK press? Here it states clearly that the meeting will be held in Poland again and then from next year going 'overseas' http://www.speedweek.com/speedway-racing/news/86110/World-Speedway-League-2017-erstmals-in-Uebersee.html

Be interesting to see how Igor Kopeć-Sobczyński goes.When he rode in Germany a few years back people weren't sure if it was a girl or boy riding!!!!

Having a look through some programmes I came across the name of Adolf Marama Toyo A new name to me.He was listed as being from 'Suez',so thought I might have stumbled across yet another African rider.Looking further I found this on a greek moto forum.Seems the guy was quite important in starting the sport up in Italy and was also involved in developing an engine or two with Plinio Galbusera

Sorry had a senior moment and posted this in the wrong section.Ignore me as ususal

This was a good thread,although in some cases the countries are listed because of a rider rather than known track, i.e Gene Tella(Abyssinia/Ethiopia) http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=9061&hl=%2Bgene+%2Btella

The music seems to have changed a bit since the Night Wolves are involved with Ufa!!!!!

Just been looking at some old Austrian programmes and firstly it is Killmeyer But more interesting is the regular appearance of Gene Tella in meetings from 1933-1937 and listed as coming from Vienna.I'd guess this is where he resided He doesn't feature in the 1938 meeting and since Austria had just been annexed by Nazi Germany and the meeting was run by the Nationalsozialistischen Kraftfahr-Korps (NSKK),maybe this is the reason he doesn't feature? Quite interesting doing a search on the net is that a Robert Gene Tella who was born in 1948 died in Freemont.Maybe Gene Tella fled to the States from the Nazis?