norbold

A pretty good score for a rider who only ever rode one match.... I'd go along with the Ken Sharples theory.....

I was there on 11 May 1960 for the Britannia Shield match against Norwich, my first speedway meeting. And then very frequently after that!

I'd been born by then.

Just back from the WSRA lunch in Norwich. The general concensus from people who think they are "in the know" is that it'll be a two year ban with one year suspended. But how much they are really "in the know" I have no idea....

I wasn't even born!

Looking forward to meeting all my old Norwich pals at the WSRA dinner in Norwich this Sunday.

Over many years of watching speedway, I've seen them come and seen them go. The greats retire - Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Hans Nielsen, Tony Rickardsson - and we move on. As in all walks of life no-one is irreplaceable. Yes, we might miss them for a very short while, but we move on to see the new stars. It's been happening since 1928 and will no doubt go on.

Exactly the point I was making. Thank you.

Exactly, iris.

People have been complaining all the time about Bomber being picked. In fact many people have been complaining about him even this year when he's actually qualified. Mine was not an anti-Swede comment in favour of Brits. It's the Poles and the Danes who have missed out.

Both THJ and Linus Sundstrom are commercial picks and very little to do with finding the top 15 riders in the world to contest the World Championship.

Andy Smith's last year in the Grand Prix was 2002.

I'm sure someone can put me right here, but weren't wildcards intoduced when they ended the qualifiers just to stop Andy Smith qualifying year after year?

The talk at the end of last year was whether Jarek Hampel would be champion in 2014.....

Maurie Mattingly was third. He had 12 points, the same as Trevor Redmond and lost to him in a run-off.

You're such a spoilsport, Phil. What will the conspiracy theorists do now?

I was genuinely asking the question but with the thought in my mind that the 9th place rider invariably gets a pick for the following year, but I don't actually know that to be the case for sure, which is why I was asking.

If what's the case?

With regard to Troy Batchelor getting a Wild Card, does anyone know the answer to the question I sort of asked earlier. How many times has the ninth placed GP rider NOT been given a Wild Card for the following year?

That depends how long the ban is surely. If the ban is a short one (assuming he gets one at all), he may be able to go through the qualifiers. If he's as good as he's made out to be he will no doubt qualify for 2016; if he doesn't he won't be good enough anyway.

Does anyone have any statistics on how many times the no. 9 has been given a wild card for the following year?

That's how to ride a match race. Great ride by Nicki.

Yes, they stick a camera in his face and then apologise for the language. What do they expect in that situation? Incidentally, my sympathies are with Nicky over that decision.

Well done, Greg. Brilliant. No doubt now one of the top three American riders of all time...Jack Milne, Bruce Penhall, Greg Hancock. But in which order?

Tracks I used to go to...New Cross , West Ham , Harringay , White City , Hackney . Not even the stadiums left. No hope!