Prince Regent

Not likely I know, not least because I don't have a team to support any more, but I would hate a team I supported to sign Leon Madsen. I can't stand him, although I'm not sure why.

As a West Ham fan, my main memory of Coventry is of going there in 1971 to meet my Coventry penfriend, Pat. She was with a couple of her friends and I was with one of mine, and we had a nice evening. I'm ashamed to this day that I didn't write to her again. She must have thought it was because I'd met her, and it wasn't! So if you see this Pat - I'm sorry!

Ignoring some of the less pleasant remarks from just one or two Panthers fans, as a Lakeside supporter I can see this being awarded to Peterborough. If rain had stopped the meeting at heat 9 - just as out of Lakeside's control as the lights going out - it couldn't be awarded. Lakeside hadn't actually won the tie, although obviously they were about to. The SCB may even decide that P'boro finishing top of the league could come into play. Whatever, it's all very unsatisfactory. I feel for the Lakeside promotion, who are facing one disaster after another after what promised to be such a decent season. Unfortunately, Rye House is a dump, and I say that with some sorrow, as it was one of the first speedway tracks I ever went to, my parents taking me there as a kid in the early 60s, when it was a training track running occasional Sunday open meetings.

As a neutral, I had to feel for KIng's Lynn. Losing on aggregate by 4 (the minimum the referee cost them in the first leg - and I'm sorry, but the KL rider did not cross the line into the infield with both wheels tonight); losing two influential riders, not even nearly adequately covered by the guests; and finishing 9 points ahead of Poole in the table...it's pretty sickening for them.

Seems a clear case to me of a referee trying to make himself popular with the home supporters. Disgraceful stuff.

That's two matches in one night without any real home advantage. It won't be easy.

I thought Tai might have waited for Robert in the Final, but I'm not criticising him after a performance like that. GB finished top scorers after two days' racing and should have been champions - as should Russia had they finished top. But this preoccupation with a winner-takes-all final race renders much of what went before meaningless; and particularly in a pairs tournament - and a World Final at that - when a shared heat somehow becomes something different. I find it very unsatisfactory and I promise you, I'd feel the same whether GB were involved or not. Still, some great racing, brilliant stuff from Tai and Robert, and impressive words from Craig Cook, too.

Who said that?

I agree with most of what Liam is saying. I'm not a fan of NL racing and didn't go to many meetings. I missed the adrenalin rush I enjoyed in previous seasons which came from caring so much whether or not the team won. But I would never, ever support another club. How is that possible? People can do what they like, support whom they like, they don't have to be as dedicated or as passionate as others are, but if you can so easily transfer your allegiance to another team, then you couldn't really have been a passionate fan of Lakeside. Which is fine, but do we have to keep on being told how wonderful Rye House is, how terrible Jon Cook is, etc? We've heard it, we get it, but it can be tiresome to keep on hearing the same things. There's one more thing. Whatever anyone says about Lakeside, you can turn up 5 minutes before the start and a, get a decent parking space, and b, have a choice of places to watch from (whatever the size of the crowd) - two things very much lacking on the one occasion I went to Rye House. And I'm not knocking RH, good luck to them, genuinely, but it's not all about seats and fish and chips.

As someone who wasn't keen on watching Lakeside in the NL, when Paul Hurry was brought in I was encouraged to go along, albeit only a few times - especially as he was replacing David Mason, whom I wouldn't cross the road to watch. I do agree that the league is there to bring on young riders, but just one old-timer in the team can surely be a benefit (Jon Armstrong, another example).

A great Final from a neutral's point of view (and Swindon fans' of course!). I felt the tension all the way here in Essex. Swindon are worthy champions as they finished top of the table - but Wolves would clearly have won with Lindgren, let alone Thorsell as well. Good luck to Jason Doyle on Saturday.

I too agree with Voice of Reason - this time! - but that's an argument about speedway's problems rather than specifically fans' reasons for moving from one team to another. My roots are with West Ham, so I found it relatively easy to start supporting a team called the Hammers!

Ok, Kev, so in your case your loyalty is to Waterden Road, not Lakeside, so fair enough. But for those whose loyalty is to Lakeside, supporting another team is unthinkable, and the facilities and everything else don't even come into it. Incidentally, a few years ago, when Stuart Douglas first arrived, Lakeside was buzzing too; let's see if Rye is still the same in a few years' time (and I truly hope it is).

El Addio: "The problem now though, is that having lost fans by dropping down a couple of divisions, whether they can attract them back." We were talking about this yesterday, but as someone said, when we dropped to the NL (or equivalent) last time, with Peter Thorogood, the crowds were probably even worse, and they did come back once we went back up to a higher level.

I know where I'd want to watch my speedway too - Lakeside, since that's the team I support. I never have understood people who can support one team, and then just switch allegiance. I'll be glad to leave the NL, though.