waiheke1

And Stephen Collins...

Typo? Seems to have 16 letters too many...

A. Because he is easily confused B. Because he is an attention seeking troll C. Because he is a sad old man with nothing better to do D. All of the above Take your pick...

I don't understand tbh...

If that's the case, then NSS can't/won't happen. And maybe that's the reason it hasn't already, given it appears to check all the boxes to warrant inclusion in the GP series. You'd hope some arrangement could be reached (one year trial, if Cardiff GP crowd drops more than x % yoy then NSS is dropped?)

Correct. I think everyone is aligned that you shouldn't devalue the Cardiff GP. I honestly dont think one held at the NSS at the opposite end of the season would adversely impact it. A few would not go to Cardiff as a result. But conversely, maybe you gain some lapsed fans for whom domestic speedway is not appealing, and Cardiff too far to travel. Maybe NSS is only every second year, under the moniker European GP as suggested by stevehone.

Keep it as the British GP. One at Belle Vue could be the English GP or Commonwealth GP?

Why did they hold world finals at wembley - where racing was often poor- rather than Hyde Rd? Why did people bemoan the loss of Wembley when it was "replaced" by Odsal, which again produced better racing, and indeed, run-offs to determine the world chsmpion?

Stop your butthurt whinging and go set up a FB group...

Because Chunky wasn't doing anything that needed to be stopped Sid. He made reasonable points, and you have posted aggressively in response. We all respect you as a poster who speaks his mind and knows his speedway, but on this thread - in my view - it is you who is in the wrong in the interaction with Chunky. Not on opinions - we all have different ones of those- but in the way you have posted.

Don't know who Simon is? Lovely bloke with "interesting" views on homosexuals, muslims, immigrants. Used to post on here lots, until people called him out for his bigotry and he started crying about it, especially when Admin wouldn't stick up for him. I thought you might know him from the way you regularly tag him in Facebook posts and he replies to you. Might be one of those things you did then forgot about? As for Barry Butterworth, I stand by my assertion that the average member of the NZ public wouldn't know who he is. A much more reasonable assertion in my view than a retired speedway journalist claiming not to recognise Ivan Mauger (who coincidentally, the average member of the NZ public would recognise) or Plechanov (top rider in an era he worked at the speedway star). Would you disagree?

Are they ones your mate Simon belongs to? I can imagine what they are like. Nice the two of you have each other to chat to about the failings of admin of sites like FB and BSF...

Sid, it's not a case of taking sides. What Chunky said was: Jansson was world class, but not at the very top echelon (Collins, Olsen, Mauger) His world pairs titles were good achievements, BUT for the most part the riders he beat were not of top quality Jansson probably would have reached the very top class, but nooone knows for sure. Those were all pretty reasonable points, you can disagree if you like, but you seem to have taken offence to them. They were not aggressively made, and that is why Norbold, and I add myself, think you are out of line in your responses. Nothing personal, we have had great discussions on here over the years and I have a great deal of respect for your views on speedway matters, but here I think you are in the wrong. As for Gustix, it's admirable you stand up for him because you perceive him to be bullied. But, he has managed to annoy many on here, including some of the most mild mannered and polite members of the BSF to the point they have blocked him. You have to ask why this is. As an example, he has recently decided to respond to most of my posts with a laughing emoji. These were, in my view, perfectly reasonable posts. Why would someone do that? Similarly, he has been asked many reasonable questions, which he simply ignores, and instead posts a new set of links. Why would someone who regularly talks up their credentials as a speedway reporter, then claim not to recognise photos of riders like Ronnie Moore, Ivan Mauger, Plechanov etc? It is very very sad in my opinion that he chooses to act in this way, rather than actually try to contribute. None of us know the guy in "real life" so it's no personal vendetta against him, I think we all just wish he would stop acting like such a complete cockwomble.

team spirit helps, but probably secondary to having the best riders. England reportedly had great team spirit in 1980 (when they won), and rubbish in 81 (when they finished runners up). But was that the factor, or was the main difference that they rode in 81 without Lee and Collins, and with Jessup nowhere near the dominant force he was the year before. I'd tend much more towards the latter... similarly the yanks won in 82, with great team spirit, but doidnt in subsequent years when i'm not sure their team spirit was any worse...they were just missing Penhall (and in subsequent years Siggy as well).

you can live with a bad atmosphere when you have clearly the top 2 riders in the world, plus two others in the top ten, in your team ;-)

Sadly, mine too. There are some posters on here who lose the plot occasionally, and come back after a couple of days to opologise and all is good. Others who could start an argument in an empty room, and wouldn't stop until the walls had agreed with them. Others who are wind up merchants, who spit the dummy now and then and take off to Rome, or go back to their parent's basement to think about their plastic girlfriend in Leicester who ran off with their best mate. Others who are bigots, plain and simple. But all of the above add some kind of value to the forum, and contribute to the place of varied viewpoints it is. Then there is one poster, who could contribute a lot, but instead seems determined to prove that he is not just a cockwomble, but is determined to scale new heights of cockwomblery...

Gustix what part of this post has prompted you to "laugh"? Or are you just determined to be a dick on every thread?

Nielsen was the best rider in the world from 83-89. I don't think he would have won every year under a gp system, but i reckon maybe 5 of those with Eric winning a couple - maybe 84 & 85. He would have lifted himself for GPs.

Thing is, it wasn't even the best trio in the league. The strongest heat leader trio (Penhall, Gundersen, Grahame) backed up by a genuine fourth heat leader and quality second string (Collins and King). Their reserves were as rubbish as Eastbornes. Belle Vue were more classically built, with the 2nd strongest trio in the league (Morton, Ross,Collins) and then two solid second strings and arguably the best reserves in the league. You also had Ipswich and Coventry with similarly strong heat leaders, but much stronger support. Of course the following season Eastborne had an equally weak tail, just without the heat leader trio! Only Woods (along with Courtney the most improved rider in 83?) and to a lesser extent Eskildsten returning scores of any quality.

I think the GP series is EASIER to win if you are the best rider in the world (maybe even top 2) because it reduces elements of luck, or the impact of one bad ride. For anyone else, the one off world final was easier to win, as it required doing just enough to get through qualifying rounds, then 5 good rides on the big night.

Thought it was a vodka bottle?

Because on the other thread, you wondered where i got the notion that you claimed not to be able to identify Ivan Mauger....

But you described yourself as "freelance writer and sub editor". Out of interest, how do you freelance write on a sport without watching it? And how was the 1981 world final was your favourite "after 36 years of watching speedway" if actually you didn't watch speedway at that time?

On the Wimbledon thread, there is a photo of several riders who you claimed not to be able to identify. Amongst them Ivan Mauger, Ronnie Moore...

Agree. But I hope they use the classic 20 heat format or alternatively (perhaps even preferably) points from semi finals and final are added to the score, rider with the most points wins.