teddy2706

I don't want to discount it Vog, Andrew owns that record fair and square and probably will do for a long time to come and I hope it always stands as something riders aspire to better. In any case, if the track is shorter, the times should be faster, but are not by a mile. Certainly, I doubt Andrew's Godden (if that was what he was riding that day) was anything like as powerful as todays GM's, but that is opening another can of worms entirely.

Why do they write so small these days! I look forward to S.S. but if I have a single axe to grind it is that National League speedway pages are shoved to the back. But, they do have interesting interviews with young riders, lovely pieces on past riders and great photographs and offer us insights into the sport that we might not otherwise have. On line articles and forums and news are great, but us geezers like to read a magazine in peace, but how long that can continue is worrying. It does (or did) appear in Tesco's and if this can tempt the odd spectator back who has lapsed from watching live sport, then that has to be good news doesn't it?

I don't know Rob Branford, but I have seen him race lots of times. He never seems to give less than his best. Regarding the U-21, I saw that meeting and I believe he won fair and square and rightly deserved to win. As far as I am concerned, he is worth the admission money to watch, fast, a proper racer who never gives up and seems to have well prepared machinery. What's not to like?

Welcome back to Ryan!

Maybe the motto of the BSPA really is: "We've had your money, now clear off". Certainly being a speedway promoter would appear to be "a great job if it wasn't for the pesky supporters".

I didn't include Adam Ellis because I didn't think he would ride another NL season, sorry, I should have included him. I knew Shane had retired, but so too did Tim Webster.... Two riders not on that list for obvious reasons, who I felt were a great loss to NL speedway are Gary Irving and Jaimie Pickard, both sadly missed.

Without commenting at all on any of these riders competence and abilities, the following list of riders (to the best of my knowledge yesterday) appeared in last seasons final greensheet, but appear not to have signed for any NL club this season. Please correct me if I have made any mistakes or howlers: R. Blacklock T. Govier G. Isherwood A. Kirby S. Woods L. Rumsey A. Baseby N. Stoneman R. Branford R. Franklin T. Fenwick T. Heath J. Knight S. Hazelden S. Waldron T. Young L. Priest S. Tedham Some of these may have retired or are unable to ride or have signed secretly for someone, but I was suprised at the length of the list.

Despite James Easter losing me twice on his tours, I like him. However, I don't much like his views. Speedway riders are not really employees and should not be treated as such, if they were employees, you would have to pay them holiday pay, get sued if they injured themselves at work as well as having to complete RIDDOR procedures and go to prison for Corporate Manslaughter if a rider was killed. You would have to lay them off properly in winter too. Blocking Billy Sanders from negotiating his own pay would certainly be regarded as illegal now if a monopoly or cartel were operating the block and probably was at that time too, either way it stinks. If an employee of one travel firm left to go to another, would James Easter think it reasonable to influence that persons pay elsewhere? Paying to watch a sport entitles me to hold an opinion and excercise the free speech I am entitled to. James Easter can get stuffed if he believes that speedway enthusiasts should be silenced, censored or ignored, people died to win us that right and we have enough with a government that treats us like mushrooms, without James trying it on too. Many of us, in small or larger ways try to support riders and smooth their way financially. I am sure that when James was managing teams, he didn't try to stop that sort of input did he? It seems we can put our hands in our pockets, but our opinions as paying customers are not welcome.

Collected mine from the newsagents on Thursday morning complete with a load of cheek and abuse from my Brummie newsagent who should never have been granted a visa to work in Derbyshire. Some things never change

Can I please have: Gary Irving Luke Crang Tim Webster James Sergeant Ryan Blacklock Tom Woolley Ryan Terry-Daley 39.7 I think? Can I please race at Owlerton or the Island or Hyde rd or Exeter it is a fantasy team after all. I don't really care if they comply to the points limit (although I really, really wanted Rambo in my team too)I would just like to watch these lads tearing round a nice big track.

Obviously you know the city better than I, but Manchester has two teams yet Belle Vue seem to get bums on seats. Surely Utd and Wednesday don't have the same supporter base anyway? Certainly most of us have less disposable income than we enjoyed a few years ago and costs keep rising, but as Scunny1 points out there are many satellite towns around Sheffield. Speedway marketing appears to be sadly lacking nationally to me, it is almost as though promoters believe it to be someone elses responsibility! I wish I had a pound for every time I have been at a meeting and promoters have shouted at us to bring people in with us to boost their gates. The number of people who say 'Oh, do they still have speedway at Stoke then'? always worries me.

Andrew Silver was a delight to watch and still, as far as I am aware, holds the track record at Stoke. Certainly frustrated plenty of us when he visited 'our' tracks and was at his best!

Looks fine to me.

Not a Sheffield supporter, but I have seen some inspiring racing there over the years. It was particularly exciting a few seasons ago when Ashley and Simon were reserves. The car parking has doubled in price, but only gone up a pound! It is a good stadium, good facilities and I will be very sad not to see Neil Machin greeting people at the gate. What utterly baffles me is why a city the size of Sheffield has so few regular supporters. I will be visiting there again this season.

Whilst not a regular spectator at Owlerton, virtually every time I have watched league matches in the last season or so, Gary is sitting by the pit gate watching the racing. Many riders go and talk to him during the meeting, I am fairly sure that they are not asking him about his roses or cactii? So the argument about Gary disturbing riders is cobblers. One thing I do notice though is that Gary always turns away from riders as they are falling. Besides, given the use of an agricultural quad with hand controls, he could be on track whilst training riders, then the wheelchair argument would cease. My mate has been in a wheelchair since a bike accident nearly thirty years ago. I always see him, not the chair and I have ridden and raced bikes without ever thinking about his accident. Wheelchair users are not boogy men to frighten people, simply someone who you need to squat or sit next to when you talk to them, MAN to MAN!

Gosh, so much spite and venom! This really is an unpleasant thread! There are too many riders listed to defend them all, but disliking someone because they have always done well at your home track is a bit serious isn't it? Ivan Mauger? Probably the best rider ever seen. Dave Jessup "mucking about with his bike too much" seems to have stood him in good stead as a tuner and machine examiner doesn't it? Gordon Kennett? Never saw him have a bad race, smooth, fast and fair. Chris Morton? Wonderful racer every time I saw him. Michael Lee, well, I did dislike Mike for the amount of meetings I paid to watch him at, only to find he was lounging about at home. However, anyone who has seen his input in Mildenhall pits with young riders, racing out on the track, checking its condition, then running back to help lads with their set up surely cannot dislike him for that, so much effort, so much commitment. Kenny Carter? Never, ever saw him try less than his best. Kelvin Mullarkey? hated at Long Eaton, but only because he raced his guts out every race, every meeting, every season 110%, brilliant value for money. Moggo? Don't ever criticise him in public in Stoke unless you fancy being horsewhipped,he is held in the highest regard there. Evitts? Another hard rider who never knew when he was beaten, who knew what was going to happen if he was riding? Simmo? Had the ability to beat almost everyone in the world on his day. Maybe you dislike the above riders, but speedway has been richer for everyone of them!

S.S. Reports Tom Woolley has put pen to paper. I am glad about that, I didn't fancy Jayne signing that Wholey bloke whose name keeps appearing on this thread, no-one seemed to have heard of him.

Surely the assumption that tracks will utilise local riders is a flawed argument? Tim Webster was travelling over 250 miles each way to ride for Stoke, Ryan Blacklock ran 170 miles each way to ride Buxton, neither got paid anything like the true cost of the travelling expenses.Liam Carr has a run of around 170 miles too. How far was Robert Lambert's commute to work last season and was he being paid the going rate? ( I think many of us know the answer to that). Simon Lambert will have to travel around 150 miles each way to Kent too. After Newport's ignominious exit, Welsh tracks may be a sad dream but nothing apart from money prevents Edinburgh, Glasgow and even Berwick, Workington and Newcastle running NL teams. Where will the money come from? Apart from sponsors obviously, it needs people to wake up to the fact that NL racing might well be the most exciting league to watch and get down there!

Why hasn't any promoter taken advantage of his experience and given him a position on their staff? Someone told me (although I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the statement) that he had indeed been offered a team manager place, but that he had turned it down. This, less than a week before the SS article. Undoubtedly, given suitable facilities, finances and assistance, Gary would be an immense asset to youth training should he choose to accept such a role? Hence the huge question mark in my mind.

It is a good article, but one that left a huge question mark in my mind.

Stoke and Buxton fans don't like Josh Bates much either, that's because he always rides his guts out and doesn't know when he is beaten. This makes for some spectacular races, if he is on the race card, expect fireworks.

PC, Morty, Kelly and Shawn, Kenny Carter, Donkey, Gordon Kennett, DJ, Ivan Mauger, Alan and Andy Grahame, Preben Erikssen, Erik Gundersen, Jan O, Simmo, Phil Collins, Joe and Tom and for tantrums and hard riding Nigel Crabtree at his best (should that be worst?) Wiggy, Kelvin Mullarkey unless he was riding against Long Eaton! Dennis Sigalos.

A memory I have of Alf that makes me smile; We were on an organised trip to a World Final (cannot remember which, but it wasn't either of the ones that James Easter managed to lose me on) and on the return trip Alf appeared with a massive bag of cigar boxes. He went round us all with a very sad expression and wheedling voice persuading many of us to take a box each through Customs as our duty free entitlement. He was such a good actor, so sad, so humble, a victim of his cigar habit, could we please help? When we cleared Customs in the UK Alf stood anxiously awaiting making sure none of us cleared off home with his prized cigars. At least I hope the boxes contained cigars, how dim I was in those days, they could have contained anything!

It makes old geezers like me very happy, that's why! Plenty of my geezer friends like them too.

Bah! I liked the 4pm start time But I only go a couple of times a year to West Row, so the majority wishes should prevail so long as the chip shop opens earlier too It is excellent to hear of a promotional team who listen to their customers and react positively. Very well done.