TwoMinuteWarning

Graham Reeve started the Under-15's competitions with the internationals against the German lads in 2001, then Peter Oakes started the U-15 Championship last year, and now an U-15 league (no complicated rules please, keep it simple!) Brilliant, and congratulations to everyone involved in this. You see, BSPA, you CAN get things right when you've got the right people involved!

OK, have sent it to your nhs e-mail addy. If I can help on other matches, let me know.

Ken, Italy toured the UK in 1980 and 1981 - not 1979. They rode at Canterbury on both tours. They didn't ride at Ellesmere Port on either tour! Schedule was - 1980 - Canterbury, Mildenhall, Crayford (rained off), Long Eaton, Oxford. 1981 - Canterbury, Wolverhampton, Exeter, Milton Keynes, Oxford. The Birmingham Indoor at the NEC was 1980 (Jan 17,18,19). But they also held meetings in 1984. I can probably give you heat details on any of these meetings - let me know which ones you want.

Not a thing. Would be good to have a website on Irish speedway history (there's a challenge for someone!) Small piece (under D for Dublin) in the "Homes Of British Speedway" book. Track ran 1950, 51, 52, 54. Team known as the Dublin Lizods in 1950.

ANSWERS ... ... though all except nos. 8 and 10 were answered correctly! 1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final? Shawn Moran, as discussed, was disqualified for failing drugs test. FIM failed to move other riders up a place, so there was no 2nd place rider. (Grachan got it first!) 2. When was the starting gate introduced? And at which track? Hand operated : 17 June 1933 at Crystal Palace (cyclone) Electric : 29 March 1934 at West Ham 3. Who said in 1989 "God told me to retire"? And from which team? Jamie Luckhurst, from Edinburgh. A few weeks later, God apparently told Jamie that it was OK to ride for Middlesbrough. (salty) 4. Who is the only rider to have been the subject of TV's "This Is Your Life"? Barry Briggs (sandman) 5. Who was the first rider to be awarded a Testimonial meeting? And when? Eric Boocock 14 July 1974 at Halifax (Tigerblade) 6. Which track had the first Supporters' Club? Wembley, started by Johnnie S Hoskins. Reason for its' success was that it offered discounts on admission prices! (cyclone) 7. Which two British clubs have raced in Russia/Soviet Union? Belle Vue (to Leningrad, 1967,69, & 71) & Exeter (to Togliatti 1996) (cyclone) 8. For which team have Mick Powell, Jack Young, Oyvind Berg, Charlie Monk, and Bruce Cribb all ridden? Scotland! (I did say "team", not "club"...) 9. Which teams' nickname was the Lizods? Chapelizod, Dublin (iris123) 10. When were Tactical Substitutes introduced into league racing? 1955 11. When and what was the last meeting at Wembley? 1981 World Final (sandman) 12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself? John Davis was allocated to Oxford in 1975, but on the day of his debut, a move to Reading was approved. So he guested, in place of himself, for Oxford at Coventry. (Grachan) Interesting about Ted Hubbard, cyclone, any chance of a year? Well done all!

I'll post the answers in a few days. Meanwhile- YTS - errrr ... well .... kinda ....

Some are quite difficult, a couple are much easier... and all questions relate to speedway in the British Isles. 1. Who finished 2nd in the 1990 Odsal World Championship Final? 2. When was the starting gate introduced? And at which track? 3. Who said in 1989 "God told me to retire"? And from which team? 4. Who is the only rider to have been the subject of TV's "This Is Your Life"? 5. Who was the first rider to be awarded a Testimonial meeting? And when? 6. Which track had the first Supporters' Club? 7. Which two British clubs have raced in Russia/Soviet Union? 8. For which team have Mick Powell, Jack Young, Oyvind Berg, Charlie Monk, and Bruce Cribb all ridden? 9. Which teams' nickname was the Lizods? 10. When were Tactical Substitutes introduced into league racing? 11. When and what was the last meeting at Wembley? 12. Who was the Guest Rider in a British League match in the mid-1970's who guested in place of himself? Good luck!

Oh, I love quizzes! Is there a prize??? R/R was introduced on 27 June 1966 (details in Speedway Star issue dated 24 June 1966). It was requested by the Speedway Riders Association, allegedly from an idea by Olle Nygren.

Must admit that when I first went to Odsal, I was totally thrilled with the banking and the speed of the bikes. After a while, though, the actual amount of passing seemed to be less than at other tracks, and I longed for a more conventional track where skill was as important as speed. But then again, maybe that's because I was brought up watching most of my speedway at smaller tracks like Wimbledon, Eastbourne, Poole, Hackney, New Cross, Rye House etc.

There's a few Tesco's in Czech Republic now, too, but I complained that they wouldn't give me points on my Tesco Clubcard

Yes, it was the tracks that spoilt it for me. And it's not just the temporary tracks. Anyone who can bugger up the Bydgoszcz track wants shooting!

If it helps, there is a picture of the medal here: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/intspeedway/scotveng1.htm Brian Collins

Peanuts. What does he have left after 9 lots of hotel bills and flights for himself and mechanics? It's only the sponsorship earned through being in the series that is profitable. And Possletwit knows that. There's only one guy making lots of money out of the GP's, and it ain't the World Champion. It's about time the GP riders got themselves organised.

Should be a great weekend, Jeff ... whenever it is! I hope GB enter the U-21 World Cup - though it's fair to say we are pretty weak at that level at the moment. Prospects are great, though, in 3 or 4 years time.

There is also the Under-21 World Cup next season. 2 semi-finals in Poland (Rybnik) and Denmark. Final at .... PARDUBICE!!!!!! (Yes!) (Which will hopefully tie in with Golden Helmet weekend!)

I see we are gradually returning to the old World Team Cup format then! Already the dangerous 5-man races have been dropped. Now we are getting back to holding different rounds in different countries. If we could just ditch the "They're playing their Joker!" rule ...

Totally agree, shazzy. Best manager GB have had for years. He really knows how to motivate the team. With a little luck and no injuries, it could be our turn to win the World Cup this year. And no, I am NOT a Poole fan!

All due to be announced after next weekend's FIM Autumn Congress in Paris.

Last round of the Mitropa Cup at Ljubljana, Slovenia tomorrow. Can anyone post the results please?

Chris, Sitera rides for Mseno in both the Czech Extra League and 1st League, never heard of him before this season. Very impressive on those big Czech tracks, think he might demolish somewhere like Eastbourne though... Afternoon meeting at Prague just didn't seem to be advertised at all - apart from on the cover of the programme for the evening meeting! Brian Collins

Tomaz, I expected more of Pavlic and Gavenda at this level. Junior 500cc Group A (12 heats + Final) 1. Jurica Pavlic 2 1 2 1 = 6 2.Marco Muller 3 2 2 3 = 10 4TH IN FINAL 3.Matej Kus 1 0 1 2 = 4 4.Przemyslaw Dondela 0 0 1 0 = 1 5.Veroslav Kollert 2 3 1 3 = 9 3RD IN FINAL 6.Sebastian Pydzik 1 1 3 1 = 6 7.Filip Sitera 3 3 3 2 = 11 1ST IN FINAL 8.Zdenek Simota 0 2 3 3 = 8 9.Antonin Galliani 2 3 2 2 = 9 2ND IN FINAL 10.Jaroslav Gavenda 1 1 0 0 = 2 11.Michal Matula 0 0 0 1 = 1 12.Christian Demmel 3 2 0 - = 5 Ht 1: Muller, Pavlic, Kus, Dondela(ret) Ht 2: Sitera, Kollert, Pydzik, Simota(ret) Ht.3: Demmel, Galliani, Gavenda, Matula(f) Ht 4: Galliani, Muller, Pydzik, Kus Ht 5: Sitera, Simota, Gavenda, Matula(ret) Ht 6: Kollert, Demmel, Pavlic, Dondela Ht.7: Simota, Galliani, Dondela, Matula Ht.8: Sitera, Pavlic, Kus, Demmel(f,exc) Ht.9: Pydzik, Muller, Kollert, Gavenda Ht.10: Muller, Sitera, Pavlic, Gavenda Ht.11: Kollert, Kus, Matula(f,rm), Demmel(ns) Ht.12: Simota, Galliani, Pydzik, Dondela FINAL: SITERA, GALLIANI, KOLLERT, MULLER For the record, Junior 500cc Group B Final: Jakub Fabian, Zdenek Suransky, Michael Gregor, Marcel Pierkarski (exc.tapes) Junior 125cc Final (5 riders): Marcel Helfer, Pavel Pucko, Radim Chod, Jaroslav Slavata, Anja Kammermeier. Brian Collins

Actually, there was a also a junior meeting at Prague in the afternoon, so I spent a record 8 hours at the stadium, watching 61 speedway races, plus 17 cinder/grasstrack races on motocross bikes. All for 7 quid admission. Now that's what I call value for money! Brian Collins

2ndBender - this is taken from www.speedwayinfo.hu/index2.html (item dated 2004.09.13) 1. Csehország 28 pont (Czech Republic) Ales Dryml 12 Bohumil Brhel 16 Lukas Dryml 2. Oroszország 20+3 pont (Russia) Semyon Vlasov 0 Sergey Filyushin 5 Renat Gafurov 15+3 3. Lengyelország 20+2 pont (Poland) Rafal Szombierski 9+2 Tomasz Gapinski 5 Robert Kosciecha 6 4. Magyarország 20+0 pont (Hungary) Tihanyi Sándor 13+0 Magosi Norbert 3 Stefáni Attila 4 5. Németország 16 pont (Germany) Mirko Wolter 9 Tobias Kroner 7 6. Szlovénia 12 pont (Slovenia) Izak Santej 7 Denis Stojs 5 7. Ukrajna 9 pont (Ukraine) Sergej Senko 2 Igor Borisenko 7

Rudy Muts actually rode for the Dons from 1977 to 1981. As for Mike Wells .... WHO?????!!!!!! I think you have the name wrong? Unless he was a second-halfer?

Thanks Jeff. We leave Prague Tuesday, so the Tuesday match is out. But just maybe might make the Sunday match at Prague v Pardibice, due at hotel at 7pm - any idea what time the face-off is??? Thanks, and I hope to see you at Pardubice. Brian