OveFundinFan

After reading that twitter link I am very glad I dont do social media.

If Neil Middleditch called fans "retards" then that is a disgrace and deserves a written apology. Think "we" still waiting for an apology from Ward as well - that would be a could sign of contrition

It would be utopia to get the top 16 riders in the GP series, truly wonderful if it would happen. It probably never has, even when it was a one night world championship, you got someone who qualified when they were not rated in the top 16, meaning someone rated in the top 16 didnt qualify, and often it would be more then one. and "today" with it being a GP series, the top 16 would change from track to track as riders will be classed better on certain tracks then others.

True, sommelier, but he must not be offered the privileges. We all have to earn privileges. He can do that by keeping his nose clean for at least a couple years before he can be trusted. I have not heard anyone say that he has twittered that he is sorry for the upset he has caused to speedway in general, his country, his club, his fans (I dont to social medias so I rely on others reporting whats going on). It would be really good to know that he is genuinely sorry for what he has done, only he can do that. That would be a good start, then behaving himself for a reasonable amount of thime, let everyone see that he is truly sorry by being a changed man - then he MIGHT start to be considered for privileges.

I have bought the ticket(s) and booked the b&b for two nights. I certainly would not be happy if Ward gets the wild card, especially as it seems the host country supplies a countryman. There were two regular Brit GP riders last year and it was a Brit took the wild card, so it should be again. and I agree with gbrussell that the Aussie wild card should be a talented Aussie youngster like Mx Fricke. Lets get real, Ward has done a big wrong, he has to take the punishment, not the privileges.

He should not be given ANY gifts, missing key meetings because he has not qualified might, just might, make him think that doing wrong does not pay. It really would be terrible if he got the Cardiff wild card, logic tells me it cant/wont happen. Neither would he get the Aussie wild card, even though its his country.... he has to earn privileges. Likewise 2016 GP's. If Emil says he when he comes back he wants to qualify through riding the qualifiers. If someone who has done nothing wrong thinks that way, then DW should do the same. It would be interesting to know what the other GP riders are thinking. How do they feel about someone one was in a position where DW could have seriously injured them by riding whilst over the limit, gets suspended, then banned, then gets gifted with a wild card, one off or permanent?

Lets ASSUME Darcy gets his suspension turned into a ban.... a 12 month riding ban dated back to the date he was suspended, meaning he can ride again toward the end of 2015, if he wants to. 1) Should he be given the Wild Card no 16 jacket for the 2015 Australian GP ......................................................................................................................... 2) Should he be given one of the four permanent 2016 GP Wild Cards? What do you think?

Not so many years ago, before the internet, none of us would know what was going on at all until an announcement had been made. Maybe that was the best way, then we could have got on with something useful in our lives instead of spending hours on a forum speculating about something we dont really know too much about. and yes, I am as guilty as anyone else of frequenting the forum.

If they did get Madness to do the pre meeting entertainment it could be a case of "Welcome to the house of fun"

They would all be able to cope, there true professionals and they would shine through no matter what era they raced in. Re Peter Craven, I would imagine he would similar to what Emil is today, I would love to know the height of Emil. Peter Craven was 5' 2" if I remember right. All the others would adapt to the latest riding style. Peter Collins would still be just as thrilling, Ivan Mauger would be like Greg Hancock - winning without all the arms and legs flailing style of many others.

Agree with tmc, just putting his name made me fear the worse. I came from the same village as the Morton and Collins family (and others who made it to the speedway tracks), just a few years older then them, and knew the families well.... so the "headline" on its own was'nt good reading for me. I am looking forward to the release of the book, would love to read his story, like I did Chris's book "Until the can ran out" referring to how they used to pool their money together to buy a can full of petrol for the old motorbikes they used to ride round a field on.

Anthoney Jones - a second half rider at Belle Vue in the 60's Probably stood over 6' tall, and just couldnt stay on the bike. Got to the situation where there was a program quiz as to which lap and which bend and whereabouts on that bend he would fall off. Pure entertainment value puts him as my nominee. For racing value it has to be Peter Collins (followed closely by Ove Fundin and Peter Craven)

This thread is now into 272 pages, can it make 300 before THE announcement is made?

Might 4pm be the start of the stadium entertainment? with possibly 5pm race start.

How do I book a place? I thought the new BV met FIM criteria - that was one reason whet stands on one or both of the bends have been taken out of the scheme. Think I am right, but maybe......not

I am with you, GRW123, re Greg Hancock. He is not an Emil, nor a DW, in terms of raw rider excitement BUT he is a thorough professional who has reached the pinnacle of his sport 3 times now and still riding at the top. You only have to relate how many years he has been riding, together with the success he has had, and still having, then relate it to the fact he has had little injury (shame about the incident that was not his fault with NKI) and has a hugh fanbase cause he is a nice fella and you have a true professional in every sense of the word. Like you GRW123 I admire his riding skills even though his riding style is not arms and legs everywhere. Rather similar to Ivan Mauger, though I dont think Mauger was as universally popular. If he does a good gate then it is up to the other three riders to catch and pass. Greg has learned the art of gating and that is'nt an easy art to learn - ask Peter Collins.

NKI's view on the new gardening rules for British Speedway http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/3948/gardening-grief

but it was in the plural.

Split Waterman (1962) with two second place world championships under his belt 1951 and 1953 Lot of history with the Aces.

Equally to the point "you reap what you sow". Which basically means you caused it....now pay for it

If he was at Wembley in 1967 then I was there, but cant remember seeing him..... but there again it was the year Ove Fundin won his 5th WC

I am sure what JC says is correct, for the very reasons stated. Would be ok if they did it within the 2 minute rule, but its ridiculous the amount of time taken. Time to sort it.

Check out the ticket situation before you book transport/hotel.

Seems a lot has been said about that meeting in 1973 in Katowice Heat 19 for instance when the ref deemed Russian Gregory Khinovsky the cause of Plech falling on the back straight last lap when Khinovsky was passing him. Russians withdrew in protest to the refereeing. Apparantly the ref took Plechs word the Russian knocked him off. Peter Collins awarded the win even though he was third at the time of the accident. Plech given 2nd even though not finished the race, and Gordeev given 3rd even though he did not finish either. Plech was the favoured Pole that day but Szczakiel out performed him. Khinovsky, the Russian was on 10 out of four rides at the time of being excluded in heat 19. If he had won that he would have been in a run off with Mauger and Szcakiel. Have you seen the run off between Mauger and Szczakiel? Mauger on the inside of Szczakiel at the start. Mauger was the master of rolling at the start, but Szczakiel out rolled him by a mile. Mauger fell bend 3-4 on the 2nd lap, race not stopped even though Mauger flat out (maybe a dying duck) on the track being attended to. Race not stopped, safety out the window - all done for the crowd so they could cheer on the Pole.

Was Smolinski cheating with that ignition device - or had he found a loophole in the regs that was then closed. Big difference. I remarked in a different thread the other night I was watching You Tube and speedway world finals etc from the 70's and what the likes of Mauger, Olsen and others got away with was ridiculous. Rolling starts was the order of the day, and they got away with it. We all know if you first into the first corner you NOT guaranteed a win, but it sure is a big advantage when you racing someone your equal. It made me think, would these multi world champions still have been multi world champs if they had to sit still at the tapes. I am impressed with todays GP's and the standard of the starts, either they called back if they do a roller, or punished by the tapes going up whilst they going back from the tapes. In that respect I think todays refereeing is good quality. And my previous comments about todays discipline makes the likes of Greg Hancocks starts all the more remarkable and impressive.