RobMcCaffery

You forget, if Poole say black is white, it's white!

Looks like the 2018 Elite League.....

You clean it up.

Lord knows why. Oh yes, we're all jealous.

Someone at the Herald Express needs to to talk to someone at the Swindon Advertiser. Interesting to see GI referred to as a property developer, not a stadium management company. Times change, eh? Has nobody down there realised they're only interested in redeveloping the land?

They obviously miss racing on certain British tracks......

Why, does it work? I have a good friend who is a building surveyor and very experienced in planning matters. It's best to fit ear plugs before using the word 'architect' in front of him.

Yes, let's do away with H&S and all do-gooders. Let's let people die at work and let their kids ruin everyone else's peace so they can have their fun. There's a simple reason why this can happen in Poland but not here and it's got sod all to do with H&S - it's all about money.

GI's reputation has been a subject of debate for some years. There are at least two planning experts contributing to this discussion. No, I'm not one, but I do know how to read documents. Of course 'homework' will have been done, but that does not necessarily mean that there is a genuine will to actually build the stadium. GI have a disturbing record of failed promises which is why people MUST be vigilant this time around before Swindon Robins go the same way as Reading Racers.

It's all reminiscent of the 1978 British Final scandal when Peter Collins found, after being eliminated from the World Championship that someone had put sugar in his fuel tank.

First up, Sunderland mainly ran on Sundays in the Silver period. He would also employ local managers. In 1973 when he took on Crewe on behalf of AP after Maury Littlechild's death he installed Peter Thorogood as the public face of Rayleigh. Re the BSPA not allowing 'doubling-up', on the contrary, multiple-track promoters were very commonplace in those days. Silver ran Hackney from the mid-60s to 1983 but also various tracks in the second division/National League - Rayleigh, Sunderland, Rye House, Crayford, Crewe and Weymouth, for varying lengths of time. In those days there was a consortium of promoters who traded under the name "Allied Presentations", including Silver, Danny Dunton, Maury Littlechild Ron Wilson and Reg Fearman so Silver's tracks and the likes of Oxford, Peterborough, Leicester, Middlesbrough, King's Lynn, Crewe and Reading, plus briefly Newcastle were closely inter-linked. Often, behind the scenes one of the AP members would be a director of a track without ever being publicly associated with it. For example in the early days of Rye House Rockets Reg Fearman was a director although Silver was in charge. Likewise Silver was closely involved ion the building of Smallmead. Sunderland had various promoters in its existence, from Mike Parker during the abortive 1964 season, through Silver in 1971 and 72 then the Taylor family in 1973. I think part of the final 1974 season the last-mentioned sold it on to local promoters. Back in the early days of Division 2/NNL/NL in fact it was rare for a D2 track not to be at least part owned by a D1 track. Often ownerships were hidden - it was decided by the Hoskins family that it was perhaps best not to let on that the Edinburgh, later Coatbridge promotion actually controlled Glasgow too! Of course the whole story is further complicated by the use of front men to manage the business publicly while someone like Mike Parker actually had the real control. You of course can be a licensed promoter without having any significant financial stake. Silver has a great record in the sport but one fault is that he holds onto a venture too long, as seen now on two occasions at Rye House. The people he surrounds himself with can make you regret ever having heard of speedway though.

Wait until the regular editor gets back from his holiday (He was booked in for 15 nights but decided to come home after 12, apparently)

Round objects. I do believe there was a case where one persistent offender kept boring the pants off everyone by constantly, to the point of obsessively, banging on about one person involved in media coverage of the sport. The offender eventually disappeared only to come back with an even sillier false name in order to whinge that they weren't allowed to criticise. So I'm told. Seems a little unlikely that anyone could be so desperately sad so obviously can't be true.

Many thanks for the explanation, especially regarding next week. That brings back memories of when the Screen Sport speedway team also diversified into darts in the 80s. What with having worked in ice hockey too the original presenter was worried in case Dave Lanning thought he was being stalked - obviously at a much lower level though! (TV Timers weren't interested though ). I hope we get an even run up to the play-offs.

Money talks.

Well, there they are, out on track. They'd have given up over here. Let's hope for a good one.

Looks like another Swedish track recovery job, sadly.

That was a rather vague ending from Pearson last night with no mention of when the next match will be shown on Sky, which it appears will not now be until August. Obviously the SWC enforces a break from the 23rd to 30th of July but it's a shame that there's nothing scheduled for next week in view of that enforced gap. It would have been reassuring to hear a message along the lines of "We'll back in early August" or even a date, even if the match could not be confirmed, just as a reassurance. No doubt flagrag can pass on his expert advice, as much as commercial confidentiality will allow. It seems that the EL, SGP and Sky coverage are fated to have large gaps in the schedule, with occasional gluts. It's all rather unstable though. I suppose it's all rather fitting. Anyway, it'll be good to hear the August schedule as the regular league schedule meets its premature climax to allow for the play-offs.

Once they're gone, they're gone. I'd be delighted to watch abject home defeats week after week if only I had my track and team back. As many at Coventry are in grave danger of finding out this year, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Aren't we allowed to watch meetings on TV AND go to meetings? Is there some obscure law that I'm not aware of?

It's not his opinion that counts though, is it? He'll carry on making his mistakes until one day he'll wake up and realise. Over far too many years I've heard and seen many people in speedway wonder why it doesn't get the media coverage and sponsorship that they think it deserves. Then when they are given a small example of why this is so they just shrug it off, sneer, ridicule, and carry on wondering. Swearing isn't a big problem in workplaces, pubs and many other places - it's part of the world. However it's not acceptable in sport on p.a. systems or radio or T.V. Whether you like it or not, or ignorantly ridicule those who point this out, it is the truth and speedway has to recognise in particular that broadcasters have certain standards, whether or not you agree or share those standards. When a TV presenter apologises for bad language I very much doubt it's because his tender feelings are hurt, but because it's his employer's policy. Too often speedway takes the view "We'll do it our way and to hell with you". That's small-minded thinking and a huge symptom of why the sport is a shunned minority sport, viewed as a joke by many outside it. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, you have to play by the other guy's rules.

13 points for GB in some obscure SWC event at some hick country track last year and a consistent entertainer and scorer in the EL. Do you only watch GPs? Yes he's not performing in the GPs (Neither is a certain Niels Kristian Iversen by the way). but laughing stock? I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.

Please don't judge others by your own low standards. It's not a matter of a sheltered life - it's cringing at seeing the World Champion behaving like an ignorant brat on a mic.

I'm just hoping he'll see sense after a while. Many musicians, later in life, talk about how success went to their heads and how they were impossible until they realised how stupid they'd been. They weren't teenagers at the time. A bit of fame can do a lot of damage. Plenty of sportsmen and women interviewed when pumped full of adrenaline manage to keep their dignity and avoid swearing. I don't sit in judgement, I'm just concerned that he is at risk of blowing his own reputation and that of the sport with people of influence and could help the sport but will be repelled by such stupidity. Yes, swearing is everywhere, but there are times when it's boneheaded to use it, especially if it offends sponsors - well those that aren't selling that ignorant lifestyle. I want the World Champion to represent the sport in a positive light. Okay plenty others can't be bothered. They tend not to be the people with influence who can help the sport though. It just comes down to showing a little class and dignity.

I'm sure riding on their home track was no help at all, after all there's no such thing as home track advantage in speedway Of course they would probably have won on a neutral track given the quality of the two riders but it will always take the gloss off any home win in a national championship.

It's interesting how the promotion with what I would expect is the largest asset list in the country is arguing for a squad system.