DW

Or more likely Steve Boxall and R/R......

Presumably you havent read the e-mail or you wouldve noticed that the promotion have said that they are NOT looking for any donations so no begging bowl needed. They have just said how many they need based on their budget to break even. I suspect they went with 745 to have a competitive team. I'm sure they looked at basing it at 583 but since some people have said that the team we have just now is poor, imagine their reaction if it had been with say Joe Screen replaced by a 6.5 pointer!!!

Before the promotion get more flack for not doing something yesterday and not telling us, thought I would paste one of the requirements for a work permit. Quite how O'malley got one last year is a mystery, would say most of the Aussies would fail under two of the requirements: "Endorsement of the applicant by the sport's governing body In order for a Certificate of Sponsorship to be issued in the Tier 2 Sports People Category, the sponsor will need to have an endorsement for the applicant from the appropriate governing body for his or her sport. The endorsement will confirm that: The player or coach is internationally established at the highest level The player or coach will make a significant contribution to the development of his or her sport at the highest level in the UK The post could not be filled by a suitable settled worker" so we have to wait on presumably the BSPA making recommendations, although I cant see any of them passing the first one and there are a few UK riders still without team spots!!!

Tully has probably made the right decision for his career, he probably needs a track like berwick, Worky or Sheffield.I suspect Newcastle or redcar is more likely though

We cant race on a Sunday after 6.30 due to planning permission.

Glasgow had a couple of Sundays off as we were the last club to have a rain off, as we had nothing to put in the reserved spots as nobody wanted to bring their fixture forward. I would just load as many matches in as possible but leave blanks for the KOC

Strange how Len Silver can call a meeting off the day before and nothing is said, yet a BSPA official, let's not forget, calls it off in the middle of a monsoon and its a conspiracy!!! Logically it would make no sense either!!!

By the looks of things it was Mudgway or a NL rider not in the NLRC. He cant be any worse than his last visit there for us

Cant see Scunthorpe winning this again.Edinburgh are possibly favourites to win the group with their returning riders although I think they missed Tabaka more than Cook. Scunny outscored the home reserves 17-2 last time out, if Tabaka is fit he'll score more than that. Cook will add a few more than Grieves did but even a 15pt score last time wouldnt have won it for the home side. Cant see Doolan getting near Jorgensen's last total although Morris will outscore Wolbert. Birks and Palm Toft will have to repeat their previous scores to give them a chance.

Can't see us even getting a point out of this. Good choice of guests, all have rode well there recently and Bunyan will clean up at reserve. Our team slightly stronger than the one that came close in the LC but no Joe cancels out any effect Henning may make.

Looks like Sitera's been given the boot in favour of James McBain. Certainly doesnt make us any weaker

Your not kidding about the choice of guests on Friday, if Joe's not fit. Rye House, Newcastle and Sheffield are our choices as Ipswich and Leicester are ruled out due to 8 day rule or 192 hour rule or whatever!! Stuart Robson looks like the only choice. Edinburgh can use Ipswich or Leicester so they have more choice. Rye also need somebody although if I were them I would go for James Grieves

McBain gave us enough bother when he rode for Rye last month, I suspect that's why!!

Monarchs didnt have much of a choice. Redcar had a few but they were there last week. Ipswich are at Glasgow. Nick Morris was another choice but Newcastle hasn't always been a happyi hnunting ground.

Bobby K might do ok, he never looked at home at Ashfield. Don't know if he's ever ridden at Plymouth though.

Bobby K might do ok, he never looked at home at Ashfield. Don't know if he's ever ridden at Plymouth though.

Should add an extra edge to our cup tie although its made it harder also.

My first was in 1978, Olsen beating Collins to win it. Other memories are surprise wins for John Louis and Les Collins in 79 and 80 respectively and Kenny Carter stopping in one heat as he thought he saw a red light(1980 again), Scottish Junior League winners being presented with their league winners medals and firework displays after Stuart Bamforth took over

Morris ain't going to be cheap as Glasgow I reckon will be looking for a 5 figure sum, if he's not going EL

Glasgow were the second team to declare last season and Pijper wasn't an EL dropout, his average was low after a brief spell with Mildenhall. Didn't do them any harm!! Ipswich showed that signing EL riders doesn't guarantee anything. Rye always seem to do better than the team looks on paper so an improvement from Nelson might be the catalyst like it was with Morris at Glasgow

Enough about the Old Firm, what about the speedway!!

Wasn't Bird last in the SF in 2006?

I'm sure the Ipswich test match is on You Tube. Didn't he fail to turn up at a match at Sheffield(?) in 1985 or 86 while riding for KL and was sacked by Martin Rodgers? Unfortunately it wasn't the first time that had happened. Re tape touching in 1984, that was the first year they tried it but if I remember correctly it wasn't always an automatic exclusion, hence the controversy at the test match

Going by the photographs of Gollob and Crump in the last 2 years it looks like they have different trophies but not sure if there is a further trophy presented every year

I can only assume that because almost everyone in the team was programmed to take 4 rides then that was the minimum requirement for a maximum( I think it was 6 riders in the old 13ht format and then 5 once it changed circa 1968). Of course nowadays everyone has 4 programmed rides so a minimum of 4 still makes sense.