spiegal

anyone out in Mother Russia have any ideas when the RUSSIAN LEAGUE fixtures for 2007 will be issued ? Regards

In my youth I can remember Wal riding at Foxhall Heath. he looked from another era, short straight "bars" when everyone was riding the huge Cowby ones. he had very old fashioned equipment and personally looked very much a suave man of the pre war days. He was in fact teh father-in-law of Ron Bagley i believe. Quite a man considering his age to race at even that level.

That's is good thinking Yes we will be travelling out Thursday back Sunday and we will be using Manchester Gatwick and Stansted again. Some surprises in teh brochure

Just to advise you that in 2007 we have changed the format to 2 nights in RIGA (as it was such a beautiful city and so much to see) and then just teh Saturday night in Daugavpils. Trust that answers teh query

Bydgoszcz has been booked out by Poliosh speedway. Sad to advise you that Torun is also booked out due to there being a huge University conferenec with about 3000 delegates. Now that is poor planing by the local.s My man advises me that anything decent within 50 miles has been taken up by the University more than 18 months ago and has nothing to do with speedway. Our tour this year has a 5 star hotel in Poznan and will allow us to do have other meetings on the Sunday Been a real problem to get rooms Me, I am on my way to NZ with Enduro World Championship, just stopping in Bangkok to tour the art gallaries

Official start time in LATVIA is 1900hrs...7,00pm. New technology...they are recording it. Can be cool in the evening...bit like a lady I used to go out with !!

Is there anything that the wholesome Mr Snackette cannot achieve with his toggle attached to his computer ?? Anyhow to those who have been kind enough to say such nice things not only on this forum but also on the old "Dog"...thanks it is greatly appreciated. Latvia approaches with awsome ferocity

On our TRAVEL PLUS TOURS BYDGOSZCZ weekend we are including the meeting at GNIEZNO on teh Sunday afternoon. should be a cracker

Those were indeed amazing days. I knew DANNY LENO..(real name)..who was the main guy at Warner Sports. Worked in opposition with him, but we became great mates, and later shared the TOR LINE ship to Gotheburg.He also worked with a pal..of both of us..called Mike Kay who ran Grey Green coaches. he was an amazing individual and the 3 of us had nights of hilarity and copious amounts of falling down liquid. we wre all very early 30's and a bit crazy. Danny was a real "character" and often forgot to arrange the basics..like Bus transfers...however superb company who knew how to enjoy himself. Tee Mill were also in operation, but sadly never enjoyed anything but very very bad realtions with them. Could tell you some stories, but Reg Thomas (one half of teh team) passed on a few months back, and it would not be ethical to do so. Supporters travelled in their thousands, and never a hint of trouble between different clubs. Lovely people.

My advice,continued..... 2 years ago there were 3 major incidents in the main "bench...standing/ areas" teh worst was when about 20 riot police piled in to sort them out. You wanna take that risk, that my old dear is entirely up to you. You pays your dosh and you takes your chance. The Bydgoszcz club are an honest bunch of people. Send them teh money and you can collect your tickets on the gate. it does work.

Travel Plus tours have up graded our hotel to the very,very lush DIPLOMAT HOTEL. Looking foward to our visit Regards

Dear me people just do not read things carefully The point i was trying to make is the fact that MOOGO is ENTIRELY the type of rider Tesimonials were designed for. he has given immense pleasure wherever he has ridden, a true personality and equally I doubt if he has made a brass shilling out of the game. My diatrade was directed at those who have made vast fortunes and their sole intention of a testimonial was to add to their already vast pile. Now who can think of recent Testimonials where the clubs and supporters were totally ripped off...so let's start with ........

Testimonials were designed as a "thank you " for loyalty and service they were NOt meant for over priced,uncaring,self centred individuals already wealthy who do not really need the money and are just milking the gulible public. Sadly the former are largely ignored whilst teh latter are lauded by those with few brains.

It is frankly rediculous to blame a Team Manager (in advance of the competition,which is even more pointless) for the failings of the whole structure of British Speedway. If you have no structured youth, pre 16 yrs training/development system then you ain't gonna get any riders. Look at teh pathetic efforts we have in place, compared with what teh Poles/Swedes/Danes have. USA still has 50 yr old riders as teh main attraction, with nothing coming through because the flow of youngsters has not been encouraged. Give it 5 yrs and there will be no USA team around. Oaksie is trying his best but if you think the cupboard is bare now, wait another 5 years, and you won't even have the shelves !! Its the typical short term expediency factor again.Youth dvelopment is where majority of the Sky money should have gone. Ok, silly supporters will start advising just how good young so-and-so is,will be, but British Speedway is littered with those who nearly/should have/maybe will some day make it. While the clubs import nameless overseas riders to bolster a League which is already teetering on the verge of collapse, then England (or the silly GB tag) will very quickly become a 3rd rate Speedway nation. Look at the years of solid growth,big clubs,big names, big crowds, big media interest...all at the same time when this country developed their own youngsters. Footie is going the same way, rugby quickly recognised a problem, and so did cricket, both have major English factors, and both sports are now flourishing at grass roots level and both will ina few years have a very strong national team.

Frankly the whole ELITE LEAGUE is continuing to show what a farce it has become and will eventually it will sadly strangle itself through its lack of integrity. While you more overseas riders that home based ones you are always going to find that preference will be given by the star names to those who pay the most..i.i. Poland/Sweden/individual meetings. It is only human nature. Add to that if a "star" rider has a diary full of dates in the coming months, are they going to race each other in a hard/competitive way, when the opponent is probably their colleague in an Polish/Swedish team...of course not. The continuous commuting takes its toll around this time of the year, and those Europeans will always look for an excuse to stay at home rather battle with the queues at airports and our congested roads.....would you ?? This also answers the question why crowds are disappearing fast. Speedway folk are sick and tired supporting teams with guests/replacements/short lived Poles/Swedes/Danes etc. etc who have absolutely no alliegance to their clubs.Every supporter loves to watch a British guy doing well for his club and laterly country. What chance of that now and in the coming 5 years...answer ...none. Face up to it, Speedway is a "job" to the riders, they have little or no interest in who they actually ride for. Put away your "team alliegance" and face reality. This is why the media has little or no time for the mess that is Elite League Speedway today. It has no interest to the media, and it has no future as a sport which can/will attract the A line sponsors. Speedway isn't Mickey Mouse...as Master Mouse makes great money, and the punters flock in. The answer is not easy, and requires courage and far sightedness. That is something British Speedway is not known for. Maybe an Elite League of say 10 fixtures per track....then a National wide 18 team League based mainly on British talent, and let them evolve over the coming 3/4 years. In that way you get a "Team basis" back, you cut costs, you get "Real" team racing, riders who the crowd can indentify with, and latterly an England Team that has evolved through natural progression. But it needs courage, and it needs a Supremo. But there again, what is the alternative?

Having seen all of them, possibly Rickardsson is/was overall the better racer, but Mauger had far more concerted opposition. Mauger at his peak was a very highly professional rider who was very aware of all the mind games. he was light years ahead of his time in his preparation. Of the others probably Fundin was the equal of the current crop, given that he had only 2 bikes one of which was a mare. Briggo was the real racer of the period, but was thoroughly disorganised and at times shambolic, but had more balls than the rest put together. Craven was simply superb, the Kelly Moran with extra speed but without the booze. It is impossible to rate different riders from other eras as conditions are so very variable. But teh real,real worry is that after Nicholls you have less than nothing coming through.He is nowhere near world class, but the best we have, sadly in my opinion he has already reached and passed his peak. Now that is where the Sky money should have gone, into a structured youth/250cc development. I could tell you a storty about Poland circa 1990, when the Aussies went there and hammered them on their tracks. Maybe one day, but it changed their way of thinking and now look at what is coming through. Any sane British Promoter would always go for a young British Rider over a Pole/Czech/Swede etc for many reasons..but think about it, it just tells you that even 5 years down the line there is nothing coming through. Sad but true.

The fact that teh major riders area way in poland should nothing but ADD to the vibrancy,interest and pure excitement of this meeting. I heartily recommend this fixture and the promotion and club who deserve a massive crowd for the their faith in running a good local fixture. Good luck to all concerned JAMES EASTER

I was at teh Satdium last week with the owners working on a new project, but not discussing the possibility of a Track. they are spending about 500k on new grandstands. the track is solid deeply laid tarmac with a figure 8,plus a luxuriant Greyhound track. For the last (hopefully) time...there is sadly less than a snowflakes chance in hell of getting Speedway back at Caister Road. Lovely dreams, but reality should take a higher place in your thoughts. As for Norwich.....well.... Regards

Frankly i would give a great deal to read just what Tony Mc has had to leave out for obvious legal reasons. having said that (half way thorough) the book is an excellent read and well worth the investment. another good'un from the retro stable. Simmo was a legend, he left out the alleged story of the telephone pole. Maybe not have been true but there again with Simmo who knows. Wonder what happened to Bill "I'm from the Esat End...did you know that" Barker. Now Tony mac that would be a book !! Toodle Pip Jimbo

just to let alll those who have called us that we now have (at long last) our stocks of PRAGUE GP Stadium tickets best regards JAMES EASTER

Think that you will find it extremely difficult to obtain a GUARANTEED room for the GP weekend. The whole City is booked out due to the GP and a major convention being held over the longer weekend. We had dreadful problems obtaining beds and i am lead to believe that there is vast overbooking in some hotels. Still ya pays ya money and you takes your chances. Regards

Can anyone out in cyber space land help me with HUNGARY fixtures please ? i am advised by my contact in MAGYAR that DEBRECHEN have a big Individual meeting on Sunday 20th august 2006. can anyone confirm this please and with any details. thanks again JAMES

Many apologies but we are snowed under with bookings this time of year. times ex Manchester will be 1005 to Budapest arriving 1355. Return from Prague will be 1955...arrive back 2120 Tour full...Latvia has 1 room left

Hopefully ther will not be too many grizzles at this posting as possibly it may help a bit. This is a summary on how the tours are going. We are already full for ASSEN and WROCLAW, 2 places left on the 4 cities,LATIVA almost full,BYDGOSZCZ 60% full with STANSTED now operating via POZNAN because of lousy BYDGOSZCZ flight times.Most tours are 50% + full Australia. we asked for names starting in MARCH. We already have 62 names before the requested date. However don't worry as usually 20% drop off due to various circumstances.We do expect however to be full but everything depends on what Aussie has to offer for fixtures. TOUR MANAGERS. i am looking for extra help this year and 2007. If there is anyone out there who may be interested then contact me in writing.Must be over 25, sensible,with ooodles of personality, responsible, and above all honest. Full training is always given. 3 of our Managers have graduated through teh system in past 4 years and are now very much top line Tour managers. So forgive this, it is not a plug, just some news. ps Hope Tony Svaab keeps improving. very nice guy,lovely family. JAMES EASTER