Jeff.

Don't know. Wouldn't argue with the other three (although Nicholls must be on thin ice) but Harris certainly is a surprise

QUOTE (Rob B @ Nov 6 2008, 09:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Had an email from seetickets today saying that have been struggling to refund to my card and I need to contact them, don't know why there would be a problem but will ring them tomorrow. Once had a similar problem with a cancelled hotel booking. They could not get the refund back on my UK credit card, had to have the amount refunded into my Spanish bank account. Never did find out the problem though

Nobody has let anyone down, refunds were promised for around about now and for certain you will get what was promised.

No Ove Fundin's comments are merely his opinion and it is no more valid than anyone elses opinion

There have been 14 seasons of GPs with 7 different champions. In the period 1950 to 1963 there were 6 different champions In the period 1960 to 1973 there were 7 different champions In the period 1970 to 1983 there were 8 different champions Hancock has been contesting every season, 14 of them, you would like to see a change? Mauger raced in every final from 1966?(1965) to 1979, 14 or more, did you want a change then Briggs managed more, Fundin at least the same. Were you bored of their prescence. The World Championship, in whatever format should be contested by the best 16, whoever they are. The GP system, by and large, ensures that The sport has always gone in cycles, today is no different

I always like that one, usually it is accompanied with "for our entertainment". It is of course complete crap, any risk a rider takes is done for his own personal gain, it is not for the public, his promoter, team manager etc, they do it because they want to make a tidy living and entertaining the public rates a big zero in any riders list of priorities

Peter Collins' best years were 1973 to 1977, altough still right at the top of the averages he wasn't the same PC in the years 1978 to 1980, maybe just because he had learned to gate a bit by then. Right at the end of 1980 in the KO Cup at Cradley he badly damaged his left shoulder/arm and announced his retirement from the sport. Coming back at the end of 1981 he was an 8 point plus man gradually declining to only 6+ before retiring for good at the end of 86 As regards world finals, 1978 was the sugar in the tank year at the British Final and he didn't make Wembley, 1979 at Katowice he went int the meeting as favourite but flopped badly, similar story in 1980, top of the national averages but a poor world final. In 1981 he was barred from competing in the World Title chase, but was back in 1982 at LA were but for leading the infamous heat 14 for 3 laps he had a pretty miserable final. That was it as far as speedway individual finals went although he was still a contender on the long tracks for another 5 or so years

I know, I could never understand how Hans Nielsen wasn't bothered about winning world finals, take 1994, jees how far in front of Rickardsson was he before he realized it wasn't a credible championship and simply let him past. Malcolm Simmons did the same in 1976 simply letting PC ride past him (in a move very very similar to Harris' move on Hancock actually) if he was in the least bit bothered about winning he would simply have stuffed Collins' up the fence. Now this is the point were I insert the imaginary "everyone I have spoken to about these incidents agrees with me" line. It turns an otherwise load of old cobblers into absolute fact, even better if they are "non speedway people"

I have a sneaky suspicion that it does, who of the top 8 will that leave in the Elite League, Adams & AJ.

And it is entire possible, though unlikely, for any one of those last four races to be contested by four unbeaten riders

Apologies for quoting, and agreeing with, myself, its just the first sentence is particularly apt in view of Crumps decision to abandon ship

The World Team Cups of 1976 and 1982 at White City are testament to that. The 1976 final when speedway, was at its most popular, was played out in a near deserted stadium because England failed to qualify

Well that list looks impessive. Which final did Penhall face, Jan O Pedersen in or Wigg or Tatum or Moran or Ermolenko etc. Dont recall the final were Carter faced Jan O or Per Jonsson. All you have done is taken a list of names from a period of about 15 years and lumped them as one big World Final field You could make a similar list of GP riders from over a similar period Nielsen, Knudsen, Wigg, Ermolenko, Nilsen, Rickardsson, Hamill, Hancock, Gollob, Crump, Pedersen, Adams, Sullivan, Loram, Havelock, Andy Smith etc. OK I am joking on the last one

Ah right so if at first you dont succeed, give up. Fortunately the world is full of people with ambition to make things work, not give in at the first sign of difficulty

No there are a few missing ones, I have no official attendances for those unfortunately but it is safe to assume 1972 was one of the better attended finals probably 80,000 plus

I too don't recall 72, but that is what happened in 1981, it went out about 11.30PM the same night

No, they are a registered charity who only bought the rights to a failing product as a service to British Speedway. Like most business' they don't seek to make a single penny from their activities.!!!!!!!!!! Like "the know" said, you really haven't got a clue have you

1957 50,000 1958 61,000 1962 62,000 1965 70,000 1967 75,000 1969 75,000 1975 85,000 1978 92,000 1981 72,000 pre 1957 there were crowds in the 80,000s and the odd 90,000

You are quite right and the early post war years saw a similar boom up and down the country, that boom continued with, like I said, the first 2 or 3 post war finals being the best attended. Sadly the mid to late fifties saw a decline in attendances all round. This decline continued until the formation of the British League in 1965, giving rise to probably the best 15 years in the sports history, others may disagree.

But you don't really think that was what I said do you, if you do then it's not worth trying to explain

To tell the truth I don't know why it is there, I presume someone must have beat me to the name and I added the .

I must have forgotten about that!!!!! How about a truce, we will just agree to differ on the merits of the GP

Well of course expense was a big factor but you also got other issues. Take 1976, that World Final had Anders Michanek as track reserve, world champ only two years earlier. Now without adding to the debate about the continentals, if one of those couldn't take his place in a heat then he would be replaced by Mich. As such 12 riders scores reflected meeting a rider of a given standard, probably quite poor, and three others reflected meeting a far superior rider, hardly fair. Remember Mauger being loathe to take on the track reserve in Poland in 1970, he persuaded an unfit Trevor Hedge to take his place in the line up.