False dawn

Are you serious? I can easily believe Fraser Bowes, but surely Jason hasn't ridden for 7 years. And didn't he retire due to issues with his back?

Bavarian.....I assume this was a quote by someone else? Anyone who thinks these two test matches will be "friendly" affairs, knows nothing about the history of speedway between Australia and GB (or any sport for that matter). I expect hard fought meetings with a lot of pride at stake. No doubt they'll all have a tinny or three in the bar afterwards, but on track I don't think they'll be any quarter given. If our youngsters aren't briefed on the subject in advance, they'll know better in the second meeting on Saturday. And for me, that's what this is all about. Blooding some up-and-coming talent and gaining some real experience when the only thing at stake is national pride. National pride? What's that? I think we might have just begun to forget that concept in the British speedway world. I hope for a safe two days (for all riders on display) but Come on GB. Let's surprise a few people.

Are you suggesting the ancient Egyptians had a flutter on trap 6? Greyhounds weren't bred for racing, they are hunting dogs. If you want a slightly different perspective on the treatment of racing greyhounds, I would suggest the following: Spend about 30 seconds researching the subject. Find someone who owns a pet greyhound (ex racer or otherwise) and spend a few hours with the dog. A more gentle creature does not exist on God's Earth.

Isn't that 2 miles from the NSS?

Sounds like a plan. Aren't there any restrictions on this car park that would prevent speedway fans parking there?

The predictions aren't what make me smile, it's the "Ifs and buts" people put along side them. I'm reminded of a saying my old boss used to say, "If my auntie had b*lls, she'd be my uncle". I think I'll keep my coat on this time

I guess I never really thought it would happen, but I'm sentimental enough to have hoped. Perhaps he'll sign for Peterborough

Oh, there are loads of folks on here that can tell you exactly who is going to make the playoffs and who's going to win the league. If pressed, they'll tell you the team scores in both legs of the final. Us normal mortals might as well hibernate for the summer and read about in the Star come November. Now let's see who takes that seriously?

Wouldn't it be a bit of fun if we could formalise this prediction process. For example, we all predict our 1 to 7 for the League. Then come October we "measure" who's prediction is the best. Sounds like a job for Racers-and-Royals to me!

Yes but...... Like all these things it's very hard to be black or white in the final judgement. For example. I'm a Bees fan. Our "home", since 1928, is still there in Brandon. The stadium, the track, everything. Granted it would take a deal of time, effort and money to restore it to working order but there are some splendid folks working tremendously hard to get us the right to race there again. Which category do we fall into?

And what else are we going to do between October and March?

There is the Chunnel. I don't think they're going to fill it in now we've (nearly) left the EU. Alright. I'll get my coat (again).

Oh boy. This is twice this week that I've broken the unwritten rule (one of mine at least), that you don't quote your own posts. Are Edinburgh/Armadale going to sign one or two riders to ride for their newly launched team, some time soon?

Get your coat

Fellow posters. It would be remiss of me not to point out what RobMcCaffery has said earlier in this thread. I, like many other posters, dislike what the BSPA has decided to do in preventing a nomad Reading team from entering the NDL. However, there are other factors. It's only 4 pages. Read the full thread.

Come on Rob. I got out of line. You showed me the error of my ways. I apologised. I was amused, here, that people started saying almost the exactly same things I had, and the conversation seemed to be rerunning itself. No comment about your response. I had already acknowledged your better knowledge on this subject.

As Tai (and many others) have a habit of saying these days, "It is what it is". That is, the meeting is going to be there, on that date. We have a choice to go or not. P.S. it's dawn, the time of day, not Dawn. I'm a bloke!

I (along with many others) have expressed serious misgivings about running this meeting at Leicester and running it on the Cardiff weekend. However, let's take a more positive view of this decision by the powers-that-be. We're not really likely to get the decision reversed or modified are we? I regained my real fanaticism of the sport last year which had taken a real hit after the temporary closure of Brandon at the end of the 2016 season. I adopted Leicester as my home track and set about supporting the Lions and the Lion Cubs with renewed vigour. I hardly missed a home fixture all year. So as well as 50 years of watching speedway and the time at Beaumont Park last year, I think I can make some informed comments. Having the fours at Leicester will mean the 60 (?) riders having very little pit space. It will mean the fans being jolly careful where they park their cars. And if we turn up in numbers it will probably be as cozy as the 90 odd thousand fans were at Wembley for the 1981 World final. However, the meeting itself i.e. the on track action, could well be an enjoyable spectacle. And as speedway racing fans isn't that what really matters?

This discussion is like flares. If you wait long enough they'll come round again.

Except those that haven't been granted entry, e.g. Reading presumably

You have had a thought haven't you? Can't see the powers that be changing the plans for this year, but there is a large slice of sense in your suggestion.

Never a dull moment when Roman was about. RIP

I heard they'd signed Anders Michanek, Dag Lövaas and Bernie Leigh as their heat leaders before the BSPA refused them entry into the league.

Just to report that I've just booked two pairs of tickets successfully. Print at home links sent via email and I've printed them. There was someone who said they had problems getting their tickets was there not? Could it be that the important email to print at home went to their spam box? A question. I've been to the NSS twice and have street parked both times. But for such a meeting as this, are their other options? I assume you can't book car parking at the stadium (?). But are there better options to parking at the stadium?

I remember reading some years ago an article about Billy Hamill. This was in his days at Brandon so was probably 2002-3. From memory, he had a plan to set up equipment on the centre green which I assume was "talking" to a transponder on his bike. The idea was that, in practice, he could measure his speed at all points on the circuit such that he could then determine his performance throughout the lap. Having measured many laps and experimenting with different lines etc. he could then determine the optimum way to ride the circuit. I wish I could tell you the end of the story, but I never heard anymore about it. Sounds like a good plan though, eh? And that was getting on for 20 years ago.