Parsloes 1928 nearly

I've got a VERY good woman thank u very much Mind you, when it comes to the alcohol, she does tend to drink it all...!!!!

Having been looking at the situation with this year's title race at U-15 level it strikes me that the current system is rather unfair if your birthday happens to fall in the middle of the season (which must apply to quite a lot of potential challengers...). I'll use Marc Owen as an example. Marc was 13 when this season started and so wasn't entitled to enter the 500cc championship (something which wasn't in the past denied to the likes of Josh Auty....). As soon as Marc got to 14 he was able to enter and he immediately won the first round he was eligible to compete in. I would not be at all surprised if he wins the final Round at Buxton too; but clearly, even two wins out of two won't be enough to win the title overall having missed the first two rounds... Next year, sure, he can compete from the start ;but as soon as he turns 15, it's a near-certainity that he'll then be fully employed riding in the Conference (please God, with Sittingbourne!!). A not dis-similar scenario affected Brendan Johnson, who was IMHO the star of his particular 'generation', destined surely to be GB champ; but saw, in the end, hardly any window of opportunity to compete for the U-15 title in his vital final season at that level.. My solution would be change the championship to Under 16s at 500cc level... That way, 14s and under get the 250cc title to occupy them; but when they turn 14 they've a good full two years to compete at the 500cc level. This will be good for youth development and for the championship as a whole. I think the championship was at its strongest when Josh Auty won it twice in a row and was followed as champ by Joe Haines. These were multi-round, season-long championships and that's something an U-16 title could return to... What do others think..??

Just to bring this back to the top...: anyone notice that in the 500cc class SIX of the current top eight have names beginning with 'J'..!! There's two 'Jacks', a James, a Joseph, one John and a Jason!!

Hi Bob. See the following for the definitive current position. http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...p;#entry1321291 Am also not 100% clear how the final totals are determined but the rule book (details earlier provided by our friend from Weymouth...) suggests indeed that it'll be a total of THREE rounds with a rider's lowest score (that's if he competes in 4 rounds..) being ditched. Hence the indicative position I hope I'm showing correctly (but my maths is pants.. ) on the other posting!!

The following are the total scores and current total aggregate positions after three rounds of this year's U-15 championships. These were kindly provided to me by # Name Removed # and so are official. The figure in red is my (unofficial) calculation of the position if one deducts the lowest score from the three (which is I understand how the eventual total will be decided). The figure in red therefore gives just an indicative position of how the lads go into Round Four next month... As you can see, all up for grabs at Hi Edge on 11/10!! Round One Stoke Round Two Northside Round Three Weymouth Round Four Buxton 500cc class Jason GARRITY 14 16 14 44 1st 30 John RESCH 18 14 11 43 2nd 32 James SARJEANT 11 18 12 41 3rd 30 Joseph JACOBS 12 10 16 38 4th 28 Cameron HOSKINS 9 11 8 28 5th 20 Scott DAY 6 8 10 24 6th 18 Jack HIRST 8 12 dnr 20 7th 20 Jack BUTLER10 dnr 9 19 8th 19 Marc OWEN dnr dnr 18 18 9th 18 Daniel GREENWOOD16 dnr dnr 16 10th 16 Scott GIBBONS dnr 9 7 16 11th 16 Ashley MORRIS 7 dnr dnr 7 12th 7 250cc class Nathan STONEMAN 18 16 12 46 1st 34 Conor DWYER 16 12 11 39 2nd 30 Rhys NAYLOR dnr 18 16 34 3rd= 34 Lloyd BARRETT 14 10 10 34 3rd= 24 Jack CORNES 11 14 9 34 3rd= 25 Ben MORLEY 9 dnr 18 27 6th 27 Daniel I'anson 10 11 dnr 21 7th 21 Daniel SIBSON 8 9 dnr 17 8th 17 Brandon FREEMANTLE dnr dnr14 14 9th 14 Marc OWEN 12 dnr dnr 12 10th 12 Tyler GOVIER dnr dnr 8 8 11th 8 Many thanx to Crouch for providing this info. Edited to correct to Brandon Freemantle. Sorry for getting name wrong before!!

Well done Marc!!! Can anyone supply an update on how the 500cc championship stands overall after all three rounds..? This was, of course, Marc's first appearance (in the 500cc class).. The title's decided on the aggregate of one's best THREE Rounds (at least that's the case if, as I'm assuming, Round Four at Buxton will be the last round!?) - so am wondering if Marc can still win the title with a win up at Hi Edge; or if the fact he missed the first two rounds (due to being too young) will mean that's not mathematically possible..??

With all due respect, surely the CLRC is a far bigger draw than a fairly inconsequential PL match..??!!

It was a figure of speech lads!! I do won't be imbiding as am driving..: but will be good to meet up. Tea, Vicar..??!!!

Well yes, but IF Reading were to reach the Final (bearing in mind that it takes two teams to arrange a Final) would there not then be a chance of this not being able to be arranged by or for October 12th...?? That's early if you say that the Young Shield can't start until the beginning of October.. Indeed, if we go by that there actually wouldn't be space for a Final at Smallmead BEFORE the End of Era meeting..

You've lost me here...: what comments on this thread have you been reading...!!!!! I'm sorry that some younger people who never saw a World Final think that the GPs are better. No proper assessment of all of the pros and cons could possibly find in favour of the GPs. There is literally ZERO excitement approaching the climax of this year's World Championship.. That would never have been the case with a one-off World Final. Call me old-fashioned but where would sport be without excitement. Dying on its ar*e, just like the once-proud World Speedway Championship!!

I thought that was likely...: in that case, HE can buy the beers!!!

There does seem a big gap between the last programmed meeting (the Sidecars on 15/9) and this big final meeting event (with just, what, one Young Shield match to arrange..); and as you said before, 19/10 is risking it somewhat with the weather.. Any idea why this meeting isn't to be staged a little earlier in October..??

Beers together for me, you and MM then next Weds, Phil...

Hope to see you there. MM!!

Many thanx!!

See http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...p;#entry1318556

Thanx WW..: 4pm seems good as, as you say, the Neil Collins meeting is over at Loomer Rd. that evening..... Also you've effectively answered two of my other Qs in your posting about the preceding round at your place: :approve: Good luck to Marc on his championship debut in the 500cc class. A couple of other Qs.. Is the final round a 'double points' effort or merely the last round in the series with a cumulative winner decided over all rounds... And just as a matter of interest, how does a field of eleven actually work out logistically..? Would've thought that you'd need 12 in which case why not 'promote' Rhys into the main field..??

Fantastic news! Well done to all involved in organising this...: hope I can get up to this one..

Your copy will be drier than mine then...: my meetying programme being rendered a soggy mess of pulp in the torrential Gothenberg rain...!!!! I never knew it was shown on both Grandstand AND WoS

Just a start time would please me..???!!!!

Not so much of the "old timers"!! The 1972 World Speedway Final at Wembley (when, incidentally, I was 12!! ) was shown live on prime time ITV on a Saturday night..!!! A slot that now would only ever be sacrificed from the stable diet of X-Factor type shows for a very important Football match..: would have to be World Cup or European Championship. So, yes, the answer to your implied question is that the Speedway World Final had a MUCH higher profile than the GP nonsense..!!!

Could it be Sid King as in the Texan Rockabilly legendary band, Sid King and the Five Strings, who recorded the mid-'50s classics: "Sag, Drag and Fall" (which HAD to be about Speedway!!) and the ode to West Row: "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" ?

1973 was after Plechanov's time (though perhaps he was Team Manager..?? ) I reckon the badge collector may have been Victor Trofimov, coz I swapped badges with him after the 1976 WTC Final at White City and he was clearly very keen on giving out USSR badges for British Speedway ones. I still have the badges he gave me and he remains my all-time fav. Eastern European rider..!!

But Speedway is an entirely different sport! Come on JH, you're an old timer (and legendary for your old timer ways... ): I can't believe you don't hanker for those peerless nights at Wembley. I've been privileged to attend many huge sporting events but nothing, literally nothing compares with the take-your-breath-away excitement of the old World Speedway Final (33 years tomorrow- gulp! - since my first one !! ) And incidentally, I've not noticed the "GP Series of events... in other forms of motorcycle sport" attracting particularly significant publicity.. Bet you any money a World Speedway Final at the new Wembley and/or the Olympic Stadium would though..!!!

Can I just say that this site of yours is literally awesome!! Fantastic!! Many thanks for this.. Don't suppose you've got my favourite ever meeting, the 1977 Inter-Continental Final at White City have you..??!!