Parsloes 1928 nearly

Interesting..!! And a possible theme to develop here. I understand from another recently opened thread, that Billy Bragg has recorded a song called 'Speedway Hero' (don't worry if you've not heard of Billy Bragg, speedyguy!! ) Then there's 'Speedway Star', originally by Daniel Johnston and covered by the Pastels which I've just uncovered via Google. Blimey, how many songs about or linked to the sport are lurking out there..??!!

Gosh, a bit of a general question there, vicar!! Surely you don't want EVERY club in Speedway history named on this thread do you..??!! But seeing as I never pass the opportunity to give 'em a name-check , there's CRAYFORD HIGHWAYMEN 1968-1970 and CRAYFORD KESTRELS 1975-1983

"Fast-tracking of kids"..??!! Can't see any of that happening in respect of the World Championship. If Tai Woffinden had been riding in the mid-'70s I'd predict he'd have been a World Finalist by the time he was 20. Under the GPs I'd be surprised if he's allowed anything beyond a pointless 'wild-card' in a home GP before he's, what, 26/27.. By then will he be interested in applying himself to a championship from which he'd effectively have been prohibited for so long..?? The Ed Kennett situation suggests, perhaps not. But it'll be okay..: Greg Hancock will still be collecting his GP pension in it..!!

You say the bottom six from the GPs..: then what about the top ten..: surely that's far too many to be allowed to stay in every year..? I'd say only the top four from the GPs stay in and only the next four go into the GP Challenge. Others who fear they're going to miss out on the top eight will need to compete in the World Championship rounds in order to try and qualify. This is NOT the sort of system I want to see really (there should be a world championship which stands alone in the year it's competed for, not one based entirely on the previous year..!); but if we have to stick with the GPs, this would at least mean that we don't have the sterile, pointless cosy boys club we currently see. The idea of missing out on qualification but this not mattering because you're bound to be nominated provided you come from the right country as we currently see happening makes an utter mockery of the sport..

Well done on the Crayford mention, pd..: I'd have been proud of that one!!! Looking back at the World Finals of what I'd consider to be something of a golden era (certainly the era I was going to World Finals more often than not..) you're certainly right that the Eastern Europeans did monopolise the bottom positions. 1975: bottom 5 all Poles & Russians; ditto 1976 (even though in Poland!); 1977: Poles & Czechs in the bottom four; 1978 & 1979: 4 out of the bottom 5, East Europeans; 1980 4 out of the bottom 5 this time (with Egon Muller the (slightly) odd man out!; and again 4 out of 5 in 1981. You mention Zenon Plech as an honourable exception but looking at the World Final stats from his era, it is remarkable to note that though he is one of a comparative few riders to have two rostrum positions to his name (in '73 and '79) he also finished in the bottom three no fewer than FOUR times ('75, '80, 81 & '83) The fact that the likes of Plech, Muller and Jancarz [2nd. in '68 but himself a bottom five finisher several times ('75,'76,'77 & '81)] suggests to me that the World Finals were consistently far more competitive than the current World Championship format. The likes of Greg Hancock are untroubled each year in remaining in the GP without seriously challenging for the title. There was no such comfort zone in the proper World Championship...

Oh come on..: I know this is the 'History' part of the BSF but surely there must be some posters out there who've bought a record since Del Shannon was in the charts (obviously not you, norbold!! ). No-one's heard of one of the biggest British groups of the 1980s, The Smiths..??!!

I just knew this was going to bamboozle speedyguy..!! Having any kind of a grip of popular culture is clearly not required to work for the SLP..!!!

Good God..: what on earth is the matter with you..?? How on earth is it "arrogant" for me to want Brendan to win..!!?? The point I was making is that unfortunately the title this year hasn't really been the truer reflection of the best in this current age range because there's only been two rounds so far and a number of the leading protaganists (including Bren of course who didn't ride at Northside) haven't even competed in both of those. I've no idea why a championship which was so excellently organised in the previous three years has somewhat disappeared off the radar in 2007..: let's hope it can go back to its former glory in '08. And as I said in my original posting, may the best rider win..!!

Ah, the Smiths... Certainly, of at least one of them, I'd say, This Charming Man... Though when it comes to saying What Difference Does it Make?, well as I said to young Master Lawson, "William, It was Really Nothing". After all, How Soon is Now? And lest we all Panic or Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, I'm not Half A Person but when it comes to Speedway history moments like this, well: Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want or otherwise I'd have to say, Heavens Knows I'm Miserable Now..

As has been said, it's a great pity that this championship which had multi-rounds in 2004-06 has been so truncated in 2007; having said that and though, of course ,I hope the best rider wins on Friday, I do hope personally that Brendan is the winner as he has always been destined for this title and would IMHO - at this stage - be the most appropriate successor to Josh & Joe. Let's hope the glitches of this year can be overcome (wasn't it originally said that this year would be a 250cc championship..?? ) and that in 2008 it can return to a proper season-long, several venue series...

Are you sure...??: he'd have been just a couple of weeks past his 16th. birthday if he rode in the 2004 Open at Newport.. Would be a bit unusual for someone that young from the Czech Republic to be over here riding in such a one off event wouldn't it..??

Hmm, that's a point. Also strange comment that the prog. is said to be in such good condition because" ..it has been stored in an air -tight container for 80 years". Seems strange that somebody would've kept something so 'throwaway' at the time (one reason why quite possibly this is one of just a handful surviving..) in such perfect storage conditions from day one and for so long..??!! The price isn't soaring yet but surely it is going to fetch a packet..!!? BTW, the reason High Beech produces nothing on a search is it's listed under King's Oak...

Can I be the first to say, then, that Filip Sitera will wake up on 6th. October 2008 as the World Under 21 champ..??

Hmm, is that where the secret stash of Jacobs money is secreted then..??!!!! Do you need a lift..?!!

Well, looks like my prediction did indeed do that. Hats off to Sitera. Three individual meetings in three days on tracks he'd never seen let alone ridden before and a record of second, third and second. Excellent stuff!!

Sitera certainly CAN gate. And he can pass. And he can mix it too. This has to be THE rider from overseas most coveted for a British club in 2008....

Right..: well having had the pleasure of seeing Filip Sitera riding in Prague (retaining his Czech Under 19s title) the other week, I predicted a rostrum position for him at Reading last night and he duly delivered.. But for hitting the fence on the second bend in the Grand Final after finishing equal top on 14 points in the 'qualifiers' he could indeed have won the thing last night and certainly would've improved on his eventual third place.. Tonight on the bigger and, crucially for his style of riding, wider spaces of Smallbrook I'm going for broke and predicting that the lad will be the winner!!

Yesterday was my first visit to Reading post-Bulldogs era and can I say it was a pleasure to be there. Seemed to me that a real 'family' atmosphere pervaded the place: much preferable, I think, to the froth of commercialism... And I also must say - from the standpoint of doing a bit of humble announcing myself.. - that I did think that your 'performance' on the mic was the best I've heard for a very long time. You were excellent and it contributed to a thoroughly entertaining meeting..

Not often I get a prediction right, so best milk it..!! Mind you, Chris Brown taught me all I know...!!! Young Filip was superb tonight but I agree with the poster before that it was a Brit who stole the show..: Ben Barker was simply brilliant..! And it was an excellent meeting all round. And no-one's mentioned the incident where poor Paul Starke came out to replace Ben who'd been excluded for exceeding the 2 mins and was put on a 15 metres handicap..!! Bet that's never happened before..?!

I agree. IMHO, the line-up looks very interesting and attractive.. Indeed am making my first visit of the year to Smallmead for this one and very much looking forward to it..

Can only assume that Peter Wigley is your post man!!!!

The titles in this series still available are: Doncaster, Paisley, Rochdale, Nelson, Sunderland, Romford, Castleford, Belle Vue II, London White City, Glasgow Hampden Park, Wigan, Bristol Eastville, Fleetwood, Liverpool, West Ham, Crayford, Canterbury, Hackney, Wembley. They are a range of different prices depending on when published, size etc.. To get details and order please contact Speed-Away promotions, 19, Arundel Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire FY8 1AF. Tel: 01253 733288 or e-mail at: oriolecy@btinternet.com Also Stoke book available (last 11 copies in stock on offer at £5) and Cradley Heath book due out 8 Dec 07... Leicester Defunct is out March ‘08. D. PS can recommend the Crayford one..: as I wrote most of it!!!!

Yep, Chris has 'spotted' him as I did at last Thursday's Czech Under 19s where he retained his title. See: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=37899 A good outside bet for a rostrum position on Monday...

Saw Filip storm to his second successive national Under 19s title in Prague last week. Details at: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=37899

Here's the full results from last Thursday's Under 19 national championship from the Stadion Marketa. Many, many thanks to iris and tommy for letting me know this was on..: it made my trip to Prague to get to see some Speedway at this fantastic and famous track. Qualifying scores: 1) Filip Šitera 3 3 3 3 12 2) Dominik Jech 0 0 1 0 1 3) Petr Babicka 2 2 1 1 6 4) Michael Hadek 1 2 2 3 8 5) Martin Gavenda 2 1 3 2 8 6) Pavel Fuksa 1 3 2 2 8 7) Jan Holub 3 3 0 2 8 8) no rider 9) Matěj Kůs 3 2 3 3 11 10) Michal Dudek 1 1 2 0 4 11) Pavel Pucko 2 0 R 1 3 12) Patrik Doubek 0 1 1 1 3 Heat 1: (rerun) Šitera; Babicka; Hadek; Jech Heat 2: Holub; Gavenda; Fuksa (3 riders only) Heat 3: Kůs; Pucko; Dudek; Doubek 66.22 Heat 4: Šitera; Kůs; Gavenda; Pucko 65.70 Heat 5: Fuksa; Babicka; Dudek (3 riders only) Heat 6: Holub; Hadek; Doubek; Jech 66.07 Heat 7: Šitera; Fuksa; Babicka; Pucko (EF) 67.49 Heat 8: Gavenda; Dudek; Jech; (3 riders only) 67.74 Heat 9: Kůs; Hadek; Doubek; Holub 65.99 Heat 10: Šitera; Holub; Doubek (3 riders only) 66.29 Heat 11: Kůs; Fuksa; Pucko; Jech 66.40 Heat 12: Hadek; Gavenda; Babicka; Dudek 66.76 Semi-final 1: Šitera; Gavenda; Fuksa; Dudek 65.79 Semi-final 2: (rerun) Hadek; Kůs; Babicka; Holub f.exc. 66.75 ‘C’ Final: Pucko; Jech; Doubek (3 riders only) 70.74 ‘B’ Final: Fuksa; Babicka; Holub; Dudek 68.99 ‘A’ Final: Šitera; Kůs; Gavenda; Hadek Final positions: 1st.: Šitera; 2nd. Kůs; 3rd. Gavenda; 4th. Hadek; 5th. Fuksa; 6th. Babicka; 7th. Holub; 8th. Dudek; 9th. Pucko; 10th. Jech; 11th. Doubek Under 15s championship: 125cc [3 laps only] Qualifying scores: 1) Jaroslav Hladky 3 2 3 3 11 2) Roman Cejka dnr 3) Miroslav Machek 2 1 2 2 7 4) Miroslav Horak 1 3 1 Fx 5 5) Jakub Fencl 2 2 3 3 10 6) Zdenek Vrba 1 1 1 2 5 7) Ondrej Veverka 3 3 1 1 8 8) Michal Prucha dnr Heat 1: Hladky; Machek; Horak 63.52 Heat 2: Veverka; Fencl; Vrba 64.31 Heat 3: Veverka; Hladky; Machek Heat 4: Horak; Fencl; Vrba 63.91 Heat 5: Hladky; Horak; Veverka 62.91 Heat 6: Fencl; Machek; Vrba 63.57 Heat 7: Hladky; Machek; Veverka 62.51 Heat 8: (rerun) Fencl; Vrba; Horak (f.exc.) 64.26 Semi-final: Machek; Vrba; Veverka; Horak 63.46 Final: Fencl; Hladky; Machek; Vrba 62.39 Sorry I missed a few times. Score-board wasn't on 'til heat 3; missed a couple of others by being too slow looking(!); and then had to rush away at the conclusion of the Grand Final to get in our cab. Many thanks to the person at the Auto klub Marketa who called us a cab. We might still be there otherwise!! Fantastically-run meeting: with thorough track grading by two tractors between every set of five races and yet still got through 27 races in exactly 2 hours! And they've a water bowser to die for!!!