Parsloes 1928 nearly

So how does Robert qualify for the German championship..? Though obviously I think it's great he's riding in it, I would imagine some German riders/fans might have reservations...

I certainly saw Michael riding as a 14 year old (or maybe by then he was 15..?) in the second half at Eastbourne. Lee's record of starting his first competitive season (which then couldn't happen 'til a rider was 16) in '75 and contesting a run-off for third place in a World Final in '77 will be one which clearly now shall never be matched. He deserves a far bigger status in the history of our sport than he has been afforded.

Am confused... What Dudley riders is it won't be able to ride on a Friday (er, and people seem to be ignoring the point made clearly by the Mildenhall PRO that in fact 19/9 is the KOC Final leg at West Row NOT a potential leg of the P/O Final!) who would be able to ride on a Sunday..?!

I know one example, and it was a Cup Final..! Went to Arlington in, gulp, late October 1974 for Eastbourne vs. Birmingham, which as well as being the first leg of the KOC Final doubled also as a BL Div 2 match!!!! In THIS case though, can't see why the NT match couldn't be re-arranged after the play-offs & Cup Final..? Could - if things go well for the FTs - be a celebration type meeting AND quite possibly a decider for the Trophy too... Which IF things had gone less well be a piece of silverware to finish the season with..

Am sorry to say Jack Kingston's injury confirmed as a broken collar-bone...

Gosh and for once I 'big someone up' and get it right! Adam scored paid 20 (yes that's TWENTY) points for the IoW at King's Lynn last night!!

Good to see an apology made - takes big men to do that and i appreciate it. There were difficult circumstances especially the considerable damage to the fence early on but the lengthy track grading and then the slowness in getting riders out on track compounded those delays. Still fair play that the club recognise there need to be improvements and that's a positive thing.

Result from that memorable night at the White City in '77: Volkswagen Grande Prix Final 1st. Ole Olsen (Denmark & Coventry) 13 (after r/o); 2nd. John Louis (England & Ipswich) 13; 3rd. Malcolm Simmons 11 (after r/o) (England & Poole); 4th. John Davis (England & Reading) 11; 5th. Dave Jessup (England & Reading) 10; 6th. Gordon Kennett (England & White City) 10; 7th. Michael Lee (England & King’s Lynn) 8; 8th. Steve Bastable (England and Cradley Heath) 7; 9th. Ivan Mauger (New Zealand & Exeter) 7; 10th. Ila Teromaa (Leicester & Finland) 7; 11th. Finn Thomsen (Denmark & Wolverhampton) 6; 12th. Ray Wilson (England & Birmingham) 5; 13th.= Larry Ross (New Zealand & Wimbledon) 4; 13th.= Eric Broadbelt (England & Poole) 4; 15th = Tony Davey (England & Ipswich) 2; 15th. = Doug Wyer (England & Sheffield) 2; 17th. Chris Morton (England & Belle Vue) 0 Olsen overtook Tiger on the final bend of the run-off final and that won him the overall title from Louis too. I was bitterly disappointed as a big Tiger fan and NOT of the Great Dane! My real favourite though PC was unable to defend his GP title due to the injury he'd picked up just days before the WF..

Well that's interesting, as Adam Ellis has been proving at least the match for Nathan Greaves in the rounds of the U-15s Adam's done this year - winning two rounds, runner-up in the other. So best throw Adam (who has learnt HIS trade in France!!) into tyhe mix. Adam's older and can (and has) ridden in the NL already...

Like others I did leave after heat 10 (at the point a very unwelcome interval was called) - but I had an ailing car which I needed to nurse gently all the back to London!! The meeting was very drawn out and goodness knows I've been to a few of them over the years! I LOVE Beaumont Park for all it represents and for being, er, in Leicester but a real shame that there wasn't more urgency applied to getting the racing on, bearing in mind it was bitterly cold (especially for mid-Sept.) and a school-night for youngsters. No wonder there were dozens of parents with school-age kids making that same early (well not early in time, as gone half 9!) exit after heat 10... The track grading after heat four (an HOUR into the meeting...!) was the longest I've EVER seen - and that includes much tractor time at Iwade! - so unsure why that happened and then to see the tractor out just three heats later was more than a tad demoralising.. On track i really thought with Bridger & Barker on song the GB side had a chance but Lewis was very out of sorts and Ben has taken a few big hits this week and it took its toll. Birks was the best Brit by far - no idea why Bridger and not Ashley got nominated for heat 15 but I was half way down the M1 by then!!!! We all do still need to celebrate Leicester and I wish I could go more often than once a year but I think some quickening up on the running of meetings would do some good.. BTW who WAS the referee - it wasn't announced and no-one seemed to know.? Whoever it was, was clearly giving their two minute warning button pressing finger a night off and that didn't help either.. But having said that, the Clerk of the Course/Pits Marshall can and should be getting riders out promptly on track regardless of the time warning siren..

And tbf, Haines was to replace Roynon... VERY difficult to replace best rider in the league by a country mile! Solution to PL commitment clashes in P/Os is to stage on race days/nights where there's no clash... I think we'll be seeing this happen this year...

They're in the play offs atm but every chance won't be after Wednesday... Considering the RH vs. Stoke NL 'return' is as soon after Wednesday as three days later, one can't blame Raiders' fans from feeling somewhat peeved at a deadline day being set (somewhat arbitrarily it would seem..) at the 19th..!

Well perhaps but of course the Potters only have "enough points" because the match vs. RH is AFTER the deadline. Though I accept that another 'missing' fixture is Stoke's visit to the NA so they could argue they'd possibly win there... I'm sure we all agree it's all a bit of a shame..

VERY ironic that what should/would be a totally decesive fixture (RH vs, Stoke) is just three days AFTER this 19/9 extended deadline. Hard to work out why/how seeing that coming up, the deadline wasn't extended to the end of the weekend..? Would make zero difference to when the PO semis would be held but (potentially) a massive difference to what could be the final top four...

Stoke have a couple of o/s matches too which shan't now be raced before the P/O deadline but that hasn't hurt them.

Mentioned in the Star this week quoting the NL Co-ordinator, so 19th. it is!! Seems IoW need a draw or win at the NA on Weds to get that 4th. place. Though after Stoke losing at home to Rye House today not sure if a win might not put the Islanders 3rd..?! Academic though as my understanding is the play off semis will be Dudley vs. Stoke and Mildenhall vs. either Scunny or IoW...

And you're also forgeting my very good friend (but NOT a relative!!) 'Gentleman' George Barclay who rode in the same team as his son Terry at Sunderland and on one occasion for Crayford too!!!

A birthdate of 5/4/98 makes him ideally placed for a full season of NL racing and then turns 16 basically in time to start PL in 2014. I'd be surprised if - as others have said - it wasn't as a Rye House riider in both cases... But if it was as a Norwich rider how good would THAT be!! Yes - he WOULD be "too good for the NL" but surely not a lot of harm to the confidence to sweep all before him; and after all because of that DOB again only the NL would be available to him (in 2013) as an option..

Yes, that's very true! Would be nice if Iwade were to stage an FIM meeting one day but can't think that'll ever happen!!!

Spot on there!!

"Khumo"..: what ho..?!

Well done to all involved today - wisjh I could've been there but certainly will on another time..

Result from Lakeside tonight: Lakeside Young Hammers 17 (Mark Baldock 7+2 [PM]; Jack Kingston 9 [M]; Martin Pearce 1) Rye House Pocket Rockets 7 (Danno Verge 4; Joe Exley 2; Adam Briggs 1+1) 1) Kingston; Baldock; Verge; Exley 65.2 [5-1] 2) Kingston; Exley; Briggs; M. Pearce NS 64.7 [8-4] 3) Baldock; Verge; M. Pearce; Briggs 67.3 [12-6] 4) Kingston; Baldock; Verge; Exley 65.2 [17-7]

Perhaps an FIM ruling..? The Internationale staged annually at Plough Lane from the early '60s was an FIM meeting... Not a rule in GB Speedway generally... Or at least not that I'd heard of.. btw, I've no idea why this is coming out as crossed out either!!!!