Parsloes 1928 nearly

At some point (hopefully sooner rather than later..) there has to be a whole scale change in those in the GP series from the old guard (containing the likes of Crump, Pedersen, Hancock & Gollob who consistently show they can (and have been) world champs and a larger group who don't!) and replacement with a younger brigade. Personally I'd be surprised if when that happens, Holder isn't a major challenger and may well (rather like Hamill did before Greg took over...) preceed his countryman Ward to win a World title...

Not for the first time by any means, am I full of admiration for Richard's organisation, commitment to junior & amateur racing and his great powers of organisation. Let's hope all other clubs/tracks in either the MDL or the AJL will also pre-publicise fixture dates like this, then those of us really planning to support this level of racing will be very happy indeed. Great job Scunny and great job Rich!

Hmm, well considering the Speedway season (if not necessarily the NL one..) begins next month, doesn't seem any too soon...!

That is, I guess, possible as the top several tiers of the OS are in fact temporary and the plan is to remove this as part of conversion. Though I'd imagine it would be a civil engineering job of some enormity to add a roof in such a retro-fix fashion... I certainly hope they do though, as then really the OS would be a perfect venue for Speedway!

I agree with Mr.S. Yes, circumstances could intervene and things change over the years; but as things stand right now with his talent and the likely competition around when Darcy FINALLY decides to ride SGP, I'd say he was a racing certainity to be World Champ. The shame is IF Ward had taken up the place in 2012 I think he'd have an evens chance of taking the championship at the first time of asking..

Thanks Phil - as I said I have no real knowledge of what happened on the day - but I did hear this story about the programmes... Thanx for clearing that up..

Though to be fair, if you can include Bruce then you HAVE to include the far younger Tuff!!!

People who were in Germany (thankfully I was NOT one of them) reported that on the AFTERNOON of the meeting, sellers at outlet points where the programme was to be sold from, told them there was no programme available. I can't recall when the meeting was actually cancelled - was it before this point or after... Seems somewhat strange... I suppose the matter could be resolved by physical copies of the programme appearing but I guess it'll be now said that they were all destroyed..! I wasn't one of the unfortunate people who had that shockingly wasted journey but I know that among those who did travel there are unanswered questions - for it was surely the most unsatisfactory calling off of a meeting (what with there being a ROOF and all!) in international Speedway history; and one point (within the inevitable conspiracy-theorising..!) is that actually it was known in advance it wouldn't be held.. I'm sure you can see how an otherwise small-ish point about the apparent absense of any progs being printed MIGHT fuel such a conspiracy theory...

Or indeed all the programmes they printed but couldn't use coz of the last minute 'damp stored shale off'..! What's that..? Oh there were no progs actually printed were there.. That's odd... Has that ever been explained away..??

And we enjoyed having you.. Though some muppet kept writing in our programme that you were from Widnes...!!! Enough already.. Come on Phil I thought a fundamental part of your job was to encourage people to come to Speedway.. If they see your obsession with roofs (rooves..?) then they'll conclude that they can only attend two GB meetings in 2012...: Telford & Cardiff! We've managed to stage Speedway in the UK since 1928 with extremely little reliance on roofs - I think we can just about manage to carry on without them..!

Okay I wasn't at Perry Barr but was led to believe there was a very big crowd. I WAS at those other openings and I was very much involved in the reopening meeting (warts and all...: plenty of the former! ) at Plough Lane in 2002. There WAS a huge turn-out, even in (sorry to mention the 'r' word, rain coz you'll then throw back the other one, 'roof'!) shocking rainy conditions. I can 100% confirm that..

Well we clearly HAVEN'T the financial clout to this this ourselves but I find your belief that a first meeting, at least ,at Wembley or my preferred choice (still largely ignored by posters!) the OS wouldn't attract a bigger crowd than Cardiff fairly extraordinary. Have you not noticed that EVERY new or reopened track attracts a massive crowd to its opening meeting..? Wimbledon 2002 and the openers at the new circuits at Perry Barr, Redcar and Beaumont Park all spring to mind from recent times. Add to that the huge publicity such a London meeting would attract in the capital and I'd be utterly astonished if it didn't whip Cardiff's ass when it comes to a crowd. Especially if an actual big championship was being decided on the day rather than a mere GP... But we'd best NOT bring all THAT up again!!

The Olympic site is very near both in terms of miles and certainly in terms of transport links (many put in place specifically because it IS the Olympics site!) to the City Cente - one with dare I say it, just a few more attractions than Cardiff has!! But in terms of staging Speedway I can't think that things like London's West End theatres, Madame Tussards, the British Museum, the Tower of London, Jack the Ripper tours(!) have any kind of bearing on who travels to watch the event - any more than, er, Cardiff Castle has!! Weird isn't it that a country famous for its leeks is now best known for its watertight roof!!!

Hmm, well put it this way, they're choosing to stage the "greatest sporting show on earth" at the Olympic Stadium - so there's clearly not the concerns about the surrounding area that you expresss!! Comments about what it's like in Hackney generally aren't especially relevant, as the Olympic Stadium's not in that area! In truth the old Hackney Wick stadium was only barely in Hackney itself - it was a quiet backwater some distance away from not so great areas like Mare St., Dalston etc. Nearer indeed to Bow and Stratford. Bow and Hackney Wick are now very trendy - the biggest 'Arts Quarter' in Europe. Stratford has been transformed - you might know the new Stratford City Shopping Centre managed by the Westfield company and full of eateries and bars as well as shops. And a large number of hotels in the area now - nearly all of which built in the last few years. All indeed due to the Olympics. So to suggest the stadium stands in some derelict and nasty East End location, swathed in smog and frequented by descendants of Jack The Ripper and the b@stard sons of Ronnie & Reghgie couldn't really be further from the truth!!! The truth is that soon a massive stadium literally ideal for staging Speedway's biggest events will be sitting there virtually on the footprint of a former long-standing Speedway track and with owners literally desperate for it to have a variety of uses; and so for our sport to completely blank out even the prospect of using it would be a crime...

It's quite an image this isn't it, the Methanol Club lunch!! Do they eat there or just dine out on the sweet fumes!!

Sorry to 'tempt' you Phil, but you rarely seem to respond to the Olympic Stadium sub-theme.. Other than to say (obviously) that, the Startford/Bow site too has no roof... I'd imagine laying a track there would be somewhat easier than at either Cardiff or Wembley...? Do you have any feelings about the site being used for Speedway..?

Ullevi is indeed surely the wettest sports stadium on earth! I'm still drying out from my trip there in '77!! The number of WFs and GPs there which have suffered shocking conditions is extraordinary yet as you say, it remains on the roster!!

You're misunderstanding. I'm not talking about Wembley - my reference was (the clue was in the mention of it becoming the most famous stadium in the world "later this year"!) to the new Olympic Stadium..!!

It is old ground Phil so I agree we'd best not labour the point - but to me, to dismiss entitely the possibility of our sport being staged in what shall later this year become the most famous stadium in the world, shows how lacking in ambition we've now become...

The Olympic Stadium is to me though, a far likelier goer for a major, major London venue than Wembley...

So not 1978 then, Rob..? I understand though that the 1938 World Final had a then record crowd of 93,000..! Was that record ever beaten? 93,000 for the World Championship final at Wembley in 1938

Again, absolutely spot on...

Wel, personally I'd like to see the 'man in green': Tuff (.."of the Track") McBride!!

As you say, hardly bad crowds!

Hmm, define "poorly attended"..: especially for a Thursday night?!