Parsloes 1928 nearly

You do, as ever Rob, talk great sense and have summed up the differences between the relationships between RH and the First Division Hawks and later the same division Kestrels. One thing though I can never understand or tolerate is this notion - I've heard it before expressed on here - that Hackney "died" as soon as the Kestrels decamped from North-west Kent to Waterden Road. Only one club and track died that awful time in early 1984...: and it most certainly wasn't Hackney. It's incredibly insensitive to the feelings of Crayford fans who lost our track completely and were to see that fantastic little stadium we so loved, reduced to rubble, for Hackney fans to have cried crocodile tears over their 'misfortune'...

Yes I recall some rowdy behaviour by you Wildcats-fans-for-the-night! Us Crusaders' Barmy Army were perfectly behaved in comparison...: why Dick Jarvis didn't even try and start a fight with Stoke's sponsors this time! And lest we forget and most will have, 'twas the Iwade-based Sittingbourne's team's greatest ever hour...: third in the CL Fours!!! Sadly also - to date - their last ever fixture...

One 'foreign' rider per team would do no harm, IMHO

Probably not a huge number but those that were, were some of the best riders in the world: Anders Michanek (World Champ in the year the Swedes were banned); Tommy Jansson; Soren Sjosten; Bengt Jansson; Bengt Persson: all were in the top 16 in the world at that time, and all made the World Final rostrum at least once, except of course for the great Tommy who was taken from us before that certainity came to pass...

It would be crazy if Danny didn't get a team berth as he's consistently been one of the best value and most entertaining riders at this level of the sport for a number of years now. NL Speedway needs the likes of Danny Warwick...

It's a point - but i seem to recall that the ban on Swedes was just for the single year (1974 or was it '75) wasn't it..?

Jon is a Newport asset..? Is he..???

Hmm, ever the diplomat is our Peter!! No wonder Dr. Kissinger got that job in the 1970s ahead of him!!! Also does Mr. M. perhaps think Buxton have moved up like Plymouth...: the quote seems to imply this!!! I'm not so sure... Football's a very cut throat sport but when human tragedy strikes like the death of a manager or player I would NEVER expect to hear a rival club or an administrator making any comments like this. And if they did they'd face a Keys/Gray type media witch-hunt for doing so... Sorry but while I don't think Peter M. meant to offend, it is insensitive in the extreme...

Quite right. I spoke several times to Ray in the days after Jean died and I felt his shocking pain and to read now what Mr. Morrish is saying, leaves just about the worst taste in the mouth imaginable. You know what Speedway in this country needs more than anything, some basic decency and some humanity..

The Hornets ARE running are they not...!

Absolutely Rob. As you know I too was involved in the re-opening of Wimbledon and of course mistakes were made and the opening meeting (well really the track on opening meeting...) was a disaster; but no-one who actually KNOWS anything about it could dare to doubt Steve's huge effort, hard work and passion, which (yes along with his soon-after estranged partner in that enterprise, Crouch) brought about a modern-day Speedway miracle: Speedway back in London at Plough Lane. I'm a simple soul and see people for what they are in my estimation. And I'm afraid from his postings on here, that Blazeaway comes across as nothing other than a very nasty bully and a very negative person. His earlier posting on this thread is so bad it really should be removed - I hope the Mods will act in that regard. I know Steve well and I know he has wound some people up the wrong way; but I've NEVER had any cause to have any problem with him at all and I can't for the life of me understand why there is such prejudice against him... More than that though, this is just awfully sad for Mildenhall and all its supporters - a number of whom I also do know very well...

Here, here (or is it 'hear, hear'..?! )..

How are the Yanks with leaks..? Clearly not keen on WikiLeaks..!!!

Not at all but there are more factors necessary to starting up or restoring a track than just being accepted into a league.. And time to prepare (to get sponsors, not to mention riders(!)) is one of them!

True - who knows, one day there might even be a Speedway track in your 'home town'... of Widnes...!!

Easy tiger (or should that be Devil!? ), I think the poster was only surmising that Plymouth may 'do a Scunny' and go for an NL team too.. Personally I'd say that doubling-down is unlikely but I'm sure your club's well-deserved elevation to the Premier is not in any doubt...

Because unlike last year they weren't three tracks whose very future depends on being accepted into the division... (and I guess if Peterboro' are now saying they do plan to go NL, make that possibly, four..) Coventry may want to commit hari-kari but that's no reason for three/four others' to have their existence put under threat...

Odds on more than ten!!!!

Gosh and surely a BSF record: three years and three months gap before a reply..!!

Hmm, why did our Justin only have that one ride..? Don't tell me, his bike then wouldn't start..?!!

Well I DO know what the 'panic' is... It's NOT just about the riders who may or may not ride for existing, declared NL sides (though their interests are indeed also being compromised by this wholly unnecessary delay..), it's about AT LEAST three clubs/tracks who may be entering the league (pray God they will..) whose very future is in the balance due to this... This has now moved from disgrace to scandal...

Some clubs will NOT (trust me...) be in any kind of a position to start until Easter...: which is no bad thing IMHO.. This delaying of the AGM just makes it more likely that they'll be no NL meetings until mid to late April... I'm happy enuf too to end in October but last year taught us a lesson that hesitate in September (as for some reason we did...) and suddenly an Oct. 31 deadline looms large...

All I can suggest is that if the AGM isn't going to be until early Feb that the NL adopts an approach where no tracks open until Easter Weekend (late April) and run to end of November - rather than end of October with a March start. This way we may have a chance (new tracks and old; stand alones and 'junior' sides of higher league outfits..) in having a sensible season which can (1) be planned for; and (2) reach a proper conclusion.

If it's not really going to be until next month I can see disaster looming....

Not true anymore - there is a considerable (and growing) hub of clubs, pubs, eateries of all types in the immediate vicinity of the rebuilt Stadium: part of the Wembley City project. Always amuses/perplexes me that only Speedway fans would consistently argue that Cardiff is an all-round more exciting place to go than London!!!!