chunky

Hmmmm... It was only a few months ago we were discussing some things on here, and not only did you not know the riders who were being discussed, but I had to inform you of the existence of some of the current world championships... Not bad for someone who has an "overall knowledge" of the sport - particularly when you have often boasted how disinterested with speedway you have been for decades. Still, what's one more contradiction from a speedway journalist who wasn't a speedway journalist? Steve

He would have been better off looking on the "Tai Rack"... See what I did there?

Sad that you are not familiar with the term, "World Champion"...

You sure that wasn't the pits??? I'll shut up...

Dammit... You beat me to it!

I totally understand, it's just very sad that a "National" stadium has such a limited capacity...

I just saw your post, and I just had to comment; you are 100% correct. I live in the US, and my only way of keeping in touch with family, friends (including many from speedway), my old work colleagues etc, is via Facebook. It is also a valuable tool as far as my work is concerned. Facebook is what YOU want it to be, and what you ALLOW it to be. We are not all insecure and socially inept as many seem to feel... Steve

It has NEVER been that way...

It wouldn't matter where you go, a long weekend would be expensive unless it's in your home town! It is strange that travel across Europe can be cheaper than staying in Britain, but that's the way it is. I just don't understand why the NSS was designed with that small a capacity. I get the finances, and that that any stadium similar to those in Poland - let alone something like Cardiff - would have been cost-prohibitive, but come on, a "National" stadium that can't handle anywhere near the crowds that a number of League One football teams draw? That's hardly something to boast about... This thread illustrates the problem speedway has always had when it comes to showpiece events; do we want a good racing track in a small, crappy run-down stadium that you wouldn't want to take your parents to, or a questionable track in a beautiful stadium that can provide a superb atmosphere for a crowd of 50,000? Again, despite what a lot of people want to believe, we all went to Wembley for the occasion, not the racing...

I tend to stay out of these discussions because of all the negativity and stupid stuff spouted by self-appointed "experts", but reading the views of iainb, Steve Hone, and your good self, I thought I would join in... Was this a "great" meeting? Of course not. However, it really wasn't that bad either - or at least I didn't think so! Same as Vojens. Not a classic, but enjoyable all the same. Most of the racing we see today is no worse than it was back in the "good old days". Like most people, I really miss Wembley, but to say the it was even SLIGHTLY superior (racing-wise) to Cardiff would be a stretch... Steve

Go back and read through the thread...

Can't argue with any of that...

Nobody is talking about GP's vs World Finals. Nobody has mentioned the crowning of the World Champion. Everyone has been talking about how poor the racing was today, and how we need to dump Cardiff because of that. Take out Penhall, and all those years of racing at Wembley wasn't any better. Nobody complained about it though...

So, Wembley World Finals weren't about the occasion???

You hadn't seen the "Wanted" posters?

I think you can look at similar cases at most tracks. At Plough Lane, Steve Bastable was the evil one after Rudy Muts suffered serious injury. Rudy was never the same after that. Steve

One would think... I can tell you that one legendary darts commentator and journalist had no comprehension of what goes on when competing (and I'm not talking about Dave Lanning or John Gwynne). It is "nice" to be popular, but any sportsperson at a genuinely competitive level will tell you that as long as there is SOME kind of atmosphere (as long as it's not truly combative and violent) that's all you need. Probably the best atmosphere I experienced was pretty hostile towards me when I beat Eric Bristow in his last-ever World Championship appearance. The crowd was totally baying for my blood, and it was fantastic! Playing - and beating - Raymond van Barneveld in front of a couple of thousand partisan Dutch fans was a similar experience! As I said, we love that. We certainly don't go running to mummy, or wondering why we bother...

How's that sore little botty of yours? I have been playing darts competitively for over 40 years - much of it at the very highest level. You think I haven't gone through the same thing? There are many reasons why you can be looked upon as unpopular, some are genuine, and some are just ridiculous opinions based on ignorance and prejudice. Whatever, I have had fingers pointed at me on many occasions (at darts, I mean, not just by the idiots on the BSF!!! ), yet NOT ONCE have I thought, "why did I ever bother to be a dart player?" If someone really is that sensitive and thin-skinned, then NO, they shouldn't have become a rider. Then NO, they shouldn't be around be around nasty pointy dangerous darts. Then NO, they shouldn't be out in that horrible world with all those horrible people. They should stay at home with their comfy-wumfy feather pillows and their warm cocoa, watching re-runs of Bagpuss... Steve

Revy chum so...

It is not a bias against stock cars at all. It is more that we are tired of the way that you turn 99% of speedway-related threads into a stock car thread. And no, I am not saying that you shouldn't ever mention short-circuit car racing (people often compare speedway to football, cricket, F1, and even darts) but in most cases, your comments seem irrelevant to the thread. Steve

At least he hasn't mentioned stock cars! Yet... We all know the sport is in dire straits right now, but I will agree that all the ultra-negative posts from the same handful of posters does get tiresome...

it said in the article that he passed away in 1977 from MS. I don't have the exact date, but I am sure he was just 47. Steve

A lot of speedway fans don't think about things like that, but I have said repeatedly that a lot of speedway's major issues aren't actually speedway related. It's been 27 years since I moved across the Atlantic. In the overall scheme of things, it doesn't seem like that long a period, but looking back, it isn't the Britain I left. People have changed, and the culture has changed. Yes, a lot of speedway tracks have disappeared in that time, but is it just because of speedway? Sadly, there are other factors; things like health and safety, the "need" for more housing, the desire for industrial and other business parks, and of course, the great British NIMBY... Look at the great football stadia that have gone, impressive and atmospheric places that have been destroyed, simply because they were outdated and "uncool". Of course, most have been been replaced, because of the greater finances in footy. Even the great old pubs I frequented have fallen at an alarming rate. Why? Because they are "uncool", and modern society wants something newer and more fashionable. Trouble is, it is not just the venues that have become "uncool", but speedway itself, and the developers are the ones with the pull and the money - and these days, money doesn't just talk, it provides the entire script... Steve

To the shouters, facts aren't as important as opinions... Steve

Funny you should say that; I have been to Arlington when it was pouring down nearby, yet the track was bone dry... Steve