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As BWitcher stated, this hasn't caused any problems before, and I agree that it is unlikely to cause any now. Speedway is a dangerous sport, and the one reservation I have is that the current setup with tracks and equipment MAY make things a little more troublesome than heavy cinders and two-valve uprights. However, riders aren't generally known for keeping their traps shut, and I can't say I have heard any serious complaints from them! Remember when they made the switch to the six-in -a-race World Pairs? Condemnation from the riders was immediate and widespread on the grounds of safety, so if they don't see this as an issue (and they are the ones risking life and limb) I see no reason for us to be concerned. Like others, I just hope the meetings aren't spoiled by refereeing decisions... No, I don't like the knockout heats. My belief has always been that whoever gets most points should win - same with league playoffs. The event name is nonsensical, but then again, the world is full of people trying to be "cool" these days. I don't get the under-21 reserve rule, and not just because they introduce a policy that all teams cannot abide by! With two-man teams, many of the countries are pretty well matched, so I don't agree that an open "pairs" event can be decided by the best under-21 rider who is not even one of the PAIR... Having said all that, I like the fact that some of the lesser nations HAVE made an impact, which is something they may not have done with a 4-man team, and I am really looking forward to the next two days! Steve

Thing is, leaving out things like the knockout heats and Under-21 riders, pairs meetings used to be a big part of speedway alongside 4TT's and Test Matches. Steve

Never thought I would say this,, but... ...I felt really sorry for the French there! I see the logic as far as a "pair", but that is rough when something like that happens. Steve

Perhaps, but GB and Australia wasn't one of them, and some of the better action came from seemingly one-sided contests. Steve

The problem is that he was on a warning, so keeping him in could have been risky... Steve

I've often wondered if speedway would be better if you actually started the meeting after ten or so races... Steve

Well, well, well... A great ride from both of them! Another "ruthless" move from Lindgren there, although Lambert was quite happy to mix it. Steve

"Oh no, children; have you seen Craig Cook?" "Behind you!" Did I really just say that??? Steve

Let's go back to black leathers, then! Fine wi' me... Thinking about it though, this is another thing that makes speedway unique; by simply using race jackets, it must be the only major team sport where individual members can be dressed differently. Steve

Maybe, maybe not, but injuries did take their toll on Sverre. Even with reference to norbold's post above regarding Christer Lofqvist, Christer's English debut was a prime example (I was there, as it was against the Dons). Sverre had just started to find his form when Peter Murray took him off, and he broke his arm. Another no-nonsense customer was Sandor Levai. Never a superstar, but a 100% trier who never gave an inch, and who on his day could beat anyone. And a nice guy. Steve

Quite impressive, actually... On 7 May, Bob started a thread "Characters of the Sixties"; a week later, we are already up to characters of the eighties!!! Back to the sixties, and what about one of the hardest of them all, dear old Sverre... Steve

That was something special! Steve

You beat me to it with Reg, and Ron Mountford was another who was known for racing against his team-mates! Oh, and apologies if this is in the wrong thread (I was too lazy to make separate posts), but I too have "Cracked Eggs and Chicken Soup" on the way... Steve

That is exactly the way I feel! There is nothing wrong with having team suits, but they just seem so damn busy now. It isn't just the names of the sponsors either... We had team leathers years ago, and teams like Leicester, Wolves, and particularly Rye, looked great. The thing was that the designs were simple, and striking. There is no reason we can't do that now... Again, there is nothing wrong with having a team suit AND a race jacket. Steve

The first paragraph above is so true. People think they know THE reason why British speedway is in such a mess, but the reality is that there are so many, and not all of them are speedway related. I've said it before, but I will say it again; one of the big problems is that speedway is no longer a city-centre sport. When we had tracks in urban areas, everybody was exposed to speedway, even if they didn't actually follow it. Now, thanks to the constant quest for industrial estates and housing developments, the demise of greyhound racing, the ever-growing NIMBY population, dereliction (let's not forget the age and condition of some of the older stadia) and several other factors beyond our control, we are being forced into rural locations away from the population. With 24-hour live television sport, obsession with computers and video games, and stuff like that, people don't want to leave the house, let alone drive out into the sticks. As far as your second point, it is a ridiculous state of affairs, and of course, much of that IS speedway-related. Living in Surrey, I wasn't always going to travel the country, but I ALWAYS had options. Even when Wimbledon changed from Thursday to Wednesday, it changed the specifics, but not the opportunities. Exeter was too far on a Monday, but Reading was easy to get to. Tuesday, Poole, and later MK and Crayford were doable. Wednesday was White City, later Poole and Long Eaton. Saturday was wonderful with all the choices. Even Sunday was great for choice. Those were the days... Steve

Going back to a couple of earlier posts, one thing that always concerned me with fixed race nights is the fact that so many of us used to frequent other tracks on nights when our own teams weren't in action. Apart from being a fixture at Plough Lane, I was a regular visitor to White City during their short BL period, and it wasn't unusual for me to go to Hackney, Rye, Arena, Crayford, Mildenhall, Milton Keynes, Lynn, Swindon, and Canterbury. Again, I would see the same people at a lot of the tracks, and fixed nights automatically reduce those numbers. The sad reality is that it was the crowds that generated atmosphere as much as - if not more than - the actual racing. As crowds dwindle, so does the atmosphere. That leads to more people staying home. Fewer meetings will only cause more to stay home... Steve

Pretty sure you can add Bradford Odsal to the list. There was a meeting on August 3, 1957, between Bradford Juniors and London Juniors. The results show one of the Londoners as "Ivan Maugham", but I figure that should read "Mauger". I don't know if this would count, but Ivan won the Golden Eagle Trophy on the 680 yard track at Motherwell in 1972. Steve

1st September, 2006. Yesterday would have been his 64th birthday... Very sad. Steve

Funny thing is, I was totally in awe the first time I saw Curoso. I know Americans were usually pretty good round Plough Lane, but 10+3 from the reserve berth on his first visit was very special. Going by his performance that night, I thought he could really go places. For some reason, it never happened. I couldn't wait for Hull to visit the following year, but this time, he only managed one point. Then, the switch to Poole didn't work out for him, and I was really disappointed that someone who appeared so talented was lost to British speedway. Steve

Reading drew 39-all at the Shay on 8 September, 1980. Kelly Moran guested and scored 10+1. The Racers also won there that year in the KOC 57-50. Steve

Only went there the once, and it was a wet day, so it was hard to judge. Plus, we were all p*ssed off at the abysmal efforts of the Dons that day. Having said that, it was cool to watch Kenny Carter's mastery of the track, and while Exeter was similar, the thing that struck me at the Shay was the banking; from the outside of the bends, it reminded me of a Wall-of-Death! Steve

As was mentioned earlier in the thread, there was another Andy Buck (a little younger, I believe), and he rode for 'Boro in 1987 and 88. Steve

It was the same Andy Buck who rode for Scunny (1984-85) and Eastbourne (1985-90). Steve

We are talking about Anders Eriksson, not Michanek. Mich never rode for Wimbledon... Steve

Not sure where you would have seen that, but Anders passed away from cancer in 2002. Steve