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Starostin was never going to be a real threat, I admit, but in his defence, he had a nightmare trip to L.A. He lost all his gear, and ended up riding Brad Oxley's machinery. Steve

Back in the late 80's, the southern teams in the National League all worked together. They shared the cost of a full page advert in speedway star, and all the tracks offered reduced admission to season ticket holders from the others. Steve

and Larry was second! That White City match; was that when Mike Patrick took that famous award-winning picture? Steve

Can't help with the results - well, not at the moment, anyway. Think it might be Ian Williams you're thinking of. Steve

Belated Happy Birthday to you then, Gemini! Steve

...to our former Number 1, Larry Ross, who is 60 today! Steve

It was always Jim's ambition to become World Champion. After riding in the Final, he said he knew he was never going to be good enough to do so, and there was no real point in continuing in the sport. Steve

You mean you don't foresee the introduction of a tactical treble or quadruple in the near future? Steve

Thanks for confirming that! Grachan, I don't recall Finn Thomsen doing that, but I trust you... Yes, there have been a number of 21-point maximum's, but Henny Kroeze was the first, and not long after scoring 20, I believe, Iris. Steve

Over the years, many riders have scored half of their team's total points in an individual match, but John Boulger (pretty sure it was him) actually scored half of his team's points - AND THEY WERE THE WINNING SIDE! 20 out of 40, I think, so if anyone can confirm, please? Steve

More info here : http://www.tivertonpeople.co.uk/news/Feet-stay-ground-despite-life-daring-exploits-sky/story-10050596-detail/story.html Steve

Great post, Vince. Taking some of your points individually, I'd like to make a few comments : 1) Indeed there are alternatives, but I think one of the main issues is that people are now inherently lazy. Going back 20 years, people didn't sit at home on their PC's and tablets, and certainly didn't have all the choices on TV. Now, people don't want to leave the house... 2) Another valid point that I'd never really considered! The fact that London no longer has a track saddens me no end. 6) This can also tie in with the fact that there is an alarming lack of continuity as far as team members. Sure, it is still four blokes racing bikes without brakes, but to a lot of supporters, becoming familiar with their riders - and actually getting to know many personally - was a major factor. 7) That is indicative of modern society, sadly. It's all about results to a lot of people. Another good point, but as has been said before, if the product isn't attractive and entertaining (which it often isn't), no matter how inexpensive it is, people won't attend. Steve

The funny thing here is how people are constantly referring to the ragged start in the Mauger/Szczakiel runoff, like it was something unique. When I look at other old footage - particularly from FIM events, it's incredible to see how poor many of the starts were. Steve

Well, the first thing I noticed on the BMX forum was that Arthur was born in 1930; as stated, Louis Lawson was born in 1921. I've just found a photo of Major Arthur Woods here : http://www.universityofbmx.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=172&Itemid=71 Steve

Sad news. Remember him as one of the first Italians in BL... Steve

Vic Duggan would be a prime candidate too, not peaking until nearing the end of his career. Steve

I always felt the same about the fence at Wimbledon... Steve

Zdenek Kudrna is not a good example here; he was killed at a grass-track meeting without a solid fence. Many of the tragedies at Hackney were the result of hitting lamp standards, although I'm not sure that Denny Pyeatt did. Even with an air fence, it is possible for a rider to go over the fence. Having witnessed Leif Wahlmann's fatal crash, I certainly feel that an airfence at Saddlebow Rd back then could certainly have prevented that. Steve

Didn't know that... Nice guy, Kevin, and his mechanic, Steve. I always felt that Mike Lanham never received full credit for his efforts, probably because he was in such a solid team. Steve

That's fine, and that's what used to happen. However, finding a good solution when there is only one heat leader (particularly a Number One away from home) missing is not quite as easy. Steve

That only applies to the Premier League, which is still a relatively short season. Absolutely. That will still only work if the product is attractive and entertaining. Those of us who have spent a lifetime supporting the sport do so partly because of our love for it, and the desire to see speedway thrive. However, that doesn't apply to new or potential supporters. Steve

I've always said, it doesn't matter how cheap something is, if you don't enjoy it. I know that it can be expensive these days, but people will be more inclined to go if they are being entertained. Improving the product is more important than reducing the admission. Steve

Not sure of any details, but sadly, I can confirm that Tony passed away last week. Steve

Getting used to it is one thing, but years ago, guests were NEVER used to replace any/all of a team's riders; it was reserved for heat leaders... Steve

As has been said,, I feel that the vast majority of fans DO dislike the guest system, but again, what are the options? The age-old habit of comparing speedway to football is totally ridiculous, as the loss of a top rider really does impact the team much more than it does in football. Should we grab guests every time a rider is missing? Of course not. Replacing him with a junior is not always good, particularly away from home. A squad is a great idea, but again, what happens if your best two riders are injured or unavailable? You're back to square one... Steve