chunky

Sorry, but that is a gross exaggeration; "most" Saturday afternoons? We had maybe half a dozen meetings on 'World of Sport', and The Internationale on 'Grandstand'. Another gross exaggeration is "England ruling the roost". Okay, we did good in 1980... Don't blame it on the foreigners either! They brought skill and glamour - and increased crowds. Anyway, packing teams with foreigners hasn't hurt football any... Viewing figure dropped because - as many have stated on here - speedway ceased to be "cool". Don't ask me why, it just happened. It started to really stagnate with the redevelopment of stadia (particularly those in city centres, of which there were many), and we were forced out into the sticks. That's those that were able to survive of course. Then, the death of greyhound racing hammered another few nails into our coffin.

For me, the biggest obstacle for it as a"team" sport is the fact that clubs can't use the riders they want, and riders can't ride for the clubs they want, because teams seem to be solely constructed using averages. With the ridiculously low points limits, riders are forced out not only from their teams, but their leagues...

Not many bloody teams to follow now...

There have ALWAYS been crazy rules - rider control, for example - but people still showed up... It doesn't matter how cheap or credible something is if it's not enjoyable.

Everyone focuses on "credibiity", but that his little or nothing to do with it. If it was an enjoyable and entertaining night out, most wouldn't give a toss about credibility...

1977. He actually died as the result of a ruptured aorta, which may have been responsible for the crash.

I've often said the same thing. I watch old YouTube videos, and the vast majority I watch have VERY little in the way of decent racing. Did we REALLY think it was that good at the time?

Romford moved to West Ham, and went into Div. 2. They combined the Hammers logo with the Bombers' roundel. With Snowy Beattie in the background...

I wish they still used the 1938 stock; I miss them...

Can't see 'em making it four...

Yeah... I'd make 'em go over the fences too...

With the Czech Golden Helmet, Stancl really DOES cut it for "elite"! Five-time winner, runner-up twice, and third three times. He was beating Mauger, Olsen , Lee, and the like pretty regularly in that! I can't find a lineup for the 1984 event, but I''m pretty sure there would have been some big names in there. It really wasn't an easy thing to win - particularly when Stancl was in the field.

There were others. Davis won the Sussex Open Championship at Eastbourne in 1978 (ahead of Kennett, Crump, and Sanders), the Artdeans Trophy at Swindon in 1979 (ahead of Crump and Autrey), and the Yorkshire Open at Sheffield in 1977. He won that with a maximum from riders like Jessup, Wyer, Lee, Coliins, and Olsen.

Look on Google maps. The outline of the track is as clear as anything...

Correct. The old football ground was at the top of Plough Lane, at the corner of Durnsford Rd. It was sold in 1998, and it was demolished in 2002. The flats were completed in 2008. The speedway stadium was a few hundred yards down Plough Lane on the corner of Summerstown.

We had a discussion about JD on here a while back, and we said the same then. Nobody ever regarded him as being that good, but when he was good, he was surprisingly good! He was actually a lot better than people think...

Remember, I was a big Larry Ross fan too! While he was with us, he was always known as a Hyde Rd specialist, but when he finally got the move up there, he just never really blossomed as he SHOULD have done. He should have qualified for the '79 World Final...

Well, JD was pushing a 10 point average at the time, whereas Sigalos had slipped a bit after moving to Ipswich. Crumpy SHOULD have been a much better rider in World Finals, but usually struggled on the night, and I think Larry's best years were at Plough Lane; he never developed after leaving us. I do see Crump as a better option, though. Davis is a weird one though - like Eric Boocock; superb in domestic action, but never really comfortable at the top level. It's funny you say about the best action in '76 coming from the "deserving champion" - you could say exactly the same about 1981! And a lot of the GP seasons...

Again, a lot of what you said comes down to the "occasion", rather than the actual meeting. I hadn't really though about it, but John Davis was probably the biggest name missing. Not that I ever considered him a true title contender, but he never even made it past Coventry. Again, from what I've seen, 1976 was one of the best with regard to the actual racing.

Much more noticeable when you've been out of the loop for several years.

Yet people still won't have that. Like I said, the "greatest" world final of all time - is remembered for TWO races...

Do you REALLY have to ask that???

Your first point is one that a lot of fans seem to forget. They just want something that pleases and excites them, but what about the competitors? They are the ones out there doing it, and they certainly deserve a system that is fair - which the GP is. I'm not sure that anyone has claimed that the GP's have "produced" more spectacular riders, but simply state that Zmarzlik is perhaps the craziest rider of all time!

I still don't quite get the reason for dirt deflectors. They didn't seem to do much in Togliatti last Saturday... I loved the way you mentioned the helmet colours that blew off; a lot cheaper than having to have different bloody helmets... Of course you had to mention the cow horn handlebars because of "Hurri-Ken".

I was watching a 2021 video a couple of days ago, and thought it sounded like lawnmower racing... I am fine with team suits - IF THEY HAD A BODY COLOUR TOO!