chunky

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!

Of course, it's always different when you have a horse in the race...

Thanks for that. I said early '70's, but I was thinking 1969!

Ah, I have the Morrish edition...

I don't actually remember it being used (or at least designated) much past the early '70's.

I love "The History of British League Speedway 1946-1964", but I really wish it had averages as well as just the points scored...

I loved my times at Plough Lane, but old videos seem to tell a different story to the one I remember... I don't know about you, but I think I know part of the appeal. Shiny black leathers and gleaming chrome were spectacular under lights. The kevlars and bike covers don't do it for me. I was a kid, watching these he-men wrestle their bikes through deep heavy tracks was fantastic. These he-men called Arthur, Norman, Bert, and Fred... Now, I'm the old fart, watching these snotty-nosed, tattooed little kids called Tai, Dakota, Jordan, and Jaimon... Where did we go wrong?

1969 was my first, and quite honestly, I don't remember anything special, other than Toby breaking his leg, and Mauger letting Sjosten beat him. 1972 is best remembered for Briggo's accident. 1975 is best remembered for the dust bowl, and the idiots watering the track and costing PC the title. 1978 is best remembered for Kennett's performance, including Mauger's fall. 1981 is remembered for TWO races. I fear that, like everyone else, you are remembering the occasion and the Wembley atmosphere, rather than the actual racing. Let's not forget the other, even more underwhelming World Finals like Amsterdam, Munich, Norden, and Ullevi underwater in '77. There was some great racing in the '76 final. Speedway fans are like amateur golfers. World Finals were mostly crap, but like that one chip onto the green that lands inches from the pin, you have one good race which makes everything worthwhile!

Judging by most of the comments on here, you could have fooled me... Loads of 'em, apparently - mostly from the BSF... British speedway fans clearly prefer standing on mud and broken concrete, covered by corrugated iron and a tarpaulin...

Quite honestly, leaving the "occasion" out of it, most World Finals have been underwhelming.

Tthat's irrelevant...

I hate to pick holes in what Ove said, but remember that when someone dies, people say things without thinking, just in order to build someone up.

The World Final may have had drama - sometimes. It also had a relatively weak field based on nationality. Wembley had magic. Can't argue that, but why do we hang on to something that's been dead for 40 years? Even if we had a new Wembley track, it wouldn't get close to the old one. Did you see the Wroclaw GP in 2019? Racing-wise - and drama-wise - it was the greatest meeting I have ever seen. And I'm not the only one on here to say that.

Yeah; when they missed the corner, and ended up in the Serpentine...

That is a point I have repeatedly made on here. I think in some of the following years, there were several finals that were equally weak.