Ron Butler

I'm totally opposed to having a 'non-riding' captain. How can a man who spends the match period pottering around in the comparative comfort of the pits instruct or advise men who have to go out and ride how to do so? The riders know from experience all the details of the changing condition of the circuit. They know where the grip is. They know where the bumps etc are. They know the best racing line. These are all aspects of the match that are liable to constant change throughout the meeting. The pit potterer cannot know the intimate details as much as the active rider can. The concept of a 'non-riding captain' gets a positive thumbs down from me - whoever he may be!

Maybe Mr Harris was more focussed than Mr Nicholls who, possibly, has more distractions to cope with.

I don't understand, Pearcey, the meaning of the bracketed comment. Would you enlarge on it, please.

He gave up British league racing to improve his performances on the GP circuit. Looks as though it's made little, if any, difference. Form your own conclusions!

Perhaps better to see the youngsters slowly struggle to make headway, Steve, than to see Nicholls [and possibly Harris] slide rapidly down the greasy slopes into Grand Prix/World Championship oblivion.

Speedway seems to live on a day-to-day basis, Gem, so I feel that by then we should be able to track a reasonable team -though not necessarily a winning one.

Oh dear, Shaz, you're getting a tad cynical. I wonder why?

Sweet sixteen for Mr Burrows - the man with the itchy clutch lever!

Mateusz, Thank you for the pics. Torun is a really magnificent stadium. What great crowds. We used to get many more people at speedway meetings in England many years ago when I first started watching. Now support in my country is very poor at most tracks. It makes me very sad that such a great sport has lost so much support here. Not many people go now. Thank you again for the pics. I really enjoyed looking at them. Regards, Ron.

Thanks for the info, R & R

I didn't catch the transmission from there. What makes it such such a magnificent venue for our sport?

Look on the Live Updates home page tomorrow morning and all will be revealed! Alternatively, you could send a PM to Crazysue. She's the chief whip on the forum.

No, Chris Harris is not a competent Grand Prix rider at present. However, to replace him with Simon Stead is, perhaps, making progress in the reverse direction.

The Brandon Hall being 4* rating is obviously quite expensive. Premier Inns are quite good value for money and i can recommend them in general.

One of the great physics problems still being studied by the leading scholars of the western world, Shadders, is whether a knob can have a point or, conversely, whether a point can really have any part of its structure that represents a knob without actually transmorphorising itself into a knob. I hope you liked my Humphrey Appleby impersonation!

..........by some inconsiderate fly-boy

It's in the General Discussions section also - with my reply!

A few days ago I was watching the 2004 World Cup Final. I think it was the dreaded Millard who constantly referred to Kenneth Bjerre as Beerer. Surely it would be comparatively simple for commentators to approach the riders before matches to check the pronunciation of their names - or is that expecting too much from such a vast broadcasting organisation.

On the basis of yesterday I would question the standards of both Nicholls and his compatriot Harris as serious Grand Prix contenders. Perhaps they should both be content to restrict their speedway activity to what they do best - riding in league and international team contests. Team meetings have long been the lifeblood of the sport and I feel that this is in danger of being regarded as of minor importance as the Grand Prix circus becomes ever more predominant.

Live Updates are showing it. Here is the link: http://speedwayupdates.proboards.com/index...4460&page=1 You'll need to scroll down a little. Enjoy.

Preferably with English language commentary!

Scott Nicholls - out of sheer desperation!

.....and the ghosts of Peter Craven and Old Uncle Jack Parker 'n all, Andy?

Naughty, naughty Dietbuster. Attack the post - not the poster's cranial deficiency!

No, Shawn, that is not his 'team'. That is the present 'squad' which he has said he will reduce by July. I feel that for a while he will have to mix youth with riders of greater experience. He will, I imagine, gradually drop the older riders as the youngsters become more experienced. These younger men have little or no international experience thus the inclusion of men such as Screen, Stead and Nicholls. All babies need to be taught to crawl before they can walk.