Ron Butler

Perhaps the recording unit was sent to Gelsenkirchen!

I feel he will, Schumi. It will be 'arranged' for the sake of national pride and, primarily, Sky Sports rating figures. The rules of speedway are, I fear, somewhat fluid now. I could say more but I know you prefer brief posts.

Memories of Bill Shakespeare are aroused, Bunny. Could this, perhaps, be a modern application of the evil a man does living on after him and the good being interred with his bones? Ron.

Taking an overall view, Deano, since I first became a speedway enthusiast in 1946, I would be inclined to delete the 'probably' - with Sweden a close second.

I hope the Melbourne venue is confirmed. It will be good to have a Grand Prix meeting in the country which is universally acknowledged as the foundation land of the speedway racing.

Thanks for that, Dan2. It's quite a good site - and page.

Well done both teams!

I remember a Velocette road bike in the 50s [i think] which had all the mechanical aspects shrouded in a light metal casing. It was the quietest bike of the era. Maybe the design is being resurrected for speedway. The answer to noise problems faced by proposed new stadia?

'Sid King' is a feeling you get when you travel hundreds of miles to watch your team at an away meeting only to find that the match was called off ten minutes after you left home! Seriously, I have no memory of a rider of that name. Perhaps he didn't ride in Britain.

Could well be. He was always purton on the style though he rarely purton the agony

Do you mean, Keith, by ability criteria or by an ability criterion. I'm a tad confused as criteria = plural whereas criterion = singular. Perhaps you would clarify this for a confused old codger. Thanks. Ron.

I feel that those two comments sum up the situation accurately and succinctly, Sunnset.

Thank you, Flagrag. My two remaining little grey cells are grateful for the enlightenment you have bestowed upon them!

Sorry, Flagrag, I don't understand that particular phrase. Could you please clarify your meaning? Thank you.

I disagree, Keith, with your implied assumption that nomination [qualification] should be based on the nationality of a rider. Surely it should be decided solely on the estimated ability of the rider given the place.

I sincerely hope not! Presumably that would mean that 75 is the new 55. That being so I will have to give up my very comfortable and pleasant retirement apartment. [minimum age for occupation is sixty]; this would mean that I would agin have to do my own gardening and outdoor maintenance. I will lose my free national local bus travel facility and have to pay the full adult fare on all public transport. I will lose my free television licence and my entitlement to free medication. Worst of all though, I will have to return to gainful [?] employment in a stuffy Inland Revenue office. Even though my income is far from generous now, Bobbath, I would like to remain 75....please! Ron.

I note, Snailexpress, that you are resident in Singapore. Could this mean, I wonder, that you may be out-of-touch with British speedway and its basic day-to-day problems? I ask this as a genuine question not as a statement of fact.

I assume the British Speedway Promoters Association equivalent would be slick shale speedway?

What a team that was! Not a rider amongst them. Why? simply because they were all racers. I always looked forward to the Dons' visits to Hyde Road. Let's not forget, though, another Wimbledon super-racer; the canny Norman Parker. Back then we didn't have speedway; we had speedway racing and all that it entailed!

You appear to be rather confused as to wether the sport of speedway has reached Haggisland [see below] yet. I can assure that there have been tracks north of the border for a good many years. Scotland also produced one of the greatest and most colourful riders of yesteryear. I refer to Bert 'Haggis' Harkins. 'Visable' = visible? Does that mean that after a weekend break in Southern Tenerife you would be unable to see your way to one of the tracks that still operate in Scotland. Perhaps you meant viable i.e within the bounds of probability? Enjoy your speedway - wherever you watch it.

Well someone should get behind them with a ruddy great rocket in his hand. This does not apply to Tai Woffinden and, possibly, not to Eddie Kennet.

Reproduced from the BSPA website and dated Sunday 13 July: Jim Lynch: "The lads don't need a big team talk from me. They're determined to put on a good show after last year's disappointment." Dereliction of duty by Mr Lynch?

Time was when Hans Andersen held that dubious honour. It was awarded by some contributors to this forum after his alleged cheating in a decisive heat in the World Cup. I think it was in 2004. On that basis I wonder who it will be in 2012 - in the opinion of the usual pundits.

Ah, the infamous - and ever anonymous - 'reliable source'! We should beware of confusing Reliable Source with his identical twin Unfounded Rumour. This happens so often on speedway discussion forums.

It's far better, if you consider the name of the individual in conjunction with the name of the town and the period of time, me old parsnip! Consider also that old soldiers never die and this one does not intend fading away for a few years yet.