Grachan

I don't know anything about the State Final. It was a response to a comment on averages, which stated he had an verage over 4 in the EL but below 7 in the PL. Based on that, he would presumably be eligible for the EL but not the PL. If he qualifies for a visa via a State final then fair enough, but that's not what I was responding to.

Only if he rides in the EL presumably, in that case. He would be ineligible for the PL possibly? Surely the EL figure of 4.00 is too low. You only need to be better than an NL rider to achieve that on the current format. EL figure should be around 5.50 or 6.00.

That was Dag. Maybe Old Fluffass was too, but Dag was the real king of the wet track. My knowledge on pre 1974 Norwegians is pretty sparse, but surely Dag Lovaas would be better than 7th??

An hotel is incorrect. It's "a hotel". It's one of those things that has crept into modern speak, and has become common. But it is not correct. File alongside "should of".

I've said that myself in the past, that Phil Crump should have been World Champion in 1975 and held back the 4 valve. Phil Crump was phenomenol, but lacked the killer instinct in World Championships. I remember a Speedway Star article in about 1982 saying he was the best rider in the World. Yet in World Finals he never really did the businiess, particularly in the 1980s. But this is abut a team event, and I'd put him about Ward, and even Holder in that respect.

How can it be a topic of SOUTH Arfica only, when the original poster had riders from other parts of Africa in his team? Mike Ferriera was certainly from Zimbabwe/Rhodesia.

Indeed. The same in 1976 with Egon Muller.

To be fair, they are trying to promote the sport on their websites and it's best to put as positive a slant on things as they can. I certainly would if it was me.

If he's had work permits in the past then he'd presumably have them now. I don't know if his mother is British or not, but I've never heard of him being a British Citizen before now. Presumably he'd have used this option from the beginning of his career as it helps Australians a lot riding here if they have dual nationality. Jason Crump and Nick Morris come to mind as riders who used it from the very beginning because they had the option. (Nowadays I don't believe someone like Jason Crump could have gained a British passport. Being born here no longer automatically gives you that right.)

Funny thing is I can't really recall Hans in 89. Maybe this was during the time when the World Final wasn't on TV so it less of an impact on me. "My time" begins in 1974, (plus video evidence of the two before that)!

Maybe. I just thought it might be fun to take it in another direction. Another one would be - best Wold champion in terms of World final dominance on the night itself. But then we're into Egon Muller territory! For me,using that in terms of World final performances in my time, then it's: 1) Anders Michanek 1974 2) Egon muller 1983 3) Bruce Penhall 1981. Well, it makes a change from greatest of all time, doesn't it?

He's playing in the top league. He'll only be playing for one team. He meets the criteria. Plus football probably doesn't have an issue with visa violations. It's nothing to do with this case.

She has been.

Before my time. Couldn't possibly comment. But Hans Nielsen's 12.00 league average away from home that year makes the 1986 Hansy a pretty good contender in any era. In what way?

I've been reading about this case now. You're facts are a bit incorrect. First of all, being born in the UK does not automatically make you a British citizen. This is from the Government website: "British citizenship If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 You don’t automatically get British citizenship if you were born in the UK. If you were born on or after 1 January 1983, you’ll be a British citizen if your mother or father was either: a British citizen when you were born ‘settled’ in the UK when you were born In most cases you’ll be a British citizen if your mother or father was born in the UK or naturalised there at the time of your birth. If you were born before July 2006, your father’s British nationality will normally only pass to you if he was married to your mother at the time of your birth." The boy's mother was told in 2007 she was inelibible to be in the UK. She had the boy after that. He is not a British citizen. She has also been in prison for obtaining false documentation and working illegally. She's been using the appeals system ever since, which prevented her being deported before.

Who is being punished? Nobody is being punished. The whole sport is being told it has to do things properly, and they are offering a "workshop" to educate them. Ineligible riders may find themseves without work permits, but that's not punishment. That's because they are not entitled to one. The maximum penalty for employing illegals is 2 years in prison and a £20,000 fine. Have any club promoters been given that? I haven't heard of any. Just visas put on ice until they sort out the proper way of doing things and do things by the book. I saw a petition about this, and wondered about that. If he is a British citizen he can't be deported, surely. I'm often suspicious of these casess that come to light, as there is often something in them that doesn't quite add up.

I don't think it's utter rubbish, as there is a certain degree of truth in the government tightening up on immigration in recent times, and I've even fallen foul of that myself and I know how things are constantly changing at present and they are looking more to fail people who put in visa application. However, the answer to that is - do everything by the letter and then they can't fail you if you are eligible. It makes me laugh where Rod Colquhoun says that some teams only had as few as 2 or 3 occasions uncovered. Why do they even have one issue? Just do things properly. That's all. I have to. So should they. Do people really want our speedway teams to have illegal immigrants in them?

Best World Champion ever would, to me, mean which rider was the best rider in a particular year that he won the title against other riders in a particular year. For example, how does Ivan Mauger 1979 fare against Ivan Mauger 1968 or Tony Rickardsson 2001 and so on. And the winner is...... Hans Nielsen 1986.

Although this does slightly contradict that. https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-temporary-worker-creative-and-sporting-visa/eligibility "You’ll also need all of the following: a certificate of sponsorship reference number £945 in savings - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply You won’t need £945 in savings if your fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll certify your maintenance and that you won’t claim benefits during your stay." This, I assume, is what barncooseboy was referring to earlier. Although I still don't see how they could claim benefits when it says here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-temporary-worker-creative-and-sporting-visa/overview "You can’t: get public funds start your own business" Because benefits are public funds.

I'm not even sure there should be any non-EU riders in the Premier Leagua at all if you read the rules: https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-temporary-worker-creative-and-sporting-visa/eligibility "You need to make a significant contribution to your sport at the highest level in the UK to be eligible for this visa. "

It is the BSPA's responsiility. They endorse the visa applications.

People here on a sport visa can't claim benefits. It is. It is the responsibility of the BSPA, as sports govening body, to approve visa eligibility and endorse applications. https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-sportsperson-worker-visa/overview

i'll be honest. At first I was cynical about this whole thing, and wondered if nothing would get sorted until after the General Election as it was just a ruse to help doctor immigration figures. But more and more breaches of the immigration rules have been flagged up by people - particularly on the thread in Speedway Dicussions - and, if correct, it seems the BSPA have brought this upon themselves.

They were allowing that? Good grief!! No wonder they've been pulled up. And the riders themselves have some responsibility for that, too.

Yes. They are. I guess that being a sport governing body and pleading ignorance they are being given a chance to be educated and to do things properly. I guess this must have all come to light last year after the Jason Doyle visa issue. It became known then that, on the visa he was getting, he couldn't double up or guest.