Grachan

Are you sure that's not just the line-up for the US Championships?

So it's Adams for Swindon, Zagar for Reading and Crumpie for O*f*rd. Has to be Hancock in for Cradley now, surely? If not, the only other rider I could think of would be Hans Andersen and his Erik Gundersen leathers (or whatever they call them these days). Starting to look like the cancellation of the original meeting was a blessing in disguise.

Thanks for clearing that up. At least we know he has a genuine reason now.

Hmmm. Why no Stead? At Eastbourne? Why Travis? Difficult one. Let me think...

Travis "I can't be beat" McGowan is riding apparently. Swindon Evening Advertiser he say: LEIGH Adams and Travis McGowan will go for glory tomorrow in the Elite League Pairs Championship at Eastbourne’s Arlington Stadium (7.30pm). The Robins duo will be looking to win the title for the club for the third time, the last two victories coming in 2004 and 2005. On those occasions, Adams partnered Charlie Gjedde and then Lee Richardson as the championship winged its way to Swindon. The prospects of Adams and McGowan look promising, with the former having shown superb form all season domestically. And McGowan, stepping in as a last-minute replacement for Simon Stead, is well-known for his ability on tight tracks and has guested successfully for Eastbourne. He also notched up a 15-point maximum at Belle Vue on Monday.

Or Sushi?

Good luck to Olly, but like others I'm completely baffled as to why he has a Testimonial. He didn't leave Swindon because of the points limit. He was struggling there and wasn't happy. Career took on a new lease of life at Coventry, then he switched to being a Coventry asset a few years ago. surely a testimonial would be due 10 years after that. Anyway, not his fault I guess, and I'm pleased to see he has done well for the Bees. When is Simon Stead having his Blunsdon testimonial then?

Nice one. Ta muchly kind sir.

Does anyone know the exact dates of these two meetings? I have the Speedway Stars from the time but they don't give dates. The European Final is given as "last Sunday" which, to me, could be one of two Sundays -August 20 or August 27 given that reports from the Continent in those days were often a week late. Continental Final gives no date at all.

From paragraph 3: “I haven't even had the decency of a call from Rob,” Nicholls said. From paragraph 4: I said I wanted to race for my country, but he phoned me and said I was having a tough time right now and perhaps it was best I didn't. How many times does he want to be called then?

Ari Kopenen clattering into the safety fence in a crumpled ball on bend two - right by me - with his bike on top of him. After being down for ages he was finally scraped up, removed from the track, and came back out to score 11 from 4.

Tomasz Chrzanowski is riding for Swindon.

Shawn McConnell doing a celebratory wheelie at the end of the race and getting overtaken in the process. Andrew Silver coming in as number eight and slicing through the middle of a team-riding Wolves pair in one fell swoop. Sign him up!! Phil Crump's maximum against the unbelievable Cradley team in 1983. Malcolm Holloway riding through the flower beds on the centre green.

I think he means Peterborough v Reading Rob.

That's a compuslory thing when they start school over there. All other countries other than Britain are just so cruel. Hopefully, all being well, we can convince Tai that the British really are a bunch of whinging Poms so he'll see the error of his ways, ride for Australia instead where he's actually appreciated and help them win the World Cup while we continue to fail and then whine about it like a bunch of little babies. Maybe we should send some BNP voters round to burn his house down.

Here's a novel idea. Video tape. Long play. Whole meeting recorded. Ah, the good old days eh?

This really annoys me. I have kids who I'm proud to say have two nationalities. The only negative side I can see is they might have to put up with this same kind of crap from a few small minded British people if they dare to have any pride in any other country than dear old bloody blighty. Tai has two countries. He chose to represent this one as a rider. Not good enough for some people though. They want him to totally disown everything else. He's showing no qualms about his heritage and good for him. I hope my kids would do the same. Never read such brainless rubbish in my life.

No it doesn't. If anything it indicates that he should have picked Scott Nicholls and Joe Screen, and if he had we would have have been in the World Cup Final this morning. Not saying he should have picked Screen and Nicholls - but going on averages alone he should have.

Ah, but the one he scored at 19 was at Wembley, so not in a foreign country. Unless you're Scottish of course.

20.

It was only a brief mention. Nothing much was made of it.

He did get a mention for not turning up to Swindon v Poole though. I guess the issue is that Scott was originally named as captain.

That's because they speak German and Danish.

I'm from Newbury and neither have I. That's what it says on my passport though.

Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain. It's part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.