lucifer sam

Very glad to read that as an avid reader and occasional contributor. How much is the online subscriptions side of things taking off? All the best Rob

1. Ivan Mauger 2. Ronnie Moore 3. Barry Briggs 4. Geoff Mardon 5. Larry Ross All the best Rob

He did. In 1978 and 1979. Near 11.00 average in '79. One of my earliest speedway memories. He was brilliant - passing riders for fun. All the best Rob

In 2001 (I think): Eastbourne 75 King's Lynn 0. All the best Rob

Chris Widman at No 7 for Scorpions. All the best Rob

I focused more on Jan O, because he was the defending champion. But yes, no Jan O, no Hans, no Erik. Only former champion was Per Jonsson. He went into the meeting as favourite, but dropped three points in his opening ride. It meant a wide-open World Final, and Havvy was the one who stepped forward to take it. All the best Rob

Peter Craven - a firm favourite of my dad. Oxford was his favourite track, and it was rumoured he was in talks to move to Cowley in 1964. All the best Rob

It only takes a little digging into Szczakiel's record to realise how wasn't quite as weak a World Champion as portrayed. For starters, he's a multiple World Champion, with an individual and a pairs (in which he scored a paid maximum). In both of those, he beat Ivan Mauger on track, to knock Ivan into second place. And Ivan reckoned their overall head-to-head during this period was 7-6 to Mauger. You could argue Szczakiel was weaker outside Poland, but then again you could argue e.g. Freddie Williams won two World Finals and both were on his own track. And note that I said Muller was 'competition' for worst World Champ for Havvy. Yes, Havvy had a better season in 1992 than Muller had in 1983, but then again, Muller stayed towards the top for longer - e.g. Muller was incredibly fast at Katowice in 1976. The 1992 World Final had perhaps have the weakest line-up for a final - the reigning champion (Jan O) wasn't even there. The big clue is that Gert Handberg, a middling third heat-leader, finished third in the final. Havvy did brilliantly to win that final, but never looked like winning a second one. All the best Rob

If a rider is ruled out through an injury sustained in the meeting, then they don't need to take the minimum number of rides. The rule has been like that for a very long time - going back to the 70s and 80s at least, if not further. Occasionally a team may gain through it. It's not really open to too much abuse, since it relies on a rider falling off and hurting themselves. But I've known a few controversies down the years. Oxford once had Alun Rossiter pull out of a meeting having aggravated an injury (he hadn't actually fallen off), and then gave 7 (match-winning) rides to fellow reserve Steve Johnston. Strictly speaking, the injury really should have taken place during the actual meeting. All the best Rob

Probably that order there. Incidentally, if he was in the list, I would probably place Tommy Price ahead of Mark Loram, as much as Loram was one of the most entertaining riders I've ever seen. If all 8 British World Champions were included, I'd plump for: 1. Craven 2. Collins 3. Lee 4. Woffinden 5. Price 6. Loram 7. Williams 8. Havelock (possibly the weakest-ever World Champion, though he has competition from Muller and Holder, with IMO Szczakiel just above those three). All the best Rob

Nathan Greaves and Nathan Stoneman have both picked up knocks in the last few days, so David Wallinger will ride at No 7 for Scorpions and Layne Cupitt for Tigers. All the best Rob

Ravn replaced Dave Cheshire in the line-up. King was injured for a month or two, and Cross came in. But it's possible there were a meeting somewhere Cross replaced Ravn, and Heathens his six fully-fledged World Finalists, plus a riding reserve in Alan Grahame (1984). All the best Rob

Oxford 1989 not far off. Nielsen, Wigg, Cox, Dugard and Butler all made the World Final, while Andy Grahame was a non-riding reserve in 1982. Odd man out was Paul Dugard. All the best Rob

DERBY CRACKER POISED FOR EDDIE WRIGHT RACEWAY HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions’ promoter Rob Godfrey is optimistic that his side can end the recent Indian Sign that big-city rivals Sheffield Tigers have over them, when the two clubs meet in a local derby at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday (5.30pm). Scorpions went on a winning spree against Tigers between 2012 and 2014, but in the last couple of seasons that trend has been reversed. Josh Auty returns to Scorpions’ colours, following the expiry of his 14-day-ban for taking some time out of the sport. Meanwhile, Nathan Greaves has been booked to guest for Josh Bailey, although Greaves received a knock at Ipswich on Thursday. Godfrey says: “It’s another tough meeting on Sunday against a Sheffield side that has already won at the Eddie Wright Raceway a month ago. “I’m sure the Tigers will be expecting to win again, given the respective league positions of the two teams, and I’m sure plenty of their fans will make their way up the M18 hopeful of seeing another away win. “But I’m optimistic about our chances. Before the heavens opened last Sunday, we were performing really well - between them, Michael Palm Toft, Tero Aarnio and Lewis Kerr had won all five races. “Plus we have Josh Auty back in our ranks on Sunday. What happened with Josh happened and it’s water under the bridge now. “We’re looking forwards, not backwards, and after his break to get his head straight and sort a few problems out, I’m hopeful that we will get a fully refreshed and recharged Josh Auty back in the No. 5 race-jacket. “I’m sure it’s going to be another cracking derby between the two sides, full of top-notch racing, although we’d like to be the team which emerges from the clash with the SGB Championship points.” NOTE ON RE-ADMISSION TICKETS FROM SCORPIONS V PETERBOROUGH: Please note that last Sunday’s Scunthorpe v Peterborough KOC match was halted FIVE races before a result could be declared (the completion of Heat 10). Re-admission tickets therefore come into effect. Your tickets, which were stamped before your departure, will be valid for one of the next three home meetings, or the re-staging of the Scunthorpe v Peterborough KOC meeting (a re-staging date has yet to be agreed). In this case, deductions to admission prices on reproducing a valid, stamped re-admission ticket are as follows: Adult, Student/OAP and Child (10 – 17) – all £5. That is, a deduction of £1 on each race not completed prior to Heat 10. For example, the pricing structure for Sunday’s Scunthorpe v Sheffield SGB Championship meeting is as follows. Full admission prices for those without a valid, stamped ticket: Adult: £15.00 Student/OAP: £13.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Reduced prices for those WITH a valid, stamped ticket: Adult: £10.00 (£5 deduction) Student/OAP: £8.00 (£5 deduction) Child (10 – 17) FREE (£5 deduction) Family Ticket £20 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) (£15 deduction) We’re also aware that some people left without getting their ticket stamped. In this case, please bring your programme from the meeting, PLUS your unstamped ticket, and we will arrange to re-admit you at the reduced price. Expected teams for Sunday: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 2. Carl Wilkinson, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Ryan Douglas, 5. Josh Auty, 6. Tero Aarnio, 7. Nathan Greaves (guest). Sheffield Tigers: 1. Josh Grajczonek, 2. Todd Kurtz, 3. Lasse Bjerre, 4. Josh Bates, 5. Kyle Howarth, 6. Rob Branford, 7. Nathan Stoneman (guest).

Paid nine doesn't look to be a bad return from a second string, to be honest. All the best Rob

I don't want it to level out. I don't want results to be declared after 6,7,8 or 9 races full stop. I don't care who wins or loses because of it. I care that the public don't get shown half a meeting, which is then declared as a 'result'. All the best Rob

Thanks - always interesting to hear the perspective of the management. I'm a neutral - if anything I have a slight Glasgow bias between the two teams involved. I just don't like a decision to award a meeting after 9 races - I feel it could set a dangerous precedent. All the best Rob

32-19 after 8 races. Meaning a final score of 39-54 was still possible. Therefore it was wrong to award the result of the meeting. In 2014, Scunny were leading Sheffield 30-18 after 8 races when it was abandoned. It wasn't long before the play-off deadline, but the club took it on the chin, reached the play-offs and restaged the Sheffield meeting at the end of the season. Awarding results before Heat 10 has been completed is simply wrong. That night that Coventry called off the meeting after 8 races and yet the result was declared. I trust the fans were compensated for heat 10 having not been reached? All the best Rob

Penhall 1981 Gundersen 1985 Nielsen 1987 Gundersen 1988 Nielsen 1989 Jonsson 1990 Pedersen 1991 Nielsen 1995 Woffinden 2013 Not counting Rickardsson 2005 or Crump 2006, when I saw the final round, but they'd already clinched the title by then. All the best Rob

Agreed. It sets a very dangerous precedent. Heat 10 had not been concluded. How long before a meeting is awarded that only takes place over 8 or 7 or even 6 races? You can argue that Redcar had no riders left in Heat 10. But you could also argue that five 5-1s to Redcar in Heats 11 to 15 and the final score would be 49-42. There’s a clear cut-off of 10 races. If that’s not reached, then the only other way a result should be awarded is if a team could not be caught over 15 races, not 10 races. For example, if the scoreline was 45-9 after nine races, that could be awarded. Nothing was settled in the Redcar v Glasgow match. It should be re-run. All the best Rob

Ah, so you put your moral outrage to one side when the rider was being allowed to join your club. I thought that might be the case. All the best Rob (Cyclone, I can't be bothered. You're too boring and repetitive).

So.... if someone looked back to your 2008 posts on here, would they find you morally outraged about Hans Andersen being able to join Coventry after a 14-day-ban rather than a 28-day-ban, or would they find you saying "Welcome to Brandon, Hans!!" All the best Rob

So you're now admitting that there has been a 14-day ban option all along Yes, for Andersen, I believe it was initially announced as 28 days, than reduced to 14, because the rider was willing and able to return. So another precedent in terms of what has happened with Josh Auty. All the best Rob

Tomasz Piszcz and Hans Andersen are another couple of riders. I could produce a big, long list of them, but what's the point. 14 or 28 days are clearly both options. Facility to Scunthorpe was for 28 days. Rider can return (to same club) after 14 days. All the best Rob

Was he on the MC when Peterborough's Hans Andersen was handed a 14-day-ban rather than a 28-day-ban in 2008? All the best Rob