lucifer sam

Hi, preview for Glasgow vs Scunny was due to be sent out tonight, but I'll get it together a bit sooner than that, so that we can clarify regarding Holub's average. All the best Rob

Yeah, would have been good to have Wilko at reserve, but Rob G and Scunny have to go along with the rules, same as anyone else. But Zdenek will be fine at reserve - hopefully we now get best of both worlds, with Wilko scoring good points in the team and Zdenek scoring good points at reserve. I don't see that it places a lot more pressure on Josh. All the best Rob

The Scotsman has already pointed out that there are more than three fixture clashes. And that's before Belle Vue start to re-arrange their postponed meetings. Surely it's simple common sense being applied in this case. Doubling-up is bad enough as it is, before you allow it to happen with tracks with the same race-night. All the best Rob

This one: 16.3.5 The BSPA MC monitors all proposed moves and has the sole responsibility to approve all (re-)Declared Team Line-Ups having been satisfied they are in the best interests of the sport. Plus two precedents: 1. Swindon having to release Josh Bates, when he signed for Sheffield (on the same race-night). 2. King's Lynn having to release Lewis Kerr, when they moved to Thursday nights and clashed race-nights with Ipswich (Kerr's PL club). It's pretty clear from that, that a rider is not allowed to sign for two clubs with the same race-night. All the best Rob

I'm not Rob Godfrey (the clue is in the sig!), but I agree, his statement on the BSPA website has clarified the whole situation, and made it very clear why doubling-up between two tracks on the same race-night is not allowed. A sign that maybe the BSPA has changed, with more transparency and explaining how a decision has been made. In this case, it was simple common-sense. All the best Rob

Eight... and counting. How many of BV's meetings currently need re-arranging.... Common sense decision by BSPA. You can't allow a rider to double up between two tracks with the same race-night. Doubling up is already enough of a mess, without opening that particular floodgate. All the best Rob

Isn't the whole point of the matter that a rider cannot double-up between two tracks with the same race-night. There may be only three clashes at the moment, but what happens when Belle Vue do get underway and reschedule all their postponed meetings? Won't most of those get rescheduled in for Friday nights? Doubling-up is already a bit of a mess, and puts people off, when half a team is missing. All the best Rob

Definite threat - no doubt about it. All the best Rob

Macca56, So you’ve trawled the internet looking for tweets four years old? You maybe need to find better things to do with your time And what did you find? A grand total of one tweet from some random person that has a go at Josh Auty. That obviously warrants vigilante action from Rohan Tungate then! Are you for real? It’s speedway racing. Accidents happen, sadly. It’s an unfortunate part of the sport. However, attacking fellow riders outside of the confines of the four racing laps is not part of the sport. As for the original running of Heat 10, it's the type of accident that happens quite often at Scunny. The rider from the inside (Tungate) charges from inside to outside of the track, and so the rider on the outside (Auty) has two options - end up going through the fence or cut back under their opponent. Auty cut back under, but caught Tungate, who came down. Auty could have been excluded, but the ref probably took into account the fact that Tungate went from the inside to outside. In any case, whatever the ref’s decision, a racing accident. And do you honestly think it warrants Tungate using vigilante action outside the confines of the race? He was quite fortunate that Auty is a tough character. I suspect that many of us, if attacked like that, would be off down the police station. Tungate is not the first rider to lose his cool in such a way. And he won’t be the last. But I think what really wound up people were his subsequent lies. Had he been honest, the ref would have excluded him from the rest of the meeting, but then it would have been largely forgotten about. Richard Hall was excluded from a meeting at Scunny in 2014, and was back guesting for the Scorpions earlier this year. Richard Hall was man enough to admit he’d lost his cool, served his punishment, and that was that. Tungate lied to the referee, giving some cock and bull story, about catching Auty by accident, because he was racing to the line against Alex Davies. Video evidence then came to light which proved Tungate’s version of events that he provided to the referee was a tissue of lies. I think that’s what many can’t stomach. But whatever the rights and wrongs, it will be put bums on seats at the EWR later this year. Supporters do love a bit of controversy. Expect the air to turn blue when Tungate is introduced to the crowd! All the best Rob

The early 50s which were so successful that there were tracks closing left, right and centre?? Strange definition of success. 1946-49 was a boom period, but the 50s were a massively troubled decade for speedway. I would say the period 65-80 was a more sustainable Golden era for British Speedway. All the best Rob

Spencer Timmo had Marvyn Cox's distinctive chequered leathers, which Cocker had used in around '85/'86, when he was in full flow, passing riders for fun around Cowley (including Gundersen in the Golden Helmet). Spence crashed at Mildenhall in 1989 and was smashed up (and never quite the same rider again). I remember visiting him in hospital, and he revealed they'd had to cut the leathers from him and they were no more. All the best Rob

I can only assume that you're joking again. If Tungate was sporting, he would have admitted what he'd done, rather than lying to the referee (and being caught out when it turned out a fan had caught the incident on their phone) and then subsequently refusing to apologise. Josh Auty is a hard rider and no saint, but he's honest. I'm actually fairly moderate on this subject. Tungate caused total uproar at that meeting. He's still got to go back and face those fans - that will be interesting. All the best Rob

That's a relief, I was concerned you actually thought John Hack was German All the best Rob

John Hack is Mancunian and therefore almost certainly not related to the German Georg Hack. Interviewed John Hack three times in the last five years. Smashing chap, who is back to around 90-95%, despite the injuries that so nearly killed him. All the best Rob

Shame he's a dirty git, and then told fibs to the referee to get himself a 21-day-ban. And his distinct lack of apology means the feud with Josh Auty is still on-going - the Sky meeting clearly demonstrated that. All the best Rob

1964 National Trophy Final, second leg. Oxford Cheetahs overturn 20-point deficit from first leg to defeat West Ham in last-heat decider, to complete the treble. Plus I'd get to see Arne Pander, Ron How, Jimmy Gooch, Ronnie Genz, Jack Geran, Colin Gooddy, Eddie Reeves and John Bishop in action for the Cheetahs. All the best Rob

Just setting off from Oxfordshire. All the best Rob

From @SpeedwayScunny twitter: Morning race fans the forecast is for a band of rain to pass through at dinner time then sunshine after the track is prepared for this. So the word from the boss is we're going racing today.

To be honest, that always looked the case. BV need a good forecast for their first meeting. Looking forward to see Robert Lambert around the EWR. All the best Rob

The Scunthorpe promotion have changed two starting times, due to requests from the away promotion. The Bank Holiday clash against Peterborough on May 30 was brought forward from 3pm to 2pm, so that the Panthers can also stage a home meeting at 8pm in the evening. Meanwhile, the meeting the day after Cardiff against Glasgow was brought forward from 6.30pm to 4pm, after a request from the Glasgow promotion, which hopefully will make it more convenient for the Tigers' fans to fit in Scunny on their way home after the weekend away. Which begs the question - did Newcastle ask for a new time? All the best Rob

Shame Brian Leonard didn't up end as the speedway promoter, after his year alongside Dore and Bliss in 1987. Things may have gone down a bit different path. Dore was the dogs man. Leonard was passionate about the speedway. Hence Per Jonsson trying setting that track record in 1987, because Brian Leonard spent money on the track that year to get it right and it wasn't its usual slick self. All the best Rob

Didn't Bill Dore trade in the longer lease for a shorter one, to get a rent reduction? All the best Rob

Thanks to the Devils On Tour fans for taking the time to send the following letter to Scunthorpe Speedway: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=5333

It does look like it's sorted out this time around. I guess the proof will be that NL meeting on Friday evening. All the best Rob

I've got every World Final programme. Had to pay the most for 1936, the only time I had to go above £100. I got 1961 for £70-£80, I think. Ebay is the mug's way of collecting these programmes - much cheaper at auctions, etc. All the best Rob