uk_martin

I don't care if it's called Rap Crap, Hippy Hoppy, Jungle, House, Garage, Garden Shed, Grime or Slime, it's all a load of bollards. Rock lives on....

Puts the public mainstreem perspective of Speedway into focus... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/42332921

With all this old time music being suggested, is it possible for the spectators to be given a pair of glasses with their admission ticket, so that they can watch the racing in black & white?

Exactly, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Maybe he's been getting lessons on how to act as a big fish in a small pond and how to act like the next superstar by playing the clubs off against each other...maybe?

Maybe a Thrash Metal Night, or a Rammstein Night could be fun...one way to clear the decks for a new and younger crowd to come along to see the sport.

Could we have the Steptoe & Sons music playing to accompany a rider whose bike has failed, as he pushes it back to the pits?

We will find out in the next few days whether the BSPA deem it in the best interests of British Speedway to set an average that allows JPB to be signed up by the Brummies for next year.

Great rewards brought to you by the same organisation which prevented Scott Nicholls from competing in the SEC a couple of years back, thereby preventing him from getting a nice nest egg to retire on, shortly after which he "retired from international speedway" (or rather, he effectively told the BSPA what they could do) So, with that bit of history in the background, who thinks that this will turn out well for Scott Nicholls?

He's paid his dues to the speedway circus. How about we just let the man enjoy his retirement?

Give most of them a cardiac arrest, more like...

Got to keep in touch with what the fans want and stuiff that the average fan can relate to... Glenn Miller, Val Doonican Bing Crosby Andy Williams Frank Sinatra Perry Como and maybe a bit of Barry Manilow for the younger contingent on the terraces...

The Dads Army theme tune will remind you of the fan base of most teams.

How about something really radical? How about an expectation that by the end of June, a certain number of fixtures have been run, and that by the end of July another number of fixtures have been run, with a penalty of 2 points per fixture not completed in those times? That'll make some promoters (Stoke, anybody?) sit up and pay attention to track preparation, and fixture organisation, rather than taking the easy option of chucking a postponed fixture in the TBA pile to be sorted out some time before the start of November. It may also give hope to fans that they don't need to go 3 or 4 weeks between meetings and for them to get into a rhythm of attending meetings, which may help keep some fans interested?

Sadly, not whilst the Brummies were in the Premier League. Going by your list though, you could have added Bartosz Zmarzlik too

Going to have some interesting local derby's next year... Cradley v Coventry - at Wolverhampton Coventry v Cradley - at Leicester. If I ever hear people moaning that the airports that Ryanair fly into are nowhere near the cities that they advertise them to be at, I'll mention this.

Hands up anyone who hasn't ever changed jobs to do the same thing for another employer for more money??? Keep your hands up so that I can count them... So what's an ambitious young rider supposed to do? And what's the point of ambition if the result is that they don't earn more for their talent? The NL can't be a dead end street as far as earning potential is concerned else what's the point of a rider sticking his neck out and trying to better himself? If the cream floats towards the top and the pay at the top is better somewhere else then so be it. Better that in the bigger picture, from a GB perspective, than just having a league full of UHT Skimmed Nuclear Bunker Milk.

The Police have got it down to a fine art now...they detain away fans inside the cage for about an hour after the meeting (bear that in mind if you have a train to catch), by which time the home fans will have dispersed...or at least they did when I was "in the cage" at Zielona Gora with the Stal Gorzow fans. Yeah, you could see that the Police were equipped to handle any situation, but they also believe in the prevention is better than cure ethos.

Top tip if you are flying to Berlin and then going to Poland by train, the train does NOT terminate at Berlin's main railway station. Instead, you have to take the S Bahn to Lichtenberg, and get the train from there, which is a bit like taking a train to Watford if you are travelling out of London. Anyway, the next trick is NOT to buy the ticket in advance on the Bahn.de web site. Instead, buy your ticket to Kostrzyn (the border crossing point, where you have to change trains) on the train, and then buy a second ticket from Kostrzyn to Gorzow or ZG again on the train. German Railways charge about €20 for the combined ticket as a "border crossing duty" if you buy online.

Many a true word spoken in jest

Any word when the NL AGM is likely to be to put us out of our misery? 2 years ago it was the week after the EL/PL AGM, last year it was the month after...any guess on what that projection could lead to this time around?

When did Richard Hall ever have a 3.00 Championship average?

You mentioned the Falubaz atmosphere, and certainly there are few fixtures to compare with Falubaz v Stal Gorzow, either at home or in Gorzow. Be aware though that Falubaz are masters of derbgy-day shenanigans, so don't be too surprised if for some mystery reason you go to Poland and the meeting is called off due to a supposedly dodgy track, or if the meeting is delayed in order to allow a star rider to arrive by specially chartered helicopter, or whatever. ZG play more mind games than Sir Alex Ferguson ever could. My favourite airport to fly to is Poznan. It's served by so many airports in the UK, that you should be able to link in to it. The airport is a £1 bus ride from the central railway station, from where you are a £5-£15 train ride away from Gorzow, ZG, Leszno, Pila and Gniezno, amongst others. If you end up on one of these last flights of the night, and like me last time, arrive in Poznan airport at 00.50am, there's the Comm Hotel directly over the road from the airport that is very convenient to use. I use the e-podroznik site for transport info such as times and fares. This site also has a decent phone app. It's also in English and it gives you car bus and train links between anywhere you ask. The site gives tthe option to use Blablacar.pl but you may not fancy getting into a car with a stranger. But you have the option. http://www.polskibus.com/en/index.htm is a decent alternative to the train on some routes. I used a Polski Bus (a new luxury coach in reality with power for your phone / laptop and wifi for free) between Gdansk and Torun. The bus was cheaper and the journey was 2 hours instead of 3 by train. Booking.com seems to have the most comprehensive hotel listings in Poland although Airbnb.com is gaining popularity over there. I've found some decent places on Airbnb in the last couple of years. Prices to Poland depend on season. You might want to look up Polish National Holidays, and try to avoid these as seats on the planes will be in high demand by people going home to see their families. During the main season though, you can usually get flights for about £40-£50 each way if you only take hand luggage. During the play-offs though, Wizzair seem to offer some amazing bargains. The last 2 years, I've been able to fly Birmingham-Poznan and back for under £25, all-in. Beware though, Brexit has chucked a huge curve-ball into the price and cost equation. The overall cost of trips isn't as cheap as it was in past years and in the future the trend will continue upwards. The best tip is to befriend some people over in Poland, and keep in touch with them. They can help you out with stuff that can only be done locally, like purchasing tickets, which for Falubaz v Stal, regularly sell out in advance. And whichever team you get to follow, see if you can go on an away trip with them and experience life "in the cage" as an away fan. Excellent fun, although maybe not for your first visit.

Which is like saying that Lance Corporal Jones in Dad's Army was climbing up through the ranks...

Maybe he has Stoke Potters in mind? Early days yet but a good signing imho. Saw this young man in action in Güstrow earlier this year and he was as competitive as any of the local youngsters. From memory he finished a competitive second in each of his three 250cc races. If he adapts well to man-sized bikes, he'll do ok.

Sorry, have I just stumbled onto the Sparrows thread?