The British Final...

We return to my favourite sport - speedway!  The British Final (given its full name of the British Speedway Championship) has been held annually since 1961.  A number of different venues have been used, although you will see that some tracks did become established as regular hosts.  Until the mid-1970's, the event did include Australians and New Zealanders, who also represented Great Britain in international team fixtures.

In Memoriam (Part One)...

As you will have seen from my previous posts, my favourite sport is speedway - to Americans, that is motorcycle speedway.  500cc single cylinder machines with no gears and no brakes, hurtling around shale ovals...  One of the most popular spectator sports in Europe, it is a great spectacle, but sometimes, it can prove deadly.

Little Boy Blue...

Today's post is going to be my personal tribute to a legend of British sport, someone who inspired during my childhood.  It will come as no surprise to you to discover that the sport is speedway.  So, here is my tribute to Nigel Boocock.

Gone, But Not Forgotten...

No, this isn't about people; it is about sporting venues.  I know it happens, and I know it's often done in the name of "progress", but I'm not really sure I agree with that statement.  The same as in the US, so many British stadia have in recent years been destroyed, some to make way for ugly and/or dull replacements, and  some to make way for housing or industrial parks.  Others are still sitting there, just waiting to be redeveloped.

This is the first in a series, focusing on different sports.  Going back only 40 years - to 1974 - here is a list of speedway stadia that are no more.

No Brakes, No Fear...

The 2014 FIM Speedway Grand Prix season promises to provide an exciting conclusion, with just five rounds left.  Reigning Champion, Britain's Tai Woffinden currently leads the pack, but only three points clear of American Greg Hancock.  The top ten is completed by two Australians, two Poles, two Danes, a Swede, and a Slovenian.  A truly international sport, as you can see, speedway is still regarded historically as something very "British".

Sadly, the sport has been in decline in the UK for several years, and is actually unknown to a large number of modern-day Britons.  This includes the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who recently flew back from Poland with a large crowd of speedway fans (it did give us some good publicity, though).  I will now provide something of an insight into my favourite sport.

We are the Champions (Part Two)...

Continuing from yesterday, here are the other motorcycling World Champions that Great Britain has produced.  Some of these sports may not be totally familiar to American readers!