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Best not to get carried away but with Lambert and Bewley, S Worrall and Cook, there is a nucleus there of real capabilty and potential... Riders like Garrity, Howarth and Ellis too have the occasional 'good night' at a level that suggests if they could get consistency they too could develop into a higher bracket given their still quite young age.. Add possibly the best rider in the World to that mix and who knows, maybe the future could be much brighter than most think for British Speedway..? As we see from all the Sports behind football in the pecking order, a successful National Team brings in the media coverage, (written, audio and visual), the readers, listeners and viewers, the fans at the event and, very importantly, the sponsors. Maybe these lads now need some Test Matches at home and abroad to test their metal and improve them? A great meeting for TV tonight, not only on track but off it too, some very good composed interviews from those who got asked the questions and the crowd level, whilst not what a meeting like this deserves, certainly looked 'enough' to come across positively on TV.. The sport came across very well tonight to any 'non fans' watching....

Well done to Lambert. Fully deserved!

Champions League Semi.. you've lost 1st leg 2-0... you're winning 1-0 at home in the 2nd leg.. Corner in the last minute.. you leave six players back. "We couldn't afford to concede a goal" says the manager. Starman, Phil Rising, Stevebrum and a few others praise the genius tactics as said team is knocked out.

Well I've heard it ALL now. The Final is the one race where you CANNOT BUGGER ABOUT TRYING TO TEAM RIDE. Has Roscoe joined the forum in disguise ?

The way it was, with GB best under 21 rider at reserve, it gave GB the greatest flexability, Tai was likely to be riding well (but there again who would have thought Majic, Dudek, Emil would not have been at their best), Cook may have found his form, but in case either of them faltered (and Cook did) then GB had a on form reserve. The alternative suggested has been Tai and Lambert in the team with (under 21) Bewley at reserve. Had Tai or lambert had a poor day, or fell and injured (like Hukenberg) then would Dan be able to rise to the occasion? Lets face it, he is brilliant considering he not been riding too long, but at a senior world championship level - he would be very vulnerable. So, its my opinion, the team selection was correct, and the way the reserve was used was also correct.

The most poignant part of the whole competition i thought was Emil`s interview on the winners podium( doesn`t he speak very good English) thanking the team`s Polish sponsors, and him meaning without them Russia wouldn`t have been able to take part. I have been banging on about this for some time that the prize money for the event is pathetic - Russia as winners won about £15000( converted from US dollars) and they had to pay for hotels for about 12 persons(min) for lets say 3 nights plus travel and associated costs for 3 meetings. No wonder we are down to an event with 2 senior riders per team and an U21 rider at reserve who i suggest will not get anything like a third of what`s left to pay the riders. obviously with the prize money decreasing down the order most teams will i suggest be out of pocket come the end of the week !!!!!!! i listed prize money on page 14 of this thread.

Deserved winner, the future of British speedway is going to be very bright in the 5 years with the Thompson Twins and Flint the next top class next on the block. surprised nobody mentioned how much better Auty is compared to Howarth. Strangely quiet tonight.

Congratulations to Robert Lambert Us Speedway fans have been subjected to some absolutely sensational racing over the last 4 days. Absolutely brilliant

If I forget why I love speedway, and I often do being a Leicester fan, just watching the racing on a track like Belle Vue reminds me why the basics of this sport has me hooked even now.

Cook loves a moan don't he. If I wanted to hear whinging all night I would actually talk to my missus.

...wish that I hadn't got rid of all my programmes. Constant source of reference and jogging the memory cells.

It seems you as Managing Editor of the Speedway Star has an agenda. Virtually everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet accept you. I won't insult your intelligence Phil but if you can't see and can't admit as good as Tai Woffinden was in that tournament that he made a mistake in the Final then words escape me. Can see from your posts that you want Rosco removed but continuing with this "Woffinden couldn't help Lambert in the final" narrative isn't doing your reputation as a speedway journalist much cop

Don't be silly, you didn't do that. Numerous experts on this forum say leaving top riders out doesn't effect crowds! Seriously though, it's a shame British speedway (league) has sunk to the levels it has. We should be enjoying a Lindgren/Woffinden era at Wolves now that would have been right up with Ermolenko/Correy/Karlsson/Max/Lindgren (perm the relevant two).

Good luck to all 15 Brits tonight

The funny thing is ... many of us here, with nothing better to do in our spare time spent several days last week discussing the various scenarios and tactics with a Final race giving preference to second and third. And specifically how this may require totally different thinking than the qualifying races beforehand. Didn't that happen within the GB camp ? Or even inside Rossiter's head ? Weren't they all 'brainstorming' the outcomes and possibilities - not just for fun, like us - but for real because it mattered ?

I'm having a snack at the moment and literally spat some out as I burst into laughter. You're comedy gold Starman, sheer genius.

You're still not grasping it are you. There isn't a counter argument to what you have said because you haven't got an argument in the first place! Going for the win was irrelevant. It made no difference to the end result whether Lambert did or didn't pass Emil. Let's just suppose Lambert had sneaked past Emil on lap 2.. Tai has cleared off chasing the win.. Then on the last bend Emil goes round the outside and takes back third. Had Tai not been in the lead he could have blocked that outside run. The scenario for the final was simple. Come last, you lose. The win was not important.

Kept all my programmes of meetings attended - would never dream of ditching them even though I no longer attend. Just digging them out every now and again, you end up flicking through many, ending up taking longer than expected to try to find out what you got them out in the first place for.

It is box-office. Thus, it is here to stay. Get over it.

Im a big collector of newer programmes, and I'd personally be gutted if they became un-existent at some clubs.. Scunny's programme is the type everyone would probably buy as its only £1, word from Rob, racecard, fixtures and about 4 ads (inside covers)

I was at the world youth final in Denmark years ago when Rene Bach was the best rider there,but had to go into a final,which he was leading twice and both times,no fault of his the race was stopped and then the third time he lost out.Never liked the system then,nor since

It should be the highest scorer after 20 heats, but we now have the 'its a knockout' system which should have no place in a one off individual meeting imo. Personally never been to a meeting when this system is used, and any race off should just involve any tied riders for 1st, 2nd and 3rd ...

Agree, in my youth I was an avid collector of programmes of speedway, football and ice hockey going back to the 1920's. Still get them out occasionally to look at them. I love them from a historical point of view. The last time I went to a premier league football match it was more like a glossy magazine full of stuff that didn't interest me, for which they wanted £6. I didn't bother. Gone are the days when programmes were a cheap and simple addition to the match day experience.

It's nothing like the Tai situation. Stop trying to pick stuff out of the air in a very poor attempt to make your point? It is not professional and it's insulting to the good people of the NHS, who we all know have saved his life on more than one occasion. The fact that he felt the need to slag off the UK/NHS on a social media, more than once proves his lack of intelligence. If as you say you want to offer a reasoned response to a complaint about your treatment, then you go through the correct channels. This sense of entitlement is endemic. If you think that behaviour is acceptable, then you are no better than Schlein himself!

Quite frankly it doesn't matter how many opinions you canvass. If they suggest anything other than helping your partner in the final, they are wrong or simply short of a few brain cells. Let me put it this way.. Why bother with team riding in the heats then? Any argument that has been put forward for Tai not helping in the final is wiped out by him doing it in the heats. Yet in the one race where it was ABSOLUTELY essential (the heats weren't)... it wasn't done? You seem to be taking a stance that suggesting the tactics were wrong is somehow painting Tai to be a villain and wiping out the amazing efforts he put in during the week. That is utterly false. Yes, there are some anti Tai posters doing that, but they'll find fault regardless. As said, I class myself as a massive Tai fan and defended his decisions over the British Final and not riding for GB. I can however see GB got it wrong in the Final. If it was the managers decision, he should go. If you ran the final 100 times with Tai chasing the lead, barring mechanical failure Lambert wasn't going to pass Emil in any of them. If you ran the final 100 times with Tai attempting to help Lambert, I'd say at least ten of the times Lambert would get up for 3rd. Others may end up with Emil getting 2nd but it would be irrelevant. The fact is quite simply, the tactics used gave 0% chance of success barring engine failure.

I'd class myself as one of Tai's dedicated fans and I certainly asked the question. You'd have to be a few brain cells short to not do so. Seen various excuses trotted out as to why they didn't try and not one of them has any semblance of reason. It was the wrong tactic. Simply no argument. However, I won't use it a stick to beat him with nor will I let it detract from the superb performance he put in over the week or the great strides GB have already taken.

Come on Rory... New Witches no 1 last week New British no 1 this

FIRSTLY, as I have said many, many times, I do not contribute here as Managing Editor of Speedway Star but as a speedway fan. Have no agenda. Don't think I have mentioned Rosco. And my opinion (which is all jt is) remains the same regarding the final. In fact, has been endorsed this morning by some who were there, including a rider whose option I value highly. I have no problem with you seeing it differently. You should simply do the same.

Mind you, these were not just 'perceived' attempts to stop them winning dreamt up by particularly over sensitive Poles. This had been most informed people's (correct) opinion worldwide since the idea of a SWC replacement was first mooted. You are not being paranoid if folk really ARE out to get you. But whether this was REALLY the reason why thousands upon thousands of individual Poles did not attend ... I somewhat doubt that will be the case. It still remains the truth that ahead of the events the public was not won over by what seemed a very dubious competition . This was true in England, Germany AND Poland. In fact there was not a place on earth that could have got a good crowd for it especially at the prices being charged. The real blame still lies with BSI and the FIM Now the final was seen to be so brilliant things may be very different next time. The superb action provided by the riders ... that has saved so many people from having to do a lot more explaining of their failures in strategy and organisation. Armando and Torben should go down on bended knee to ALL the riders for that.

I really do hope Buxton continue. Played a huge part in the progress of many riders. Cookie the wright brothers and many many more. I think teams like Eastbourne Birmingham Cradley have driven up pay rates to get the best riders and this is crucifying teams like iow Buxton and kings Lynn young stars are no more due to riders wanting more than the sport can pay.

I take it you never saw Jason Crump, Ryan Sullivan Sam Tesar amongst the many others that have graced the showground who were all far superior to MJJ . Who I may add IMO was rather irregular as I recall.

It must be the only track in Uk that making the gate must be your worst nightmare going up the back straight 1st time round ,wondering where the opposition are going to come from.

Well done Dan.

So why did we even go out on track? Tai and Robert could just have said "Well done, lads", shook hands, and saved methanol and tyres... Come to think of it, why did we even compete? We could have just stayed home as you don't think we should have even tried to win... Steve

Absolute disgrace. Dangerous move from Auty.

Of course he isn't in Emil's class. We all know that. Hence he needed help. So you've told us once Emil got ahead of Lambert, Lambert wasn't going to repass him on his own. So at that point, Britain have lost. We have two choices at this stage.. chase Laguta and lose. Or try and slow Emil to give Lambert and chance and although still likely lose, we have a chance of winning. Yet you continually advocate taking the guaranteed losing option. Staggering!

AGREE. GB didn't lose it, Russia won it.

IMO the same thing is happening in Speedway with SGB Championship programmes now mainly costing between £2.50 - £3.00. With the Speedway Star running a rating feature on each track's programme, it appears that some Promotions have entered into a vanity contest to be top dog, with the result that larger, in terms of size and number of pages, are being produced, which in turn has resulted in the prices rocketing. If they reverted to producing a more compact & smaller sized version at about £1 - £1.50, I wonder if those who now print off a basic scoresheet to fill in, might be tempted to purchase a low cost Official programme instead?

See,you are getting there....just another step and you will be with us

I am so glad that someone with impeccable 'Tai credentials' is able to put the argument so well. Without incurring any 'Tai bashing' claims.

He was the one who broke the news...

Schlein is about as British as my Citroen van, absolute joke, he gets in on a technicality, if the speedway gods are looking down he'll miss out on qualification tonight!

Anyway it was a good competition and I’m just happy that there was happiness in every team and everyone was getting along nicely

There's no need for that kind of remark, if you made a better job of your posts people might give you more respect and accept your points....... Then again maybe you don't want that?

It's not Its.

It's 'have' not 'of.'

Why would the developers hand over Brandon when they can play the long game. They can leave it derelict for years, just like Cradley, Powderhall and long Eaton. The best hope for the bees is finding a new site.

Can't see Woffy getting beat he's a class above these

You are in danger of falling into the same trap as SteveBrum. Records don't tell you anything like the whole story. Just to give a few examples, Peter Collins has far more World Championship medals than either Craven or Woffinden but you have to take into account that England were the best in the world during much of his era. As a result he was advantaged by being a member of World Cup and Pairs winning teams. There was no World Cup or Pairs to win during Craven's career and Woffinden hasn't had the quality of team mates that Collins had. The British Championship was first held in 1961 so Peter Craven didn't have an opportunity to win it during most of his career. He did win it in 1962 and 63, the year he died and remember that at that time Australian and New Zealand riders, like Briggs and Moore, also took part so it was more difficult to win than in recent times. I also previously touched on the better quality of riders during the Craven and Collins eras as compared to now, which made it more difficult to win a title.

RELATIVELY easy? Sitting in front of your telly maybe.