Leaderboard

Anyone returning from abroad for this meeting would have to do 14 days quarantine.... hardly worth it for one meeting, especially if it means missing meetings abroad for it. I’m sorry but this year’s British champ will have a hollow ring to it. I know you can only race what’s in front of you but .... bloody hell, look what’s in front of you. Stop trying to big it up, accept that 2020 is exceptional and call it the British open. Anyone looking back in years to come will say “ahh. It was the covid year” not a true image of the talent that the uk has at the moment. I admire the authorities and Ipswich for putting this but please accept it for what it is .... Not a British final.

GP has been OK.

Under this system, it's theoretically possible to become world champion without winning a race.

What another complete and utter load of rubbish Czech GP (as per virtually EVERY year) and also another example of the utterly disgraceful and farcical scoring system!, How can someone who doesn't win a race ALL NIGHT end up with 18 points?!!! Making an utter mockery of a once great and professional sport!!

Ref has bottled it there.

Joke refereeing. Madsen jumped.

Every race is the same, 5 bike lengths between each rider from lap 2 onwards! Its awful speedway, im not interested in race times, means nothing for me, its crap speedway. Its irrelevant if its quick, it just means its quick crap speedway I want to see racing, and racing is tight exciting and unpredictable. This is race over midway through lap 1, you can write down the heat result in confidence Rubbish

Pretty much my feelings. Despite what the critics say, the sport itself - by which I mean the actual racing- at its best is fantastic at its worst is utterly boring but the key ingredient is having a team to support. You come back after the boring meetings because it’s your team and it’s in your blood and you support them whatever. It’s never been any different, and by and large the good meetings outnumber the bad . However , I feel I’ve had enough of the corruption and rule bending. Like you Marks, I havent been to a meeting since Lakeside finished. I thought I would but don’t feel motivated. It’s not so much that Lakeside closed, its the bitterness I still feel about the way the MC and in particular Rob Godfrey went about it, first of all accepting Lakesides proposed fixtures into the fixture list then, halfway through the season pulling Lakesides and Workingtons fixtures out of the list, costing their respective promotions thousands of pounds, all because Godfrey suddenly realised they were ahead of him on league points when his teams No1 rider was injured. All of them, but Godfrey especially , are contemptible and for me the happy face of speedway will always wear a sinister and corrupt mask. They are simply to thick to realise that those fans that go won’t be back. At least I saw the sport in its best years.

Fully respect this but most people are attracted by the better quality riders, and to call it a British final with four top men absent after some Australians in doesn’t seem right. British Open as suggested would have been better, plus a cheaper stream price (I appreciate that’s not as simple as it sounds).

Traditional race card for Rnd 5 https://www.keepandshare.com/doc16/25024/gp-2020-5-pdf-849k?da=y

Except it's nothing do with the Blond bomber. All the 7 Northern councils got together because of the case ratio, instead of being about 20 with one at 110 and all the others about 70. THEY proposed a list of restrictions on this area for 2 weeks, and ran it though the government. Hancock made the statement in the House but dissallowed some of the restrictions but sanctioned the others. The COUNCILS then imposed the restrictions in an attempt to get the local population to obey the restrictions so they stopped spreading and catching the virus. As it happens, there are other areas who also need to bring in their restriction for the same reason. Blame the yobs, not Boris or the Government.

i think we are all missing the point. zero racing. worst meetingI have seen this year, no question. awful

That’s exactly what I’m getting at....it’s a complete embarrassment of a system and totally tinpot and amateurish, not to mention, unfair!!!

Your right, thousands of Polish fans givesPolish riders an advantage,if that is the case you could have all GP’s in GB and still have the same scenario with Polish fans.

What a truly shocking GP., the racing was almost non existent with most races boring strung out follow the leader crap. This venue has for years has produced utterly crap racing and it’s clear the people preparing it haven’t got a clue. The answer to riders trying to anticipate starts, which to be fair affected most of the field tonight is to exclude anyone moving before the tapes are released, I dare say a few early exclusions would solve the problem as riders would (hopefully) learn very quickly. It would be harsh as Tatum states but I do think it would solve this annoying problem.

For starters........ higher pay per point for orders. Income must cover outgoings plus a profit. If people are not coming through the gate then Alternative incomes need to be found.

YET again Emil chooses the wrong gate. Lost out in so many semis over the years because he got it wrong. Chances of beating Zmarzlik (off one) from two was remote. Better to have a run round the outside especially, as Kelvin said, no track grading.

The moving rule is a farce. Let riders move as long as they don't touch the tapes. No reruns and same for all. Simple.

If the ref can issue a regular warning AFTER the race, why can't he issue one that disqualifies him?

Ref is a joke.

BECAUSE under normal (non Covid) circumstances out is a very popular SGP, full house, and a wonderful city in which to enjoy a weekend

Why does this track get selected for the GP's every year. It's hideous

Anticipation of the start has always been a really dross rule

The racing is non existent.... track records or not! Shocking speedway

I had my money on Lind-at-the-back there!

That is speedway, the sport that barely bothers to ever consider it's fans. Why change a losing situation?

It’s disgraceful their attitude ,because we all know even if it did happen in Manchester their won’t be a capacity crowd and the Stand is already sold out, Yet No Plan B announced.No consideration for fans Hotel and travel arrangements.

Av just spat me corned beef sandwich over the kitchen table, lol,,, good one that. Back on your first point tho, isn't Dave's the one with the big Danish flag in the garden?,,, cos there might be a few avoid that, cos many wont like bacon. Should mebby's put them all up in Feathers, like as a holding station?

Dave has got a big house in Titley Bay he could do a Gary Lineker and put a few up... Although I did here that he was coming back from a meeting at Kings Lynn a couple of years back and coming round the end of the M18 from Hull where it meets with the A1M Dave passed a refugee on the motorway and the guy was eating the grass just off the hard shoulder and up the banked side of the road... So Dave being a good Samaritan pulled over and asked the guy what he was doing and the guy said "I am a poor refugee from "Iraqistan" and I have nowhere to go" Dave said "that's awful if you have nowhere to stay you must come home with me" the fellow immediately ran up the bank and whistled and 35 other refugees came over the top of the banking and he said "my family" Dave said "whoa lad hold ya horse's how big do you think my lawn is?" True story that (cough cough) absolute gent Wor Dave... Regards THJ

No disrespect intended in your opinion, but when was the last time Tai and Robert took part, even with this year's current problem? Howarth missing through injury, Scott I suspect his age plus no riding this year, Cook is probably the venue, no idea on Wright. Cast your mind back to last year, who was the star of the meeting? Sadly he's not with us now, but a big name he wasn't but he lit up the meeting #Danny Ayres.

There are many instances I can remember Michael being sublime, probably one of the earliest was when he was first started riding for Boston against a top Newcastle outfit. Riding high at the top of the second division, it was only ever going to be a close encounter. It hadn't been a good meeting for Lee scoring only a handful of points, but the whole meeting rested on the final race. Tom and Joe Owen off gates 1 and 3 with Lee off 2. Their intentions were clear from the off., squeeze out lee then team ride for the 4-2 for victory. Their plan worked a treat.. Down the back straight , Lee was well last. Lap 2 he moves into third chasing hard. As they start the last lap Lee dives inside the team riding Tom, the crowd could sense a tight finish. Taking to the boards on the last corner Lee rode round Joe to acclaim a stunning victory. This was truly amazing for someone barely 16 yrs old. Everyone there that night knew they had witnessed an awesome talent....

Stick to the topic please and leave the covid discussion to that topic please.

Any chance of BWitcher disappearing back to waffle complete nonsense on his Covid-19 thread, so that we can get on with discussing the Prague rounds. Intriguing couple of rounds ahead. Woffy is traditionally strong around Prague - can he come strong and get himself back into contention? On the other hand, not a track that Zmarzlik seems to like! But Lindgren seems to be the rider who is pulling out all the stops at the sharp end of meetings, which is critical under the new points system.

That's why Greg always felt at home in Cardiff. I'll get my coat.

Nothing to do with it. Home advantage is strong and with thousands of Polish fans it gives Polish riders an advantage. It’s the same in all sports.

The real ale pubs around Kelham Island make it a winner for me.:)

Be careful what you wish for. If anticipating the tapes was allowed, more riders (all?) would be at it. Then you'd need super slomo to see who touched the tapes first!

Doyle looking after Woofy, good lad,

That is why Emil is the best rider in Poland.

So, the riders have to abide by the rules, but the ref doesn't? Sounds about right for speedway!!!

If you get excluded, you carry a warning from then on.

Because the tour companies make a fortune every year

Is that a conspiracy theory ? Has David Icke been spotted in Prague ?

Find it a bit weird how many people who frequent these forums and post more than average, still claim to no longer have any interest in speedway, why are they here? there must be an element they care about otherwise why waste your precious free time? unless they have an agenda of "i don't have speedway anymore so i hope it dies, so no one has it" I amongst many others became lost to live speedway when they closed Arena Essex down (its not been bulldozed yet, so i still live in hope) and i have not been to a meeting since, but of course i watch on tv, and i still love the sport, its been part of my life for over 30 years since i was 15, its in the blood now, i am not blind to all the problems that exist and want to make us pull our hair out when the promoters make in our own eyes the wrong decisions but i still enjoy the racing for what it is, four riders, four laps, throwing a bike around that is basically a rocket on two wheels and making it look stupidly easy, in short, everything that appealed to me when i first started going, when i didn't know the riders, or the complicated rules or any of the other red tape that surrounds the sport.

He will ride ( as will Jack) - they are not allowed to name a " guest rider" in the preliminary line-ups

You can blame the yobs, but any government should take some sort of responsibility for allowing the yobbish behaviour to continue, or get to the level it has. But it's a story that will continue to go round and round and round. On folk turning up in little boats on our shores, think we have to be thankful that their not washing up on the Links or Long Sands eh!!!,,, imagine that?

Listen... Am sorry to break even more bad news... in fact a should have told everyone yesterday but a was busy... so this lock down thing has pipped me a bit on the news front but never mind... So here goes... ONLY 99 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS.... YEAH.... WHOOP WHOOP.... SANTA IS COMING.... GET IN... I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it I'm about to lose control and I think I like it... Yeah... as The Pointer Sisters once said... Get in eh!!! 99 days... bring it on... Regards THJ

Coudn't agree more!

Pathetic !!!

So, before we get to a third page on Covid, what are our thoughts on the weekend's GPs?