Gemini

Just the usual Shovlar stirring because he rides for Coventry, Pollyanna. I've been to Poole and I've always thought their fans are very fair, like Ipswich's, and appreciate and applaud visiting riders as well as their own. I can't imagine why any fan wouldn't like Chris Harris and want him to do well. I'd like to bet he got a good reception when he won the British Final so I'd rather believe you than someone who is known to tell lies just to wind people up.

Well, there are two conclusions I've come to and I'm not sure yet which is the right one. Someone else has logged in under his name or you've bribed him with a fair amount of money.

Some great racing tonight and I'll tell you what - there was nothing wrong with the commentary either. Some people are very hard to please. Just two things that puzzled me. I thought Jon Pertwee was dead but I'm sure I saw him on the track tonight? Also Lewis Bridger's eyelashes. Absolutely gorgeous but wasted on a man. Well done Bomber and Eddie. I do hope no-one bothers to bite on that one as it's just not worth commenting on.

Well, you've answered your own question - no of course not. However, it's a bit different finishing in the top 3 in that line up to the quality of riders in a Grand Prix so they jolly well should finish in the top 3....or thereabouts.

Only three? "Disappointment for......" or "disappointment at the back for........"seems to be his favourite choice of words at the moment. I hadn't noticed this before but now I'm finding it extremely irritating, along with his other favourite "and right at the back...." even if the rider is hot on the tail of 3rd place. I was going to count how many times he said disappointment because the racing was so utterly boring but I gave up in the end as it wasn't really good for my blood pressure.

Like what? I hope you're not suggesting he's getting distracted by having a partner and child because that's supposed to be the reason he has dropped the Elite League this season so he can spend more time with them.

Well, the first bit was right, although Scott did have a good go at trying to shove Chris out of the way again.

Yes, got mine booked as well. Told both dogs the settee is out of bounds that night and they're confined to the floor, or else they're out the back in the garden.

Scott has a very tough first race against Leigh Adams, Hans Andersen and Nicki Pedersen. If he gets anywhere in that race then he should have a good night......but I won't hold my breath.

Thanks very much. Let's hope the racing is better than the last G.P. and this track isn't so slick. Looks like Scott Nicholls has a tough first race.

Not until July though is it? Hopefully Ben and Olly will both be riding again by then.

No it's not. All it does having an ultra slick track is favour the riders who gate and make the racing utterly boring to watch. The racers like Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls etc. need a bit more dirt and a grippy track to be able to pass.

So you're saying he was in charge of the track preparation?

Oh dear. Sounds like he is going to be popular with his Polish fans as well.

Far be it for me to stick up for Ole because I've never liked him, but apparently he had nothing to do with preparing the slick track at Prague so perhaps he won't be doing Leszno either?

Oy you! I wasn't even born then.

Go on then - reel off a few of their hits to refresh my memory.

Forgot to comment on that bit. Aussie's are a bad example for you to choose because their season is at a different time to ours. What you need is a Polish/Danish/Swedish rider to compare with who doesn't ride in his own country but rides in England. Now that's a bit more difficult isn't it? Anyway, I give up now as I'm no good at arguing and Orion hasn't bothered to come back with his million sportsmen. I agree with AndyM's post as well.

It's no good arguing with you because I agree with what you say. It was Orion saying it wasn't about money when of course the decision he made had a lot to do with money, otherwise Scott would have ridden in the E.L. and given up riding abroad if he was that cheesed off going from one airport terminal to another.

Where are you Orion? Still making that list of a million other sportsmen who don't bother with their own country but prefer to earn their living elsewhere? I'll let you include sportswomen as well if it will help.

No, we'll have to wait for Cardiff for that.

I think I'm banging my head against a brick wall because the point I'm making is not getting through. I'm not saying he should ride in England as well. I'm saying if he is cheesed off with all the air travel & riding day in and day out and he wants to spend more time with his family then why not drop Poland/Sweden and just ride in the Elite League? The only air travel he would have to do then is to the G.P's. But he wouldn't choose that option would he because he gets more money riding in Poland than England; hence it's about money. Colin Cooke's post said In Scott's own words, "The reason i've gone the way i have this year is because it wasn't working for me riding day in day out & flitting from airport terminal to airport terminal". Anyway, I couldn't give a monkeys where he rides or what he does (just giving my opinion) so at least we are agreed on that bit, although I wouldn't mind seeing your list of the million sportsmen who earn their living outside where they were born.

And you are missing the point I'm making. If he's cheesed off with all the air travel as you said in an earlier post and wants to spend more time with his family why not knock Poland and Sweden on the head and just ride in his home country, plus the G.P's? Truth of the matter is probably more to do with money......or money he thought he would be getting abroad. Whether he is now getting as much as he expected I don't know, but he no doubt gets a lot more riding in Poland than he does in England and that's more likely to be the crux of the matter.

No Poland, no Sweden I said. Presumably he's riding for the Bees so just as an example for next week - G.P. yesterday, Monday at Peterborough and Coventry on Friday. That's not so hard and he's not riding day in and day out. What's all this "Sky meeting and Poole Wednesday?" He has the whole week at home with his daughter if that's what he wants but he might find that a lot more tiring than riding speedway bikes. I know from experience of looking after my own children and grandchildren.

I just don't get this. If he wants to see his daughter grow up surely the leagues to knock on the head are Sweden, Poland, or Denmark etc. where he has to fly in and out of the country "flitting from airport terminal to airport terminal", not Britain. Where is the furthest he'd have to travel over here - Belle Vue - if he's based near Ipswich? And he's said that before about not accepting a seeded place if he didn't get in the top 8. He didn't even bother to do the qualifier as a back up. He accepted the place though. We'll see. I'm going to shut up now because I'm beginning to sound like someone.