ladyluck

His contract may be with Torun, but he rides for Gdansk. Adrian Miedzinski, on the other hand, has a contract with and rides for the Torun club and he is one of the best riders not in the GPs. Why should Miedzinski miss out in Torun and some British duffer take a place at Cardiff? Surely Cardiff would be a suitable "wild card" location for Ward?

It means I'm not a hundred percent sure that he will be. I gather the organisors have nominated him and sportowefakty.pl seems to think he'll get it, but there's been nothing official. However, don't you compromise your own argument with your comments about the Cardiff "wild card"? Last season Nicholls was one of the poorer "wild cards" in terms of performance, so why should Britain be any different than Croatia, Italy and the Czech Republic? Philip Rising talks of Darcy Ward being given the "wild card" at one of Poland's three GPs, yet Poland, as the strongest nation currently, is the nation best placed to provide decent nominees for a "wild card".

Polish legend Andrzej Wyglenda hits seventy today. Here's hoping for many more years of health and happiness to the fellow: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/04/stefan-smolka-siedemdziesiat-lat-andrzeja-wyglendy/

What about the Czechs? I only ask because it looks like Matej Kus is heading for the Prague "wild card". Interestingly, it seems the organisors in Prague have nominated Rafal Dobrucki as first "track reserve" for the event.

The Dullard becomes the latest rider to fall foul of the Tarnow management, as, following a string of poor showings in the Ekstraliga, he's dropped in favour of compatriot Leon Madsen for the visit of Torun: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/04/madsen-zastapi-pedersena/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&usg=ALkJrhiqyaMmYFaSWqgEbdEn_tAWgSyRLw

Malilla has to compare favourably with Terenzano and Gorican, neither of which constitute a metropolis.

Depends when the agreement with the Ullevi comes to an end. Isn't the GP at Ullevi promoted by BSI? If so, I could see the Ullevi being dumped if someone is prepared to cough over for the rights to stage one in Stockholm. The Ullevi seldom seems to attract the punters in huge numbers anymore, although it is a huge stadium. By the way, it isn't me calling Malilla "too small and a bit provincial", it's the bloke from Hammarby. Well, according to sportowefakty.pl he is.

In all honesty, if the club continues to do well, Andersen could struggle to find a team place when he's fit again. It seems that Gorzow are not entirely thrilled with his attitude and performances. The club's outspoken president Władysław Komarnicki has spoken, I believe, of Torun not being too upset at losing Andersen and of Gdansk having problems with the Dane. In addition, Komarnicki wasn't very sympathetic when it came to Andersen's injury.

Not possible, HW. Andersen was so terribly poor in his two meetings for Gorzow that he is not one of the five riders eligible to be covered by ZZ. Unlike in the UK, rules mean something in Poland.

It appears that the president of Sweden's Hammarby, is looking for a SGP return to the capital city of Stockholm from 2013, dismissing current GP venue Malilla as "too small and a bit provincial": http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/03/gp-sztokholm-pozazdroscil-lesznu-tez-chce-byc-gospodarzem/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&usg=ALkJrhgLJashll-Qo0A-3HAhiAeHmUf-bQ

Former Edinburgh Monarch Thomas H Jonasson is the "wild card" for the Swedish Grand Prix: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/03/thomas-h-jonasson-z-dzika-karta/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&usg=ALkJrhi4u5QsKtqxHWXi1Ah-MI-pdQSb6Q Eastbourne's Simon Gustafsson and Poole's Dennis Andersson are the "track reserves".

And rides in the third tier of Polish speedway.

Yes, Coventry have made complete mugs of everyone. From complaining about rules being written to disadvantage them, the rules now appear written just to suit them. A 1.18 reduction on Pawlicki's average and then, almost immediately, Pawlicki's in the main body of the team and Coventry are eligible for a R/R facility or decent guest on the numerous occasions he'll be missing.

Obviously never heard of Rye House.

Kolo-check?

Some photographs from the meeting: http://foto.sportowefakty.pl/index.php?k=2&p=7&g=5580

Well, if Mr Rising's rumours turn out to be premature facts, this coming Sunday could see the last hurrah of the "old silencer" in Poland. As usual there are two televised fixtures, with Unia Tarnow hosting Unibax Torun starting at 4:00pm BST, followed by the big derby meeting as Stal Gorzow host Falubaz Zielona Gora at 6:30pm BST. Life doesn't get any easier for pointless Tarnow, as they'll have to go very well to get anything out of the meeting against an impressive Torun team, which includes former "Swallow" Rune Holta. It should be a great warm up, but the main event is certain to be in Gorzow, where the home team will be hoping to bring Falubaz's winning start to the season to an abrupt end. The atmosphere is likely to be "white hot" and hopefully the action will match it. The other Ekstraliga meetings see Unia Leszno host Sparta Wroclaw and Wlokniarz Czestochowa host Marma Rzeszow.

Still, should be good fun in Germany with Wojaczek in charge.

Let me see, how many rules have been ignored in Poland this year? Compare that to what the ACU and SCB allow in Britain. First off, we have the 8-11 meeting rule being ignored in relation to Pawlicki, giving Coventry an advantage over other teams (incidentally, has anyone noticed how the "rolling averages" has worked out perfectly for the Bees - from allegedly being written to disadvantage the Bees, they now look to have been written to advance the Bees). Then we have Poole re-declaring an injured rider into their team. On top of that we have Birmingham granted a spurious facility for Kasprzak. Not to mention Edinburgh being allowed to drop assessed riders. The BSPA chairman was called "almost criminal" by Avtar Sandhu; a comment that has never been publicly retracted.

I look at it this way; the Finns got further than Great Britain did. Congratulations to them and good luck in Diedenbergen. Congratulations also to the Ukrainians. And well done also to the Americans and Slovenes for managing to put teams together. All rather pathetic on the British front.

Tomasz Gollob returns to the world of competitive Moto X: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/02/tomasz-gollob-wrocil-na-tor-motocrossowy/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhiw4aikMJJM1eDYqeYPijWz7gbDnA

I gather that Vojens has managed to find some cash and that the club will compete this season: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/02/dunska-liga-jednak-z-vojens/ Perhaps Ole Olsen bet on Nicki P to win in Leszno?

Then you ought to be supporting the PZM, which, when all is said and done, runs speedway in Poland an awful lot better than the ACU does here, or the FIM globally. The GKSZ and PZM are great. Hand over the whole sport to them, I say.

I've never been exercised by the silencer affair, as I've said many times. I'm indifferent as to whether the old or new silencer is used. I merely post relevant comments that I see, without prejudiced comments of my own. Personally, I find it disappointing that the Polish GPers have sacrificed their beliefs, but there you go. If I had been Gollob, I'd not have been at Leszno and if it brought the end of my career, so be it.

Did you struggle to get through to Tomasz Gollob, or did the two of you speak at cross-purposes? Why do I ask? Well, Gollob is claiming he was right all along and that everything he said about the silencer seems to be true: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/02/tomasz-gollob-dla-sportowefaktypl-z-nicki-pedersenem-nie-zam/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhhH56Q02L-67qvtnT5YDosGojppog By the way, since you place so much credence in the opinion of Greg Hancock, here's his opinion: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/01/hancock-krytycznie-o-nowych-tlumikach/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhjy022jMs8qttMoSbJEI7d5Ap1TNQ So, Hancock thinks they "suck eggs". Is it possible, Mr Rising, that knowing your subservience to the FIM riders are tailoring their comments to keep you happy?