iris123

Not 100% on the rules,but don't think that is now correct.A couple of years back that would have been right,but i think because of the poor standard or lack of young German riders the rule was changed so that every team had to have two U21 riders of any nationality.Could be english if they were good enough.Usually though Polish or Danish.I do though think that Sweden might have brought such a rule in,as i have seen a few moans from young Danes

Certainly no problem of going to Denmark.Depends on how good the rider is will obviously dictate the level he rides at and of course the money he will be paid.For most riders it probably won't be worth it financially.Brady Kurtz from Australia has just completed a season in Denmark.There are various youngsters learning the trade there,but they generally come from neighbouring countries where the league system isn't so good and the cost of travel not so great.A number from the likes of Norway and Germany are in various leagues in Denmark.They have also had one or two riders from further afield such as Argentina and for instance Cameron Heeps from Australia rode their previously.

Wouldn't disagree with you there

Totally agree Phil.Just i get the impression Ole is fighting his own little battle with Haderslev council for funds.He pulls out of the GPs one time saying the stadium isn't up to standard,then comes back in the fold.Then he pulls out again saying the stadium needs upgrading and then comes back in again.Like i have mentioned before,Vojens is the best situated GP standard(?) track for me,but i think Ole has little hope of much backing from Haderslev these days.Oles troubles i think go back to the formation of the "Super" sports club based in Haderslev and includes Vojens Ice Hockey team,but more importantly the Football and Handball teams for that region.As someone from Danish tv once told me,Speedway stands no chance against Football + Handball in Denmark

Not sure about "hordes of pointless competitions" Ok,i might agree with one or two of the competitions.Not really sure there is a need for a European Ice Speedway competition,when Ice Speedway is pretty much 100% a European sport anyway.I did think the Euopean U19 championshi was ok,but then it turned into an U21 championship.But the main thing is helping clubs make money on a meeting,helping riders gain experience and hopefully also make money and giving the fans the sort of meetings they want.If one or more of these factors doesn't work then the competitions would have died a death long ago. We also hear about the formation of a European League,but one of the "pointless competitions" is a European Team Championship Phil keeps telling us how much of a success BSI have made of the GPs and in particular how many tracks in Poland want to host the meetings.This in itself is probably a big factor in why the SEC took off.Add to that Togliatti.A superb facility in a country that has a few well supported tracks and a few very good riders.Now they also haven't managed to come to terms with BSI.On the other hand you have a track like Vojens which seems to be able to join or leave the GP when it likes!!!! I don't think this situation has been created just by a few in the old UEM who want to "gain political leverage".It is far more complicated than that.

Humphrey should recall that,because it is something he has often said himself!!!

Sure.I mentioned on here last year,i think that one German club were complaining that it was more expensive to host a German championship meeting with fees etc than it was an FIM event.Probably why places like Stralsund have had lots of UEM meetings in the past given that they can only attract relatively small crowds,no matter what meeting they have

The thing is then Phil,it should have been sorted out before last season started.You get the feeling that probably no-one was really that bothered about a competition that had just drifted along more or less for years.I have been to a few meetings in Germany in the past and they were fairly low key meetings in places like Stralsund.Now all of a sudden someone has come along with an idea and got money and media attention.It got some people sitting up and paying attention and of course some don't like what has happened.BSI could have done the same thing with it. You have to be honest and say the asking price for the competition going on past history had to realisticaly be low.Hardly anyone in their right mind would have thought the competition would have taken off.Now a lot of people get the feeling BSI and some within the FIM are surprised and p'd off.They would have been laughing in their coffee had the new adventure fallen flat.

In the end i only see the fans and riders losing out in this civil war

You and i know speedway is entirely different to all other motorsports.Could say it is totally different in the way it is run to any other sport.If this is the first step in bringing speedway in line with most other top sports,i.e riders ride for one team,not multiple,then i am all for it.If it is just a step to keep any opposition out of the sport then what you have is BSI looking after themselves whilst biting the hand that feeds them.The fans and riders.........

Whatever way it is written out it sounds like restriction of trade.Sort of reminds me of the Briggo affair when he was told if he didn't ride for Wimbledon he wouldn't be able to enter the world championships,even though he was world champ.But at least that was back in the 50s or so.We should have moved on a bit since those days It does seem from some of the comments i have seen that BSI(no real doubt who is getting a lot of the blame here,rightly or wrongly)are losing a lot of support over this.Seen comments that fans should boycott BSI events in Poland.And also Bellamy's statement that he hopes lots of Russian fans attend the nearby Finnish GP has also upset people in Russia who have been saying they should be able to attend their won GP,not one in another country.And lay the blame on the unreasonable demands of BSI with regards Togliatti as a GP venue.Like you say this could run through the next few months and the fall out could last longer

Surely if what you have heard is right it makes the GPs look a bit silly.There has been a lot of slating over the past years about lack of qualification for the world title.What the FIM are now seemingly saying is the world title series is an "invitational" event!!!!It seems they are saying that if Tai decides to enter the SEC then his "invite" will be torn up and thrown in the bin!!!!!!! I have backed the GP series over the years,but this decision makes a mockery of it

In fairness the old boy has said he thinks this would be an illegal ruling.We have heard that Onesport have contingency plans.Going to court etc.Let's see if they have the balls to take this the distance.As it is i think Phil is somewhat out of the BSI loop.He hasn't seemed to have been in on some of the GP decisions.Just yesterday he had to make a quick U-turn on the Latvian venue!!!!

You have to look further than the Uk if what you are suggesting is to get off the ground.Like is there a tradition in Sweden or Denmark of having fairly meaningless competitions/challenge meetings?As far as i can remember Holsted had a challenge meeting about 5 or more years ago against a junior side from Bydgoszcz or so.The fact that there haven't been more or repeat meets suggest there isn't much call for them or many free dates in the calendar for such things.In Germany i think this years meet between Wolfslake and a Zielona Gora select was about the only one i can think of unless we go back to about 2004 when there was a Germany v Polish U19 or so meet at Ludwigslust.Again,not much call and not many free dates in the German calendar which is made up of traditional meetings on bank holidays and the Bundesliga meetings.I don't see Sweden or Poland having many free dates and there is certainly no great love of such made up meetings in Poland. Whilst there is a tradition of fillers in England and a number of free dates because of the long drawn out season,this really isn't the case in other countries The Euro League didn't get off the ground and i can't see this idea,which is even worse getting off either.I would love to see a proper Test series get off the ground again,but even they have fallen by the wayside because of lack of support,sadly

Ho-hum.More square peg in a round hole stuff.Trying to make things from other sports fit speedway.Can't see this attracting fans.Especially in Poland and Scandinavia.Even in England you might get one or two decent crowds and 5 poorly attended meetings.No chance

The obvious difference with the sports being mentioned is that football,rugby etc all started as team/club sports whereas speedway was a solo sport and the team aspect came afterwards.So the basics were all set in place before it became a team sport and has stayed pretty much the same in the UK ever since

There you go again Dave.Slag off someone who doesn't hold your views.As it is we aren't talking about riders at the bottom end.Have you not noticed we are in the GP end of our sport in this section? You are obviously hot under the collar on this one and never going to agree with anyone elses opinion,so i think i'll not carry on with all this.It is all done and dusted anyway.Just hope the proper procedures are followed in future

Well that is a relief.If only everything could be that easily sorted lol Just thought i'd put in the disclaimer as i have mentioned Armando a couple of times and can only think of Phil as another who has mentioned him

Take a look back over the posts.You are the one who take the stance that if i don't share your opinion then my opinion is offensive. As i stated at the start,Harris or any rider who enters the GPs must have an aim.I'd say that aim is to qualify by right.If they don't achieve that aim then they must have failed.All the rest that came after that is pretty much small talk.I have posted that if i don't find it entertaining enough or value for money then i would,like many thousands before me,stop going.I can come to that conclusion without your help thanks lol And just to clarify.I haven't suggested R&R has given any blame to Castagna.That was done by the German Federation

Don't want to get involved in all this slagging off of people.The main things are Kent Kings finally got going and regardless of the avatar heading this thread it does seem as if the first season was a reasonable success as there will be a second season.I hope it is onwards and upwards whoever is making the decisions

My posts are my opinion.Yes.What are your posts then? As for the other bit.You don't seem to understand.I'll explain it again I don't believe that riders go out and do what they do for my entertainment.Ok.Is that offensive?I think there are a number of reasons they do what they do,but none of major reasons are to entertain me.That is your opinion.All i have said is if we go by your criteria then on the occasions when i haven't been entertained then i must assume the riders have failed in their quest.That is all i have said.Nothing more,nothing less.If you try and get on your high horse because of that then.....go My opinion is that the riders are doing this for themselves.I go and take the chance that i will be entertained.No one is promising me that i will be.I go of my own free will and if it turns out i have spent time and money and been bored then i only have myself to blame.And if it happens often enough,then i start to question if it is all worth the time and money.If i do decide it isn't,then i don't blame the riders for that.Somehwre along the line though someone has failed if not enough people turn up to pay the costs of a meeting

I guess their point is if the FIM cock up,then the man at the top has to take some of the blame.And good that you can only answer with "even if the FIm cocked up...." And i don't know Phil if anyone is saying Harris is at fault?Please point that bit out for me?

Yes.I just wanted to point out to anyone who doesn't know,that the meeting in Berlin isn't reliant on cold weather to build a track. And yes,one of the basic problems with Ice Speedway in continental Europe is that there isn't a single track that can be used often(generally more than one weekend per season)as the artificial tracks are mainly for speed skating and are only given over to Ice Speedway when their season has finished.Which means just about the time when the dirt track speedway season is starting.It means the season in Europe is pretty short and not condusive to building up a great audience and not helpful in bringing on a decent group of youngsters.The Russians don't have this problem and that is why they have a major advantage,unfortunately.It would be great to have one or two tracks in Europe where riders could go and train on a regular basis.This just ain't going to happen though Any news on more racing/tracks in Switzerland as was announced last season,along with a revitalised Golden Spike series?

Your points are all flawed as i have pointed out previous. You were the one who came out with this stuff about a rider is doing it all for my entertainment.I don't belive that theory,but if we go by your theory, then like i say.....a lot have failed As for Phil explaining the situation.Well no he hasn't as R&R has pointed out and as the german fedration pointed out.The German Federation even went so far as to accuse the FIM person in charge of not knowing the rules he is supposed to be using.There are various things here that just don't add up backed by the German accusation.It must have been pretty serious for them to come out and accuse Castagna of being out of his depth in the job.What we don't know is how they go about requesting a replacement.If they ask the first federation to get in touch with their rider and it takes a day or more to get an answer and then they ask the next federation etc. well time will surely run out and maybe one could think that might have been the point of the exercise.We must wonder why Buczkowski didn't take up his place if he was informed.But it seems certain that only two federations were contacted and then they gave up before contacting the Germans.All pretty sloppy and leaves a bad taste The rest of it isn't worth taking the time to answer

Just to point out to anyone interested in the trip.Berlin doesn't really require a "good cold winter" as it is an artificial track.Always a trip worth making as the track and of course the city are top notch