iris123

Yes and Divisov are having a Pairs meeting instead of the Golden Spike meeting. Plus from what i have seen,next weeks meeting in Saalfelden has been put back a week Also read that apart from the German Championship meeting at Erfurt they are also having an "open" meeting the same day

Probably right.Although i have a feeling his mum didn't fill out her programme either

Surely you could just ask Kev those ones.

day 1 1. Krasnikov Nikolai- 3 3 3 3 2 = 14 2. Khomitsevich Vitalius- 2 2 3 3 3 = 13 3. Khomitsevich Dmitriy- 2 3 2 0 3 = 10 4. Bulankin Dmitriy -3 2 1 0 3 = 9 5. Ivanov Ivan- 1 1 2 3 2 = 9 6. Bogdanov Mikhail -3 T 2 3 1 = 9 7. Arkhipov Stanislav- 3 2 3 0 1 9 8. Drozdov Ilya- d 3 1 1 3 = 8 9. Baltachev Sergey- 1 1 1 2 2 = 7 10. Zakharov Maxim -1 3 R 2d = 6 11. Ivanov Danil -2 1 0 2 1 6 12. Samorodov Artem- 1 0 3 1 1 = 6 13. Bazeev Junir -d 2 0 2 2 = 6 14. Lumpov Vladimir- 0 0 2 1 0 = 3 15. Makarov Sergey- 2 0 d 1 0 = 3 16. Tschajka Pavel- 0 1 0 0 0 = 0 from russian forum Heat details here

I will be there.There will be a training camp on the 14th and 15th for anyone who goes over early.I should be there friday for practice if anyone is there for that. And like GSF says there shouldn't be any trouble buying tickets on the day.Doubt there will be a big upsurge in the attendance this year,unless Bauer is winning .

Did they fail to get a licence?Thought i saw something about that a while back

There is nothing in Germany,apart from Eurosport a week or two later.Or of course watching Sky or the Polish channel.

It's no use.This quote might explain

Obviously the league fixtures still have to come out.Think there is another meeting thursday to try and sort out a compromise on a "top" league.And it sounds promising.But here are the other main fixtures 01.06 Holsted - Danish Final 1 09.06 Copenhagen -GP 16.06 Vojens-World U21 semi 14.07 Vojens -SWC event 1 29.07 Grindsted -Danish U21 semi 03.08 Fjelsted -Danish Final 2 05.08 Esbjerg -Euro Championship semi 12.08 Munkebo Danish U21 Final 15.09 Vojens -World Championship Grand Final

Good job i put "i think" at the end.I was going on the figures on sportowefakty and wasn't sure if they were official.But for a first year in the league i would say he should be just above Eric as well

I guess we could argue about placings till the cows come home But Eric Andersson above Christian Hefenbrock!!!!3rd in both the Euro Final and the World U21s.Plus his average is better in both the Elite and Elitserien i think

Copenhagen seem to be the only ones that issue a real figure,rather than a rough one

I thought she was sitting on the couch with Mark,Andy and Chris watching the video

Also strange that Ronni Pedersen is still ranked as i don't think he rode in one meeting.Same with Michael Hertrich.Maybe he done 1 or 2,but i didn't notice.He said he was retiring to do kick-boxing instead.Danny Knakowski also partitcipated in very few Just checked and Danny didn't do any German U21 qualis or do any meetings for Teterow in either 1.Bundesliga or 2.Bundesliga.I remember something about Güstrow wanting to use him in the 2.Bundesliga final,but Teterow wouldn't allow it.

That is Assen weekend!!!!

Like i have said before.The real success here was the Ice Hockey.A new stadium was built and the city had no real tradition of a popular Ice Hockey team.They american style bought the franchise from Munich and instantly had a sensation on their hands.Sell outs for the first couple of years.12,000+.It has died down a bit the past season or 2 as they haven't been successful.But they still average around 9 or 10,000 i think.All down to marketing and getting the sport in the papers and on tv.Plus they do put on a very good show,from start to finish.It must make it the second most popular sport(crowd wise) in Hamburg Think HSV(football) get around 40,000+ St.Pauli(football) 16-18,000 Freezers(Ice Hockey)9-10,000 HSV(handball)4-5,000

It is quite cheap for me to fly to Stanstead.Just need someone to pick me up and drop me back at the airport.Wish it was that cheap to get to Poland.The only cheap way is with the bus and that takes forever The other cheap alternative is Lübeck-Stockholm,so i could get in one or 2 meetings there Or for those near Stanstead it would be pretty cheap to get to a German meeting.Whatever it costs to fly to Lübeck.About 30 or 40 quid.Then get a Meck-Pomm train ticket.Costs about €18 and 6 people can travel on the ticket.The stadiums at Güstrow and Stralsund are walking distance from the train station.

Steingaden is now put back to the 18th Feb!!!

Have to say i have a dvd from Egon and it is mainly from tv.He was news,in a way no other speedway rider since is.The various channels had stories about him.Especially when he was making one of his "last" meetings.The camera crews were following him the day of the meeting.He got onto chat shows.Even a sex programme.Talking about the sex life of a speedway rider There's an idea for Scott.Although you probably don't have "that sort" of programme As to that last bit........

Can't answer for Poland.But there is a similar thing here in Germany.The Egon Müller factor.Mention speedway here and a lot of people automatically mention Egon.It is just that he was such a great personality for the media.Ok,he was a fantastic rider,but to get media attention you have to be more than that in our sport.And he worked at it.Now for the sport to become very popular you need 10 or 20 Egons or maybe in Poland, Gollobs.And that just ain't going to happen.I have heard Egon talking about how he went about things in the 70s and 80s.He used to put on a show the night before big meetings.He was around the whole weekend mixing with the crowd and building up a big relationship with them.Nowadays it is in his words "Pull into the pits an hour before the meeting,get changed,race,get changed,off to the next meeting".Very little time to build up a relationship with fans or media.That is the way of modern speedway in 4 or 5 countries per week.I still feel we should see more speedway on tv though.The past few years we have had the GPs on Eurosport.But it is always at a strange time.Usually 10 in the morning.And often changed at the last minute.How can you build up an audience like that?

Give Shazzy a pm.Bet she knows this one

An interesting answer Leliwa.Obviously the whole thing is complicated on what is popular and not.To an extent lots of popular sports are regional.Look at Rugby in England and then Rugby Laegue.Look at Rugby in France(think that is very regional,but popular).Look at Handball here in Germany.Think that is mainly a northern + eastern sport.Speedway generally does thrive in areas not dominated by football.It is in most countries madness to compete with football.I once went to a meeting in Güstrow and when i arrived at the station was met by hundreds of people getting on the train to watch Hansa Rostock.Very sad to see all these people leaving their town to go and watch another sport.Crazy to have a speedway meeting on when a football match is on down the road.But they have to arrange the fixtures now,while the football fixtures for september and october will be arranged in the summer. Also media coverage cannot always be used as a gauge of popularity.I mean i see poker and lumberjack sport coverage on the tv all the time.Doesn't make them popular.And it is a strange one with winter sports.Ok they are on every weekend,but how popular are they?This cross country skiing is often on as is the speed skating.How popular is that?Not very i would say.A lot has to do with prejudice in the media.Why they pick one sport against another.

Any figures to show this?What are the attendances for these sports?

There are probably others here in a better position to inform you about Martin.Because of the north/south split in Germany i only get to see the riders from the south once or twice a year.Always been impressed with Martin when i have seen him,but those fans from Coventry will have seen him far more than me now.Must say though that i do think his approach of taking the leagues one at a time.Getting established in one before trying to do another shows a wise head.That is what worried me last year with Hefenbrock.Trying to get started in all 3 top leagues at the same time But i don't think the Bajen fans will be dissapointed with this signing 100% fighter

Indeed and he will doing a Blog about his trip here.So well worth keeping an eye on that for info