PHILIPRISING

I DIDN'T say it was signed and sealed ... talks continuing but at an advanced stage and those who came from Melbourne to Cardiff went back home suitably impressed.

NO doubt you will get the sympathy vote from Australia...

NOT sure whether the contracts have actually been signed but certainly pencilled in to start the 2015 campaign

IN his interview in SS last week Emil confirmed that he wants to contest the qualifying rounds next year, hopping to be back in the series in 2016. He has declined the chance of being the wild card at the GP Challenge this year. Emil insists that his reasons for not participating this year were nothing to do with Torun or a conflict of interest. His dispute with Czestochowa, a club he claims owe him around 300,000 euros, left him in a precarious financial situation and that, along with his 2013 injury, family issues and general fatigue caused him to pull out because he didn't think he was able to mount a challenge for the World title, which is what he still wants. Hopefully all these issues will resolve themselves and Emil will make a very welcome return to the SGP series which is unquestionably all the poorer without him. While we are at it. much as we bemoaned the loss of Tomasz Gollob in the SGP this season, his performances for Torun and in the SEC suggest that he would have struggled even more at the highest level. I bow to no one in my admiration for what Tomasz has achieved and how he did it but unlike Greg Hancock he cannot perform at this level anymore. Sad but true although I would still like to see him make a farewell performance in Warsaw next year and enjoy a fitting finale to a wonderful career.

THE current ownership remains until the end of the season when Poland's answer to Roman Abramovich decides to use his wealth to play with something else. In the meantime my understanding is that there have already been several changes "behind the scenes." Despite their attendances figures, Poland's leading clubs rely heavily on revenue in addition to that which comes through the turnstiles. In many cases this is an individual or individuals prepared to bankroll the club but the obvious danger is that when they get bored and move on a huge financial void remains. There are unsubstantiated stories that Tomasz Gollob received almost one million euros to sign on for Torun this year. And this is a team that also tracks Emil, Chris Holder and Darcy Ward, none of whom ride for peanuts. Despite their nine point penalty for last season's play-off fiasco, Torun obviously thought that their all-star team could make up the deficit but that now looks unlikely.

THE claim was that the rules or criteria were changed specifically so that BSI could give Harris the wild card pick. That was not the case. BSI originally agreed that the winner of the British Final (or the highest placed rider should the winner already be in the series) should receive the British GP wild card slot as a 'favour' to the BSPA and SKY in order to boost the appeal and importance of the British Final which was being televised. For various reasons that arrangement was withdrawn in 2013, with SKY no longer broadcasting the SGP, and the BSPA were duly informed several months before the event. This year BSI again agreed to allow the Cardiff wild card pick to be determined by placings in the BF, probably in part because of renewed co-operation with Sky who might otherwise not have shown the meeting, and the BSPA. The theory that BSI are so desperate to have Chris Harris in the SGP that they will make up the rules to ensure his passage into the competition is utterly ridiculous. RPNYC is, in my opinion, quite right that in 2013 Harris was the best British rider behind Tai Woffinden and with Scott Nicholls effectively ruling himself out by doing neither the qualifying rounds or competing in the SWC (which Harris does on both counts).

BUT it wasn't ... and that's a fact.

HOPE so ... new regime at Torun

SIGNS of vintage Emil in the SEC yesterday ... great to see.

THE downside of practice is the wear and tear on tracks, especially temporary ones. Have those GPs that have gone ahead without practice suffered? Probably not. But practice isn't simply for the riders. It is also useful for those working on the track and at the stadium. Very few riders skip practice altogether so that must tell us something. The hard task, and one still not fulfilled, is trying to get something meaningful out of practice for the media. It's not like F1 of course where practice determines pole position, etc., and even the draw is off very limited use to the written media in particlular.

NO one changed anything last year ... stick to the facts. Chris Harris was extremely fortunate the way things panned out, getting into the GP Challenge and then other riders dropping out, but nothing was altered to allow him passage to the SGP.

BUT not Greg ... strange

WE'VE had this discussion before but for me, but obviously not others, just enjoy and marvel watching Greg, a true master at work. That doesn't ring your bell but it does mine. I didn't forget Nicki ... he's still riding! The other side of the coin in my view is how much more entertaining Niekls-Kristian Iversen has become to watch ... as evidenced by his last gasp pass to win Denmark the SWC last week.

THINK you are right... Gollob's race is finally run. But, personally, no other rider provided so many great moments in the SGP. Will be as tough to replace as was (is) Tony Rickardsson and will Greg Hancock.

CORRECT and, of course, there are only four rounds and not 12. What I really wanted to hear from his own lips was that he still wants to be World Champion and he was quite emphatic about that.

AGREE there was nothing that we didn't know... however this was the first time that the words came from Emil and not through a third party, which was what he wanted to do. HE'S still far from fully fit... and however much he is earning this season there remains a massive hole to be filled from not getting what he is owed by Czestochowa so he remains considerably out of pocket.

FOUND out over the weekend that it costs just £60 per day to have use of the Polonia Stadium in Bydgoszcz and that includes an ambulance in attendance. Could fly out a dozen riders, send bikes by road, and have a few days at one of the best racetracks in the world for much too much money, Plenty of cheap, local accommodation, too. However, the key would still be the personnel doing the teaching, not just in terms of riding, but bike preparation, etc. I have no doubt that a number of companies would be prepared to provide some sponsorship.

It's Emil's decision for the reasons he gives in his interview with me

EMIL won't ride in 2015 and declined the chance of a wild card place at Lonigo but plans to do the qualifying rounds and says encouragingly that he still wants to be World Champion.

OPTING out of the European Convention on Human Rights and having our own Charter without recourse to Strasbourg...

FORGIVE the plug ... had an exclusive one-on-one interview with Emil in Bydgoszcz on Saturday. It's in Speedway Star this week. Quite chuffed actually... he has been refusing to talk directly to the media but told Armando Castagna after meeting him on Saturday morning that he would come to the Polonia Stadium en route for Tarnow and talk to me but nobody else.

NOT really... this is the Polish national team we are talking about. There was over 150 accredited reporters/photographers there from Poland alone. No media boycott. Honestly, I don't really know the answer but if there really is an anti-SGP/BSI campaign why are the PZM themselves pushing ahead with a SGP round in Warsaw? And the SWC Final was, in fact, a Bydgoszcz club event, not run by BSI themselves.

SPOKE to several people there and others who weren't going and cost seems to be the decisive factor, maybe along with general apathy for speedway in Bydgoszcz itself. Some tickets were on sale for almost £125, double what you might pay at Cardiff. Don't understand why ... the Polonia stadium is dated now, especially by Polish standards, and the facilities and viewing quite poor. Of course, as usual, the actual track provided compelling entertainment but not at any cost.

RIDERS don't spend any money getting themselves or their equipment there ... along with accommodation (three rooms) it is provided. Very much doubt there will be a SGP in NZ next year and if the Aussie ones comes off it will be the finale to the season in October.

THROWING young riders in at the deep end will achieve nothing unless there is someone there who actually knows a thing or two about riding to help them.