PHILIPRISING

PERSONALLY I also think £10 is too much for a programme but the ones Pinegen (Speedway Star) handle on behalf of BSI are certainly not dirt cheap to produce. The quality of paper, perfect binding, printing in Denmark, transportation, translations, editorial content, production charges, etc all add up

BSI pay the FIM a considerable sum of money for their contract which affords them the commercial rights to World speedway championships. There is also internal conflict at the FIM with their European colleagues which is why although the pairs and European Championship are licenced by the FIM they are not official FIM meetings and as such national federations cannot insist that their riders participate. For example, Sweden could not have ordered Freddie Lindgren to compete in Torun rather than Eastbourne.

I PUT some of the comments above to Andrew Skeels, Deputy Editor of Speedway Star. Here is his reply Can't please all the people all the time obviously but I honestly can't see why it's coming in for the criticism it has (although I'm bound to say that as it was me that instigated the changes!). If you look at the PL news section this week, it's four consecutive spreads. If we had two pages of PL news near the front, then you have to move on 10 pages to the next spread, then another six pages to the next, etc, then yes, I agree, it would be 'all over the place'. But you don't. Within those four spreads, there's a 'main' piece on each club (under a red headline), roughly three to a spread. It can't be that difficult to locate which ones you want to read within the space of four spreads surely? Or is the consensus that everyone only wants to read about their own club, and not any of the others? The only real change is that there are now a lot more side panels to give readers more to read about their own club. Worth noting, too, that PL news this year is eight pages. Last year, it was seven. EL news last year was five, this year it's six. In terms of the match reports, the main reason for switching to a chronological date order, rather than league by league, was that it saves space which can be used more effectively elsewhere. Using the National League as an example, you may get a week where there's six meetings, which is too many to fit into one page but not really enough to fill two, but under the old system we would still have to allocate two. Now we don't. You may also get a week when there's four NL meetings and three get rained off. Under the old system, we would have to allocate a page to that for what would effectively amount to a column and a bit. Bearing in mind that every week throughout the season, we have to leave stories out because we simply don't have space to cram everything in, any space saving we can make is welcome, hence the decision to alter the format of the match reports section. We're constantly trying to offer readers better value for money and I believe the revamp helps us to do that. Of course, it's everyone's prerogative to cancel their subscription at any time if they wish but to do so just because you don't like the layout of some pages seems a little extreme to me. I PUT some of the comments above to Andrew Skeels, Deputy Editor of Speedway Star. Here is his reply Can't please all the people all the time obviously but I honestly can't see why it's coming in for the criticism it has (although I'm bound to say that as it was me that instigated the changes!). If you look at the PL news section this week, it's four consecutive spreads. If we had two pages of PL news near the front, then you have to move on 10 pages to the next spread, then another six pages to the next, etc, then yes, I agree, it would be 'all over the place'. But you don't. Within those four spreads, there's a 'main' piece on each club (under a red headline), roughly three to a spread. It can't be that difficult to locate which ones you want to read within the space of four spreads surely? Or is the consensus that everyone only wants to read about their own club, and not any of the others? The only real change is that there are now a lot more side panels to give readers more to read about their own club. Worth noting, too, that PL news this year is eight pages. Last year, it was seven. EL news last year was five, this year it's six. In terms of the match reports, the main reason for switching to a chronological date order, rather than league by league, was that it saves space which can be used more effectively elsewhere. Using the National League as an example, you may get a week where there's six meetings, which is too many to fit into one page but not really enough to fill two, but under the old system we would still have to allocate two. Now we don't. You may also get a week when there's four NL meetings and three get rained off. Under the old system, we would have to allocate a page to that for what would effectively amount to a column and a bit. Bearing in mind that every week throughout the season, we have to leave stories out because we simply don't have space to cram everything in, any space saving we can make is welcome, hence the decision to alter the format of the match reports section. We're constantly trying to offer readers better value for money and I believe the revamp helps us to do that. Of course, it's everyone's prerogative to cancel their subscription at any time if they wish but to do so just because you don't like the layout of some pages seems a little extreme to me.

THANKS for the constructive comments. I do pass them on. With regard to the Match Reports ... it was a production decision. Enables them to get some pages done and dusted earlier than before. But we will review it although in all honesty it is not something we have had many complaints about. Not quite as easy to preview GP races, etc, without knowing the draw, as we did a few moons ago.

EXACTLY right ...the original plan was with the stadium in near darkness (Health & Safety won't allow a complete blackout) and the music playing the trikes would come out on to the track and do their customary lap as a distraction while the riders walked out in their cloaks. The riders were very co-operative after some initial reservations when first shown the cloaks and what was planned. The cloaks were also one size fits all ... quite a difference between Tai Woffinden and Matej Zagar.

STILL in the pipeline, one or two obstacles to overcome, but hopefully will happen before long.

ACTUALLY it is ...

FACTS ... the material used this year was the same as in 2012. As previously posted, it looked and was lighter in colour because of the lime added on Friday morning. The material is taken to a storage facility where it is built up into a pyramid, covered with tarpaulin with heavy tyres on top to ensure it is as far as possible watertight. The base is concrete. Once a month photographs of the covered material and read-outs of moisture measurements are sent to BSI. So, why was it wetter than anticipated? That question has already been asked and the whole storage procedure, which let's face it has worked well over the past two years, being is re-examined. Any suggestion that cost cutting was going on is complete rubbish. Anyone inside the stadium this week who saw the amount of equipment on hire and on hand will testify to that. Ole Olsen's team includes some very experienced guys well versed in building roads, etc, and their record in recent years at Cardiff, Copenhagen and Gothenburg has been good. Believe me, they are as puzzled and disappointed as anyone that Saturday's track wasn't up to the high standards they set themselves and they are determined as anyone to solve the puzzle. Of course, there had to be some watering on Saturday. The racing generates a lot of loose material which requires dampening down. CERTAINLY has with British speedway fans

THE track surface looked (and indeed was) much lighter in appearance than recent years because on Friday morning a considerable amount of lime was laid and then graded into to help suck out the excessive moisture.

THE attendance figure is provided to the media at the Press Conference by the Millennium Stadium

WRONG ... the meeting was ALWAYS going ahead

HAVE posted this countless times ... I am not the Editor of Speedway Star.

THE riders were invited to have just two runs ion the track having cancelled practice on Friday. It was also only then that they could determine whether the restoration work had indeed succeeded. No matter how many times even riders walk a track they cannot be sure until they ride a speedway bike on it. The riders were happy while accepting that it would not be 100 per cent perfect... not that such a track necessarily makes for great racing anyway. Just ask Emil if he had any complaints about the track? Of course he didn't but those who only watch via a TV screen can never experience the true value of the whole show that is the British GP at Cardiff. Eurosport were again chuffed and their viewing figures so far are exceeding what Sky were getting. The official attendance was 38,760.

LET'S try and clear this up once and for all. The material is stored in an environmentally controlled facility which is supposed to ensure the moisture content is around seven per cent. It was transported to the stadium in between showers and using information supplied by the Met office. It did not get wet during transportation or while it was being laid on the track. When they measure the moisture they insert a gauge to a depth of around a metre. And BSI are supplied with the read outs on a regular basis. Obviously it is impossible accurate ensure that all the several tons of material are at seven per cent, despite it being stored under cover. The track was built to the same time frame and to the same specifications at previous years. But on Thursday there were signs that parts of the track, and specifically the third and fourth bend which receive no direct sunlight even when the roof is open, were getting soft as moisture rose to the surface. That was the major problem area and on Thursday night that part was bug up and relayed. But on Friday it was still a problem and after a curtailed practice, when each rider had the opportunity to ride and see for himself, it was decided to mount a major overnight operation to rectify the problem areas ... not the whole track. Late on Friday all the riders were sent a text informing them that two practice rides would be available around 10am on Saturday. Fifteen (not Pedersen Lindback or Sayfutdinov) availed themselves of the chance. Even walking round the track it was obvious that it was much firmer but a couple of soft spots remained which, after the practice, were being worked on. BSI were geared up to make an announcement this morning after the practice and the obligatory FIM meetings. That has, to the best of my knowledge, been done. The social media network, which ran riot with a lot of mis-information yesterday, could now be used as a force for good to spread the word that the meeting will go ahead as planned and on schedule. The riders seem happy with the track, although it is still being worked on and that will continue for some time yet.

AND what did you do at Gelsenkirchen? NO I'm not ...

ALL that has been lost so far is yesterday's practice. Had that been behind closed doors and without social media people might have been none the wiser and arrived today with everything fine and dandy. Had it gone t*** up they would have made an early announcement today.

THAT'S probably most ridiculous post yet. You have no idea of what you are talking about. You probably think the Poole track last Monday was perfect. AND I wouldn't expect them to. My point was simply that BSI know they would have to carry the can ... fortunately that now looks unlikely.

TRACK is 'chalk and cheese' this morning. Some very bleary-eyed guys around. Short practice at 10am for those riders who want it, assuming track is okay it will then be bladed, rolled and top dressed. And the sun is shining!

SAME material as last year ... you will know the astronomic cost and the only viable way is to have it stored and re-used. Looks same colour to me. JUST leaving hotel for stadium. Had a text to that effect. Hopefully will be able to clarify later...

CARE to clarify that remark? Don't understand... are you saying there was no rain in Cardiff earlier this week when 40 trucks were bring thousands of tons of material into the stadium? We are not talking about the weather from Thursday onwards. I DON'T know as yet. When I left around 8pm yesterday the plan was to dig up all the affected areas (primarily the third and fourth bends), turned over all the material, which in itself helps remove much of the moisture, and then relay from the base upwards. From one text this morning Olsen is confident the track will be fine. There has to be some moisture in the material for it to bind and bed down properly and over the years Olsen, along with a university in Denmark, have undertaken many test to determine the optimum amount ... hence the seven per cent. Whether they subsequently deemed some new material was required I don't know but as stated previously no stone will be left unturned. The consequences of a cancellation are simply mind-boggling. But, I repeat, from what I hear this morning that possibility is rapidly fading.

BSI are quite aware that the buck stops with them. But responsibility and blame are not always bed fellows. If I owned a restaurant and employed a proven and experienced chef but one night he produced inedible meals I would be responsible but not necessarily to blame. The chef might explain that he did everything as normal with the usual ingredients. He might not even be to blame but the responsibility would still be mine. As one who works alongside the BSI team at these events I can assure you that they are absolutely gutted by what happened yesterday and the senior members have been at the stadium all night. But they remain confident that it will be all right on the night and it certainly won't be for the lack of trying.

THEY do once the fences are installed and the material (over 40 truck loads) has arrived and is on the track. The racing surface was ready on Wednesday but yesterday (Thurs) some areas started to soften as moisture came up to the top.

LET'S just clear up some mis-information ... time taken to lay the track was same as in previous years, material was same as in 2012 and had been kept in an environmentally controlled storage facility which should (and I repeat should) have ensured that it retained no more than a seven per cent moisture content. That moisture content is supposedly constantly monitored and BSI provided with regular updates. When the material was laid the moisture content was higher and how that happened (possibly in transportation when the Cardiff weather was extremely wet earlier in the week) will obviously be the subject of a later investigation. The riders wanted the chance to test the track, hence a limited practice schedule to determine what needed to be done. They have a huge amount of equipment on hand at the stadium and they will be working through the night to completely relay the track. On Friday the roof of the stadium was opened but only certain areas of the track were exposed to the sun and they were by and large okay. Ole Olsen, who is in charge of preparing the track before handing it over to the Race Director (which hasn't happened yet) is confident that they have enough time to rectify the situation and to have a track up to recent Cardiff standards. Conditions inside the stadium, the state of the materials and the equipment on hand is very different to Gelsenkirchen but obviously as far as BSI are concerned this is their worst nightmare.

PUTS the Cardiff attendance into perspective

HOW many fans attend speedway in the UK on a regular basis? 30,000? 40,000? More ... or less?