PHILIPRISING

THIS is a very important point. BSI do not stage two GPs in Sweden or Denmark and in fact do none in Poland. Malilla, Vojens and the three Polish GPs are staged by their respective promotions. Cardiff is the jewel in the crown not just for BSI but also SKY who mount one of their largest TV operations for any sport there. Would a second GP round devalue Cardiff in their eyes? Slovenia eventually lost out because their local council failed to continue to support the event and it became unviable for the club whereas Croatia have a fantastic facility and strong financial backing. Latvia also lost local backing although that appears to be available again although it was never a particularly venue either with travelling fans or riders.

FACT ... the decisions were taken by the FIM.

NEVER met the man and unlikely to given his current state of health. You would do better to allow facts to determine your opinions.

I APPRECIATE nothing will change your somewhat warped mind but that actually isn't how it works. But, as has been mentioned recently on this particular post, your negativity is something to behold.

WHETHER (no pun intended) or not it was right to start at least get your facts right. These decision rest with the FIM. Of course BSI are consulted, there are huge implications for them regarding TV as well as those in attendance, but the decision is taken by the FIM Jury. And, if it comes to a vote, not even the Race Director is involved. Only the Jury President, the referee and the FIM representative of the host nation can vote.

TRY telling that to the riders. If you seriously think conditions were the same at the start (when at least everyone in the pits was dry as were bikes and equipment) as after Heat 16 then I can only imagine some rain has got into your brain. It rained, it happens, it is NO ONE'S fault.

I WILL write this very slowly ... the decision whether to start, continue or stop rests with the FIM officials.

WHAT has it got to do with BSI? Decision taken by referee, Jury President and Race Director. You don't seriously think it should continue?

IT'S big a long day, my apologies ... they ignore everyone who isn't American.

HOW many American riders are there in it?

ONLY if they were American snails. You may never watch golf from the States. They pretty well ignore everyone bar the leader and non-Americans. I'm actually in Sarasota right now and, trust me, that very unfortunate episode recently which saw two young Brits lose their lives is very unusual. In the wrong place at the wrong time. On the speedway front, what a void Greg Hancock will leave, both as an American rider, an all-round nice guy and one of the classiest riders of all time.

WHICH is why he coughed up...

OF course they were ultimately responsible even though, on that occasion, SVEMO insisted that they be in charge of track preparation. These things happen... they have in international cricket and so on. And no matter who actually screws up the buck ends at the top. Whatever else people might think of John Postlethwaite, he met the fiasco head on at massive financial cost. But I do feel the legacy lingers on and although Ullevi has a magnificent speedway tradition the lack of a roof over a stadium which costs so much to stage a SGP has to be considered risky.

IT was a public workers strike affecting not just transport but rubbish collection and much, much more. Subsequently there was a problem with stadium availability in Stockholm... might have been a big athletics event, cannot quite recall, and that was that. Much will obviously depend on what these new stadiums are like, whether a track can be laid, etc, etc. But like most on here would much prefer Stockholm to Gothenburg as a city. I am only guessing but from BSI/IMG's prospective, unlikely to be more costly than Ullevi (huge track, no cover) and comes without the baggage of the aborted meeting in Gothenburg which probably still puts off many prospective punters given the unpredictable nature of the weather in that part of the world, especially in mid-May.

, ABSOLUTELY, if that's what you want to believe and it makes you feel better. As David Cameron might say, calm down dear, calm down.

YOU are picking unnecessary argument again. I do know my own opinion, thanks, but that is all it is and does not make it a fact. No more or less than your opinion. That's all they are. Is AV a better system than first past the post for electing a UK government? No matter what the result at the polls tomorrow it will not provide a definitive, factual answer. Whether or not Polish wild cards have out-performed British ones is totally irrelevant. No one pushed harder from the outside than did I to make the case for Kolodziej to get a seeded place this year. His nationality was not an issue. He was at the time the best rider not already in the 2011 SGP line-up and no matter that there were already three Polish riders in the 15 his claim was judged solely on merit. But the wild card scenario is not the same as a permanent place and is, rightly or wrongly (depending on one's OPINION) judged differently.

The answer to that is a matter of opinion ... not fact. Some will say yes, others will say no. So, it doesn't make it right or wrong.

BECAUSE there are already four Polish riders at Torun and only one Brit at Cardiff ... it's the real world, whether you or I like it or not.

LET's face it ... the concept of wild cards was conceived with commercial interests at heart. Torun will be a sell-out, there are (injury permitting) four Poles already competing, there is no need for another Polish rider to sell more tickets. Darcy Ward has no home GP at which he could be afforded a wild card, he is a two-time World Under 21 Champion, his Polish contract is with Torun and he is arguably the best rider currently outside GP. Pavlic can hold his own in Croatia and the real problem is Italy, where the wild cards in recent years have been embarrassing. Castagna could probably do better even now. Perhaps there is a case for Ward at both Torun and Terenzano.

Now you're talking ...

I WOULD imagine that if BSI are happy to promote in Gothenburg they would be in Stockholm and especially at a covered stadium like Parken and the Millennium ... but that is just a personal opinion. There are many people, inside and outside of Sweden, who feel that Malilla isn't a big enough GP venue but BSI require a mix and the beauty of that particular round is how little outside help is required. The local club are superbly organised and do a wonderful job and provide a respite for the BSI team from their more arduous promotions.

GIVEN the problems with the weather in northern Europe and the risks in staging hugely expensive events at Ullevi, perhaps Stockholm (with a roof) would be a wiser choice than Gothenburg. Malilla, while a backwater venue, is successful and very popular and might be less easily sacrificed than some might believe. I would very much three GPs in Sweden being in the cards.

WITH two (I believe) new covered stadiums being constructed in Stockholm a move to the Swedish capital must be on the cards... but would it necessarily be at the expense of Malilla?