PHILIPRISING

BUT many Polish sponsors do so because of the global coverage provided by the SGP.

WHATEVER you may think of the SON, it is a World Championship and certainly seen as such by the riders, especially those that collect a gold medal.

THINK it was a joint effort from both the FIM and BSI/IMG to beef up interest in Friday's practice but, unlike F1 for example, being fastest the day before actually means nothing.

YES it is. But with GP practice not being compulsory, riders know what side their bread is buttered and will race in Poland on a Friday not only for the money on offer that particular night but to ensure their future lucrative employment with the club. The FIM have definitely looked at stopping this but legally it would open a can of worms.

QUITE a lot actually and, of course, speedway is only part of it. There was a time when members of the BSPA contemplated operating outside the FIM but, of course, that would have led to complete isolation. Countries like Denmark, Sweden and Poland would never have followed suit which would have meant British riders being excluded from any international events including the World Championship. Was never going to happen despite frustrations with Geneva.

THE Danish Final isn't an FIM event ... with British tracks not racing at home every week some fixture planning should not go amiss.GP practice isn't compulsory so the riders can chose. However, I do agree that the FIM should have stopped Polish tracks from staging meetings involving GP riders on a Friday before a World Championship round. But not all agree.

BUT a great deal of their sponsorship comes on the back of the GPs.

APPARENTLY Rob Godfrey has stopped grading the Scunthorpe track during the meeting and racing has been terrific

IT wasn't 24 years ago ... John Postlethwaite and BSI first bought the commercial rights from the FIM in 1999/2000 and then JP sold out to IMG, the current holders whose contract is up for renewal in 2021. IMG also pay licence fees to the FIM for each SGP. Believe there are a number of companies showing an initial interest in the SGP and SON but IMG and their relatively new American owners are a vast organisation with a great deal of financial muscle and if they deem it worthwhile reinvesting then I would imagine they would be in the driving seat.

MORE than one million is millions...

THERE is, of course, the TV element. TV companies want a final race to determine the winner of each SGP rather than have the meeting lose steam at the end.

CONSISTENCY is the name of the game ... ask Mark Loram

THE TV fees obviously go to BSI, part of the "commercial" deal because it is they who provide all the facilities, pictures, etc and negotiate with the various countries that screen the series.

AND BSI pay the FIM millions each year for the commercial rights.

AMONGST all this nonsense arguing with a 'Polish' idiot, terrific SGP to start the 2019 campaign. Fabulous advert for the sport but sadly few if any other than Cardiff will match the atmosphere ion Warsaw.

HE probably thinks Holta is Polish

DO us all a favour and crawl back under the rock from which you recently departed

AND who pays for them in the first place?

SPOT on Tim

LAMBERT and Iversen did the damage last year ... only one remains

THERE is no doubt that he is also very popular with fans, as witnessed by the support he received at BV on Saturday.

BEEN told they will regularly cover practice on a Friday ...

IT wasn't the usual TV director ...

NEVER done it but probably a lot harder than we think.

ALONG with a few others!