PHILIPRISING

NO one expects you to keep your gob shut but you are acting like someone who goes into a restaurant and complains about the food before you have been served. If the SWC had been the huge success you allude to then it would not be necessary to try something new. As previously mentioned, witnessed plenty of great entertainment at Pairs finals in a bygone era. It may or may not be a success but we won't know until it has been tried.

THE Chese is right ...very limited number of games and no idea yet whether they will be on Sky or BT. There is little evidence that soccer matches have any significant effect on viewing figures for speedway on at the same time.

DOUBT it ... final is in June

WHY not just wait and see? The SWC is not dead which is presumably why BSI retain the rights.

I AM not and neither have been an official spokesman for BSI. Nor do I contribute here to put a positive spin on anything for them. I can actually think for myself so whatever I write here is a personal opinion, nothing more. Nor do I have a commercial relationship with them. It will be a return to a pairs format but to eradicate the possibility of a rider getting injured during a meeting and that ''pair' becoming a 'single' each country will also include an Under 21 rider in their team. The fact is that the FIM see this as a new competition and demand BSI pay for the commercial (yes, I mistakenly wrote license and I apologise for that)) rights while still retaining and paying for the SWC.

ONE Under 21 rider per country is the most likely scenario I believe

BECAUSE as far as the FIM are concerned it is a new competition and BSI still hold the SWC rights because that certainly isn't just a thing of the past. Understand?

WRONG ... how did you come to that conclusion? The FIM demanded a licence fee in addition to that paid by BSI for the SWC commercial rights. So more money into the FIM coffers, not less. The final go ahead was only given in Andorra last month. BSI wanted time to get new branding, a new website and much more in place before making a formal announcement, possibly alongside some of the riders likely to take part. Unprofessional they are not. It is a shame other organisations don't take a leaf out of their book. Why not just take a back seat and wait until the first one is over in June and then make comments based on fact rather than supposition.

SOME rather silly and cynical responses here. The fact is that the FIM, through a Press Release, the Poles via a leak (not unusual) and Armando Castagna in Speedway Star rather jumped the gun with their comments about the new competition before BSI, who never like to say anything until all contracts have been signed and sealed, were in a position to make a formal announcement. It was only recently that the FIM and BSI actually reached a financial agreement over this tournament and there was much to do to have all the venues on board and a whole host of other bits and pieces tied up before presenting the details to the public. Its wasn't a question of only "telling family friends' rather, as BSI prefer, having all the answers to the questions that would and will inevitably be asked.

HAD a long "off the record" briefing from Torben Olsen on Tuesday and one thing (the only thing) I can tell you is that the new competition will be different to anything that has gone before.

MANY of the Championship sides already look as though they could take on their PL counterparts. NOT sure it will be skeleton coverage. If they are prepared to pay the production costs I would anticipate an upgrade over 2016 in that department. WHAT is even more confusing is that different promoters say different things. Agree that the BSPA should have an official spokesman to talk to the media but he or she would need to have just one version of the info at their fingertips. And not come back a couple of days later with a different interpretation.

AGREE with that. Why don't the BSPA ever simplify rules rather than over egg the pudding.

I WILL enquire as not involved but I believe the averages are compiled in-house from copies of the programmes provided by the referees.

WILL look into it with the guys at SS

AT my age everything is slipping ...

BEEN defending my utter nonsense for decades. IT is the FIM who are getting paid...

THERE was no catering this year. Cannot compare the potential ppv market in Poland to Britain. Cannot see it being viable here. BSPA should get a deal done with BT and build on it. It is not as though the TV companies are falling over themselves to cover British speedway especially when they come up with a rule that could see the current World Champion not competing here.

YOU may be right ... you may be wrong. The SWC hasn't been permanently discarded. ME on the bevy... god forbid! However, Millik's and Vaculik's parents were all born in the same country. How many sportsmen and women represent the country of their parents rather than their birth? Anyway, it has given some of you keyboard warriors something to do in these dark winter days ... not that I am in the UK thankfully.

ARMANDO is perfectly suited to his role. Passionate about speedway, has a strong voice within the FIM. Just because a few posters on here don't like the new proposal doesn't necessarily reflect the wider view across the continent. As I said before, we will have a better idea next July after the initial staging of the event. HOW many more times, it was just an off the cuff remark. Get a life ...

DISAPPEARED into the O-zone

FROM what I understand there has been a change of mind (surprise, surprise) and Scott can ride in the Championship but the contract he had lined up has now gone to another rider.

If Millik had arrived on this planet four months earlier he and Vaculik would have been born in the same country. I will keep stirring the pot as you lot seem to be enjoying yourselves so much.

JUST for t he record ... Vaculik was born in Czechoslovakia

DON'T think it will be there... SARCASM is the lowest form of wit ...

AS has already been eluded to, probably helps Swindon survive. But, even if it doesn't, if Terry provides. money that the sport wouldn't otherwise have, what's the problem?