PHILIPRISING

He isn't asking for anything that British promoters haven't been trying to achieve for ages.

THAT'S exactly why going to set race nights is being mooted ... and Doyle is one of the riders who wants to race here. So what's your problem?

BUT is it an ultimatum or simply a rider stating the days on which he is available? I see it as the latter.

JUST the one meeting, Wolves v Swindon

MORE often than not

NOT just Doyle. He is no different to many, many riders. You can hardly blame him or them for giving preference to those who pay the most.

YOUR last comment is the most problematic

I REALLY don't understand some of the comments here. Do you really think only Aussies complain about tracks? All speedway riders, of whatever nationality, whatever talent, need decent tracks to provide the sort of racing that we all want to see. That is incumbent upon the promoters but many, for all sorts of reasons, do not comply. Doyle is getting a lot of stick here but he is simply echoing what many riders are saying and have been for a long time. Speedway riders cannot make a decent career and set themselves up for later life by simply racing in one country, even if that is Poland. They want to ride as much as possible and supplement their income where they can. They do not operate in a sport where one club (track) can offer them an exclusive 12-months contract. They ply their trade wherever they can. To co-ordinate their racing between several countries requires them to know when they will be riding in each country. Doyle, like many others, is actually saying he is prepared to commit himself lf to the UK, rather than the contrary, as long as he can pencil in either Monday or Thursday as the days he will need to be in the UK. These guys have really hectic schedules and and want to be able to plan where and when they will be riding. Is that really too much to ask? Doyle has been the target of much abuse here but no doubt Swindon fans will appreciate the time and effort he has put in to get them to the top of the league and most likely finish as champions.

MORE likely to be two days a week, Monday and Thursday. One day means only half the tracks can operate that week.

WELL said ...

SO you simply ignore all the good seasons Holder had, the pure joy he, especially with Darcy Ward, provided not just to Poole fans but speedway supporters in general. There was a time when EVERY Elite league track (as it was then) admitted their best crowds of the season came when Poole with Holder and Ward riding were in town. Australian riders in general have made a massive contribution to speedway here over decades and the fact that many now also ride elsewhere is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. If you were offered a job but your prospective employer was unable to tell you when you would be required you might be sceptical about accepting. That is what a number of riders (not just Australian) are asking for.

YOU mis-understood. In my opinion Australian riders including Holder and Doyle have made a huge contribution to speedway in this country and continue to do so.

IT hasn't been a one-way street

MORE thanks and next week we will be reflecting some of those comments made about guests, etc.

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THANKS for the comments ... we do read and appreciate them.

FROM my own dealings and conversations with Doyle he is far from what you suggest. Riders are at liberty to work where they want and to seek out the highest payer as no doubt we alll do. What I think he is saying (or at least trying to) is if British speedway wants to employ or re-employ riders who have shunned the UK then it can only happen with set work days. Few of us would expect our employer to only inform us when we were required a few days, if that, in advance. Speedway riders have a diary that they like to work to. And if you think it is only Aussies and their like complaining about the general state of speedway tracks in this country then while not xenophobic you are definitely burying your head in the sand. Plenty of those who only race here share that opinion.

THE Angus Kix glamour league ... oh, the memories. What makes you think they were their wives!!!

I THINK he has valid points about the condition of tracks in Poland and Sweden. But, of course, they are essentially clubs there, unlike in the UK, and probably in most cases devote more time to track preparation throughout the week rather than just on the day. Personally I would always prefer having the cream race in Britain but who rides where these days is determined on a financial basis. Clubs in Sweden are struggling on attendances that for the most part far exceed what we see here. Their overheads, with the exception of what they pay riders, are doubtless far lower. So it is not hard to see where the money is going. I don't begrudge any speedway rider being paid as much as possible. Compared to other professional sportsmen their net income is painfully low. But everyone in the sport has to cut their cloth to what they can afford and in England that isn't much. If the tracks in the Premiership remain as they are (unlikely), two fixed nights is a distinct possibility. If the Premiership and Championship amalgamate it is almost impossible and undesirable by many. MOST of the riders in the GPs have barely ridden here, if at all. That's a red herring. We are talking about seasoned riders who might enhance the general standard of speedway in this country.

WOULDN'T argue with that. SOUNDS a bit naughty

TROUBLE is, none of us know. Much will depend on the actual league(s) structure in 2018.

YOUR contempt for Australian riders has manifested itself on the bfs on many occasions. It's hardly a state secret. When have I ever stated a personal opinion about any German rider? For the record, why would I hate Smolinski. I was stating a well known fact that he is not popular amongst his SGP peers and calling Pawlicki a 'pussy' would not have gone down well. During his season in the SGP, when I was Asst Race Director, he was difficult to deal with at times but that's his nature. Many Germans, especially from Bavaria, come across as arrogant, often with good reason. Does not mean they are hated, except when taking penalties against England in soccer internationals. You can call me what you like, if it provides you with some form of perverted satisfaction, but for a change at least try and get your facts right. Your dad analogy is not one of your best. I have never ridden a speedway bike, have no idea how it fells when you are about to have a collision. I never said nor meant that anyone's view is necessarily better than someone else's but I do believe that those who have been in that situation, probably more times than they can remember, probably have a better idea of what was actually going on than do I. Does it make them right and me wrong? No because there will be others of similar experience who think the opposite, as no doubt there was on Saturday.

BUT how does that solve the problem of riders double up? Maybe not a clash of dates but still riding for two teams.

ONE of the first things I was taught when setting out on a journalistic career was to create a talking point. Often try and do that on the bfs. More often than not enjoy the discussions although some get out of hand. Would take one issue with you Grand Central. Not all ex-riders, or indeed current ones, are 'geriatric pit-dwellers.' And, in my experience, frequently offer an insight into certain incidents that I couldn't achieve even after decades watching guys ride round in almost circles.