Star Lady

Anyone know who is responsible for the track prep today?

No twas them but all the respect for Pratt didn't make Nicholls a world beater this time did it? So are you saying the riders will only ride well for a manager they respect and not because of wanting to win? Not to mention pride in riding for their country.

Priceless Absolutely priceless. So why couldn't Colin Pratt, who has achieved just about everything in our sport, get the best out of Nicholls

And still you have not explained why EL riders need different handling to PL riders

I'm going to gate crash too I think you have covered 1-3 spook so I'll move swiftly on to 4 4 ) Exactly how is managing EL riders any different to PL riders or in fact NL riders. Don't all riders go on track with the aim of winning? Assuming the answer to that is yes, the next question is how to get them to do it. Now I'd say Rob Lyon has been pretty successful at that so far with Lynn. As successful almost as Middlo with Poole and more successful than Rosco with Swindon The only difference I can see from the inference of the likes of Orion, Steve Shovlar and sundry other Rosco advocates is that EL riders have bigger egos! Trust me Rob Lyon knows exactly how to work with big egos Getting riders to go out and win for their team, which is what we are talking about, is the same in any league. If I'm wrong Orion, Mr Shovlar et al, come on then tell us all why EL riders need different handling to PL, NL or indeed Polish/Swedish/Danish riders cos there team managers don't have experience with EL riders either

I see the usual suspects are calling Rob Lyon names. At least let the team bomb out first My opinion FWIW the team is just about right. No one in their right mind would have picked Nicholls on his current form, for his own sake as much as Team GBs. Everyone has been howling for youngsters to be given experience and that's what they've done. Realistically Team GB are never going to beat Poland or Australia so our only option is get third place and go to the race off. Let the youngsters ride with the instruction "come in anywhere except last place" and that's job done and through to the race off. Once there, yes I'd put Richardson in at the expense of King. As for Olly Allen, IMO too much of a risk as he is not fully back from injury, not sure I'd pick him anyway tho to be fair. As long as we keep picking the old guard riders when we know we cannot go straight to the final we will never have enough experienced riders to pick and choose from.

Having now seen this pic I realise that the entry to the pit was not where I originally thought therefore I revise my view that Nicholls was impeded by Sajfutdinov , it was the other way round. Doesn't excuse the violence but it makes more sense now.

I like a drink as much as the next person and Cardiff is a social occasion but I'm also aware that I have a responsibility not to upset/annoy others when I've had a couple or ten. Sadly a few people don't know when enough is enough. Maybe they should follow cricket's example and have family sections where alcohol is forbidden. That way people with kids can go and enjoy themselves without worrying about idiots fuelled with drink.

I'm no Scott Nicholls fan (and that may be a slight understatement) but I'd take issue with that. The way I saw it they had words riding back to the pits, when they got to the pit gate Nicholls tried to turn in to go to the pits and Sajfutdinov kept going straight, they made contact and both went into the gate that was open and on the track. Sajfutdinov threw the first punch and Nicholls threw one too, so yes both guilty but IMHO Nicholls slightly less so. If, as reported on this thread, the incident led to trouble amongst some of the crowd, they are extremely lucky to have got away with a relatively low fine. I'm all for a bit of handbags, it often livens up a boring meeting, but if it causes crowd trouble the authorities have to snuff it out. Speedway is supposed to be a family sport and fighting on terraces isn't the way to go.

Maybe he mentioned it because he realised the racing was boring and thought it would deflect attention from the lack of on track action Seems to have worked to a degree

Can't argue with that line up. I wouldn't contemplate putting Nicholls in because 1) his form is fragile at the moment and a poor performance would not do him (or TeamGB) any good whatsoever. 2) Team GB are extremely unlikely to go straight to the final at the EOES anyway so give a youngster experience. Whether he does or doesn't ride I think he should be relieved of the captains role, he clearly can't motivate himself at the moment so cannot motivate his team mates.

QUOTE (Rob B @ May 30 2009, 11:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This isn't wind up apparently Nicki Pedersen broke a finger tonight having a tantrum in the pits. Now that really did make me laugh out loud.....priceless

pm sent. I would expect nothing less than a special welcome back......after all I have been dubbed a Duchess in the past

But it does Trees, if Tatum had a noticable accent with the rest of his speech it wouldn't, it's just the one ruddy word. And in answer to the question....no you haven't but you will tomorrow

The thing that annoys me more than anything about Tatum is not his whooos and arhhhhs but his constant mispronounciation of the word "seen". My TV is in danger of attack every time Tatum says "sin" when he has actually seen something. A simple accent variation it may or may not be but it drives me ruddy mad

Agree with both of you except I'd be more radical and make one of the youngsters captain. A captain should be able to put some fire into bellies and have some testicular fortitude. I don't think Nicholls, Richardson or Harrise do or have either nowadays. Youngsters have all the passion of youth, which can be infectious. They think they are unbeatable and occasionally it comes off. As for Nicholls as non riding captain, if we are to have one of them FFS draft David Norris in. Lets face it if Team GB get to the final it will be a miracle so what has he got to lose.

IMHO it would be Harris as he would have proved it over several (GP) meetings with higher class opposition. Of course your opinion might be different

On GP performances this season it's Chris Harris

Yep he has a whole three weeks to opt out of the series and save us all more embarassment.

Of course Millard was correct Crump is an Australian born in Bristol, England

First this is speedway, not football. If Nicholls chooses not to ride in Britain, then the only way to judge how well he is riding is by his GP performances. Rob Lyon can see how well the rest perform fairly easily, but do you honestly expect him to trail all over the continent to guage the current ability of a British rider? I for one certainly don't. On last night's performance Nicholls is not riding well enough to be considered for a Team GB slot. If he continues that kind of form, and I cannot see him improving much to be honest, he shouldn't be picked for Team GB. If we have to have experience/age in the team, go with Richardson, Harris (who performed better than Nicholls) and even Screen.

Now be fair there was no "bucking and rearing"tonight and we also seem to have mislaid a rider from Mildera and the highest paid sportsman in Poland....we do know Millard has a green car tho - absolutely vital information

I'm pretty sure Subedei will have He's a pretty good judge of riders IMHO

Which means sponsors obviously believe it's more beneficial to them to sponsor darts than speedway. All IMG need to do is work out why , act on it and everything in the speedway garden will be lovely

Can't wait until Trees sees it