Star Lady

And maybe they were mere passers by who had a free ticket thrust in their hands so the stadium didn't look completely bare :!: Or am I being too much of a conspiracy theorist ;-)

I was bored too, I was going to say bored witless but I'm sure some would say I ain't got any anyway The only good thing about last night is it has closed up the overall standings but as a speedway meeting it was a non starter :-( I'm pleased there were only 2 hours of it and for once we nearly managed to watch a GP without being force fed "British is best". No objections when they are, as Scott was last night, but it does get mighty tiresome at times.

Oh don't tempt me Bryn I suppose if it's rutted off the Scunthorpe Stags would be happy

As Sky keep telling us Crumpy was born in Bristol it must mean the FIM/BSI are going to change the rules (and oh yes they can do it :evil: ) to make him British at some point in the future. I'm just ahead of my time :roll:

excuse me Jason Crump was born in Bristol how much more British can you get :evil:

Typical :!: when I don't cheer for a British rider you slate me and when I stick up for British speedway you still slate me :-(

Of course it doesn't because BSI don't care. :-( Steve have you got a life raft ?

Well for a start I think the British Promoters might appreciate being told the fans are behind them on this one and if they do run their matches on Friday and Saturday I hope they get good crowds. I'll shut up now cos I've had my say

I really cannot believe that everyone posting on here simply wants to see the re-staged GP and doesn't have a care in the world about British Speedway. I will try to make this as short as I can. BSI ( or their sub contractors) cocked up big time with the Ullevi track ( I'm not getting into blame here) BSI in tandem with the FIM decided in 10 minutes flat to disregard their own rules regarding the restaging. BSI do not pay the riders (except for the top 5 or 6) enough to make a living out of GPs This means that British Speedway who pays the GP riders enough to enable them to equip themselves, qualify and then continue in the GP series are expected at 5 days notice to cancel vital EL matches, which may well affect the cut off time for the play offs. Which in turn could jeopardise the TV contract with Sky, as their play off dates are already decided and advertised, with no compensation or even worse consultation. If these meetings go ahead ( which I believe they should) with out GP riders it could well affect the result of the winning of the EL this season. This is the same British Speedway that already has to forfeit seeing their own well paid assets in competition because they are competing in the GPs. That is not to mention the increased risk of those assets becoming injured in GPs ( on less than perfect tracks) and in qualifying competitions etc. The same British Speedway that has had to form it's fixture lists around just 9 GP rounds sometimes running on off nights at a financial loss. I will make it clear here I am no lover of the Elite League, thankfully Lynn are now PL but IMO this is possibly the best chance BRITISH speedway ever has to stand up for itself or forever be trodden underfoot by BSI, who lets face it don't give a tinkers fart for anything except the GP series and are quite happy for British speedway to supply them with a regular supply of riders. I am not against the GP series as such, but strongly believe that BSI must be made to take British speedway into account more than they do now. As it is IMO, British promoters, and presumably British fans are financially subsidising the majority of GP riders and BSI are more than happy to allow it to continue. If it does continue how many more EL clubs are going to say enough is enough, we can't afford it. Which in turn puts more pressure on the Premier League, which from where I am looking has things just about right. Think about it, Sky televising the restaged GP is not the question we should be asking. The question we should be asking is why isn't the Scandanavian GP being rescheduled for later in the season, if necessary at a normal track and not at Ullevi. Rather than moaning, pleading and praying that Sky show the re-staged GP should the question not be whether BSI should restage the GP at a later date, after discussion with British and Polish tracks that pay the GP riders? End of rant.

Mount it on the side of the tractor and it would be visible at all points of the stadium. Always assuming the track gets graded of course ;-)

It's also a great way of making friends. How many times have you been asked "What was the time of heat ?"

He's a wee bit on the elderly side for her Lioness ( sorry Steve :evil: ) but then her intended target was too ......but Mum was going to take over guardianship

Just got back after taking in the IOW meeting last night. Not a lot I can add to the comments above really. Horrendous crash, so pleased they both came out relatively unscathed, I thought for a while that it was going to be far far worse. I've just looked at the pics on Mike Patricks site and they don't convey half of the carnage that occured. If as looks likely Lukas is out for the rest of the season I can think of no more deserving candidate for a pemanent wild card for next years GP. The big question is why was there no air fence :?: , the prices were certainly high enough and I was told they were that high to pay for the air fence. It seems daft to me that the meeting that includes the most desperate riders( I don't mean that in a derogatory sense) and is obviously going to have a few crashes has no air fence. The atmosphere was great on Sunday, the Poles were amazing, how that guy wore that large black curly wig all afternoon in that heat baffles the heck out of me :? The meeting took ages to run but that was no fault of the organisers. The front rows of the stand were like a sauna. One complaint tho, we are always hearing from Mr Shovlar that Poole are the best at promoting, they did nothing for the fans on Sunday. Maybe they should have a word with the Workington promotion on how to entertain the crowd. One bouncy castle didn't exactly do a lot for the vast majority did it? Compare that to the Pairs, where we were treated to a Band, a soloist and a firework display and I think maybe Matt Ford needs to learn a thing or two from the Premier League. Good to meet up with so many of you again and a few new forum members too, I think the Steve Shovlar Appreciation Society is growing BTW Stranger and It Mas Wife my daughter was unsuccessful in her kidnap attempt :-(

I have no idea what contractual arrangements are made between riders and promoters or riders and BSI, but if the BSPA got their butts into gear and had the British fixture list out early enough, surely all EL riders could then have clauses in their contracts stating they would ride in all their clubs league fixtures. I seem to remember reading that GP riders have to sign BSI contracts early in the year so the fixture list would need to be out by January. Obviously it would mean the EL working the fixtures around the GP calendar (most of those dates are already known) but I thought that was what the BLC was for. I'm no great lover of the GP circus but I can see that there are enormous benefits to Speedway as a whole and if at all possible the GPs and the EL need to work together. To return to the original topic....I cannot at present see a squad system working, there are simply not enough riders about to allow it. The only way it could work at the moment is to continue doubling up/down and I'm not sure I would be in favour of that.

Precisely Mylor, tho I would dispute that THAT track was prepared with any rider in mind :-( . On the day the only team good enough were the Swedes and it matters not who had beaten them before or after. I'm no fan of the Swedes by the way, I can honestly say I would not go out of my way to watch any of them but on Saturday they all hit their very best form at the same time. I certainly did not condemn Team GB, they all rode their hearts out and no one can ask more.

yes Mylor but not when it mattered. On the day it mattered Team GB were simply not good enough. Sorry but that's a fact.

Lupus - excellent post. If pride in your country alone won matches David Norris would have won it on his own. The plain fact is we were not good enough, we were never gonna be good enough once Loram and Howe were injured. Middlo and the team did the best job they could, it simply wasn't good enough. If that makes me a moaner in some peoples eyes so be it, I prefer to think I'm a realist.

Well said Pirates Music. All the tracks have been poor but Vojens was atrocious. I think Floppy spoke for all the riders when he said whoever prepared it should be buried under it. Trouble is Sky and BSI like it like that ....more incidents in their eyes equal more crashes which is what they think the viewing public want to see. If you think I'm wrong ...take a look at the title sequence. Congratulations to all 25 riders for coping with the conditions in the way that they did and very well done to the Swedes who managed to defy all the odds/critics/injuries going and with 2 raw inexperienced youngsters.

Make that a minority of 2 then Gemini, I love Tatum when he corrects Millard, he would have made an excellent Head Master

Bob my post was not meant as an attack on Trick but on the authorities for allowing a rider who in an interview on Thursday admitted to feeling dizzy and unwell on a bike, obviously still suffering the after effects of a bad concussion, being allowed on track just 2 days later alongside 4 other riders when by Trick own statement he had been advised by doctors to rest for at least a week. Thankfully it seems the information was false.

If it's true that Trick is riding tomorrow and not Sunday it's farcical! He pulls out hours before the race-off feeling dizzy, but is fit to ride 2 days later but not 3 days later. I only hope he does not feel dizzy when on the track with 4 other riders. No offence to Trick who I'm sure has had a load of pressure put on him but this is ridiculous, either he is fit to ride in both meetings or is still suffering from concussion, in which case he is not fit.

I think that is a bit unfair on Lukas considering the terrible injuries he suffered not long ago.

IMO before any of the other suggestions are even thought about, speedway has to get the basics right. That has to mean an independent governing body or at the very least an independent administrator. There has to be someone of the stature of Tony Steele (just an example), knowledgeable but fair and totally independent of ALL clubs who could take on the role. Failing that the BSPA must employ someone completely independent of any ties to any club to oversee the rules, regulations and any appeal or use of special dispensation. Do that and 90% of the gripes and grumbles would disappear, there would be no shouts of bias, and "it's only because your promoter is on the Man Committee that you got Special Dispensation. I know most of these comments are made in Speedway circles but we do not live in a vacuum, the media must pick up on them and it does not do the sport any favours. (I'm not advocating that we fans stop protesting). The present situation is ridiculous and, without wishing to prejudice the current legal case, is like Billy Janiero's buddy sitting in judgement on Billy or one of the girls mothers sitting in judgement on him and everyone can see the injustice and stupidity of that situation surely.

I would love to answer your question but as I can't understand it on this occasion I shall have to pass.

It's just been reported on the Yahoo list that Tony Rickardsson has pulled out of tonights meeting, he apparently is still feeling dizzy following his crash a week ago. He is replaced by Peter Ljung. I wonder if the fact that there are 5 riders in a race had any bearing on the decision :?: