Star Lady

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 :?:

I really cannot see the point in all this hassle. Yes Norris rode brilliantly, and riding for his country obviously meant the world to him. Well done to him and the rest of the team BUT the fact is we are in the race-off exactly the same position as we would have been had Harris and Stead ridden. They had no one to beat but the Aussies. Next year Harris and Stead may well be picked for the team and will come in with no experience of the competition at all, so IMO this year is an opportunity missed. If after Saturday, Team GB have medals I will willingly eat humble pie Who's in charge of the cooking? :roll:

Gollobs motorcycling skills have always been amazing but I never had him down as a master tactitian . Excellent stuff, the highlight of the World Cup for me so far

It might help some of the "best" riders to join in if BSI actually "paid" some decent expenses out. They seem happy to take the plaudits but don't want to part with the dosh.

I have nothing but admiration for anyone that can learn a language other than their native tongue, after 5 years my French teacher had a nervous breakdown (truthfully tho I don't think I was the sole cause ) but I found ERs post extremely amusing. Just a shame she couldn't have signified the speed of their speech as well

It's obviously not what YOU KNOW but who YOU KNOW

Excellent idea. Maybe it would be easier in the first instance to start with tracks that have access at all times as no one knows how long putting on and off the covers would take and storage of the covers has to be taken into consideration. IMO it would probably be easier if tracks with solid fences were used at first as they could take the weight of covers fixed to the top more than the flimsier mesh fences. The concept if it works could them be fine tuned to cover the tracks that have the less permanent fences which may require something akin to cricket covers raised higher on the outside of the track. Further on from this maybe some thought could be given to some kind of guttering/drain (covered by metal grids) inside the white line that the covers would drain into so large puddles do not appear just on the white line of tracks, this obviously would only be put in when work is being done anyway to avoid excess expense. It would cost a fair amount in the first instance but surely tracks could share the covers to some extent. e.g. Lynn ride Weds, the covers could be taken to Peteborough for use on Thursday and Friday. Wolves and Coventry could share, Belle Vue and Stoke etc.

Was this the meeting that had a thunderstorm included in the price? I remember being at Wembley for some international when a massive sheet of lightening lit up the sky just as the Brits crossed the line but never being a great one for stats I can't be sure if this is the one. I do remember Bettsy and Simmo being there tho. I also remember being at Wembley seated on the start of the home straight when a bomb scare was announced. The seating was that tight that each row had to stand in unison to be able to check under the seats as requested.

My vote would go to Stekkers too for the reasons given above. I always find Chris Louis informative, clear and concise and altho I'm not the greatest of his fans, Kelvin Tatum does have some good meetings, he is one of the few to actually try to correct Millard. At the risk of upsetting a few people my biggest dislike is Sam Ermolenko he tries so hard to sit on the fence and not actually venture an opinion it's painful to watch.

If riders renaged on their contracts it would

Looking at it from a slightly different angle, maybe riders (especially GP riders) should have a clause in their contract that they will ride in a minimum number of meetings. A proportion of their "salary" could be lodged in a central fund and not paid out until they have managed that minimum number of meetings. Missing meetings because of injury would have to be authorised by a BSPA approved doctor, based in the UK. How many times have riders missed league encounters but still been fit enough to ride in individual meetings of various kinds. Riders are all too keen to take the financial help from promoters in terms of fares to the UK, rent, vans etc and they need to give in return.

Like Chris Brown I think this competition could well have some merit but only if the rules are set out at the start to provide both EL and PL clubs with reasonably equal chances and more importantly those rules must be stuck to. Unfortunately the whole comp has been brought into disrepute this season with the constant dispensations and bias towards some EL clubs. I know I'm not the only fan who treats the whole Bloody Loopy Cup with contempt for this reason.

I read that article at work and was absolutely livid. 5 hours later and I'm still fuming, it seems to me Posselthing, Olsen et al are far more interested in TV schedules running to time than the well being of the GP riders. Still that's not really a surprise is it :-(

I tend to agree with squatswithducks and kiddy kestrel. Seize the opportunity to give the youngsters valuable experience just leave Nicholls, Richardson and Havelock or Screen in to give the lads someone as a mentor and then let the kids enjoy themselves and get a feel for top class meetings. I wouldn't take Loram in a riding capacity, he clearly doesn't feel happy with it. Let's face it Team GB or whatever they call themselves this season have no chance of winning the comp.

Begs the question who is braver, Mark for standing up and saying it's dangerous or the rest for being willing to ride in 5 man races My view is Mark is the bravest, especially knowing that it could well have a knock on effect on his future in the GPs as he is unlikely to qualify by right but I'm sure others will disagree.

It knocked spots of the angling progs

I've just watched it and horrific tho it was, it was no where near as bad as the Daniel Giffard crash last night. Get well soon and best wishes to both riders.

To be totally honest I'm not overly worried about Sullivan or any other rider worsening their own injuries, they have only theirselves to blame or come to terms with but as some people have said would Sullivan have been fit enough to lay his bike down if necessary to avoid injuring another? So my verdict is STUPID simply for putting other riders at risk.

How refreshing to see a rider concerned enough about safety to stand up and be counted and not just make noises about it. Let's just hope that Mark sticks to his guns cos I can see an awful lot of pressure being put on him by those whose necks are not on the line.

Interesting concept .....an anorak with brains

It's decided on the following criteria 1 Is one of them Danish? 2 Is he in the top 10? 3 Is he one of Skys favourites? 4 Is he a character and good for TV? 5 Does Ole like him? First rider to get 3 yeses goes thro :evil: ;-) Now I will hand over to the serious lot cos I don't really have a clue