Grand Central

Perhaps they have not had enough time to think these things through. It has taken them months to get this far, after all. It being such a small, unimportant matter ... Of just how the winner is decided. Can't expect them to have that covered straight away.

Everyone understands that TV wants a decisive final race. We are not stupid. But a Grand Final that may easily end 3-3 is not consistent with that, is It?

I actually agree with you. The 3-2-1-0 system is well suited to a 21 heat meeting where all pairs meet each other once and they final positions are decided on total points scored. Even doing tha twice over successive days (bonkers though that seems) and it would still work fine. But why the hell spoil it by having 'shoot outs' and Grand Finals that, unlike GPS, do not work well with that scoring with pairs to produce decisive results. Quite the opposite. After all this delay and a major flaw seems so obviously at the heart of their big new idea. The combined brainpower applied to this over months .... And negligable results to show for it. Nonsense, it was done on the back of a fag packet in about twenty minutes last night whilst watching Eastenders. It makes Keith Chapman look like MENSA material.

In a more sensible world people would be offended by the grotesque sugar content of the drinks being 'pushed' to kids. Rather than the young women who choose to parade around in their panties for a living harming no one.

That can't possibly be true. We have been told on several occasions here that this new competition is different to anything we have seen before. Innovation and total excitement are promised by people who know more than they have been willing to divulge. What you suggest is a tepid reheating of decades-old leftovers. Two semis and a final. And Poland seeded to the final. Surely not?

The simplest answer to the OP is that OAPs get a discount today, just because they always did in the past. Going back to a time when very few OAPs attending Speedway would have a private pension and would (then) have been on the poor side. That is/was the British tradition. The argument for taking the concession away is a fairly silly one. The negative impact of removing that 'discount' today would piss off so many that the promoters would be stupid to do so as the attandances would be hit badly. But then I would have thought SCB was very able to work that out for himself. So, I assume he just felt like prodding the hornet's nest due to boredom!

Of course it is always wise to take what these old duffers said with a large pinch of salt. The record of Coventry before 1979 under the old Rider Control Committee and after under the CMA formluas is remarkably similar. Actually, perhaps even better in some ways "when the averages came along" Not so much a failing of the avarages based system at all. Those promoters like Bamforth spent oodles more cash and others were (perhaps) just better skilled at working to the new regime than the CEO felt he was, especially after Peter Adams left Brandon. But the Bees still managed well, without the need to lament the change.

Indeed. About as pointless as comparing a CEO for British Speedway with that of the CEO of the FA Premier League. As some bright spark did before Christmas.

If I were to be cursed with so little personal knowledge of the past. That my views had to be shaped by YouTube alone. Then, hopefully, I too could be excused for coming to some pretty daft conclusions.

Actually, even that is only part of the story. We travelled to Wembley from Halifax and were ONLY interested in a KC win. It should have been the worst thing in the world for the despised Penhall to win and in THAT fashion. But he did. And yet even so ... that night remains in the top three Speedway meetings I have attended in my lifetime. And the other two up there are not GPs either. I do really love the SGPs ... but being honest probably only the odd one or two creeps into my Top Ten of best meetings ever. It isn't all about 'the racing'. Never has been The best EXPERIENCE is a combination of so much more that just 'counting up the passes' on the track. Perhaps you just had to be there. But Wembley 1981 really was THAT special. And trying to explain just how tangible that experience was to those who were not present is just utterly futile.

At least you have changed your tack so much that it now makes some sense. The original glib statements. So oft repeated, were just incorrect. Not semantics or opinion.

Yes, it was oddly written. But then Peter Oakes has had a few odd moments this year . I noticed he has even had to bring up the Italian weirdo again, when raking over those particular coals once more seems very ill judged. But his fixation is seemingly very strong. Personally, I would have thought that particular episode's coverage in the The Star would have gone down in the LOSER section itself, alongside the Peter Collins cock-up interview. Which were surely low points of the year to rival at least some of those that were chosen..

I'll informed nonsense yet again.

Yes... But liquidating the few assests they have may go some way offsetting just a bit of losses suffered over the last few years of this, latest, I'll fated exercise .

It is getting a bit silly to play this rather childish game of 'correcting' people when it suits. And then to finish each little bust of activity with this coquettish denoument of 'wait and see'. I do not get the impression that the full details will have been worth any of the teasing. The 'FIM Monster Speedway Damp Squib' starts in June.

That is just not true. There were FIVE men per SWC team Why would you say otherwise. And only Speedway could be mental enough to call THREE people a PAIR. For all the years that the World Best Pairs operated - which you have repeatedly said yourself was a competition YOU enjoyed - it managed with two men and only had the very occasional time that was reduced to a single man. But If they want or feel they must have three per team then at least show SOME sense and actually call them TRIOS.

I was going to respond myself. But it would be superfluous after reading SCBs post. I do not think I have seen a better critique. Brilliant.

Not so much 'interesting' as 'crucial' Surely no one could countenance a World Championship level event which gave more points to the pair who come second and third?

Far be it for me to suggest any such thing. But feel free to enlighten me on an alternative forum, discussion site or any other online facilty that offers such a representation of the 'wider soeedway public' that you consider better. If one exists. Then I imagine that you, and me, would be contributing to that. And not lurking around here.

So that is one more 'vote' for the new format. Well done ! As that side seem to be lagging a fair bit behind at the moment I suppose KT could be coming in as. a 'Joker' to record double votes for his 'team'. As I am sure the organisers will want to 'pep' the competition up with such exciting ideas that have been loved by so many in the sport before. This could turn into a winter long series.

I suppose it depends what sort of restuarants one frequents. General speaking I would choose something that I knew I liked from the menu That could be (say) Sirloin cooked medium rare. Not Liver or any other offal. If I sat down at my table and was told I had no say in what I was to eat. But had to hold my nose for a 'variety meat' selection of whatever was left in the kitchen. Then I may make my excuses and leave. But to request that I eat it first. And then just HOPE that I did not throw up later. No. Thank. You.

There certainly are. The SWC being one of the very best. But apparently we are supposed to keep our gobs shut until we have actaully seen this stupidly entited/conceived 'Speedway of Nations' next June. And not expose the folly of abandoning the SWC now. In my view, that would not be 'looking for a positive'. It would be just fiddling whilst Rome burns. .

In a world seemingly over-populated with supposedly sensible sycophants. I can take great pride in being tagged as 'silly and cynical' And in a lifetime of Speedway watching it is an attitude that has served me well. When others cannot seem to see the blatantly obvious in front of their eyes. There is great need for some people to keep pointing out that the Emperor is 'stark-bollock naked'.

Sounds more ominous, than exciting. It seems that 2017-18 is to be marked by a concerted lack of clarity from the administrators on the decisions made at their respective conferences. To the point of a 'news blackout' on particular elements. The BSPA seemed to have made important rule changes at their AGM that were not communicated publicly and then even changed them as well afterwards. Or not. Now we have the FIM throwing the Premier World Team Event out of the window and are replacing it with some sort of event the like of which has never been seen before. And they are keeping it secret. Or only telling ther family friends. Those who have agreed not to tell anyone else. I wonder why all successful sports are not run in this clearly superior fashion.

I wonder if the ACU (presumably Tony Steele) even requested any more than three places ? Was there even a debate within the CCP or did the 'same again' just go through on the nod ?