TheWellBehavedWorrall

This gentleman was every so slightly before their time. The classiest rider I’ve ever saw on a speedway bike. He’d have looked more stressed and rushed buttering toast.

Yes, Danish, but no, he was a wild card. At least not in the season this picture was taken.

Of course mine wasn’t serious. I’m pleased to see the narrative being encouraged by Sportowefakty and this article is that Zmarzlik is in the wrong. If it’s an honest mistake, then he’s an absolute moron, but his comments around ”no-one said a thing about it until later” are an attempted insult to the reader’s intelligence. There isn’t a ‘Head of Race Suits’ hanging around, waiting to ban riders breaching commercial commitments. It’s assumed that, as 15+ did, everyone would adhere, so numerous conversations in the background would have taken place before Zmarzlik was informed.

He just posted this on his Instagram. For those unfamiliar with Polish, allow me to assist; ”They’re bothered about my race suit? Leon Madsen’s that small he gets his from Build-A-Bear. Phil Morris drink or choice is Lambrini and I’m going to win the world title in Toruń, anyway. Bye”

Bingo. It’s Mr Gollob, pictured during the 1995 GP series. The same year he was punched by Craig Boyce at Hackney.

Nope.

The appetite for sponsorship has changed significantly, especially in the current climate. I have a friend whose father-in-law is the Managing Director of a fabrication company. They’re a second-tier sponsor - meaning they’re not branded on the kits, but they are everywhere else, such as the stadium - of a football club with an average attendance of 50,000 every week and the commercial commitment is basically a business development exercise. 99.9% of those in attendance don’t and never will require the use of his company, but the business they secure through treating their potential customers as corporate guests at training days, stadium tours and match days is unbelievable. ”There it is, Mr Customer; our company logo, slapped across the upper tier of a major football club’s stadium. Not bad, eh?” I’ve met him twice and I know how proud he is of that, so I can just imagine how angry he’d be and how quickly he’d instruct his lawyers to take action, should his sponsorship be in speedway and his potential customer have gone ”the star player isn’t wearing it, though”.

You’re right. I just checked and he was due to make his debut at Hull on the Wednesday, but it was rained-off, so his first appearance was to be at Berwick on the Saturday night. On the Saturday morning, having attended a meeting at Armadale the night before, he refused to ride and headed back to Denmark.

At what point is the commercial aspect more important than racing? It’s never been more important; without it, there is no racing. Regardless of that, though, should we just go rogue and ignore contracts?

Yeah, I did add in a later post that it would be significantly risky to do that.

I don’t think a speedway rider, given their ability to remember to display their sleeve sponsors, branded water bottle or logo cap at the mere sight of a camera, require reminding of their contractual obligations.

I do find it strange, but that’s directed at Bartosz Zmarzlik and only him. As I’ve said, perhaps it’s intentional with a view to setting-up a title win, but that’s very risky and significantly insulting to the fans.

No, I said “try telling me Zmarzlik deserved a slap on the wrists”. He didn’t, he deserved more which was what he got.

The sponsor isn’t dictating who wins anything; Zmarzlik has single-handedly breached the contract which FIM/SGP signed. What was the main sponsor tonight, Infinite? Imagine what that organisation has paid to be the leading sponsor of an event attended by 14,000 fans and streamed live across the world. They’ve had to tender for this, so imagine the contract which is implemented; every single ‘t’ will be crossed and ‘i’ dotted. They’ll have lined-up their corporate guests in the hundreds. They’ve paid a fortune to FIM/SGP, so this is their night. Then, the word champion breaches the contract which was perfectly adhered to by fifteen others, plus the reserves or wild cards. The liquid damages the FIM/SGP will be hit with will be huge. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Zmarzlik did it on purpose. This is set-up perfectly for a title win on home soil, but he’s single-handedly let the fans down tonight.

You call it a “silly rule”, but reality calls it a “legally binding contractual obligation”. You watch a rider every time he’s interviewed, picking a gate or standing on a podium; folding his arms to ensure his sleeve sponsor is visible, grabbing his branded cap to broadcast the logo or making sure the sponsored water bottle in his hand is clearly visible because it’s in his commercial contract, then try telling Zmarzlik deserved a slap on the wrist.

That’s very decent. I remember going to the World Cup final at Poole in 2004 and I’m sure the tickets were £40-odd, so £25 for a GP is very reasonable.

On the subject of the GP, does anyone remember a 16 year-old Leon Madsen signing for Glasgow in 2005, attending a meeting at Armadale on the Friday night, then quitting and returning to Denmark before he had even made an appearance? He said the facilities at Stewart Dickson’s garage weren’t a sufficient standard which I found wild because at 16, I’d put my machine in absolutely anything.

What happened with Madsen and Holder?

How much do tickets for GPs typically cost?

Having watched that, I hope Zmarzlik loses the world title because he’s let the fans down this weekend.

That’s a disgrace of a crash. Pijper causing a similar incident with Boughen at Ashfield was forgivable, given neither are old enough to buy alcohol, but this is a GP. That’s Doyle and Lebedevs now clattered opponents. Am I the one now being naive, or do you expect better? Chris Louis was spot on; he was out of control.

Fricke’s profile picture when he’s at the tapes is interesting. You could Chinese burn his neck.