daveccm

Congrats to Gollub. He was head and shoulders above anyone else and even wanted to win in the final when he didn't need to. Strange what this win has done for him. He was more articulate in English that I've ever heard him Re Harris - Hampel. It might be smart to go against the flow but that was the worst camera shot of the finish line there has ever been in a televised match. If the ref couldn't split them in real time there was no way he could give a decision apart from making a guess. Is he allowed to consult others? The flag marshall was the closest to the action and might have given his two penn'orth if asked. If GPs don't allow dead heats why not fit transponders as they do in car racing?

Cheap shot from and armchair critic?

The difference between Hancock and Harris? Simple. 1 Hancock - more often than not can gate. He has mastered it. 2 Harris - more often than not - can't. But he's gradually getting there and that was the difference. That's one of the few little snippets of info he's let slip. The rest is just simple basic posi-speak tripe I like him and want to see him do well but what's the point of interviewing him after every win. It even looked as though some riders - Gollub and Crump particularly - just wanted to get away from this trivial nonsense.

I was pretty peed off with the Virgin red button business as well. But at least SKY put it on while they followed the cricket. Speedway frequently overuns so the other lot complain then That's why I record at least one extra prog. Can't understand why there was an hour of Rugby before the repeat later on though.

Well that's ok then. This is professional sport not tiddly winks. Footballers help up players they've just flattened and bend their fingers and tweek their hair. It's an old adage - let him know you're there. And Emil found out the guy behind was a potential nutter. I wanted Gollub to win the WC but I don't want him to win it like that when openings suddenly happen because riders think the guy behind could wipe them out on a whim

At last I've watched the SKY recording of the meeting after reading the adverse criticism. I expected a pretty dire performance but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I was led to believe from this forum. Bomber was obviously gutted at his exclusion but he has nothing to feel bad about. He came back fighting so it might even make him a more determined rider now. The GB team were on a par with the other finalists unlike our footballers who weren't. Every team had last places (or "at the back" as they tend to say) but some feel it necessary to pick up on ours. So it's not a team for the future but I thought they did us proud.

Brain dead?

Come on - get into the spirit of things. Why spoil a fun thread in this cold weather

Re Woffinden. I think the old saying applies. "Be careful what you wish for -you might get it." Give him a place. He'll then find out if he's really any good or just a good young rider who will make a living out of speedway. Having seen him blame a more experienced rider one week then have a seasoned pro take the blame the next week for his bad judgement I think he should be set free to prove he's as good as he thinks he is. I don't think he's quite the ticket yet but if he makes the grade - fine. And I don't mean do a Harris and win a GP. I just mean show he can hack it with the big guns. That's all.

No one comes last these days. It might give them an inferiority complex that could blight their lives forever

So she knows nothing about speedway? She fooled me then. I thought she was an enthusiast who was just no good But I've had a complete change of mind about her. I remember hearing the BBC sports correspondant Gary Richardson a few years ago thinking he was a shallow career broadcaster. Perhaps the interviewees felt the same but he would then fire in a hard hitting question - while sounding dumb. I wonder if Charlie is doing the same. She sounds dumb-IMHO- but she's been the only interviewer I can remember who will ask the questions that scream out to be asked. But please - slow down the delivery. And drop the voice a few tones

Well what about being able to talk proper to start with so that the great majority can understand what she's yapping on about

I've been against slick tracks for GPs and the prep of the Showground showed why but is there another reason? Having visited KL some weeks ago for a stock car meeting getting covered with shale and dust is not everyone's idea of fun. It maybe ok for the enthusiast but not for newcomers. So is that in their minds?

Yackity yackety yacky yack yack yack. Yap yap yap. I think it's called kid speak. What is a cheener? (As in engine) Cathereine Tate - where are you?

Good post. Hit nail on head.

Great selection . It gave the team ATTITUDE which the usual suspects wouldn't have had. And they will also gee up Rico and Scot - if he comes in. I don't think it fair to criticise any of the team but obviously some did better than others and on the showing last night it looks like Edward missing out. But I'm not sure about Scot and Tai. As one of the few remaining loyal to Jawa has Tai got the right equipment?

If the competitors want to have a go at each other that can be judged on the situation. Spectators-and that includes managers and coaches - attacking a competitor in any sport is a definite no-no.

Do we want exciting speedway or a tame follow my leader borefest? Nicholls did nothing wrong on the track compared to any GP rider. It's the norm. It's what drew me to speedway. Contact goes on just as it does in any so called "non contact" sport. As for the scrap- why is it that some are saying Scot should be more mature and not respond? At least it was a geuine scrap not like the pre arranged stuff you see in some ice hockey. If it gets Scott fired up, great. I like Bomber but what does it take to get him annoyed? What the riders do to each other is one thing. When someone off the track gets involved that's out of order and Holloway's action should be treated as any outsider and banned from the GP series. If that affects Emil, tough.

It might look inconsistant but IMHO this ref got the Nikki call right. I think that now someone has to tell refs to be aware of the speedway equivilent of diving and it looks like Nikki has got a pretty good ploy. All he does is lay on the back of the unsuspecting rider and steps off the bike. When it crept into football refs were caught out but now they're spotting it more. Because speedway is a more dangerous sport who is going to suspect a rider of deliberately falling off? He was even ready with the hand gestures

I had this problem with a GP overunning so now I add 2 progs on Virgin+. But this time in spite of the rain and the blackout delays I only needed the one. Lucky old me apparently

Just so as not to forget this great joke: Nikki Lauda was an F1 racing driver badley injured in a fire. His ears were badly burnt and his face mutilated. There. Joke dissected. Nicki P booed - fine. Taking piss out of Nikki Lauda - not fine.

What would have happened had the ref excluded him? "I won't be your friend anymore" More than anything else, that episode showed him up for what he really is. A bully (but a real focussed winner) who doesn't quite get our sense of humour. But what we saw at Cardiff just showed a determination some other riders lack. There was a time when we thought that "real men " wouldn't pretend to be hurt on the football field. Now it's commonplace. And speedway could go the same way. Nicki knew what he was doing when he went down.

All you lucky ones who recorded it and saw the lot - well done. I'm never sure how much extra time to allow on V+/ Sky+ box so when the rugby overuns by lots I missed both semis Speedway overunning - who cares? So all I know is that Gollob won. As for Chris Harris. He just isn't gating so he's having to work hard in every race. But if it isn't the engines then is he as fit as he needs to be at this level? Still wish him all the best at Cardiff.

Have to agree. I thought the racing was ok too. But as the analysis of the event has been thrashed to death what about that female interviewer? If it's just for the glamour there are plenty of knowlegable women who know about motorsport and Sky have a number of superb women interviewers. Yet they bring out a complete bimbo who can only ask inane questions that would have been more suitable in a mag for U12s. The only thing she didn't ask was "What's your favourite meal?" She sounded Aussie so is that part of the deal? There are other alternatives but they might be inappropriate

Me too. It was a chance visit to Trelawney on holiday and only went because I'd heard of Carl Stonehewer and Workington were the visitors. To see Chris Harris pass Stoney twice in a night round the outside on lap 3 was something else. And that re introduced me to speedway. So great to see he's doing the same at the top level.