RobMcCaffery

Sadly the off-track power game is more important to too many.

A race there to remind you that for all the frustrations over stupid rules and rule-makers, the ruinous sporting politics and the unpleasant attitudes of so many elsewhere on this forum, speedway is still a wonderful sport - the trick is to just enjoy the racing!

I'm not generally a fan of the way Sky do things, too much posturing, rather stiff and formal so the relaxed style of NSport appeals, even if I can't understand the actual words. You can tell a fair amount from body language though. It's clearly on a higher budget and money does talk in that business. I do think that Sky have scaled-back on their coverage, reflecting a lowering of commitment. The innovation's gone. I really like the style of CMore's coverage in Sweden though - what appears to be an intelligent conversation, interrupted by racing. I do prefer the conversational approach rather than Sky's hard sell where everything is fascinating, exciting and wonderful. I just wish I knew what was being said then I could confirm my suspicions. You only have to look at Sportowe Fakty's website though to see how much more is invested in media coverage over there. ----- On a different note, what a ride from Gollob to win heat 11!

A lot of people have said that over the years.

Laguta's certainly been reading the Nicki Pedersen passing manual.

Great effort by Rybnik but the heat leaders faded at the crucial time. They certainly aren't in the Ekstraliga to make up the numbers. Not my favourite Polish club, for some odd reason

It does show what conditions riders will still ride in - if they're (£) motivated ($) enough

With the Mickey Mouse logos they look like refugees from the little-known 'Playboy Disney' channel. I only watch it for the political interviews...

I just kept wondering if any other Coventry fans were watching Jamrog there. 12 well-taken points in the company of Hans Andersen, Robert Miskowiak and Linus Sundstrom. Perhaps he's not quite as useless as we were told last year ;-)

In the early days at at Rye House we used to get reports of missing away riders having turned up at Rye in Sussex instead. Mind you, not many outside the London area knew where the hell our old track at Rayleigh was.

In an attempt to get this discussion back from a pointless discussion about the obvious evils of tobacco-based products, one other minor point regarding sponsorship 'back in the day' was that there was supposed to be a block back then on sponsorship of speedway and other motor sports by producers of alcohol products. This was rather dented by Sheffield, despite this, getting backing from the local branch of Bass Charrington, Stones to sponsor them. I always struggled to understand how an off-road bike sport being sponsored by a brewery would encourage drink-driving. Going right back to the start of this discussion we had blue chip sponsors because we had the crowds and media profile that a professional sponsorship agent like Michael Addison could sell to his portfolio of blue-chip clients. Sadly we don't have the crowds, media profile or a professional like Michael involved now. I'll leave others to waste time discussing the merits of the sponsors that we did attract. I'm sure the sport wouldn't mind their money now though...

We used tom have that problem at Rye House back in the 80s & 90s. The track is right by a river and the water table was very high so many postponements were caused by water rising from below rather than falling from the sky. The public rarely saw the torrents of water being pumped off the place before the gates opened. Ironically it now has a reputation for being too dry. I hope they can sort the problem out.

The difference in case 1 is that professionals are in charge of the finance acts ;-) Re 2 - I was hoping to make the point that the clauses and counter-clauses in the rule book verge on the absurd.

The essential point is that it wasn't just speedway that took sponsorship from tobacco producers. They were different times. Skoal Bandits were a particularly nasty product, as were all tobacco products and their involvement with our sport was brief. You can attack speedway for many follies but to use Skoal Bandits and such sensationalist language is below the belt and only wrecks your argument which clearly is based on spite and the need for petty point-scoring, not a desire to develop discussion. You cannot single out speedway for taking tobacco sponsorship. Anyway, this discussion was intended to be about the sport's inability to attract and keep major sponsors not you showing how unpleasant you are. A cheap shot HA - I would expect far better from you. Next month I will face the annual task of consoling my wife on the anniversary of her mother's death from an agonising cancer. I would NEVER use that curse for cheap digs.

Someone who reckoned they had superb FTR riders and would benefit from it. Now let me guess.....

It's all become so twisted. Someone comes up with a rule that will benefit themselves. Then someone else gets it amended. Then someone gets a new rule to plug the loophole. Another promoter then realises he's been caught oput and gets the correction amended. You then end up with a tangled, compromised mess with conflicting rules, all based on short-term needs, often dressed-up as 'vision'. I used to be an avid reader of the rulebook but when you look at the team-building regulations, with averages adjusted here, converted from other averages, a few percent deducted here and there in months with a Saturday in them. It just gets ridiculous. Speedway is a simple sport made complex by people trying to shaft their rivals. Sometimes you feel the promoter power game is more important than staging matches.

Value for money. Good racing, home win and a professional show.

You have to remember the fundamental principle of the BSPA (with some exceptions, to be fair) is 'What's in it for me?" Cutting the wage bill by exploiting a pair of kids and claiming it's training is pretty well par for the course. There's no clear, logical forward vision. Yes we want riders to progress, but not this way!

Back in 1982 Pirelli sponsored the England v USA test series, and the video company I worked for were commissioned to video the whole series for them. When we got to Belle Vue we were thrown out by the Bamforths. When we protested that we were there on behalf of the sponsors the reaction was "Don't talk to me about sponsors, they've taken a load of seats in our stand." I have cleaned it up, but that was the gist... We've not seen Pirelli since. Speedway went through a phase when top quality sponsors were found for the sport, usually by Michael Addison until he was released. Now, I wonder why they lost them all? JC! mentioned Durex. I remember when the London Rubber Company were named as sponsors of a test series we were told that the sport was being pioneering and responsible, that no smutty jokes would result. I remember going to a match in the series at Birmingham where the centre green presenter said "Yes, you know Durex, it's that funny-tasting chewing gum you get in bogs". Again, words to that effect. I wonder why we lost them all? When speedway learns to respect the outside world and puts up with the 'nuisance' of sponsors, doesn't take then for granted, hires an agent who can deliver and realises it has to work to attract and retain sponsors it might stand a chance of finding serious sponsors. It has to clean up its act. Obviously there are exceptions on a local scale but corporately the sport has to become far more professional in its dealings with sponsors and the media who help deliver the sponsors' message. Also Formula 2 Stock Car Racing. I take it you therefore didn't attend the Embassy Internationale, or the Gauloises National league Riders Championship, to name just a couple of cigarette sponsorships.

I remember Hyde Road well. I commentated on a few videos there. Now, those were cheap, single-camera affairs so I had to commentate wherever the camera went - in this case the searchlight platform on the roof next to the officials' box. The camera would peer over the top of the searchlight while I lay prone on its base with my head overhanging the edge of the roof, looking straight down over the start, desperately hoping I didn't drop the mic. It's a glamorous profession. I can confirm that those wooden stands were on the point of falling down, as could the birds that had nested in the crumbling fabric of the ref's box....

Such patience deserves a fitting reward. I'm sending you a ticket to the opening meeting at Belle Vue....

The usual Polish source states that he received medical clearance. Remind me to avoid Polish doctors....

Reminded me of a British track, poorly prepared with a dodgy second bend inhibiting racing. Real blood and thunder stuff despite this. Notable to see Pedersen give the home straight kick boards a little clout as he crossed the line last, way behind Hancock in heat 15. Think I caught a glimpse of the Leszno mascot at the end there - bet his wife's a bit of a cow

I have no doubt either.

And risking the health of others as Kopec-Sobczynski just found out