AndyM

But what good is that going to do him? The result won't be changed and the ref isn't going to apologise or admit he was wrong - Nicki would probably sue him for loss of earnings!!

I didn't see this but it sounds like shades of Penhall v Carter. The ref is probably damned either way, unless there is a clear and simple way to attribute blame with 100% accuracy in every case. No, I can't think of any way to do it either...

No sympathy. Even if he doesn't like a ref's decision, he has to accept it. If he were a footballer, he would be sent off for dissent if he disputed a ref's decision like that.

Still not convinced. If the theory goes that giving up a league, could be any league, allows riders to concentrate efforts better on the GP circus, as many riders have done with what we will assume is some success, why does everybody still insist it was the worst possible thing Scott could have done? Nothing to do with results, just a simple question - why is Scott Nicholls different such that we believe the policy to be appropriate for some riders but not for him? Listening to the answers so far I think Spook is right that most people are still aggrieved about his giving up his domestic league.

Still nobody has answered my question: if it is the right decision by some riders, Crump and Pedersen included, to give up riding in the UK in order to concentrate on riding in the GP circus, why was it wrong for Nicholls?

But then he could scarcely get any worse! Was that last GP a shock to his system and has it woken him up to the fact that he's becoming a joke among fans? Hope that motivates him - it blooming well ought to!

Well it's an interesting theory and I would not be at all surprised. Any evidence to support that idea?

So what are you saying? That he should just give up and not bother? Would it not be more impressive if he forced you to eat your words with a top four finish in a GP this season, at the very least? That should motivate him!

You like to watch spoilt brats, Lisa? Hardly portrays our sport in the best light, not that it gets much of that treatment anyway!

Stating the bleedin' obvious, you mean?

Can't say I agree with all this negative stuff. Surely we should be encouraging the lad to do better, not writing him off? Suspect the problem is largely within his head, not his machinery. If I were him I'd definitely get to see a sports psychologist without delay and get himself prepared for the next GP.

Is there a disciplinary code of conduct in the GP circus? I can't recall any rider getting fined for saying something he shouldn't have done, but I may be out of date. At any rate, as I commented last night he reminded me of nothing so much as John McEnroe having a strop against tennis umpires!! Pretty pathetic - he should learn to be professional and focus solely on his racing.

Don't think you're thick, mate! Simply asking why the powers that be would deem Olsen's tracks to be acceptable for top class speedway? Has nobody in the higher echelons not objected? Why is that?

How do you start a vote here? Used to be able to do it easily...

Who says I am?

You didn't say that as such, only by inference. You did say that Olsen et al only pay attention to money. They are producing lousy tracks that make for dismal speedway, which are televised everywhere and give the impression that speedway is a processional sport. Olsen is paid to produce these tracks and if money talks that suggests that he believes this situation is satisfactory, unless and until someone pays him more money to produce deeper tracks. My question is why the people who ARE paying him believe that the tracks he produces are satisfactory and give value for that money? Some ulterior motive, maybe - other than saving a few quid on the extra shale?

Are you suggesting Olsen is being paid to make GPs as boring as possible?

Totally agree. International petition called for - let's use fan power!!

Nope, but what it indicates to me is that EL offers 31.25% of the level of competition you would hope to achieve if you hope to compete with the current best.

...but the following don't. Any conclusions from 5 out of a field of 16 riding in the GP tonight? Pedersen Crump Gollob Hancock Andersen Jonsson Holta Nicholls Walasek Ulamek Sayfutdinov

He has had some good GPs but isn't consistent enough. So for that matter has Nicholls. I agree, though it begs two questions: why does that apparently work for other riders, and how would returning to EL actually help Nicholls improve his game? Is he not getting enough decent competition, because there aren't be too many top level riders here to sharpen his game if he did!

But would coming back to EL work any better for him, even assuming he could get a team place at anything like the rate he would be looking for?

Can always contact him via his business of course! http://www.petercollinsvintagecars.co.uk/

Thanks for trying, Jim.

Indeed so, the cyrillic alphabet. Just as Chinese and Japanese names are often translated with different spellings too, for example.