martin palmer

One thing I hope the BSPA bring in next year to help the british lads, is a fixed average for any brit moving up from the CL to PL ( or maybe EL) of 3 points, fixed for at least 2 seasons. Its seems rediculous to me that a rider like Craig Branny, who i rate highly, does well in the CL, is snapped up for the PL, only to exceed his 3 point starting average, and lose his team place because 4.5 is too difficult to fit into most teams building plans. Help the boys out by giving them 3 for at least 2 seasons...COME ON BSPA...YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE.

Millard is the Murray Walker of Speedway....Reminds me a little of Dave Lanning also.

Then go elite....with Januz, Bird, Morris and Zagar...a usefull start for a team...add in a couple of current EL boys and you could be away.

Have to say that BSI do appear to have massively revamped what was becoming a tired competition, and last nights meeting was something else. Its a real shame that the USA are not in this competition currently, because there is no doubt that a side containing Hancock, Hamill, Janniro, Fisher, Larsen...would have been entertaining, and may have made the final. Re the other nations not partaking, you could look at a European side...that could contain Norway, Russia, Slovinia etc. They do this in Golf. My one regret in the whole tournament is that the riders, as they have done for most of the previous WTC, race on their own. As a team event, in my view it could be more interesting if the race format meant that 2 riders per nation met in each heat ( did this a few years ago) but thats just my view.

Fantastic meeting. Roll on saturday and lets hope the brits can do it. One thing for sure.....it will be the team who wants it most that will win...and the team who takes no prisoners....kind of points towards the Danes I think.....

I guess that as Olsen is director of speedway for BSI, he gets the chance to have his say on track prep. You can bet you bottom dollar he will ask for it to be done the way the Danes like it though. We should have that call, as all home nations should have and usually do have some sort of advantage re track prep.

Its a very valid point actually. A team in second place say 4 points behind the leaders, would be disadvantaged against a team in 3rd 8 points behind the leaders, because they could use the Joker, so they could steal 2nd place and a place in the final. Thats seems a little unfair to me.

Concrete Cowboy...I agree with you. This year the pre meet entertaiment was ggod, the pre meeting parade very stunning and different, interval entertainment good, the fireworks spectacular....and much much better racing......a tough act to follow next year.......perhaps we can have Tom Jones ?

Got to say that it was brilliant to see ALL the fans getting behind the Brits...no matter what team they supported.

1st Crump 2nd. Adams 3rd. Gollob 4th. Rickardson Possible dark horses, hancock and Lukas Dryml.

PL or EL average....a very interesting question, and one that I shall be putting to Waggy tomorrow night at the Oxford Forum. In this new structure, guys like Shields, Harris, Bjerre, and Gjedde, could well establish themselves as proper Heatleaders, so it will be an interesting debate.

You could all try posting on the Oxford Forum for the attention of STEVE ROBERTS...He has a massive Video collection, inc 70s, 80s, and 90s. I am not saying that he will be willing to pat with them, but he may be able to run copies etc.

SHODDY...to be fair, not many EL Teams put their No1 Riders into their BL Cup Matches...only on exceptional occasions, so I dont think thats a fair comparison. With regard to the "There must be another way".....you would think so, but the Sport has been trying to control costs, unsuccessfully, for years, and have also been trying to tempt more Teams up, again unsuccessfully, so something has worked this time. The proof of the pudding will be at the end of next Season. If costs are reduced, the Competitons close, with good competative matches, then it should be deemed a success, and hopefully we can grow to 12 Teams next year..

To Non Speedway people, potential new Fans, and casual Fans, the "JOKER" means something to them, were the " Tactical Substitute" does not. The TS rule is very much an Internal Speedway term, and is not recognisable to folk on the fringes of the Sport. Thats my opinion anyway.

Firstly, I think some people are missing the plot with regard to gradings. QUESTION....Why did the BSPA vote them in? ANSWER....to ensure a distribution of at least 1 Top rider to the New Teams moving up ( something that has always failed to happen in the past), and also to reduce the costs, notably from High Wage demands from some Top riders, because they have been in short supply. Now this may sound very unfair, both to Fans who have to lose a favourite Rider ( or two), and also on the Riders, and who can blame them for wanting to earn as much as possible. But the simple fact is, that Speedway has been Spending more than it has been receiving, for several Seasons now, and it cannot go on. Any common Business sense will tell you that. You have to cut your cloth accordingly, and this is what the BSPA have done. If they had not, the EL would have folded completely next year, because Arena and Swindon would not have moved up, and Ipswich, and possibly Peterborough may have dropped down. I suspect that only 3 EL Clubs mad money last year. The rest would have lost substantial amounts. What we have got from the BSPA, is a Survival package, and a package, that with the continued support from Sky, just might work.