ouch

Well if I leave Owlerton next week and we aren't in the final it will be the biggest injustice in speedway - ever. If there are any Saints/Prowler fans who witnessed tonights action who think otherwise then there's something very wrong with you. Let's all hope for the right result next week,

We had a match earlier this year when the Colts threw points away with falls etc. It's a learning curve and they just got on with it together with the opposition. Cup match I think. Glad the lads are ok, I hate to see injuries. We had a match where we lost our number one plus our best rider. Can't remember where but will look it up as I won't be going there again to see injuries like that.

Good one to kick off with, with some great match ups in prospect. Hope we get a few away fans to add to what I'm hoping with be a good home turnout. Stock cars at weekend so I hope the track is in good shape. Fine weather this week should help. Go for it lads, but stay safe!

The gate positions in the first two rounds must confirm that this race is incorrect, or for some reason this race has been changed.

Looking at the race card, I think it will be really close for the 2nd spot. If we can pull off a “backs to the wall” performance then we could sneak it. Heats 13 and 20 are the decisive heat for us and we need to ensure the Joker is not squandered. Whatever happens it will be the meeting of the year, real edge of your seat job. Can’t wait.

I reckon the Aussies to go through with the Poles second and making their way to the play off which they will be satisfied with. The Brits will keep in contention for second due to the Slovaks more often than not occupying last whilst the Aussies finish first meaning the two middle teams stay fairly close. At around heat 19/20 the Brits will fold and end up third. Kings selection will be the main bone of contention with the Brit fans after the meeting, due to him only beating Slovaks.

Peter Ljung, Jonas Davidsson, Daniel Nermark, Adrian Rymel, Kenneth Bjerre and Bjarne Pedersen. All these riders rode above themselves, obviously with some national pride. The GB team underperformed terribly. Why didn’t they at least show some fight whilst going down. Where was the bulldog spirit you here about? That’s what gets me. I’ve always said I prefer to see a lad trying his heart out to score 5 than some bloke go through the motions and score 6. We need more passion and Lynch is not the man. Floppy or Havvy would be much better at getting MORE out the riders we have available. When asked at the top of the programme if he thought the Danes were favourite, Lynch agreed. Even if he thinks that he should not voice that opinion. It should be instilled in the team that we WILL beat the Danes in our country no matter what. If you aim high and just miss, you’ll finish better than aiming lower and hitting it. We aimed low and missed that! Show some bollox GP, for Christ sake.

Move off the inside line and go backwards. Didn't the Brits think about this?

Thanks for clearing that up. I'd already posted that the top three qualified but f-s-p didn't get it. Lets meet back here at the end of the GP series and discuss Ferjan's GP scores. I'm going out a limp now by saying I think Stead will have scored more GP points that Ferjan. I am there to be shot down though.

Nope top three. Just ask Peter Karlsson if you need it confirmed. The meeting in question.

It only mattered if you finished in the top 3. Neither did. This meeting is as relevant/irrelevant as any other for these two non qualifiers.

The last time Team GB rode at Smallmead Loram scored 7/5, Richardson a 10/5, oh and Louis 1/4. Ouch. If the track is prepared to Steadys liking, all the Brits will do well. I still say it's in our hands to give us an advantage.

That will do for me. I’m more than happy. The Aussies cannot take any physiological advantage from this meeting, as there was nothing between them and Team GB. Todd e/f was accounted for with Scottys re-run, and if he hadn’t have fallen whilst in no-mans land then the leading brit would have won the race. I’d much rather face the Poles at the race-off than the Aussies and its another match for the lads to ride together as a team. Hopefully they will keep in their minds the riding of the track under race conditions and take that knowledge forward to the final. From a personnel point of view, I’d prefer to watch a match with Team GB in than without. I now know how it feels to have the 2006 vintage Jason Crump in opposition and quite frankly he’s a pain in the backside. It’s a daunting prospect when your lads have to come up against him. Also from an Aces point of view I still think Stead get pushed about too much. He rode a good race to keep Gollob behind him, but too often he lets others dictate the race. Watching the meeting, if you beat Nicholls or Harris you certainly had to work for it with no quarter given. If Middlo reads the thread then remember the next two meeting are in Britain, so we should prepare the track for our team. If you had to describe Loram, Nicholls, Harris and Stead then you would say they were racers. Forget what Olsen wants for the Danes, we’re running it so we decide. Come you Brits!

Looking through the riders that have pulled out of the next round either through injury or disinterest, then David Howe looks the next available qualifier. Wouldn’t it have been easier to report the fact that all this had occurred instead of the leading with the picking a choosing method that was originally stated. It only served to get peoples backs up when it could have been avoided. Cheers for the clarification, something the sport needs to do more often.

Your first two paragraphs restate the points I made, but unbelievably you seem to think this kind of behaviour by the powers that be is ok. Middlo given the choice. That’s bad surely. You shouldn’t assume in speedway. That’s bad surely. Lee Richardson over Hans Andersen. That’s bad surely. Seeding Wrighy last year over a true qualifier. That’s bad surely. Yet you use these in defence of your augment. We are poles apart in what we think is right and wrong. Lets stick to PL matches only. Wrighty is higher. Oh and his current EL average is now 4.76 You cannot pick and choose which world final you want. It’s completely logical to use the most recent and I’ll stick with it. If I look a fool because I feel that the points above are bad for the sport then so be it, trouble is people like me don’t feel foolish, they just walk away from the sport never to return. BTW I wouldn’t have chosen anyone, I’d have let them ride for their place.

I’ve seen many inaccurate and ill-informed posts on this forum, but this one is beyond belief. If you have just started watching speedway this year then I apologise for calling you a fool. For almost eighty years when qualifiers have been run in a speedway meeting (longer if you look at other sports), the first competitor who finishes outside the qualifiers is known as the first reserve, the second as second reserve and so on and so forth. If a competitor above them is injured or unable to take there place in the next round then these reserves take their place. It’s yet another very simple rule that speedway has somehow managed to cock up, and it gets added to all the others that collectively turn people away from speedway. Second bit…. James EL average 4.46 Eddie EL average 4.43 James PL average 8.86 Eddie PL average 8.10 In the most recent U21 final the top Brit was James Wright. I just pick James because I know more about him. I’m sure many other fans from many other teams could come up with a better choice than Kennett. I DON’T think James should be seeded by the way as he didn’t qualify, but then neither did Eddie. It’s not what you know etc….

Once again Crumpie makes the final whilst his “close” challengers fall away. If I couldn’t have a Brit win or Crump, then Andersen winning was just the thing to give BSI the finger after the farcical selection process that went on last year. I even turned into a Poole fan for a few heats as once Pedersen and Lindback made the final Crump was assured of at least 20 big points. I’ll be cheering on the Pirates again on Monday. Have to find a blue and white scarf if it carries on like this.

Peter Ouches Grand Prix chatter….. Following the Hampel/extinguisher incident. Lee Richardson had second thoughts about seeking assistance from an ex rider after reading that he would be accountable for their behaviour. The short list of Malcolm Simmonds, Mike Lee and Mark Courtney were said to be “disappointed”. Scott Nicholls’ new girlfriend looked none too pleased after Scotty only managed a semi… again. Mrs Hancock one the other hand is beaming, as though Greg likes to take the lead early on, he always comes second. Didn’t fancy speaking to Nicki Pedersen after I saw him grab a rag on the way to the loo, then on his return he used said rag to also wipe his armpits, face and TEETH!! Tony Rickardsson has apparently had to letter from Cathrine Tates lawyers asking that he stops using her “Am I bothered” character. Rickardsson replied with, “Do I look bothered? Face, bothered. Face, bothered. Bothered, face!” The marketing manager of Crumps polish “sexual enhancement” product was fired after the MD turned up and realised they were sponsoring a sport where once the bloke gets the green light, it’s all over in 60 seconds. Antonio Lindback was seen running from the hospitality tent after hearing Matt Ford whist at the vegetable counter say he said he fancied a bit of the Brazilian swede! Nobody fancied the polish dumplings, Pepe. BSI continues to champion indoor arenas, even if the racing surface is rather unconventional. Ian Thomas submits Telford for inclusion in next year’s GP rota. Stan Postlethwaite and Olly Olsen outline next year’s point scoring system. Stan: “Well the winner get 30 points with the rest getting two less down to the guy who finished last in the semi final. The riders are allowed to pick their best nine rounds out of the ten too determine their finishing order. This rewards the top eight in each round and gives riders a chance to work around an injury.” Olly: “Tell me that again.” Stan: “Well you take a rider who’s 30 and you give him an eighth, then he picks who goes in the final to determine which rounds they miss.” Olly looks to camera bewildered and annoyed. Stan smiles to camera, removes his bowler hat and scratches his head.

I wasn’t going to go this year, after the farce that was last years event, but I got some free tickets so made a holiday of it down there and took in the meeting. I’m glad I did. Crump real is on a different planet at the moment in term of the GP’s. To win the flagship event and go 34 points clear at the top was awesome. He also provided some thrilling entertainment on a tricky indoor circuit. It was a case of the local boy done good as Crump who hails from just over the bridge at Bristol stole the show to the delight of the fans both in the stadium and watching at home. After Hancock was unfortunately excluded from the first running of the final, it left Crump to represent British league speedway. He didn’t let us down and after the agonising disappointment of seeing an outsider win last year his victory was even better received. Quite how he managed the victory with 40 odd thousand British speedway fans riding pillion with him is beyond me. The major disappointment of the night was the failure of the Brits on show. Lee and Scott carried on were they had left off, and Simon I believe was a bit “spooked” and seemed to continually be in the wrong place at the wrong time. No doubt this will be a major learning curve for the lad and with this together with the forthcoming world cup should hopefully see him better prepared for next year’s series. Oh, one more thing, the ref was a bit weird in some of the decisions he made. It is going to be a tradition that we have an imbecile in the box at the Cardiff event?

I don't read his posts, but I couldn't help myself when I saw another thread having a got at him. It's his opinion I'm not interested in, not the rest of you.

The blokes a plank I’m afraid. He sits nicely in my ignore box and has increased my enjoyment of the forum ever since. When I first signed up I thought he was a genuine fan with strongly held beliefs. I sparred with him many a time (always winning) before realising he was just an annoying wind up merchant with little knowledge of the sport. The sad thing is a pop at him usually involves a pop at Poole, and then you get an all out war with the other fans, (who by and large are a great bunch) who get drawn into his silly games.

I must admit I never seem to see much of Bjarne and he never sets the place alight when I do. He puts me in mind of Gert Handberg, another rider who never looked much when I saw him ride, yet still managed a rostrum place in the world final.

Predictable and boring GP I’m afraid, save Crumpies pass in the final. Predicable as Crump won and Trick floundered and boring due to racing on a track that offered little chance to entertain on. Can’t see anyone taking the yellow bib off Crump even at this early stage. All his main challenges will have of night or screw up in the semis/final. The contest for the top eight will be where most of the interest lies this year. If Trick makes the top eight then ninth place will see you through to next year. Trick this year doesn’t seem to have the technical edge he has enjoyed before. Thats the problem as at some point anybody can get hold of this or that gadget and it then even things up. From what I’ve seen so far he won’t get the rostrum place I had him down for. I was genuinely shocked when Pedersen cocked it up in his semi. It would have made the final more interesting with the top three in there, but there’s always that likelihood that something will go pearshaped for him during the series. Hancock looked the real deal save for his desperate move on Bjarne whilst last. The rest of the top eight just quietly went about their business in qualifying. The bottom eight was filled with the usual suspects apart from Trick. Pepe, Bjarne and Richardson all probably aware it’s their last year in the GP’s and Lindback happy to be there and safe in the knowledge that he will be given a seeded stop next year. Modern day world championships eh. So Crump sits top of the tree and that’s where he’ll stay, but with the next GP coming from Sweden, I’m sure all the Swedes taking part will be looking to raise their game at home and have a tilt at the People’s Champion. Hope it’s a good one.

Cracking GP with plenty of good racing. The Brits weren’t to disappointing and the “Ace” Crump finished 2nd whilst still not looking as awesome as he does in his league racing. Some riders were lucky when taking to the grass and not being excluded. Crumps luck came when Adams broke down, if Crump is going to have the luck this year then it will be all over bar the shouting pretty soon. I know he’s been unlucky over the last few years but I’d rather see him take the luck off Ricko and Pedersen, as these are the guys who’ve gained most from Crumpie’s misfortune. Crumps race with Adams and Pedersen were true class from all involved. I don’t think you could get a razor blade between them. Such trust in one another’s abilities. Before the start you have to look at a Crump/Trick battle, so if they finished 1st and 2nd then Crump would be 5 points up. As it is he is 4 points up, but had the confidence boost of easily beating Trick twice in a GP. I think the battle for 2nd this year will be wide open, and I like to see Adams (for all the effort put in over the years) or one of the younger lads like Lindback step up.

I have a transcription of the audio taken during the riders meeting with Tony Steele at the recent U21 World Final. All the time this took place an FIM offical stands with a loaded revolver at Tony Steels’s head. Tony. “Right lads the track is too dangerous for any more racing, so the meetings abandoned.” A rider. “What’s the result then?” Tony. Errr, let me see. Who’s got the most points then.” A rider. “Can we come back next week or the week after?” Tony. “Sorry no. I’ve got the in-laws coming for tea next week and then I’m on holiday, so I’m just looking to see who’s won.” An official. “Errr Tony. Two riders have finished on eight points each!” Tony. “Right then we’ll have a run off.” Thomas S. “You just said the track was too dangerous to race on.” Tony. “Bugger. So I did. Well maybe just one more race then.” Thomas S. “Well lets run heat 13, if you say we can run one more race.” Tony. We can’t run another heat, because it’s too dangerous. A run off is like half a heat, ‘cause there is only half the riders.” Thomas S. “Is the track safe to ride or not.” Tony. Under his breath. “This blokes getting on my nerves with all these questions.” “I feel the track is unsafe to ride with four rides, but ok with two. So there.” Thomas S. “We’ll I’m going with your first comment that the track is unsafe and I’m not going to race on it again. We will just have to re-run the whole meeting” An official. “He’s got you there Tony.” Tony disappears to the loo for 30mins and on his return gathers the riders once again. Tony. “Even though I wanted you to race on a track I said was dangerous to race on, and due to my unavailability for the next two weeks I propose the following. Pick a card. Rock, paper, scissors. Toss a coin.” Thomas S. “Well seeing as we have all invested a large amount of cash, time and energy in a season long pursuit to become World Champion, I’d have to say toss a coin.” FIM. Just after the momentous coin toss. “I quite like this way of doing things. It a lot better than running with those messy heats and stuff. I can see more tournaments being decided this way. You could have a meeting to decide who the greatest tosser is.” I THINK WE ALL KNOW THIS ALREADY. Flippin’ (clean version) Incompetent Morons.