chunky

Thing is, the reserve list is probably the one thing that illustrates the fact that we pretty much have all the top riders in the GP's. Is there REALLY that big a gulf between the top guys and the rest? Apparently... Then again, most of us felt that neither Lambert or Bewley were true GP quality yet, and looked what happened there!

That's the way I see it. People just have to realise that they are a guide - nothing else...

Exactly... We have to go by FACTS, not by "What ifs?" How many times have I said that? Agree 100%. As I said, the only way that averages and statistics would be anywhere close to perfect is if every rider rode to their average - which we know will never happen. Some will go up, and some will go down, and you have no idea who is going to be in which group. Welcome to life...

The trouble with averages and figures, they DO tell you the truth. However, they don't tell you the STORY behind the truth. Like who finished top of the 1973 British League Division 1 averages? It was Alan Emmett, with an average of 12.00... Trying to equal out team strengths by averages is great in theory. The big issue with theories is that they are just that - theories...

Sorry, the world has changed...

Nothing confrontational about it! I'm just responding with my view; perhaps you'd rather people not do that?

No it's not. The top riders QUALIFY for the following year's series by proving themselves against the world's top riders over a whole season. That is not "selection"... The wildcards generally ensure that most of the world's best riders are involved.

That's right; let's punish people for being successful! Sounds like a good plan.

Oh no, I never thought you were!

I rate Fricke, but he seemed to tail off at the end of the season, as did Holder. I still feel they both have the ability and potential. We've heard rumors about Sayfutdinov retiring, but Laguta would obviously strengthen the field. I am not convinced that Kubera et all would strengthen it - yet.

Would you rather have a bunch of hand-picked "entertainers" to vie for an "official" World Championship, or 13/14 of the World's top 15 riders?

As I said, he is clearly still one of the Top 15 riders in the world, and as you say, he knows how to match - and beat - Zmarzlik.

Particularly as you get older... Thing is, people say about Vaculik and Thomsen getting wild cards because of their injuries, but what about Woffinden? Granted, he didn't miss full meetings, but he was unfit at Cardiff, and missed a couple of rides. If it hadn't been for that, HE could have made top 6!

You sound like me...

I have said before that I liked the World Finals. However, it was the most flawed system possible; we just didn't realise it because we didn't know anything else Do you really want to go back to a system that was never designed to qualify the best riders in the world? Where qualification was based more on nationality than ability? Where everybody rode in a different amount of meetings? Where a couple of good rides could make you the "best rider in the world"? It did seem more enjoyable back then, but when you look at old videos from back in the day, the racing was generally no better than what we see today.

I'm beginning to realise that "speedway fans" actually aren't interested in "speedway". They just want everything their way - the way it was 60 years ago...

I didn't have immediate access to all the countback details, but I had the current standings open. It didn't take me much thought to figure out that Janowski making the final gave him third. He was 11 points behind Lambert, and the final guaranteed him 14. Really not as difficult as some would have you believe... I guess it doesn't matter what points system you use - if you can't count...

Is he one of the World's Top 15 riders? If so, then I would say "yes"...

Thing is, countback is used in many sports these days, and particularly over a full season of events, it's pretty easy to do - and fair. It's not like the old days where you could blame one E/F or tapes exclusion - when you have a MINIMUM of fifty rides a season.

Shouldn't even need that. The commentators SHOULD have access to tablets (or something similar) which are updated as you go. We have technology, so use it...

You have to realise that EVERYTHING on TV is planned and "scripted". It just falls down when the boys behind the scenes don't communicate everything.

Oh, I agree 100% - and that stuff should be available instantly.

That's what people forget. And God knows, if they can't even get the points on the screen correct....

You can't blame it on that. It really is fairly straightforward, and I knew that getting into the final secured the spot for Janowski.

Getting into the final secured that...