uk_martin

@ Pawel115 - what were the race times in the Longtrack and how do they compare with the league speedway race times?

It will be very interesting to compare race times between the long-trackers and the usual league speedway races.

Democracy in action eh? Well, we British should have defended our Imperial ways more shouldn't we? How dare the Swedes and the Germans, not to mention the others, impose their will on us. We're British for gods sake. Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo, two world wars and one world cup and all that. Where were Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher when all this was going on? They wouldn't have let all these out-landers tell us how to have a World Championship. Pah!

What sort of "Longtrack" is at Rzeszow? Is it a bespoke "longer" track or are they allowing Longtrack bikes on the speedway track?

Nothing confirmed about dates yet but I hope that Tampere does NOT replace Gothenburg. I'd like to see "Gothenburg" getting returned to Malilla. Would love to go on a trip that combines a Malilla GP with some Swedish league racing.

I think that might be a bridge too far !

If there's anything we can do to help...just ask!

He chose to ply his trade in the PL instead of the Polish and Swedish leagues. As such he should be grateful for the opportunity to ride in PL level test matches. If he think's he's too good for such things, then let him find out his own level full time in the EL, the Polish Ekstraliga and Swedish Elitserien.

If he can't afford to ride for GB at Newcastle and Workington, how on earth can he complain that he wasn't put into the potentially bankrupting position of having to appear in Prague?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/995782_484209941668678_112287907_n.jpg

Best wishes for a full recovery Ricky. Will be keeping fingers crossed here.

This forum can be like the blind leading the blind and everyone shouting at each other when they walk into trees and lamp posts. Here's the rules - http://www.scbgb.co.uk/pdf/regulations/2013%20SPEEDWAY%20REGULATIONS.pdf Go on, have a look at the 5 pages that SCB says are the most relevant. You'll see that there is a logic to them and much as it's a big document, most things are there for a reason. e.g. there are rules governing what is allowed on a speedway bike. Lots of them, and in great detail, but imagine NOT having those rules...what would a speedway bike be then? Anyway, compare these rules to other sports. Let's use Rugby Union as an example...how many rules and infringements of rules have to be covered just in the scrummage? And these rules change every year too. So nothing new there then, As you may guess, those who complain about the rules usually haven't read them, don't care for them, or think that they either know what they are or know better than what they think they do. Most just like to have a good whinge and have found that the rule book is a good common cause that will curry favour and make them feel good about themselves. Best policy if you don't want to read the rules is just to watch the racing, and enjoy the tussles on the track without getting too wound up about the technicalities. Leave that to those who would rather be at their computers instead.

Everyone's allowed an opinion, however, as with most things in life, only the discontented seem to be the ones who voice their opinions. It gives a false impression in the same way that if you read the tabloid newspapers where only bad news makes it to the front pages, you'd think that the world was coming to an end.

I think you answered all your questions before you started to ask them. British speedway simply has no solutions to it's problems. Check out the popularity of Ice Hockey, Handball, Basketball and Volleyball in those countries. They are as big over there as rugby and cricket are over here. Hells bells, the SWC track in Prague is even built next to a USA specification Baseball pitch (I was told that the Czech's do very well in international baseball competitions). There are other sports out there, we just don't open our minds to them, and in relative terms therefore, we are neither advantaged or disadvantaged from our continental rivals. Where I think we go badly wrong is in this country's parenting. Look at these late night TV shows like Costa Del Crime, Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents, Worlds Strictest Parents and all those other shows that highlight the dysfunctional generation of yoof that this country is raising. That's the batch that "our" riders come from. Look at Bridger, Barker, and now Cook, and petulance and immature attitudes seem inbred in them. I wonder how many of these were "too cool for skool" in their early teens? How many know a second language that will allow them to prosper in other speedway riding countries? If our 16-year-olds were as grown up and as responsible as human beings as the Aussies, Scandinavians and Poles, that would be a good start...and the sort of parenting and upbringing to bring them to that sort of state should cost NOTHING!

It makes sense when you read it. However, we've seen that Latvia with only one track to speak of is able to breed a new generation of riders who are capable of beating the best British riders who have spent their whole time in Britain, learning all the technical skills (apparently) and gaining lots of experience with setups and stuff (allegedly) Lets face facts, coming to GB to ride against low standard opposition, for low money and high hassle, no matter what the demands made of the tracks, just doesn't interest these guys.

Holy pooh! - €14,000 minimum per rider for insurance. Whose pockets will that come out of?

Similar problem to Mallila but people overcame them. Would Russia be capable of hosting the SWC?. It would get over the risk of them playing up next year and a Russian team in the fiinal would make life interesting.

Maybe but I would have thought that if BSI / Monster are doing the promotion that they will want a share of the receipts as well.

Got a great idea. Lets pretend it doesn't exist. Just like we pretend that the European Championships don't exist. Let other countries carry on doing international speedway. We'll carry on happily playing "jumpers for goalposts" speedway like we always have. That'll be good, won't it?

A nation whose governing body has the ego of a "Manchester United" getting beaten by a team with the resources of "Yeovil Town". Yes I think it was a stuffing.

Latvia, a country with only one speedway track but with a will to win and a youth development program that is producing results. GB with it's "Elite" League, "Premier" League and National League and a population 10 times bigger and we get well and truly stuffed. When this Sky deal comes to an end we need a Day Zero approach to the sport in this country.

If done on a rota basis then GB and Denmark are in with a shout. If BSI nee to recoup losses made from poor attendances this yeat then Poland is the only option. Kind of hope it might be in Latvia though. And don't say they don't deserve it.

You may find it hard to believe because you are used to the twopence ha'penny prize money in this country but this has a Polish promotions company with Polish and other European sponsorship and TV deals. It's serious money over there.

For how many years has Nicholls given his all fot the GB cause? This year Nicholls wanted to enter the FIM European Championships, and at €500 per point before prize money who could blame him? A nice little earner in the twilight of his career. The BSPA threatened to ban him if he took part. That's their thanks for putting his body on the line for the GB cause all those years. That's why he told the BSPA to stick it. I for one don't blame him.

What Cook should realise fron the inclusion of Kennett and Bridger this year is that there is endless forgiveness built into the Team GB setup. You can be a cheat and be forgiven and you can be crap in the SWC and be forgiven. The latter point should offer hope to him if he sticks at it and seeks to improve and gain experience by riding on the continent instead of in Scotland.