uk_martin

Robert Lambert grew up eating bratwurst and sauerkraut...you can't get any more SILLY than that.

Easy home win. How many fit "own" riders will the Brummies be fielding?

In which case you should have an independent investigation / hearing, call the witnesses to what happened and a judgement should be made based upon the facts as they are established. All this "I heard of someone who saw something" speculation doesn't really help.

Are you going in person? In the cage with the Stal fans or in the "VIP" where Falubaz like to "host" their foreign tourist supporters?

Erik "Kung-fu" Cantona was suspended by Man United and subsequently banned by the FA...nothing new about that. If you broke the law, and your bosses found out you could be suspended for gross misconduct, and then be prosecuted by the Police.

Nothing would surprise me. Darcy Ward was given a visa despite running up a criminal record whilst in Australia. ("as most young men do" - quote from Neil Middleditch)

Not sure if the visa is the right tool for the job. It's only a permit by the Home Office / UK Border Agency to allow someone into the country. I don't think that "personnel management" issues are anything that the Govt, Agencies will want to get involved in. You could restict riders according to other means though. They have to be licenced and insured...juggle the licencing regulations and bump up the premiums for non-UK nationals. The problem is that if a promoter wants a rider, from wherever they are from, they will find a loophole to get him into the country by fair means or otherwise. Just ask Matt Fraud. He'll tell you how.

Oh, absolutely. I was going to make a reference to the Time To Crack Down On The Aussies? thread over this matter, but maybe the Speedway Shambles thread is more appropriate?

Same people, wearing different hats. So, Chris Holder is now banned from the UK until 13th April 2018. Just looking at the fixture list from this year, Poole did not have a Premiership match before 14th April this year. (what they had were throw-away cup matches) SO, what's the betting that Fat Maude has an equally "lite" fixture list in March & April next year, starts with a weakened Poole Pirates team, and then re-declares his team on 14th April to include Chris Holder again? Just supposing like...not that an honest august and honourale gentleman like that would do such a thing of course... Chris Holder was a Kings Lynn rider at the time too. HOWEVER as probably the most ineffectal one for his average, Buster thought that he would be clever, ban Holder and get better value out of the guests that he'd be able to hire instead.

Hmmm. So how can supporters do the "getting involved with" and "working with the BSPA & SCB" if there aren't any promoters willing to show an interest? I was hoping that this had stemmed out of a meeting with a progressive promoter who could have been at least an ambassador for the fans. Without that sort of help this initiative could turn into nothing better than BSF or one of any number of Facebook groups, and probably populated by the same people too. To succeed imho this group needs a compelling USP that the promoters can't afford to ignore. Good luck in coming up with one.

So much for Craig Cook's planned abandonment of his contract with Bydgoszcz in favour of hunting down a place in the Rybnik team. I get the feeling that that'll be Cook's last roll of the dice in Poland. Who else would want him with his attitude?

Interesting concept. A "Trade Union" of Speedway Fans. The talk of "paying customers" implies the will to flex financial muscles. Imagine the idea of speedway fans walking out on strike if they don't like a rule change or something. I wonder if "Jeremy Corbyn Fan" will be elected leader / shop steward? Any idea if any promoters have warmed to the idea and are prepared to champion the cause "from within"?

Are you saying that without the British leagues, Australian speedway would peter out?

I wonder if there is a thread on an Australian speedway forum along the lines of "Time to stop wasting our time in the UK"?

Interesting definition of "poor". Sayfutdinov, Kolodzeij, Pawlicki, Kildemand, Zengota Smetkala & Kubera would wipe the floor with any British Premiership team

How does tonight's Leicester v Charlie Chapman's Kings Lynn Stars compare?

Copycats. Birmingham were allowed to have R/R for Bob Valentine whilst Bob Valentine was also in the team.Or in recent times, "Plumbingate" and the restaged Belle Vue v Poole meeting which the authorities refused to abandon despite the pouring rain until Poole had enough points for an aggregate win and it got past heat 10.

Same Old Eastbourne Easy Home WIn You could almost fashion those words into a song couldn't you?

The first day of the season...the second day of the season...carry on x365

Own up. Who was it who started this "Speedway Shambles" (@SpeedwayShamble )Twitter group thingy?

Which one? Gordon Kennett? He'd also be nearly as old as Paul Hurry too

From Belle Vue's point of view, if they manage to make money out of the NL, then aren't they entitled compensation from Lakeside? OR (more likely) if Belle Vue lose money in the NL, then they'll be quietly grateful for the bye into the next round, won't they.

Back injuries are mysterious things. I had a colleague at work who had several months of paid sick leave due to a "bad back". Every month she would turn up in her Mazda MX5 sports car that she could climb in and out of, to hand in her sick note. But the special desk and chair that the company paid thousands for, on the instruction of Occupational Health, was still too uncomfortable for her to work from. Everyone knew it was a con, but no-one could prove anything. Such is the mysterious world of back injuries, and sometimes the people who suffer from them.

I'm not claiming anything, just said it was a very good question. It is a mystery though isn't it, that after his poor showing against the worlds best at Leszno and Cardiff, that he's aggravated an old injury, and can't face the worlds best again, and on a Polish track too, isn't it? Anyone who's been around the speedway scene for more than 5 minutes knows how questionable that can sound.

A very good question. Best to ask the dog who ate his homework when he was still a schoolkid. It does remind you though of when he dipped out of the GB v Australia test match at Ipswich in 2010 though, when he claimed he couldn't afford to drive down there. Still, at least this abysmal performance won't lie on his conscience will it?