CB252

2,500 crowd. Some people really make me laugh! The grandstand was far from full save for about the first three rows of each block. There was no more than about 100 standing in front of it. More imaginary crowd figures from the Poole faithful. I'll have to severely reprimand my BSPA source for the incorrect info about the fence at the mornings Practice session if it indeed it was the Robins fence. Lol, not like a someone from the BSPA to get something wrong! Anyhow, let's just be thankful it wasn't Poole's normal, non FIM, Poundland fence, otherwise Gustafsson and Loktaev could have been in a real mess! I defy anyone to suggest that there were more than about 3 decent races. Pawlicki-Andersson, Ward-Andersson and... can't even remember who was in the 3rd decent race! Any other passes ocurred up the back straight when inferior riders were clipping the fence on the exit to the 2nd bend. It's all there on the DVD folks. No need to make believe that a meeting was entertaining when it wasn't. You did get one thing right. I did drive home annoyed as nobody in their right mind would have wanted to see the jumped up arrogance of Ward pass the post first. Lol, wonder why he's a favourite of yours?!! I've never seen you celebrate as much as when Pawlicki fell off either. Showing your class at every opportunity.

By attending the practice session obviously. Surprised you weren't there. Turned out to be more fun than the meeting. There were about 3 decent races in the meeting folks. Anyone that tells your otherwise is lying or joking. Another Poole fan that sees the need to over inflate crowd figures, even for an FIM meeting! 1,500 was a generous estimate. Not sure where all these mythical fans stand or sit in Poole Stadium?!

Just got back. From an unbiased point of view, the meeting was actually very dull with very few good heats to speak of on the usual Poole track which was like a motorway, save for the thin strip of dirt 20cm from the fence. Young Pawlicki gave a good display, Older Pawlicki not so. Vaculik was very poor on his first Wimborne Road display in my opinion. Was expecting far more from him, as were the majority of the rest of the crowd of about 1,500. Same goes for Jepsen Jensen. A special hand to Janowski for bouncing back from his defeat by Burmeister on Friday to finish joint first on the day. Hilarious moment of the day ocurred during the mornings practice session. Darcy Ward came out for his first session and popped a few wheelies, did a bit of showing off and then promptly slid off on his first proper lap into the, quite excellent, FIM approved safety fence (provided by Avtar Sandhu and Coventry Speedway). D'oh, unlucky big head! Darcy capped a dull meeting off perfectly, by arrogantly dismissing his opposition on the rostrum, and announcing to all and sundry that he expected to win.

Yawn. What's the weather like over there in Germany Hans? It's nice and sunny here. The fact that this 'great' gater has pulled this stunt 3 times in the last month is what sticks in the throat. He rides as and when he pleases.

Wonder where Hans had his fitness test?? Germany?? Sums up this embarrassment of a season really. Kick these selfish scumbags out of British Speedway once and for all.

The BSPA, and Coventry, stated that Andersen was riding last time the meeting was due to be staged, despite being confronted by a report in the Pboro ET stating that he wasn't. If the weasel is there I'll be amazed!

Anyone know how the sides line up tonight??

A wild guess! They can hardly be bothered to work (in the UK) between March and October, so I doubt they toddle off and get full time jobs between November and February!

I'm well aware that Richardson won in 2003 at Coventry and, ironically, Jonsson was 2nd. One of the very few occasions when the pair of them have turned up to such an event! Wow, we have to go back 5 years, and a staging on their 'then' home track to find a year when they didn't foul all over British Speedway! Richardson has missed countless meetings over the years, including about half a dozen British Finals. Jonsson just picks and choses meetings as he always has done over the last 10 years. 12 points on a Tuesday, ill on a Wednesday, OK on Thursday, cat in at the vets on a Friday............. All this when they do bu**er all for a third of the year as well! Truly heroic sportsmen!

Not sure what this years prize was, but Pedersen received a new motor for winning last year. Worth a reasonable amount? Still not much to ask for them to give a bit back is it? As long as British supporters and promoters tolerate being shat on by the top riders, things will remain as they are. 8 grand for winning a GP isn't much, but still riders want to ride in them, when there are clearly only about half a dozen of them capable of winning a round.

I'll start by saying that it's a shame for the Birmingham promotion that the meeting has been cancelled. Now let's move onto the major gripes that the vast majority of people would have had, had the meeting took place. Firstly, Andersen was nowhere near Perry Barr. His place was to be taken by Troy Batchelor, who was present, indicating that it had been known for some time that he wouldn't have been there. Strange then, that the BSPA and Coventry Speedway told my other half a complete pack of lies this afternoon, and informed several others that he was riding. Andersen should now, quite rightly, be served with another months ban from British Speedway. He may have wanted to stick two fingers up to the BSPA, but in not confirming his non appearance, the only people he stuck two fingers up to were the paying public, who have universally sided with him over recent goings on. Kick him out of Britain for good. The same treatment should be handed out to Jonsson and Richardson, whom I joked with by text to a few folks yesterday that they would have no intention of setting foot in Birmingham today. They are both serial 'can't be arsed' qaulifiers for this event, and should both just be booted out of the League. Nicholls is a strange one. Because he's in such a strop about his poor season, he has undone 15 years of hard work in turning up for these events and giving his all. He's shown a complete lack of regard for the sport in this country and has shown the sport up as a total embarassment. That Englands number one performer can't be bothered to turn up to a couple of show piece events, as he attempts to re-group for a competition that he hasn't got a cat in hells chance of winning, is an utter joke!! Another who should be banned for a month. Bjarne Pedersen can be excused, as by all accounts he took a bad knock last night. Anyone who comes on here and says the competition should be scrapped is a complete idiot! The event has become a joke because some of the top earners are so idle and work shy, despite having 4 and half months a year off!!!, to be bothered to give one meeting back to the fans. Kick the lot of them out to go and chase a meagre £8,000 quid for a GP win!

Line Up is now Holder Crump Lindgren Adams Harris King Swiderski Bjerre Gjedde Bridger Shields Watt Korneliussen Schlein Andersen Iversen Hans is riding as far as the BSPA and Coventry know. Edited to add: thanks to beedawn for the info!!!!!

They won't update the website. They'll get everyone there on the basis of a full strength line up. The lesson they will have to learn is to never put your hand up to stage these events.

I've heard that as well. Once again it seems the meeting has descended into a farce. And to think, we run the League for the benefit of this handful of plonkers who ride in the GP, and they can't give us one evening per season back! Sack / ban the lot of them for life. I've never known a bunch of people so reluctant to go to bloody work than speedway riders. Any old excuse, the cats unwell, there's a bit of drizzle in the air, Ive shut my finger in the van door etc, etc, etc, etc.

I've been told that the BSPA hotline has been stating that Pedersen, Jonsson, Nicholls and Richardson are all out. Schlein comes in for AJ and Dave Watt is in for Pedersen as far as I know. Anyone able to confirm, as I need to re-arrange my plans, as obvioulsy I can't be bothered to go now, much like the riders. Those missing should be banned for a month

Anyone know who's in for Nicholls and Richardson yet?

Fantastic. EL Pairs Champions. Superb to win it this season, one in which it carries far more significance than last season, when it was a relatively un-important competition! I trust we will be flying our Pairs heroes into Brandon by helicopter on Friday? Happy days are here again!

Andersen I should think, since he will be deemed to have not ridden enough meetings to qualify as Coventry's representative.

Fairly damp a few miles from the stadium!

Thought he was flogging sunbeds myself?? Anyhow, Tommy was an excellent racer and team man who defied the odds to come back after his broken back and completley change his riding style to achieve a similar degree of success. Just edges out Boocock as the Greatest Bee of all time.

100% correct. Having heard the views of a vastly experienced former rider, and a current rider, both of which are very good mates with Scott and Chris, both were of the opinion that Harris could have remained on board. Possibly a good call by Bomber to get off as a weaker referee may have ruled in his favour. The lesson learned. Do not concede the racing line to your opponent on the last lap of a World Final run off!! It's a good job we still have a few riders who are willing to go for the gaps, otherwise the rubbish that was served up on Saturday would become the accepted norm. Of course if the positions would have been reversed there wouldn't have been a problem would there! Time to put another bandwidth wasting, Nicholls bashing thread to bed.

But in instances like that the rider who has made a hash of the bend often contributes to the crash by trying to turn back onto the racing line. Nicholls picked an inside line and I didn't feel particularly deviated from his line around the bend. Different people see it different ways though. I think excluding the rider on the inside is copping out alot of the time, especially if a gap has been left. The lack of any security inside the stadium enabled to Poles to stand and sit in the stairwells instead of in an actual seat, which obscured the view of many who didn't want to stand up for the entire evening. A complete shambles!

Too right he has. Skippering us to 2 League titles and a KO Cup in 3 seasons after our barren years!! It was good to see a referee actually have the balls to make the correct call on Saturday. I get sick and tired of riders who make inside passes getting excluded. Bomber made a complete hash of his entry to the bend and left a gap that Scott could have flown a 737 into. Guess what the tale would be on here if Bomber had done the same to Nicholls? That's right well done Bomber, Nicholls is rubbish and got what he deserved! You anti Nicholls brigade are so boring and predictable! Still, will look forward to seeing both in the series next year, but if we had to lose one at Coventry, I would favour retaining our inspirational captain who can actually be bothered to raise his hand to the fans after a race! All in all, a rubbish GP and one that I'm glad I only paid twenty quid to get into. Horrendous organisation and zero security inside, enabling the Poles to completely ruin the event for most others there.

Perhaps this thread should be knocked on the head now. Anyone who wants to spread anti British diatribe can do so on a 'Foreign' forum rather than the 'British Speedway' forum. Maybe we could start an appreciation thread for fans of lily livered, sicknote producing, can't be arsed half of the time Swedes, Poles and Danes somewhere else on the forum? The reason Scott gets seeded into the GP every year when he fails to qualify is not down to begging. It's down to the fact that he gives it 110% and entertains, despite the fact that he falls flat on his backside 99% of the time, he keeps coming back for a bit more and giving it his all. If seeded GP places were handed out on effort alone there isn't a Polish rider around who would get a spot. Truly a nation of FinnJensenesque, half assed, only bothered when it suits me, free loaders if ever there was one! The sooner we kick them out of British Speedway the better.

Interesting debate as ever on these Scotty threads whilst the school holidays are on! Somehow Tomasz Gollob (the modern day Finn Jensen!) seems to have been dragged into it? Maybe a gulf in talent exists, but it's always good to watch a rider who gives 110% regardless of conditions like 4X Former British Champion Scott, rather than someone who can only be arsed when he's got out of the right side of bed!! Down with Gollob, and Poles in general, I say!