fatface

But now they have discovered speedway it is likely to stay surely? I think speedway should gain from the tv exposure not BSI! The money BSI make from tv rights revenue should go to the speedway authorities for the advancement of speedway, not into their coffers, mind you BSI have made sure that nobody gets their hands on the rights until summat like 2020!!!!!!! Trees - if you can find an organisation that puts World Speedway back on TV and puts our sport back into the World's great stadia and then wants to give all the money earned away, please tell........

No Trees, BSI aren't the be all and end all. But if I was to choose between the organisation of World Speedway Championships pre-BSI and now. I'm firmly in the present. Pre-BSI there was no TV coverage of the World Championship, now you moan that BSI are taking some money from TV companies for getting our sport back on the box. Don't you think they deserve some credit? :roll:

So that would mean the British GP back at Coventry. As decent as Brandon is, it is not Ullevi or Millenium Stadium is it? Let's look forward not back.

Must admit that it was a pricey old weekend. I'm off to Prague in September and early calculations are that it will be be a similar price to Cardiff, if not cheaper. If the racing is better in Prague - and chances are it will be - guess where my regular GP trip will be to :?: :roll:

I agree with what Gollob is saying. And I do have a lot of sympathy for him - the ref was shocking on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if he did drop out of the GPs but I do not think it can be totally put down to Saturday. I think there is a growing realisation in Tomasz that he has peaked and will never win the title (which is what he is in it for - also-ran just doesn't suit the guy). Reading his interview in the Speedway Star, it also seems like this is a more mature and contented man now and pehaps his hunger is on the wane. For 2004, I would be surprised if Tomasz was still part of the series. Same goes for Mark Loram too.

This one will be argued over forever and a day :!: Watching the first replay I would have said that TR went off on his own, but then watching from another camera angle..AJ seemed to slightly (and it was a cigarette paper incident) connect with TR. Having said that I would not have excluded AJ for that one, modern technology has a lot to answer for, a ref's decision in days gone by was his decision and his alone no camera replays back then :roll: Right or wrong the ref made a decision and his word his final, either way he would have got a roasting wouldn't he :?: be honest :!: Hypothetically..... if this had been a Brit and AJ who would you have backed :roll: There was definitely contact, but AJ was merely riding the corner when TR cut back and went into the back of him. It wasn't anybody's fault as such - TR just misjudged the situation.

Nice one Nicki indeed. He's someone who provokes debate from all fans - good - because like him or not, he is a character and speedway certainly needs them. Also, I had a couple of quid on him and at 16/1 - my GP ticket was nearly free. So double nice one Nicki.

Can't agree that the track was like a newly ploughed meadow Mylor. Apart from the inside of the 4th turn - which cut up late on in the meeting - the track was pretty smooth. It was much smoother than last year. But because of that, it was also easier to ride. Therefore there was less mistakes and less overtaking. I think on a ploughed field you would see far more mistakes than were made on Saturday.

I forget his name (was it Mick Posselwhite?) but I have to say I thought the ref was very poor at the GP. In my opinion, he got the incidents involving Gollob, Pedersen (the first one) and Rickardson/Jonsson wrong. Gollob's was a classic case of first bend bunching. There was contact but Gollob did not ride his opponent into the fence at all. Nicki P slipped of very tamely when Crumpie got the jump on him and was lucky to get all four back. Worst of the lot though was the Tony Rickardson/Andreas Jonsson incident. Having missed out to Nicholls and Hancock on the first turn , Tony tried to cut back up the straight, but ran into the back on Jonsson. He was going for a gap that simply wasn't there. Jonsson had merely negotiated the corner, nothing more and Tony speared into him. How that is Andreas's fault is beyond me. :roll:

In agreement with everyone above. Had a great weekend, loved the atmosphere, loved mingling with speedway fans from everywhere, but the racing was poor. In a way I think the track was probably too good from a rider's point of view. Apart from the 4th bend which cut up later on in the meeting, each rider could blast round quite comfortably at full throttle all the way, making it virtually impossible to overtake. A good speedway track has to be banked and deep in dirt around the outside. Meaning at every bend the rider has the option of going on the speedier route (outside) or shorter route (inside). At Cardiff on Saturday the kerb was the only place to be.

1. Crump 2. Rickardson 3. Pedersen 4. Nicholls

I suppose Szczakiel wasn't as bad as he's made out. But the was still nver a deserving Champ. Even now, looking at a World Final scorechart which put him ahead of the likes of Mauger, Olsen, Michanek, Collins and even Plech makes strange reading. I've got the final on video somewhere and something definitely transpired in the stars that day for Jerzy. His win was a combination of: * rolling starts * slick track * luck * corruption Consider the following: * He was rolling from the every start and was nearly always first to the first turn by questionable means - didn't overtake anyone as I recall. * The track was super-slick, even Mauger had to bust a gut to get past someone. Once you had made the jump, it was easier than normal to hang on. * After Szczakiel emerged from a couple of races with wins - the fix was on. Ed Jancarz was one of those who blatantly let him through in a later ride * The ref cocked it up. In heat 20, he failed to stop the race when Plech had been stuffed into the fence, tried to reverse his decision, but couldn't (quite rightly). Otherwise Plech would have joined Ivan and Jerzy in the run-off * For once in his life, Mauger lost his cool. He ran into the back of Szczakiel in the run-off and fell-off. He was he was clearly faster and should have bided his time. Nonetheless though, it was a fascinating final and will always be one of the most famous in speedway history.

See you at the PoW. But how will I recognise you all?

Carl Blackbird (Belle Vue) going to Oxford in 1986 and beating Hans Nielsen three times, all from the back.

I think we have nothing to lose in putting Howe and Stead in. In my and most others opinions these are our top prospects in the next few years. And with Brits currently in their worst ever positions in the GP standings, giving Stead and Howe a chance is all the more urgent. Also unsure about Barker's and Stoney's thoughts, neither are ever going to make top GP riders, neither for that case is Stuart Robson.

QUIET GEM? QUIET? WE'LL BE ABOUT AS QUIET AS THIS MESSAGE :!:

Lioness - Myself and Father Falcace (no, he's not a priest!) will be at a place called Acorn Lodge, Cathedral Road.

Ouch It makes terrible reading from a British perspective. Come back Loramski and quick!

Porter, What a load of tosh. Personally I would prefer to see a couple of riders who could make a difference to a race result, and I don't think Steady will or David for that matter. It doesn't matter if the Wildcards are American, Danish, Swedish, Outer Mongolian - after all they will be providing entertainment I would love to see 10 British riders in the GP, however you have to qualify the same as any nation, and if we only have 3, it just means that we don't have the calibre of riders that are required in the GP. I see where you are coming from Chivs. But being British, I totally support putting Stead and Howe in. The current GP standings must be the worst ever from a British perspective. Therefore its more urgent than ever before to try and fastrack our best youngsters to this level. They probably won't pull up any trees, but they have absolutely nothing to lose. Who knows maybe the support of the British crowd could inspire them to a surprise or two. I'll certainly be cheering them on.

Its OK now. Miracle of miracles - I found a spare twin room at a City Centre Guest House on Friday

HELP!!!! If anybody does have any cancellations, please let me know. I'm desparate for a twin room on Fri 13th and Sat 14th. Thanks

Agree Steve. I think Loramski is great and I doubt this would have been part of his plan. But, (not for the first time in speedway) the rules have been bent here. Even if it did all happen a bit last-minute, I'm sure another wild card could have been put in at the bottom end, with another GP rider being pushed upwards to the main event.

A wee toot on my own trumpet first - not a bad prediction eh? Gotta say though I fear Tony is going to run away with it this year. The pressure is really on Crump and Sullivan already.

I call: 1. Tony R 2. N Pedersen 3. T Gollob 4. J Crump Having said that I had a punt on Nicki at 16/1. I see he started out at 25/1, so I can't be the only one.