Well I saw that coming... on the back of last years performance in the final, which is why I stayed at home, this was always on the cards. Lynch made a terrible error for me by announcing before the competition had even started that Allen and Stead wouldn't be riding any further on in the competition.
Blame the track, the engine setup, gating or the riders inability to raise their game... any of the usual stuff but for me it's been the gradual deteriation of the standard of the so called "Elite League" over the last 5 or 6 years that has left us in the state we are in today, christ! none of our boys could even win a race in the GP's until they were on home soil.
The Elite has now been watered down to the standard of the Premier League which was shown tonight by the fact that Premier riders were beating our boys! Maybe good for close league matches (this year only) but a disaster internationally. Just look at heat 13 line ups from Coventry over the last few weeks
Heat 13: Adams, harris, Schlein, McGowan
Heat 13:Pedersen, Holder, Swiderski, Burza
Heat 13: Harris, Crump, Stead, Screen
Heat 13: Jonsson, Harris, Davidsson, Stead
Heat 13: Pedersen, Harris, Holder, Stead
Heat 13: Crump, Schlein, Stead, Screen
Heat 13: Stead,Hampel,Schlein,Miskowiak
Heat 13: Nicholls. Stead. Schlien. Kennett
It wasn't so long back that you could expect to see Rickardsson, Loram, Hamill Hancock riding in heat 13 with all of them at the top of their game, even the commentators used to say the lineup would grace the final of a Grand Prix, and out of that lot since the start of the season we've only seen maybe 1 of the riders in the race in a GP final if we're lucky.
A lot of foreigners maybe, but if our boys are not riding against the best how are they supposed to beat the best?
Havvy for England manager!!
... Will the last one out of the Elite League please turn the lights off