What Do You Expect On Thursday

[SPEEDY69]

How we can improve is if the riders/mechanics etc. can get their machinery suited to the conditions - it was quite obvious on Monday that they were lacking in speed and simply spinning their back wheels in the slick conditions - Bjarne Pedersen simply had so much drive along the straights and many of the other riders and their teams managed to get this right. This area has dogged our lads so often now that it must be very frustrating for them as well - on the TV they did show Scott talikng to Armando Castagna, perhaps he was pointing this out to him

 

Apart from that I'd like to hear the team manager show some belief and inspire the team to do well & not say that his focus is on next year.

[Anders]

All five riders were crap, so maybe they should have been called "Team Crap".

 

 

BTW, and please excuse my lack of knowledge of who's a Scot or not, what would a "Scottish WTC team" actually look like? From memory I seem to remember Grieves, Tully and Sneddon as being Scots, any others?

 

Sorry for taking this thread a bit off topic, even though it seems it already is...

[Paulco]

 

BTW, and please excuse my lack of knowledge of who's a Scot or not, what would a "Scottish WTC team" actually look like? From memory I seem to remember Grieves, Tully and Sneddon as being Scots, any others?

 

Sorry for taking this thread a bit off topic, even though it seems it already is...

At the moment it would be -

William Lawson

James Grieves

Andrew Tully

Derek Sneddon

Ross Brady

Sean Stoddart

 

Granted they are all just PL riders at the moment , but i'm sure they would be competative in the earlier WC rounds against the likes of Italy , Slovenia , Austria , Team GB and the like .

 

[Young Jedi]

At the moment it would be -

William Lawson

James Grieves

Andrew Tully

Derek Sneddon

Ross Brady

Sean Stoddart

 

Granted they are all just PL riders at the moment , but i'm sure they would be competative in the earlier WC rounds against the likes of Italy , Slovenia , Austria , Team GB and the like .

 

A team of right characters there! Agree, Scotland should enter its own team through the qualifers!

[21st century heathen]

I think it would be absolutely fantastic to have a Scottish team as well. I think they'd have a decent chance of qualifying if they could all click on the day. I don't mind competing as Britain as we are British. It's just the traditionalist in me that doesn't like it. Oh, and Team Great Britain (or "Team GBR as they seemed to have evolved into ) sounds crap (couldn't put what I really wanted to there ).

[Sandie]

Glad you reminded me of that Sandie cos from the Sky coverage it wasn't exactly obvious

LOL - Not watched the Sky version yet (just cant bring myself to do it yet!) but I think we got that feeling in the stadium too!!

 

personally sandie i consider myself english,and have little interest in being politically correct and following team gb

That is totally up to you and we all make choices - no problem there.

Not sure whether you are saying you dont like the whole International thing or the GB v England debate.

 

My view on the GB v England arguement is:

If you call it England then you close the door to any Scots/Welssh or Irish who come along in the future and they (scots etc) need to register as an indepedent nation for the benefit of this tournament.

 

The fact there are only English riders at present is just a temporary measure - long term temporary maybe but the door is open for all.

[hatcham]

LOL - Not watched the Sky version yet (just cant bring myself to do it yet!) but I think we got that feeling in the stadium too!!

 

 

That is totally up to you and we all make choices - no problem there.

Not sure whether you are saying you dont like the whole International thing or the GB v England debate.

 

My view on the GB v England arguement is:

If you call it England then you close the door to any Scots/Welssh or Irish who come along in the future and they (scots etc) need to register as an indepedent nation for the benefit of this tournament.

 

The fact there are only English riders at present is just a temporary measure - long term temporary maybe but the door is open for all.

 

i love international speedway and would love to see the return of test matches sandie,but i cannot raise any enthusiasm for team gb,we might just as well incorporate the danes and swedes,and call ourselves western europe and scandinavia

 

[Sandie]

i love international speedway and would love to see the return of test matches sandie,but i cannot raise any enthusiasm for team gb,we might just as well incorporate the danes and swedes,and call ourselves western europe and scandinavia

lol - may just stand a chance then!!!!!

 

Sorry for being dense but what is it you dont like - the name / the riders / the performance?? All three maybe??

 

 

The riders wouldnt change whatever you called them so why not get behind them?

 

[Subedei]

I expect lots of complaining about the track. I expect lots of excuses if Great Britain fail.

[wjm]

I expect lots of complaining about the track. I expect lots of excuses if Great Britain fail.

 

 

If they fail ?.

[Humphrey Appleby]

If you call it England then you close the door to any Scots/Welssh or Irish who come along in the future

 

Whatever you might call the team, it will still be Great Britain as long as the ACU/SCB represent Great Britain within the FIM. The rules are quite clear that it's one national team per federation, so Scotland can't enter until the Scottish ACU joins the FIM, and then only after it becomes an independent nation.

 

The actual make-up of the national team is totally irrelevant as to what it's called, as it's about eligibility to ride rather than who actually rides. As I already said, the team put out on Monday night was practically Coventry, so really how representative was it of England as a whole anyway?

[screm]

I expect lots of complaining about the track. I expect lots of excuses if Great Britain fail.

Maybe we should be realistic in our chances for thursday.As I see it we go into the meeting as 3rd favourites at best and that could be the best we can expect.On mondays evidence we are miles behind Sweden who I think will qualify no problem so its the Poles we must see as our main threat and man for man they look a better team.Failure to get to saturday would be a disapointment but not a shock.

Im sure excuses will be thick on the ground but there must be a practise session before the meeting so set ups should be done then not after your 1st or 2nd ride.

[21st century heathen]

If you call it England then you close the door to any Scots/Welssh or Irish who come along in the future and they (scots etc) need to register as an indepedent nation for the benefit of this tournament.

 

And herein lies the argument. We used to have independant countries, and it was changed. I don't recall a time that the Welsh raised a squad, but my memory is somewhat shorter than some on here, but the Scots had an International team in the past.

 

I expect lots of complaining about the track. I expect lots of excuses if Great Britain fail.

 

If it's horribly slick I'll complain whatever the result may be.

[Gemini]

All five riders were crap, so maybe they should have been called "Team Crap".

 

All the best

Rob

 

I think Keith Hewen was saying that in a roundabout way by repeatedly calling the team GBR. The R stands for Rubbish doesn't it?

What do I expect on Thursday? Britain to be battling for 3rd place with the Russians. (But I'll be very happy to be proved wrong.)

 

[Star Lady]

What do I expect on Thursday? Britain to be battling for 3rd place with the Russians. (But I'll be very happy to be proved wrong.)

 

You mean you would be happy if Team GB came a very poor 4th

 

Sorry Gemini, couldn't resist

 

[speedy den boy]

I have to say that in defence of scott he looked gutted at being exluded when he knocked peter l off,you could see it in his face he wanted to do well and was over riding a bit to get there.I have no probs with scott but the rest?!!!!

[Gemini]

You mean you would be happy if Team GB came a very poor 4th

 

Sorry Gemini, couldn't resist

 

Ooops! I think I could have worded that better.

 

[Subedei]

I have to say that in defence of scott he looked gutted at being exluded when he knocked peter l off,you could see it in his face he wanted to do well and was over riding a bit to get there.I have no probs with scott but the rest?!!!!

 

Hardly. That was shock and anger. He couldn't believe that the referee didn't realise that he has a God-given right to do whatever he chooses on a speedway track. Didn't the referee realise that he's a global superstar? How could the referee possibly be so stupid as to not realise it was Ljung's fault for getting in his way? And how dare Ljung have the nerve to be in front of him anyway? Ljung should be punished for not realising the status of the global superstar. It's just all so unfair.

 

[CheetahJake]

Right from the start I want to see the riders display some pride in riding for their country. IF the national anthem is played (and yes it is a dirge), at the very least I expect to see all 5 + team manager goldfishing (altho they should at least know the words to the first verse . To stand there like bollards implies to the opposition (and everyone else) they have no pride.

Then I expect to see team spirit, whether it's true team spirit or false, matters not. I do not want to see 5 individual riders sitting on their own, heads down. I want to see them talking, patting backs, joking, kicking a*se, anything that implies they are a united unit.

I want to see team talks, huddles of the riders and manager, even if they are actually saying "we look like plonkers doing this", the oppostion will think they are serious.

I want to see Wuffinden and Kennett get all the support they need and deserve. If the don't score, so what, they hopefully will learn from the atmosphere and come back next time better prepared.

I want to see each rider come in from their race, communicating track conditions and idiosyncracies to their team mates not slinking back to his own pit area and sulking.

I want to see the manager in amongst the riders, coaxing, asking questions, giving instructions etc.

I want to see mechanics getting on with their jobs and allowing the riders to focus on the on track action so they can react to ever changing track conditions and hopefully cheering on their team mates.

 

I would like to see Team GB progress, I have serious doubts that they will, if however they show most of the above it will be a vast improvement on last night and maybe just maybe a small step along the way to becoming a force in World speedway again. Part of being a decent speedway rider is in the mind, maybe by acting like a rider that beleives he can make an impact on the meeting some of Team GB might just become one.

 

I've made no comments on how to actually ride the bikes, because quite simply if they can't do that for themselves they shouldn't be there, and I wouldn't have a clue and freely admit it.

 

I have never ridden (driven) a motor cycle of any description, but I have been a speedway supporter since the mid-1950's and by golly, after reading this, I want to get aboard a bike and don the racing bib and get cracking.

 

Seriously though, you could not be more right. The biggest element involved in reaching that finishing line first is the absolute determination in the head to do so, whether as an individual or as a team. More especially as a team, because as with an INDIVIDUAL, the TEAM has to be AS ONE. They need to be individualy and collectively focused and yes, just as you say, they should be coming in and advising their team mates as to what to look out for and even who to look out for. The Team MANAGER should be collating all of this information and gathering his team about him to ensure they are all singing from the same songsheet. He should be praising and motivating them and they should all be praising and motivating each other. I for one am sick to death of hearing the likes of Scottie coming out with the same old "yea well we're all up for it and we'll give it our best shot". SORRY!!!! that just is not good enough. Think back to when Floppy was in the team and being interviewed after his heats. His voice was all of a tremble with the passion and determination that was quite literally welling up inside him and overflowing, " Yea man, this is what it's all about, to get out there and wear this Unon Jack with pride and ride to win. I can't wait for my next heat. The boys are all giving it everything man. We're gonna get there and no mistake". I may be paraphrasing, but if you saw him being interviewed, oh! what a difference to, "yea, well we're all up for it and we'll give it our best shot". It's almost as if Scottie has a "Common Phrase Book" from which worn out and meaningless and uninspiring comments and phrases are drawn in response to the same mundane interviewer's questions, another one such being, "yea well, what can I say?" Why not try telling the truth and facing the facts of the situation? Again, referring to Floppy on other occasions when having been interviewed after a not so good a heat, he has actually said, " I can't believe that. I just rode that race like a complete and utter pratt, an absolute novice could have ridden better than I just did out there". He didn't blame the track and he did not blame his bike - no! he told it as it was and thus as well as for his true riding ability over the years, I have such admiration for the man. Perhaps part of the support system for our Team GB should be a psychologist, for it is my belief that it's their heads that need sorting out, including the Team Manager's.

 

 

 

[srbramble]

Our best option, IMO, is to try and hang on to the coat tails of the Swedes. The poles, I think, will be too good for all the teams, Russia, without Emil, will not be good enough to trouble anybody, although saying that, may still create a surprise, at least, enough to worry us at some stage, I suppose.

We have a chance. Not much of one, but we have 2 new boys who have nothing to lose, and maybe their enthusiasm will spread within the team. The other 3, more experienced members of the team, must be aware of the reaction to their appalling effort on monday night, and surely will be trying to put things right.

Good luck to all the team, but especially to Tai. I hope he does himself proud. Thats all I hope for him. A good score will be a bonus, but if not, I'm sure he, and Eddie, won't get slaughtered for it.