Grachan Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. It was a genuine question actually. Just wonderd what was so great about it. I'm neither pro-GP or pro-World Final. If anything I'm starting to grow a bit tired of the GP now and would be quite happy to see a return to the one-off. I just don't see bad track preparation on this occasion as a reason to say the GP should be replaced. Soppose that had been World Final night? Would it have been any different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeaway Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Alright then, there was nothing wrong with calling off an 'indoor' meeting despite the fact that hundreds (don't know if it ran to 1,000s did it...??) of fans from the UK had travelled to see it. And the GPs are wonderful spectacles and will be the salvation of Speedway. What matter that sometimes they fall victim to slight technical hitches. Never mind, they can always be staged the next weekj. Oh and those rubbish riders Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Peter Collins...: they were not proper World Champs coz all they had to do was turn up beat some rubbish Eastern Europeans on one day. Nothing like the might that is Greg Hancock. Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. This is the reality you'd prefer to accept then you're welcome to it... Where in this thread has anyone said any of that? Firstly no-one has said there was nothing wrong with calling the meeting off. It's a disgrace and someone should be made to pay. GP's are often a wonderful spectacle and are more sucessfull than the One day final was towards the end of its days. We are lucky to be able to have the nxt GP at Bydgoscz one of, if not the best track in the world. Why diss Greg? He is certainly a more worthy World Champ than Szakiel (sp), Muller or indeed Havelock. 1977 I was not even one so I can't comment!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 With 2% of (Grand???) Prix lost because of the sheer incompetence of the organisers, SKY people looking REALLY embarassed even Chris Louis was trying hard to contain himself - how much further into the mire must our belovéd Sport be dragged by people who do NOT have the good of Speedway at heart - only MONEY!! Ian - who do you think really does have the "good of speedway" at heart? Surely not the promotors - as the charge regularly thrown at the BSPA is that they are only in it for themselves? Obviously not IMG - as you've expressed above? So whom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff. Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Alright then, there was nothing wrong with calling off an 'indoor' meeting despite the fact that hundreds (don't know if it ran to 1,000s did it...??) of fans from the UK had travelled to see it. And the GPs are wonderful spectacles and will be the salvation of Speedway. What matter that sometimes they fall victim to slight technical hitches. Never mind, they can always be staged the next weekj. Oh and those rubbish riders Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Peter Collins...: they were not proper World Champs coz all they had to do was turn up beat some rubbish Eastern Europeans on one day. Nothing like the might that is Greg Hancock. Can't speak for anyone else as regards your ridiculous scenarios but for me, aside from 3, all the world champions were most deserving. Does preferring the GP format automatically mean I despise the world final system Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. Well in the eyes of even the riders the ICF was meaningless, PC himself says as much in his first book, it was just a stepping stne to the world final, 8th place was as good as 1st, as Ivan proved by going on to win in Gothenburg. This is the reality you'd prefer to accept then you're welcome to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 More to life than speedway and no point in getting up tight about it. S--t happens. Hope that philosophy doesn't apply to your lifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmartin Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) Ian - who do you think really does have the "good of speedway" at heart? Surely not the promotors - as the charge regularly thrown at the BSPA is that they are only in it for themselves? Obviously not IMG - as you've expressed above? So whom? MattK - I WISH I knew - I WISH I knew !! I only know that something must be done to prevent our Sport being even more marginalised and ridiculed than it is at present. What fired me up over this was my son who is a Football Fan (Sunderland before anyone asks). I came home on Saturday evening to my son grinning and saying "Speedway has shot itself in the foot again" - I was recording the (Grand?) Prix. He explained what had happened and I thought NOT AGAIN. I cringed when Keith Heuen, Sam Ermolenko and Chris Louis were trying to justify the situation - as has already been said - How do you defend the indefencible??? Bottom line to my son. "How can a Meeting be called off in an indoor Arena, and the reason given is a waterlogged Track". WHAT A JOKE!!. Blazeaway - I call it as I see it - I stand by all I have said regarding the (Grand?) Prix/World Final issue. Edited October 13, 2008 by ianmartin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) I guess one of the questions needed to be asked is why lay the track when the stuff was so wet?This has been asked on one of the German news websites.No answer given though.But from what i heard the offer of a super dryer was turned down because it weighed so much it would just damage the track in another way.So why not dry the stuff out before putting it down?Get the stuff out in the car park or a hall somewhere and dry it out bit by bit and then lay the track with dry stuff and not soaking wet gear You cannot defend the indefensible Jeff or The Know!! What I want to know is why the track gurus (teehee) put the shale down in the first place if it was soaked, why not get some more shale in to mix with it? Like your thinking The thing that strikes me about all this is a complete lack of an english language speedway or even motorbike related website with journalists that will question anything.All the info i have seen where things are being questioned and some answers being given are German & Danish.Maybe Swedish and Polish also.I have heard that Peter Nahlin has been very critical of events.I have seen a report where Olsen has slagged off Nicki for critcizing the state of the track.But where are the english language sites?Any newpaper sites or anything where jouros are trying to get answers,because i doubt Speedway Star will do it for us? And here is some more from the Arena management who offered BSI/IMG a rent free week so they could hold the event there next weekend and get the stuff dried out in time Veltins Edited October 13, 2008 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeaway Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 And here is some more from the Arena management who offered BSI/IMG a rent free week so they could hold the event there next weekend and get the stuff dried out in time Veltins That is interesting mate, why would they do that? Surely the bratwurst sales wouldn't cover their costs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 "Wir haben dem Veranstalter BSI spontan angeboten, den Mietzeitraum ohne Mehrkosten zu verlängern, damit das Highlight der Speedway-Saison am nächsten Wochenende doch noch in der VELTINS-Arena stattfinden kann. Das Stadion hätte wegen des Auswärtsspiels des FC Schalke 04 beim Hamburger SV auch am kommenden Wochenende zur Verfügung gestanden. Doch diesen Plänen hat die FIM einen Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht." We spontaneously offered BSI the chance for an extra week without extra cost,so the highlight of the speedway season could be held next weekend at the Veltins Arena.Because Schalke are playing away in Hamburg next weekend the stadium is available.But the FIM turned down the offer. It says below that the speedway experts couldn't guarantee that the track would be dry by next weekend!!!!!!For ######## what state was the stuff in when they put it down that it might take longer than two weeks to dry out?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebelDJ Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Has anyone actually got a reply from anyone about getting a refund or replacement tickets for next year? I have tried BSI and the ticket agents for the stadium, but as yet no reply. If anyone does get a contact e-mail address that responds, perhaps they could post it here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the quiet one Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 You cannot defend the indefensible Jeff or The Know!! What I want to know is why the track gurus (teehee) put the shale down in the first place if it was soaked, why not get some more shale in to mix with it?Anybody with any sense knows wet shale on concrete floor dosnt drain very well so why not put a layer of sand under it first it would help it to drain and dry so it could be packed it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Know Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Hope that philosophy doesn't apply to your lifts. What people want them to work as well, no chance of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigeddiechek Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 This is the real shame. My memories of Ole Olsen as a quality rider have almost been wiped-out by his buffoonery throughout his involvement with the GPs. Real shame when a legend becomes a bellend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) "It can sometimes take a decade of preparation to fly a rocket to the moon.And still sometimes one doesn't leave the launch pad".That is Ole's answer to journalists at the weekend."Taking refuge in sarcasm" as one German paper stated. So basically the same line as "The Know" really......sh#t happens is Olsens explanation Rocket science Edited October 13, 2008 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK246 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Why what happened, did Olsen murder someone?. Only the speedway GP and that was dying anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speed_Way Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Got back from Germany late last night and was incredibly disappointed and heartbroken that the Grand Prix was cancelled. We got there at 4.30 suspected something was up due to the lack of people around the stadium, still we thought nothing of it and assumed that maybe the stadium had been opened earlier or something. We were then informed by some fans that the Grand Prix was off. It was hard to believe and still people continued to arrive. The train service was not informed about the cancellation either as signs at stations stated that there would be delays due to the Grand Prix and that extra trains had been put on to accomadate the event. These were still up after we left the stadium getting on for after 6PM. The vendors of the stalls outside the stadium had been informed at 2PM that the event was cancelled, as had the stadium staff. Our hotel was informed at 5PM that the event was cancelled. It was disappointing to say the least and many fans were incredibly disappointed and upset about the cancellation. It was like you were waiting for someone to yell 'April Fools' at the stadium. It was a complete and utter sham, we lost around £1000 in flights/accomadation, etc. and people on the trains who had VIP Packages told us they had come with little money because they were expecting to have a 3 course meal provided in the stadium. What a complete and utter farce.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 I guess that instead of a knee jerk reaction, the sports governing body are taking a long and calm look at the situation, before making a reasoned response.Thursday's Speedway Star should be a good read. I would be very surprised if the Speedway Star was too critical of BSI/IMG. They have their colours firmly pinned to the GP mast and are unlikely to stray too far from the party line (whatever that may be). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmartin Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) "Wir haben dem Veranstalter BSI spontan angeboten, den Mietzeitraum ohne Mehrkosten zu verlängern, damit das Highlight der Speedway-Saison am nächsten Wochenende doch noch in der VELTINS-Arena stattfinden kann. Das Stadion hätte wegen des Auswärtsspiels des FC Schalke 04 beim Hamburger SV auch am kommenden Wochenende zur Verfügung gestanden. Doch diesen Plänen hat die FIM einen Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht." We spontaneously offered BSI the chance for an extra week without extra cost,so the highlight of the speedway season could be held next weekend at the Veltins Arena.Because Schalke are playing away in Hamburg next weekend the stadium is available.But the FIM turned down the offer. It says below that the speedway experts couldn't guarantee that the track would be dry by next weekend!!!!!!For ######## what state was the stuff in when they put it down that it might take longer than two weeks to dry out?????? Just a question - did the LAY the Track - OR - did they POUR the Track????????? WHAT A JOKE, JOKE, JOKE, JOKE, JOKE, JOKE, !!!!! Edited October 13, 2008 by ianmartin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hansfan Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Well I plan to try and sue the powers that be!!!! I suggest everyone writes to them informing them of what they intend to do, send an itemised invoice for hotel bills/flights etc...... In the letter give them a date which you would like a reply by (e.g. 2 weeks or so) and advise them that if you don't receive a reply by that date you will commence proceedings in the small claims court!!! THAT IS WHAT I SHALL BE DOING!!!!!!! I went over with my 2 daughters and my friend I have never been more angry and upset, everyone had there own story as to why they chose ths GP, and most was because and indoor meeting could not be cancelled by the weather!!!!! My Husband I go to quite a lot of GP's abroard but I think we will think twice in future, I HOPE IT PISSES DOWN NEXT SATURDAY AND IS CALLED OFF. the officials whoever they are a bunch of tossers and should be shot!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Jason Crump in the Manchester Evening News: Crump Interview Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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