2010 Grand Prix wildcards

[lucifer sam]

Richardson is far and away in every sense possible the best British rider at present and has been for a few years now. He had a really terrible seaosn in 2006 but still did better in Poland and Sweden than any other Brit and was probably top 4 in the EL averages. I think I'm right in saying that he has best performer in all but 2 of the SWCs for GB (cant say top scoring as Chris Harris scored 3 more than him this season, but I'm sure everyone would accept Lee was capable of scoring 4+ at Peterborough) and he IS our leading scoring in all SWC events.

 

But he's not liked by the Brits so they'll all choose to ignore it. Oh and he's the only active British rider with a World Championship medal for speedway.

 

You seriously think "Sicknote" should be in the GP series? Has April 1 come early??

 

And I think Gary Havelock (an active British rider) has a slightly more impressive World Chamionship medal than "Sicknote". Will you be calling for Havvy to be put into the GP series next?

 

All the best

Rob

 

[iris123]

Excuse me everybody, but is anybody on here English & proud to be English & proud of our English sportsmen?

 

Just thought i'd better ask.

Surely one of the traits of being "english" is seeing fair play done.This is in no way fair play and goes against all that being "english" should stand for,imo.

[lucifer sam]

Excuse me everybody, but is anybody on here English & proud to be English & proud of our English sportsmen?

 

Just thought i'd better ask.

 

Colin, I'm proud of them when they give us something to be proud of. Like Harris at Cardiff in 2007. Sadly, since then he just hasn't cut it and do you really think a rider who has finished 13th and 14th in the last two series deserves a place in 2010, especially when the GP Challenge was on his home track and he still blew it.

 

I have nothing against Chris Harris, in fact I think he's a brilliant rider to watch, but he doesn't deserve to be in the 2010 GP series.

 

All the best

Rob

[Ghostwalker]

Ah right, so it's not based on ability, it's not even nationality (as most of us suspected), it's all down to Tai's age. Bless.

 

 

Possibly because they are more accomplished speedway riders? Just a thought; or is 7.47 Tai actually a better rider than 9.15 Matej?

 

Not that I'm basing my view on EL performances alone...

 

 

Higher average in all 3 European Leagues seems a good place to start?

 

Britain - a whisker in it, but Lee wins 8.56 - 8.54

Sweden - no contest, Rico came 10th in the league ahead of the likes of Gollob, Emil, Freddie and Holder.

Poland - Rico (7.22) the top Brit once again, well ahead of Tai (6.58) in second place.

 

Better record in the SWC... the leading Brit for years, including 17 points in the Race Off this year (as many as Chris 9 and Tai 8 put together).

 

Do you want me to carry on?

 

 

Rico (7,72) , Lindbäck (7,04) and Protasiewicz (8,26), Miedzinski (7,60) have higher averages in Sweden

then Harris (6,90) and Woffinden (6,63) you also have to take into account that Tai rode as a reserve during

the entire season (except for one or two meetings) while the other rode as 1-5.

 

In Poland; Pepe 8.89, Zagar 7,56, Miedzinski 7,51, Rico, 7,16, Lindbäck 6,79, Tai 6,44

 

In UK: Zagar: 9,15, Harris 8,54, Rico 8,56, Tai 7,47

 

SWC race off: Lindbäck 10. Harris 9, Rico 17, Woffinden 8.

 

So it seems that Harris and Tai aren't better then the other

suggested riders in neither Sweden, Poland,UK or SWC.

 

So why should these two riders with the lowest score (compared to other suggestions)

in all 3 major leagues+SWC get a nomination each?

Edited November 14, 2009 by Ghostwalker

[colincooke]

Colin, I'm proud of them when they give us something to be proud of. Like Harris at Cardiff in 2007. Sadly, since then he just hasn't cut it and do you really think a rider who has finished 13th and 14th in the last two series deserves a place in 2010, especially when the GP Challenge was on his home track and he still blew it.

 

I have nothing against Chris Harris, in fact I think he's a brilliant rider to watch, but he doesn't deserve to be in the 2010 GP series.

 

All the best

Rob

 

This failure is all the more reason to back him to turn his GP form around Rob, not sure of the reason why BA left his pit crew, but Bomber needs him back, wouldn't you agree.

[srbramble]

As it was when Harris was in the frame for a selection, a very unpopular choice, even with the majority of British fans. Not clear to me how and why he has been chosen, and it would be interesting to hear from those people who had the final decision. Lets see if he can justify his place, with some good performances, instead of excuses as to why he has had yet another poor meeting.

[ladyluck]

Oh and he's the only active British rider with a World Championship medal for speedway.

 

Apart from Gary Havelock, obviously.

[MARK246]

So why should these two riders with the lowest score (compared to other suggestions)

in all 3 major leagues+SWC get a nomination each?

 

They fulfill the criteria. They're both British and own a speedway bike the only qualification needed, presumably.

[Seb the Snail]

Rico (7,72) , Lindbäck (7,04) and Protasiewicz (8,26), Miedzinski (7,60) have higher averages in Sweden

then Harris (6,90) and Woffinden (6,63) you also have to take into account that Tai rode as a reserve during the entire season (except for one or two meetings) while the other rode as 1-5.

 

In Poland; Pepe 8.89, Zagar 7,56, Miedzinski 7,51, Rico, 7,16, Lindbäck 6,79, Tai 6,44

In UK: Zagar: 9,15, Harris 8,54, Rico 8,56, Tai 7,47

SWC race off: Lindbäck 10. Harris 9, Rico 17, Woffinden 8.

 

So it seems that Harris and Tai aren't better then the other suggested riders in neither Sweden, Poland,UK or SWC.

 

So why should these two riders with the lowest score (compared to other suggestions) in all 3 major leagues+SWC get a nomination each?

Thank you Ghostwalker, my case is rested.

 

Reading between the lines, Tai has apparently been nominated because he isn't very old, and Bomber because he won 1 meeting 29 months ago irrespective of what he has done since. And yes, colin, I am English and proud of it, but I totally fail to see the relevance of your point in this instance.

[Paulco]

Excuse me everybody, but is anybody on here English & proud to be English & proud of our English sportsmen?

 

Just thought i'd better ask.

Not me mate

[keef]

Woffinden and Bomber have been selected as the 2 Brits so we should support them, even though I would have liked to have seen Rico in there.

Thought Zagar was a bit unlucky not to get a place.

[Blazeaway]

Woffinden and Bomber have been selected as the 2 Brits so we should support them, even though I would have liked to have seen Rico in there.

Thought Zagar was a bit unlucky not to get a place.

 

 

Why should we?

[Paulco]

Why should we?

Because they're Brits my boy . In the continued travesty of the two best candidates , Lee Dicken and Stuart Swales , once again being ignored - Woffinden and Harris have been installed as the candidates to show Johnny Foreigner how it's done .

[philfromcov]

Why should we?

clear4ly for tv and advertising there needs to be 2 brits in the gp's .

 

in truth no brit is good enough to be in ther gp's but to have the cardiff screened on tv with 1 wild card brit would be a publicity disaster. nobody cares what we think because we go to the tracks.

 

so if there has to be 2 brits who would you choose?

 

scott? not interested

lee? not interested

who else?

 

the cupboard is extremely bear it doesnt take much to release that bomber and tai the only real choices.

I feel sorry for Tai this is too early for him.

 

unless the young brits grasp the nettle bomber will always get the call because what realistiic alternatives are there?

 

the world final has NEVER been about the best 16 riders in the world, it has always been fixed to allow poor countries get a representative.

 

remember the semi finals ? one packed full of eatsern block riders who just made the numbers up?

 

all that has changed is that WE are now the estern block!

 

what comes around goes around and id rather have 2 underperforming brits to support than joe a to z from another country.

 

i suspect sky would take this view also, the non speedway fan who watches the gp's would stop watching them if there are o brits.

Edited November 14, 2009 by philfromcov

[mervjankefanclub]

Next year will be Chris Harris' fourth SGP series in succession and he has never qualified for any of them by right. Dont get me wrong I like Harris' as a rider, but surely there must be one or two others out there more deserving of a place. Obviously SKY TV have had a say in the matter.

[Paulco]

clear4ly for tv and advertising there needs to be 2 brits in the gp's .

 

in truth no brit is good enough to be in ther gp's but to have the cardiff screened on tv with 1 wild card brit would be a publicity disaster. nobody cares what we think because we go to the tracks.

 

so if there has to be 2 brits who would you choose?

 

scott? not interested

lee? not interested

who else?

 

the cupboard is extremely bear it doesnt take much to release that bomber and tai the only real choices.

I feel sorry for Tai this is too early for him.

 

unless te young brits frasp the nettle bomber will always get the call because what realistiic alternatives are there?

 

the world final has NEVER been about the best 16 riders in the world, it has always been fixed to allow poor countries get a representative.

 

remember the semi finals ? one packed full of eatsern block riders who just made the numbers up?

 

all that has changed is that WE are now the estern block!

 

what comes around goes around and id rather have 2 underperforming brits to support than joe atoz from another country.

 

i suspect sky would take this view also, the non speedway fan who watches the gp's would stop watching them if there are o brits.

Erm , i don't know any non-speedway fan who watches the GP 's . In fact i know quite a few speedway fans who have stopped watching the GP's , and it's got absolutely nothing to do with the amount of Brits competing .

[philfromcov]

Erm , i don't know any non-speedway fan who watches the GP 's . In fact i know quite a few speedway fans who have stopped watching the GP's , and it's got absolutely nothing to do with the amount of Brits competing .

you should check out the viewwing figures then, becauses the number of people watching the gp's is large.

if all these people went to there local tracks ther would be no problems with the sport.

 

at best i would say there are 40 000 active speedway supporters in this country.

Edited November 14, 2009 by philfromcov

[MARK246]

you should check out the viewwing figures then, becauses the number of people watching the gp's is large.

if all these people went to there local tracks ther would be no problems with the sport.

 

at best i would say there are 40 000 active speedway supporters in this country.

 

I've never really understood these 'veiwing' figures, when I was a resident in the Uk and had Sky tv no one asked me what I watched. How do they arrive at these figures? I know the music singles chart at one time was, three London record shop's sales, but how do Sky work out their numbers?

 

IMO your about 5,000 to many with active supporters.

[keef]

Read in SS that over 250,000 watched the Cardiff Grand Prix on Sky. Would have been a lot more if it had been on mainstream TV. Plus the 40,000 at the stadium.

Also remember reading that around 70,000 pay to watch at least 1 speedway meeting in a season, with crowds averaging about 30,000 a week.

[Steve Turner]

I see people are still comparing non-British riders to Harris and Woffinden. There's no point...but I won't keep repeating meself.

Fight Richardson's case against them by all means. I'll pass on that one though

Is he even interested in doing the GP's ?

 

For those suggesting Zagar and Lindback...you have to prove they deserve their chance ahead of Lindgren or Andersen.

 

Lucifer Sam, you love your history Rob, and indeed you're using it in this case to attack the selection of Harris...but you can't use history to decide the future. Hmm...I quite like that one

Let's see...

The man who couldn't get near a point in the last World Final, went on to WIN the first Grand Prix...while the man who WON the last World Final didn't win a Grand Prix for three and a half years !

 

Surely there are plenty of riders who would rather not be in the GP's, or be selected, if they felt they'd be down the bottom of the chart.

It must be demoralising, embarrassing and extremely expensive.

They can't just decide to score more points.

The nature of the competition means there will be winners and losers, big scorers and low scorers...foreigners and Brits

 

My words on this topic are light-hearted and are perhaps a way of trying to re-awaken my interest in the GP's. Bearing in mind that I haven't seen one for 18 months, or even looked at results from any of this years' series. Having been an avid follower for many years, I became bored with the same old faces in it all the time. Not their fault I s'pose !

But some people seem genuinely angry on this thread, which I just don't get.

The main players are in it, and they're in it to win it.

That's what matters most.

And for those riders who may feel cheated by the selection process...maybe they should have qualified by right !