Chris Harris Cardiff Wild Card

[iris123]

Fact is Phil is this a positive or negative move for British speedway,regardless of what other countries do?I can't see anything positive here in giving Harris a chance at a GP.All i can see is a downgrading of the british Final and a demotivation of all the British riders who thought they were in with a fair chance of a wildcard.A decision that makes a few happy and a lot angry.Typical speedway

[Paulco]

Its BSI who pick the wildcards I consultation with the staging promoters. Who are the staging promoters? BSI. Maybe in the past they were happy to go along with it for Sky. I'd prefer Bomber gets it than Kennett, King or Nicholls tbh. We don't really have a 16-18 year old we could give the wild card to, maybe Worrall?

 

I don't get the hate aimed at Bomber, he is our second best rider after Tai.

It's not personal against Bomber as such . The British Final was on life support before the GP wildcard was introduced into the mix . That brought back the public interest into the meeting and gave the riders an extra aim . If Harris had won the event or finished runner up to Woffinden , then fine nobody would have had a problem with that . But just to hand the wildcard to him is very poor and unfair on the other 14 riders in the British Final . I just hope now someone like Danny King or Eddie Kennett wins the British Final to heap more embarrassment onto this decision .

[Pirate Nick]

I suspect BSI have picked Bomber purely on a marketing basis and nothing to with form. If it was picked right now on form then the best Brit after Woffinden would be Eddie Kennett.

[Grand Central]

The minor points being made in favour of this change to picking the WC could have been made any year.

But I don't remember that being the case.

 

I think there was just about unanimity in welcoming BSIs use of the British Final for the wildcard place.

So why is 2013 deemed different?

 

A small part of me does think it a little unfair for us to all pick on Chris Harris for eagerly accepting the place.

After all he could not possibly have the ability to say

'Thank you very much BSI. but I would prefer to earn the WC place at the British Final by racing against and beating my fellow countryman on an equal footing'.

That would be ridiculous

 

Why don't we have similar sympathy for, say, Danny King.

If he had won the BF last year he would have been in the GP.

This year he didn't even go to Edinburgh for the semi with that being a possibility.

But no one told him. Or anyone else.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Grand Central

[Gavan]

firstly this isnt Chris Harris fault so those abusing how he has done in the series and all that should lay off of him.

 

secondly it is hugely the wrong decision! i can see why they done it with him being a previous winner at Cardiff and being honest he would probably be more competitive than any other Brit apart obviously from Tai.

 

Nicholls and Harris are slowly in decline think that is obvious and riders like Kennett and King and possibly Cook and Auty have seen there chance taken away from then.

 

If i was Nicholls with 7 titles already i would just not bother riding and stick 2 fingers up to the authorities. He has won it 7 times so deserves, out of form or not, the chance to ride at Cardiff. Disgraceful

[oldace]

I have no qualms with Chris being picked. The wild card for any GP is the choice of the staging promoter for whatever reasons they see fit. Bomber is still probably (just) the British No 2 and its a reasonable call.

 

The drawback is the effect on the so called National Championship, the prospect of winning the wild card gave some meaning to the event which, sad as it is because being British Champion should be incentive enough, has now gone

[Dornier]

Its not just the decision its the way and timing of that decision, riders getting to know their fate from Nigel Pearson on Sky sports, To change the rules half way into a competition is beyond belief, but hey ! its typical of British Speedway and how it is run. Its no wonder enthusiasm for the sport is fading...

[PHILIPRISING]

firstly this isnt Chris Harris fault so those abusing how he has done in the series and all that should lay off of him.

 

secondly it is hugely the wrong decision! i can see why they done it with him being a previous winner at Cardiff and being honest he would probably be more competitive than any other Brit apart obviously from Tai.

 

Nicholls and Harris are slowly in decline think that is obvious and riders like Kennett and King and possibly Cook and Auty have seen there chance taken away from then.

 

If i was Nicholls with 7 titles already i would just not bother riding and stick 2 fingers up to the authorities. He has won it 7 times so deserves, out of form or not, the chance to ride at Cardiff. Disgraceful

 

WHICH would suggest you think actually winning the British title, without the Cardiff carrot, is meaningless.

[oldace]

WHICH would suggest you think actually winning the British title, without the Cardiff carrot, is meaningless.

 

Sadly though, it probably is. Long gone are the heady days of the seventies when riders really valued the title. Even though it was only part of the qualifying process. No one was bothered about being Commonwealth, Overseas or Inter continental Champion (11th was as good as first) but being British Champ was different

[Gavan]

WHICH would suggest you think actually winning the British title, without the Cardiff carrot, is meaningless.

if im being 100% honest phil i think it almost is these days. If say Kennett wins it yes he will like being champion but i bet he is more gutted to be missing cardiff.

 

The only reason i said Scott should boycott it is because has has won it a record amount of times

[Sparky from Sheffield]

I don't see why this issue has got people back on the "this is typical of British Speedway" bandwagon when those running British Speedway requested for a continuation of the previously applied rule only to be over ruled by the FIM and BSI.

 

It's a real shame as, whilst the British championship has its own prestige, the qualification for Cardiff (and in the old days the next round of the World Championships) always added extra spice to the event. I don't like all these nominated Wild Cards being applied for big events. Take it to the ultimate conclusion and the World Champion will be a nominated wild card in a few years.

[pandorum]

 

 

I see Scott Nicholls on twitter is not happy about the way the decision was announced through sky and is questioning who is runnng the sport !!!

That is a shock. I never thought Scotty like THAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He ACTUALLY believes that the sport is being RUN?

[Mr Blobby]

Statement from the BSPA stating that it had nothing to do with them.

 

http://www.speedwayg...hp?extend.20061

Edited May 1, 2013 by Mr Blobby

[PHILIPRISING]

Sadly though, it probably is. Long gone are the heady days of the seventies when riders really valued the title. Even though it was only part of the qualifying process. No one was bothered about being Commonwealth, Overseas or Inter continental Champion (11th was as good as first) but being British Champ was different

 

YOU are quite right. I was lucky enough to spend time with riders like Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Kenny Carter, Simon Wigg and Kelvin Tatum. Believe me, being BRITISH Champion was hugely important to them.

[pandorum]

Fact is Phil is this a positive or negative move for British speedway,regardless of what other countries do?I can't see anything positive here in giving Harris a chance at a GP.All i can see is a downgrading of the british Final and a demotivation of all the British riders who thought they were in with a fair chance of a wildcard.A decision that makes a few happy and a lot angry.Typical speedway

 

 

It's neither really.

It's hardly as if every speedway fan in the country was living for the British final and the rest of the country could not care less.

For the thousand or so who actually turn up on the night and a few dozen who support the team the bloke who misses out rides for it might be of mild interest until something more important comes along an hour after they hear the result.

I doubt questions will be asked in the Houses Of Parliament about it or it will become a major talking point on the street.

Nobody really cares.

Yes it would be nice if Craig Cook could have a go and the chances are harris will score 3 or 4 points and look out of place in what is a good GP line up.

So Harris has snagged another pity pick!

The Brit Wild card is as irrelevant as the Czech Wild card or the NZ Wild card.

It will do nothing to and nothing for British speedway sadly.

Edited May 1, 2013 by pandorum

[PHILIPRISING]

It's neither really.

It's hardly as if every speedway fan in the country was living for the British final and the rest of the country could not care less.

For the thousand or so who actually turn up on the night and a few dozen who support the team the bloke who misses out rides for it might be of mild interest until something more important comes along an hour after they hear the result.

I doubt questions will be asked in the Houses Of Parliament about it or it will become a major talking point on the street.

Nobody really cares.

Yes it would be nice if Craig Cook could have a go and the chances are harris will score 3 or 4 points and look out of place in what is a good GP line up.

So Harris has snagged another pity pick!

The Brit Wild card is as irrelevant as the Czech Wild card or the NZ Wild card.

It will do nothing to and nothing for British speedway sadly.

 

AIN'T that the truth!

[topaz325]

Just do away with the British semi final qualifiers too as that is turning in to a farce.

 

http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.20061

[Mike.Butler]

maybe the winner could go into the european championship instead?

[Broadside6]

The pride in becoming National Champion is not the issue with most of our boys, the added incentive of a wild card appearance at what we are constantly told is the GP of the year,, along with the prestige ,kudos and sponsorship potential most certainly is. To deny them the opportunity at this late stage is wrong and yet again reeks of in house politics we are not privy to.

[david2905]

As a Brummie, I'm pleased to see Bomber at Cardiff as one of our riders, however, I must agree with the majority that I think it's wrong to take the wildcard away from the best rider in the British Final bar Woofy, with their results this season and last, it's not impossible a King or Kennet got of got their by right.

 

I don't begrudge Bomber the wildcard, but believe he should prove he deserves it, and the British Final was the perfect way of doing it.