Warsaw Gp Saturday 18th April

[The White Knight]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

IT is the FIM who determine prize money but only this week all the permanent SGP riders received a fairly substantial 'bonus' payment from BSI. Of course everyone would like to see the riders earn more but right from the outset of the involvement of BSI, initially through John Postlethwaite, he said that he would provide the TV coverage on which they could build sponsorship deals which would probably not otherwise be available. Works for some, maybe not all.

 

BSI liable for what? Clearly the PZM were the organisers of the Warsaw event and it is they that are liable for any refunds, etc. BSI/IMG's lawyers would obviously not want them admitting liability for something which they consider they are not liable for.

 

Whether or not I would support a breakaway from the FIM is immaterial but it just wouldn't work unless all other forms of speedway did the same and that is never going to happen.

Speedway in general would be far better off breaking away from BSI and NOT the FIM.

[SCB]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

I know speedway is not exactly up with modern times but really?! pay someone to operate them? turn them on, open the program on the laptop and away it goes! Honestly, they're not difficult to get working.

 

To start with they could be trailed simply as a tool to see if riders are jumping at the start and determine race result. If that trial goes well you could look at getting rid of the tapes and just using the lights at all levels of the sport - you don't need the transponders to get rid of the tapes TBH.

[BWitcher]

The riders had all got used to the green light starts surely?

Are you sure it wasn't the track, heat 8 it really starts to show up as rutty and dangerous. The riders were all riding gingerly through the bends trying to miss the ruts, they couldn't race properly. Troy's second fall was too far for some I think.

 

Now people are just making it up as they go along!

[The White Knight]

 

Now people are just making it up as they go along!

That, of course depends on which side of the argument you are on BW.

[Grand Central]

IT is the FIM who determine prize money but only this week all the permanent SGP riders received a fairly substantial 'bonus' payment from BSI. Of course everyone would like to see the riders earn more but right from the outset of the involvement of BSI, initially through John Postlethwaite, he said that he would provide the TV coverage on which they could build sponsorship deals which would probably not otherwise be available. Works for some, maybe not all.

 

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded as having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Grand Central

[HenryW]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

What are the rituals that you are referring to there?

 

If it's riders being in the habit of looking to where the magnets are, as you suggested with the Jason Doyle story earlier, surely a green light could be placed on the inside and outside of the track where the starting gate normally is and it is a minimal change for them.

[Sotonian]

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

 

If it was possible to double-like a post then it would be this one!

[PHILIPRISING]

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded as having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

What are the rituals that you are referring to there?

 

If it's riders being in the habit of looking to where the magnets are, as you suggested with the Jason Doyle story earlier, surely a green light could be placed on the inside and outside of the track where the starting gate normally is and it is a minimal change for them.

ONLY telling you what some riders are telling me... and there are still people who actually like the drama of the starting gate.

[Grand Central]

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

 

.

No nothing sinister at all.

 

And that is how it will be seen by all right minded people.

Including those who travelled to Warsaw expecting to see the riders complete the meeting.

 

They will be applauding this news loudly.

.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Grand Central

[Sotonian]

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

ONLY telling you what some riders are telling me... and there are still people who actually like the drama of the starting gate.

I can't recall ever hearing about it before though, what remarkable timing that it's been brought up now ;-)

 

Also, much of the drama of the starting gate & tapes disappeared with the tape-touching rule. Four riders sat stock-still at a set of tapes or on a white line waiting for a green light is largely a case of a six or two threes.

[PHILIPRISING]

EVER since BSI axed the super prize payment at the end of a SGP series (cannot remember the final year) they have paid the riders a sum of money at the start of each year. Nothing new ...

[iris123]

It is poor timing to be giving the riders a big bonus just after they forced a meeting to be abandoned for no real reason other than they couldn't be asked to start on a green light as the rules state.........be announcing a nice big pay rise for Ole now he has learnt another lesson about track building and Jim Lawrence/Phil Morris learnt a lesson about running a meeting fairly + efficiently.Everyone gets a pat on the back and a brown envelope and the fans are short changed.Nice

[Grand Central]

As PR moves go this is yet another corker for a company who - for some - can do no wrong.

 

Are Ed Milliband's team now working for BSI?

Can we expect their next public statement to chiseled in to a massive tablet of stone?

[PHILIPRISING]

WHY all the cynical comments? I only mentioned it (BSI do not and won't thank me for doing so as it is nothing they wish to make a song and dance about) in the context of what riders are paid in terms of prize money.

 

The timing, no difference this year to previous ones, is designed to help them with the cost of setting up for a SGP campaign. Probably no more than JohnTerry is paid every day or so but not insignificant by speedway terms.

[BWitcher]

That, of course depends on which side of the argument you are on BW.

 

There is no side of the argument.

 

Trees has made up that riders were coasting into the bends.

 

They weren't.

[waiheke1]

Has it been confirmed that the riders refused to ride the remaining heats? or did they vote unanimously for it to be discontinued and the officials agreed the track was too dangerous?

[PHILIPRISING]

THE riders refused to continue, claiming safety issues, effectively leaving the FIM with no choice other than to call a halt to proceedings.

[Grand Central]

WHY all the cynical comments?

.

Er, Warsaw?

Possibly.

 

And the role played in the abandonment by those receiving payouts.

In the face of paying customers who have received not a single penny of recompense.

Possibly..

 

Cynical action on April 18, with more cyclical actions and words subsequently, demand cynical comments.

It is the least we can do, in the circumstances,

 

.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Grand Central

[New Science]

HAVE been told today that the material used for the Warsaw track was transported from the quarry in King's Lynn via Gdansk in February and kept in storage in Poland before being laid at the track on the Monday/Tuesday prior to the event ... which is the usual timescale.

 

Also that the malfunctioning starting gate remains a mystery. Was tested several times on the day before the meeting and has since been taken apart and thoroughly checked with no apparent faults. The lack of a second gate, which was the responsibility of the organisers (PZM) and not enforced by the FIM has been noted.

 

All the various parties involved (FIM, PZM, BSI, Ole Olsen) are still providing answers to the underlying questions but it is becoming more apparent that the condition of the track certainly should not have caused the meeting to be abandoned when it was.

By the time we get to Cardiff I expect Paul Bellamy to be in charge at BSI,Ole Olsen and his company to be in charge of track building,Phil Morris to still be race director,Armando and his cronies at the FIM unchanged, still passing off Ole's tracks whatever there state,the PZM free to stage further events,the FIM jury unchanged,Jim Laurence to still be refereeing at GP level and no riders receiving a suspension. AKA business as usual ! Heads must roll SAYS Phil Rising don't hold your breath ! Edited May 11, 2015 by New Science

[Humphrey Appleby]

Far for me to defend Philippe, but BSI payments to riders have been made for some years - supposedly for expenses relating to running in the SGP, but in reality to make up for the pitiful prize money on offer. Of the course, the timing is pretty poor considering there will be thousands of fans still out of pocket from Warsaw that have been fobbed off to the PZM.

 

Of course Philippe is not just a messenger. He is the (former?) Deputy Race Director, his company produces the programmes for the SGP, and possibly has some sort of media relationship with BSI to manage the publicity. Don't expect any real or sustained criticism.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Humphrey Appleby