Best Pairs Cup

[Bavarian]

Can Germany then also use a foreign guest in this SBPC next year, just like TeamGB did this time?

I'd like to see Zagar or Vaculik, or some of the Polish aces riding together with Martin Smolinski for Germany.

[Ghostwalker]

Agree Ghostwalker. Guess problem is that we didn't enter the competition at the start; could've organised the fixture-list around it (& Tai could've done the same)

 

Good to see BSPA relented tho, bodes well for next year

 

Agreed. Since this is an invitational (not an open meeting) I fully understand that the British riders have to prioritize the British leagues.

[Guest WTF1]

Can Germany then also use a foreign guest in this SBPC next year, just like TeamGB did this time?

I'd like to see Zagar or Vaculik, or some of the Polish aces riding together with Martin Smolinski for Germany.

Of course they can apparantly Greg Hancock is fed up with the partner's he get's as he would like to win some more trophies and will even change his name to Fritz Hanscock to achieve this.

Edited May 10, 2015 by WTF1

[Mark]

 

 

Just imagine if South Africans played cricket for England..

 

Just imagine if Brazilians played football for Portugal..

 

 

Both have happened.

[Barrycuda]

Post removed

Edited June 2, 2015 by Barrycuda

[iris123]

Even in official events we have seen similar things happen.In the 2011 U19 team competition we had a joint Croatia/Slovenia team and then there was the mixed Team Europe!!!!

[brandonbee48]

Check out some of our 1960s World Team Cup teams.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedway_World_Team_Cup

 

"The more things change...........

 

Regards. Alan.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Check out some of our 1960s World Team Cup teams.

"The more things change...........

I'm not sure there's ever been an official England team in the World Team Cup, but rather an ACU representative team which included Australia and New Zealand until the mid-70s. I think the FIM officially lists participation as being 'Great Britain' regardless of what the team was actually billed as.

 

Whilst there were WTC rounds involving 'England', 'Scotland', 'Australia' and 'New Zealand', I think this was to select the ACU representative for the rest of the competition.

 

Not sure there are any other aberrations, unless you mean Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union which were of course countries at the time?

 

The World Pairs of course often had B teams to make up the numbers in the qualifying rounds, including Scotland...

[IainB]

Just imagine if South Africans played cricket for England..

 

Just imagine if Brazilians played football for Portugal..

 

Not in pretend competitions, not even in friendlies (which are official) but just imagine if it was in a Test Match or a World Cup!

 

It would never happen!!

 

Oh wait....

I think the point is they are not playing for those nations because the federation can't be bothered to muster a team up

[iris123]

I'm not sure there's ever been an official England team in the World Team Cup, but rather an ACU representative team which included Australia and New Zealand until the mid-70s. I think the FIM officially lists participation as being 'Great Britain' regardless of what the team was actually billed as.

 

Whilst there were WTC rounds involving 'England', 'Scotland', 'Australia' and 'New Zealand', I think this was to select the ACU representative for the rest of the competition.

 

Not sure there are any other aberrations, unless you mean Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union which were of course countries at the time?

 

The World Pairs of course often had B teams to make up the numbers in the qualifying rounds, including Scotland...

Pretty sure in the 1976 speedway yearbook it gives Neil Street of Australia a test meeting for Yugoslavia!!!!! But wasn't the Daily Mirror Nations thingmy in 1973 an official FIM series and there was the Norway/Demark team in that,just really to get Ole Olsen into the series as there was next to no world class Danes at the time other than Ole.......At least I hope it was an official FIm series and not just British promoters inviting riders over or using team names

Edited May 11, 2015 by iris123

[Humphrey Appleby]

Pretty sure in the 1976 speedway yearbook it gives Neil Street of Australia a test meeting for Yugoslavia!!!!! But wasn't the Daily Mirror Nations thingmy in 1973 an official FIM series and there was the Norway/Demark team in that,just really to get Ole Olsen into the series as there was next to no world class Danes at the time other than Ole.......At least I hope it was an official FIm series and not just British promoters inviting riders over or using team names

Aren't test matches just bilateral arrangements, even though they might be inscribed on the FIM calendar?

 

There was also an 'England' versus 'Australasia' test series in the mid-80s as I recall.

[stratton]

I am pretty sure my IQ is significantly higher than yours but why you feel you have to raise this point is probably down to your own insecurities

Challenge meeting or not - Rory Schlein was representing GB and that can't be good for British Speedway!

Never Steve this bloke knows everything when he gets challenged he usually uses the word FACT, but you are right he is insecure poor love.

[Jacqueline]

Just uploaded our photo selection from SBPC round 3 Esbjerg:

 

Slideshow: http://picasaweb.google.com/114630658458485823371/SBPCEsbjerg2015#slideshow

 

Album: https://picasaweb.google.com/114630658458485823371/SBPCEsbjerg2015

[Wallabee]

I am pretty sure my IQ is significantly higher than yours but why you feel you have to raise this point is probably down to your own insecurities

 

Challenge meeting or not - Rory Schlein was representing GB and that can't be good for British Speedway!

Me thinks you just have a problem with Rory, get over yourself.

[SCB]

Me thinks you just have a problem with Rory, get over yourself.

The issue is NOT Rory. It could have been any non-Brit and I think we'd have all felt the same. We want Brits to ride for Team GB, it's hardly a radical expectation is it?

[oldace]

The issue is NOT Rory. It could have been any non-Brit and I think we'd have all felt the same. We want Brits to ride for Team GB, it's hardly a radical expectation is it?

 

 

I sort of agree that having a team using the name GB does seem odd to have a rider who isn't actually eligible to compete for GB.

 

That said its no different to a testimonial (for instance) where "Bombers Brits" are a man down and borrow a Pole or "Rorys Roos" borrowing Brit etc etc.

 

The pairs had no official sanction and was in no way shape or form a genuine International competition

 

To be honest, given One Sports seeming remit to take over the world it is kind of satisfying to see this event go down the khazi, with a bit of luck hopefully one sport might follow it there

[iris123]

Let's face it there was a meeting a couple of years back with including New Cross,Stamford Bridge etc and they have all been closed for 50 years or more and soon there is a challenge meeting with Wimbledon as the visitors.............

[topsoil]

I must admit I really like this competition. Maybe it's the variety of countries in each meeting, but I think you can get some cracking matchups. I would like to see it become an official FIM tournanent in years to come (and Britain fully involved).

I would also like to see a B division, with the likes of Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Hungary, France, Croatia maybe? I think it would be a good way to get these smaller nations involved in an international competition, much the way as the Rugby World Sevens did. Maybe even get a promotion / relegation situation going?

[Guest WTF1]

I must admit I really like this competition. Maybe it's the variety of countries in each meeting, but I think you can get some cracking matchups. I would like to see it become an official FIM tournanent in years to come (and Britain fully involved).

I would also like to see a B division, with the likes of Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Hungary, France, Croatia maybe? I think it would be a good way to get these smaller nations involved in an international competition, much the way as the Rugby World Sevens did. Maybe even get a promotion / relegation situation going?

Hmm, maybe Britain would have to start in the B division but to be honest this competition is not the most entertaining as team riding is quite a rarity these days.

Edited May 12, 2015 by WTF1

[Humphrey Appleby]

I would also like to see a B division, with the likes of Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Hungary, France, Croatia maybe? I think it would be a good way to get these smaller nations involved in an international competition, much the way as the Rugby World Sevens did. Maybe even get a promotion / relegation situation going?

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

 

The World Pairs used to involve all of these countries and more besides, including when it masqueraded as the World Team Cup. You don't need a B division - most countries can put together a half-competitive 'pair' - and you can run qualifying rounds to weed out the weaker sides before the top nations enter.

 

The World Pairs was quite an interesting competition - I remember Norway finishing third one year - but turning it into a 'World Team Cup' with threesomes was a utter farce. It was allegedly done (along with the abolition of the pointless FIM Champions' Cup) to make space in the calendar for the SGP, but given how all sorts of dubious European Championships have subsequently proliferated, it does seem an odd justification.