Bavarian

Forget teh Southern hemisphere. This is not intended for that at all, as it would be exceedingly expensive and unrealistic, and could not work in the way suggested above. A Nations League in speedway would be very easy to run. Take Group A with the six nations mentioned above, make a draw of the two Groups of three. Let's say it is Poland, Sweden, and Great Britain drawn in Group 1 , and Denmark, Australia, and Russia in Group 2. (by the way, Australia would probably have to name a British track as their home ground for this competition, if they (or the FIM) will not be able to pay for the visiting team to travel to Australia. Likewise with the USA, who could easily participate in the B League. Teams of therir respective Groups would meet only once, either at home or away, decided by the luck of the draw, giving each nation one home meeting and one away meeting. Let's suppose Great Britian would face Poland in the UK, then the British team would have to travel to Sweden to meet the Swedes over there. Poland would then have their own home meeting against Sweden. To reserve three dates (plus one for the final) in the FIM international calendar, should not be impossible, even more so if this Nations League isn't held each and every year. With only three meetings per group, either first place or last place (or both) would still be undecided until the third and final match in each Group of the Nations League A. Even if one team wins the first and the second meetings and is therefore already confirmed as the Group winners, the third meeting would still decide who finishes last in the Group and gets relegated, an d be replaced by the winner of the Nation League B for the next time. I honestly believe this would be a very popular competition, and it would be taylor-made for national TV stations. The national team in almost any sport attracts the highest attention with the general sports public, that's a fact. Only in speedway there is no such showpiece event for the national teams (we once had a 4-team SWC tournament, but now we only have the F.I.M.'s rather insignificant SoN Best Pairs). It is highly likely that a big tournament with the full national speedway teams such as this supposed Nations League would create much more sponsorship for the national team, and that young riders would find a new achievable goal in their speedway career, aiming to make the national team. If someone says that Poland would nearly always win this competition, they may be right for the time being, but even then this is no different to teh total dominance the All Blacks of New Zealand in Rugby Union International Tests and the World Cup. Yet the All Blacks' dominance has not done the ever rising global popularity of Rugby any harm at all. Speedway should be prepared to take some unprecedented steps to find a new audience and such a Nations League could help it in a big way.

Maybe some riders would not want to ride, if the money is not what they expect, I don't know, but that's their own problem then. Pay rates would probably be nearer to what the FIM payed for the SWC, and not what rider get payed in the Polish Legaue. Still, I don't believe that they really would want to miss out, if such a Nations League gets off the ground. Anyway, there should be some kind of an official FIM competition for full national teams, and such a Nations League scheme would most probably work very well. It would not neccessarily have to be held each year, maybe only every other year, or even only every four years. Most other sports are able to make money with their national teams, so why shouldn't speedway? I certainly miss such a competition in speedway, especially now that we don't even have the 4-Team SWC any more ! It's a shame that we have countless individual competitons but not a single one for the national sides, except for a very limited number of international test matches.

Following the example set by the rather successful launch of the UEFA Nations League for Football last week, I believe that a scaled down version would work perfectly for Speedway ? Instead of having four Leagues (A B C D) as in fooball, there should possibly be only two (A and B, with two Groups of three teams each) to start with in Speedway. The A League would consist of the big six nations (Great Britain, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Sweden, Russia) The B League would have the next best six nations (Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, Latvia) Teams should met each other team in their respective group only once in a round robin style tournament, giving each team one home and one away meeting. This should be determined by draw. The top two from teh Group stages would go on to meet in a Grand finale (possibly two legs home and away). The bottom two from the A League would either get directly relegated and replaced with the two winners of the B League Groups, or alternatively could go into a promotion / relegaton battle against them. This would created a meaningful competition for full six- / seven- / or eight-man International Test Teams in Speedway.

What a nail biter ! Glad to see Cze'wa go through instead of Torun !

Last Heat decider ! Czestochowa needs two points from heat 15 for a 45-all draw which will be enough for tehm to reach the play-offs.

between 1970 and 1990 they were the Czechoslovakian riders, not the Czech Republic's

The match You attended at Hackney was Sweden vs USSR on Friday, June 25th, 1973, and the Swedes won 49-29 Anders Michanek AND Bengt Jansson each scored a twelve point maximum on the night. Best of the Russians was Vladimir Gordeev with 13 paid 14 from six rides ! All the results and point scorers of the 1973 Daily Mirror International Speedway Tournament, team photos, plus covers of the programmes, can be found on the excellent INTERNATIONALSPEEDWAY website, following this link http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/tourdmit73.htm This tournament really was what a proper Speedway World Cup should be like.

The final at Wembley of the 1973 Daily Mirror International Speedway Tournament is my ultimate favorite Speedway meeting of all-time ! http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/tourdmit73.htm How I wish we could have a proper Speedway World Cup Tournament along these lines every four years ! This Meeting has all that I love about the sport. After 19 days of a round-robin tournament with twenty-one meetings held at tracks all over the country with the world's top seven international teams, followed by two semi-finals, the top two of England and Sweden met for the Grand Finale of this wonderful tournment at the greatest of all speedway venues, Wembley, with a fantastic crowd in attendance. Even the tv coverage of this event is better than most of today's often drawn out live coverage, there are no boring breaks between the races, no restarts and warnings for riders moving at the tapes, it is action all the way in a condensed form that keeps everyone's attention high. The introduction of the Swedish and English team riders is beautifully shown before the racing commences. There is no track grading shown and no need for mostly boring interviews with the riders, to fill any gaps between the heats. Commentators Lanning and Briggs make this TV show even more enjoyable to watch. The sound of the old-style speedway bikes (plus the unmistakable smell of the burnt Castrol X oil), engines roaring majestically deep, instead of today's unpleasantly shrill sound, and the 13-heat format (remember: Happiness is 40-38!), and the main event to be followed by a full second half's racing which offered some variety for the spectators. This is all so damned good, I wonder why oh why they ever gave it up for what we have come to today. Poor fools we all are, to have let our once proud Sport go to pieces! Today's speedway promoters and TV producers could learn a lot from how they did it back in 1973 !

2018/08/04 . . . Glasgow (official) GREAT BRITAIN 33: T.Woffinden 12, C.Cook 9, A.Ellis 4, C.Harris 3, D.Bewley 2, S.Worrall 2. AUSTRALIA 57: C.Holder 11, M.Fricke 11, B.Kurtz 11, S.Masters 9, J.Holder 8, T.Proctor 7. 2014/03/09 . . . Leicester (unofficial) "Ben Fund Bonanza" Meeting for the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund GREAT BRITAIN 45: C.Cook 11, T.Woffinden 10, C.Harris 8, R.Worrall 5, D.King 5, K.Howarth 3, R.Lawson 3, B.Barker 0. REST OF THE WORLD 39: N.Morris 10, Bj.Pedersen 9, C.Woodward 7, P.Hougaard 6, T.Proctor 3, M.Risager 2, J.Grajczonek 2, A.Skornicki 0. 2012/08/01 . . . Poole (official) GREAT BRITAIN 39: S.Nicholls 12, C.Harris 8, C.Cook 6, B.Barker 4, A.Roynon 3, E.Kennett 3, J.Auty 3. AUSTRALIA 53: D.Ward 14, T.Batchelor 11, R.Schlein 9, J.Doyle 8, D.Watt 7, T.Proctor 3, C.Woodward 1. 2011/06/03 . . . Lakeside (official / 2nd Test of 2011) GREAT BRITAIN 49: B.Barker 13, E.Kennett 10, L.Bridger 6, T.Woffinden 6, C.Harris 6, R.Mear 4, D.KIng 4. AUSTRALIA 41: R.Schlein 12, C.Holder 10, D.Watt 10, T.Proctor 5, A.Shields 3, J.Sedgmen 1. 2011/06/01 . . . Poole (official / 1st Test of 2011) GREAT BRITAIN 46: C.Harris 12, E.Kennett 9, S.Nicholls 7, T.Woffinden 6, B.Barker 6, D.King 5, L.Bridger 1. AUSTRALIA 44: C.Holder 10, R.Schlein 9, D.Ward 8, J.Doyle 6, D.Watt 5, T.Proctor 3, T.Batchelor 3. 2005/06/15 . . . Poole (official) GREAT BRITAIN 41: S.Nicholls 11, E.Kennett 9, L.Richardson 8, C.Harris 5, S.Stead 4, D.Norris 2, R.Ashworth 2. AUSTRALIA 49: J.Crump 13, L.Adams 9, D.Watt 9, S.Johnston 8, J.Lyons 4, A.Shields 4, T.McGowan 2. 2004/07/19 . . . Wolverhampton (official) GREAT BRITAIN 44: S.Nicholls 12, D.Norris 9, D.Howe 9, G.Havelock 6, S.Robson 4, C.Neath 4, L.Richardson 0. DENMARK 50: N.Pedersen 11, H.Andersen 10, K.Bjerre 9, N.K.Iversen 7, Bj.Pedersen 7, C.Gjedde 6, M.Risager 0. 2003/07/14 . . . Eastbourne (official) GREAT BRITAIN 43: S.Nicholls 13, D.Barker 12, D.Howe 7, J.Screen 4, D.Norris 4, C.Harris 2, D.Bird 1. REST OF THE WORLD 47: L.Adams 15, J.Kylmäkorpi 10, M.Max 9, R.Fisher 5, B.Janniro 4, A.Skornicki 2, Seb.Tresarrieu 2. 2002/06/12 . . . Poole (official) GREAT BRITAIN 42: M.Loram 10, G.Havelock 9, S.Nicholls 6, P.Hurry 5, J.Screen 5, L.Richardson 4, C.Stonehewer 3. SWEDEN 48: M.Karlsson 13, A.Jonsson 9, P.Karlsson 8, T.Rickardsson 6, D.Nermark 5, N.Klingberg 4, F.Eriksson 3. 2001/06/11 . . . Wolverhampton (official) GREAT BRITAIN 57: S.Nicholls 14, P.Hurry 10, L.Richardson 9, C.Louis 7, D.Howe 6, G.Havelock 6, S.Stead 5. DENMARK 33: N.Pedersen 11, J.B.Jensen 9, C.Gjedde 4, Bj.Pedersen 3, Br.Andersen 3, T.P.Madsen 2, R.Juul 1. 2001/05/24 . . . Ipswich (official) GREAT BRITAIN 44: S.Nicholls 14, M.Loram 11, C.Louis 9, C.Stonehewer 3, P.Hurry 3, G.Havelock 2, D.Howe 1. AUSTRALIA 47: J.Crump 14, C.Boyce 8, L.Adams 7, R.Sullivan 5, S.Parker 5, S.Johnston 5, T.Wiltshire 3. http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/unitedkingdom.htm

In a German newspaper interview, Castagna says that from now on it will definitely only be the Speedway of Nations. The SWC now is dead as a dodo ! Don't know how the FIM will compensate Gorzow, who have a contract to stage the 2019 SWC final. Castagna says that next year's SoN final will definitely not be staged in Poland ! And Castagna says, the SoN has been a great success, and will even get better, when they make some minor achanges to the rules. Because of the possibility of a 3-3 in the semi-final and final on the second day, they think about changes to the point scoring. He finds it too confusing for the public that the second and third placed riders get the heat win over the first and last placed rides, as has happened with Russia and GB in the SoN final of 2018. Therefore Mr. Castagna has thought up something great for the SoN - he is seriously suggesting to introduce the jolly Joker for double points ! ! !

German domination of the long tracks is a thing of the past now.

But there is a limit per nation in ice racing (to keep the Russian out!), and I believe this also applies for speedway and long-track. Is it four or five riders as a maximum per nation?

Starting from the favorable inside gate position Cook was even leading the run-off against Lindback, but the Swede passed him on the second lap. It was one of only about a handful of passing manoveres on a gate-and-go track were most of the races were settled after the first corner. The white gate was the worst, and Lambert was unlucky to have white in his first and third heats. Max Fricke was unlucky tonight, with his engine failure in his last ride. Until then he had 8 points from two heat wins and one second place (behind Iversen), but also a non score when he started from white. Unfortunately, the racing tonight did nothing to excite the crowd.

It is the same with the SGP Challenge. For tonights meetign at Landshut, the German DMSB had wanted and even promised to give the local wildcard to Kai Huckenbeck, only to be overruled by the SGP commission, who refused Huckenbeck and gave the Wildcard to Martin Smolinski instead. There are a lot of people unhappy about this.

It is another very hot day here in Bavaria today with well over 30 degrees Celsius - and with not the least threat of rain tonight