Grachan 7,314 Posted October 13, 2008 Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. It was a genuine question actually. Just wonderd what was so great about it. I'm neither pro-GP or pro-World Final. If anything I'm starting to grow a bit tired of the GP now and would be quite happy to see a return to the one-off. I just don't see bad track preparation on this occasion as a reason to say the GP should be replaced. Soppose that had been World Final night? Would it have been any different? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blazeaway 1,501 Posted October 13, 2008 Alright then, there was nothing wrong with calling off an 'indoor' meeting despite the fact that hundreds (don't know if it ran to 1,000s did it...??) of fans from the UK had travelled to see it. And the GPs are wonderful spectacles and will be the salvation of Speedway. What matter that sometimes they fall victim to slight technical hitches. Never mind, they can always be staged the next weekj. Oh and those rubbish riders Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Peter Collins...: they were not proper World Champs coz all they had to do was turn up beat some rubbish Eastern Europeans on one day. Nothing like the might that is Greg Hancock. Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. This is the reality you'd prefer to accept then you're welcome to it... Where in this thread has anyone said any of that? Firstly no-one has said there was nothing wrong with calling the meeting off. It's a disgrace and someone should be made to pay. GP's are often a wonderful spectacle and are more sucessfull than the One day final was towards the end of its days. We are lucky to be able to have the nxt GP at Bydgoscz one of, if not the best track in the world. Why diss Greg? He is certainly a more worthy World Champ than Szakiel (sp), Muller or indeed Havelock. 1977 I was not even one so I can't comment!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted October 13, 2008 With 2% of (Grand???) Prix lost because of the sheer incompetence of the organisers, SKY people looking REALLY embarassed even Chris Louis was trying hard to contain himself - how much further into the mire must our belovéd Sport be dragged by people who do NOT have the good of Speedway at heart - only MONEY!! Ian - who do you think really does have the "good of speedway" at heart? Surely not the promotors - as the charge regularly thrown at the BSPA is that they are only in it for themselves? Obviously not IMG - as you've expressed above? So whom? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff. 2 Posted October 13, 2008 Alright then, there was nothing wrong with calling off an 'indoor' meeting despite the fact that hundreds (don't know if it ran to 1,000s did it...??) of fans from the UK had travelled to see it. And the GPs are wonderful spectacles and will be the salvation of Speedway. What matter that sometimes they fall victim to slight technical hitches. Never mind, they can always be staged the next weekj. Oh and those rubbish riders Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Peter Collins...: they were not proper World Champs coz all they had to do was turn up beat some rubbish Eastern Europeans on one day. Nothing like the might that is Greg Hancock. Can't speak for anyone else as regards your ridiculous scenarios but for me, aside from 3, all the world champions were most deserving. Does preferring the GP format automatically mean I despise the world final system Oh, and that 1977 Inter Continental Final..?? Staged in front of me and my dog in a tin pot place..: a meaningless meeting.. Well in the eyes of even the riders the ICF was meaningless, PC himself says as much in his first book, it was just a stepping stne to the world final, 8th place was as good as 1st, as Ivan proved by going on to win in Gothenburg. This is the reality you'd prefer to accept then you're welcome to it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,942 Posted October 13, 2008 More to life than speedway and no point in getting up tight about it. S--t happens. Hope that philosophy doesn't apply to your lifts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ianmartin 7 Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) Ian - who do you think really does have the "good of speedway" at heart? Surely not the promotors - as the charge regularly thrown at the BSPA is that they are only in it for themselves? Obviously not IMG - as you've expressed above? So whom? MattK - I WISH I knew - I WISH I knew !! I only know that something must be done to prevent our Sport being even more marginalised and ridiculed than it is at present. What fired me up over this was my son who is a Football Fan (Sunderland before anyone asks). I came home on Saturday evening to my son grinning and saying "Speedway has shot itself in the foot again" - I was recording the (Grand?) Prix. He explained what had happened and I thought NOT AGAIN. I cringed when Keith Heuen, Sam Ermolenko and Chris Louis were trying to justify the situation - as has already been said - How do you defend the indefencible??? Bottom line to my son. "How can a Meeting be called off in an indoor Arena, and the reason given is a waterlogged Track". WHAT A JOKE!!. Blazeaway - I call it as I see it - I stand by all I have said regarding the (Grand?) Prix/World Final issue. Edited October 13, 2008 by ianmartin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,939 Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) I guess one of the questions needed to be asked is why lay the track when the stuff was so wet?This has been asked on one of the German news websites.No answer given though.But from what i heard the offer of a super dryer was turned down because it weighed so much it would just damage the track in another way.So why not dry the stuff out before putting it down?Get the stuff out in the car park or a hall somewhere and dry it out bit by bit and then lay the track with dry stuff and not soaking wet gear You cannot defend the indefensible Jeff or The Know!! What I want to know is why the track gurus (teehee) put the shale down in the first place if it was soaked, why not get some more shale in to mix with it? Like your thinking The thing that strikes me about all this is a complete lack of an english language speedway or even motorbike related website with journalists that will question anything.All the info i have seen where things are being questioned and some answers being given are German & Danish.Maybe Swedish and Polish also.I have heard that Peter Nahlin has been very critical of events.I have seen a report where Olsen has slagged off Nicki for critcizing the state of the track.But where are the english language sites?Any newpaper sites or anything where jouros are trying to get answers,because i doubt Speedway Star will do it for us? And here is some more from the Arena management who offered BSI/IMG a rent free week so they could hold the event there next weekend and get the stuff dried out in time Veltins Edited October 13, 2008 by iris123 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blazeaway 1,501 Posted October 13, 2008 And here is some more from the Arena management who offered BSI/IMG a rent free week so they could hold the event there next weekend and get the stuff dried out in time Veltins That is interesting mate, why would they do that? Surely the bratwurst sales wouldn't cover their costs! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,939 Posted October 13, 2008 "Wir haben dem Veranstalter BSI spontan angeboten, den Mietzeitraum ohne Mehrkosten zu verlängern, damit das Highlight der Speedway-Saison am nächsten Wochenende doch noch in der VELTINS-Arena stattfinden kann. Das Stadion hätte wegen des Auswärtsspiels des FC Schalke 04 beim Hamburger SV auch am kommenden Wochenende zur Verfügung gestanden. Doch diesen Plänen hat die FIM einen Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht." We spontaneously offered BSI the chance for an extra week without extra cost,so the highlight of the speedway season could be held next weekend at the Veltins Arena.Because Schalke are playing away in Hamburg next weekend the stadium is available.But the FIM turned down the offer. It says below that the speedway experts couldn't guarantee that the track would be dry by next weekend!!!!!!For ######## what state was the stuff in when they put it down that it might take longer than two weeks to dry out?????? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RebelDJ 0 Posted October 13, 2008 Has anyone actually got a reply from anyone about getting a refund or replacement tickets for next year? I have tried BSI and the ticket agents for the stadium, but as yet no reply. If anyone does get a contact e-mail address that responds, perhaps they could post it here? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the quiet one 16 Posted October 13, 2008 You cannot defend the indefensible Jeff or The Know!! What I want to know is why the track gurus (teehee) put the shale down in the first place if it was soaked, why not get some more shale in to mix with it?Anybody with any sense knows wet shale on concrete floor dosnt drain very well so why not put a layer of sand under it first it would help it to drain and dry so it could be packed it down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Know 221 Posted October 13, 2008 Hope that philosophy doesn't apply to your lifts. What people want them to work as well, no chance of that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigeddiechek 1,094 Posted October 13, 2008 This is the real shame. My memories of Ole Olsen as a quality rider have almost been wiped-out by his buffoonery throughout his involvement with the GPs. Real shame when a legend becomes a bellend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,939 Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) "It can sometimes take a decade of preparation to fly a rocket to the moon.And still sometimes one doesn't leave the launch pad".That is Ole's answer to journalists at the weekend."Taking refuge in sarcasm" as one German paper stated. So basically the same line as "The Know" really......sh#t happens is Olsens explanation Rocket science Edited October 13, 2008 by iris123 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARK246 243 Posted October 13, 2008 Why what happened, did Olsen murder someone?. Only the speedway GP and that was dying anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
