Grand Central

Watch out for Perdersen when he is off gate four. If he doesn't make the start. What is the betting on a graceful glide to earth, followed by the 'lazing on the beach' for 90 seconds to play for a rerun? Let's hope the German ref is up to the job tonight.

Are the rumours true that Daphne from Eggheads is being offered the job for next year?

I understand that point completely. It was just that sat there on Thursday night watching the meeting unfold. The one word I would not have used was 'predictable'. Except in the end the prediction of Australian winning happened, by the strange route of vying with both USA and Latvia for large chunks of the meeting. The prediactableness of Team GB choking is a constant, I suppose.

I get that. But why?

The original rider replaced for tactical reasons can come back into his programmed rides later whilst the reserve can be used to replace the injured guy. All at the Team mangers discretion, up to the reserves maximum number of rides. We could choose that to be 4, 5 or 6 if we wanted in this hypothetical situation.

Yes, fair enough. The point I was making was just that no one was able to predict the finishing order; or tha machinations that got us there. But yes the winners did turn out to be the Aussies as we expected, in the end.

And apparently unable to read.

Really? I'd love to see your winning betting slip for Thursday night that had the USA second.

Why? This thread is about making news rules.

There is something incredibly 'healing' about being patronised by an American basking in a victory. I feel so cleansed that I will wallow in my own rich Speedway history for the remainder of the day.

Unlikely that they care, in an emotional sense, and even more unlikely that they would do any funding. But BSI are the only people/business with a vested interest in a competitive GB team at the SWC. I would have thought the BSPA would be quite happy to see the whole competition just evaporate off the calendar. There is nothing in it for them. Except the negative impact of it pinching a week out of the fixtures in July when the weather is usually at it's best. .

No he isn't on the showing of a few matches. But he is not a test case that proves the claims of others mentioned. Is he? Life doesn't work like that.

No I won't . As I don't think I ever offered any opinion whatsoever on that matter. That is a construct of your own making. Difficult for some of us though it may be. I think with a litlle counselling we will have to get used to Team GB without Neil. He must be allowed to move away. There is nothing more he can or could do.

Yes fair enough., I see that. The lads you mention were great at what they did. But I genuinely don't see an ounce of help they could offer. Top ex-riders don't always move to good communicators, or Managers. Joe and Gary are not good at motivational speaking really are they? Individual world titles, yes. But not one successful Team GB year to look back on for any of them. Most of the WTC teams they were involved in as riders were disappointing and much maligned. Remember that embarrassing 93 final at Coventry. To be honest Tatum would be a better ex-rider to go for.

I admire Middleditch's usual defenders for wading in to offer him support. But please have a word with him first. Surely the guy doesn't really want to carry on. Does he? That really would be a sign of total madness.

There are really some bizarre names being put forward for Team GB Manager here. Ex riders with no proven aptitude for Management, or even an appetite for it all. Havelock, Loram and Screen are just complete unknown quatities for the job. Surely the last few years have shown that entusiastic amateurism is worthless. The greatest charge against Middleditch is lack of skill at the job. I imagine that he did not go for his licence as he feared being the first person in history who would FAIL the test. The greatest need is for COMPETENCE. I'd go down on bended knee to beg Pete Adams.

Unfortunately it is Ben Barker that is in his leathers.

Personally, not much. But them no one has ever really said that Lemmo is any good at team management. And so far he hasn't shown up well. Let's hope he keeps up that poor record tonight. Middleditch has always had his followers who claim he as great skills. I've never really seen it. Matt looks to lay up the goals for Neil to convert. But he seems to fluff it a fair bit. Again I hope tonight he proves me totally wrong

No.

He has no idea what many words mean, anyway. Self awareness. Self discipline. Silence. And I'm pretty sure sex is a foreign country.

In my profession, as in most, regulations have changed an awful lot over the years. Retraining, accreditation, health and safety, licensing. Many changes. To be legal and above board I have had to move with the times. Do the courses, pay the fees. I wish I had a mate called Phil who did all that. So I didn't have to bother. But then again, to so many here. Does it matter? Some of us are just wasting our time doing the right things. Who gives a toss?

Yes. Very Well. They are all lovely boys. All manly and heterosexual. They thank you for your interest but would love it if you supported someone else.

Eide and Lovaas' careers certainly did overlap - what on earth the other chap is on about I don't know. Eide represented Norway in the Pairs almost every year of the seventies with various others. Dag Lovaas partnered him in 1973, 1974 and 1976 Norway never reached the Final in all that time EXCEPT in 1973 when Eide and Lovaas got third place at the Poole Semi and then came a good fifth in the Final in Sweden.

I'm not jumping to call Middleditch names in this. But it all looks a bit odd for someone who is much vaunted for his management skills and for his great relationship with the riders. On Kennett, clearly he should never have been selected, but on Monday he was treated in a less than apposite manner by the Coach. When you consider the circumstances. And Cook, cannot have been 'handled' well by the management. If he responded so badly and angrily in the aftermath of deselection. As Middleditch is supposed to be 'good' at this sort of thing If we we had a 'bad' Coach. How would it look different? .

Have I missed something? All this talk if where else the SWC round should be held. Did anyone else, other than Buster bid? If you want it at Poole isn't Mstt the guy to speak to. Then he could bid to BSI Without a willing promoter it's all a little meaningless.