Hamish McRaker

I think he was referring to the green skin and powerful rear legs

I think Murray Walker might be available

Yes that's the last resort scenario if none of the other above models are acceptable to make enough riders available. But some people don't think that most UK based riders would stick with their Polish arrangement if presented with a choice. Only one way the BSPA can find the answer I suppose.....ask them!!

Just supposing the BSPA were to decide to no longer participate in the international leagues schedule. Supposing it then requires any rider signed to a UK team, to agree to a contract which requires their priority availability all season, seven days per week except for international events - how many would sign it? Or from Monday to Saturday - how many would sign it? Or from Monday to Saturday except Tuesdays? Or to include just Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays? - how many riders would go for that? And would the numbers prepared to sign, be sufficient to form enough teams to enable a credible league to be run?

Two stadia in the south of France, both located close to the sea at Monaco and Toulon, are built over underground car parks and thus the pitches do not suffer from the problems of water table saturation. So perhaps the solution for Poole is to excavate out the ground underneath the stadium, give Glyn a couple of weeks with a digger and I'm sure that will fix things permanently.

Thanks - looks like a use of words thing - obstructive sounds more relevant to the Holder visa problem

Sounds like Gomolski is back in town!

Is this a genuine quote? If so, what does he mean when he says "finding Britain obstructive" ?

Of course Bates nearly quit during the winter for personal reasons so you have to wonder if those are still causing a problem in addition to the injuries?

The fixed race nights plan is misfiring because certain parties dug their heels in and wouldn't shift, and one or two others looked the other way and effectively colluded with them. The solution to this impasse is not quite the one big league which is advocated by many, but two parallel conferences. One conference based mainly on Wednesdays, and one based mainly on Thursdays (note the word "mainly"). Riders would be free to take part in both conferences, if they wished but their primary club would need to be established in the event of any conflict. A playoff between the two conference winners would decide the overall champions. This arrangement would also spare the fragrant denizens of Dorset from the unpleasant experience of coming into contact with the unwashed, uncultured people of Teesside - unless they had to meet in the grand finale of course.

Would the Poles be more amenable to letting one of their more experienced riders out of their prison? I don't mean Greg Walasek but somebody like Jarek Hampel?

Iversen should be taken to a public place, shackled by the feet and hands, and forced to eat 235 dry Weetabix biscuits for committing this outrage against this country and it's fine citizens

Sorry to hear that 3 guests are needed. Maybe BV should have put in a permanent replacement for Worrall at an earlier stage and so avoided having to deal with it belatedly. I guess that no matter which night a club operates on, there are bound to be riders off and away playing their trade in international competitions. Back in the 1970s and 1980s they'd be missing for a whole week or even more due to having to travel by road and ferry. At least they can now hop onto a plane and be back the next day if needed.

In effect I suppose so yes. Does it stop a Polish club from re-staging a postponed match on a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/£Thursday and gazumping riders who would have been engaged elsewhere?

From 2019 season onward all clubs should be required to adopt standard rider contracts . Those contracts should set out in clear terms the circumstances where a rider is allowed to prioritise a non-UK commitment, if there is a clash. The scope should be limited but reasonable, and overall the balance weighted to UK commitments. In consideration of the riders agreeing to meet those conditions, the contract should set out guarantees to be met by the employing club and, in the event of the club failing to meet them, the responsibilities of the governing body. The proposed contracts need to be put to the riders as soon as possible, with a consultation period allowing riders to propose changes to the terms prior to the contracts becoming formally adopted - not at the AGM but well before the end of the current season. Riders should then be given a deadline date for agreeing, with clubs only allowed to "sign" riders who have agreed.

Should have gone to www.polesdirect.com for the riders

A classic case of trying to shut the stable door long after the thoroughbred horses had bolted, and then letting the tractors demolish the doors and let a load more escape.

Agreed with one exception. I think that Sheffield would have gone into PL with Leicester going to CL if the Thursdays FRN had been kept. So it was probably Ipswich and Redcar the main blockers

Perhaps he ought to stand aside now and let Chris Louise run it instead. Have it, Chris!!

Unless those boys' Danish clubs have chosen their teams for all matches in advance right through to end of season, how can their UK employers know how many Wednesdays they will be missing especially when Wenesday is the internationally agreed priority day for Denmark? Sounds like complete horsesh**te to me if a UK promoter claims to know

So now the reality is dawning. The flagship UK league, now below the Danish league in the pecking order and most likely also below the Polish second division too. And shafted by a couple of clubs from the lower UK league. It's doomed, I tell ye.

The tail wagged the dog

When you say "both fans"..........??

The least he can do is make a public apology to Leicester and Kings Lynn clubs and their supporters for his non-appearance. The "oh well, never mind he's only missed a meeting" attitude typifies the kind of wishy-washy amateurish wooly liberal mind set which is taking this nation down the slippery slope.

Lambert wasn't going off to Majorca, he was going to work. And in that case you try and make flipping sure you're going to get there for start time. If it means getting out of bed earlier and flying to Manchester, and have the other options as back up, do it. Employers need staff who they can rely on, not Snowflakes who can't get out of bed.