G P Qualifier

[Hazzman 72]

Another bad move by FIM in the GP Qualifiers is that the weakest qualifier has got six places for the grand final when a much harder semi at Tarnow only has 5 places, when the line-up there could easily be the grand final.

[Bagpuss 10,784]

i personally have nothing against Kennett but what is the obsession with him that the powers that be seem to have?

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I would like to point out the same before I get accused of bias against Rye

[SPEEDY69 1,260]

Once again 'selection' of a rider is very contentious. I feel really sorry for Andy Smith being ignored. Why should it be up to Middleditch? He is only the England team manager and not the spokesman for the BSPA - surely they should decide? As I have and others have said countless times before, the only fair way is for riders to battle it out on the track and qualify that way instead of being nominated.

 

The points about Danny King are valid here as well because as it's just down to nominations, whether they were in the British Final or not is immaterial. King is averaging much higher than Kennett and his selection for this, as well as the Cardiff wild card smacks of nepotism.

[Chris 441]

1. Maybe the only reason Ed Kennett qualified was that the Semi was on his own track (not arguing about the venue as Rye do more than anyone to produce British talent and therefore deserve to hold such a meeting)

 

2. If there was an agenda as to who would go through anyway then why label the British Final as a 'qualifier' as such? I hope those interested who finished above the riders chosen (ie Lanham et al) kick up a fuss

 

3. Lanham must be able to ride Belle Vue as well as a Arena to have finished where he did you berk

 

4. While King has no relevance to this debate the decision to make EK (or indeed Bridger as originally intended) Cardiff reserve ahead of him stunk to high heaven consdering Danny finished ahead of them both in the U21 Final. I'm all for helping British youngsters more but I wish it was spread out evenly and they were all treated the same 

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1. Erm Danny King rode at Rye for a whole season and couldn't qualify. Next.

 

2. Lanham and Smith didn't qualify. They finished 5th and 6th so went out. Understand? Where did it ever say that 5th and 6th would get the qualifier spots? Screen and Nicholls didn't want it and it was left to Middlo to make a choice.

 

3. The level of the British championship is quite frankly awful. Lanham is a poor speedway rider. Doesn't go off the white line, but with his experience should be able to finish fairly high against such a poor field of PL heatleaders and EL second strings. Go look at his away scores this season and then you will see you are the berk old boy.

 

4. Need to get this chip off your shoulder bout Ed's treatment. Ed in the last two years has finished as 5th and 6th best rider in Britain. What other youngsters have done that? Where has King been? Oh didn't qualify for both. Lawson? Not good enough to get a qualifier place. Wright? Oh didn't qualify. Wilson? Ha Ha. Wouldn't qualify anywhere apart from Sheffield. He's averaging higher in the PL than all these riders and is now scoring points at no.2 in the EL. 3 times world under 21 finalist as well. Why take into account a meeting on a track he doesn't like? Is Ben Wilson a better rider cause he won that meeting? No of course he is not.

 

Ed has ridden under Middlo and he rates him highly. Some people can't get over that for some reason.

 

I'll say again well done Middlo. Where did it ever say 5th and 6th would be chosen? Smith and Lanham going would have been a waste of time.

[Old Saint 3]

Ed has ridden under Middlo and he rates him highly. Some people can't get over that for some reason.

 

I'll say again well done Middlo. Where did it ever say 5th and 6th would be chosen? Smith and Lanham going would have been a waste of time.

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So, on the basis of your argument, any rider who wants to get on should make sure that they ride for Poole at some point. I humbly suggest that that will severely limit the number of British riders who are likely to do well on the International scene.

[crazysue 613]

Strangely enough, on the day of the British Championship, Danny was riding in the U21 semi final in Lezno......qualifying for the final.

 

Unfortunately, he is not able to be in 2 places at one time.

[Bagpuss 10,784]

1. Erm Danny King rode at Rye for a whole season and couldn't qualify. Next.

 

2. Lanham and Smith didn't qualify. They finished 5th and 6th so went out. Understand? Where did it ever say that 5th and 6th would get the qualifier spots? Screen and Nicholls didn't want it and it was left to Middlo to make a choice.

 

3. The level of the British championship is quite frankly awful. Lanham is a poor speedway rider. Doesn't go off the white line, but with his experience should be able to finish fairly high against such a poor field of PL heatleaders and EL second strings. Go look at his away scores this season and then you will see you are the berk old boy.

 

4. Need to get this chip off your shoulder bout Ed's treatment. Ed in the last two years has finished as 5th and 6th best rider in Britain. What other youngsters have done that? Where has King been? Oh didn't qualify for both. Lawson? Not good enough to get a qualifier place. Wright? Oh didn't qualify. Wilson? Ha Ha. Wouldn't qualify anywhere apart from Sheffield. He's averaging higher in the PL than all these riders and is now scoring points at no.2 in the EL. 3 times world under 21 finalist as well. Why take into account a meeting on a track he doesn't like? Is Ben Wilson a better rider cause he won that meeting? No of course he is not.

 

Ed has ridden under Middlo and he rates him highly. Some people can't get over that for some reason.

 

I'll say again well done Middlo. Where did it ever say 5th and 6th would be chosen? Smith and Lanham going would have been a waste of time.

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1. Yes indeed he did! I'm not saying King should have been selected anyway

 

2. It didn't ever say that 5th and 6th would qualify as far as I am aware but the ONLY fair way to do it after Screen and Nicholls declined is surely to select the next two in the scorechart. Was it ever said that qualification may be left to one person's discretion?

 

3. I can't take this point seriously due to your obvious dislike of Lanham or indeed anything Arena Essex. True his away form doesn't pull up too many trees but he still finished ahead of the chosen two in the British Final! No doubt if Lanham was a Rye rider and EK wasn't you would still hold the same opinion

 

4. I have no chip on my shoulder, just observing (as have many others) that Kennett appears to be the favourite. Good luck to him but I personally don't think its fair. The reason I took the U21 final into account for Cardiff reserve selection is that the authorities obviously did when selecting Ben Wilson! If Bridger and Kennett were chosen as the two highest averaging young Englishmen then fair enough, I would have had absolutely no arguments.

 

Good luck to the chosen two in the qualifiers but I would imagine Lanham and Smith feel very miffed. Middlo obviously does rate EK very highly, so do I, but so too do I Danny King and James Wright and Steve B. I have nothing to 'get over' in that respect.

 

Happiness and joy to you old boy

Edited June 30, 2006 by Bagpuss

[rusky 113]

Agree completely with Middlo's decision to choose the next in line. What would be the point in sending a 40 year old wobbler and Lanham, who can only ride Arena to represent us?

 

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This is at best, laughable Chris, we are comparing Leigh Lanham who apparently only ride one track (at the highest level in the UK, by the way), to Edward Kenett, who apparently can ride more than 1 track ( not at the highest level in the UK).

 

There can be no doubt, that if he wanted it, Leigh Lanham should have been given this chance, as he fully deserved it by finishing in a higher position in the qualifying meeting.

[DartfordHammer 0]

2. Lanham and Smith didn't qualify. They finished 5th and 6th so went out. Understand? Where did it ever say that 5th and 6th would get the qualifier spots? Screen and Nicholls didn't want it and it was left to Middlo to make a choice.

 

It's common sense, Chris. 2 of the top 4 aren't interested, you take the next two down. You don't pick and choose because they had an 'off' day; a qualifier is a qualifier, and Lanham and Smith finished ahead of Kennett and Richardson. Thus, they should be chosen.

 

3. The level of the British championship is quite frankly awful. Lanham is a poor speedway rider. Doesn't go off the white line, but with his experience should be able to finish fairly high against such a poor field of PL heatleaders and EL second strings. Go look at his away scores this season and then you will see you are the berk old boy.

 

Hmm, take a look at this 'research' I just conducted:

Leigh Lanham

Eastbourne 6 (4)

Poole 5 (5)

Peterborough 4+1 (4)

Ipswich 2 (4)

Belle Vue 11 (6)

Reading 6 (4)

Coventry 6 (5)

Wolves 5+1 (4)

Swindon 4+1 (5)

Eastbourne 8 (6)

Poole 5+1 (5)

Ipswich 3+1 (5)

 

Edward Kennett

Reading: 4+1 (5)

Ipswich 3 (5)

Wolves 5+1 (5)

Arena 5 (4)

Swindon 4 (5)

 

Away scores this season haven't been that bad. Better than Kennett's overall, wouldn't you say? He's ridden more meetings yes, but a poor speedway rider he is not. To even claim such a thing is pretty out of order, to be honest. Does that mean that every rider below his level (established second string in the Elite League) is a poor or worse rider? Man, that's a lot of rubbish riders down there. Rethink your words.

 

I'll say again well done Middlo. Where did it ever say 5th and 6th would be chosen? Smith and Lanham going would have been a waste of time.

 

Oh, and I suppose taking Richardson and Kennett is going to result in both of them reaching the GP's for next season? Yeah right. Smith and Lanham might not have gone beyond the GP qualifying point, but they should be given the opportunity which to be honest, is rightfully theirs. They earned it.

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[newbieoldboy 0]

Just glad to see Speedway is still all about who you know and not what you know

[Chris Brown 542]

Lets hope that Kennett manages to get out of Britain for this meeting then. Andy Smith would have I am sure

[ouch 1,191]

Lanham and Smith didn't qualify. They finished 5th and 6th so went out. Understand? Where did it ever say that 5th and 6th would get the qualifier spots? Screen and Nicholls didn't want it and it was left to Middlo to make a choice.

 

He's averaging higher in the PL than all these riders and is now scoring points at no.2 in the EL. 3 times world under 21 finalist as well.

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I’ve seen many inaccurate and ill-informed posts on this forum, but this one is beyond belief. If you have just started watching speedway this year then I apologise for calling you a fool.

For almost eighty years when qualifiers have been run in a speedway meeting (longer if you look at other sports), the first competitor who finishes outside the qualifiers is known as the first reserve, the second as second reserve and so on and so forth. If a competitor above them is injured or unable to take there place in the next round then these reserves take their place.

It’s yet another very simple rule that speedway has somehow managed to cock up, and it gets added to all the others that collectively turn people away from speedway.

 

Second bit….

James EL average 4.46

Eddie EL average 4.43

James PL average 8.86

Eddie PL average 8.10

In the most recent U21 final the top Brit was James Wright.

I just pick James because I know more about him. I’m sure many other fans from many other teams could come up with a better choice than Kennett.

 

I DON’T think James should be seeded by the way as he didn’t qualify, but then neither did Eddie. It’s not what you know etc….

[Chris 441]

I’ve seen many inaccurate and ill-informed posts on this forum, but this one is beyond belief. If you have just started watching speedway this year then I apologise for calling you a fool.

For almost eighty years when qualifiers have been run in a speedway meeting (longer if you look at other sports), the first competitor who finishes outside the qualifiers is known as the first reserve, the second as second reserve and so on and so forth. If a competitor above them is injured or unable to take there place in the next round then these reserves take their place.

It’s yet another very simple rule that speedway has somehow managed to cock up, and it gets added to all the others that collectively turn people away from speedway.

 

Second bit….

James EL average 4.46

Eddie EL average 4.43

James PL average 8.86

Eddie PL average 8.10

In the most recent U21 final the top Brit was James Wright.

I just pick James because I know more about him. I’m sure many other fans from many other teams could come up with a better choice than Kennett.

 

I DON’T think James should be seeded by the way as he didn’t qualify, but then neither did Eddie. It’s not what you know etc….

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Not in this case though old boy. Top four qualify and two don't fancy it. The BSPA decided that Middlo makes the choice. It was never stated that 5 & 6 who didn't actually qualify would get the spots. Take it up with the BSPA. You shouldn't assume in speedway old boy. You have been around long enough to know that.

 

The times are a changing. Lee Richardson finished below Hans Andersen in the GP rankings last season and Rico was chosen over him. Other examples as well including James Wright last season when he got an under 21 wild card. Why didn't the rider below the cut off mark not get it? Bit stumped old man? Many other examples as well. Get over it, it happens. Sending Smith is a waste of his and our time and your golden boy was given a helping hand last season. Two words for you, hipo and crit.

 

Get up on your stat work as well. We in the PL take PT and PL averages into the equation and Ed is on 8.89 and Wright on 8.82. Anymore?

 

Think you can take that particular Under-21 world final with a pinch of salt. Track was flooded and only 3 rides each and winner decided by toss of a coin. Proper championship eh?

 

Give him a chance in the EL as he has only had a few meetings back at no.2. Can't judge him to early. Oh and he had an EL average alot higher than Wright has ever achieved last season.

 

Oh and you look the fool now by the way.

 

Who would you have chosen old bean?

Edited July 3, 2006 by Chris

[bazaar3 0]

I agree that Smith has been hard done by and is unlucky, but honestly we need to look to the future of British Speedway.

 

Smudger isnt going to have a chance of finishing in the top ten of the GP in five years time and he certainly isnt a class enough act like Per Olav Serenius is on ice.

 

 

Middlo has done the right thing in sending out a young english rider and even if he goes out in the next round at least thats more experience against classier opposition for him and he can learn to sharpen his elbows.

 

 

 

As for Lanham, I would have liked to have seen him given a go at this level just too see where he really stands on the world scene, but as has been said he is mainly a one track pony, but I think if he were to change clubs, score well and repeat his success in the final next year, he really should warrant a chance to qualify for the GP.

 

 

Not sure if Kennett is the right rider, but he was in the British Final and he's young which is the main thing and I would hope we could get rid of these ridiculous seedings in the British Final because really only 4-5 should be seeded and I think they should be Nicholls, Loram, Stead, Harris and possibly Screen with the rest like Richardson, Kennett etc being seeded into semis, with perhaps less experience riders starting it all off in quarter finals, so at least were giving all British riders young and old a half chance to get into the Britsh Final with a possible chance to the road to the GP circus.

[ouch 1,191]

Not in this case though old boy. Top four qualify and two don't fancy it. The BSPA decided that Middlo makes the choice. It was never stated that 5 & 6 who didn't actually qualify would get the spots. Take it up with the BSPA. You shouldn't assume in speedway old boy. You have been around long enough to know that.

 

The times are a changing. Lee Richardson finished below Hans Andersen in the GP rankings last season and Rico was chosen over him. Other examples as well including James Wright last season when he got an under 21 wild card. Why didn't the rider below the cut off mark not get it? Bit stumped old man? Many other examples as well. Get over it, it happens. Sending Smith is a waste of his and our time and your golden boy was given a helping hand last season. Two words for you, hipo and crit.

 

Get up on your stat work as well. We in the PL take PT and PL averages into the equation and Ed is on 8.89 and Wright on 8.82. Anymore?

 

Think you can take that particular Under-21 world final with a pinch of salt. Track was flooded and only 3 rides each and winner decided by toss of a coin. Proper championship eh?

 

Give him a chance in the EL as he has only had a few meetings back at no.2. Can't judge him to early. Oh and he had an EL average alot higher than Wright has ever achieved last season.

 

Oh and you look the fool now by the way.

 

Who would you have chosen old bean?

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Your first two paragraphs restate the points I made, but unbelievably you seem to think this kind of behaviour by the powers that be is ok.

 

Middlo given the choice. That’s bad surely.

You shouldn’t assume in speedway. That’s bad surely.

Lee Richardson over Hans Andersen. That’s bad surely.

Seeding Wrighy last year over a true qualifier. That’s bad surely.

Yet you use these in defence of your augment.

 

We are poles apart in what we think is right and wrong.

 

Lets stick to PL matches only. Wrighty is higher.

Oh and his current EL average is now 4.76

 

You cannot pick and choose which world final you want. It’s completely logical to use the most recent and I’ll stick with it.

 

If I look a fool because I feel that the points above are bad for the sport then so be it, trouble is people like me don’t feel foolish, they just walk away from the sport never to return.

 

BTW I wouldn’t have chosen anyone, I’d have let them ride for their place.