Speedway Gp In Tatters !

[Trees 2,814]

BUT then you are not an aspiring young rider hoping to become World Champion. There are lots of examples of other sports where contestants place winning before financial gain. It's called something like ambition. The world will be a poorer place without it.

BSI hope they never give up their ambition eh.

 

I didn't get an answer from you to my question about whether the Swedish and Danish speedway authorities have to apply to the FIM for their monies generated by the GPs.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

BSI hope they never give up their ambition eh.

 

I didn't get an answer from you to my question about whether the Swedish and Danish speedway authorities have to apply to the FIM for their monies generated by the GPs.

 

NO ... it doesn't work like that. Any money the FIM receive from speedway (not just from BSI/IMG but inscription and licence fees, etc) goes into their pot and is distributed, spent, etc at the discretion of the member countries through their own General Council and puts appointed officers.

 

SVEMO, for example, have used money generated directly by the SGP to them (not via the FIM) to the benefit of speedway in Sweden. But they, like Denmark, have a club culture which is ultimately much more beneficial to the sport as a whole in their respective countries than the set-up (BSPA) in the UK.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

There are lots of examples of other sports where contestants place winning before financial gain.

 

Yes, but when you reach the peak of a professional sport, you'd generally expect to receive some financial reward for your efforts. It's rare that the rewards at the highest level are significantly less than two or three rungs down.

 

It's called something like ambition. The world will be a poorer place without it.

 

Well IMG are certainly not poorer...

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

THAT'S why they work ... the drama that goes right to the end. I saw many World Finals when the title was all but won before the last race, quite often they ended in an anti-climax. And these days, like it or not, TV is the major consideration. They way everything to go to the wire whether it be GP speedway or one-day cricket. Speedway on TV has to try and appeal to non-afficiendos as well as the diehard fans. When I wrote daily newspaper stories for the Express a million years ago I was constantly told by the Sports Editor that they weren't simply going in fort the benefit of speedway fans. That's why household names mean everything and why, at present, speedway in the UK is ignored while in Poland it (Gollob) is headline news.

 

Sorry Phil but this could not be further from the truth.. Each GP may well indeed end up with a grand final but many times (especially under the current format..)the actual significance of who wins it in the context of the ultimate champion is totally marginal.. I've said it before and I'll say it again but I've been to many very important events over a range of sports but NONE even come close to comparing to the sheer breathtaking excitement of the old World Speedway Final. I can't in truth believe that you, Phil, with soooo much more expereience of those than I have can't agree..: which, as others have suggested, does make me now wonder why you say otherwise..

[tink426 0]

AND your evidence of these privileged people lording it up in first class is?

 

Have you spoken to Ward? Probably not. He is a young man, actually quite sensible beneath his Aussie Jack the Lad veneer. Of course he is tempted by an offer from Torun worth a lot of money. But there is more to it than that. Riding in the SGP demands a lot of organisation, extra responsibilities for mechanics, more bikes, etc, etc. He believes that at present he may not be quite ready for that side of the GP and that he needs more sponsorship too. He knows he is good enough on the track. It is possible, though less likely, that he would have declined an invitation for 2012 even if he had also been able to accept a contract from Torun.

 

He has time on his side. He witnessed what happened to Woffinden. He will get his chance again and deservedly so. Far great judges that I could ever aspire to be, including ex and current top, top riders, believe him to be an exceptional talent. We should be grateful that he has emerged and that isn't wholly down to Britain. He spent days and days riding round the Torun track improving his technique. It will be a great shame if he doesn't compete in the SGP next year but it will only heighten the anticipation of when he does.

 

Before long hopefully he will be joined by riders like the Pawlicki brothers, Janowski, Sundstrom, young Danes and (fingers crossed) a rejuvenated and reformed Woffinden who has it within his grasp to become a World class rider.

 

Thank you sombody who knows a bit more then others ,he will do the gp and he will win a world title ,when he is ready in all the right ways

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Sorry Phil but this could not be further from the truth.. Each GP may well indeed end up with a grand final but many times (especially under the current format..)the actual significance of who wins it in the context of the ultimate champion is totally marginal.. I've said it before and I'll say it again but I've been to many very important events over a range of sports but NONE even come close to comparing to the sheer breathtaking excitement of the old World Speedway Final. I can't in truth believe that you, Phil, with soooo much more expereience of those than I have can't agree..: which, as others have suggested, does make me now wonder why you say otherwise..

 

PLENTY of World Finals left me stone cold ... 1974 was a typical example. Michanek made five starts and that was that. But that doesn't make me right and you wrong or the other way round. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

[Mr Snackette 190]

..........I've said it before and I'll say it again but I've been to many very important events over a range of sports but NONE even come close to comparing to the sheer breathtaking excitement of the old World Speedway Final...........

PLENTY of World Finals left me stone cold ... 1974 was a typical example. Michanek made five starts and that was that. But that doesn't make me right and you wrong or the other way round. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

 

It appears that nostalgia ain't what it used to be!!!!!

[Grand Central 2,654]

PLENTY of World Finals left me stone cold ... 1974 was a typical example. Michanek made five starts and that was that. But that doesn't make me right and you wrong or the other way round. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

 

I have said previously that GPs are the future and that World Finals are of the past and only for nostalgia.

 

BUT ... this is a little disingeniuous, is it not?

 

You mention the 1974 Final held in the pouring rain at Gothenburg of all places.

Yes it wasn't good but for goodness sake NONE of the GPs held at that place have been any good either have they?

 

AND when talking about the past world championships is the whole year-long story of the qualifying rounds that has to be remembered. Truth is that today there is hardly a person alive who can remember the events of ANY GP qualifying meeting (except for a couple of GP Challneges back in the 90s) but you mention 1974 ... the British Final at an absulutely ram-packed Brandon with Eric Boocock pulling off the win in his last ride, the European Final at Wembley with Peter Collins winning his first big title after beating Mauger and Olsen in a run-off and not to mention the initial rounds around the whole of the UK that, in those days, were genuinely must-go-to meetings.

 

Really Phil, I think you should choose your examples a little more carefully.

[stratton 1,491]

No-one is suggesting paying football-type money to speedway riders. Quite clearly you can only pay what the sport can sustain at any given level.

 

I don't however, think it unreasonable for the riders to expect a more equitable share of the profits that IMG and the FIM are making.

 

It's great for Jason Crump if he can find supplemental income from riding in the SGP, but he's a multi World Champion. Most riders are not and never will be, and it would seem they're having to subsidise their participation from league racing. I suppose such as it always was, but the SGP is much bigger commitment than the old World Championship and if it comes to down to making a living for myself or the BSI shareholders, well frankly I know what I'd choose.

We no the money isnt there to the silly football salaries level,but the money to me is not going fairly into the riders pockets.From the outside it looks great, gps covered by sky mostly nice stadiums to ride in.Think there must be a nice pool of money made, where does it go?.Watched snooker the other day,Shawn murphy won a event in brazil got 32000 for it.not even saying riders will get that but not convinced the moneys not there to reward the riders higher.

[stratton 1,491]

I have said previously that GPs are the future and that World Finals are of the past and only for nostalgia.

 

BUT ... this is a little disingeniuous, is it not?

 

You mention the 1974 Final held in the pouring rain at Gothenburg of all places.

Yes it wasn't good but for goodness sake NONE of the GPs held at that place have been any good either have they?

 

AND when talking about the past world championships is the whole year-long story of the qualifying rounds that has to be remembered. Truth is that today there is hardly a person alive who can remember the events of ANY GP qualifying meeting (except for a couple of GP Challneges back in the 90s) but you mention 1974 ... the British Final at an absulutely ram-packed Brandon with Eric Boocock pulling off the win in his last ride, the European Final at Wembley with Peter Collins winning his first big title after beating Mauger and Olsen in a run-off and not to mention the initial rounds around the whole of the UK that, in those days, were genuinely must-go-to meetings.

 

Really Phil, I think you should choose your examples a little more carefully.

I think those meetings you mentioned, are a fine example of what we have witnessed and now miss.I am the same as you, i no the gps are the future.maybe if speedway can pick up financially in the future we could have a one off championship with the gps?I like you am surprised about Phil Rising opinion on the gps and is a big supporter.He has knowledge of the sport which i respect immensely so what he says i take on board.

[fullbore 129]

So what if the Leszno round had been the "one off" world championship.

 

Nicki the best rider in the world this year and Greg not one of the best 4?

 

Niamh

[Grachan 7,362]

So what if the Leszno round had been the "one off" world championship.

 

Nicki the best rider in the world this year and Greg not one of the best 4?

 

Niamh

 

Unlikely as it was the first one of the season. Had it been an old style World Final though there would only have been 20 heats. And I think the winner of that would have been... Greg Hancock!

 

The World Final was always staged in September though, so taking the Nordic round is a better example of "had it been a one-off World Final". Had that been the case the winner would have been... Greg Hancock!

[Trees 2,814]

SVEMO, for example, have used money generated directly by the SGP to them (not via the FIM) to the benefit of speedway in Sweden. But they, like Denmark, have a club culture which is ultimately much more beneficial to the sport as a whole in their respective countries than the set-up (BSPA) in the UK.

So SVEMO receive their money direct from BSI from hiring of the stadia in Sweden?

[Midland Red 2,383]

 

I don't know which meeting you refer to, but if Crump didn't make the final then he wasn't the best rider of the night.

 

 

So who is the best rider of the night at a GP ?

The winner of the last race of the night is the "winner" of the GP

But is he the best rider of night, or the rider who scores the most points (see Chris Harris, Croatia, 2011) ?

[Midland Red 2,383]

PLENTY of World Finals left me stone cold ... 1974 was a typical example. Michanek made five starts and that was that. But that doesn't make me right and you wrong or the other way round. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

 

So what about the "2011 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II" ?

"World Champion" already decided before the meeting !