Chris Harris Cardiff Wild Card

[speedibee 3,091]

Statement from the BSPA stating that it had nothing to do with them.

 

http://www.speedwayg...hp?extend.20061

Exactly , It had nothing to do with them and neither should it . The GP series is run by BSI and they get to choose who they want as a wildcard . God help the GP series if the BSPA are to be involved in any decisions made pertaining to it , lees than 12 months and the british GP would be back at Brandon playing to a 6,000 audience

[david2905 230]

Not sure I agree with the suggestion Eddie is the best in form Brit bar Tai at the moment either, if you take meeting played into account, I think Danny King can do better, after attaining a mid 7 average last season, I thought he'd struggle to maintain it, but apart from a duff night against Swindon, he's still putting in the big scores.

[iris123 21,118]

 

 

 

The comment meant the BSI taking the micky out of him for his performances in the past then giving him a wildcard. Maybe just bar talk Regarding wild cards it the clubs, sponsors or whoever is paying gets the say. I got the wildcard i wanted at Cardiff

Yes i remember some controversy a number of years ago with the wildcard for a Danish GP and was told by someone in Denmark....Dansk Metal sponsoring the GP and also the wildcard.....There was my answer,they were saying.

 

 

Exactly , It had nothing to do with them and neither should it . The GP series is run by BSI and they get to choose who they want as a wildcard . God help the GP series if the BSPA are to be involved in any decisions made pertaining to it , lees than 12 months and the british GP would be back at Brandon playing to a 6,000 audience

Yes one thing to come out of this thread for me was the statement that the decision to use the British Final as a quali for the Cardiff GP wasn't an idea from the BSPA,but from a tv company.Doesn't that say it all that the BSPA couldn't come up with an idea to help the British Final from falling into obscurity???

[TheReturn 1,724]

Exactly , It had nothing to do with them and neither should it . The GP series is run by BSI and they get to choose who they want as a wildcard . God help the GP series if the BSPA are to be involved in any decisions made pertaining to it , lees than 12 months and the british GP would be back at Brandon playing to a 6,000 audience

 

But without the BSPA running speedway here in the UK, would there be a speedway league? If not, the BSI would not have a UK audience. Many former and some present GP riders learned there skills via BSPA leagues, so to dimiss the BSPA from the GP series is very short sighted.

 

That said, I am not saying the BSPA could run the GP series, but out of courtesy they should have some input to the British GP... IMO.

[speedibee 3,091]

But without the BSPA running speedway here in the UK, would there be a speedway league? If not, the BSI would not have a UK audience. Many former and some present GP riders learned there skills via BSPA leagues, so to dimiss the BSPA from the GP series is very short sighted.

 

That said, I am not saying the BSPA could run the GP series, but out of courtesy they should have some input to the British GP... IMO.

The bspa gave up the rights to any input or courtesy ,when they agreed to the sale of the GP series for a bag full of magic beans ,which the ginger joker has now eaten , I agree the GP would be short of riders without the British leagues but it's too late to lock that particular door , maybe they should learn a lesson and stop riders using British speedway as a training scheme by making them sign contracts that proritise british speedway

[500cc 309]

THE choice of wild cards is a consultation process but with whom they consult can vary from country to country and who is actually organising the event.

 

In NZ, for example, it was Bill Buckley who had the major input, in Bydgoszcz it would have been the local club plus the PZM, in Sweden it would have been in consultation with SVEMO, in Denmark it will be through the DMU. In all cases the choices have to be verified by the FIM.

Who do they consult with in GB then?

[phillipsr 2,062]

A terrible decision!!! Should be the winner of British Final or runner up to Tai. Also hate this thought that you cant chuck a youngster in at deepend and expext them to swim?? Weve been giving Harris years of swimming lessons amd he still sinks so what difference does it make

[iris123 21,118]

Good point.Other countries stick the youngsters in and give them experience.Some maybe do sink,but others swin.I was talking to a team boss over here recently about their trouble finding a rider and they went through a list of riders.....none British.So i jokingly said "You could try a British rider" And the answer was "Yes,but it needs to be one that has experience of these type of tracks and there aren't many......".That is our problem.Our riders aren't gaining experience of continentasl tracks and they don't get much chance of experience of GPs as it is always the same riders......

[Trees 2,814]

 

The bspa gave up the rights to any input or courtesy ,when they agreed to the sale of the GP series for a bag full of magic beans ,which the ginger joker has now eaten , I agree the GP would be short of riders without the British leagues but it's too late to lock that particular door , maybe they should learn a lesson and stop riders using British speedway as a training scheme by making them sign contracts that proritise british speedway

The BSPA agreed to sell the GP rights to BSI, thought that was the FIM?

 

Edited May 4, 2013 by Trees

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

IT was the FIM. But the BSPA did have the chance to be involved with the British GP when John Postlethwaite first wanted to go to Cardiff but, against the wishes of Terry Russell, they declined. Just as well really.

 

The BSPA are not the body affiliated to the FIM, that is the ACU, and BSI can stage the British GP in the UK without any co-operation from the BSPA.

[Animal 48]

How many riders would have taken part in the Semi Finals IF they had known beforehand that there was no opportunity for them to have a chance of qualifying for Cardiff? How many riders will even bother with the British Final next year?

[Grachan 7,365]

How many riders will even bother with the British Final next year?

 

My guess is 16.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

WINNING the British title should be their prime consideration (as it was with riders of generations gone by) but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case.

[moomin man 76 171]

The gradual downgrading of the British Final over the years has simply reduced the level of interest for both fan and rider alike. Unfortunately, no rider can really hope to gain much by way of sponsorship for the title of British Champion, so prestige alone is all the riders are riding for. For most, that is simply not enough. At least the offer of the GP wildcard offered some form of short-term incentive, but at best now a good performance might get a place in the GP qualifiers for the following season, from which you cannot qualify for the GP's until the season after.

[Pinny 2,580]

The authorities were clearly worried top riders wouldnt take part until the final line up was confirmed hence the news of harris' wild card being announced after the final line up was sorted

 

Shocking decision... Since the wild card place has been a prize we have seen superb british finals with all top riders going for it

 

Now harris is out of the gp lineup fulltime they stop the highest finisher out of gps from getting the wildcard... Coincidence? I dont think so

 

Hope harris gets five fat zeros and proves what a joke this decision is