Chris Brown 542 Posted August 17, 2014 Yep I'm definitely for real - just viewing THIS incident only and not letting anything else cloud my judgement. Yes I agree if he 'failed the breathlyser' he was rightly banned from the meeting. If it was well over even a legal limit to drive then YES he should be banned for longer. It is not yet law however to drink and drive if you only have a small quantity of alcohol in your bloodstream. It hasn't been proven yet either that he was 'drunk' - just that he had alcohol in his bloodstream. I'm not a drinker so I'm certainly not defending it, but if I had a couple of shandies and then was deemed 'over the limit' I'd think I was hard done by. None of us yet know EXACTLY how much he exceeded the FIMs legal limit, and YES I agree it should be zero, but he obviously exceeded it so it today's ban was correct, but to ban him for any longer would be pointless. Make a point of testing him every meeting yes - that would certainly make him think twice and indeed might encourage the others who drink the night before to restrain themselves too. He was probably only tested because of his reputation but I wonder how many of the others would've also failed? Oh and once again you refer to 'all these incidents' - this incident should be treated SOLELY in isolation. I agree that this should be judged on this incident alone To be honest you don't need any other incident to come to an obvious conclusion that he needs to be taken out of the sport. Motorcycle racing is extremely dangerous and this is the most competitive racing in speedway as this level, riders have to have complete and utter trust in each other when racing. Now I could not care two hoots how far over whatever limit there is he might be but the one thing he has shown is a total disregard for the other riders and I wonder if ever again they can trust him. Harsh maybe but as a rider I would be very concerned So this incident is enough in its own, if I was to be stopped and breathalised on the rode it would not matter how much over a limit I might be, the ban would be warranted. Having seen my sons mate killed by a driver over the drink and drugs limit I struggle to find a morsel of sympathy to be honest. I sympathise with any bad news he may have had but lets be honest it doesn't really come as a surprise does it ? And Middleditch, well what a great job he is doing to keep him on track. I really think the best thing for him to have said today was nothing because he has not come out of this covered in glory Whatever ban he gets needs to be a 'in season' ban, a 6 month ban now is in reality only 2 months as they season would be over. Personally chuck him out of the GP series for this year and stop him getting a wildcard for next. Maybe he should realise that there is a hard way to get into the GP series Somehow he has to learn and the way it is at the moment he appears to be learning little 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted August 17, 2014 Wards biggest problem throughout his british career has been Middlo. He was a young impressionable lad in a strange country who was in desperate need of a father figure type to keep him on the right track. Sadly Middlo seemed to want to be his friend rather than manager and with no one to rein him in Ward went off the rails. I know its a strange thing to say about a 50 something bloke but Middlo strikes you as rather childish and immature and certainly not someone fit to guide a young career 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted August 17, 2014 Trouble is, many of us have had a 'skin full' and driven the following day. How do we know whether we would have failed a breath test? In my opinion, at worst, he would have had a bad meeting and not been a danger to other riders. I wonder what would have happened if the Moran brothers had been tested just before a meeting? Also, I heard stories about a rider, no names, falling out of the van when the passenger door was opened and was due to ride! He was under the influence. No one was hurt and I believe he had a reasonable meeting! Times have changed I understand, but he is a young man and deserves a bit of slack, in my opinion. Seems to me he has had so much slack that the string has now broken. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XTC38L 79 Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) Yes no doubt Ward and plenty of others all get away with it regularly - not disputing that. And yes HE knew he'd made a mistake and admitted it and has faced the consequences with the ban today. With a longer ban tho' how will it help him to curb his drinking before meetings if he has no meetings? If his state of mind is as suspect as people suggest it would probably make him drink even more - what he needs is guidance - not to be made an example of. what rubbish if he doesn't learn from a lengthy ban he never will. He's had plenty of guidance in the past and its done nothing. Edited August 17, 2014 by sm00th Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orderly 174 Posted August 17, 2014 Alcohol limit for a rider at meeting is: blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 g. "P1. ALCOHOL¨(page 67); http://www.fim-live.com/fileadmin/alfresco/6572010_ang_ANTI-DOPING.pdf This is to take into consideration the amount of naturally occurring alcohol in the body caused by the action of naturally occurring yeasts converting sugars to alcohol & carbon dioxide, but essentially there is a zero alcohol tolerance 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arson fire 4,785 Posted August 17, 2014 What a waste, absolutely no excuse, he should have the book thrown at him for his own sake if nothing else.... Flawed genius but also an utter pleb. How long will his sponsors and blind supporters stand by him if he's doesn't grow up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray Stadia 1,071 Posted August 17, 2014 What a waste, absolutely no excuse, he should have the book thrown at him for his own sake if nothing else.... Flawed genius but also an utter pleb. How long will his sponsors and blind supporters stand by him if he's doesn't grow up. He is only 22! I still remember what I was like at 22 and if I had been a speedway rider at 22, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been in bed the night before a meeting, in a different country, tucked up in bed with cocoa! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Haza 1,774 Posted August 17, 2014 Wards biggest problem throughout his british career has been Middlo. He was a young impressionable lad in a strange country who was in desperate need of a father figure type to keep him on the right track. Sadly Middlo seemed to want to be his friend rather than manager and with no one to rein him in Ward went off the rails. I know its a strange thing to say about a 50 something bloke but Middlo strikes you as rather childish and immature and certainly not someone fit to guide a young career you seem to forget Darcy first UK Club was Kings Lynn maybe if he'd stayed he wouldn't now have these problems who knows but as things have turned out it was the best bit of business the Chapman have done off loading him to Poole . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pirate Fid 2 Posted August 17, 2014 Its wrong what hes done. He will be punished accordingly, but I would like to make a few points; Im obviously a pirate fan so this will be biased. Hes made a mistake, hes been on the tv and admitted it. Havent we all cocked up at some time. As supposedly all fans of the sport, shouldn't we be supporting, rather than slagging? Dunno how some teams [obvious by your profile pictures] can call him. You need to have a look at your history lads and lasses. Calling Middleditch is out of order. This isn't his argument. Despite what hes said, it isn't him whos done the deed. Calling for licence suspension is just out of order. Cajolling others to like a post isn't speedway or gentlemanly. His suspension from Elite League would obviously benefit teams pushing for the play offs. You know who you are. Its wrong, im not denying it. But the bad reaction isn't what this sport is about Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted August 17, 2014 He is only 22! I still remember what I was like at 22 and if I had been a speedway rider at 22, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been in bed the night before a meeting, in a different country, tucked up in bed with cocoa! But you are a wally even now never mind at 22. In the real world a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers would not have been an issue but to stlll be in his system by midday darcy will have had a sight more than that and/ or been still drinking into the early hours. I doubt his career can be saved from here, for sure a ban will result 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topaz325 1,859 Posted August 17, 2014 Not condoning Ward in the slightest but probabaly happens quite a lot in all Leagues. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,672 Posted August 17, 2014 you seem to forget Darcy first UK Club was Kings Lynn maybe if he'd stayed he wouldn't now have these problems who knows but as things have turned out it was the best bit of business the Chapman have done off loading him to Poole . Absolutely, right now Darcy doesn't have a resalable value. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedibee 3,091 Posted August 17, 2014 http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/11414978.Speedway_Grand_Prix__Ward_ruled_out_of_Latvian_Grand_Prix_after_failing_alcohol_test/?ref=var_0 Middleditch told the Daily Echo: "There are mitigating circumstances for Darcy which will come out over the next few days." Mitigating circumstance for this type of offence do not exist , there is no excuse at all for drinking and driving , and certainly none for drinking and racing speedway . I suggest Middlo saves himself the bother of making a fool of himself and accepts like everyone else that he did it ,got caught and will suffer the consequences . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert72 845 Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) What a waste, absolutely no excuse, he should have the book thrown at him for his own sake if nothing else.... Flawed genius but also an utter pleb. How long will his sponsors and blind supporters stand by him if he's doesn't grow up. It seems like Teams & sponsors will always stand by the likes of ward,Suarez & other bad boys. I have to agree with what scott said earlier,maybe a long ban will sort him out one way or the other. Edited August 17, 2014 by robert72 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XTC38L 79 Posted August 17, 2014 Not condoning Ward in the slightest but probabaly happens quite a lot in all Leagues.it more than likely does but only a fool would do it at a gp where you will more than likely be tested Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
