Warsaw Gp Saturday 18th April

[salty 2,229]

Although I'm a big critic of BSI, I can to some degree have some sympathy about the track problems. Trying to lay a track in a very limited time, is a big logistical challenge and even on permanent tracks, getting the preparation right is not an exact science.

 

Failure of the starting gate though, with seemingly no backup, is to me utterly inexcusable. Tracks round the country manage to have working starting gates week-after-week.

 

Riga was also down to BSI negligence as that was a semi-permanent track with plenty of time to iron out problems. And it also sounds like excuses are already being made about Tampere, despite all the 'lessons learned' spiel last year.

 

People keep saying how BSI have raised the bar and what a good show they put on. Well last night was the evidence of what the reality is, and it'll be interesting to see how this one gets explained away in the Spar.

 

 

What happened in Warsaw is far more damaging than Riga, Tampere, Gelsenkirchen and Ullevi. This was in the capital of the most important speedway nation, no doubt in front of cynical big city hacks who otherwise would never take any interest in a provincial working class sport.

 

One wonders how many more lessons can be learned. The organisers of the series are not up to the job, and now that competition has emerged for the rights, the FIM needs to looking at re-tendering - if only to act as the wake-up call for the complacency at BSI.

Good post. Last night's shambles joins the other cities you mention in the GP "Hall of Shame".

This latest fiasco does more damage because of the nature of the event and the crowd that had been attracted to the capital city.

Is there any talk of recompense for the 50,000 who had to endure last night's rip off?

I guess the argument is they saw 12 heats, but I'd be surprised if any of that massive crowd went away anything but disgusted.

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

the track wasn't great but that isn't the issue. We know these tracks cut up but the riders behaved like pansies. Get out there and wind the throttle on. Granted the green light situation was a leveller off the starts and gave the riders more cause to moan. Seems like the 'old guard' spat their dummy's out and the weak race directors listened. What's going to happen if Cardiff cuts up like it often does? Dangerous precedent been set tonight I feel. Now if we get rutty or let's say wet tracks the riders will be wanting it called off. Don't blame the track blame the riders and the officials

 

Of course its the issue - or at least part of it. The situation was created by those that organised the meeting.

 

I repeat : is it so unreasonable that at the top level of the sport both riders and fans can expect a decent racing surface and a starting gate that works ?

 

The very fact that this has never happened before speaks for itself.

 

On a finaI note, I think the very last description I would give for speedway riders is 'pansies'.

[iris123 21,179]

 

I guess the argument is they saw 12 heats, but I'd be surprised if any of that massive crowd went away anything but disgusted.

Actually,like I mentioned last night it was surprising how the Poles carried on enjoying themselves throughout.Was there any problems after the meeting was called off? I haven't seen anything.What I have seen are comments from a couple of friends from Germany who were there and then of course friends of these friends and they are along the lines of "bugger the meeting,you can see meetings every weekend,but the atmosphere was fantastic....." Then again I have also seen a statement from one of the British tour firms and they are disgusted and calling for heads to roll.I guess the more people drank and had a good time the less upset about the whole show they were

[STARRGAZER1 29]

Arriving at stadium entrance with English flag told cannot take it in.No foreign flags allowed only Polish flags allowed to be displayed!Were refusing to allow me into stadium.After arguments managed to shove flag in bag and push through.Obviously cannot show support for foreign riders.Try stopping Poles taking their flags into Cardiff .

[Trees 2,814]

Well unless you are totally thick and you must be I thought Poland was one of the speedway nations and as you won't attend the GP's how is making a mockery of our sport any more than the W⚓️s at the BSPA i suppose you think they are doing a grand job weird

Don't even try to defend this one!!

[g13webb 4,254]

We heard of comparisons before, but could we ever see a football match finish at half -time because the pitch was unsafe.......A utter disgrace of epic proportions. The whole occasion reeks of cost saving exercises.

 

We have a majestic Stadium costing £millions, we have a full house of 50000 plus, we have cameras transmitting the show case round the world, And the gate, costing only a few quid is an oversight, turning the whole event into joke.... Temporary tracks have always been a problem, but TIME spent in the run up to the event was the time to sort it out, not on the day of the event. Even as the emergency meeting with the officials was taking place about the safety of the track, no one used that time to do any remedy work, that could have saved the meeting..........

 

Monumental damage that has been done to our sport, probably never to fully appreciate lost of future fans. Unbelievable...............

[Woz01 3,589]

I'm just left bewildered by the whole thing. Yes it was a balls-up from the beginning but, with the exception of the starting gate issue, I saw nothing that we haven't seen on countless other temporary tracks. Yes it was rutty and bumpy, but riders were hardly two-wheeling into the corners. A few riders fell, but riders have falls all the time, irrespective of ruts. And on these temporary tracks, there will be ruts and riders will fall off. It's not ideal but it happens.

 

Look at the ruts and bumps when Bomber won at Cardiff. A quick YouTube search will show you that the track tonight was no worse than that.

 

I just wonder, when the riders were sitting in their briefing, how many of them considered the thousands of fans who had paid their money to be there. Some who had paid hundreds of pounds plus to attend. And who now, with the meeting result declared, are left short changed (irrespective of any compensation package which may or may not be forthcoming from the organisers). Why was there a will to 'get on with it' back when the GP was initially brought into these stadiums, which seems to have disappeared now? What happened to 'the show must go on'?

 

And before anyone pipes up with that old chestnut of 'rider safety is paramount', unfortunately riders get injured. It's an unfortunate part of our sport. But I've seen plenty of riders injured on 'ideally' prepared tracks. All riders know that the GP temporary tracks are inconsistent. When they sign up for the GP, surely they understand that there is a good chance that some of the racing surfaces they are faced with will be less than ideal.

 

But, of course, I'm not a rider, so I'm not allowed to comment on this, I suppose.

I agree, we have seen tracks in a much worse state at all levels if the sport. Riders also need to take a bit of responsibility here, they were put off by the tape fiasco then after a couple of falls it was clear some just didn't want to be there. The few heats before the abandonment were decent and close racing. Edited April 19, 2015 by woz01

[iris123 21,179]

Although I'm a big critic of BSI, I can to some degree have some sympathy about the track problems. Trying to lay a track in a very limited time, is a big logistical challenge and even on permanent tracks, getting the preparation right is not an exact science.

 

 

Trouble is taking punters money is an exact science though.They don't pay according to how well the meeting goes.They pay up front and expect a top job for top dollar.It was said that the riders were threatened with big fines.Those who put the show on should also be hit with big fines to compensate the fans.No excuses,no promises of getting it better next time

[mothorsen 39]

What a crowd! Beautiful stadium! Worst meeting in history! Horrid ref decicions from the begining. And the tapes? Should be a minor problem in the world championship. Let's hope they've dealt with the issues from Tampere last year, so we can have a blistering round next time around.

[Chris Brown 542]

Just take speedway meetings to speedway tracks rather than the stadiums where the organisers can make the most money. These people continue to rip the heart out of our sport and they will not stop because I genuinely do not believe they care one little bit for the people who will have spent a fortune on travel, accommodation, time off work and tickets only to see another unacceptable shambles

 

But look on the bright side the speedway press will have enjoyed brilliant hospitality so they won't criticise them

 

This is 100% caused by going to a stadium without a natural speedway track, don't blame the Polish, don't blame the poor people who worked their socks off to put the track down, don't blame the riders blame the greed of the SGP rights holders, no-one else

[Humphrey Appleby 14,016]

We heard of comparisons before, but could we ever see a football match finish at half -time because the pitch was unsafe......

 

Yes, but football pitches are usually permanently laid in stadia and there's not really any massive science to growing grass, rolling and mowing it. A closer analogy would be preparation of a cricket pitch, and international matches have been abandoned due to them bring unfit.

 

I think the problem with temporary speedway tracks is the extreme shortage of time that the stadium is available for, leaving very little time to lay the track and resolve any issues with it. I don't disagree though, that Olsen should know how to lay a temporary track by now, and it being under a roof there's not even the excuse of inclement weather.

 

I think Olsen's head should roll along with heads at BSI, although I suspect there's not really any other company with the same experience in doing the work. It's all very well firing him, but who's going to do the temporary tracks in Tampere, Cardiff, Stockholm, Horsens and Melbourne at short notice?

[Chris Brown 542]

Anyone know the re-admission policy ?

[Humphrey Appleby 14,016]

Those who put the show on should also be hit with big fines to compensate the fans.

 

At the end of the day, whilst I'm sure it'll be another embarrassment for BSI, they'll have their money and will move on to the next venue leaving the local organisers carrying the can. I doubt the FIM can or will take any action, because it'll jeopardise their income stream and frankly the sport is probably too low on the radar for the bigwigs there to really care.

 

If BSI are responsible for the track though, then maybe the PZM could sue them.

[refereerick 253]

Anyone know the re-admission policy ?

It'll probably be the old retain your ticket and you can be readmitted to any meeting there in the next 12 months!!!!!

[sommelier 1,118]

 

Yes, but football pitches are usually permanently laid in stadia and there's not really any massive science to growing grass, rolling and mowing it. A closer analogy would be preparation of a cricket pitch, and international matches have been abandoned due to them bring unfit.

 

I think the problem with temporary speedway tracks is the extreme shortage of time that the stadium is available for, leaving very little time to lay the track and resolve any issues with it. I don't disagree though, that Olsen should know how to lay a temporary track by now, and it being under a roof there's not even the excuse of inclement weather.

 

I think Olsen's head should roll along with heads at BSI, although I suspect there's not really any other company with the same experience in doing the work. It's all very well firing him, but who's going to do the temporary tracks in Tampere, Cardiff, Stockholm, Horsens and Melbourne at short notice?

Buster Chapman!