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Grow up and go away.

Telegraph.co.uk Some 472 miles away from the fairways of Carnoustie, there was another British sporting event being televised this weekend, but its dust, din and danger are about as far away from the hushed, tense, rarefied world of the Open golf as it is possible to imagine. The Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff on Saturday was attended by more than 40,000, and shown live on BT Sport. The channel took the opportunity to release the latest of its invariably classy BT Sport Films: a documentary about the motor sport called True Grit. It will be reshown and is well worth a look. Watching the live action at the Principality Stadium, one would conclude that speedway must be in rude health: tens of thousands of passionate, committed fans, plenty of drama, exciting sport, with races coming thick and fast. Danger, characters, and a party atmosphere with lots of families. And in Tai Woffinden, a genuine star – covered in tattoos. Brilliant, uncompromising, he is a properly captivating, charismatic dark genius of the Ronnie O’Sullivan or Kevin Pietersen school. He came second on the night but accrued enough points to move closer to what would be his third world title. But the story away from the showpiece event is more clapped out moped than gleaming Harley Davidson. The True Grit film introduced a cast of dedicated, driven and singular folk genuinely struggling to keep their heads above water and their sport going. The riders are only paid when they race, and live a gruelling existence of driving themselves to races, competing for a few quid in front of sparse crowds, then grinding on to the next event. Woffinden says in the film: “I don’t really see dangers in what I do. It is probably more dangerous getting on a flight than me doing four laps on a speedway bike. I have never got nervous, so I don’t know what that feels like.” But there were nervous times on Saturday when Australia’s world champion, Jason Doyle, had a sickening crash, which culminated in his bike smashing into him as he hit the barrier, and a 30-minute delay in proceedings while he was taken to hospital. Fortunately, he has escaped with “just” minor fractures, but it was further evidence to back up True Grit’s point that this is a sport where danger and disaster lurk at every turn. Among its contributors is Garry Stead, who was a Premier League Speedway Champion before a 2007 accident left him paralysed from the waist down. It’s a powerful and sad story, bravely and unsentimentally told by the documentary. Risk and danger, naturally, are part of the attraction of speedway, and its sound and spectacle make for good television and what looks like a top day out as well. Lots of families in the crowd, no trouble, generous to the riders apart from perhaps pantomime villain Nicki Pedersen. Like all smaller sports, speedway is in a constant battle for investment, for sponsorships, for eyeballs, and those who run it need to take some serious, creative action as a matter of urgency. If they wanted something to show potential customers and supporters, they could do a lot worse than wave BT Sport’s film under noses. I enjoyed it and the live action at Cardiff and would watch again. True Grit: Wednesday Aug 15, 10.30pm, BT Sport 2 and Monday Sept 3, 6.30pm. BT Sport 1

That is my impression of the situation as well. Doyle tried to switch to the inside but had too small margins and hit Lambert's back wheel. Lambert was in no way in fault of the situation.

The best moment : Lindgren sitting in his pits and spouting something foul-mouthed at the camera. The new Nicki Pedersen, without the charisma

Really felt for Lambert last night. Everything that could go wrong did. Obviously the Ref had a problem with Lambert and excluded him twice, when in my opinion both were wrong. What did impress me was the way he rode in the two races he completed and his attitude of those bias decisions.... No doubt his time will come. Well done Robert, you did us proud...

The flaw in your view is that even if the product is right people still don't come and, worse, they continue to leave. The obvious example is Belle Vue. Fantastic track and racing. Brand new stadium (no standing on broken concrete or a mud bank in the rain). In Neil, Hayley & Chase the best presentation team in the business. Their gates have decreased by most accounts by one third this season. Somerset has a deserved reputation for excellent racing. Debbie Hancock, however, has said that their gates are 'not good'. Word I get is that they lose a substantial 5 figure sum every year and when they cleaned up a couple of seasons ago it was nearer 6. Until the NSS came along, I'd say Normanby Road Scunthorpe was the best in the country - I have had the pleasure of seeing some truly brilliant stuff there over time. Yet Rob Godfrey has continually complained about his poor attendances, and indeed threatened to close the track unless they increased a couple of years ago. I have, for a few seasons now, thoroughly enjoyed my trips to Workington. Decent stadium, good track, top quality presentation. Yet I know that when I have been that the attendance has been about half of the break even figure and Laura Morgan has lost a couple of thousand pounds every time. My own view is that good racing does increase gates or at least those clubs that provide it would be in dire straights without the additional fans it pulls in (I know this for certain, I am of one of them). But its not, and never will be, the sole answer and a single panacea to all of speedway's problems. We simply have to take a far broader approach than just concentrating on that, and ignoring those who come for the team element is one of the reasons why the sport is in the state it is now. Constantly taken for granted for years, they have finally had enough. You might hook someone with good racing. But if the stadium is a dump, the toilets are filthy, the promotion surly, the presentation puerile and the food inedible they won't stay on it for long.

Last night's refereeing performance at the British GP must go down as one of the worst in the history of the SGP. He had one difficult decision to make all night but still managed to mess up several others that were straightforward. Live .. these incidents can produce the tensions and shout-out moments that add to the controversy, atmosphere and buzz. As the ref becomes a pantomime villain of sorts, he can become part of the show. But watching on TV .... Less so. You don't tend to get that 'extra dimension' you can at the track from such an incompetent in the box. It just irritates the hell out of the viewer and the injustice created festers more. I was begging for some FIM white coated medics to come along at the interval and escort the poor man back to his facility. Some one needed to help him get out of there for his own good.

Nothing on Glasgow's social media outlets to say otherwise so I suspect Craig will be riding today , this place is mental at times stating what should happen if he doesn't ride, it's as if people want him to be unfit to start the I am outraged post's. We don't even know if he is or isn't riding yet, some need to get out more.

Nige and Kelvin were brilliant yesterday. They have an excellent rapport, no awkwardness or hesitation and are funny. Far superior to all the stilted, cliched, pseudo-insightful and just plain dull commentaries in the football World Cup.

Here we go again, same bile from the same people meeting after meeting year after year if you included the Producer and Director in your criticism you might get near the mark but all the time he is told to big it up by his masters he will because the feedback from the majority is just the opposite to yours. Each to their own of course but your incessant Pearson bashing makes it look personal and I'll bet there's a grain of truth in that.

probably right after watching in slo -mo . but the crash was his own fault trying to lean across Lambert and stop him coming through ,

I think his front wheel touched Lamberts dirt deflector and the wheel rode up over Lamberts back turning it in,nasty crash.Racing incident IMO .Dont think Lambert should have been DQ.

Nights like that which turn to ashes in your mouth will only make the champagne taste all the more sweeter next time it comes. and it will come and turn into a waterfall of the bubbly stuff. Onwards and Upwards. Good Luck for the Under 21 round. The world is indeed your lobster Robert.

Update on Jason from his Facebook page Wow, given how nasty that crash looked he seems to be a very lucky man. Fingers crossed for a quick full recovery.

Anyone observed how much more amenable Tia is these days? A few years ago in interviews he was often awkward and borderline rude and was certain to swear at least once. Nowadays he's more measured, friendly in tone and much more likeable as a result. I suppose he's grown up basically and I now find myself actually liking him!

No need to be negative towards any Brit is there? Nobody stuffed anybody, one had a great night the other a stinker, could have been the other way round on another day. Let's support them all.

Good meeting on a well prepared track, some really good racing as usual, Schlein and Palm Toft the best riders on the night for me, but it was the right final, two underdogs maybe at the start of the night, but the best pairs on the night. No complaints whatsoever about the racing, track or entertainment. My only gripe is the annual one for this meeting, the lack of toilets and food and drink outlets throughout the venue. Two portaloos, one ice cream van, one burger van, one drinks van and a small table on the third bend, to serve the back straight and third and fourth bend crowd is ridiculous. People scoffed at giving the 4TT to Redcar, but give them their due, there were toilets, food and drink outlets on every bend, no queues and no races missed as a consequence. Somerset know what to expect every year, sadly so do the fans. Still, a good meeting, just part of what is still a great weekend.

You won't have to pay anything for him as under-12's go free

I`m not sure he is right at all !!!

Bit of an exaggeration.I said before the start that he wouldn't win despite some saying how he was doing great in Poland,and he has always been a dirty b.......

I'll pay you in to the next Berwick Glasgow match seeing as you seem to be a deserving case and you can stand in amongst the Glasgow fans and enjoy the banter

Unless they want cardiff 2 have more riding on it then torun as the finale... only thing i can think of tbh...

Absolutely enjoyed the day and the meeting. Good racing on a decent indoor track. Referees decisions brought controversy to the meeting and has got a lot of people talking. Thought the crowd attendance was up on last year which was good. Robert Lambert well done young man on such quick reactions to lay your bike down to avoid going into Craig Cook. Hopefully Craig’s night will fill him with some confidence going forward. Whilst Robert may see it as a bad nights return he will have learnt a great deal from the night which should hold him in good stead for the future. Don’t know how Greg still keeps producing but long may it’s continue. Congratulations to Bartosz Zmarzlik on winning the event and best wishes to Tai for the remaninder of the season and hopefully bringing home the trophy.

MOST if not all will agree with that

Doyle's own fault IMO if he had done that to the likes of Hancock he may have backed off but a young "buck " is not intimidated in the same way if you live by the sword as they say .Doyle was a worthy Champ last year but I think that most riders are aware of his robust style now and deal with it which IMO has lead to his poor position this season in the GP'S .

So should we cancel our BT Sports subscription too? What about the overseas GPs, we should quit our jobs that keep us working at weekends and travel across Europe to watch live all to avoid hearing a so called professional (joke) sports commentator shout/scream like a demented fool, ruining otherwise very good BT Sport coverage? Ok then...

What an absolute brilliant day out, long live the British GP at Cardiff.

UNLIKE you to have a moan about NP Try actually going and you won't have to put up with it.

Swindon track 3 French born riders, probably first time ever in league. The shop will be selling berets, and baguettes, croissants, pain aux raisins, frogs legs, and garlic snails will be available from the snack bar.

Firstly, good to see that Doyle appears to be ok. Well done to Zmarzlik on the win but Woffinden looks guarenteed for the title now as long as he stays fit. Lambert obviously didn't have a great night but was just one of those meetings where everything goes wrong, just a shame it happened to be the GP. Thought that he came across very well when interviewed on BT, to be able to stay calm in situations like that and put it behind you before the next race is a good sign. Sounds stupid given his score but I think he enhanced his reputation. Great to see Cook doing well, he's proved he can beat riders of this quality in pressure meetings in the qualifiers so pleased to see him do it here and hopefully he can have a few more like that in the remaining GPs. Had good pace and who knows what could have happened if he hadn't crashed in his last ride, was making some excellent starts so had every chance of at least making the final. Unlucky in his first race as well, looked like the perfect start to me. As for the ref, I can only assume he had been sampling Cardiff's pubs all morning

As has been said many times since Poole signed their Polish ringers any rider who has missed a whole season here should have their averages assessed on an annual basis to bring it in line with what they achieve in other leagues. That said if Wolves or anyone else want to sign Woffinden on a seven point whatever they should be able to just as others have done.

Just a reminder to watch the official you tube coverage of the meeting later with Dave Rowe and Sam Ermolenko proving commentary live from the track- link will be posted later. should start around 5.30pm UK time

Wooooooshhhhhh!

what right have you to judge and call the people in the cheaper seats im sure a lot of them people will be far more honest and friendly than a lot in the snob/expensive seats disgracefull post I was in a even cheaper seat on my mates sofa as I don't have btsports so what does that make me if even the smelly poor paupers paid £19 to watch

Poor decision yet again by the ref. Of course, the important thing is that Jason Doyle is ok, or at least not too seriously hurt, but the problem is that by making that decision it means that Robert Lambert is now held officially to blame for whatever happens to Doyle, when, quite clearly, he wasn't.

Hopefully. In fairness there are several teams that would be improved by the inclusion of Atkin. Strikes me as odd timing that Tony leaves as soon as Wallinger signs....

I note the statement on the Birmingham website about the incident. I trust those who criticized Buxton and Jayne will now be offering apologies

I'd imagine the Police will ensure there's no clash

Dan came third In the final of Round 2 of the World U21, well done!

Great meeting, massive away support, just losing out on the last corner of ht15. We were looking out of it until the Cook TS/Harris 5-1 in ht 9. Unfortunately Vissing lifted at the gate in all but his first ride impeding himself and Pickering rode beyond all expectations as a guest. Hopefully this kick starts our push for a play off place, it cant wait any longer.

Hey, come on MattK, not all "old" people are minted and I know of more than a dozen ( perhaps 20 ) who have walked away from watching speedway live in the stadium because it IS passe. And past it and old-fashioned and has failed. Failed full stop to engage with it's existing fan base.

Now that is REALLY getting into the act and a great sense of marketing - at last. This kind of thematic promotion could be the start of saving UK speedway and bringing hordes of fans ( old and new ) to the terraces. Magic!

I would suggest the BBC got this wrong...looks like Tony Briggs, not Barry...

FIRST time in 17 years at Cardiff that I have sat in the grandstand. Fantastic night. Cannot beat live sport and the whole package this year was in my opinion exceptional. Being amongst a crowd like that, enjoying chatting with people you have never met before, getting caught umping the whole atmosphere. Just brilliant and on the on-track action was just the icing on the cake. Only minus was the referee who, frankly, I will be surprised to see officiate at another SGP.

Article in Sunday Times. Tai Woffinden extends title lead after Jason Doyle suffers crash in Cardiff showdown Australian rider in hospital but Briton thrives at home grand prix In the end, it was all about Tai Woffinden. Almost. Britain’s most naturally gifted and naturally maverick speedway rider since the ill-fated Michael Lee. A thrilling evening before a 40,000 crowd ended with him finishing second in Cardiff for the third time, last night to the imperious Pole Bartosz Zmarzlik. All the same, Woffinden’s lead in the world championship was extended to 20 points at the season’s halfway stage. “It doesn’t matter,” he said afterwards. “Winning the Grand Prix is just a platform. The important thing is that I’ve extended the lead.” There were sub-plots. Unheralded British rider Craig Cook won three successive heats. Troublingly, the reigning world champion Jason Doyle took a terrible fall in heat 20 on a track that posed difficulties all night. “It was hard out there,” said Woffinden. “The man-made tracks are so gnarly. You need a big set of balls and to know how to ride and when you see the other three best riders in the world next to you, it’s the ultimate trial.” As Doyle lay prostrate, his bike careered into him. An ambulance came onto the track. Doyle was briefly unconscious, but after a lengthy delay, he was alert as he was stretchered off to hospital. Once again, the dangers of this remarkable sport were laid bare, but Doyle will be back. “I didn’t want to look,” said Woffinden of Doyle’s tumble. “I had to keep my head in the right place. He’s had his x-rays and I just hope he’s OK, but when you get on that bike, there are things we all know…” Woffinden is seemingly on course for his third world title. But for all that the British Grand Prix is the ultimate showcase for Britain’s best rider, Woffinden and Cardiff have never been easy bedfellows. A runner-up in 2014 and 2016, Woffinden hitherto played the occasion rather than the four-lap races. This time, Woffinden and his 500cc bike went close, but again not quite close enough. As ever, the organisers went for spectacle in the faintly ludicrous shape of a 50ft inflatable trophy; a sex-appeal-free band knocking out a version of Sex on Fire; indoor fireworks; the Welsh and British national anthems; WWF-style cheerleading (“ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you ready to go racing?”) and the usual eardrum-challenging cacophony. It all smacked of a self-conscious lack of a confidence in a sport that again proved to be as thrilling and as dangerous as it was when Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger and Anders Michanek were staples of terrestrial television. Woffinden and second-place Fredrik Lindgren met in the first heat and, with the swagger of one who knows no other way to conduct himself, Woffinden led from first to last, so far ahead that he could finish with a wheelie. Lindgren finished third. Pantomime villain Nicki Pedersen and Woffinden clashed in heat 5. Woffinden was last into the gate. After a restart when fellow Brit Robert Lambert took a painful tumble onto the cinders and was excluded, Woffinden was last out of it and, bike stuttering and spluttering, he finished third out of three when his ignition failed. There was still a territory-marking wheelie. If British speedway looks like a one-man show, Craig Cook won heat 6, holding off Przemyslaw Pawlicki at the end for only his second victory in 36 heats. He would win his third in heat 11 and then his fourth two heats later, before his luck ran out when he fell in heat 20 and failed to finish his semi-final, but it remains the finest night of a journeyman career. Bike restored, Woffinden won heat 9 with a bravura display of chance-taking, no-holds-barred riding. With Patryk Dudek shadowing his every manoeuvre, Woffinden took the long way round and although the margin of victory and the wheelie at the end were small, the ability and bravery were superlative. Woffinden began heat 13 on the outside, but a sluggish start meant he could not squeeze past Greg Hancock. This time, there was no Woffinden wheelie, but there was a clasp of hands with Cook who was second only to Zmarzlik, who, surprisingly, began the evening eighth in the championship. Yet when Woffinden and Zmarzlik finally met in heat 17, the Brit’s 52.5sec was the fastest of the evening and the Pole trailed all the way. Zmarzlik and Maciej Janowski qualified from the all-Polish first semi-final. Woffinden won the second ahead of Hancock. The final was a Zmarzlik masterclass. “I was waiting for him to make a mistake,” said Woffinden, “but it never came.” His wheelie at the end was barely noticeable, but the bigger picture remains a joy for him to behold.

Wooosh again! OK, you mised the joke... but now you're in a hole, stop digging!

They aren't though are they? Even to the uninitiated a 1970s speedway bike is a lot different to a current bike.

this is a different one . its about the meeting at sneffield

Sadly true. The introduction of the SDL has been a positive in some lights but still with 5 teams in each its very light on fixtures. 4 H & 4 A is certainly not going to see many riders develop at a substantial rate. Add in that even tracks/track staff that host teams don't always offer much support which is sadly mud in the eye to the few amazing individuals who run the sides and the riders who travel huge distances in an attempt to better themselves.

Well, let's look at accounts for year end 2017. Name one Premier League club... I'll go more.. Here are the ones who made a profit: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Everton, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Swansea, Tottenham, Watford, WBA, West Ham