Bagpuss

Robert says himself in the SWC programme that it's probably a couple of years too early to qualify for the GP's.But if he does what a fantastic experience it will be. All he is missing is his gating and experience, everything else is in his locker.

Wow, fantastic meeting tonight, chalk and cheese from last night. Poland thoroughly deserved winners. Team GB exceeded my expectations especially after a poor start. Think Robert deserved his spot by what he has achieved this season but his inexperience and inability to gate really showed tonight, easy to forget that he is only eighteen years and three months but his gating needs sorting very soon if he is going to be world class in the future. Finally unlucky darts Mr Doyle

General speedway experience. Didn't work out but without hindsight was a sensible call. With hindsight Kurtz probably would have scored more but would they really have finished any higher?

No brainer to go with Josh G's experience.

No brainer to go with Josh G's experience.

Fair enough, first time I've been and thought it needed a bit more dirt out wide which is basically what you are saying. During the grading breaks the spike & roller tractor kept 'livening up' the inside line when leaving it alone and concentrating on the outside might have been better. I don't think the gulf in quality between some of the riders helped either. EDIT just seen you've said the same in #830 The great thing about Peterborough is the lack of straights and the fact that it is a massive circle. Somerset very similar and I think these kind of tracks give the best racing.

Fantastic view on the back straight but unfortunately the racing wasn't great, track far too smooth and slick. Shame as the track has fantastic dimensions and has huge potential. IMO the SWC this year has been very poor so far for racing, nowhere near enough passing across the three rounds. Hopefully there will be a bit more dirt down tomorrow and the final will make up for the action so far.

Why does the PL not do the in-meeting R/R thing?

I was thinking common sense rather than regulations.

Surely King and Cook aren't riding in their PL matches tomorrow?

Thats one hell of a statement from Glasgow.

I've got a Henka painted programme board, think the artist's name was Stuart Parsley?

As Rosco says, mountains and molehills. British media and fans always seem hellbent on creating a hullabaloo or two whatever the sport on the eve of tournaments, anybody would think we don't want our national teams to win anything. Hopefully they will be left in peace for the rest of the week.

Presumably they will practice again before Friday?

Can't believe I'm doing this but please explain how he is thinking further ahead than those promoters who run training schools and NL teams?

Completely irrelevant. He progressed from very first laps to the first team, thats long term planning. Very similar story for Lewis Rose. And as Danny says, Kerr may well be back in the future, still a club asset. Hopefully the likes of Josh Bailey, Tom Stokes, Ryan Kinsley and Lewis Whitmore will follow in their footsteps.

That all is as may be, my point is that Mr Ford can't be looking any further ahead than those who are nurturing 12, 13 & 14 year olds and then giving them NL team places when they turn 15. You said that he looks further ahead than any other promoter and that simply isn't true. I accept that not everyone can run NL, but Lewis Kerr for example had his first rides at Lynn some three or four years before he made his full Stars debut, and for those initial laps he was as raw as you can imagine. That is proper long term planning. Mr Ford's talent spotting skills are obviously very good but don't try and tell us all that he plans further ahead than anyone else.

Why no Riss at reserve for Germany?

I could definitely see why she excluded Zmarzlik but was very surprised it wasn't all four back. She needs to have been convinced that Zmarzlik was trying to have Iversen off as we can't have exclusions every time riders bang elbows and somebody comes off. Certainly a brave call.

Shame the track is so slick, although no surprise of course. Milik is an absolute wrong un.

Apart from those who also run NL teams, training schools etc.....

I don't see how anybody has been made to 'look a fool' if there are rules in the rulebook which directly contradict eachother.

Better would be fair enough, 'head and shoulders above' isn't.

There is only one person who thinks Ellis is 'head and shoulders' above Bates and they are a Poole fan which unfortunately dilutes their opinion. Hope I'm wrong but the selection of Ellis over the British U21 champion and the rider who is joint 4th in the World U21 standings smells a bit of Poole old boys network. Hopefully Ellis won't be called upon as he will be way, way out of his depth, as Bates would have been. Great experience for them to be involved though (they should both be there in the pits).

Would have been Bates at reserve for me but the other four pick themselves IMO. Hopefully Bates will be involved, like Worrall, for the experience.