Splatty

that must mean I wasn't smashed then! so you should apologise Ryan - you wouldn't catch me talking such rubbish I hope that all forum meetings in the future are as much fun - this one was double the fun for me as was able to share it with big bro

a hum muma hey muma hey mum mckinna.........(or something like that) class (although I didn't think so on the train back to warsaw when I couldn't get it out of my head!)

i'd forgotten about the scrum that descended on tomasz at the end - I reckon he must have still been signing autographs 3 hours later!

it did seem a bit of a waste of time - although exactly the type of thing that could do us no end of good on our own TV to get bums on seats

great pics Papa - brings back the lack of sleep involved! good to meet you too Luckystar and there was me thinking that it was one of your dreams StartTart!

Great to meet you Papa as it was with all the other forumers and the other great guys we met - don't suppose you've seen the tape yet? I think they preferred your wigs to ours Bydgoszcz was certainly an experience - we were lucky to be welcomed into the fold just off bend 2 or we could have been standing 3 deep at the top of the terracing. The organisers definitely let in a few thousand too many! The Polish fans were great and certainly know how to enjoy themselves - although having to hold up a 17 stone guy is not an easy matter! A bit sad that we chose the year that the guys rode on concrete but it didn't seem to phase Tomasz which was great. Everything went smoothly for us from start to finish - not a train was missed or a ticket lost - although I wish I had read that phrasebook a bit more - very impressed with Rico's grip on the language! Most of Friday and Saturday nights are pretty hard to remember now but my hangovers in the mornings following will be legendary - and im sure we spent hours putting the speedway world to rights. Won't be one I forget in a hurry and a return in 2005 is definitely on the cards!

lol now why doesn't that suprise me f-s-p?!! at least my head isn't pounding anymore!

i'm more likely to laugh at the farcical nature of it all!! you wouldn't catch any GP riders throwing races

nice one for the tips Rico - i've a feeling they are going to come in handy we are not flying till the early hours of friday but will be heading for the party and hotel brda in the evening look forward to meeting up with all you guys out there

Could be quite a group of us if we all met up! so just to confirm all the meeting spots: - hotel brda on Friday night club under the city hotel on the saturday night?

I didn't realise about the 1 wild card for each round - that makes a lot more sense and would on the whole solve the problem of who to pick - hopefully this will allow the best or most exciting to get a shot.

There's obviously a couple of GP's to go but I reckon we are getting a good idea of who is likely to go through as of right and who just cannot be ignored next season. It looks like some have qualified as of right already but personally I can see the current top 13 being picked anyway (also fits into the theory that wild cards have been spread evenly between the 'main' nations in the past) - include the two qualifiers and that would make 3 swedes, 3 aussies, 3 Danes, 3 Poles, 2 Brits, 1 USA this would leave 1 position left which I believe will be between Mark Loram, Dave Norris, Matej Zagar, Rune Holta and Lukas Dryml - I would like to include Billy Hamill but I believe his absence from both the GP series and EL will work against him. There are of course others who have had good showings as wildcards this season but if the theory works out to be correct they will be ignored for the reason that their country is already well represented (eg Bjerre, Iversen) and with the greatest of respect I can't see Benfield giving Topinka a place. But then again................... If Benfield decide to base it on venues being able to cheer a home rider then it would be important that there are representatives from Norway, Slovenia and the Czech rep which would mean Rune and Lukas are picked and out of the top 13 who would lose out I could see being Ryan Sullivan and Bjarne/Hans. so........... Andreas Jonsson Tomas Gollob Bjarne Pedersen/Hans Andersen Scott Nicholls Lee Richardson Jaroslaw Hampel Rune Holta Lukas Dryml Matej Zagar but I would prefer to see Andreas Jonsson Tomas Gollob Bjarne Pedersen Hans Andersen Lee Richardson Jaroslaw Hampel Scott Nicholls Matej Zagar Rune Holta both of these would unfortunately spell the end of Loramski and Flying Ryan but they both seem to be on the way down and disinterested - also would ignore the great league performances of David Norris but his was just bad timing. I've never liked the thought of it being reduced to 16 riders - the current format is as good as you can get for a GP series and there are too many riders who deserve to be on the world stage for it to be whittled down to 16. No matter what happens it will be harsh

yeah the speed is amazing that Niels and a few others are finding - certainly must be mechanical geniuses

i'd expect that from an Arena fan! That was a proper track and the kind that we should be aspiring to have more in this country

I must admit it did take me a bit by suprise in Prague - I mean how much would it cost to supply two bits of crusty bread? no seriously though it made a refreshing change to the usual pretend food.

cheers guys I think i'm even more split now! talking of practice....does anyone know what time it starts?

where is everyone standing/sitting? I still haven't got our tickets and am a bit confused as to where we should go a bit of backstraight madness seems appealing but then again so does the first bend stand has anyone got any advice please?

cheers ML ..................and just how ironic is all this after SWC?!!

sorry I re read my post and it probably came across the wrong way. I appreciate you letting us know that is after all one of the massive benefits of the forum. I just hope that we aren't sleeping on the streets that night cheers for all the info guys - looking forward to meeting some more forum members

we are staying at the City and because of the panic that your post brought I phoned them. They said that the rooms are absolutely safe beyond doubt - lets hope they are right!

still no press release about this 'yelllow card' Garf

will be great to see Matej in the quality of field he belongs in

will have to start looking for a phrasebook methinks

I never mentioned any names though