mikebv

The thing is, he did..!!. He announced it before the start and still called Holder 'Przelpelski' about five times... And Holder about four....

Wow.. Jack Holder has changed names five times in that race....

If Woffinden had dropped back, what was stopping Laguta doing the same? In fact Laguta may have actually let Woffinden past to ensure he and Emil kept Lambert behind...? I would have been amazed if a rider of Emils level had let himself get mugged by Woffinden trying to clamp him down on the line or force him wide. . In fact, you could argue Lambert rode the wrong tactics as his only angle of attack was to try and 'burrow under' Emil... Emil was never going to move off the line or 'dissappear into thin air' therefore what was Lambert thinking? And why didn't Rosco bring Cook in for the last race? Obviously, I am being deliberately churlish to hopefully show you can disect every incident ever and find a 'better way'.. Ifs, buts, and maybes, wudder, cudder, shudder etc etc etc, hindsight is a wonderful thing.. Bottom line is it was a superb performance from the GB team, Cook included who kept up the support for Woffinden and Lambert. Collectively they did us proud... Woffinden showed what a genuine true World Class talent he is and Lambert showed great composure for one so young.. Add Cook, add Steve Worrall, add Dan Bewley and maybe one or two others and the future just may be quite bright...

100%... What a crap system.. (Unless we get a 3-3 in the Final behind whoever wins it from Poland or Russia..)

Poland in the Final, both on a warning... World Final in their own country.. Got to be,a bit twitchy.. Would take that...

Both Cricket and Rugby Union years ago realised that the way to improve their lot was to increase their media coverage and bring in more fans (which in turn would attract more corporate sponsors)... To do this therefore they went all out to deliver a successful National team with a system based on the Aussie blueprint from the late 80's and early 90's.. They did this by using central contracts and basically rested players from the domestic game and provided them with fitness training and nutrition plans centrally, as well as holding regular team get togethers... They knew that whatever Middlesex or Essex did in Cricket, or Leicester or Harlequins did in Rugby, no matter how successful these teams were, it wouldn't resonate around the Country.. The result? From 2000 onwards both Cricket and RU had some great successes and much more media coverage was delivered, more fans watched and became interested in their sports and more money came into the coffers through corporate business willing to get involved in 'successful sports'... It looks like, (eventually after far too many years) that the penny has finally dropped with those who run British Speedway that they need a successful National team to grow the sport collectively overall in Britain.. Let's hope this new era for GB delivers a successful National team that the domestic leagues can benefit from by riding on its coat tails.. Similar to the way it did 70's and early 80's through the likes of PC, Louis, Simmons, Jessup, Lee etc etc.. Good luck to the three lads tomorrow.. From little acorns and all that..

Is Tai still an Aussie on here to some??.. Just checking... Great to see a British genuine World Class rider that the rest of the World respects and fears.... Let's hope he, Lambert and Cook bring home the Gold Medal....

You mean LiverpoolFootballClub TM surely? "This is our year" "We are famous" etc etc etc...

It would certainly speed up the meeting times so many moan about...

Always wondered why they don't get a couple of non meeting riders completing 20 laps or so each half an hour before each meeting... It will turn the track over, a quick track grade and off you go...

Woffy! Woffy! Woffy! Great to have a true World Class rider.. Always got a chance with someone that good..

Might end up coming fourth in a three horse race...

On TV now....

Nice to see Woffy team riding and also giving his partner the more favourable gates... Shows how much it means to him for GB to be successful... (Lights the cord, steps back to a safe distance and awaits the fireworks)..

The track is similar to the SWC race off a couple of years ago.. ie lots of grip... Which meant plenty of fast times but follow the leader racing. . Where the inside becomes very fast and doesn't encourage wide riding... Plus of course there is a huge differential in the talent levels on show... The GP boys will turn up tonight with their best kit which will highlight the 'real' difference between the riders, which can sometimes look closer when the GP riders ride on kit 'good enough' to earn a good living over here...

Especially as he is on a warning.. One more mistake and the best GB could get is a 3-3

£25 for Grandstand, £20 for standing and a fiver for kids would have filled the place and actually made it look like a bona fide contest of some importance and relevance... I have been to 'Car boot sales' over the past couple of weeks with more in attendance than are at the NSS tonight... Pretty sure I paid less for me an my lad to attend the SWC race off AND Final combined at the NSS a couple of years ago... Ridiculous pricing..

Has Azerbaijan got a couple of Speedway riders? Or maybe Nigeria? Or possibly even Sri Lanka? (Don't they have the Tamil Tigers?)

A standing ovation from people sat down?

Apologies coming...

And MOTD is on the BBC free to air therefore has a great many viewers who don't have access to both Pay TV packages that broadcast it.. To add to your point re 'discussions to be had'.... As a Sport that slavishly uses averages to determine team strengths I do think that it doesn't use these 'stats' anywhere near enough.. I am a convert to Baseball and they throw batting averages, pitching averages, fielding errors %'s out like theres no tomorrow.. They even break down the pitcher v batter historical performances against each other, how many runs the batter has had at that particular venue previously, performance v left handers/right handers etc etc etc.. Speedway could show and discuss the head to head performance between individual riders, previous points scored/average at that track by each away rider and wins % over the season, seconds, thirds lasts %'s for each competitor.. They could also discuss individual points scored by riders from the four gate positions over the season, update the League table through the programme as points change. (With fixed nights several meetings take place so 'the table as it stands' could be a recurring theme). Maybe each riders fastest time around the circuit could be discussed and highlighted if he beats it? The track record never seems to be mentioned? Why not? Speedway uses so much data, and kicks out so many possible stats that it should use them in the inevitable down time to keep a watching audience, at home and at the track interested.. Announcing how many times 'Hans has beat Jason at Leicester this season' and 'Hans has won 'x' % of races from Gate 1' in the space before his heat starts must be of some interest to some I am sure.. Each race could have its own little snippet of info as a build up to it, adds a bit of spice too if the last time some of the riders had a coming together etc etc.. Which ultimately builds anticipation.. And got to be better than just having 'K Tels Hits of the 70's' on repeat or 'Birthday Wishes to Gladys who was 88 last Thursday and her favourite rider was Bjorn Knutsson' as the 'entertainment' between races..

I remember reading in the SS earlier in the year one club quoting that they were advised to get more assets to ensure that they then had a "bond" large enough to be allowed to compete... As you say, not exactly a 'sure footing' with which to grow your business. . Particularly when it's built on the potential 'shifting sands' of Employment Law..

I think it's more a collective decision to say "move along please, nothing to see here"... Especially given the way the asset system works in Poland and Sweden... Especially given the way the system works in other sports (eg 'The Bosman')... And especially given the EU free movement/restraint of trade laws... I would suggest it is something that uses a large carpet and a brush in the hope it doesn't ever get challenged... And who knows, maybe the system is actually integral is keeping tracks open, so therefore riders are quite happy to continue with the status quo? After all, a closed track earns a rider no money at all, and no opportunity for future earnings either.. And do they get a signing on fee when they become 'an asset'? One that is then used to buy equipment to ride over here? (and more than likely eleswhere)! If so, maybe that would need paying back? Murky waters though I would think should anyone actually take out a grievance under EU Employment Laws..

I think it now forms part of the 'bond' to compete so is encouraged... I seem to remember the 'bond' used to be a cash figure but I presume as less money is made then the cash available to stump up this money goes down as well.... Whatever the asset system actually is, I think legally it looks a bit dodgy.. 'Owning' self employed workers, and then taking money off someone else to allow them to work for that third party, certainly doesn't appear something employment law would advocate I would think...

To add to Snappers previous answer.... The reason for the change was because what was happening reflected exactly as you describe... Clubs with cash flow issues were then putting others under pressure by not paying the base pay rates x points scored earned by the riders of the teams who visited them... Basically if clubs cannot pay there own riders then there is almost no chance of paying opposition riders... It's an amazing Business Plan/Operating Model that British Speedway runs with... Don't think Richard Branson or Alan Sugar would ever consider adapting it to their businesses and use it...