PHILIPRISING

GETTING back on topic ... this could actually be THE week!

IT was but going to press on a Tuesday afternoon and going on sale on a Thursday during an on-going case is not an easy circle to square... so much can happen during the intervening hours and days.

LET'S not forget he was found not guilty ...

FOR the record, if my memory is correct Darcy Ward was never charged with rape. The court case was covered in SS. I believe we did discuss why Coventry and Peterborough were at loggerheads with the BSPA and Sandhu was given the opportunity of an interview but declined.

AT this moment in time Ryanair are not flying in or out of Bydgoszcz on Sunday, October 12th ... hope they change their mind!

LOT of work taking place on the stadium in Riga but Daugavpils will remain on stand-by ...

FULL list of SGP riders' numbers will be announced this week ...

I WILL enquire ...

IVAN would have been the best even if he had to start backwards! Don't know of any other rider who kept a book with every referee's name in it and notes about how he handled starts.

THANKS for those comments and fortunately there are still many who concur. Fully respect the views of everyone on here, even those I don't necessarily agree with.

MYSTERIOUS backers of Speedway Star? We have no mysterious backers and I resent the suggestion that we do. Pinegen Limited, owners and publishers of Speedway Star, is a privately owned company with all the shares in the possession of people who actually work there.

OF all the great starters I have seen over the years - such as Mauger, Nielsen, Tatum, Wiltshire and Hancock - so much was instinctive but they did have their own techniques and ensured that some of the basics were right. It is like trying to hit a golf ball with a grip that simply isn't conducive to what you are trying to achieve. It is an old chestnut of mine that young up-and-coming riders rarely receive any worthwhile tuition. As Ivan used to say, so many just perfect their imperfections. In just about any other sport coaches play a vital role even when the individuals involved reach the pinnacles of their respective careers. Look at tennis... Nadal, Federer, Murray, et al, all still have coaching. If I were Chris instead of watching countless dvds, etc, I'd just call Kelvin Tatum and ask for some help. He was and still is as strong on the theory as the practical. But the pupil has to be prepared to listen and learn and not, like some, think they know it all as soon as they can slide a bike.

SKIDDER1 is spot on regarding riders' costs, etc. Why would a rider earning several thousand pounds per meeting riding for Zielona Gora travel to England a mere fraction of what he normally receives? It isn't just team strengths where there is a great disparity between Poland and the UK.

I HAVEN'T actually been Editor of SS for almost 18 years now. I was always more opinionated in print than Richard Clark, who took over from me, but you don't keep a dog and bark yourself. His style may be different from mine and of course some people will criticise the content but I have said many times on here that you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

THIS is what I wrote... ALF WEEDON FOR several decades Alf Weedon was the man behind the camera lens rather than in front of it yet his name resonated within speedway as much as any rider who ever graced the sport. Alf the photographer was synonymous with Speedway Star for many years and during the halcyon days of the sport he enjoyed near celebrity status himself. He was a larger than life character, his East London roots never forgotten or forsaken, but his prowess with a camera in an age before the equipment of today, which does so much of the hard work automatically, should not be under-estimated. Alf didn’t just work as a speedway photographer, he was part of the fabric, even dabbling at promoting at one time, and always with an eye for a chance to supplement his income with the sale of souvenirs ... rosettes, badges, rattles, photos, the Weedon brand was omnipresent. During my early days as an employee of Echo Publications, owners of Speedway Star, Soccer Star and World Soccer, Alf was a frequent visitor to our offices and one abiding memory is that he always had a huge wedge of cash in his back pocket. He was the archetypical wheeler-dealer, always trying to keep one step ahead of the taxman, but if he wasn’t to be found at a speedway meeting, chances are that he would be on the dance floor somewhere. With his immaculate, though shiny suits, and highly polished shoes and an ample sprinkling of bling, Alf was a sort of latter day Bruce Forsyth and had he been 40 years younger would have been an ideal participant on Strictly Come Dancing. He would have relished the spotlight. Alf set a trail that was later followed by Mike Patrick – coincidentally, Mike’s middle name is Alf – who carved his own niche in speedway folklore. It would be wrong to say that Alf saw Mike as his protégé and, in fact, he made life difficult for MP at times, but later he certainly appreciated the brilliance of the man who filled his shoes at Speedway Star after he re-joined his old boss, Robert Bolle, at the launch of Speedway Mail. Alf was the product of a different era and if he could have his time again I suspect he would not change anything. He lived his life to the full and only declining health in recent years diminished his appearances on the speedway scene. But it is testimony to his talent as a photographer and personality that his name shines brightly in the annals of speedway’s history.

DON'T have to be a genius to work out the costs ... four teams of five for starters.

I AM sure you don't expect me to reveal any confidential source ... unlikely to take place because the costs are too high and such a meeting at Poole even with a crowd of around 4,500 (just about their max) would simply not be viable. DON'T think so ... it seems that the idea is to have the meeting at the home of line of the participants rather than a neutral venue.

I AM hearing that the proposal was for a one-off meeting featuring the Champions from Denmark, GB, Poland and Sweden at Poole but now seems unlikely to take place.

IT is no secret that there is a deal with Sky but what we haven't been able to publish - because we actually don't know - is the precise details of the new contract ... money, length, etc, etc. We were hoping to have been given chapter and verse earlier this week so that it could be included in SS tomorrow but no joy there. An earlier comment has been mis-interpreted by some ... what I was trying to say, but seemingly failed in some people's eyes, is that it is the prerogative of Sky and/or the BSPA to formally announce any deal at a time of their choosing. I would also agree that it must be frustrating for riders looking to secure or boost sponsorship deals on the back on TV coverage and having no actual evidence of one being in existence. The silence from Rugby and Isleworth is deafening but perhaps we will discover why in the near future.

NUDGE, nudge, wink, wink ... Speedway Star was all geared up to reveal TV deal this week but nothing was forthcoming from either Sky or the BSPA.

STILL waiting for an answer on that one

THINK they are quite entitled to "tell us" when they see fit ...

I POSTED earlier ... tickets on sale around Jan 31

HE was certainly that.

THINK there is a chance of that next year... maybe alternating with SWC