PHILIPRISING

FOR those who care (and many do) the pre-meeting entertainment line-up will be announced on Thursday.

OVER 90f here in Gorican today and not a cloud in the sky. Will still be baking this evening.

THE cost of mounting an outside broadcast, rigging all the cameras, miles of cables, building a studio, etc is huge. This is speedway we are talking about, not the Olympics or football. The money isn't there. It's a nice idea but, as I say, simply not practical.

JASON has announced today that he will be riding in Gorican on Saturday. These riders are unreal!

NOT practical ... TV wouldn't want to set up at two venues, stadium branding, ticketing, etc.

A FEW final details have yet to be finalised but there will be a Fanzone in Cardiff again ... bigger than ever. There will be a Monster Rig, complete with girls and noise, lots of the usual attractions and a few new additions. I understand that Titan is due to return. Whether we can persuade the Monster girls to wrestle with the grid girls remains to be seen!

DOES your source live on the moon? Or cloud cuckoo land?

JASON has flown to Switzerland for an operation by Red Bull doctor and hopes to ride in Gorican.

WOULDN'T necessarily argue with any of that White Knight but as unsavoury as commercial interests might be the TV audiences are vital and the Joker is seen as a means of sustaining interest in a meeting that might otherwise become a foregone conclusion long before the end. Personally I would do away with it and just allow tactical substitutes (no double points) for teams six or more in arrears but then I am not charged with convincing various TV companies, including Sky, that speedway is worthy of their money and air-time. But then I still enjoy test cricket although would not argue that it is generally more exciting that 20-20.

IF I heard right over the weekend Crump and Sayfutdinov are off to Vladivostok this week

USE your own shovel

I DID and there appeared to be little or no ill-effects but perhaps in the heat of battle the actual process of releasing the clutch caused him some discomfort. I also think he was just race rusty. With regard to the Joker. On the first count of race manipulation, of course both BSI and the FIM (particularly Race Director Tony Olsson and referee Craig Ackroyd) were unhappy and were discussing various options immediately after the meeting. It soured the Final (although not the result in my opinion) and obviously needs to be tackled. As to the Joker itself, I think it is fair to say, although I have no firm evidence to support it, that the displeasure with the whole Joker scenario is more prevalent in the UK than abroad. That could have much to do with the actual title (slightly different connotation in other languages) and because for us it tends to be synonymous with It's A Knockout. And, of course, it does help to create some excitement and closer finishes however false and unsavoury that may be to some British fans and, it would seem, several BSF posters. Speedway is in the entertainment business and TV audiences are an essential component and these days the tail often wags the dog. If I had to lay money now I doubt whether the Joker is going away anytime soon but to ensure it has any credibility the ability of teams to manoeuvre the score to suit either themselves or to disadvantage the opposition by illegal means must be removed.

YOU are so wrong and especially your last sentence. Just goes to show that you know little about the riders I spend time with, including Chris Harris and Chris Holder, Greg Hancock, Nicki Pedersen, etc.They are quite capable of knowing when we are just chatting (quite often in a hotel or airport or on a plane) or conducting an actual interview.

CHRIS Harris wasn't talking to me as a 'journalist' but in general conversation and it was he who suggested that had the track not been greasy after the rain shower Holder wouldn't have hit him. With respect dornier I think it is riders who are the best judges of what is dirty and what is not, who is dirty and who is not. Harris had no problem with the move as you call it pulled by Holder, either in that race or the subsequent Heat 19 which was brilliant to watch and, according to both, to compete in. No one said Darcy was in perfect shape only that he was deemed fit to ride, which he was. And, let's face it, gating is not Darcy's greatest asset at the best of times.

THE attendance was significantly hit by the weather, as bad if not worse in Sweden than the UK. Malilla traditional draws its crowd from quite a wide area but people weren't prepared to travel fearing either a postponement nor getting drenched ... there is no cover at the G&B Arena. Had it been a nice, warm, dry day there is no doubt the stadium would have been packed. The adjoining camp site was empty. Usually (for a GP) is is very busy.

SO presumably the suggestion is: Hosts seeded to race-off Winners of two qualifiers direct to final Runners-up in qualifiers to race-off Highest scoring team in qualifiers to race-off Top two in race-off to final Has merit

I KNOW what you are saying Humphrey but I was simply saying that it would be possible, and indeed practical, to bring in temporary grandstands and catering facilities at both KL and Peterborough although obviously not on the scale of a major golf tournament. And, as already stated, that is exactly what they will do at the Norfolk Arena for the stock car final. Incidentally, the cost to BMW of installing their 'village' at Wentworth was around £4 million!

SPOKE to Harris about Holder incident at KL ... dirty? Certainly not as far as Chris was concerned. Just a racing incident that probably had as much to do with rain shower as anything else. CH added that his Heat 19 encounter with Holder was as good as it was because both riders had absolute trust in each other. Cannot and would not condone some behavioural issues but to suggest that Holder is a dirty rider is just rubbish. And even a former Harris associate acknowledged that he does sometimes slip off a little easily. And I would also bow to the judgement of no lesser a legend that Ove Fundin who asked me to introduce him to Holder prior to the start of the final. "He is my favourite rider," said Ove, "and I told him that he is being hard done by referees in the GP this year. He's a racer that I just love to watch."

THERE were some problems between BSI and the Showground last time SWC event held there but I hear there is a new boss who might be more accommodating. IF space is available, as it is at both Peterborough and Kings Lynn, a lot can be done. Look at how they transform golf courses for the major events. All those facilities are brought in just fir a few days.

CROATIA in the final? CORRECT

THE 2013 SWC race-off and final were originally designated for the new BV stadium but since that won't be ready in time four a trial meeting at least alternatives are now in the frame. Prague is certainly one of those as BSI and the FIM try to break the Denmark/Poland mould. But King's Lynn is not totally out of the question simply because of the quality of racing that the track produces. Obviously they would have to enhance the spectator facilities but I believe they have a stock car World Final there in 2013 when temporary grandstands will be installed. They could go in early and serve both events. But if there is concrete proof that Belle Vue's new stadium will be available for 2014 that would rule out a GB final next year. Ole Olsen is not interested in staging another final just yet (at least he wasn't before Saturday's result), Sweden have just had one and Poland have enough on their plate.

WARD seemed fine yesterday. Was given a thorough examination by a doctor (who coincidentally specialises in hand injuries) who bent his left hand in all directions without any adverse reaction from Darcy.

2.45pm ... it's stopped raining and the sky is much brighter with white, fluffy clouds sweeping across. Yesterday's practice was a bit sparse ... only Mikkel B Jensen for Denmark, just Grigory Laguta for Russia (and only then a couple of starts because he has never ridden here), three Swedes (no Jonsson) and five Aussies.