PHILIPRISING

NO, not if it is part of the contract that riders sign to compete in the championship. Your 'solution' is not that simple. Supposing the first Reserve also required in Poland the night before. Is he expected make all the arrangement (bikes, mechanics, etc) to travel to the SGP the following day without knowing whether or not he will be needed. And what if more than one rider is injured or unable to travel? Far better to have all the riders in attendance the day before. Many of the riders would rather have that decision made for them and not have to fight their prime employers.

NOT sure what all these fiascos are and, of course, Armando is not the man at the top. The various commissions at the FIM do not have complete autonomy.

POLISH influence spreads further up the FIM hierarchy than Armando who still has my respect. If you knew of all the things he has and is doing you might have a different opinion.His battles with the Poles take place on an almost daily basis.

TRUST me, this is only the tip of the iceberg

HAVE suggested in SS next week that the FIM simply ban SGP riders from racing competitively 24 hours prior to a round of what is after all the World Championship.

IT'S not missing practice that is an issue.What happens when a rider actually misses a GP because he was injured the night before. And who replaces him or indeed them?

IT'S not the club's fault ... it was supposed to be co-ordinated with SS coming out but thanks to Royal Mail we jumped the gun

TRUE, will be available just after midnight

£30 for 13 issues ... save £9 on the cover price and we include first class post in the cost.

OFFICIALLY SS is not on sale until tomorrow but the printed subs copies were collected by Royal Mail on Christmas Eve as we were told they would not be delivered until the 28th.

ALSO have financial problems following their failure to find a UK TV platform.

ALL been released from their contracts and are free to go elsewhere. If this was Britain they would stay as assets for eternity...

GOOD story on Bewley's efforts to get fit in SS this week

HE has that person in Steve Lawson ... top man

THEY didn't have to. Been banging this drum for decades. Assets are illegal. Cook didn't have a valid contract with Edinburgh so could do as he pleased. If BV paid Edinburgh money then more fool them.

DIV 2 always did race on a Thursday and there won't be many Thursdays for Div 1 tracks. Given the paucity of fixtures in the UK should't be difficult to avoid clashes. And, of course, British teams have priority over any riders needed in Sweden.

RUGBY is in Japan ... big time difference

WHY should it not work in Britain if administerred properly. Thing of the future rather than the past.

BEHIND the scenes, as it were, moves are afoot to standardise equipment and reduce cost for riders, from the top to the bottom.

WHICH is exactly why riders and promoters need to work together, at least as far as British speedway is concerned, to reduce costs for both parties.

THINGS were very different then. Lots of riders were part time mechanics, often with their own small businesses servicing cars etc. They barely exist now. And the basic costs for riders is off the scale compared to 40 plus years ago.

AND what other job outside of speedway would allow them the variable time off required to get to and from tracks let alone actually race? It is hard enough as it is to see why any one would want to be a speedway rider these days without making it even more unviable than it already is. The way to stop doubling up is to ensure that riders can make a living riding from just one team and that will only come about with more and regular meetings for the track they are actually attached to.

LOWERING costs for promoters and riders is a chicken and egg situation. Both should be tackled in harmony.

AMAZING that this wasn't done before. Provides protection (limited liability) for promoters who could otherwise have been in danger of having to contribute financial support to the Association in the case of debts, etc. No doubt the Gerhard fiasco sharpened some minds! Many other potential benefits, too, but ultimately will not bring additional people through the gates.

WHY pay for a rider you can get for nothing?