PHILIPRISING

IT'S all about opinions...

AMONGST other things, yes

THANKS for the comment

YES it his and not sure where they would host it. OO doesn't seem keen at the moment as he is still battling the local authorities around Vojens to help fund new developments at the Speed Centre.

DESPITE all the conspiratory theories, I don't think Joe Parsons has any real influence these days. Might be different if Monster didn't already have Dudek, Hancock and Woffinden in the line-up.

THE Race Director is involved as well if my info is correct

NO I don't.

THE FIM have the majority votes. I am surprised by Holder, too, but with Dudek, Hancock and Woffinden already in, not sure Monster would have been too disappointed without Holder except, maybe, on a personal level.

IT'S a joint effort

HEARD a rumour that the Council (MCC) are going to fund covers fort the track in 2018.

CONSIDERABLY better...

WITH respect, the One Sport version is for corporate teams not national ones. Stick a Danish, Polish, Swedish and hopefully British race-jacket on the riders and the outcome could be very different.

AS someone who regularly attended (and frequently fell asleep during) FIM Congresses, the old World Team Cup came under the microscope on several occasions including when Denmark appeared to have total domination. But nothing was done, not least because Denmark had a very strong voice at the FIM. WHEN John Postlethwaite took the reins at BSI and became the organisers of both the SGP and SWC he had an idea for the team competition which in its concept was brilliant but, sadly, totally unpractical for speedway. John envisaged a week long competition, all the various rounds and final would be in the same country, and all the participating riders would spend the whole seven days on site as it were promoting the event. It was tried, first in Poland and Denmark, but failed. Attendances at the events not including the host country were poor and the costs of accommodating so many riders for a week proved prohibitive. JP saw it as a mini-soccer or cricket World Cup and hoped it would gather fans from across the speedway spectrum for the whole period of the tournament. It didn't. But it was worth a try.

IT was PC who raised the issue, several times, but it was, and still is, my opinion that it would do him more harm than good. I do not interfere with the editorial at SS even if I am around, which I'm not at the moment, but admit I wish they had not gone ahead. I understand that Brian Burford called PC about a another matter and, unlike Richard Frost, Richard Bott and myself, got sucked in.

THE FIM changed the format because several countries were unable to field four or five competitive riders, especially in the qualifying rounds when it was also tough to find countries willing to stage them. That remains true today. If anyone on here prefers the current format, fine. That's their view. Mine is that a team competition that can actually encourage team riding is preferable. Doesn't make me right or wrong.

THE FIM scrapped the old WTC when Denmark were dominant and went to a three-man Pairs. Under the current format riders race in each heat as an individual. In a pairs they race together as a team. Personally prefer that. NOT sure where it is staged makes any difference. I think a final that possibly includes Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Great Britain, Poland, Russia and Sweden, all of whom would be competitive, could offer great entertainment.

THERE will be a response in SS this week ...

WITH so many in juries these days think it is essential even in a 'pairs' there is a third rider.

EVERYONE'S entitled to their opinion. I watched via computer in the USA and, for the first time, had the world feed, non-stop Pearson and Tatum, no ad breaks, no studio, etc. Brilliant stuff and Kelvin, suffering from (man) flu only just made it through until the end.

THAT probably came from me but the trail went a little cold. Could still happen, along with a different format ... three-man teams, riding as a pair, seven nations, etc. Hope so, otherwise Poland will win the SWC until kingdom come.

AND Greg was the defending champion this year

LITTLE longer than a month ago but it was in SS

ECHO that. Some excellent racing, terrific finale, worthy World Champion.

FIGURES for terrestrial TV (BBC, ITV, etc) are calculated by information gathered from a few thousand people whose choice of programmes are regularly monitored. Probably about as reliable as an opinion poll. Viewers watching via Sky or BT boxes, for example, can be calculated far more accurately. For example: if you call Sky with a problem they can tell what you are watching. Cannot do that with terrestrial.

ONLY if the man in charge was given completely autonomy. The Chief Executive of soccer's Premier League doesn't have to consult the owners of the clubs every time he makes a decision. HE is welcome as explained on the Peter Collins article thread