PHILIPRISING

I DID try to send you a PM but it wouldn't go through. For the record, BT Speedway director Steve Saint says there wasn't an extra camera at Leicester.

WISE words ... let's do it

WHY not just press the mute button.

3pm

YES he is but if you think I am stupid enough to let that colour my judgement you are sadly mistaken. As for naming more, that would be easy. Suffice to say that both Pearson and Tatum (also a mate) are highly rated in the TV industry. Just because a few on here seem to have personal agendas it won't change the opinions of those that matter and from my own experience of talking to people who watch speedway on TV that they are a great combo.

WE get it, you are not a big fan of Nigel. Fortunately the Head of BT Sport is.

THE relevant part of a long article in the Sunday Times: "It all came to a head in a Danish kebab shop on the evening before the 2015 (SWC) race-off. It's set-up to fail and I don't want any part of it. The Danes drove 45 km to find good food. We went to a kebab shop and our guys were stuffing themselves with pizza while I had a salad. There are no fitness camps, no dietician and no pre-season races. "Give me Team Great Britain. I will turn it into a profitable company. I'll put all the money back into the sport and I will give it back after five years. In the fourth or fifth year we will win the World Cup. I can make the sport massive. I've had discussions with lawyers, with accountants with bankers and I'm absolutely ready to go. They've had a meeting but I haven't heard anything back." Draw your own conclusions...

ROSCO'S involvement would have been minimal and Woffinden rides for Wroclaw, who desperately wanted him there. It's not rocket science.

VERY enlightening interview with Tai in the Sunday Times today. Throws light on his attitude towards riding for Team GB.

I HONESTLY cannot answer that, I'm not as closely involves as I once was, but it wasn't ago when I knew of a British rider who reckoned that he only had to score around six points to come away with in excess of £10,000. That may have changed, it could be less, it could be more now but it certainly remains a lucrative place to ride. And of course that sort of money plus the public adoration the riders receive is the prime reason why some many kids in Poland aspire to race speedway. What's the incentive here?

I CANNOT give you a definitive answer but logic would suggest that most of the money coming through the coffers in Poland and Sweden, including gate receipts, sponsorship, etc, goes to the riders. How else would they pay the rates they do. In Poland especially many clubs (that's what they are there as opposed to tracks here) benefit massively from income provided by benefactors in the shape of wealthy individuals or businesses that are keen to be involved with their local team. It's a different world. Where does the TV money go in English soccer? Transfer fees and wages. The more they get the more they spend. Reference Boycott ... still working on Test Match Special on Radio 5Live xtra.

GOOD to know

HAVEN'T been able to get an explanation.There is a rumour that he doesn't get on with his brother. That might not be a problem in the next couple of years

THE person I would like to see take the role, along with many other changes, wouldn't thank me for naming him at this stage, and certainly not on here. Let me make it clear that I don't think any manager would have improved GB's result this year. Without Woffinden it was the best we could expect after an easy ride through the qualifier at KL. Rosco's plans are fine, if the BSPA are prepared to fund them, which its doubtful, but they are only go so far. What will happen when they get to Leszno, for example? Who will be there to supervise? Or will the riders just ride around the track which in truth work be pointless. Having Woffinden there would help massively. You are right, Rome wasn't built in a day and nothing will change overnight. It will be a long and possibly fruitless process but fundamental issues being addressed would be a start.

waytogo28 wrote they are 'continuing' to pay. They are not.

CORRECTION ... SKY are not continuing to pay. They reached a settlement with the BSPA to pay off the rest of their contract but that's it. No more money. TONY and his elder brother Garry did go to. Millfield, a private school that excelled at sports, but it did nothing for his speedway career. Tony always wanted to ride, Garry didn't. THE SKY money goes through promoters' pockets as quickly as it goes in. Invest? Don't make me laugh.

BUT Speedway Star would ...

BUT would some fans then give Cardiff a miss?

WHAT about the paying fans. Will they accept a NL rider? Just asking the question...

HE used to but not sure he does now

I THINK Rye House are doing okay at home. Decent crowds (by today's standards). And they own their own stadium.

READ this morning that Rye House are staging their second home meeting in eight weeks. No wonder British speedway is in the state it is.

A significant quote from Patryck Dudek: “On the Friday, we stayed in the hotel with the whole team and we all were talking all the time. The atmosphere was perfect this year in Leszno. Everything was good, very organised and we spent time with the boys. We got a good result – the gold medal.”

IT is well known that one of the reasons Woffinden won't race for Team GB is because he doesn't agree with the appointment of Alun Rossiter as manager. He is not alone. Alun talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. Now while I accept that riders shouldn't dictate who should or should not be manager I might think that the BSPA, when appointing the manager, would make sure they were aware of the feelings off the riders and especially their only world class performer. Tai wanted a more professional approach to the British team off the track and while some of his demands, including commercial ownership of the team, were never going to happen others could and should have been accommodated. Tai demanded his own level of professionalism not only from his team-mates, which he would have got, but from the management team as well and that simply wasn't forthcoming.

BECAUSE there is no infrastructure in place to help him (and others like Dan Bewley) with proper instruction by ex-riders who actually know what they are talking about. Of course, you can bring a horse to water but not make him drink and some (not saying Lambert) think they know it all once they have slid a bike. The BSPA don't care two hoots about the national team (please get rid of that Team GB tag) because most don't see any success in the SWC as likely to bring fans in through their own turnstiles. Until we make some investment in the future we will continue as we are, trending water. The whole set up of Team GB is wrong. I don't agree with the stand Tai Woffinden has taken but he did make some valuable points and if the BSPA and those at the event are not really taking things seriously how do they expect the riders to. People at Leszno on Saturday have told me how they could see in the eyes of Cook and Worrell how nervous and over-awed they were before the start. There is no shame in that. They have never experienced anything like it. And nor had those around them.