Star Lady

I noticed too, what made it even worse was he would be watching the same pictures as we were and at that time all we knew were they were both on the track and possibly seriously injured. The moron is well overdue for pensioning off and maybe just maybe this might prove the catalyst. As for the refereeing decisions. I thought the ref had them all spot on. For those that think Crump went down too easily, did you listen to the commentators? All night they were saying that the track was like marbles and there was no grip. So what exactly was there on that track to help Crump stay upright (I suppose at a push the same could be said for Nicki). There was contact from Gollob, so IMHO the ref had no option. The Nicki incident, I thought and still do after all the replays, that as Crump went past Nicki attempted to kick out at Crump, which is what caused Crump's ankle injury and Nicki to fall off. That's my unbiased opinion as I love watching all three of the riders involved.

Would agree that it was a complete borefest. The only redeeming feature was Johnno in commentary. An absolute gem IMHO, says it like it is and with a sense of humour as well. Far superior IMO than poo faced, let's pretend speedway is a serious sport attitude of Kelvin Tatum.

Well I got some of what I expected Nice to see some pride in the wearing of the Union Jack. Mechanics doing their job, allowing the riders to do theirs. Most impressed with the attitude of Kennett (who I thought a bit unfortunate). Harris did his job while it was still possible for GB to go thro. Nicholls, well I did cheer for him once (and it's a long long while since I've done that) and at least he had a positive mental attitude at the start. Richardson, I'd prefer not to comment. As for Wuffinden, THE BOY DID GOOD. Far better than I expected if I'm honest and I was probably even more impressed by his attitude off track than his antics on track. Must be the Aussie upbringing of never settling for second

You mean you would be happy if Team GB came a very poor 4th Sorry Gemini, couldn't resist

Glad you reminded me of that Sandie cos from the Sky coverage it wasn't exactly obvious

Putting on my realist head here, it would be interesting to know exactly who funds Team Denmark and how? As you say the Danish league is not the strongest so I assume that the Danish promoters (if there are such things) do not finance it. Looking at it from a British promoters point of view, exactly what benefit would a successful Team GB have? Most British promoters are part time, in that they have businesses away from the sport, and I can't see where them putting up even more money would benefit the majority of them. So why should they? Do the BSPA fork out to the ACU for anything? Should the ACU be the ones that oversee Team GB? I don't know the answers, I'm merely posting random thoughts and questions.

I was always taught people who resort to abuse have lost the argument

Just like to state I've never ridden a speedway bike and I've never managed a speedway team. I have however worked as part of a team (pretty bloody successfully too), and I'm pretty sure many posters on this thread have as well. That at the very least give us the right to comment on the team spirit or lack of it that was shown last night. Whether we have the right to comment on anything else is a matter of opinion, and it's mine that I pay my Sky subs which entitles me to an opinion on what I saw

So were the Danes and Swedes at times but they soon fixed that

Nicki Pedersen said that in his post first race interview...Ride the inside. Such a pity that no one from the Team GB camp was listening cos Team GB just kept trying the outside in the first set of races.

I didn't ask them to sing, I said goldfish. Even they should be capable of opening and closing their mouths in time to the music. After all David Beckham can

Right from the start I want to see the riders display some pride in riding for their country. IF the national anthem is played (and yes it is a dirge), at the very least I expect to see all 5 + team manager goldfishing (altho they should at least know the words to the first verse . To stand there like bollards implies to the opposition (and everyone else) they have no pride. Then I expect to see team spirit, whether it's true team spirit or false, matters not. I do not want to see 5 individual riders sitting on their own, heads down. I want to see them talking, patting backs, joking, kicking a*se, anything that implies they are a united unit. I want to see team talks, huddles of the riders and manager, even if they are actually saying "we look like plonkers doing this", the oppostion will think they are serious. I want to see Wuffinden and Kennett get all the support they need and deserve. If the don't score, so what, they hopefully will learn from the atmosphere and come back next time better prepared. I want to see each rider come in from their race, communicating track conditions and idiosyncracies to their team mates not slinking back to his own pit area and sulking. I want to see the manager in amongst the riders, coaxing, asking questions, giving instructions etc. I want to see mechanics getting on with their jobs and allowing the riders to focus on the on track action so they can react to ever changing track conditions and hopefully cheering on their team mates. I would like to see Team GB progress, I have serious doubts that they will, if however they show most of the above it will be a vast improvement on last night and maybe just maybe a small step along the way to becoming a force in World speedway again. Part of being a decent speedway rider is in the mind, maybe by acting like a rider that beleives he can make an impact on the meeting some of Team GB might just become one. I've made no comments on how to actually ride the bikes, because quite simply if they can't do that for themselves they shouldn't be there, and I wouldn't have a clue and freely admit it.

Woeful display from Team GB, from the national anthem when they all stood as dumb as bollards until the last race, they were crap. Where was the team spirit? Where was the pride? As for Ermolenko saying their mechanics couldn't get the set up right! Bollards, that's what they are F888ing well paid to do. Everyone else managed it! As for Thursday, yes put Wuffy in , put Kennett in and I'd put Lawson, Bridger and Danny King in as well. The riders who wore the Union Jack tonight don't deserve to be there on Thursday.

I'll support them with the same amount of passion as they put into singing the National Anthem of the country they are representing. Is that a fair deal Come on the Danes

When we were in the W/c area we were on the third bend, middle tier. I'm pretty sure there is another W/c area on the fourth bend. Not sure about 1st and 2nd. There are also some in the upper tier but I cannot remember exactly where.

Couple of years since we went but if it helps here goes. If the person is unable to transfer to a seat, you are restricted to certain areas. The w/c user has a very good view but the carer is seated behind them and they don't get such a good view. Some carers did manage to sit on the concrete beside the W/c user but we had a miserable git next to us who said that interrupted his view The rest of our party managed to get seats in front of them but we booked on the day and it was much easier to explain face to face. Not sure if this would be possible by the normal ticket booking methods, but why not try emailing IMG and explaining the problem. If they are like many companies they will do all they can to help. The stewards were exceptionally good. There are dedicated stewards to help the disabled and they picked us out of the queue before the main gates opened and escorted the whole party to our seats via the lift and at the end, escorted us down again. If the disabled person is able to manage a few steps, it may be possible to request seats for the whole party as near to the stairs (middle and upper tiers) as possible. The steward then take the W/c to a safe place until after the meeting. We've done this on most occasions and again, cannot fault the stewards who do all they can to help. I've never sat in the lower tier so I've no idea what it's like there sorry.

Didn't think my respect for Gollob could get much higher, but it just has

Only watched on TV but as I said on another thread, from what I could hear the music was great and fitted the events unfolding perfectly. The playing of Land of Hope and Glory as Bomber limped back to the pits was inspired and perfectly timed and IMHO is one of the outstanding moments of British displays of nationalism at a sporting event this year. It could only be done by someone who was on the ball and paying attention, something that's not always been obvious before when I've been at Cardiff GPs.

Wonderful win for Crumpy, welcome back mate. Highlight for me, apart from that, was the Millenium Stadium version of Land of Hope and Glory. The playing and timing of that was inspired. From what I could hear the music was spot on all night and it drowned out the dreaded air horns, or was that the confiscation of all non official ones Not entirely sure that Bomber was fit to race following that crash but you can't knock him for it. Track was carp, referee was atrocious and needs to be sacked, that apart and ignoring anything to do with English language assassin Ermolenko it was a thoroughly enjoyable GP

I hope they are non flammable JB

Up until the time I stopped going to Lynn I was never a fan of Simon Lambert, so please don't say I'm biased, but AFAIK it was his first taste of anything on the "world/European" stage. These meetings are a different standard from the PL meeting which these riders normally ride in and I would guess that the equipment used is in many cases similarly higher. British riders tho do not get the support that the Brits do. It would be very difficult to say that Tully or Mear or any other Brit would have done any better on their first outing in this standard of meeting. They may have been brilliant, they may also have scored nothing. No one can say. Britain needs to give all British riders experience to benefit both them and the national side all the help they can. If a rider doesn't come up with a massive haul of points on their first try, it doesn't mean they never will. Lambert now has had a taste of a higher standard meeting, it will do him nothing but good. Tully and Mear's turn will come I'm sure. I just hope if they do score nothing, they are not slagged off to the same degree.

Well I think so Happens to us all at times Even you

Team GB stand no chance of winning this year *cue howls of protest* so I reckon we should use 2008 to plan for the future. At Coventry use Nicholls, Richardson and Harris plus two youngsters. I'd go with Kennett and either Woffinden, Wright or Bridger all 3 of whom have talent, guts and ambition, they now need experience. Have the rest of the squad there to soak up atmosphere/learn a few things/help out if needed. That team should get thro, at least to the race off. There is then a choice, settle for that or go for the final, put the same team in or use one old hand (Nicholls or Richardson) and then 4 youngsters. I personally can't see the point of putting out a team with Allen/Stead/Howe in, they just don't cut it at EL level IMHO so will be lost at SWC level. I'd go for the 4 youngsters option. We will win nothing this year doing it my way, but would we anyway The benefits will be felt in 2009 tho. I thought Lynch talked a fair bit of sense last night, and it was a pleasant change to hear a national manager be realistic instead of talking pie in the sky.

Oh damn someone forgot to tell the medics that their first priority is to inform the world via Sky what the riders injuries are How very remiss of them

I have a theory as to why Olsen insists on slick tracks. After watching him trying to shoo the victory cars round last night, when they were quite rightly allowing the fans to salute the victors and vice versa, I've decided that Olsen has TV schedules written right thro the middle of him. He thinks with a slick track the riders will be strung out, less racing, less chance of crashes and therefore re-runs that would disrupt his TV schedule. Fans clearly don't have any place in Olsen's psyche. I'm open to any better explanations