Grand Central

This really is fascinating f-s-p. And I genuinely hope you are right. That the Ratina track will be some sort of Soumi mash-up of of Hyde Road and Owlerton. After Warsaw, the huddled masses of SGP followers could do with something to lift our spirits. But I am intrigued by your (reverse) conspiracy theory From the race times you seem to have unearthed a fiendish plot that proves that the track shape is quite altered and much improved. And yet the promoters have told everyone that will listen, including the Speedway Star, that they could not do that and have not done that. Is this some unique form of Finnish public relations? .

.Er, Warsaw? Possibly. And the role played in the abandonment by those receiving payouts. In the face of paying customers who have received not a single penny of recompense. Possibly.. Cynical action on April 18, with more cyclical actions and words subsequently, demand cynical comments. It is the least we can do, in the circumstances, .

As PR moves go this is yet another corker for a company who - for some - can do no wrong. Are Ed Milliband's team now working for BSI? Can we expect their next public statement to chiseled in to a massive tablet of stone?

.No nothing sinister at all. And that is how it will be seen by all right minded people. Including those who travelled to Warsaw expecting to see the riders complete the meeting. They will be applauding this news loudly. .

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed. That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded as having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about. Whether the tapes work or not. I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment. And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?" .

Just for the purposes of balance. I do think the riders are to blame. We shall see in the developing future whether the resistance of others to that notion ends up solving problems. Or just creating bigger ones.

As Cilla would say'Surprise, surprise!' Sometimes it really does need an extensive enquiry. Across many countries, taking written and verbal evidence, and costing a pretty penny. Looked over by the finest minds in the land. Just to arrive at the patently, bloody obvious. Well done to all concerned. .

It did when Kirky Lane opened in 1988 and Odsal in 1986. Was there for both openers being rained off. Absolutely massive crowds turned away without seeing a race. And they didn't really come back in the same numbers later.

After suffering six weeks of 'spin' from politicians. Doesn't it all look a bit different a few days after the election. It now feels like we are in our own Speedway-time warp. Where the SGP/BSI spin is still applied to every single story. No matter how pointlessly.

.Oh for goodness sake. At least keep up with your own argument, even if you cannot follow others. It was YOU that first said you couldn't understand people who had a differing view than yourself. I was just sympathising with your - self confessed - inabilities.

aka Gelsenkirchen

Your inability to see some matters from another's perspective is unfortunate. And does not seem confined to this topic.

Indeed it is. But we still need to be reasonably confident of a full meeting being on Or the riders at least trying to get past Heat 12. After Warsaw. No one can offer me that guarantee, can they?

H&S have alerted me to the danger of responding to certain posts. The use of red type, underlining, multiple exclamation marks and italics are to me taken as warning signs. I must leave well alone and let the old dear calm down. Edited spelling

Only by snivelling, hiding behind the (false) safety issue and then keeping a public silence. Remove that, somehow, and then disciplinary action would have them sharing with Darcy on his hols.

Phil ... I think it is important to separate the two strands of your argument more completely. Strand 1 ... Ole just has not got these tracks right and no amount of wishful thinking can, necessarily, make it so. The moisture issue is the overriding one. And as so many factors relating to that will always remain out of his control he wil NEVER be able to guarentee sufficiently to avoid this being an on going problem. Strand 2 ... The riders lied. They said it was the track that was unsafe and really it was the starting gate issue that was really their problem. Bringing the strands back together. If temporary tracks in big city stadiums are to continue then the minor inadequacy of the track (as it was this time) will just have to be swallowed by the riders. Sometimes. And now we know that they will 'abuse' the safety concerns aspect; They just cannot have the power - in effect, at least - to cancel meetings themselves. .

That's the wonder of hindsight. In Cardiff 2013 and at Warsaw the first practice sessions were completely abandoned as the track was too bad. After that experience It would have been impossible to get the riders on board to go straight to racenight, proper, without seeing if Ole's overnight remedial work had actually worked. Even BSI - or PZM - could not have legitimately opened their doors on either night without the practice showing that there was a reasonable chance of success.

. Whilst that sounds, superficially, a sensible and plausible excuse. It just does not seem to tally with my recollection of past events. My memory was that just about ALL the worst temporary tracks on Saturday nights. Had also been deemed horrendous at practice. When was it other? .

No need for all those questions, though. The track had all these problems last year. They, apparently, could never be solved. Good enough reason not to return. .

" anyone with even the tiniest bit of speedway knowledge " I think that may be the job description. When BSI go looking for a new 'guru' to help them out of the current mire. .

Ok ... Leaving aside the concrete 'centre green' at Ratina, for a moment.. Would not just a little, tiny element of cynicism on the part of the messenger be appropriate. At least now, after recent events. Must the messenger always take the 'official word' as gospel?

Only a good excuse to a point. I would stop actually being the messenger, though, when I realised I was being told nonsense. Time and again. What is your limit?

Thanks for remembering that. .Just looked at the 'pitch'. Can any information be trusted? And I thought all the unbelievable scoundrels were occupied with Thursday!

Well, the test meeting was held on May 2. Those with a strong stomach can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N07fDgxa7ZA The racing was clearly dreadful. But on the positive side the Finnish Officials and riders managed to get through a full meeting. So they are one up on their SGP counterparts. Second placed Timo Lahti is, rather ominously, quoted as saying "Track was still quite difficult, but hopefully it will be better in GP". I am unsure if it qualifies for what Philip Rising, rather queasily, describes as 'A stage fit for the riders to strutt their stuff' But I should think that Paul Bellamy is getting his excuses ready as I type. .

Goodness. Who's 'All pumped up' now? Calm down dear!