Grand Central

.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!

I bet he's the only man to come away from Warsaw with a refund. Seeing 'Meridian Lifts' emblazoned on a non-functioning clock is not the sort of publicity anyone wants. Or would pay for. As bad as being 'Lift Sponsor' on 'The Big Bang Theory'.

Surely this is impossible. The guy has had his 'trial' and been 'sentenced'. I do not see how it is possible, legally, to impose extra restrictions on him individually after such due process has been followed. Obviously the FIM can change its alcohol testing methods at GPs and introduce a new rule for all riders, if it chooses. But since I was last on this thread things have changed for me. One p!ssed up rider is not the greatest danger the SGP faces, anymore. It's the sober ones who cannot do a clutch start on a green light who are the real danger. They can bring the whole thing to it's knees.

I think you may be being a little disingenuous as well, and you know it too! Intelligent riders know what they have to say to get the result they want. And then keep silent about the real reason.

Just to summarise. The riders (the top ones) got the meeting cancelled because of the lack of tapes. The track was not bad enough to cancel the meeting. The 'men' of the Jury said that it was cancelled 'for safety reasons'. It was not. Enquiry over. No action against anyone to be taken. Ole can get back to work. Providing he borrows a second starting gate ahead of Cardiff. (Until Nicki and Greg want a GP called off, of course)

It is difficult to take seriously someone who produces such out of date information. In support of his spurious argument. Ole Olsen would be terribly busy creating new temporary tracks at so many defunct venues if anyone were to listen to this joker. I think we need much better brains on the case to secure the future of the SGP. Not this.

I don't deliberately try to go against the grain but I thought the pricing seemed quite reasonable. My slight gripe is that I emailed Belle Vue earlier in the week to enquire about hospitality etc and have had no reply. I was looking to do a little more than just buy a ticket and no one has got back as yet, which is a shame.

The mere fact that someone, anyone, has been interviewed in Star who has a 'different' view is the noteworthy point. Unbridled sycophancy has brought us to this point. It is good to see that end, at least.

Great interview with Tommy Rander in this weeks Speedway Star. What a pity it has taken this level of destruction for the sport to allow the magazine to publish alternative voices. After all these years of towing the party line.

You are quite right ... 'Moved on' would have been much better chosen words. Thank you.