Grand Central

With a bit of luck The wife will 'Give me One' by the start of next season.

I think norbold and scribbler have made the salient points on this. And I have to say that any employer of Darcy Ward has only entered into contracts with him after being fully aware of his 'personality'. Sympathy for them when he mucks up, yet again, is always tinged with 'well, you took him on!'

I really do feel that you have lost a little bit of context in this particular debate, Phil, sadly. Always a bit quick to blame the FIM. Probably because of previous justifiable history, But unfortunately, Darcy is really just a bit of a bad 'un. Not really worthy of your continued indulgence. Best save it for more worthy candidates. You have spent your career with real bastions of the sport; Briggo, Ole et al. This guy is not of that calibre. Honestly I fear you will be defending him again in the near future no matter what the outcome of this particular issue. Don't waste your efforts. Sorry, but you really do typify people who cannot see rational argument as purely un-partisan as possible. I tried my best and you still could not see it. Your loss, I'm afraid.

Frankly, I am amazed at some attitudes. A breath test is taken by a competitor immediately prior to a World Championship Motorcycle event that produces a positive result for alcohol. The man concerned immediately admits to the world's media that he had overdone the booze the previous night. And he even makes public what he regards as a mitigating reason for this. And rather than be horrified at the seriousness of such transgression; we are subjected to a litany of morally repugnant defences and support. The test protocols were not followed properly. He was found to be over the limit before taking to the track makes it so much less serious. The time taken to deal with the serial troublemaker is regarded as somehow making the perpetrator into some sort of victim. He is of course very 'talented' on track. Plus don't forget he lends his bike to team mates and is regarded an 'inspiration' to others. And these utterances do not just come from the terraces; or from forum posters. They are also offered by his Team Managers, his employers, his sponsors and people of supposed stature within the sport. Utterly amazing. And completely abhorrent. Decent people can just hope that the FIM tribunal ensures that justice is done next week And that the right sentence is handed down.

The man really has no brain at all. Imagine awaiting sentence on a charge that may bring with it a ban that could cost one's livelihood for several years. And one of your closest supporters starts ranting to the industry's only credible media outlet like a barking mad nutter; slagging off the very body that holds your life in it's hands. Perhaps it is having friends like this in your corner, Darcy, that renders your chances of rehabilitation - and future success - pretty much zero.

No, I don't think the tribunal would take that option, it would not be sensible at all. Being realistic if the tribunal find him guilty then a certain period of ban will be given, that is what the seriousness of the charge would dictate as a minimum. That ban would start from the date he was suspended. That is always the case. It is the length of ban that is really up for question; just the time he has already served, six months, twelve months, whatever. And any period for which part of a longer ban may be suspended just to act as a threat to keep the guy on the straight and narrow. A two year ban, with one year suspended for two years would be my feeling of justice.

To a reformed character who will keep his nose clean .... absolutely no difference at all. They would just serve one year. But to a guy like Darcy Ward who has such a high chance of cocking things up again. He'll end up serving two years.

I understand your point but the metaphor is a little lacking. Steak every day may be repetitive but nobody is ever offering that. But restrict me to steak once a month and I would be forced to strangle you. A really good Steak once a week, that's about right. The trouble is ... eating out more often (and better) is one of the very things that many of us choose to spend our money on INSTEAD of going to Speedway.

A lot of fascinating detail there. For me, the most telling stat is the simple one. Over the entire season just 23 matches out of 144 had both teams riding with their full team. That is just pitiful.

Have to agree Gemini. The great thing we do here is discuss things that may, or may not happen ... at great length. And I love doing that But when it comes to the BSPA AGM, it is utterly pointless. They will decide what they want. Or not. Any views we may have are of no interest whatsoever.

Not arguing, as such, just interested in the idea of a void being created. My thinking was that one of the great virtues of SGP over the years is that such a thing has never been noticeable despite the loss of some really big hitters. I see now that you mean that the 'void' is a different one that I was imagining. You seem to mean from a sort of marketing perspective. That the series 'needs' a really top-line American, Swede or Pole who is able to pull in the media etc in their own country. I presume that is why you do not see Crump/Adams in the same way as they they have had other Aussies to replace them. I was just thinking from a spectators point of view. The loss of Rickardsson seems to have been long, long forgotten 'down my way'. Even Gollob, who really did look to be irreplaceable to me, hasn't really been lamented once you are into the series. We just get over them pretty quickly, really.

I have stood and cheered, many time, when Greg has won GPs ... at least ten to my immediate memory. But that still does not really validate the term 'void' if he were to retire. Two totally different things, strangely confused.

Void? Strange word. Since the GPs started we have seen the retirements of so many real stars; Nielsen, Rickardsson, Crump et al. No void. This last year we managed without Gollob, Emil and, for the most part, Ward. No void. When Nicki goes we will miss him, a little. But no void. When Greg goes, we will barely bat an eyelid.

.Exactly the same thing has happened to me in the past. Now I am a happy subscriber to the online version. It was funny how they always 'remembered' to stop sending me the mag when the sub was finished. But never managed to remind me to send them more money to keep it going. Odd. I imagine it difficult for the editorial of the mag to criticise promoters for not doing enough 'promotion'. When failing in this regard themselves. .

.If Darcy's legal team really can argue the case of wrong protocols, successfully And get him off free of a further ban. Then the the guy REALLY would be a prize idiot to take further legal steps of any type. He should count his blessings and get back on his bike, racing, as soon as possible. Oh, and he definitely should NOT go out on the lash to celebrate! .

It is still not a 'European' issue.

There is no European court issue here at all. The FIM issued a totally legal WORLDWIDE motorcycling suspension. As is their jurisdiction. You may equate this to some contrived Euro issue. But as I say. You are quite the comic.

Sometimes it's the posts that are written in all seriousness, with heavy handed gravity and import, that are just plain hilarious. To prick your balloon. No he won't.

Thank god you inserted the remark in parenthesis to disassociate yourself from the 'thought'. Whoever came up with it is clearly an idiot. And was, no doubt, 'insufficiently hydrated' at the time. .

Yes, everything here is hypothetical at the moment. But is the idea of Ward getting a series wildcard for 2015 really on the table, at all? No matter who else is in the frame. Last year the wild cards for 2014 were announced at the end of October 2013; and Ward isn't even due to have his hearing until November this year. Even if he gets off completely scot-free it will all be too late, won't it? Or are the timings being changed for this year? Even allowing for some contrivance where the wildcard selection was delayed until after his hearing it is surely inconceivable that he would be selected if found guilty, isn't it? If we take your scenario of a six month ban being imposed. Of course it would start from the day he was suspended which means he is actually banned from all motorcycling worldwide until the end of February 2015. Is it really feasible that he could be considered by BSI and the wild card 'committee' for selection; or have that sanctioned by the FIM in the immediate aftermath of that ban being announced, by the FIM themselves? Surely not.

The guy knowing the difference between right and wrong would suffice.

They don't allocate wildcards. No one said they did. The FIM have to sanction the list that BSI put to them. I imagine that the FIM are talking this long just because they see no urgency whatsoever in this. We might think this whole matter is really, really vital and urgent. In Geneva, they don't.

All spot on. As he has been suspended by the FIM he WILL get a ban. And that ban will start on the very same day as his suspension started. That is is the reason the FIM used the time after the incident to convene with its lawyers on the correct protocol. The only question will be the be the length of the ban they deem appropriate at the tribunal. It may turn out to be exactly the same as the suspension period already served or, hopefully, longer. The FIM will not consider him for wildcard selection at all during the period of suspension for ban. They just can't. The FIM will not care one jot about any 'club' in this matter. .

Quite right. I do not remember Braun going public with anything about his parents splitting up and explaining that bad news had led him to overdo things, though. He just denied it. Full stop. Darcy seems to gave got himself into a very different position with any hopes of blaming the protocols. Best fess up and hope that it would be taken as a very positive sign by the tribunal.

I do not believe that the correct outcome in this case is the one that is tailored to suit the learning ability of Darcy Ward. He should grow and develop as a human being in his own time and no one should expect the FIM to take it on 'in loco parentis'. He should get exactly the same treatment as any other rider who found himself in this position. Be it Greg Hancock or Darcy Ward. The speedway-wide, and indeed motorcycle sport-wide, thing of most importance is that the FIM carry of their judicial role here scrupulously and fairly. Nothing more. The case against Ward was substantial enough to convene a hearing and as an anti doping offence carries a likely ban their worldwide suspension was totally appropriate. If a ban were to be imposed it would doubtless start from the date of the suspension. If Ward chooses to use the defence that the testing had not being done properly then his advocates would need to tread carefully. He has openly admitted imbibing the night before - and even offered mitigation as to why this may have been to excess. So the coincidence of having a 'faulty' test twelve hours later be the cause if his' positive blow' seems to stretch credulity a trifle too far. To lose his case after claiming that as his defence may only lengthen the ban the hearing would impose. That would not be a wise move at all. The last thing we need is to find that the anti doping procedures are poorly carried out at GPs. We need to know that they are robust and trustworthy. Let us hope that the hearing gives us that confidence, at least. If Darcy knows he had 'one too many' perhaps the next step on his learning curve would be to plead guilty, offer his mitigating circumstances, give a thousand words on his lessons learned, make earnest promises on future conduct. And then, this time, actually follow through. .