Grand Central

Sorry but I pressed the Like button for this by total accident! I HATE this idea. Is there a way of removing a 'like' from a post?

Yes it's all very well to deny the specifics of a 'ban' as we all know that would never be possible. But the leverage of contracts, sponsorships and money. That is a very different thing.

I understand the distinction you are making but it is mainly just one of semantics. The number of ' that type of fan' is increasing on here. But the number of 'that type of fan' is increasing everywhere. On the Bus. In Tescos. At the Job Centre. In fact everywhere. Except inside a Speedway Stadium. .

I will await commenting until I read the true story on speedwaygp.com. Or failing that until the World's Leading Speedway Magazine drops through my letterbox on Thursday. Then I will have all the facts. .

I now understand that 'problem' that is percieved by one or two here is just the simple straightforward fact that under the current system the winner of the final - and thus the GP - may not have the most points from the night to carry forward into the series. They are vexed by it and feel it fundamentally wrong. They find it embarrasing or a joke. I am entirely comfortable with it. I think we are all aware that the night ending with semi-finals and finals is to create a dramatic climax for all spectators via TV or at the venue. And they do that brilliantly. I am more surprised by people trying to advance the argument that the GPs they've taken people to haven't had exciting enough climaxes. And that a few more points thrown at the last race would make all the difference. That's just bizarre. .

Looking at where everybody stands in the points at the moment Greg and Tomasz are fighting over 8th and 9th. The most likely scenario is that the top 9 places could remain the same at the end with just Chris Holder dropping out and Darcy leapfrogging in. Above Greg/Tomasz - NKI and Zagar look to be doing everything they need to stay ahead. But below them only Freddie and Kasprzak can really overtake them. And even with Greg/Tomasz under performing they have been getting just enough points over the last few rounds to maintain their advantage. So as I say it could easily end up with Greg and Tomasz in 8th/9th place in October; in either order. But all this would change dramatically if, in the next four GPs, one rider out of the top 6 (not Darcy) surprises us by jumping out with a win. And the thing is.... that could easily be Greg or Tomasz. Then the talk of them needing widcards would be redundant. What about a shilling on Mr G for a win in Torun?

Pesonally I'm quite OK with having two different sets of commentators for the two different series/broadcasters. I've never been over critical of the Pearson/Tatum team and their employers seem to like them so no moaning here will change that. Credit has to be given to the Eurosport team as Pearson/Tatum have been doing their act for donkey's years. Day/Nicholls are real novices by comparison. Scott Nicholls is really very good and the Day chap has obviously gone away and learnt an awful lot more between the few meetings he has been on. Most of his pronunciations and terminology were good. And it looks like he could have more to come. At the moment I'm quite happy. Which for the fickle so-and-so that I am is pretty unusual. Edit: Oh, I forgot. Except for the appearences by Staechmann on the Euros and Ermolenko on Sky. They are plain dreadful. MUTE is the only option.

Well, I have put forward what I think. I just hope the FIM and BSI have the sense to keep things as they are.

That is a hypothetical theory that is so unlikely to happen that it is pointless spending a moment of my life thinking about. None of the scoring systems that have been in place since the start of the GPs have even come close to producing such a bizarre thing. The nearest - but still different - anomaly is the Mark Loram win of 2000 where he did not win a GP but was champion by the end. None of the scoring systems put forward here can totally prevent a situation where year-long-consistancy can beat one-off wins by a variety of riders. Nor should it. .

As it appears obligatory for Speedway on TV to have the racing interspersed with a fair haired interviewer asking the riders stupidly banal questions. Can I suggest that they stick with them being good looking females?

I see that Eurosport employ low-talent charisma-free presenters for the Athletics as well.

You have said what you feel each rider 'should' get. But not why. What is wrong with the current system that this method 'puts right'?

Presumably the banking on the track will be pyramid shaped.

1981

Yes. But first we must believe in miracles.

Keith Evans was a seventies and early eighties Speedway rider for Sheffield and Scunthorpe. I never caught his radio work. Terry Wogan was a whippersnapper. I always used to love the refined tones of Alvar Lidell. I am 127 years old.

Regardless of how many Poles qualify via the Challenge. If Tomasz Gollob really does want to continue in the SGP next year then BSI will sort him out a wild card. Won't they? Apparently even the economics of the World Cup Final in The Czech Republic were inextricably linked to Tomek's appearance.

No. We were spared that. .

Absolutely agree. In fact I always disliked the 4-3-2-0 option that gets used for pairs events. I just don't figure that finishing second and third in a race makes you the 'better' pair. It just means that in that race neither of you was good enough to win the race but at least you didn't come last. It's like getting a bonus for mediocrity.

The guy that finishes fourth in the final still gets his two or three points he earned in the semi final. So he is being rewarded already. Why complicate matters by gifting another extra point for just finishing last in the final? Lets stick to 3-2-1-0. It just works. Sorry, great minds think alike BW. I was tapping away whilst you were posting the same point.

Yup. In large part it is just that. I'm afraid it is called 'getting older'..

I think it is yet another sign of Tai's maturity - or at least just his willingness to listen to the good advice of those around him - that he understood that point so well. And then followed through with such a tactical ride. He realises that he only actually needs to be ahead come the last race at Torun in October. Anything more than that is just icing on the biggest cake ever.

If the guy finishing fifth does score more than the winner it is because he gained those points over the twenty qualifying races where each rider met all the others. I cannot see what is wrong with that.

Personally, I think this year it's just about right. If you do win the final you have to have added five or six points to your total after 20 heats. Second must have added another 4 or 5; third 3 or 4 and even fourth wil have gained an extra 2 or 3 points from his additonal two rides. As Tai showed on Saturday with the combination of more points in the qualifying races and two better finishes in theSemi/Finals he pulled back eight points. Riders can't get too far ahead and yet there is still scope to catch up. It all looks fine to me. .

I have just read this story and I am appalled. I had no idea that BSI held commentators captive in conditions that could be described as inhumane. Or that they refused to offer them payment for their work and that they had absolutely no way of saying 'No' to their terms and conditions. This sounds so much worse than those 'zero hours' contracts everyone is talking about. I was also unaware that it is an incontrovertible condition of providing a world TV feed that the same two men must work continuously, without anyone else being employed to offer relief at any time. I'm no expert but I think the use of headphones may be against the Geneva Convention. My sympathies are extended to both them and their families. Is there some sort of relief fund to which we can donate? FREE THE TERENZANO TWO! .