Steve Shovlar

One of the best ever international meetings of all time was the WTC at Poole in 2004. An absolute classic meeting which had everything. Great racing, massive controversy and a packed overflowing crowd. On what is today classed as a small 300 metre race track.

Fingers crossed for better than last night. Have a feeling the racing will be better. It can’t be worse, surely?

Don’t be ridiculous. What you are saying is you don’t believe in home advantage. Which has been proved in all sports to be an advantage. You are saying having a baying and partisan Polish crowd, on Polish tracks, is not an advantage? Clearly it is.

But it would be easy to build in some leeway of say, 10mm over half a second. Such sensors, like those used in athletics, have been used for decades.

The technology is available to take any subjectivity out of the equation. A movement sensor on all bikes, aligned to the release of the tape mechanism. As soon as the green lights come on the sensor becomes live, and if a rider moves before the tapes are released he is out. Very straight forward to do and would remove the ref from making subjective calls.

All premier football players have played at Anfield. The thousands on the Kop have nothing to do with helping Liverpool win.

Nothing to do with it. Home advantage is strong and with thousands of Polish fans it gives Polish riders an advantage. It’s the same in all sports.

Polish riders riding on Polish tracks in front of Polish fans. Heavily weighted in their favour.

Well let’s cross everything and hope tomorrow brings a better meeting, though it’s unlikely. Still, at least we know it can’t really be worse.

Never been a fan and never will be. Add this year that it is heavily weighted towards Polish riders and he should romp it. just a jockey on finely tuned engines. I don’t hate him. I am just not a fan. It’s a sport and some you like, some you don’t. Never a fan of Crump, or Mauger, or Olsen, or Neilsen, or Gundersen, etc.

Disappointing final. Zzzzzzmarzlik. Yawn.

Been diabolical. As expected. Even a final with all four swapping 15 times won’t save it. And same again tomorrow.

It’s the Zmarzlik effect. Afraid of letting him get in front.

Doyle out! Blown it!

Madsen should go! Justice as he should have been excluded last time.

Woffinden riding too tentatively so far. Needs to go balls to the wall or he will be out.

Lindgren’s title hopes take a knock!

He just doesn’t get passed when he leads so they have to get the drop on him. Which causes exclusions.

Means tai should be through to the semis. Not that it will mean much tonight by his form this evening.

Magic seems to struggle under intense pressure. Needs to learn to relax in certain situations or he will always be an also ran. Silly tapes exclusion.

Lindback form is ridiculous. He is a far better rider than he has been showing.

This is going to be a gate fest semis and final.

Well can someone tel me Madsen didn’t get a flyer there? No different to his last heat imo. Replay proves it! Crap refereeing.

Same reason Monaco is chosen for F1. Zero to do with racing which is absolutely crap.

Usual Prague fayre to be honest. Always rubbish racing here but the city is nice and a few beers in the square is great. Anyone think Zmarzlik has had the rub? Tai then Leon both excluded when he has ridden.