Steve Shovlar

KKs average is nearly 9, from the difficult number 5 berth at Poole. He often meets the oppositions best rider in his first ride as well. He is number 11 in the overall elite league averages. Kolodziej is also having a great season in the UK, and his average is not far behind KKs at 8.71. But the difference is that he is riding at the reserve berth, where points are easier to come by. Kolodziej HAS had a great start to the season as well, don't get me wrong. And if he can maintain that form once he has moved into the team, then he is also worthy of a GP wild card, and will probably get his chance in the Bydgozsz round later this year.

The right man has been given the berth. KK is a better rider than Kolodziej at the moment and his form has been good this year. Kolodziej is riding from the reserve berth and gets easy rides. A year behind KK IMO. I am sure Kolodziej will get the second Polish GP wild card though.

To be honest they are not worth a great deal. I had a good look at the old program stand at Brighton, featuring meetings back to the 30's, and was suprised to see them not in the high tens.

I'll give you £3 for the lot.

So everyone (except me I can't make the 22nd July) will be at Reading on the Saturday, then head down to Poole on the Sunday for the TRick farewell to speedway meeting. What a week of speedway! (for some!)

Who wants speedway back at Wembley? Not me for starters. What has Wembley got to offer that Cardiff hasn't? No bars, shops, restaurants at wembley. Noting there but a stadium, stick out on a limb away from the centre of London. Cardiff is smack bang in the middle of the city, parking is easy, and its far far better than Wembley ever was, albeit the crowd was bigger back then. But for me, I I should imagine, the majority of fans who attend Cardiff, it's a no brainer.

Well Bob Dugard certainly didn't think that as he continued to show contempt for the riders decision by continuing to prepare the track after the meeting was called off.

I think its a brilliant tactic and should be used more often. Obviously tensions were running high and when I listened to that radio clip a couple of weeks ago just after it was called off, you could tell by the tone of the reporter that there were unpleasantrys. By the sound of it the track was rideable. It wasn't like the fiasco in Swden where the track was a complete and utter mess and all riders spoke as one. The best thing to have done was to say, the rider who want to ride will, and the pot will be plit between those. Riders who do not ride will receive nothing, and will score zero points. That way a few of the desenters might have backed down. Of course if the track was that bad, Adams et al would have agreed and the meeting would have been abandoned without any of this hoofla. By the look of this report though and the strong words by Mick Poole, backed up by Rod Colquhoun who went a step further, shows how disgruntled they were with the riders shamed in this report.

Yep! Perhaps someone can enlighten me, because I was at Wolves for every meeting and don't ever recall Poole riders refusing to ride. Only Ryan Sullivan pulling out due to illness and being unable to see.

What do you mean by that?

Juicy stuff and the riders involved in stopping this meeting going ahead should hang their head in shame. Well done to Rod C for naming the jerks who caused this mayhem. But it has happened over here as well. Remember the Sky meeting at Eastbourne last year when the Ipswich riders didn't want to ride? I remember Andersen crossing the line after going out in heat one and crossing the line shaking his head, when it was clear to all the track would improve after a couple of heats.

Well if BSI ever think about holding a GP in Japan, we had better start saving right now. The place is EXTREMELY expensive to visit, and a few days there will set you back a lot of money.

Drove past it a month ago and saw what the place is like. poor shape, and that's not the track. Answer your question?

Certainly never a premier track. If they can't ride top flight they shouldn't be given the opportunity to have such a prestigious event IMO. Wolverhampton does produce good racing, more from mistakes than skill, with mainly the home riders coming through of away riders choosing thw wrong lines. Arena can hold an awful lot of people, and access is excellent, but the racing IMO is dire and fans are far away from the action on a tiny little track. Coventry is a very nice venue, but is let down by its track. Ipswich ditto, Oxford not big enough either. BV has terrible viewing. Swindon can hold a big crowd but racing is very spaced out. Ideally it would be Poole's track in Brandon Stadium. Great racing in a nice venue.

Yes I do. I like going to Brandon as well, but NOT for the racing. I enjoy racing at Peterborough, Wolverhampton, Eastbourne, Poole. BV, Swindon and Oxford make OK to poor racing, and Ipswich and Coventry are poor, not much between them. Arena I detest. Reading I haven't visited for a while so I will make my opinion later nexy year.

It will not be held at Reading. The place is a dump.

No!!!! Even worse than Brandon and awful awful awful stuff.

Pete, I never said there is no passing at Brandon, it just doesn't happen very often. A couple of races a meeting seems the norm. Yet you can go to BV or Monmore and get that much passing in the first few heats of a meeting. The Brandon track shape is all wrong and the promotion know it.

I have been to Brandon dozens of times. Passing is rare. Why should Coventry V Poole be any different to Coventry V another team? Poole have a good record at Brandon and normally win there once a season. Racing though is dire. All over by the second bend in 13 out of 15 heats. And I also see the televised meetings when Sky are there and it's no different. It's terrible stuff. Even the Coventry management realise the track is bad for passing and are considering doing something about it. And your knowledge of Poole is poor if you think its a slick track with no dirt. Racing from heat 1 to 15 on a well prepared surface most weeks, with passing inside and out on both bends for home and away riders. Riders can go out wide and cut back up the inside at Poole. That maneouvre is impossible at Brandon because of the shape of the track. I was not putting forward Poole for the final, even though we made such a fantastic job of it a couple of years ago. One that will be remembered for a very long time for all who attended. As I said though, anywhere but Brandon please, otherwise it will be a speedway fiasco in terms of racing.

Please. Please. Anywhere but Brandon. If they want the most boring WTC final on record, with gate and go racing, then hold it at "the home of no passing". Even Swindon makes for better racing. Hold it at Blunsdon. Or Peterborough. Or even dare I say it Poole, because whatever the outcome, fans want racing first, and a great final. And I am not in the minority when I say racing at Coventry is absolutely dire. Please BSI don't make this fundemental error.

I doubt it Deano, Andy Smith's mum passed away three years ago.

Just basic marketing. Everyone who has attended the GP in the past and paid in advance by card will have got one, as Benfield will want to get as many of these folk back for next year. Mrs Smith up the road will not have got one if she didn't attend.

Must admit I have never seen Coventry, Copenhagen and Prague mentioned in the same sentence before!! I have been to Prague and Copenhagen of quite a few occassions and sorry fairy but there is no comparison between the two cultural CAPITALS and an averaged sized industrial midlands city. Nothing, other than people live in all three! As for TGI's, well I got the squits last time I went there so I am not sure I will other again! I was not trying to have a dig at Coventry in my post, just making comments I thought were fair and just, when considering where to have the WTC final. It's been said many times by many fans. Coventry does not make good speedway. The track does not allow for great racing in the majority of races. It's because of the shape of the track. Mostly it's gate and go. Poole has its problems because so many fans want to go and the place struggles to cope with the crowds. Other than that it's perfect. If the capacity was higher it would be a no brainer. And no I am not saying that because Poole is my local club, but because it's perfect for holidays, pubs, beaches, shops and speedway! Oh and the sun comes out quite a bit too in the summer. No other club in the UK can compete with that. Some other clubs do have a bigger stadium, but are let down by being out of town, no local fascilities. Others have as good race circuits and a bigger stadium, but nothing to offer in the way of sightseeing. Someone mentioned Bydgoszsz as a plce to hold a WTC final. Been there quite a few times and the place has nothing to offer the tourist. The city centre is not that large. Its industrial, very eastern block, and I suppose if you like looking at tower blocks where many live it's OK. The Old Square is pretty but that's it. Still, it's all down to Benfield. And if they chose elsewhere other than Poole it's their decision.

I understand that you don't want to travel all the way to the south coast from Manchester, but surely atmosphere and great racing are more important than just being central. on top of that Benfield advertise the WTC as a mini holiday break, and no one in their right mind goes on holiday to Coventry, Peterborough or Swindon. There is just nothing to do for speedway fans in those towns. Poole was a major success two years ago. Major. Excellent weather, a packed holiday town packed even more by throngs of speedway fans from all over the world taking over the quayside and town centre bars. It was like a mini Cardiff. Then there was the event itself. A packed to over capacity stadium, superb atmosphere generated by the partisan crowd. Then to top it all, a thrilling nights racing with the whole WTC going down to the final race of the night. Speedway fans couldn't have asked for more. ( Other than a Britsish victory) Can Coventry offer the same? No. A bigger stadium but the atmosphere has never been very good. The track is very poor in comparison to Wimborne Road. It has no facilities in walking distance of the stadium, in comparison again Poole Stadium is in the town centre, close to the quay and many watering holes. Peterborough has a good track which can make for fantastic racing when prepared properly. It can hold a lot of fans, but what else is in the area to entertain holiday makers? The track is on the edge of a non holiday city. A walk up the river bank or a look around the cathedral and that's about it. Swindon is an even worse proposition. A track that rarely produces good racing, with the riders normally spread out over 100-200 metres. The stadium offers only mediocre viewing facilities and the stadium is well out of town. As for the town itself, read Coventry or Peterborough. Nothing to offer the tourist. Sheffield is a good race track, but the city again has nothing to offer. And the fact that the promotion are anti elite league doesn't do their chances any favours. Viewing at Poole is not the best. get there early to get a seat in the grandstand. But when last held at Poole, the temprorary stands made all the difference. Fantastic viewig from both bends. Obviously those with the cheapest tickets had to take their chances of getting there early, but overall it was a meeting not to be missed. I heard from several sources that Swindon had been given the nod, though I hope I am wrong. Hopefully Benfield will give us a repeat of 2003.

Thought it had already been announced that the semi and final were going to Swindon?