sparkafag

I agree with that, I was a bit 50/50 re Cook as I just don’t see where it is going with him, but when it comes to tournament speedway/World Cup it is best to play your strongest hand and the above team is it IMO. I would go with Ellis over Bates.

Belle Vue is excellent, everything about it is good, it is fresh, new and adds to the personality of the sport in this country. The World Cup will probably elevate it a level when the top riders come and find lines others haven’t.

As someone who helps charities you surely realise “supporting a charity” isn’t like supporting a sports team, you don’t just support that charity and dismiss others who don’t donate to it, or choose to donate to other charities?

There is no correlation between those things, you are a dreg of a person.

No, I think the way you position what people do or don’t do for charity is utterly crass, that’s what makes me think you are an idiot.

Silence in the court yard, silence in the street the biggest eejit on this forum is just about to speak......

:rofl:

“ow look at me, please someone look at me”….. I am going to enjoy the emotional struggle you have not replying to this post…..because you know what it makes you if you reply….an eejit (bigger eejit) because you will be doing the exact thing you are accusing others of….you have literally already done it.

Don’t worry precious, even though you haven’t posted much on this thread people haven’t forgot robert72 isn't the only eejit on this forum.

Using the Ben Fund as a stick to beat any rider with is crass, more so when the rider has raced in it. You appear to hold the meeting in high regard, and rightly so but by using it in the way you are on this thread you are subconsciously cheapening it – not to me, or most reading it though, to yourself, it is quite horrible to read. I think it would be in everyone’s best interest you stop using it as a points scoring exercise on this thread.

“Well Tai has raced in the Ben Fund Bonanza” “Yes, but why doesn’t he race in it every year”…that’s what is coming isn’t it…. …..and as well as racing it every year, even if he was to do that he should also fly to the moon and drive every other British rider to and from every meeting each week….and if he does they things he should also make their dinner and buy shopping for them…..and if he does that he should also then bring back the Dodo and ride Santa Claus around the world on a Speedway Bike on the 25th of December”. Genuinely, Robert72 has said Woffinden should give up his wages, there is literally nothing he isn’t going to say.

Ow p*ss off.

You always chuck in random things that just obliterate the point you are making… Workington haven't been getting good crowds for about 15 years.

Last night’s meeting was comparable to last Monday in many ways, it was raced on a track prepared for rain which resulted in it being slicker than usual…well that and both away teams were terrible. If Sky show 20/30/40 speedway meetings a year chances are a few might not be very good….don’t worry though it’s the same thing when they show football, Rugby etc it doesn’t mean we need to burn the sport down.

I agree re there ever being one big league again, it won’t happen – a top league of comparable structure to the BLC a few years ago seems a decent option. I think the BLC was almost a good idea with a bit of alterations. The rest could then battle it out in a high value development league with “top flight teams” dipping into that league for squad picks to supplement the likes of Doyle.

A squad system would probably be the safest way to introduce clubs into a “top flight” while still allowing what is seen as a viable, and, somewhat fair product for both clubs. If Poole had say Holder and Majic in their squad they could be used home and away against Belle Vue, but then dropped out against a club of the ilk of Sheffield say who weren’t as strong as Poole It would require some form of gentleman agreement though which would get messy/overcomplicated. Any merger of leagues has to be in the interest of both parties it isn’t fair on Poole or Redcar for example to be in the same league, there needs to be a strategic logic to it.

The Ipswich side this year looked really hodgepodge from the get go IMO. An engine room made up of Risager and Sarjeant just lacks any personality. I can’t see either pulling out rides that inspire fans or team mates very often. I find both competently dull at best, they don’t have the touch of the madness about them or the force of racing talent to drag a side out a hole.

If Cook doesn’t show up in Longio, turn in a big meeting I do wonder if he might be the one who makes way, he really needs to do something on the big stage soon otherwise it is understandable there might be serious reservations about him.

This season more than any other confirms how hostage some fans are to their league…..take away Doyle and NKI being miles in front now and then in the EL, or Castagna and Karger being miles behind in the PL then both leagues are two cheeks of the same arse.

Quite easily, by debating what people actually say, you’ve literally managed to do it in your post there re your point about Nicholls…. Re the second part, you are using how Harris performs in the GP as a barometer of his talent and form, you made reference to his Grand Prix performances, those performances are at the top level of the sport, it is something neither King nor Nicholls are anywhere near - that alone is an indication in where the riders sit. A Danish fan for example wouldn’t want someone like Mads K to replace NKI because NKI hasn’t been that good in the GP this season, it doesn’t make Mads a better rider.

It’s because you have selectively quoted part of a post…… I said his results against the top stars in the league give a better indicator of pace, can be on a small, middle sized or large track if you are beating the better riders it generally means you are going faster than them… RE Harris performances the last 3 years in the GP, yes, he has raced in other GP’s and World Cups, neither King nor Nicholls have looked like achieving that or been interested in achieving that, that isn’t Harris’s fault or something that should be used against him. That’s what I meant earlier re selective judgment of Harris – he has been crap in the Grand Prix….yes, during that time King hasn’t been that great in the PL and Nicholls has been pretty mediocre in the EL.

If Nicholls was dominant at Belle Vue I would see a stronger case, but he isn’t really that great around there average wise, hasn’t raced in a World Cup or Grand Prix for the best of 3 years now. Even on his best day now I don’t see him as a serious game changer or a guy who springboards Team GB to a 3rd,2nd or 1st. For all Harris struggles and faults with form he does at least still have a podium place in the GP in him and the consistency in GB to beat the better rider in the league, which while not packed with the top stars still gives a better indicator of pace, which I don’t think either Nicholls, or in particular King have. If I had a choice of the 3 for a big race, a race where Team GB needed 3,2 or 1 point to take 3rd or 2nd, it would be Harris, Nicholls then King in that order, that probably decides it for me.

What indicator suggests either King or Nicholls should be picked over Harris? King has been poor for the most part this season, he hasn’t even been that dominant in the PL….

For the majority of this season Danny King has been in poor form domestically, up until he won the British Final he wouldn’t have been close to most people’s thoughts. He then won a meeting featuring riders like Richard Hall and Ben Barker, I don’t think that alone merits a starting berth. If people are of the thought process that one meeting does merit a starting berth though then surely the British Final is cancelled out by a 3rd in the Grand Prix. I say that as someone who felt the reaction to King's inclusion based on one meeting was a bit daft, personally I don't think it should be judged base on that particular meeting. I would consider age a factor when it comes to riders “moving over”, if Harris was being moved over to allow younger riders the chance to develop or learn about the world stage then great, but Harris moving over to allow riders like Nicholls or King, who even given current form aren’t as good as Harris just doesn’t make much sense to me. Harris is basically being assessed based on his form in relativism to his ability, that form is still better than what either Nicholls or King, or any other Brit is able to manage for that matter.

I could almost understand the idea of Harris moving over but when the options are, with all due respect, Danny King – who is only 4 years younger than him or Scott Nicholls who is actually older than him I am tempted to say they aren’t the kind of riders he should move over for. The same rules apply re the World Cup squad as they do with Harris and meetings like the GP challenge for me, it isn’t his fault other riders haven’t managed to outscore him or surpass him, nor is it reason enough not to pick him.