Reevesey2

Just want to add my thoughts on the discussion regarding the future of using big stadiums and temporary tracks and whether or not they are a good or bad thing for the sport. At the end of the day the question for me is do you want the sport to thrive (once more) , or even survive? My first experience of speedway as a teenager was at West Ham. Once hooked, I used to attend meetings often twice a week. My local team Crayford (in the days when they were the Highwaymen) on a Tuesday and Hackney on a Friday. I was part of the huge crowds at Wembley in that "golden age" for individual and team finals. Time an life moves on and my commitment to the sport for a variety of reasons diminished. Then a few years back The Sky coverage began and my interest in the sport was rekindled to a degree. Enough to get me to a meeting? No, not at that stage. But then came Cardiff. This was an event at least approaching the glory days at Wembley, the attraction of watching the sport once more on this scale was enough to get me out of the armchair and back to actually smelling methanol fumes once more. Cardiff is now for me a highlight of the year, we spend the weekend (and prey that the weather is kind), it's an opportunity to meet up with some old friends and fellow fans and in recent years helped by the growth of the fanzone and the size of the crowd to experience the GP as a major event on a scale comparable to other mainstream sports. Ok, the racing itself has sometimes been underwhelming, but it has also produced many incredible moments (Bomber) conveniently forgotten in the debate over temporary tracks. So does this put me in the category of "fair weather" fan, only going to Cardiff and watching the rest of the season on Sky/Eurosport? Well if that's the way some choose to describe me then yes. But here's the thing, I don't have a local team anymore, but when I've been in the area, I have taken the opportunity to go to Lakeside for a few meetings. I have also attended a number of grasstrack meetings when they have been staged near to my home. Events I'm sure I wouldn't have even thought of going to if the GPs at Cardiff had never been run and my interest reignited. The point being, how many others are like me, either fans of the past who have had their interest renewed, or more importantly for the survival of the sport, those who have never attended a speedway meeting before? The loss of Sky coverage of the GPs was a real shame - it's not about quality of Eurosport coverage, more about the loss of profile. That said, in my view it is absolutely the right thing and even necessary to continue with staging events in the biggest stadia and cities possible.

Ah - so now we know what Pedersen was complaining to the ref about.

When versions of the truth are one persons view against another, (i.e. Lawrence or Doyle) it will depend on who you believe. In this case I would have thought we could actually get to the bottom of things as there were 15 other riders in the meeting to discuss starting on the green light. Was it agreed that leniency would be shown or not? Can one of the other 15 can let us know?

Not cleared up for me - why didn't Lawrence immediately exclude Doyle before he had even returned to the pit gate? Why only after Pedersen called him? If it wasn't Doyle, then what was Pedersen talking to him about? What could possibly have occurred to him that urgently needed the refs attention after a false start?

Think the SStar reporting of events is generally quite balanced. Seems clear however that we have some way to go to establish some of the facts and that there will most likely be several versions of the truth. Example is the Jason Doyle interview. He is very clearly of the view that it was Pedersen complaining to the ref on the telephone that got him excluded. Lawrence is claiming not so and that he couldn't even hear Nikki. So two questions - what was it that Pedersen tried to speak to the ref about? Why did it take so long to put the blue exclusion light on if he wasn't influenced? Doyle is also claiming that in the riders meeting to explain the green light starts, they would be given a "second chance". They can't both be right.

I have contacted Viagogo who I purchased my tickets from - they have told me they are looking into the issue of refunds. My issue is doubly confusing as they are a third party site and I paid over the odds for the tickets.

Sorry everyone, just got back to the UK and been a bit busy, so I may have missed it, but has anyone found out why the meeting was called at 12 heats, when FIM regulations are still stating that 16 are required. It's not about getting a refund for me (flights and hotel were far more expensive than the ticket) but having now seen the TV footage I'm starting to get irate again, having calmed down a little since Saturday.

I first tried to post at 4.08pm yesterday, but for some reason it hasn't appeared. As I'm still awaiting my flight home from Warsaw I thought I would try again. Ticket terms and conditions displayed on the SGP web site state that FIM regulations state refunds will not be given after 16 races have been completed - not 12. Am I reading this incorrectly? Or can someone explain why 12 races was deemed enough on Saturday?

I am new to this forum, sitting in my hotel room in Warsaw I just felt compelled to say something in a public arena. I have been reading these posts on and off during the day and been trying to find out more info from "official" sites. I've been out and about trying to enjoy an additional day in Warsaw but I am getting increasingly angry the more I think about last nights events. I apologise if some of these comments have already been made in other posts as I've not read all of them. Just checked the SGP website to see if there was anything approaching an apology and there's just an interview with Jarek Hampel talking as if it was just another meeting! However - I did take the opportunity to try and look up ticket terms and conditions. The SGP site doesn't have anything for The Warsaw meeting, but does show them bizarrely for Cardiff and Manilla. According to the terms and conditions for Cardiff, it states the FIM regulations require 16 heats to be completed before the meeting can be deemed complete. If these are FIM conditions, why can they be different for Warsaw? Everyone seems to be suggesting that there was a convenient decision made after heat 12 on the grounds that the meeting could then be called and no refunds given. Am I missing something here - or do I have any chance of getting my ticket refunded? (never mind flight and hotel bill).