JamesHarris

I think Coventry had a press and practice in the early 90's with only half a team signed. I would doubt it unless it's a short term deal. He'll be riding for Brovst in Denmark on Wednesdays.

Do any other riders have Russian ancestry? Russian spouses? Russian equipment? Drink Russian standard Vodka? Have they ever flown on a Russian airline or visited a Russian city? Have they ever had conversation with a Russian citizen? If any of the above apply then they are guilty of association and must be banned from all competitions with immediate effect!!!

I was looking at this scenario the other day. I would say Weber is odds on based on his performance in the opening rounds but both Haarahultinen and Iwema could do it. I bet Harald Simon is kicking himself now that he couldn't ride in Russia.

What I am finding most disturbing about this sorry episode is the sudden lets cancel anybody or anything that is Russian. It is becoming borderline racism and ironically the same people who are getting very vocal about it all are the same people who got very vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement. Double standards one has to ask. Not every Russian agrees with or even likes Putin. We must remember that. But I suppose in this day and age of social media everybody loves a bandwagon to jump on. I imagine Alexander the Meerkat will be next on the cancel list but I think that irritating rodent has already got his claws in lots of Putin pies!

If they were banned then it's a hard one. Would the western riders compete? probably yes. If one of them scored enough over the 2 days to become champion they will always be a world champion but would they be a world champion on merit? NO

Has there been any indication yet as to whether the Russian riders will be allowed to compete? It's going to be extremely difficult for them to travel to Holland in current circumstances. May get the first western champion in 20 years!!

You're never going to get a job at the United Nations with that attitude

Probably a silly question but why are the Russians so far ahead? Is it money, engine tuning or just talent? I have seen a few western riders have brought bikes from top Russian riders but they are still far behind.

Johann Weber was brilliant against the Russians. I think the big occasion of making it to the final got to him but he tried his best. Well done.

Hardly anybody there. Are there covid limits on the capacity or are they busy invading Ukraine instead?

Does anyone know what the track length is for the ice track at Tolyatti please? thanks

Throw in the bait and the fish will keep biting

Nothing to see here

Quick question if anyone can help. Who was the last non Russian and when to win a Ice grand prix round? Thanks

Because British speedway is now an effective dictatorship run by a two bob scrap metal merchant supported by a few stoogie minions who aspire to fill his boots one day. Fair play to Godfrey. 16 years ago he set up a track in the middle of a field with no basic facilities. Now he holds all the power

With all the best will Uncle Len still be here in 2028? The guy must be 120 already!!!

Sorry if this has already been asked but I've seen videos from the 70's and 80's where the riders are rolling over the tapes at the start. What was the deal with this? Were they excluded if they did it so many times etc?

It may be unpopular but it's a very honest assessment. I've been laughed at and mocked for saying this but if you can't beat them join them. Instead of living in the past and pretending the British League is still the worlds premier competition why can't our promoters or even motorsport loving business people get together and enter a British "franchise" team into the Polish leagues? The financial backing and logistics required would be huge but if it could be done I believe it would be a winner with the fans and sponsors alike. You only have to see how much the German riders have improved by having two teams in the competition. Sunday racing every other week and long weekends away in a nice Polish city via Wizz air if any fans wanted to travel to the away meetings. Yes laugh at me but If I was a millionaire or could get people to invest I would be going for this.

You can't change the weather but another classic example of how British speedway shoots itself in the foot and lives in the past. The season should be finished now. The play-off for what they are worth in a 6 team league should have begun the first week in September. Octobers are cold, mostly wet and dark!

Bit of a strange one really. I've watched Polish speedway and the atmosphere in the crowd it buzzing. We just don't have the same thing here. All that happens here is the DJ will play some cheesy tune from the 80's and the fans will clap like sea lions at feeding time when the home rider wins. I've even been to meetings here where the racing was good but there was probably more atmosphere on the Moon! I remember around the turn of the millennium Belle Vue used to bring a band of foul mouthed oinks on their travels who got a little animated but I wouldn't call that an atmosphere.

I know I'll get shot down for this but IMO Newcastle speedway is a dead donkey. Mr Grant has done a great job and must be applauded for the job he has done considering how he was screwed over by the last promotion. But the track at Brough Park has always been small and technical and I have to say not great for flat out racing. I do apologise but I have never witnessed a brilliant meeting at Brough. The stadium is a relic of the past. Times change and unfortunately Brough Park hasn't.

Just a thought but what would happen if a would be promoter ever went on Dragons Den asking for investment? Could possibly be the best car crash telly ever!

Was only saying this last night. I know riders have to display sponsor logo's etc, but surely there could be a more discreet way of doing so. Having images of bikes and so all over a van is a written invitation for such robbing scum. I hope he gets his bikes back but perhaps this should serve as a warning to other riders about the images they display on their vans.

The ultimate demise of the traditional Friday/Saturday race night for "elite" speedway in the UK was the Grand Prix. When the GP launched in 1995 the British League could cope with 6 weekends a season where their top stars would be unavailable. Slowly over time the GP series increased in the number of rounds and with the big bucks of the Sunday Polish league on top of that, the British league system could no longer sustain weekend racing at an elite level.

Basic question here but what do the Poles, Swedes and even Danes do different to us? What can we learn from them? I know there will be some obvious answers but if Speedway is ever going to return to it's glory days in the UK, we have to start looking into why it is so successful in other countries. Of cause to do so the dinosaurs that run the BSPL would have to start living in 2021 instead of 1971.