TheWellBehavedWorrall

That’s interesting. Thanks. CVS and Matt Ford are the owners, right? I wonder how much, if any, input promotors have. I’ll use Glasgow, for example. The Facenna’s are the owners, but Alan Dick and Michael Max, two of the promoters, have much more internal Speedway experience, so their input would be valuable. I’ve no idea what the manager, Cami Brown’s background is. Thanks for this. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know all of this? I find it fascinating.

Sorry, I meant the first club I had seen wearing matching race suits, but @Bagpuss reminded me that clubs in the 1998 Elite League did.

He won the league with Oxford in 2001, didn’t he? I loved that league winning Oxford team. I went Cowley a few times that season. I’m sure they were the first club in the UK to wear matching race suits; purple ones with yellow lining. Kings Lynn did something similar in 2000, but they were Wulf Sport outerwear; not kevlars. Off the top of my head, I’ll try naming the line-up; Todd Wiltshire, Brian Andersen, Steve Johnston, Lucas Dryml, Leigh Adams, Ales Dryml and Andrew Appleton.

Possibly the worst take I’ve ever seen on anything… ever.

That portakabin over to the left looks a bit Welshy. Carmarthen?

You’re on a roll. Correct.

Correct. The maddest looking pits I ever saw.

This gentleman was every so slightly before their time. The classiest rider I’ve ever saw on a speedway bike. He’d have looked more stressed and rushed buttering toast.

Yes, Danish, but no, he was a wild card. At least not in the season this picture was taken.

Of course mine wasn’t serious. I’m pleased to see the narrative being encouraged by Sportowefakty and this article is that Zmarzlik is in the wrong. If it’s an honest mistake, then he’s an absolute moron, but his comments around ”no-one said a thing about it until later” are an attempted insult to the reader’s intelligence. There isn’t a ‘Head of Race Suits’ hanging around, waiting to ban riders breaching commercial commitments. It’s assumed that, as 15+ did, everyone would adhere, so numerous conversations in the background would have taken place before Zmarzlik was informed.

He just posted this on his Instagram. For those unfamiliar with Polish, allow me to assist; ”They’re bothered about my race suit? Leon Madsen’s that small he gets his from Build-A-Bear. Phil Morris drink or choice is Lambrini and I’m going to win the world title in Toruń, anyway. Bye”

Bingo. It’s Mr Gollob, pictured during the 1995 GP series. The same year he was punched by Craig Boyce at Hackney.

Nope.

The appetite for sponsorship has changed significantly, especially in the current climate. I have a friend whose father-in-law is the Managing Director of a fabrication company. They’re a second-tier sponsor - meaning they’re not branded on the kits, but they are everywhere else, such as the stadium - of a football club with an average attendance of 50,000 every week and the commercial commitment is basically a business development exercise. 99.9% of those in attendance don’t and never will require the use of his company, but the business they secure through treating their potential customers as corporate guests at training days, stadium tours and match days is unbelievable. ”There it is, Mr Customer; our company logo, slapped across the upper tier of a major football club’s stadium. Not bad, eh?” I’ve met him twice and I know how proud he is of that, so I can just imagine how angry he’d be and how quickly he’d instruct his lawyers to take action, should his sponsorship be in speedway and his potential customer have gone ”the star player isn’t wearing it, though”.

You’re right. I just checked and he was due to make his debut at Hull on the Wednesday, but it was rained-off, so his first appearance was to be at Berwick on the Saturday night. On the Saturday morning, having attended a meeting at Armadale the night before, he refused to ride and headed back to Denmark.

At what point is the commercial aspect more important than racing? It’s never been more important; without it, there is no racing. Regardless of that, though, should we just go rogue and ignore contracts?

Yeah, I did add in a later post that it would be significantly risky to do that.

I don’t think a speedway rider, given their ability to remember to display their sleeve sponsors, branded water bottle or logo cap at the mere sight of a camera, require reminding of their contractual obligations.

I do find it strange, but that’s directed at Bartosz Zmarzlik and only him. As I’ve said, perhaps it’s intentional with a view to setting-up a title win, but that’s very risky and significantly insulting to the fans.

No, I said “try telling me Zmarzlik deserved a slap on the wrists”. He didn’t, he deserved more which was what he got.

The sponsor isn’t dictating who wins anything; Zmarzlik has single-handedly breached the contract which FIM/SGP signed. What was the main sponsor tonight, Infinite? Imagine what that organisation has paid to be the leading sponsor of an event attended by 14,000 fans and streamed live across the world. They’ve had to tender for this, so imagine the contract which is implemented; every single ‘t’ will be crossed and ‘i’ dotted. They’ll have lined-up their corporate guests in the hundreds. They’ve paid a fortune to FIM/SGP, so this is their night. Then, the word champion breaches the contract which was perfectly adhered to by fifteen others, plus the reserves or wild cards. The liquid damages the FIM/SGP will be hit with will be huge. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Zmarzlik did it on purpose. This is set-up perfectly for a title win on home soil, but he’s single-handedly let the fans down tonight.