PersonalResponsibility

Hopefully it'll be Glasgow out of the two options. I don't think Glasgow is that good a racing track, but it's levels above Ipswich. I don't think the capacity of Ashfield is very high, though?

One question that I'd like to know the answer to: has anyone asked Bartosz to do any of this? It's a fair point that he might price himself out of individual meetings, but WBD have 'promoted' the GPs for the last 5 seasons. They are a multi-billion dollar, global organisation, I'm certain they had the resources to ferry Bartosz around the world. He's the best speedway rider of a generation (potentially the best ever), he's exciting, and he's in a country that has fanatical speedway support. It's not exactly a hard sell. Go and arrange a GP in Argentina, plaster him on every channel, have him do exhibition rides. I do partly agree with the concept that the World Champion should represent our sport, but equally, what can he do on his own? If he rides in individual meetings in UK/Czech, then probably 75% of the audience has seen him in a GP anyway. The lesser nations is where it needs representation but what use is rocking up in Argentina and riding in a random individual?

What, and ruin the unbridled joy of these hard-working guests?

I remember him being pretty good to watch at his peak, in fairness. I don't think he was ever as exciting as Ward/Zmarzlik/Emil, etc., but still put it about plenty. In addition, he only actually won 3 GPs across 2013/2015, and in 2013 he had Hampel/NKI behind him, so probably didn't really need to do anything exciting!

The craziest part of the whole story was that Lampart earned 1.53M zlotys NET (£300k) this season. Madness.

We spoke to a taxi driver in Krakow about speedway and he didn't know anything about it. He vaguely recalled playing amateur football on a pitch inside a track once, but had never watched a meeting. Poland is a different world for speedway, but it's hardly like every other Joe Public knows what it is.

Who's going to win the tug of war for Jack Holder? Whoever doesn't get him is going to have a battle to stay up.

I thought it was Basso lined up to replace Riss?

Sadly, I think a lot of what you're missing is nostalgia, not that there's anything wrong with that. Modern day speedway is clearly thriving domestically in Poland, and isn't exactly dead in Sweden, so why is GB struggling? I think you could bring back Wembley, uprights, 4TT and whatever else, but it's too late. It's been like death by a thousand paper cuts following British speedway in the last 25 years. I think where we do agree is that it's probably too far gone now. Sad.

Double post

Oh absolutely, it's a publicity thing at the end of the day. Strange from a sporting perspective at least, alas...

"Shall we get a new face in? Someone young, exciting, fresh or should we stick with an old face, someone we at least know will be challenging at the top end?" "What about if we just did neither?" What a strange 3rd pick.

I contemplated a treble at before the last GP consisting of Zmarzlik to win the world title, Australia to win the SON and Leicester to win the league. I got as far as adding it to my betslip and then didn't bother, so I can only apologise in advance to Ipswich fans...

Sadly, I think GBs best chance of a SWC win was in 2023. Poland were there for the taking. We were one rider short but still pushed them very close on their home soil. I agree with you though, Poland's talent pool really isn't that deep as it stands, and Australia look formidable. I'd sooner rely on Fricke/Kurtz/Holder in a big team meeting than whoever they can find to partner Zmarzlik.

What in god's name is this final section? There's more cameramen than riders. Is it some sort of showreel because they're all down the job centre on Monday?

Quite funny making the Polish federation's president present them with the trophy though.

That rain looks bad now, Kelvin will want this presentation hurried along, just in case.

Australia the first ever team to score the most points in the meeting and go on to win the SON. Dudek letting the Poles down. Ah well...

I've nothing really against any individual rider in this final, but it's always good to see Australia beaten, so I'm probably siding with Poland. Kurtz having another world title robbed by Bartosz would be sickening for him.

Was that Patryk Dudek or Jerzy Dudek? Impressive dive.

A Polish engine failure?

He's desperate to get it called off at the next available milestone, must be on a promise.

Is it just my TV or is the rain making virtually zero difference to the track? Kelvin is talking as if the Ark is about to appear from the pits.

Bewley's fault sadly. The bike seemed to stop when it hit that dirt. That's our meeting over I'd say, right when we were looking good finally!

It's the same in the GPs, you eventually lose track/forget who's doing what. I'd also like to see the race positions done similarly to the Ekstraliga, not in size 4 font in the corner.