PolskiZuzel

I believe that to have a balance view one needs to hear both sides, therefore, if I can, I try to provide views of the other one, not always available among English speaking audience. It so easy to label things as propaganda. If it is, it exist on both sides, but tell me why you do you think they (OneSport) don't make themselves look very credible?

On March the 10th there will be a meeting between representatives of the FIM and the Polish Company One Sport, owner of the rights to organize Speedway European Championships. Its owner, Mr Adam Kruzynski talking to sportowefakty.pl reveals that it is the first time they are invited to such a talks. Now that the ban of GP riders to compete in the SEC has been suspended Mr Kruzynski is convinced that it will be easier to find a common ground to talk . He said - I think it is a good decision , above all for speedway everywhere. It gives hope that there is a room for a fair competition and exchange of views . That should push us forward , and give opportunity to develop and allow us not to be treated as a backwater . It is time that we began to democratize this sport - added Krużyński . Supporters of the GP’s riders ban to compete in the SEC were saying that it was unfair that the One Sport paid for the SEC cycle much less money than the BSI for the SGP . Adam Krużyński considers this argument as ridiculous. He adds that the OneSport company will want to purchase the rights to the SEC for subsequent years. - We want to renew the contract . We have a contract for three years and we want to extend it for a further three . The contract for the Speedway Best Pairs also assumed that it will run until 2018. … When it comes to talks about money for the rights to the SEC for the next installment , we mainly want to talk about the value of this product. If we are convinced of what it actually is, it is logical that the talk about the money will appear. I do not agree with assumption that for the BSI it was the most important point , because they were not in the same situation as we were when we bought the rights to the SEC. We paid for a complete corpse , for something that before us no one offered any money at all. . In contrast, the BSI buying the rights to GPs from Mr John Postlethwaite, gained the finished product , with several years of tradition and prestige. Telling us today that we have paid less is ridiculous to me . One should also note that there is only a year behind us , and we have already managed to built a brand. There are two more years ahead of us, and so many good things might happen . Then this product will have a different value for us, for the FIM and the sponsors. Then we can sit down for new talks - said Krużyński . Suspension of the ban for GPS riders to compete in the SEC is seen in Poland as a OneSport success, but only a partial one. Adam Krużyński believes, however, that the forthcoming talks with FIM will lead to the full compromise. – Most importantly, we will have the opportunity to talk . During this meeting, I want to ask these questions. Firstly, why this ban was introduced at all , what was it to regulate. We'll ask the same questions that we were to present in courts, namely about the principle of fair competition and access of people to the labour market We have a year to sit at the table and find a common formula of cooperation. Withdrawal of this ban for a year can be treated as the gate , which is to show that on the one hand, the FIM has not lost in this case , on the other hand , wants to have the option to withdraw this decision. If we are able to argue why the ban should be lifted , I believe it will be completely abolished - Adam Krużyński ended

I think you're right condemning OneSport on this occasion . For my money Mr Konikiewicz just jumped the gun and went to press "bleating" after reading sportowefakty.pl interview with Tain, which in translation came to this: sf : It's good to see you again in Wroclaw after winter break . You have just tested your five bikes on Wroclaw track. What are your impressions? Tai Woffinden : It was great . It was my first ride on a track for a long time The last time I rode it was in October last year in Czestochowa , after the Grand Prix in Torun. It was good to get on a bike , because during the winter break I did not ride on motocross or the minibikes. sf: For your first practice at Wroclaw you brought with you a lot of equipment, five bikes. Did everything worked reasonably well during the test ? TW - Everything was fine . I rode on the same bikes as the year before. In the season 2013 my bikes were doing well , so there was no need to change anything . sf: How did you spend last two months. I've heard that you were on a skiing holidays and also flew to Australia. TW - That's right. I went skiing with my girlfriend Faye . Shortly after winning the world championship I had to spend a lot of time for newspaper interviews, websites and television. In the last two months I had a lot of them and in the end I felt a bit tired. Then all went quiet and I decided to take my girlfriend for two weeks skiing holiday. And after that we flew to Australia for five weeks. sf: On vacation? TW: - Yes, but Australia is my home , so I was meeting mainly with friends . It was really cool. Together with my girlfriend I played tennis and swam . Then we returned to Europe , and again went skiing for two weeks. We were skiing mostly in the morning and in the evening I was busy in the gym. Then I came to England and continued to prepare for the season. sf: What are your plans before the Grand Prix in Auckland? Will you be staying here in Wroclaw and take part in your team match preactices or will you go back to the UK ? TW- To be honest, I do not know yet . For the season opening it is still some days . I will have to ride in a few test- matches in England. If I get a chance to come to Poland and test my hardware , I will most likely do that it . I’ve done my practice rides today and will them again tomorrow, on Sunday.. I think that after these two days I will know much more regarding my equipment. sf: Not so long ago, the FIM has decided that speedway riders taking part in the Grand Prix can not take part in the European Championships . Now, the ban has been suspended for a year. Will you, therefore, want to ride in the SEC ? TW - I have a very busy schedule. Once again, I want to focus on the World Championships and see if I can defend the title. Everyone is saying that it is relatively easy to win a series , but it is definitely more difficult to defend it. It will be another challenge for me . In the new season, I will ride again in Sweden, Poland , UK and the Grand Prix. Thus it will be great to have free those weekends when the SEC rounds will be held. sf: Finally may I ask you about the colour of your bikes. Will they stay black colour or are you planning any changes? - I do not plan any changes. Everything will be the same as the year before

Emil Sayfutdinov have decided not to ride for the World Championship’s title telling us that his decision was caused by the financial problems. Krzysztof Cegielski, who should still be remembered by fans at Poole is telling fans in Poland that if he was still a rider and had a choice to ride or not to ride for the world title he would definitely choose to ride. The reason? He says there are more than a few. A rider can still count on three or even four times more money from sponsors than usual. Secondly riding in the GP’s translates to a larger contracts in the league. Thirdly, if not most important, it is the prestige that comes with being the SGP rider.. Even the lesser riders taking part in the SGP are perceived differently from others. We are hearing riders complaints that GPs doesn’t pay sufficiently but cost an earth. Cegielski agrees with that but at the same time points out that to a fact that a few years ago there were no complaints. A coin always have two sides to it. The problem is – as Cegielski sees it – that Polish League began to pay even more and that made the riders to complain about GPs rates. When it comes to expenses, Cegielski admits that they are huge, but like in everyday life there is always room to be more frugal. There is no need to book 5 star hotels for 3 days before an event, etc., No one knows the real reason for Emil’s withdrawal from the SGP, but if Cegielski had a choice he would do everything in his power not to give up and line up with other 15 riders to chase his ultimate dream.

I regret to inform the fans that I will not start in Grand Prix in 2014. My decision was taken because of huge financial problems, lack of more Russian sponsors support, also lack of contract in Russian league and lack of interest from Russian federation side. Unfortunately I am still in many debts after last season. Having in my mind not fixed financial issues here in Poland, I am not able to prepare correctly for starts in GP and compete on satisfied me level. Many bad things have been happened lately around me what influenced on my preparations for individual world championship rivalry for sure. At this moment of my career I need a break to re-build everything, so it could come back on the right ways. I want to add that I don't hold any grudge against anybody regarding my decision which I had to take. Sometimes one step has to be taken back to take two forward. I have been waiting so long with the final decission as I believed most of issues would end differently. I would like to thank BSI and FIM not to hold me responsibles. I have started in Grand Prix for 5 years. I want to thank for support so far. Thanks for all who helped me to existence in GP tournament and who support me now during this difficult for me time. The title of individual world champion is still my big dream but I am not able to compete this year. I am not saying „goodbye” but „see you”. http://emilracing.com/index.php?j=EN I regret to inform the fans that I will not start in Grand Prix in 2014. My decision was taken because of huge financial problems, lack of more Russian sponsors support, also lack of contract in Russian league and lack of interest from Russian federation side. Unfortunately I am still in many debts after last season. Having in my mind not fixed financial issues here in Poland, I am not able to prepare correctly for starts in GP and compete on satisfied me level. Many bad things have been happened lately around me what influenced on my preparations for individual world championship rivalry for sure. At this moment of my career I need a break to re-build everything, so it could come back on the right ways. I want to add that I don't hold any grudge against anybody regarding my decision which I had to take. Sometimes one step has to be taken back to take two forward. I have been waiting so long with the final decission as I believed most of issues would end differently. I would like to thank BSI and FIM not to hold me responsibles. I have started in Grand Prix for 5 years. I want to thank for support so far. Thanks for all who helped me to existence in GP tournament and who support me now during this difficult for me time. The title of individual world champion is still my big dream but I am not able to compete this year. I am not saying „goodbye” but „see you”.

Why do you believe what you're told? See for yourself http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/421596/emil-sajfutdinow-znow-na-torze-wideo Emil is well and kicking

Again, I understand your frustration and anger, but what's going on in today's speedway shows that money talks, as it always did. Whether we like it or not. EOT

I can only regret that you see things differently, but facts are facts and i'm not arguing with them. I am not as much involved emotionally with the things discussed here, as some of you. I am not saying that one thing is better than other, i'm just reporting them to you, so I would be grateful if you, and others, could refrain from personal attacks.

Of course he is being used as a pawn, but not by OneSport. Are you all ignorant of the fact that Emil and Tomasz are both Torun's rider and their owner will not stomach another posssible injury to his riders in a GP event. Chris Holder and Darcy Ward are also his riders. Can you imagine trepidation in his mind when watching GP race with the following line-up: Holder, Sayfutdinov, Ward, and Gollob (all Torun's riders)? Last year was bad enough when Gollob got injured in Sweden and because of that Torun's owner pulled out his team from the final round of the play-offs. Of course Emil will be financially compensated, so is Gollob. It also proves that for some there are more important things than SGP.

Normally I would not get into discussion with you, for obvious reasons...but if you say "A", say also "B" and provide the proof of what you have alleged.

You are right. The milk example was unfortunate, but it is still hard for me to accept that different GPs venue are paying different prices for the same product with the same riders, etc., On the other hand I accept the fact that it is up to the given venue whether the terms dictated by the BSI are OK for them or not.

The sad thing is, that in order to race in the BSI's organised SGP riders need a lot of money. They need as much ( if not more) to invest than can expect to earn. BSI failed to persuade any Russian venue to stage GP round therefore no Russian sponsor for Emil. He is also involved in bitter dispute with his last year Polish club Czestochowa which owes him a lot of money. BTW. the rumours of him not being fully recovered from last year injury are just not true. Emil with other Torun riders was practicing yesterday on the Moto|Arena and declared himself ready for the season.

Even if this is the case, I don't agree with it. Rules and law are/should be equal to everyone. Otherwise a millioner should be paying more for, lets say, a pint of milk, simply because he can afford more.

Rob, if you really want to know then I'll tell you. I'am retired man with all the time for myself. So I look here, there and everywhere to see what is of interest to me. BTW what OneSport has to do with this? What better crowds have to do with fees BSI are charging?

The BSI needs to change its approach to business. It’s time to move out into the world , and not just keep milking us Poles out of money. It is good that the ban on competing in the World and European championships has been suspended, but it's wrong that it’s only for a year. It seems to me that in the proverbial speedway sandbox, there is a place for the SGP and the SEC provided that BSI would change its approach to the business. As it is, the English company has had focused exclusively on milking us Poles . It charges us higher rates for the licences in order to be able to lower its price in Vojens or Terenzano . In addition, the BSI sells its licences close to Polish borders , as in hope that our fans will travel there and buy tickets . This is an easy business , but it cannot continue so , because soon there will be no World Championships but the European Championships .The English Company must begin to jostle its elbows in the United States, Australia and New Zealand , because there was a time when speedway there was very strong . They (BSI) needs to find new ambassadors in those countries, like we had in Ivan Mauger and Barry Briggs . Mauger especially worked very actively in the Antipodes , organizing tournaments , inviting riders from Europe and the speedway was alive there . But Ivan is more than 70 years old , so let BSI find someone younger, like Jason Crump for example, and persuade him to spin speedway in Australia and New Zealand. It might do worldwide speedway a lot of good. As it is riders for a half a year are sitting on their bums and doing nothing. In my time come January we flew to the antipodes and rode in dozens of tournaments. Let's go back to that. Let’s invest money in that because such an investment will pay off . This is my appeal to the BSI, because I am afraid that the FIM will do nothing . They (FIM) get few pennies for issuing some 500 speedway licenses , so speedway is not of interest to them. Gentlemen from the FIM are well aware that speedway will never be a mass sport that it will not be of interest to large corporations of Japan, etc., so they simply don’t care . But perhaps BSI can do something about it. America is waiting. It's a great shame that the Grand Prix has been in existence for so many years , and yet there was not one tournament in the United States. I look forward, with hope, to successful tests of a new, silencer being created by Leszek Demski . This pseudo - ecological silencer , which is currently being used should be smashed against a wall , because it made speedway dangerous. In general, and this is ironic what I am saying , all the technological changes kill speedway . On the one hand thanks to them it is safer than ever on the track , but on the other hand there is less excitement for fans as riders don’t ride elbow to elbow . Speedway does not have to be fast , but it has to be spectacular. In the 70's I experienced as a rider some significant changes . From a two-valve to Java. Then came the four-valve engine . There were significant differences associated with these changes , but the excitement on the track was still there. Now every change makes a much greater difference. * The above text has been translated and copied from Zenon Plech's blog , the 1979 speedway world champion runner-up.

It looks that way... if you believe what people write on the net :-) I'm just an observer and sometimes a messenger. But from what I read in the Polish media it is clear to see that the BSI does not have a good name over there. For a number of reasons, whether they are true or not, I don't know. This picture ( true of false) has been painted for some time now, especially since the emergence of OneSport and their SEC. It alleges that the BSI have done nothing for the development of speedway, that it practises favouritism, among other things. As the latest example, the case of "Bomber" Harris is often brought up. Anyway, it is something that would need a lot of time and proverbial ink to explain.

It is widely reported in Poland that the suspension of FIM resolution issued on 7th February was pushed through at the BSI request. Krzysztof Cegielski who12 years sustained neck breaking injuries in Sweden commented on it like this. It's a bit like a thief who returns stolen goods .. and because of that we ought to applaud him. If this suspension really happened at BSI request then it gives even worse picture of the FIM than it was originally thought. We have now a situation in which BSI asks for something, and then withdraw from it. It provokes thinking that leads to a conclusion that it is not the FIM that manages those issues but the BSI itself, which is very sad.

Hopefully, we can now get on with the new speedway season...as planned. This is a motion voiced by a majority of speedway opinion in Poland. Speedway to thrive needs its own governing body, not FIM.

and Tai is riding - as a guest - for the Stars, alongside Iversen and Bjerre http://www.kingslynnstars.co/world-champion-joins-stars-select/

Nicki Pedersen's Danish home track will host the third round of the controversial SEC series August the 9th is the date for the third round of Speedway European Championships at Holstead, Denmark, where the locals will have opportunity to see in action not only their home riders, three times world champion, Nicki Pedersen, and last year winner of the SEC, Martin Vaculik, but also Emil Sayfutdinow and Tomasz Gollob - Although we have previously staged Speedway World Cup , this is clearly the biggest event ever in Moldow Speedway Arena, said club president Rudi Steen Hansen. We are especially looking forward to Eurosport's international television coverage .- The race will be broadcast live in 71 countries and more than 30 million people are expected to follow the event on Eurosport , so we do not get a better showcase for our club and our region , says the President, who is confident that the club can benefit from staging this event . more here: http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/anden_sport/motorsport/speedway/article2221795.ece

"At the moment, our lawyers analyze the situation , to take direct legal action to block the bizarre decision and obtain appropriate redress for us and potentially disadvantaged players, in the absence of reaction and its changes from the FIM." http://www.speedwayeuro.com/news/n/206/statement-of-one-sport-llc-according-to-fim-decisions.html

Sayfutdinov isn't the only SGP rider who complains how BSI are treating it's riders. And since this matter has been raised I can reveal another case. When Tomasz Gollob after the pile-up in the Stockholm GP round found himself in the Swedish hospital none of the BSI people visited him and asked him how he feels . What's more , Tomasz himself had to settle the bill for the stay in the clinic. As far as I know there is an unwritten agreement between the BSI and their riders of a general care in case of any unfortunate event. Tomasz’s gruesome looking accident certainly was such an event. But no one from the BSI bothered to visit him in the hospital , no one asked the Swedish doctors to care for him or any other assistance. No one even came and asked " how do you feel and if you need something ? " . There was one phone call to his manager, but nothing more.

Not necessary. How FIM will explain in courts that last year it was OK for SGP riders to take part in the SEC, and this year it is not.

What options ?

In answer to this I can only say: Yes, the club may be broke, but the city is not. They refused to pay money BSI was asking for. That' all. When BSI talks with PZM, Berlin and Gdansk eventually failed, the BSI turned to Bydgoszcz and Bydgoszcz eventually agreed to a deal but at a lower cost. PZM had nothing to do with it.