PolskiZuzel

Apparently there are chances that as soon as this forthcoming season the long awaited and much discussed Speedway Champions League will get off the ground. According to revelations on the Polish website, sportowefakty.pl, new competition under the name of FIM speedway World League is about to be launched this year and there are a good chances that this project will come into being in the forthcoming speedway season 2014. I wonder how much truth is in this message. Another thing worth a note is that this time it is the FIM that is interested in this project. How they will sort out who rides for whom is another matter. So far this turned out to be something that no one was able to resolve. Still, I will wait and see.

Ticket prices for the European Grand Prix to be held April 26 in Bydgoszcz, are available now and cost the same as a year before. Most expensive are the Main Grandstand tickets costing 600.00 PLN (£120.00). The Temporary Grandstand (A) tickets, at the back straight, cost 195.00 PLN (around £39.00). Sector B tickets (on the back straight) cost 165.00 PLN (£33.00). The cheapest tickets are situated at the first and second bend (sector C) – 95.00 PLN (£19.00). Concessions tickets, only in sector C, will cost 65.00 PLN (£13.00) Bydgoszcz for the rights to stage SGP event has to pay BSI £200.000 . On top of that the club has to pay £18.500 to the Polish Motor Association for entering this event into the calendar, and has to find around £80.000 to cover the staging cost. In total Polonia Bydgoszcz speedway club will spend £320.000 in order to stage the European SGP on its track. If they get a turnout of 10.000 spectators they can expect £80.000 profit. There are 15.000 tickets on sale and Bydgoszcz hope that 80% will be sold.

If I were you I would not trust Google translation :-) If you, or anyone, need help, ask me felix.vallis@gmail.com off the list

Really???. Gollob has a wild card for 2014...and the rules ( as you see them) don't apply to wild cards.

Miedzinski ?... and why not!

Without getting too deeply into this subject I would only say this: Did you see Eurosport coverage of the SEC round in Togliatti? If you did, perhaps you would have to change your opinion

According to the Zielona Gora edition of Gazeta Wyborcza, the process of promoting this event , has already began, and for this purpose Polish champions no.1, Jaroslaw Hampel has recently visited London. First International Speedway Preseason Cup is the official name for the two-day tournament that will consist of three matches. On the first day of the tournament there will be two semi-finals, and the next - the finale. - This is a great opportunity to compete as a team - said Hampel on the Polish Radio London. - For the Polish fans residing in the British Isles it will be also the perfect time to see their favourite riders .

I am ever so grateful. Thank you very much That's marvellous.

I am told that one of the best known Polish clubs, GORZOW, in early 1977 were visiting British tracks. They lost all the matches: against King's Lynn (52:28), Reading (47:31), Leicester (59:19), Hackney (56:22) and Exeter (57:21). I was wondering. Is there anyone who (perhaps) could shed more light on these challenge matches. Scorer's names would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

I am told that one of the best known Polish clubs, GORZOW, in early 1977 were visiting British tracks. They lost all the matches: against King's Lynn (52:28), Reading (47:31), Leicester (59:19), Hackney (56:22) and Exeter (57:21). I was wondering. Is there anyone who (perhaps) could shed more light on these challenge matches. Scorer's names would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Yes, they have !

That's a very good idea....and a better one still would be that BSI/FIM should raise and train their own riders.

Why mincing words ? It is SHOCKING !!! Has Mr Bellamy seen this before accepting the place as SGP venue? I am more outraged to know that when it comes to Polish venues, he expects, and what's more, demands, this and that..and yet when it comes to other SGP venues (except Cardiff and Copenhagen) they are nothing else than dumps.

Gdansk, at the end of this season (2013) won Polish League ONE and as a result gained promotion to the Polish top flight division, i.e. Polish Speedway ExtraLeague

If I was rude, I would say - stuff you !, but obviously - I won't :-) The point isn't whether, or not, Poles are good at speedway. Although if you've looked at the winners in the SWC of recent years, you might think otherwise. The point is that ENEA Polish Speedway Ekstra Liga provides all SGP riders for GP rounds that are held on Saturdays. After that they (the riders) , tired, exhausted, or even injured have to rush across Europe for their engagement in Sunday's fixtures in Poland. It needs to be changed. It would not be "just out of spite". You might as well recall that in the years gone by British promoters were calling the same tune, because the British League was constantly ( in their opinion) interfered with by absences/excuses of SGP riders, who instead of riding Thursday's and Friday's fixtures in England. Not to mention Saturday's one had rush for official practice day of BSI event. The same is happening in Poland right now. After Saturday's GP rounds all GP participants have to rush for Sunday's fixture in Poland. Often they are tired, exhausted, deflated, or even injured. They are paid well there, so promoters and the fans expect them to perform accordingly. And often, on more occasion than one, it doesn't happens. Fans and promoters are frustrated, if not openly fed up. It can't go on. He who pays calls the tune. That's all what's to it.

Not bad ? Anti BSI/SGP feelings of Polish fans have been known for some years . It's nothing new, and the last move of BSI/FIM looks like a last straw. There are already voices calling for 'twit for tat'. If BSI/FIM wants to play dirty, let them, but they will be paid back by the same tactics. Sundays matches in the Polish Ekstra Liga are likely to be switched to Saturdays. Which means that unless BSI will pay more than Polish League, SGP riders will ride on Saturdays in Poland. That's one option already mentioned. There are many more to be considered.

How do they get a look-in now ?

Try this transaltion Polonia Bydgoszcz speedway club have signed a new rider. Josh Auty, who is barely 22 years of age comes from the UK and rides this season for Birmingham Brummies in the British Elite League and Scunthorpe Scorpions in the British Premier League. He has recorded this season some very good results on the British tracks. In addition, the Bydgoszcz team manager, Robert Sawina, had a chance to meet him when he worked for Gdańsk. - We are bringing in another rider to the team in order to increase competition. Josh is a young, promising rider who is fully professional in his sports duties. We agreed that in early June he will come to Bydgoszcz and show himself on our track. Then we evaluate his usefulness to our team. Depending on the results achieved we will decide his future with us – said Robert Sawina, Bydgoszcz’s manager The agreement we have signed this afternoon will not burden our budget, because the new rider will be paid only for the points scored on the track.

I can only echo your sentiments. Rafal and Krzysztof were the only two who behaved as everyone should...pay respect. My thoughts and deepest condolences goes to Rico nearest and dearest. RIP Rico

Thank you very much for such a prompt response.

Could you please be more specific. Unfortunately I don't speak German :-(

above is the link to the whole video, not just 7 seconds. See and judge for yourself what did happen. Please notice all those concrete stairs around the track. Lethal.

What pressure, Mr Rising ? You like keeping us in suspense, don't you? I repeat again, what pressure he was put under by Torun? If there was any pressure, then - in my opinion - that pressure arose from the fact that he had a choice. To ride for Torun, or to ride for BSI/IMG. Personally speaking - he made the right decision. Perhaps the BSI/IMG will finally wake up and rejuvenate the whole system and pay decent wages to riders.

Go on, tell us more. What's going to happen on Monday?

Perhaps :-) But when you allow yourself to look at it objectively then you must realize that speedway is an INDIVIDUAL sport. It is like running, jumping, throwing, boxing, etc. One individual against another, sometimes more than another. Teams have been created later. Not only in speedway, but also athletics...and even boxing.