Subedei

I think Bydgoszcz will probably bite the bullet once Gollob bows gracefully out of the GPs. Egon Muller for the wild card.

Have no fear for my keyboard young fellow. And of course I take the time and trouble to type out each response. I'm not some half-hearted, can't be bothered to take the trouble to qualify kind of chap.

Well, 10 GP wins is 7 more than Britain has managed and 10 more than Nicholls has managed. In fact, only Tony Rickardsson and Jason Crump have scored more GP wins than Gollob.

You're just talking nonsense now. I haven't accepted the theory that the Poles and Swedes have an advantage. That is utter tosh and nonsense. As I've already shown, Eskilstuna is Nicholls' home track in Sweden, while neither Bydgoszcz, nor Wroclaw are Gollob's home track in Poland. In fact, Bydgoszcz is home to PePe and Andreas Jonsson. The Danes also have the supposed, theoretical, according to your bizarre thoughts, disadvantage to the British. But remind me who won the Danish GP this season. Would it be the Dane Hans Andersen? And if Britain chooses to race its GP around an abortion of a track in Cardiff, who exactly is to blame for that? Race it on a proper track and then we might see some decent racing. After the last couple of Cardiff GPs I doubt I'll walk to the front room to watch the next one. Now, let's see, three to four riders all racing for places in the top eight at Bydgoszcz and which of those thought it best to go for a binge drinking session on the night before - such professionalism? Please stop talking nonsense, difficult I know for someone advocating Simon Stead in the GPs, but please try. Nicholls failed and that's all there is to it. Tomasz Gollob and Jaroslaw Hampel didn't fail, end of story. Nicholls failed for the third time running. How many more times is this serial failure to be allowed to stand in the way of progress?

The desperate measures the terminally deluded will turn to never ceases to amaze. Eskilstuna, home to one of the Swedish GPs, has been Nicholls' home track in Sweden for 8-9 years. But he didn't do much in the GP there, did he? But Tomasz Gollob made the final and finished 3rd - whoops, there goes your theory. I guess it all depends on what Swedish and Polish GP you take out - take out Bydgoszcz and Eskilstuna and I guess Gollob wouldn't qualify, however, take out Wroclaw and Malilla and I can't see how Gollob would fail to qualify, since he finished 3rd in both Eskilstuna and Bydgoszcz. Sorry, you theory - not surprisingly - doesn't hold water. I repeat, Nicholls didn't qualify, said if he didn't qualify he wouldn't deserve a place, didn't bother to get off his backside and enter the qualifiers and in no way, shape or form deserves to contaminate the GPs with his serial failure presence next season. Edit: And, while I remember, which rider was it that spurned the chance to practice at Wroclaw prior to last season's SWC final because he already "knew" the track well enough. I'll give you a big clue, initials were SN.

So, let me see if I understand this. The whole GP series will collapse if Nicholls isn't in the series, regardless of his constant, dismal failure? Is that what you're telling us? What does that say about BSI and the GP series, when a rider of such limits is essential to the series, that his absence will bring about a collapse. well done BSI, you're worse than I thought you were. Shocking.

Do I believe Kolodziej deserves a place ahead of Nicholls? Yes. How many people would've placed Zagar ahead of Nicholls in the pecking order when nominations were announced last season? How many cried that Zagar was just a PL rider and could only perform around his home track in Krsko? But didn't Zagar finish well ahead of Nicholls in the GP standings? Nicholls has had chance after chance after chance and has blown most of them. How will we ever find out in the likes of Kolodziej are good enough if they can't get past serial failures like Nicholls and into the series. Nicholls in the GPs next season will bring shame on him and shame on speedway.

Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath. I don't expect a show of introspection or integrity from Nicholls. That begging bowl must be wearing awfully thin.

No, he doesn't. And the man himself agrees with me. How the hell are young riders ever going to penetrate your beloved top fifteen if they can't get there because serial failures like Nicholls always get nominated? How many people would've put Zagar in the top eight around this time last year? How many complained he wasn't good enough? He proved his worth. Maybe others like Kolodziej would also. Nicholls has proved that he isn't good enough. Scoring points in the qualifiers is one thing, but it's finals that count.

We'll see, when the GP nominations are announced.

Not holding out any hope of Nicholls showing a shred of dignity, honour and integrity then?

Your somewhat pathetic arguement is sunk by the simple FACT that all the, as you so delightfully put it, "Polish crap" in the GPs next season are actually there by virtue of on-track performance. Nicholls will be there by virtue of his begging skills, if he's there.

I'm just getting warmed up and into my stride.

The lower order is defined however I see fit to define the lower order. None of your balderdash alters the simple, basic fact that Nicholls went from 9th in the GPs to 11th in the GPs - you can call that an improvement, most wouldn't. The analogy with the runner is so flawed as to be ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as Simon Stead in the GPs.

I'm afraid I can't do that.

No, your analogy was incorrect. as stated, your runner manifestly had improved by going faster than previously. The same does not hold for Nicholls. You can't equate a points total gained with a time. Nicholls increased points total was down to a weaker lower order, that's why generally others have improved as well - easier points at the lower end. So, please try a little harder and we may be able to have a sensible discussion. The only figure that counts is that Nicholls declined from 9th to 11th. That can't be argued with.

Not struggling at all. It's you who appears to be twisting and turning in desperation. However, it does appear that I misspelled Morten for which I apologise.

And as I've said, it doesn't necessarily denote improvement. It merely denotes that easier points were available at the lower end of the spectrum. The comparison with your runner is false. Your runner has demonstrably run faster, but Nicholls hasn't demonstrably improved when the counter-arguement of a weakening of the lower order is taken into account.

Dear Genghis, please give me strength. The fact is Nicholls declined from 9th to 11th. Now, any improved score merely indicates that either others improved much more than Nicholls, or the field was weaker. Take your pick. I go with the field being weaker myself, thus suggesting a decline in Nicholls performance. I hope this is simple enough for you to understand. Your runner might have improved, but the field was stronger. Hell, Nicholls might win if you take out Crump, Hancock, Nicki P, Jonsson, Adams, Zagar, Andersen, Gollob and Hampel, but it won't denote an improvement.

The only one left having to do better, is you. Nicholls actually, believe it or not, qualified by right for the 2003 series. He actually made TWO finals in 2002. And he declined from 9th to 11th between 2005 and 2006. Now come back when you've a reasoned arguement and not balderdash.

And I've said numerous times that if Nicholls shows decency, integrity and honour and declines any nominated place, I'll be among the first to applaud him. If - and it's a bloody big IF - he wins the world title next season, the only complaint I'll have is that he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Emil Sajfutdinov is 16 and riding in the Polish Ekstraliga and beating the likes of Tomasz Gollob around Bydgoszcz and Tarnow. Klindt, Buczkowski, Pavlic, Zabik and others making there way in the top two tiers of Polish speedway. We just haven't got a clue. And Swiderski and Zabik, to go with Andersen, Jensen, Iversen and Sullivan - we're positively awash with British riders at Peterborough.

No, I've kept this thread going because of the utter tosh yourself and others have come up with. But it is good to see that you admit defeat in the arguement and accept that Nicholls will only get a nomination because of his nationality and BSI. Hurrah for that. But it doesn't make it right, does it. And Nicholls will be showing a lack of honour, dignity and integrity if he accepts a nomination he himself has said would be undeserved.

No disputing that. It is sad to see a once great competition reduced to such a lowly status. But true, non-the-less. When the likes of Lee, PC, Morten, Carter, Jessup, Simmons and Co were around, the British Final had status. Now it's a second rate meeting for a second rate nation. And as long as you accept such failure, it's never going to change. Nicholls is getting better? That's a good one. I believe he was 9th in the GPs last season and 11th this season. That's an improvement. You have to maintain some intellectual honesty.

My point exactly. Nicholls is now a roadblock to progress. I don't agree with any system of prorationing places in the GPs, so I don't care whether the replacements are Russian, German, Polish, Danish, whatever. The series needs fresh blood to maintain interest, not the continued participation of serial failures. Quite a few "experts" predicted Matej Zagar, a Premier League rider at the time, wasn't ready for the GPs. They were probably the same people that were predicting Nicholls would carry all before him. As it turned out, Zagar comfortably qualified, while Nicholls is having to get the begging bowl out again. Kolodziej might struggle, but we'll never know if he can't get in.