Subedei

Not true, in any sense. Bydgoszcz is no longer Gollob's home track - he's ridden for Tarnow for the past three seasons, or hadn't you noticed that? And Eskilstuna is Nicholls' home track in Sweden, but he didn't make the final there this season. But guess who did? Yes, that's right, the old "has been" Tomasz Gollob. In fact, Gollob made three finals this season, which isn't too bad for a has been. And I guess one final isn't too bad for a never will be like Nicholls. And I am merely stating the exact same case as Nicholls. He has said himself that if he couldn't qualify on merit he didn't deserve to be in the GPs. I just don't see how anyone can argue the point. In the 46 GPs that he's ridden in, Nicholls has made a scant 4 finals. Not very good, is it? He's had his chance and has shown he's just not good enough.

It's not ranting, it's a call for honesty, integrity and justice. It's a call for British speedway to get off its knees and stop relying on the crumbs from the plate of other nations. It's a call for British speedway to stop begging for special favours. Nicholls has said himself that if he didn't qualify by right that it would mean he has no business being there. Why argue with the words of your hero? It will bring disgrace and shame on British speedway if Nicholls lines up for the GPs in 2007. And assuming another complete failure (and who would bet against that given his track record?), what excuses are you going to pull, like so many rabbits from the magician's hat, to justify another nomination for Nicholls? For all you know, Jagus might outscore Nicholls in the UK. After all, Jagus outscores Nicholls in Sweden and Poland. And Jagus doesn't consider such hard work as qualifying as being beneath him. When he lines up for the 2007 series, Jagus, like Gollob and Hampel, will know that he has a right to be there. Nicholls, if he has any sense of right and wrong, will know he doesn't. As I see it, eleven riders have already qualified and they are broken up into nationalities thus: Poland - 3 Australia - 2 Denmark 2 Sweden - 1 Norway - 1 United States - 1 Slovenia - 1 So, why demean the Poles? There they stand, proudly atop the qualification list. I don't see any British representation, do you? Stop swallowing your pride in the last days of Britain's speedway imperium.

Nothing other than that people seem to believe he has a God-given right to be in the GPs regardless of constant failure.

You are having a laugh? Nicholls better than Gollob, Hampel and Jagus? Gollob and Jonsson made Nicholls look like a novice in Ht 18 last week. And Gollob, Hampel and Jagus qualified on merit. Nicholls could've qualified on merit. But it seems qualifying lies beneath his princely status. Nicholls and Jagus are team mates in Sweden. And guess which of the two's performed better this season? I'll give you a clue, he's not a serial failure in the GPs who has to rely on pity and charity to maintain his status as a GP rider. I just don't see what anyone can find to argue about here. Nicholls said failure to qualify via the top eight would mean he just doesn't deserve to be there. How can anyone argue the point?

This would be the Bjarne Pedersen who finished - if my memory serves - sixth last time around and has actually won a GP in the past? I think BP deserves another chance. He had a disappointing season this year, but he qualified fair and square for the series. I've always advocated giving people a second chance. But the time comes to say enough is enough. If Bjarne Pedersen struggles next year like he has this year, you'll not find me arguing his case. Ship him out and let someone else have a bash at it.

Janusz Kolodziej's season was undermined by injury, but easily a superior rider to Nicholls. Ulamek's performed better than Nicholls in Poland and Sweden. Anyway, it's all academic - Nicholls himself stated that if he couldn't qualify on merit then he didn't deserve to be there. There were two methods of qualification available - finish top eight (nine) in the GPs or top three in the qualifier. The qualifier lay beneath Nicholl's princely status and he couldn't qualify via the top eight. I just don't see how any reasonable person can argue for his includion after THREE years of failure.

Jason Crump, Greg Hancock, Nicki Pedersen, Andreas Jonsson, Leigh Adams, Matej Zagar, Hans Andersen, Tomasz Gollob, Jaroslaw Hampel, Rune Holta, Peter Karlsson, Wieslaw Jagus, Bjarne Pedersen, Janusz Kolodziej and Sebastian Ulamek. Now, answer me this question: Nicholls fails to qualify next time around, what's your opinion? How many unjustified nominations does Nicholls deserve? In my view, Nicholls shouldn't have been in the GPs this season. And I believe my view was proved right when Nicholls again failed to make the grade. Who cares about semi-finals? You get nothing for being in them. And half the time Nicholls just scrambles into them via countback. One final in the past three seasons is all the evidence needed to prove that Nicholls isn't good enough. No one else gets so many chances to fail. Lee Richardson appears a cast iron certainty to be dropped this time around, but he's made more finals that Nicholls in the last three seasons. And Nicholls only made that solitary final after he shoved over Matej Zagar - only got 2nd place in the GP because Crump was kind enough to move Andersen over allowing Nicholls passed.

And Jonsson and Holta. Nicholls might sneak into the top twenty.

well, they've run Ht 14 now, so I imagine it will finish. And VMS Elit looking highly likely to take the title.

That 5.60 average in the Polish league is just so impressive. And he's way below Wieslaw Jagus - a team mate at Smerderna - in the Swedish averages. Don't base your assessment solely on the BEL where top riders are missing from the action. And there's only fifteen people in the GPs, so 11th is hardly that impressive. And he didn't even deserve to be there in the first place. My opinion is that Nicholls might just sneak into the top twenty in the world. But never in a million years the top fifteen. As for Bjarne Pedersen - he qualified last season and deserves another go, although I suspect that BP has passed the high point in his career. I think he'll slip out next season.

Prove that he's one of the top fifteen riders in the world. I don't think he is. And all I have a grudge against is him getting undeserved charity nominations to the GP series. Who is he? Oliver Twist, wanting more after three dismal years of failure. One GP final in three years - even Lee Richardson's done better than that. But in the absence of a logical arguement you fall back on saying I hate Nicholls, or I have a grudge against him. Nonsense. I just want fair play for all. Nicholls has had more than his fair share of chances. What happens when he fails next season? What excuses will be pulled from the hat to justify yet another nomination?

I disagree. On what basis do you assume that Nicholls is one of the fifteen best riders in the world?

Never short of excuses is Nicholls. He's just not good enough. One single final in the last three years. Hells bells, Andersen was defenestrated last season and he's a GP winner. No one would argue for Nicholls if he wasn't British. It's chauvinism gone mad. I can't see Gollob being replaced by anyone other than a Pole. But it is good to see the great man considering his future after a disappointing GP season. A shame others don't follow his example. And Gollob's made THREE finals this season, which is two more than Nicholls. I personally think Gollob will be around next season. But good to see he has some pride about him.

That's just silly. I don't hate Nicholls. I just don't believe he should have preferential treatment based solely on his nationality. And, face facts, Nicholls only gets in year after year of failure. It should be an embarrassment that a rider of such obvious limits is No 1. And those limits are cruelly exposed time after dismal time in the GPs. Won three GPs and that's almost as many finals as Scott Nicholls has been in. I didn't argue for Andersen's inclusion this year. I believed - still believe - that under any reasonable criteria that excluded Andersen, Nicholls and Richardson also had to be excluded. And now Nicholls will have to beg for another chance to fail miserably. No, we've reached stage where NO British rider deserves to be in the GPs. They either can't qualify and/or, in the case of Nicholls, can't be bothered even trying to qualify via the qualifiers.

BP seems fair enough, but surely Crump hardly ever rides for VMS Elit?

Who forced young Chivs to eat baked beans then?

That's very good to hear. I understand Torun may also be sorting out their problems, which is also very good news. I'm quite fond of Tarnow and Torun. It's not be nice seeing them struggle.

Spot the "out and out" genuine No 1.

And the SWC race-off and final in 2009 as well. Already signed with Unia Leszno. I guess that means the SWC is now a bi-annual romp in the UK and Poland, with the Swedes and Danes giving it up as a bad job.

Torun were more than 6 points behind at the time of Ht 14 and therefore BP took part in Ht 14 as a tactical substitute and then in Ht 15 as a nominated rider. Usually in Poland a separate rider would initially be nominated for Ht 14 and replaced by BP.

Yes, you can certainly tell that Nicholls is far superior to Jagus.

I gather that Gollob intimated that he'd be considering his future if he didn't automatically qualify for 2007. I don't think complete retirement was a consideration, just dropping gracefully out of the GPs if he failed to secure a place. And it's good to see such apparent integrity from the great man. I wonder if one or two closer to home will show the same?

From what I gather, Balinski's engine failed at an unfortunate time and Zabik ploughed into him at speed.

They seemed to manage in the rain at Malilla and Prague without too many problems. And Wembley will, at least, have a roof for spectators.

For the type of racing Bydgoszcz produces, it's worth travelling out of the way. But the racing at Cardiff the past couple of seasons has been diabolical. This season it was hardly worth the effort walking to the front room to watch it on television, nevermind traipsing all the way to Cardiff. Increasingly people only go to Cardiff for a get together at "Sam's" or whatever. The racing isn't a draw. The people make Cardiff special, if special it be. I see no reason why that shouldn't be replicated elsewhere.