Subedei

He team-rode to disadvantage the Swedes as well. What everyone is saying is that Andersen rode to disadvantage the British team. I don't recall the Swedes getting tremendously exercised over it. But, then again, the Swedes eventually triumphed, while Britain flopped. And that's what it's all about. It's nothing to do with Andersen, it's just too painful to admit that Nicholls just wasn't up to it. So blame Andersen and that mysterious red light.

But didn't everyone think it was great when Gollob tried it: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...wtopic=3535&hl=

Pleased I was wrong if that's the prize.

My point exactly. If Club X did that, then there'd be a problem for the Polish authorities. There's no legal grounds for refusal. The limits on foreign riders can't stand in a court of law. But at the minute Club X doesn't do that. Rider Y can't do it on his own, he needs Club X to help.

It was, in fact, horse racing (not football) and speedway was getting 90,000 at Wembley a long time after that ceased to be the case. BSI hasn't "sold" the sport to anyone, just relied on the already converted. No, just continue looking to the east where the sport still has integrity.

And 90,000 went to world finals at Wembley. Mighty impressive to get 40,000 people into an 80,000 seater stadium. Personally, I wouldn't walk to the end of my garden to watch anything tainted with BSI involvement.

Does it matter? It's going to belong to Uncle John and BSI.

That's a misrepresentation of the Bosman ruling. The Bosman ruling brought footballers freedom at the end of their contract and nothing more. It'd be impossible for a rider to make a case against the Polish authorities unless he had the support of a club. If Rider X makes a case that he is excluded from the Polish leagues on the grounds of nationality, he'd have no case if every club stated they weren't interested in him. This is how the Poles manage to get away with it. The clubs are disciplined and stick together. Now, if Czestochowa threatened a legal challenge to the lone foreign rider rule, that'd be a problem for the Polish authorities. A rider can't do it on his own.

BSI couldn't sell water to the Arabs.

And what about BSI's proposed new toy? Don't be surprised to see Iversen, Protasiewicz and Zagar, together with the SWC Final, at Reading next season.

Well, a bet as to who's going to finish 14th and who's going to finish 15th. Okay, I'll go for it. Richardson will finish ahead of Iversen.

You can't prove it. And what about Nicholls and the mysterious "red light" that only he saw? That's what cost you the SWC, not Andersen. Andersen's just a scapegoat to mask a deficient team.

I agree. But he's not the only one, is he? Under ANY justifiable criteria that excludes Andersen, Lee Richardson and Scott Nicholls are also excluded. No. He qualified for the 2003 series. He says he first received a wild card for the 2004 series. A series in which he won a GP (unlike Nicholls and Richardson). The licence isn't enough. Lukas and Ales Dryml ride on German licences, but race for the Czech Republic. Andersen will have to go the "Holta" route and take citizenship.

Hans Andersen has issued the following statement regarding his exclusion from the 2006 GP series: "I am obviously very shocked and disappointed that I have not been awarded an entry to the 2006 Grand Prix series. I am even more disappointed that for such a professionally run series as the Grand Prix, I should have to learn my fate for 2006 through an unofficial Speedway web site. I have not been contacted by the organisers of the series and subsequently have no idea why I have not been included for 2006. My form in the British Elite League speaks for itself, I am seventh in the averages, and led the averages table for the early part of the season. In other domestic leagues I have either finished at the top of the averages, or very near, for my clubs. I was the leading rider for Denmark for the whole of the Speedway World Cup; I stepped up to the plate for my country when others went missing. I first qualified for the GP’s in 2003 (not a wildcard entry), but missed over a third of the series through injury, finishing 17th and was for the first time awarded a wild card entry to the 2004 series. During this series I won my first GP in my very first final appearance (this has only happened once before in the history of the GP), I am still the last Danish rider to have won a GP round. I also had a rostrum finish in the same year and finished 9th overall (a single point off the automatic qualifying 8th place). I also competed in the GP Challenge during 2004 and only failed to gain automatic qualification for the following year through an engine failure in the final, after winning the main event. I was, of course awarded a wild card entry for the 2005 series. My performances in the 2005 Grand Prix series have not quite been up to the high standards that I set myself, however, I still think my overall performance was good, finishing only eight points behind the first already nominated wild card for 2006 and nine points ahead of the last nominated wild card for 2006. I should also point out that I made five semi final appearances – more than anyone else who finished outside of the top eight automatic qualification places. I think my non selection for 2006 is harsh to say the least, as I feel that I fulfil all the criteria required to compete against the very best riders in the GP series, by competing and performing consistently well in the top leagues, worldwide. I believe my performances overall this season should have merited my inclusion in the 2006 GP series. If I am deemed not good enough for the series after how I have performed overall this season, then I may have to seriously consider racing under a different nationality in the future, as it appears that performance and ability alone is not good enough for a wildcard qualification, when decisions on nomination are seemingly made for commercial and nationality reasons. I would like to wish all the riders in the 2006 series the very best of luck." Taken from: http://www.ipswich-witches.com

So, with Zagar a proper GP rider, who's going to be the wild card? Any chance young Pavlic will get the nod to increase interest from Croatia?

Excuse me? Unlucky to miss the final? What about the semis? Iversen will be 2006's Chrzanowski. He's just not good enough. And that's that. He's certainly nowhere near the level of Hans Andersen. You'll not be far wrong with that. I'd say that with an injury-free run, Hampel will replace Hancock in your first five and it's always possible that the ultra-talented Gollob and Jonsson might make a run at the top five. But who'd bet on it?

In a GP, quite possible. Overall, not a hope.

John Hart?

You are joking?

John Boulger?

Not this season. Bjerre made a semi this season. Iversen didn't. Iversen will be 2006's Chrzanowski. Kolodziej is more deserving of a GP place than any of Iversen, Bjerre, Kasprzak or Lindgren.

But he's not the only one, is he? I can think of two others who've had a chance and should be kicked aside.

Andersen made finals, Nicholls didn't. And Nicholls hasn't since Sweden in 2003. Andersen, of course, won a GP in 2004. Andersen also had a good SWC and topped Denmark's averages in the competition.

The Danish GP will be staged at Copenhagen on 24 June, 2006. Tickets on sale now.

I think this has to be Pepe's last chance HenryW. I'd agree with you that, taking only league form (Polish, Swedish and UK) into account, Pepe is the best Pole after Gollob and Hampel, but he's never really done himself justice in the GPs. And with all the talent the Poles have coming through, I can't see him getting another chance. He's got to produce the goods this time. Edit: With Zagar in the circus, I wonder who gets Krsko's wild card in 2006? Maybe young Pavlic will be given a chance to increase awareness in Croatia.