lastword

You a rider?????

som soedvanlig................tak! (First try at Danish......I hope I haven't insulted your mother or anything!)

Not going to get into the Cardiff v. East London discussion and slightly off-topic, but the above post reminded me of when we (as Stockport County fans)went for a cup-tie at West Ham. The coaches dropped us off outside and we made a beeline for the nearest pub which was The Boleyn. We had a fine time chatting to the locals who were very hospitable. (Probably due to the fact that we were considered minnows and therefore not a threat). It was only later that we discovered that The Boleyn was probably not the best choice for away fans.......... County got the draw and beat the Hammers in the second leg, so perhaps if we go again (some hope!) we might find another pub!

Depends on your weather forecaster of choice........... Whilst my choice has shown 100% chance of rain today for Gorzow, it shows around 30% on Sunday (low) and no rain on subsequent days.........

Remember this from earlier this year?? In order to obtain the rights to stage SWC, Gorzow's Town Hall (City Council) had to comply with 41 conditions put in front of them by the BSI. Among others, the Town Hall has to provide and pay for several rooms and one apartment in "the best hotel in town" for the BSI delegation at the time of the event duration, as well as for air tickets, three cars and translators. BSI will also be given, free of charge, 250 tickets for the best seats on the Main Stand, and 50 further (and more, if required) tickets at half price The Town Hall has to "ensure availability ( at no cost to BSI) of four girls to be present at the starting gate", and those girls "must be accepted in advance (of the event) by BSI. Apart from that the Town has to act according to all reasonable requests from the BSI.. The most important condition is that Gorzow, for the rights of staging the event has to pay BSI 300 thousand British Pounds. But that's not the whole cost Gorzow have to bear. There are advertising boards to be bought, security forces to be hired and all other costs involved in staging such a event. The list of BSI responsibilities is much shorter, and consists only of two points. The BSI is to supply their own air fence, decoration box and advertising board used as a background during TV interviews, and clothes for the track staff - if deemed necessary. They will also supply six blank advertising banners, which Gorzow can sell to interesting companies, on condition that BSI will approve them. Other conditions are no less interesting. Gorzow is not to undertake any activity, or voice opinions which might be seen as harmful to BSI reputation, renown and image. In other words Gorzow has to keep its mouth shut. Also when it comes to disclosing any details from their agreement, which the local newspaper has just revealed All in all the whole document consists of 15 pages. When Gorzow's mayor together with Gorzow speedway team chairman recently boasted about the news of signing the agreement with BSI, they did not reveal any details. The City Councillors were not very happy when they heard that everything had already been agreed and signed behind their backs. After all any public money which is to be spent has to be agreed by the whole Council. And councillors learned the details not at the City Council meeting, but from the local newspaper. The last nail in the coffin - so to speak - happened to be the news that the first 50 thousand GB Pounds ought to be paid four days after signing this agreement. Can we believe that the same contract will be in place in sunny Norfolk??

It is perhaps worth pointing out that the start time for this 1st leg on Thursday is 5.30pm UK time.......

Yup, looks like the classic move sideways into the car-park beloved of organisations that want a new face but have to give credit to the person moved on.

I sometimes use the Danish Webmasters forms myself.........................but if you are so helpless then you need only BUY the Speedway Star and then fill in the names after practice. Seems the generosity of the Danish guy only breeds helplessness to the contributors to this site

There is nothing to discuss, really. Any rule that benefits a losing team in order to make the event artificially closer than it actually is, is open to abuse by the teams taking part. Encouraging a team to lose points in order to manipulate the score brings a sport into disrepute. It is also an insult to the spectators who pay to see the best team win. If a sport has to artificially manipulate the scoring system in order to keep fans interest then it does not deserve the support of those fans.

I have a videotape of the final (from Sky) that you are welcome to have................except that you would have to wait a few days as it is being passed around the family! If you don't get fixed up elsewhere then email me at lastword4038@hotmail.com with your details and I'll post it on eventually..........no charge.

and for those who have made other arrangements for the morning/are working/go to church. Oh dear, so the weather in Poland has inconvenienced some person in East Anglia who has to work/go to church? Boo hoo. For God's sake (in your case) the media and speedway world does not revolve around your needs! The meeting was RAINED OFF.........live with it, and if your personal life doesn't fit in with that then make your own choice..................watch the re-run or go to church,it's your choice,after all.............some of us are just grateful to be able to watch it at all.

And your point is?? I pay £40 a month for Sky,chiefly to view speedway and football coverage, plus my monthly fee for internet access, and you complain that people can't watch it at the pub? Get real. Two words: Market forces. (Though I can think of two other words if you insist)

Interesting to see that the Danish Webmaster had the correct gate positions, even though the refereee did not. Thanks again...............a great service for the TV viewer..........

Tak!!

Granted some of the comments do sound like veiled racism.......but there are some truths being expressed. It should be appreciated that speedway in Poland equates with football in this country, and has a lot of the same problems. Segregation at big matches, 'Ultras' that collect in their own section of the stadium, and a large following of ''young men'' who like a drink or twelve. Move some of these fans to a foreign environment en masse and you get the same sort of issues that many England football followers have created across Europe for years. I attend league football regularly in England and rarely see trouble these days, but there is always that underlying threat, (and it would be more than that without the segregation of opposing fans.) Equally, I have been fortunate at Cardiff to avoid any problems of the kind recorded by others in this thread, but people don't make this kind of thing up for fun........and perhaps thoughts should be given by the organisers as to how these things could be avoided in future. Cutting down on the provision of 'six pints at a time' sales at the bars would probably help, but I cannot see the stadium wanting to lose that revenue.

Blimey, I missed that!....................Oh, you mean the balloons!

''..............as we watch the sun setting over the Marketa stadium here in Prague" Yeah, right!

Thought I should post update on my original post..................if anyone is interested?? After being repeatedly told both via the GP site, and by telephone that the back straight upper tier was sold out (see original post)...........miraculously seats are suddenly available. BSI have consented to take my hard earned cash, and grant me seats in the block that I originally tried to book weeks ago. Pleased naturally, but p*ss*d off with yet another PR disaster from speedway's promoters (in this case not the BSPA......at least it shows BSI can cock things up, too.) If I had been a 'casual' fan I would probably have given up and used my money for something else.

OK, I guess I know the real answer to this before I ask, but I'd like to know if anyone else has had a similar reaction from the Cardiff ticket office. I wanted two seats in U30........that's the block on the top tier on the back straight, opposite the gate. Told that was sold out. Then I started working left and right along the blocks............and was informed that the WHOLE top tier on that side of the track (U27-U33) was sold out. When I stopped laughing, the guy on the phone did admit that some of those blocks might be 'reservations' ,as he put it. Still, he couldn't sell me two tickets. So,nearly four months before the event the organisers dictating that certain advertised priced seats are 'unavailable'. Not a major problem when you can buy on the day, anyway!......but I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience?.........it hasn't happened to me before.

The link posted above which showed pics of work in progress does not seem to work anymore...........similarly the link via the Torun website. Anyone know an alternative site that shows the stadium?

So you think that a rule that means that riders attempt to manipulate an overall win by throwing points away is a good rule? You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I prefer to support a system that means that the better man wins..................

Congrats to the Danish team......a deserved win....... but the whole thing was only a whisker away from a farce because of the ridiculous 'joker' rule. In the last five heats the Danes were desperately throwing points to avoid going six points behind..........(see N. Pedersen's 3rd place in heat 21.) In interviews with Andersen it was admitted that a misunderstanding with K.Bjerre (who was expected to 'throw' his race in heat 23) allowed the Poles back into it. As it happened Gollob blew it........but you could see the Poles planning the same sort of tactics before heat 23, in which Jagus finished 3rd. A shame that in the final stages of a meeting that this sort of thing should be going on........all down to the stupid double points rule.

At last, the voice of reason!........................Sorry,pal,this is speedway.

Not going to comment on the general music content as first I don't go for the music, and secondly it probably wasn't aimed at my age group anyway...............................but if you don't understand the inappropriate choice of the dambusters theme then I do serioiusly doubt your ability to provide the correct music background....................it's speedway my friend not warfare from 60 years ago...........that's racism in this century................so get that right. Overall opinion on the music presentation?.................Good try, but tried a bit TOO hard.....................matching tunes to riders is hardly new, and can be described as somewhat corny..................different music for each race start backfired a bit.........consistency required here whatever music is used. Spectators soon identify particular music with the starting procedure. Decent GP after a very flat start but please,with respect, don't fall into the trap of believing that it is the music that decides peoples' satisfaction...........I am sure you work very hard to do your job and I'm sure we would miss you if you were not there, but let's not forget that in the end it is the racing that decides the success of any meeting.........................or am I wrong???????

Saw the 'wink' so OK maybe it was lighthearted.................but slagging NP off (and I'm no fan!) won't help...............the problem lies , as many have said, with the referee. This clown has made too many errors in the past to still be officiating, and irrespective of who we support we should all be aware of that. As some have said, I suspect that European speedway politics will keep the guy there whatever he does. The one thing that may have an effect is the riders themselves.............the power that they could use to influence IMG (and the FIM, who knows?) in this situation could be crucial. All GP riders are affected by the ridiculous decisions that this incompetent makes, and submissions from them ( along with appropriate threats to withdraw labour) could well have an effect. Once IMG appreciate that this kind of situation could affect their investment (and from many of the comments I heard at Cardiff ,and my own feelings at the time) suggest that it could do just that...........then they may well use their muscle to change things. Whatever we feel, who turn up at their local track every week is small beer ...........but now IMG are involved there are big bucks at stake.......................the riders have an opportunity here to use their influence..............I wonder if they will?