enotian

A little off piste here but it doesn't warrant a new thread and hopefully the knowledgeable Diamonds fans will see this. Brian Nixon. Australian lad. I'm sure he rode/struggled for the Diamonds in the early 90's. However none of the history sites or literature include any reference to him being a Diamond. His career seems to have started with a handful of matches for Eastbourne in 1990 averaging 5.50. Then in 1991 he appears to have done a full season for Glasgow averaging 4.50. Then nothing. My recollection was we signed him from Glasgow and sent him back, maybe swapping him for someone like Phil Jeffrey? Or did we get him from Eastbourne at the start of 1991 and send him to Glasgow before he'd ridden in an official fixture for the Diamonds? My recollection was he was a massive disappointment but I thought he'd done a fair few matches before we eventually got rid. I then have a vague recollection of him turning up for Glasgow and having a half decent meeting but it's all very sketchy. It is like 30 years ago!!! Can someone at least confirm he was a Diamond at some point or do I need a noggin check?

Internal Russian dissent is exactly the desired outcome of the international ban. First off I feel terribly sorry for the individuals and it would be much better if Artem and Emil were in the SGP. But this situation is much bigger than that and a stance had to be taken. Let's face it I doubt Artem would have earned a living from riding in Russia anyway, there doesn't seem to be many fixtures. Happy to concede this point as I've not researched it. To illustrate the point, if you imagine that Speedway was the biggest sport in Russia and Artem the most famous sportsperson. Firstly the international ban would have robbed the Russian public with the opportunity to see their favourite defend his title which would have been a disappointment and provoked some thought as to the reason for the ban. The Russian public might view if as unjust by the west and continue to support their regime. Then their own authorities also ban him robbing them of seeing him ride in their own country. Now you're asking questions again. Still the public might turn against Artem for his anti-Russian sentiment. At which point the international ban has been pointless. However, if the combination of denying participation in global events, withdrawal of global brand products and economic hardship result in dissention within the populace then there is a chance this invasion could end. There's bound to be some other mad man despot polishing his ice pick just waiting for the chink in Putin's armour. And pulling out of Ukraine might just be the way of getting the gig, Huzzaah!! One for fans of "The Great" there. I know speedway isn't and this particular ban is ineffectual in reality but you can't go half arsed in these circumstances. There has to be a united message. The question of nationality is tricky. Particularly as the World becomes a smaller place. Is it where you were physically born, or where you grew up, or where your parents are from, or where you contribute economically/hold a passport? Just reading about Palace's Michael Olise who is English, French, Algerian and Nigerian at the same time. In the case of the sporting ban the only criteria that can be applied is the nation the individual represents. Unfortunately for Artem and Emil that is Russia. You can argue all you like about them being Polish citizens or whatever but in a sporting sense they represent Russia and you can try to say they could represent Poland or not represent any country but it's a flimsy smokescreen which only serves to weaken the message. Whilst this might mean the end of Laguta's speedway career, compared to the end of innocent Ukrainian and Russian lives, it's insignificant. It's an impossible situation but a stance has to be taken to demonstrate to the Russian people that the actions of the regime that governs them are immoral and not acceptable. You can't do that if you're making exceptions and concessions because it's a bit unfair on some individuals who we generally like because they entertain us.

would be a bonus if it took the team total up to 42.50 or whatever the limit is. As it stands unless others improve he'll have to average c 7.00 to make the Diamonds competitive.

I'd say well built. Looks like he has a fair set on guns on him. Certainly doesn't look obese or unhealthy. Just not the shape of your modern spindly speedway rider. Power to weight ratio disadvantage I'd say. They do say the camera adds lbs so maybe he'll be fine. Just surprised they mentioned weight loss when he's still carrying too much compared to the others. It's why I never stand next to skinny people.

Not sure but don't both Sheffield and Berwick have different promoters than they had 10 years ago? So when they bought out the previous promoter they may not have bothered acquiring a seemingly retired rider. Don't know any details but offering that a reason how Complin become a Newcastle asset when he'd clearly been someone else's asset at some point.

Looks to favour teams with a strong top two but the heat format does that anyway. Yeah it'll just be a re-run of heat 15 won't it which could be a good or bad thing. Might add a bit of excitement. What about three match races, two riders only. Heat 16 reserves only, Heat 17 2nd strings only, Heat 18 (if required Heat Leaders only) tbf I don't mind a draw. was the league point scoring still 2 for an away draw and 1 for a home draw? Proper surprised it wasn't publicised. Normally the sort of thing they think will have the masses flooding back.

more interesting to see the size of the lad. apparently lost a lot of weight but shall we say he doesn't look to have the usual physique of a modern day rider. doesn't look like he'll get out muscled in the first corner but will he make it there at the same time as the other less rotund riders? i imagine he was owned by a promotion who no longer exist and his 'asset status' reverted to the BSPL when any new promotion decided not to acquire the 'asset status' of a retired rider. They're still obsessed with having an asset system in place even if you have no rights over that 'asset' beyond the season long contract you have with them.

Very true but my point is, at this point in time you can make a judgement on whether or not Glasgow vs Poole might be a good meeting because you have an idea of the line ups. That can't be said of Berwick vs Brum can it. At present it's the proverbial tin without a label on it. Unless those responsible for selecting the match know how Birmingham will line up. So why take the risk of broadcasting a fixture which could feature an under strength team away from home. The chances of that being a poor meeting must be higher than that of any fixture in which you know the line ups feature evenly matched teams. That's just obvious. This is a business which could dramatically improve the finances of the BSPL. So don't take unnecessary risks with the content, especially with the first offering.

I've thought about this a lot and I tend to agree. I think it would be a great shame as it's great fun to root for fellow country(wo)men in world championship events regardless of how arbitrary that connection might be. Unfortunately these shows of patriotism are now hijacked by those with a nationalist agenda generating hatred toward other nations which spills out beyond the sports field. Maybe I'm giving more credit than is due? Maybe some have an agenda but perhaps more just aren't clever enough to be able to draw a line between the sporting event and real life? Maybe individuals could represent their star sign (I'm joking). Come on team Sagittarius!!! Although I am on the cusp. No doubt when the global corporations officially take over we'll get to enjoy the intense rivalry of team Walmart vs team Amazon...... and it'll be exactly what we deserve.

Are todays audience really that one dimensional? The trend for crowd levels would suggest not. Successful teams will certainly attract more through the turnstiles but turning up to watch a guaranteed home win sounds a bit dull. Especially if you're poor away from home and not challenging for honours. Certainly if you're losing at home week after week without being competitive that's a massive turn off but I think the public realise that in a sporting contest there has to be winners and losers but it's the jeopardy that makes it interesting. I think most people are satisfied if their team has performed well and they have been entertained. Which should be exactly what you enable if you have fairly prepared tracks and evenly balanced teams. This is even more important if you're looking to attract streaming income from neutrals. As it stands would you pay to see Poole and home to Newcastle? I'm a Diamonds fan but wouldn't pay to see a guaranteed massive home win in a match of little or no entertainment and zero jeopardy. This win at home at all costs attitude is part of the problem. They even got rid of the 2 points for a close home win "because it felt like a loss". No it added jeopardy and excitement right up to the final heat.

The Discovery Sports Statement is clear that they won't be in the series "Discovery Sports Events supports the FIM board’s decision to suspend the Russian and Belarusian motorcycling federations. Therefore, Artem Laguta and Emil Sayfutdinov will not compete during the FIM Speedway GP 2022 season. We hope to see them back in Speedway GP when the international situation will allow it. François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events"

Such a shame for the sport, the series and those individuals but it is the correct decision.

True. And I don't know the intellect level your average Russian but I'd hope that if they do feel like they're being 'picked on' they'd then ask themselves why. If the message from the global community is clear and consistent then they can consume that information and decide for themselves if these exclusions are justifiable or not. Difficult when we've all been subjected to media brainwashing over a number of years. I'm reading Animal Farm at the minute. In the current climate it's a fascinating read. If I went to a football match and verbally abused a black player and was banned. If I was a moron I'd think I was being picked on. If I had any sense I'd listen to why I was banned and decide if I think it's justified. If I didn't then I'd be a massive racist and get what I deserve. If I'd realise the error of my ways I'd hopefully change them realising they weren't acceptable to the football community and simply wrong.

Oh dear. It's the regime that is being opposed. Not the Russian people. But how do you send a clear message to the regime that their actions will not be tolerated? Ban Putin from riding in the SGP? Don't allow him personally from accessing products/services from the west? The minimum we can do is send this message to the Russian public, the actions of your leaders are not acceptable and therefore you're no longer welcome as part of the global community. This represents a minor inconvenience to the Russian people compared to what the people of Ukraine are being subjected to but it is only the people of Russia who can plausibly end this regime without the situation literally going nuclear. As per an earlier post it might not work and the Russian public may support Putin and nothing will be resolved. That's their right. But it doesn't change the message. We don't want these regressive, aggressive nations to be part of the global community.

Then so be it. If they do unite and support this tyrannical regime then they should continue to be excluded. A terrible shame when globally we do need to unite on a number of fronts but we have to be clear that the actions of the Putin regime are not acceptable to the rest of society. What they decide to do in Russia is entirely their (or Putin's) choice. The west is far from a perfect utopia but we're all sure that invading another country and murdering innocent civilians isn't okay aren't we? Soo the west isn't right on everything but on this it certainly is.

Must admit I'm not a fan of multiple team building restrictions (I used to enjoy teams with different make ups facing off) BUT there's two good reasons for having them at present: 1. The heat format is biased towards a strong top two. Heats 13 & 15 trump Heat 2. And if you have a strong top 3 (i.e. 3 averaging over 8) there's only three heats you don't have a No1 standard rider in. Take Diamonds vs Pirates this season. King, Lawson and Worrall should go through the card. That's 41 points so they only need 4 points from the other 4 riders for the draw and they're basically guaranteed 3 of those points even if they concede 5-1's in heats 2, 8 and 12/14. Of course nothing is ever guaranteed but you can see that the odds are stacked and it all becomes a bit predictable. 2. If you restrict each team to one rider with an average over 8 you generate more supply than demand and therefore the less wealthy teams can afford to track a genuine No1 standard rider. A quick check of the 2021 CL rolling GSA's and there were 12 riders over 8.00 who are riding in 2022. Would have been easy to spread them about. Some might decide to sit out the CL but even if a team couldn't secure an 8+ No1 at least they wouldn't be facing teams with three of them. The nature of sport has to be fuelled by the desire to win but not at the expense of the product. Otherwise what's the point of winning something nobody is interested in? I guess the answer is Ego.

Yet it's hardly unfathomable is it. At the end of each season you have a fair idea of how many riders will be available next season. Once you know how many teams are in the league you then know if there are enough existing riders to supply those teams or how many new riders need to be found, assume 2.00 pointers. Then you add up all those averages of the required/expected rider pool and divide by the number of teams. Then you have a points limit which helps all teams build equally. Not an exact science but better than having teams fielding teams under the points limit from the outset. The masses will complain that the product is weakened but what's better a league of 10 or a league of 14? Where all the teams have a chance of being equally matched?

Some good opinions and counter opinions presented here which is what the forum is all about. If you consider a sporting event to be a party for people to enjoy then why wouldn't the organiser decide what sort of people to invite to the party? If you held a party at home you wouldn't invite someone who is undesirable and/or would make the other guests uncomfortable because of their view or actions. And it's about time we decide globally who to invite to our parties. Whilst that'll lead to the innocent competitors being excluded the message has to be clear, you're country isn't welcome. And pretending to not be from that country just weakens the message. You're effectively saying nobody wants you at the party but come in a disguise and don't mention the war and you'll be alright. If that message is clear then it's down to the residents of that country if they want to try and invoke change of regime/beliefs. The issue is wider than the invasion of Ukraine isn't it. If we're serious about having a world which is environmentally sustainable, where people of all race, gender and sexuality are treated equally why wouldn't we exclude all those countries who don't support by their actions those views. Look at the Premier League there's various well meant shows of support for anti racism and anti homophobia yet some of the clubs are owned by regimes which have dubious beliefs on these subjects. Can you take any of those messages seriously? It's tokenism. It's like saying we don't want racists at our party, by the way Tommy Robinson paid for the buffet. The message has to be clear.

tenuous but thanks for the info. is that an official FIM event. Or is it akin to Jan Graversen claiming to be a Danish international because he once round for a team called the Vikings? Sounds like the PZM have been quite specific in their requirements to allow him to continue, a bit like the BSPL shoe horning Josh Bates into the Rising Star criteria. My understanding is that there is, understandably, quite an anti Russian atmosphere in Poland atm. Plus those Polish speedway fans can be quite vociferous so it might be for the best if all those Russian national riders are excluded while the conflict continues. Best for all concerned IMO.

Interestingly worded. Didn't Chugunov appear as a reserve for Russia in the SON a couple of years ago. He certainly hasn't ridden for Poland in the SON which is effectively the only official international team contest. Maybe he was representing Poland in the World U21 or SGP?

The context is that a new product is being launched. Which could provide some much needed additional income for the promoters. If you were opening a new shop you'd make sure your best products are on display to make more sales and get repeat business. I'd imagine a few people will be interested in seeing what the standard of the stream and broadcast is before forking out £109 for the season pass. So if that first match is poor (i.e. a non contest) you'd have to ask yourself if it's worth spending £109 if those are the type of fixtures being offered. Why risk that scenario when you've no idea what sort of team Birmingham will field. It's like putting tins without labels on them on display. I agree jeopardy is one of the essential ingredients of sport but I would say that's why so few watch speedway. Home track advantage and mismatched teams means anything can happen but rarely does. Yes there's the odd surprise heat win but in general the results are predictable when one team is clearly stronger than another. My hope is that income from streaming changes the culture within the sport. If you're less reliant on home support for income and it's the standard of the product (excitement, skill, jeopardy) which attracts a larger audience then the on track product improves.

It appears that the FIA are allowing Russian and Belarussian drivers to compete in a neutral capacity. Which should mean they at least finish last. Sorry couldn't resist a gearbox joke. Seriously though it totally misses the point. I'm sure if one of these neutral competitors were to win Putin will be gutted that he can't use the victory as propaganda owing to it being a triumph for neutrals only. I imagine FIM will follow suit.

Roll up roll up Sign up to our brand new TV channel. The first live event is from Berwick who face Birmingham, who haven't actually got a team yet but we're sure they will have and it definitely won't be a massive home win. Whilst these are the type of fixtures you'd expect to feature with limited travelling support you might have thought that the first fixture might have been more prestigious and certainly selected based on the potential to result in a close result. If you don't know one of the teams line up how can you possibly make that judgement? What if Birmingham complete their team with a couple of reserves? Hardly an inspiring choice for the first fixture. Hopefully Birmingham pull together an attractive team and it's a great match but why pick it when there's a chance it could be a whitewash?

the point of any ban is to communicate to the World and Russian public that the actions of the Kremlin are not acceptable. if you then allow those athletes to participate just without a flag and anthem then that message is weak. again i'm short on detail but at the 1980 Moscow Olympics my understanding it Great Britain boycotted the event but athletes competed under the banner of the British Olympic Committee or some such moniker. But I'm certain Wells and Goodheugh were cheered on as Brits even though they weren't officially representing Great Britain. Not sure about flags and anthems when they won but essentially there was no boycott. if the message is to be clear then the ban has to be absolute no matter how unfortunate that is for innocent competitors or how ineffectual it might be. even FIFA seem to have finally tumbled to that.

Thanks. Interesting insight into the reasons for the switch. Surely the guy had earned some credit. However he could have ridden in clogs and he'd still not have been considered a Dutchman.