spook

i'm sure that there is nothing wrong with the British scene other than the way that the British promoters go about their business........ the Finnish riders should rejoice about it... but the Finnish officials should sob quietly as it can only be bad for the league scene there ............... the day that we start marrying our own talent with a smart smattering of overseas guys is the day that we stop sucking lol well yes you could be right it could well be crap..... but it certainly seems to be a part of the IMG ethos he earned it (bla bla bla) you have to ask yourself whether some of the issues involving 'gulfs' between riders that the gp's now have are because of the years of manipulation or because of the qualification process.............. tbf to Walasek and Ulamek I thought they did ok.... better than I thought they would quite simply Zorro deserves to be there ...... he is most likely going to struggle but better that than all 16 riders in effect being selected on the word of a few people.................... if it is collateral damage within the notion that keeping an 'FA cup' type dream alive is an integral part of the competition .... then so be it

tell you what FSP.... if the Kennett, Woffinden, King, & Bridger investment doesnt work then I am in no doubt that GB will be battling it out on a par with Russia, Germany and Finland ............. and rightly so ......... I shouldnt worry too much about political favouritism because there are only so many seasons they can do it for Bruno I am certain that Pboro would sell out .... very easily tbh ....... but the issues other than what has already been discussed are the facilities, ticket price, total possible attendance............. but more importantly the equation that I reckon has been made into a big poster and is on the IMG wall which goes something along the lines of other large GB events = tickets not purchased at Cardiff

well first things first the English football team actually does realistically have a VERY good chance of winning the world cup you are right of course .... you are saying it how you see it and I would suggest with a whole lot more realism than IMG, the fans and more importantly the British promoters have been.................. none of us can expect things to be realistic only when we want them to be.... but that also cuts both ways couldnt agree more... except the part about Tedward never being world class....... he has made it a career habit to prove people wrong! This problem has been around for donkeys years and has steadily got worse and worse................ maybe this rumour of Tai and Ed is just a rumour but there is a reason we all believe it and that is because it isnt out of the question.................. we are now reduced to relying on teens who have only just hit an 8.00 average in a watered down EL and not in the more significant Polish and Swedish leagues because the standard of British rider has gone so downhill I apologise to those who have seen me post it before because i'm sure it is boring to some ......but there is only one reason for this and that is because of the british promoters playing monopoly with assets that mean nothing and consequently those assessed averages that can be so exploited.............. there is only one or two young british riders moving up to the EL in any given year....... yet how many overseas riders come into the EL for the first time every season? ................... is the issue at EL level? IMO there is an issue at EL level but there is a much bigger issue at PL level that is choking the supply...... we have become nothing more than a training ground for the world's youngsters while the promoters see just how low those assessed averages can be set at the agm .......... this is nothing personal about the Aussies because I look forward to their sheer world dominance for a decade starting in a couple of years time ...but instead of looking to train up and support our own batch of youngsters we are providing a crucial training area and program for what is starting to look like a scarily good Aussie squad of the future.......... and its not just the Aussies is it? Here is a question.......... how much better is the British League than the Danish League? Emil is a one off Although Emil is ultra talented he does appear to have found the right balance very early on .......... money means nothing without the right machinery... and the right machinery means nothing without the right mechanics and management I think you are spot on GW......... there should be at least a couple of requirements for a rider before they are called up to the GP's ........ it would go a long way to stopping youngsters having major setbacks in their career ............. being a factory rider is obviously helpful but it still doesnt mean they are getting first dibs........ those other established riders with Jawa deals will probably be testing those engines out first.............. and some might say that this isnt the level of speedway to be sticking with Jawa!

how do you mean?

I just dont see the sense in this decision if its true............. its one thing forcing there to be two British wildcards....... although embarrassing we all got over it last year right? ...... but to knowingly risk two young riders future aspirations instead of sticking for another year with Rico and Bomber is madness...... do IMG look at what happens in overseas leagues? Is this brand of wishful thinking really going to translate into points on the board? good luck to both Tai and Ed and I hope they do the business .......... throughout his career Ed Kennett has been written off as not being good enough.... and throughout his career he has proved people wrong.... I hope he does it yet again

well you may have a bit of a point there FSP but...... wasnt Zagar recommended to IMG by the FIM as one of the 4 wildcards last year?..... and instead of Bomber? tbf Miedzinski doesnt ride in the UK and he would clearly be a strong candidate if it werent for the quota system in place....... Zagar appears to have had a better season than last so in my book it makes it likely that the FIM are going to propose him again

the problem with that imo though wanna is that Lindgren hasnt really done much wrong...... he has been in the series for a couple of years and has pretty much done as well as any other debutant before him aside from Emil........... these older campaigners at the top are a virtually impossible nut to crack............... considering Freddie finished above Hans in the GP's who is likely to get a WC.........outperformed Antonio in Poland.... and showed some real top dog status in UK ....it makes it near on impossible to remove him Antonio's issue isnt Freddie... its Magnus........... the moment he qualified it made Antonio's permanent wildcard unlikely based on quota systems of previous years.............. I dont think the door is completely shut on Antonio but TRick is going to need to use all of that influence to convince IMG that 1) the swedes should have a bigger quota than anyone else .... 2) that he should be in above Zagar ... 3) this is the year they drop the whole GB must have 2 WC's thing

it is an interesting one sbramble and statistics over recent years do tell their story..... but the gp's were always going to get like this werent they? The very nature of the competition is about consistency, organisation, machinery and backing aside from erm.. skill lol thats why we currently have a rider in the gp's whos riding ability is some way lower than his peers IMHO .... he ticks all of the other boxes and hangs on for dear life on track and isnt there an argument that it was always like this to a slightly lesser degree? any era is usually dominated by a few guys..... bridesmaids litter speedway history .... as do those like Andreas Jonsson who are outstanding riders but even out at 4th/5th................... in actual fact this year 6 of the 11 gp's were won by different riders.....and every rider made a semi final If there is an issue and i'm not sure that there is... then i'm not sure the answer is to bring in loads of new faces..... imo that would create an even bigger gap between the guys you mention and their competition....... the Emil factor is just a mirage when you consider how many guys have had a turn at breaking into the top 6 over the last 5/6 years and how many have actually managed it......................... if anything the issue is caused by the system itself.... the fact that we have 11 gp's evenly stretched over the season with no pressure of it being a 'qualification road' means that these guys can plan well ahead and over time scoop up and build on the best sponsors, mechanics, tuners, engine deals........................ when you look at it like this it really is no wonder that those seasoned campaigners float to the top every year....... they have a successful formula and it just gets stronger year on year if this was seen as a huge issue in governing circles then the ideal way would be to do a 'mosley/ecclestone' and change the sanctioned bike setups..... this could have a levelling effect but it could also end up demonstrating the gap once more as the sponsorship and mechanical expertise kick in I dont think it is panic stations though.... Leigh has gone this year.... what are the odds that one or both of Greg and Tomasz will go next year? Hans kept telling us he knew what his bad season was about but he continued to put in erratic performances.... if he had another bad season he could be on his way as well...... Holta doesnt sound so sure that he wants the GP's as much these days and he could also be on his way................ it seems to me that a steady stream of guys leaving has started and a steady stream of world class replacements are coming in Give it a year and Pavlic, Woffinden and Ward could be ready edit: and re: the bomber freak performance....... was it such a freak performance? Bomber has actually made one of the better debut attempts to break into the top 8 in recent years and this imo was partially down to Brian Andersen........ that year his bikes were great and all it was going to take was a couple of decent gates and the correct on track decisions ..... I suspect the 40k people cheering him might have made a slight difference as well

so how should he be punished then? surely you aren't suggesting that this should slide by without any action at all? validate something like this and it gives the green light for all riders to do this, and of course for one of them to push the boundaries even more...... although as has been documented, they were probably out to get Michael Lee at the time, he suffered a major ban for riding the wrong way around the track...... sounds bad but the reality was that he was doing this on the white line and away from the racing line.... compare the width of a bike to the length... which is how tomasz parked his bike, and you have some understanding of how serious it 'could' be for Tomasz politically I guess the best way for all concerned is a fine ... of which no doubt his sponsors would pick up...... point made and punishment received

Well I think you have highlighted the area in world championship speedway which is still confusing for most....... the old world finals were supposed to be the top 16 in the world..... but we know they weren't with a quarter who definitely werent top 16 and another quarter who quite possibly might not have made it either if it wasnt for geographical quotas in the qualifiers.................. if anything the gp's make a better fist of presenting the top 16 in the world ...... but of course that is done with less than a 5th of the field made up from qualifiers... In an ideal world i'd only secure the top 4 and make the other 11 places come from qualifiers................ but unfortunately the world is a much more cynical, and media & corporate driven place I truly believe that IMG have it about right at the moment...... compare the Speedway GP with Moto GP and the difference is clear....... we have had 6 different winners this year, seven the year before, five the year before that...... It has been a long time since Moto GP experienced anything like that kind of even spread........................ and while this is taking place the world championship has been shared out between 3 riders for the last decade while a couple of others are specialists at top 5 finishes... this is normal for any motor sport.......................... and all this has taken place while IMG have been using a quota system with the major nations I feel sorry for the likes of Jarek Hampel who has not shown himself to be a good qualifier over the years and has paid the penalty.... since he missed out on the top 8 there have always been 4 poles who have qualified............ and now I can only feel sorry for those riders who come from nations such as Slovenia, Croatia etc because either the maths have to fall particularly their way when it comes to permanent wildcard picks or they have to squeeze into those 3 qualifier positions................. and for me this highlights even more the hot potato which is 'the brits'...... and IMG showing a need for them .... in particular the last couple of years where those round blocks have been looking a bit more square..................................... and its only going to get worse isnt it? since Ryan Sullivan dropped out of the GP's we have got used to the Aussies only needing two places... but with the scarily impressive conveyor belt of talented riders now starting to kick in it wont be long until they need 4 places ramble ramble ramble haha ... so in short good luck to Magnus and he is already down as one for me to cheer for but I am also quite happy with the 15 riders that we are given from year to year with only the odd eyebrow raised..... if they can be given the track surfaces to put on a show, and a transparent working system in place to ensure fairplay with machinery.......then all should be well

ive often wondered the same........ but isnt Ole a dream for older riders looking to avoid injury? ...... reading between the lines Ole is a part of the family for the riders as well no one has ever come out and stated anything about the ad boards........ and lets face it... it isnt exactly difficult to keep them clean... or expensive!

as much as Ole had done my head in ..... I agree with some of his approach if it was to avoid rain offs IMG will quickly find themselves in awkward positions with tv companies if there was to be a string of rain offs................ what I dont agree with is the attitude of no dirt and no watering at any point regardless of the weather......... this is changing the nature of the sport I would be extremely interested to read an interview with someone like Tony Olsson covering the equipment at (and taken to) the gp venues and the strategies available for dealing with rain (hint hint Philip Rising) I was at the Prague beer festival..... aka Prague GP 2004 where we had a long interval following rain................. the issue though was not the rain... it was that 'the' blade or 'a' blade was not at the stadium but instead several miles up the motorway............ once the blade turned up it did not take too much time for it to do its job and then for us to move ahead with what was decent racing ... and of course the infamous hancock/pedersen incident the series has either settled into lazy ways or into unprofessional practices while the public are expected to pay professional prices...................... i'm currently watching the F1 race where they have a crane on every corner to quickly move any wreckage that happens...... they do this instead of having less than they need because the product suffers otherwise (= less support and less money)...................... blades, and heat machines are essential at every grand prix.. along with anything else that the experts know works............. i'm no vulcan but logic CLEARLY dictates that the answer is not to remove all the dirt after practice and never water the track I truly hope that Tony Olsson and his appointment are signs that we will be getting decisions that make sense otherwise I fear for how long the series is going to last for in its current form

usual suspects... same trolling... same racism..... duplicate thread......... same result top 8 + 3 qualifiers + 9th and 10th + 1 brit which only leaves IMG with the question of a 2nd Brit or Zagar and it really is no more complicated than that

tbf the question was who do we think are the best 15 in the world a completely different question to who have qualified or we think the noms will be not sure what angle Phil is working on here but I suspect it was with an eye on Leigh or the Brits... or to what extent IMG already have it right

cant stand the Pedersen guy for a career of riding the man instead of the track but..... quite honestly he did little wrong this time on a track where the blue line was everything....gollob moved off the line and then tried to get back on it but nicki was already there................... Gollob could have left the bike in a 101 more dangerous places on the track but the sheer disrespect to his rivals was bang out of order and he must be punished

a true world champion! well done Jason............. now for the next one

not entirely sure what was going on with Tony other than he went into the meeting with an agenda ...... such as 'time to sort out the creepers' ..... which tbf ive been crying out for all year................ certainly the strangest and least consistent display we have had from him you been on the sherry Iris?

not entirely sure the track issues from ht13 onwards were Ole's fault tbh ........................ but the track was bone dry once again oh well onwards and upwards as far as the tracks are concerned in 2010 hopefully

and back we go to gp's where an unsatisfactory start is a unreasonable thing to expect

a sad day for him but anyone who has kept an eye on him for the last two years could see it coming a mile off............. a great career at the highest level and although world title less there are very few who will better his average GP finishing position in the future would be fitting if he could make it a rostrum finish

im just pulling on your dangly bits as I know he is a favourite of yours Pepe is great to watch on his day...... never seems to be his day in the GP's though!

JC Tomasz Gollob Greg Hancock Andreas Jonsson Emil Freddie Lindgren Chris Holder Jarek Hampel Matej Zagar NickiP Leigh Adams (top 15 in the world is different to the best 15 for the GP's) Chris Harris (my GP's get to have some dirt on the track) Hans Andersen Rune Holta Antonio Lindback Not much different from what we will have for 2010 I suspect....... no Magnus.....Ken Bjerre bites the bullet until he can stop creeping at the starts ......and shows he can make a pass........................ Brits only get one rider.............. Lindback and Zagar slide in...... Holta, Andersen, Adams and Harris take their seats in the last chance saloon and lol at Pepe Henry

its doubtful that will happen until Cardiff becomes an instant sell out

ok so first of all cant really disagree with that too much tbh ...... he certainly has shown authority.... and charisma...... competency? well it depends how you rate that but he has at least helped to raise speedway's profile once again........... so for that I guess we should be thankful and he deserves a round of applause secondly.......... I am extremely happy with this! .............. quite simply the guy at times has been a liability over the years and in some ways has brought the sport into disrepute ......................... this smells of background pressure and some of the guys at IMG and possibly FIM either smelling the coffee ... or finally getting up the courage to do something about him.............. I imagine the dire lack of passing at some of the gp's this year in front of crowds who were already bare helped to make the decision It all depends on the new approach taken ... if there is one....... but I suspect we may experience the odd cock up along the way while people rediscover what a proper speedway track is............ hope he enjoys his director position and it turns out to be more than a cosy pre retirement duty that he thrives in........ but only if he doesnt end up adversely affecting things again!

Richardson and Harris ................. and the reason why? and this is the odd thing Parsloes.... because regardless of whether I usually agree with the content of your posts or not... they are usually well considered....................... the reason is because I would not want to risk damaging careers of young riders before they have even got started You cannot just chuck young riders with potential in at this level and say "swim" ... and especially when the field is this strong ... let me remind us who we have next year... JC (world champion) Nicki P (world champion) Greg H (world champion) Emil (no comment needed) Tomasz (the most talented) Freddie, AJ, Hans, Noddy, Jarek, Bjerre, Rune ....... that most likely leaves Magnus (no offence intended)... the wildcard and two brits (or one + Zagar)................................... do we not think the first 12 would eat alive any young rider who has not shown that they are ready? I believe that Tai and Lewis have the confidence required to not be beaten before they have started ......... but what happens if they go into the 4th GP with only 6 points to their name? Do we think they would still have the confidence? and would they have the experience of previous slumps to fall back on?........................ i'm not saying that young riders shouldnt ever go in but I do think that a rider is ready when he is ready and it is playing poker with his career if there is a chance that he isnt ready meanwhile yes Bomber and Rico have shown that for whatever reasons they are not the cream of the cream in this current era............. but they are good enough for IMG to have their Brits and for them to have a decent showing.............. Rico did have that one year badly off the pace and you never know what mood or levels of confidence you are going to get with him but imo he does actually deserve to be considered on merit anyway because of the season he has had bomber is a bit of an enigma ..... undoubtably he has suffered by being a racer in the era that will be remembered for being the slickest in world championship history..........and I think he was a different rider with Brian Andersen in his corner ............. but I also think we are starting to see flashes of that form again.............. and we are talking about a guy who has never been woefully off the pace... just behind going into that first corner.......................... Rico and Bomber are a vote for protecting our youngsters and their potential I think the truth of the matter is that there is no comfortable option for the British fans.......... would any brit be there on merit? would it be too soon for some of them and in a particularly strong year? Should Nicholls, Rico and Bomber really be getting chance after chance after chance? Should we really be getting annual permanent wildcards?