Grachan

I think the idea of having a final works well in the GPs, as it all adds up over a series of rounds but also gives a definitive champion on the day. I don't see the point of having a final in a Pairs final. Even less so in a 2 day final. And, yes, as you say, nobody is going to be busting a gut to get points as there's little point to that, so the racing will be of league standard rather than World Cup standard - which was often exceptional as every point was vital.

Might that not give you a final where one team has already won the meeting?

He may have had his documents, including his passport, returned but not received a visa yet.

Batch has only just come in, though, at the expense of a Swindon asset who the rules prevented them from retaining.

How does the first prevent the second? Please explain. I just think it means more to fans if they can think of riders as belonging to the club.

I didn't even know that Troy Batchelor was a Poole asset, but Troy is at Swindon because Swindon had to release one of their own assets. Poole should have signed Andersen anyway, that was their own decision. If they had signed KK the fans would have seen it as a backward step. Personally I like the asset system. I just think Swindon's team means more to supporters because most of them are more than just random averages.

The two day World final was an embsrassment, although having it in Holland probably didn't help. Last night's meeting was not good. It was supposed to be a pairs event, but where was the team riding? Whatever happened to thr great USA team racing style? Hancock racing off into the distance while his partner got passed by all and sundry cost USA a place in the final. Did anyone really care about the World Pairs in the past? It was always the poor relation of the World Team Cup and the individual championship, and still is. If they are having the World Cup every 2 years, with this as a filler, then fine. But if this is replacing it then it is a disastrous decision.

I'm not sure if Robert Lambert will be eligible to take a reserve ride, even if required. He's 48 years old according to the GP website! http://www.speedwaygp.com/rider/robert-lambert

Although it is only in 22 cinemas, none of which are anywhere near to where I live. https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5514465/vue-is-slashing-film-scrreening-prices-to-4-99-but-only-at-these-22-cinemas/

One decent rider away from being a good team? That sounds like Swindon for the first half of last year, and look what happened there!

Can you imagine what the younger generation would think of a bunch of old fogies doing "2, 4, 6, 8 Who do we appreciate.. R O B I N S Robins......"? My 14 year old son enjoys speedway. I bet that would soon put him off!

I would say it gives Najjer plenty of knowledge. 2000 is nearly 20 years ago, and the points he makes are very valid. Yes, speedway was more succesful in the 1970s, but it was a different time. Were speedway the same now as it was in the 1970s it would look so dated that it would attract even lower crowds than it does now. Team suits are one of the positives of this faltering modern era. The 70s hsve long gone, as have the trends of that time. Life moves on and speedway needs to move with it.

I guess we'll know whether or not it is over-priced by how many people turn up. At the end of the day, that will be the most telling factor.

I guess Swindon did it with Jan Andersson, although he went to Reading once he achieved top quality. There was also Jimmy Nilsen (and Per Jonsson at Reading) although both were seen as hot prospect s beforehand - even though the DofE didn't quite agree!

Of course he isn't. It's obviously one of DC's customary Poole ribbings, not a belittling of Lee.

I think it was pretty well known from the very start that Ward and Holder would become World class. Both were being talked about before they even came to the UK. Janowski not so much so. He was promising at Swindon, but Zengota was probably seen as being better. He came on a lot when at Poole, although his developement is probably more down to the Polish league than here.

I think Craig has clearly been taken out because of the health aspect, and having Bewley there might be of more benefit in the long term anyway. In terms of strenth alone, I agree that Lambert at reserve might have been a good option, but Craig was already out of action this week and this seems a sensible enough decision under the circumstances.

I agree he should be spoken to, although he never said he was sacked by text, he said it was "confirmed" by text - so a bit inconclusive. Why was nobody up in arms when Robert Lambert was dropped from the team originally? Regarding the decision, though, Cook had already pulled out of a match this Thursday due to this, while Lambert was rocking and rolling at Rye House. It's obvious that the manager would have second thoughts in that situstion. With respect to texting, though, it's not a good way of telling someone. I agree.

Why? He's just pulled out of this week's fixtures with exhaustion. Clearly a risk, and there is a ready made replacement in Lambert,

Pretty clear from that. Britain has priority on a Thursday but not on a Wednesday.

I'm not sure it's about greed, as riders are just trying to earn a living. Other than that, though, I couldn't agree more.

I don't think it is unreasonable for all countries to expect priority be given on the days allotted to them. Obviously this is affecting lower-tier clubs too, but there has to be give and take in all countries. If this is managed sensibly on all sides, then there shouldn't be any issue. All I pointed out was that Poland do not have priority on all days of the week apart from two. I was correcting something that was factually incorrect. Nobody is treating anybody with contempt. The speedway world is a lot bigger now. It is natural for Poland to expect their allotted day. Were a British club to want to use a rider on a Monday and a second division Polish side insisted that the rider ride there instead, then that would be a similar situation and the British club would then feel rightly aggrieved if the rider rode in Poland. I really wish that the Second Division clubs who want to use international standard riders would move up into the top tier so that we can have a strong top league as the basis for British speedway. Clubs staying down are holding us back in my opinion. Let's make a good, solid First Division again and I'm sure the sport would improve.

Poland don't have priority on every other day of the week. As far as I understand it, Poland have priority on Sunday, Britain on Monday, Sweden on Tuesday, Denmark on Wednesday, Britain on Thursday (?). Friday and Saturday, I'm not so sure about, although Grand Prix would presumably have those days. If managed properly (which it wasn't), I don't see why there is a problem here. In fact, Britain may actually have greater priority than any country - although Poland get the better deal by having Sundays. If Poland have Sundays as their day, then of course they are going to want priority on that day.

I think that, because of the low points limits over the past few years, the key to success has often been that of making a clever change mid-season when averages come into effect. Either replacing a rider whose average has gone up with a rider of better ability but on a lower average, or if the team average drops, bringing someone in to make up the numbers. Because of this, there has become a bit of an obsession among fans with making changes, as it is seen as the key to success. You see it everywhere now - one bad result, or one bad meeting from a rider, and people are immediately calling for changes.

I agree, Sidney. I think keeping the side together as much as possible can work wonders for team spirit and also crowd association. Sometimes changes can be made, but I think keeping them to a minimum and only where really necessary is the best way. I think you are right that the team will be build around those 3 next year.