Fourentee

Out of interest, Philip, do you have a view on the question posed in the thread title (and willing to share it)?

As a general rule of thumb, all of them...

In my fantasy world, double global champion Tai Woffinden is Britain's best rider and an automatic choice for the Great Britain team. I have a sneaking suspicion my fantasy will come true. Yours is that he will be dropped for the Speedway World Cup. Let's see how that one pans out.

I'd already gathered that was your outlook.

We could actually put the whole issue on hold for another year as I already know how it will unfold. In scenario A, if Woffinden doesn't ride in the 2017 British semi-final/final, robert72 will declare he has again turned his back on British speedway, is unpopular with the fans (the cheers of 30,000-plus at Cardiff notwithstanding) and resume his unavailing quest to have Great Britain's best rider -- possibly Britain's best ever rider -- removed from the national team. In scenario B, if Woffinden does ride, robert72 will say he has learned his lesson but only done so in response to the overwhelming outpouring of demand from alienated supporters. He will also say this is a lesson that should have been learned the previous year. If he doesn't ride in the Ben fund, robert72 will demand a major fundraising effort for it from the fabulously wealthy Woffinden. If he does ride in the Ben fund, robert72 will demand a major fundraising effort for it from the fabulously wealthy Woffinden. I think that about covers it.

This is your posting philosophy in a nutshell, is it not? Not much of a substitute for rational debate, mind.

Well done, from a personal point of view I'd forgotten Powderhall and Paisley.

Ellesmere Port, Barrow, Milton Keynes

Because neither of those would give Woffinden a passing glance, would they?

Yes, there is the merest scintilla of a possibility that Tai might just squeeze into the manager's thoughts.

And your answer, robert, to this one is?

Which of those four do you expect to score more points than Woffinden would?

Ah, you haven't done the research. Well, there's today's biggest surprise.

Ah, you've done the research then?

Well, someone has to tackle the job and we would probably need a volunteer.

One of these days, perhaps, it might dawn that you saying something (repeatedly) doesn't actually make it so. Tai does not owe British speedway. He came back to Britain, he signed for clubs, he rode, he got paid. Do you feel you owe your job or profession anything other than the time you give in return for payment?

Just when you thought it couldn't get better...

It's a possibility in the sense that I may possibly win the National Lottery on Saturday, Aston Villa may possibly win the Championship, FA Cup and Capital One Cup next season, Shergar may possibly win the Derby and one of your posts may possibly contain something sensible instead of being made up as you go on.

Even by the admittedly low standard of your posts that one smacks of desperation.

Interesting question and of course the 'red line' would vary from individual to individual so I suspect no consensus view would emerge. For me, broadly -- and of course the devil is in the detail -- not making himself available for World Cup selection would lower my esteem (not, rightly, that that should bother him one iota).

Having just watched the footage, tremendous ride from Clegg. As an aside, that was a cunning old dog corner from Karlsson to stop Fricke coming back round him.

Money aside, I agree. The legacy of the history books calls. It's clearly a tough ask to get up to the Mauger/Rickardsson half-dozen, but obviously Tai has two in the bag already and looks a genuine contender, at worst, for a third this year. And at 25, injury and willingness permitting, time is on his side. Fingers crossed.

I take the point, but if the thrust of the argument for some posters is that the importance/PR success of the event is diminished by the absence of certain riders, then presumably it makes sense to do what one can, within reason, to give those riders the chance to appear. As to the second issue, all riders have the opportunity to earn abroad or in GPs. Not all have the ability to do so. And, yes, before anyone points it out, Woffinden had the benefit of wildcard selections initially but that is surely more of an indictment of the level of British talent.

Perhaps not everyone is in agreement with your opinion that Tai decided in the winter not to ride the final.

What, in Manchester?!