IainB

If people want to blame Brexit for the rider shortage how would they explain all of the European riders that are riding in this country with no problems at all? I think the issues may very well be elsewhere, with one country in particular

It is for me again now, had to refresh

I'm surprised Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hasn't disowned the competition! Does she know about this I wonder? If somebody tells her it may just finish her off!

Fair enough about Middlo's testimonial, but really this match should not be going ahead tonight (as an "official" fixture), it makes a complete mockery of the sport and i think, correct me if I'm wrong, sets a new precedent on how many riders is acceptable to make a team

They should make tonight's match the Middlo testimonial it has about a much relevance

The Birmingham team are not riding on the 31st and neither are the Poole team... or there's the Bank Holiday

Or postponed it? What's the rush anyway? We all know the final of the Summer Trophy won't be until the autumn and since when did Poole ride on a Friday? They've been going on for the last few seasons how it had to be Wednesday's... and there'll be no clash with Birmingham being the other Wednesday track as their last match is August the 10th

British Speedway hits a new low No wonder they aren't allowing replies to the team sheet tweet they've put out

the GP's and SoN/SWC seem to have turned into a right old mess under the exciting new Discovery Events era... I for one am not in the least bit surprised

probably not enough room in the pits for them, the pits were heaving

And how many have we had where none have been riding?

Perhaps they took a leaf out of British Speedway's book!

He's far from finished, but for me Dan has been far more eye catching this year with his performances vs expectation. I really hope Tai can take last nights form into Saturday and then onto the rest of the GP series and take it to BZ

But when one of the "power house" teams doesn't get a 7-2 against a "minnow" like GB in their opening outing or Pol vs Ger & Pol vs Fin it adds real jeopardy to proceedings. I thought it made both semi's very watchable, not for the racing but the jeopardy of a power house team not qualifying

Before the 2 race-offs I think you may well have included Finland, France and the Czech Republic (looking at their rider line-up) in your list... and by the fact you haven't included those countries I think there in lies your answer

Well that was all a bit exciting. For me the team management very nearly cost us a place in the final, I hope they can learn from their mistake. Come on our boys! P.s. for anybody that did miss out heat 16 was added on to the end of the Discovery+ transmission... that one's for R&R

And Eric "Bootsy" Monaghan

I think they are in BIG trouble

You're such a grump

Of course he's not, most unlikely just like his chances of becoming World Champion. He seems far too laid back whenever i see him interviewed or in the pits

Yeah, but if you ain't first you may as well be last. Their record at senior team level wasn't that great outside of Poland even before the format was changed and only 4 World Individual champions ever! Not great with all those junior championships under their belt. With the amount of money that is pumped into the sport in Poland you'd think somebody would be asking questions. What they have undoubtedly done well at is generating enough home grown talent to make their Leagues sustainable

I almost daren't ask the question... but at the risk of upsetting R&R, is there any reason why the final is not being held over 2 days?

Year Venue Pos 1 2 3 4 5 2005 Czechoslovakia 1st Janusz Kołodziej Krystian Klecha Marcin Rempała Krzysztof Kasprzak Karol Ząbik 2006 Poland 1st Krzysztof Buczkowski Adrian Miedziński Paweł Hlib Karol Ząbik Paweł Miesiąc 2007 Germany 1st Karol Zabik Pawel Hlib Krzysztof Buczkowski Mateusz Szczepaniak Adrian Gomólski 2008 Denmark 1st Michał Mitko Artur Mroczka Grzegorz Zengota Maciej Janowski Daniel Pytel 2009 Poland 1st Dawid Lampart Maciej Janowski Grzegorz Zengota Przemysław Pawlicki Artur Mroczka 2010 UK 3rd Maciej Janowski Patryk Dudek Artur Mroczka Przemyslaw Pawlick Szymon Wozniak 2011 Russia 5th Patryk Dudek Przemysław Pawlicki Maciej Janowski Bartosz Zmarzlik Piotr Pawlicki 2012 Poland 1st Patryk Dudek Maciej Janowski Tobiasz Musielak Przemyslaw Pawlick Bartosz Zmarzlik 2013 Czechia 2nd Patryk Dudek Paweł Przedpełski Piotr Pawlicki Bartosz Zmarzlik 2014 Denmark 1st Bartosz Zmarzlik Piotr Pawlicki Kacper Gomolski Pawel Przedpelski 2015 Australia 1st Maksym Drabik Piotr Pawlicki Bartosz Zmarzlik Pawel Przedpelski 2016 Sweden 1st Krystian Pieszczek Bartosz Zmarzlik Pawel Przedpelski Bartosz Smektala Daniel Kaczmarek 2017 Poland 1st Bartosz Smektala Kacper Woryna Maksym Drabik Dominik Kubera Rafal Karczmarz 2018 Germany 1st Rafal Karczmarz Daniel Kaczmarek Maksym Drabik Bartosz Smektala Wiktor Lampart 2019 UK 1st Maksym Drabik Dominik Kubera Wiktor Lampart Bartosz Smektala Michal Gruchalski 2020 Germany 1st Wiktor Lampart Norbert Krakowiak Viktor Trofimov Jakub Miskowiak Dominik Kubera 2021 Poland 1st Jakub Miskowiak Wiktor Lampart Mateusz Cierniak Like you say dominant... they must be wondering where it's all going wrong at senior level

Back in the day when people were questioning why the Brits were no good on the world stage an argument was that they had it too easy at home, when BL ruled the roost. I think you could probably use the same argument for the Poles, they have it very easy at home with the big pay packets and adulation. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Brits have come on so much now that none of them ride in Britain. It's akin to living at home with your mum doing all you cooking and cleaning and when you get your own place you have to man-up a bit. That's why I think Magic should ditch riding in Poland if he has aspirations of becoming World Champion, he has it far too easy rolling up to Wroclaw every week in his luxury car, going through the motions and leaving with a boot full of Zlotys

Yes somebody will win... and if it's the Poles I'll take my hat off to them as imo it'll be a bigger achievement than winning it on home soil.