manchesterpaul

Anybody know for sure as to why the first part of the meeting was so awful? Why for certain was so MUCH dirt taken off (even allowing for them having too much recently and being fined)? Was it pressure from Gollob and his gang? Very interested to hear theories or the explanation for so many empty seats, was it because of the pricing? Even if the tickets were costly we've seen bigger gates haven't we when there was not a Polish world champion making his first defence of his crown, and with far less exciting GP fields and potential for a great series ahead?. Whilst any tv newcomers to the sport would have fled before the action hotted up it does like we are going to have a hugely entertaining series. Thanks in advance to the riders, the SGP and Sky. Much praise and appreciation to all.

No i didn't but fined for the state of the track as in??? I wasn't criticizing the polish tracks by the way. Far from that i was wondering if it was a case of superb polish tracks that provide great racing week in week out being stripped of their dirt wheneve the GP comes into town. It wasn't the case last year and we had the best ever racing in the series (post Ole Olsen). But one can't help but speculate if the dirt was removed because of Gollob and his gang being trepidatious of the new silencers?

Thankfully for current speedway supporters the racing improved. However, what a shocking disgraceful waste of an opportunity to gain new fans to the sport. Doubtlessly thousands upon thousands of viewers across Europe would have been viewing the sport for the first time on tv. Sadly about 98% of them would have turned away vowing never to watch a speedway race again way before the racing improved. I was getting ready to start a new thread titled 'Who IS to blame for the DAMAGING bore of Leszno'. With a subtitle of 'Let's be precise who EXACTLY was to BLAME'. I feared the worst from the get go when at the start of the tv broadcast we once again had reports of dirt from a superb polish track having been removed for a Grand Prix. Was Ole Olsen trying to keep one ahead of Freddie Krueger and Jason Vorhees in the dreaded resurrection stakes? However, my initial thoughts concurred with 'Swindon Speedy Pete' in laying suspicion on Gollob and his gang. Did he threaten not to ride if dirt was on the track because he still fears the new silencers? Is what Sky said remotely true in that he actually turned up with an old silencer for the meeting or practice??? If so OMG! whilst he is a worthy, greatly skilled and brave world speedway champion he is not God. Was he seriously still expecting at the 11th hour 59th minute for everyone to switch to the old silencers in line with his campaign for their use? I am one of the biggest supporters of the SGP and it is hard for me to find things to criticize, however, on to unhappiness number 2. What was with the fairly considerable empty seats? We were due to have the opening meeting of what is likely (still is) to be a fantastic series this year. It was being staged at a track that can provide superb speedway racing. Are the SGP organizers still grossly overpricing the event from the local populus (or hosting nation!)? Ok on to good things. We did get some excellent racing in the end which is good and amazingly i won a small fortune on betting Nicki Pedersen to win the meeting, well chuffed lol. Also, Sky seem to have upped their game in the awareness stakes and eliminating massive blunders regarding the state of the standings and qualifying scenarios. I swear i don't say this in a bragging way but they were pretty much up to the speed of my own interactive spreadsheet that i have used for the last few years. They did make a couple of mistakes and omissions. I'm not going to be picky by pointing them out, as they clearly seem to be much more aware and quicker than in the past of appreciating what is at stake for each rider in the last couple of rounds of heats. Such a pity we lost so many potential followers to the sport because of the start of the meeting. I wonder if we will get to know the reasons? For me personally i can't wait for the next GP and all the others too. It's an amazing spectacle and superb sporting event.

Lol thank you Rob B for spotting that. Although it might have been a good idea if a new thread had been started by the OP. But no sweat intentions were good. Also whilst i have Sky itself i got to admit it is great news indeed that the Virgin subscribers now no longer have to dread mention of the red button.

Whichever tv channel it ends up on, as there is a thread over the confusion as to that, i've published a large two page (or one page if print both sides of the sheet lol) racecard available at Free MiniMax 2011 European Grand Prix Racecard Anybody know if Emil Sayfutdinov has had a very recent upswing in form? I'm sure when reading the foreign scores section in Speedway Star the other week his scores were not exactly as good as they usually are. I do like to see him do well in the GP's as he's one of the most exciting riders.

Wow! just come on here to ask how often does a Basketball Play-off final do a 'speedway' and overrun it's time slot. I was feeling miffed that we might miss the start of the SGP and see the first few races recorded and with no preview of the meeting. I was surprised to see a multi page thread saying it is on the red button and lots of confusion over that. All i can say right now at near 5:30pm is that on Sky the now and next shows it on SS3 at 6pm, the inbuilt deailed Sky EPG tv guide also shows it on SS3 at 6pm-9pm, then finally most surprising of all in the circumstances lol my printed tv listing magazine purchased on Tuesday shows the exact same SS3 at 6pm through to 9pm. So does that mean it will be on SS3 at 6pm through to 9pm or clearly make it anytime and any place other than SS3 at 6pm!

I wondered where DW had got to as variety is the spice of life i'm told. Was starting to think he had said something naughty and got banned! although i'm sure he never would do such a thing lol. You're welcome.

A poll on a good german website for speedway news gives interesting results to compare. At the time of posting this well over 300 had voted in it and they think.... 64% Nicki Pedersen 12% Emil Sayfutdinov 11% Jason Crump 7% Tomasz Gollob 3% Jarek Hampel 3% Other rider Unfortunately, one can't vote for Chris Harris as he is included in the also-ran category of 'other rider'. The particular page is http://www.motorsport-aktuell.com/motorrad/speedway-wer-wird-speedway-weltmeister-2011-3672285.html

Clearly the thousands who download the scorecards disagree with you and also supporters at tracks every week who buy a programme and fill it in. Just because you are sitting in the comfort of your armchair hundreds of miles away from the meeting does not disallow you from filling in a scorecard and being clued into events. Especially, as you can focus on your own favourite riders or interests in the meeting. As it happens, unless there is a big change this year, Sky do not show you the overall scores etc. every heat. You are at their whim and tastes. Plus, some people like to glance back at the cards after the meeting has ended. Furthermore, Sky have a poor record at pointing out the significance of the final two rounds of races per meeting for each of the riders involved. They have even got the semi-final line-ups wrong. If one is filling in a racecard it doesn't take much brain power to spot what is at stake for every rider in every race. Sometimes i despair at speedway fans watching four helmet colours race around a track without knowing what is at stake in the race. Sky won't always inform (or be aware!) of the various scenarios. Anyways, it's ideally a free world so i won't criticize those who don't want to fill in programmes at the track or in their own home and hopefully those who do like to exercise their own brain should also be free from criticism.

Oh well, despite still having emblazoned across the top of the page "draw to be made at 13:00 BST", i see the draw has been completed already lol. Just grabbing a cuppa as i've just got home and will set up the racecard. Let you know once it's done and proof checked. Ok all done and checked. Got busy adding last years details and this seasons qualifiers route into the 'notes' section, just for this initial GP. Free MiniMax 2011 European Racecard

Ok looks like i'm the early bird out of the racecard providers for the first GP of the season, so i'll do the honours this week of opening the thread. The draw is scheduled for later today (Friday) at 13:00 BST. No doubt the cards will come flooding in not long after. As regulars will already know each of the racecards appeal to people in different ways and variety can indeed only be a good thing. Everyone prefers their own favourite one for varying reasons so hopefully all the makers of the scorecards are back this year. Mine will be available at the top of the page here Free MiniMax 2011 European Grand Prix Racecard I've some news on fulfilled promised changes to my own card and will bore most of you with a one-off blurb in case any newcomers this season are present. MiniMax SGP Racecards Due to their popularity - not just my own cards i hasten to point out lol - and fans downloading thousands per meeting (as well as past meetings), i'm placing all of the racecards i publish exclusively to a single page this season. Just click the link for the chosen GP and get a direct download, no advertising, self-promotion or expressing of opinions etc. either on the page itself or on the racecards. For the 2011 SGP season i have made available a larger print version. One can print it on two sides of a single sheet of paper or on two separate pages. As a result of the number of requests received, and the fact that i am very pleased with it, i have made it as the default racecard for the series. Also, i've turned down advertising offers because i want to leave it as a quick free download without any external surroundings. My racecards reflect differences that i think are beneficial when compared to others that have been around for some time. Hopefully you will also share my preferences in the layout (if you don't there are several others available). Have a look and see. One-off boring blurb to start the season for newcomers to the GP cards or sport itself. The finalized version for the SGP series have the following format and features Extended colour coded heat-by-heat line up's. Surnames only capitalization (makes a big difference when quickly scanning a card). For every single heat a rider's accumulative meeting and series points. To enable speedy filling in of the above info their next race is colour referenced. Heat 'rounds' clearly delineated to assist in rider count back in head-to-head tiebreaker situations. Traditional SINGLE GRID meeting score chart. The above strongly delineated into heats, main meeting total, semi-final & final and subsequent total points. Series standings before and after grid. Accumulative gate points and gate wins grid. Various meeting and series info and a 'Notes' box. Fill in as few or as many of the available features as you personally wish. Further minor notes: The colour coding is extended as i have on my home made spreadsheets. Instead of just a small 'helmet colour' box (or even a letter 'R', 'B' etc.) the riders name is coloured too. This again greatly facilitates only a speedier glance being needed. A small touch, but again, i personally think it makes a difference, i've printed the rider's surname in block letters. If you think about it, whether in your own mind or listening to a race commentary you refer to a rider by the last name. Also, if quickly scanning down the racecard for a rider having the surname printed in that manner makes it stand out easier. Varying extra information and features go with each card specific to the nature of the event.

There is more info and news in the 'general' section of the forum. Hope the threads can be merged lol.

Fortunately my girlfriend is a nurse and i'm used to being awake at odd hours. I've just spent a good few hours doing a 'Jimi Hendrix' (burning the midnight lamp). Noooo you thought wrong, you thought as i, forlornly dreamt, (groupies!!!!!). Ok i managed to code and compile in the nick of time this seasons promised larger version. Cue website babble........... "MiniMax Update SUPERCESSION I am so absolutely delighted at my larger version that i have now made it as my default race card. My website email box, despite repeated capacity expansions, is still considerably overloaded with requests for my larger version of the SGP racecards. After displaying it to several interested companies i have crazily turned down considerable sponsorship offers because i want to leave it as a quick free download without any external surroundings." So roll on Saturday and i sincerely hope it pleases and fits the job. I've based it on my MiniMax league tables in that one can view/fill in as little or as much info as one desires. It certainly is designed to be viewed with ease and comfort in mind.

Chuckle Chuckle

Too be honest, i hate to break it to you, but i'm fairly sure it was the Speedway Star Don't sue me if i'm mistaken or i'll have to cancel my subscription to pay for the damages. Do all the GP programmes manage to have the rider grids printed for every GP in time for the meeting still? It would be an awful situation if one had to laboriously fill in the whole scorechart and race grids. I'd consider it amateurish and embarrassing if it is the case. Unfortunately, i've never been able to be free to attend a GP (these straitjackets are soooo hard to get out of when your surname isn't Houdini)

Ok i've Googled until i gone goggle-eyed to no avail. Anybody know when the draw is for the meeting? The Facebook and Wikipedia pages just say draw is "on at 1300 CST"!!! Are we still stuck with the awful day before scenario?. It was supposed to be a grand new procedure this year, making the draw a week in advance and possibly at the end of the previous week's GP. We are one week in advance of the meeting now.

Sad to hear. Incidentally your 'Slovenian News' thread was out of sight when i posted this thread. I would have used that if i had seen it. I hope publicity and attendances improve for the sport. Also hope that it isn't a case of more people read the slovenian news on your thread here than read of it in Slovenia!. Is it just that particular track struggles or the sport as a whole. Only i'm sure a couple of years ago when replying to a thread in the SGP section, i pointed out that the SGP attendances for tracks in eastern europe compared favourably with those nations international football attendances. I'll have to grab the time to do a search. Many thanks for the news updates and results. I'm always very interested in the well being of the sport in other countries.

Do any of our international correspondents know if this photo was taken during or before the meeting? Slovenia versus Croatia crowd? Ideally anyone know the attendance for the match?

Thanks for the link and it's a nice little design for a live scorechart etc. I'll check the site out in general when can grab some time. Got two football matches to watch at once now though lol. So will have to give this meeting a miss as i only have one pair of eyes and ears. I'd like to see Latvia do well and i'd love the Speedway Star to do a feature on the sport in that country (as well as Argentina).

How is it a last minute change? In the SGP press release i pasted in my post above, which was issued on the 26th January, it states the 17th April. "FRENCH TARGET SWC France will bid to win a place in this year’s Speedway World Cup when they enter the qualifying round at Italian track Lonigo on April 17. The host nation will also be in action, but the Czech Republic and Slovenia start as favourites to reach the main competition. Meanwhile, the United States of America will bid to reach the last eight at German circuit Landshut on May 7, where they will be up against Germany, Finland and the Ukraine. Last year's winners Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Team Great Britain, Australia and Russia are all seeded into the main tournament after progressing beyond Events One and Two in 2010." Or are you saying it was subsequently changed after January and then changed a second time again? In which case i guess it is speedway hee hee.

Isn't this the round that originally was supposed to have France!!!!!!!! competing? Or was that some wierd dream? I think it was announced at the start of the year somewhere or other. Anyway clearly Latvia are a far superior team and i much prefer for them to take part. UPDATE AND I AM NOT DOING A 'BLACK SABBATH' (aka....am i going insane) Was coming back to post to say i fear am losing my mind because the first couple of pages from a Google search gave no joy. However, i put the word France first and tried again which led to this press release on the SGP website (26th January); "FRENCH TARGET SWC France will bid to win a place in this year’s Speedway World Cup when they enter the qualifying round at Italian track Lonigo on April 17. The host nation will also be in action, but the Czech Republic and Slovenia start as favourites to reach the main competition. Meanwhile, the United States of America will bid to reach the last eight at German circuit Landshut on May 7, where they will be up against Germany, Finland and the Ukraine. Last year's winners Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Team Great Britain, Australia and Russia are all seeded into the main tournament after progressing beyond Events One and Two in 2010."

With respect this thread is now bordering on the insane. It's in a loop with several contributors clearly not going to accept what the others state no matter how well put. Surely everyone has stated their case and views multiple times now and those views are clear to all who read the thread. In view of the time spent by Philip Rising having to repeatedly address the same allegations etc. i hope there is going to be a Speedway Star magazine published this week lol. Obviously the phrase give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves comes to mind on occasions. I know who and what i believe in regard to the various matters. However, if this loop has to continue, can we not have a separate Gelsenkirchen conspiracy thread (or the old one renewed)? That will allow this one to return to the original main subject matter. Peace maaaaan (says me pulling on my NATO helmet and flak jacket etc)

Some very interesting info above and thanks to all for it. I've always watch the Argentinian clips on You Tube every so often. They certainly seem to attract good crowds too. I so wish the Speedway Star would take a leaf out of the 'World Soccer' magazine and do a feature over several pages on the sport in a particular country once a month. First one ARGENTINA!

Just a slight diversion from the topic. Got to say i'm impressed that the Star seems to be producing 'exclusives' as in fresh unpublished news most weeks now. I'll always buy the magazine as it's a fantastic state of the art publication for the sport, but nice to see one can often expect a new story. Also, well pleased that someone at the highest levels of the magazine is becoming considerably more active in the forums of late. I don't think people realise the importance and significance of the magazine to the health of the sport. Oh yeah! what's with unambitious Olsen only wanting 18 lol.

I wish i knew who to thank for making the tables a 'sticky'. I'll see if it's possible to mass PM the mods a 'much appreciated' note. I did indeed contact the Speedway Star - turns out it was nearer four years ago. Whilst they took on board my request for an amendment to their SGP sheets they said that changing the software for their league tables would be more difficult. They said they would look into it and contact the person who wrote their software. I was a little surprised because whether your league tables, and stats of any kind, are database or spreadsheet based it only takes a couple of minutes to reposition the column orders (and transfer associated formula) be it for working or printing/publication purposes. There would be no redesigning costs that i could see. The most laborious and hardest part of constructing a software program is in the initial designing of it. It should be a relatively easy and speedy task to change the display order of the columns. I just presumed that they decided they wanted to keep the traditional look and myself being one who holds the Speedway Star and it's layout (league tables aside) as a superb product i left it at that. All i can suggest is that if anyone really prefers the layout of the tables i designed then pop the Star a note showing them the tables and asking them to look into the idea once more. Got to admit i do wish they had at least adopted the matches raced and points gained as the first two columns. Ok AND the race points to be shown as a match average too lol. If one is to be able to make instant sense of the two most important values in a table one would need to possess panoramic vision. As it stands, one loses track trying to align the points with matches. Your eyes have to flit from one side of the page to the other when comparing each team. They are the two features that everyone seeks out when glancing at a league table. All the other info is appreciated and looked at from time to time, but you need to be able to scan up and down in one narrow sweep in order to speedily comprehend the important stuff. Thanks for mentioning the page to others. Don't forget the percentage column will become far more useful and meaningful as the season progresses. Also, i will likely add the 'projected points' feature later on in the year, or slightly sooner if matches ridden and/or home away imbalances becomes too silly.