Matej Zagar

[admin]

I see that Matej Zagar was ill and missed Reading's fixture at Wolverhampton yesterday. However, Zagar was well enough to ride in the GP on Saturday, well enough to travel to Poland and take at least one ride for Torun in their abandoned meeting against Wroclaw on Sunday and it looks like he may well be feeling up to riding for Torun tonight against Czestochowa, since przegladzuzlowy.pl reports the following line-ups for tonight (at least, I think it's tonight):

Torun

9..W Jagus
10..A Miedzinski
11..R Kosciecha
12..M Zagar
13..R Sullivan
14..A Marcinkowski
15..K Zabik

Czestochowa

1..G Hancock
2..S Drabik
3..L Richardson
4..S Ulamek
5..L Dryml
6..M Szczepaniak
7..L Bridger

Now, of course, the above line-ups may be liable to change before the meeting commences and if those line-ups are accurate it does look like tonight's Swedish programme is likely to be hugely affected.
But, assuming they are accurate, was Zagar ill or could he just not be arsed flying to the UK for a Monday meeting and then heading straight back to Torun for a Polish meeting on Tuesday?

[Deleted]

Apparently Matej was taken ill during the GP Sube, I did comment actually when he was interviewed on Sky that he didn't look well, but with him suffering from so many "viruses" in the past especially it's natural that people will be sceptical.

He took 2 rides in Poland on Sunday, didn't score in either and was said to have withdrawn from the meeting just before the postponement was announced.

Is the re-arranged Torun fixture tonight? It's reported on Reading's website to be Wednesday with Zagar missing from the Coventry meeting & being replaced by Ben Barker.

Will be interesting if this meeting does go ahead tonight & clashes with the Swedish league meetings.

[admin]

I thought Wroclaw versus Zielona Gora was tomorrow night and Torun versus Czestochowa tonight. But, of course, it is more than likely that I'm wrong and that it is tomorrow.

[Deleted]

Think the re-arranged meeting at Torun is Wednesday & the Wroclaw meeting is Thursday Sube. Maybe your age is catching up with you.

If the Wroclaw meeting is Thursday it's a good job P'boro don't have a home meeting this week, they'd have been screwed.

[admin]

I'll just have to nominate myself as (stupid) flapperjack of the week, I guess. But I'm not arrogant enough to believe I've got much chance of winning, especially when I'm up against such titans as the golem Olsen and Mike Smillie.

[Deleted]

No Matej in Sweden tonight either.

If he is ill and misses Poland tomorrow at least we get r/r facility for him. Wouldn't expect to see him at Arena on Friday either if that's the case.

[admin]

Looks like there are doubts about Nicholls and Schlein for the Bees as well.

[Deleted]

Would even things up a bit more. Not wishing illness or injury on any rider, but Coventry do seem to of had the rub of the green with their timing of away meetings where the home side have been depleted for one reason or another.

[Deleted]

So then, BSPA have slapped a £500 fine on Matej after speaking to PZM and realising that Reading re-arranged their fixture last night 3 days before Torun did, and that Matej should have honoured his Racers commitment - hence the r/r facility being granted.

I hope this doesn't lead to a 28 day ban for Matej as well as it'll penalise the club far more than it will the rider.

Shame Danny Bird didn't ask Matej to provide a specimin sample on his behalf when Sport UK were in town, seems with all the piss taking Matej is doing at the moment he has plenty spare to share around.

[admin]

I think a lot of those who still believe in Zagar are waiting for Friday to make a final judgement on the fellow. I suspect he'll have few friends left in the Reading area if he fails to show at Arena Essex to face Lakeside.

[Deleted]

Thing is Matej is a talented and bloody good rider, his down fall is that he fully believes his own hype.

[Deleted]

wacks said:

Shame Danny Bird didn't ask Matej to provide a specimin sample on his behalf when Sport UK were in town, seems with all the piss taking Matej is doing at the moment he has plenty spare to share around.

;D Subtle.

Earlier in the season I read a thread on the Reading forum explaining why Matej had failed to turn-up for a previous meeting. The jist of it was that he was in Italy with about £15 in his pocket and he actually couldn't afford to get to Britain.

I had a great deal of sympathy for the guy at the time, and could see his reasoning, but since the takeover we have to assume he has more than £15 in his pocket now so no excuses this time!!

[admin]

kevh said:

Earlier in the season I read a thread on the Reading forum explaining why Matej had failed to turn-up for a previous meeting. The jist of it was that he was in Italy with about £15 in his pocket and he actually couldn't afford to get to Britain.

I believe that was Simota and not Zagar.
The jist of the complaint was that Simota was heavily criticised by Jim Lynch, while Zagar and Hancock were allowed to get away with such things.

[Deleted]

wacks said:

I hope this doesn't lead to a 28 day ban for Matej as well as it'll penalise the club far more than it will the rider.

I think teams need to be dissuaded from signing such riders, so by imposing bans they might just make them think twice about employing them again.

[Deleted]

admin said:

kevh said:

Earlier in the season I read a thread on the Reading forum explaining why Matej had failed to turn-up for a previous meeting. The jist of it was that he was in Italy with about £15 in his pocket and he actually couldn't afford to get to Britain.

I believe that was Simota and not Zagar.
The jist of the complaint was that Simota was heavily criticised by Jim Lynch, while Zagar and Hancock were allowed to get away with such things.

In that case I stand corrected.