Rosco fuming at GP ref (From Swindon Advertiser)

Rosco fuming at GP ref

9:01am Tuesday 1st July 2008 in

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FOUR months ago, Alun Rossiter vowed to keep his cool with speedway referees, refusing to get drawn into slanging matches and treating them with more respect than he perhaps previously did.

And the Robins boss has stuck firmly to his word throughout the 2008 season - until now.

Rosco was furious with the performance of Polish official Marek Wojaczek at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff on Saturday night, which ultimately saw his Swindon captain Leigh Adams slip further behind in the race to be world champion.

Wojaczek made three massive blunders, excluding Adams and Bjarne Pedersen when they had been clipped by Nicki Pedersen, and refusing to penalise the same rider for touching the tapes earlier on in the meeting.

It left Rosco, pictured right, fuming at the "stupid" decisions, admitting: "The worst thing is, we shouldn't be talking about the referee. We should be saying what a fantastic Grand Prix it was.

"He spoilt my weekend, Leigh's weekend and a lot of other people's weekends in the process.

"It was quite clear on the re-run of the video that Nicki Pedersen touched the tapes in one heat and the rules are quite clear - he should have been excluded.

"Then there was Leigh's decision, and Bjarne Pedersen's decision. You have to be either thick skinned or just stupid to come up with decisions like that.

"They were both clear in first and Nicki caught their back wheels. So to see that and then exclude both the guys in front absolutely beggars belief.

"People are saying it should have been all four back, but no - Nicki should have been out."

Amazingly, current leader and World No 1 Nicki Pedersen got all the good fortune from Wojaczek's decisions.

And Rosco had a few stark words of advice for the Dane, claiming: "Nicki needs to change his way of what he's doing.

"He knew he wasn't going to go round Leigh so he thought he would just try his luck.

"In football terms I would call it a professional foul and there was a hell of a lot of gamesmanship involved.

"He's gone down light and just sat there, and how on earth the referee has made his decision is beyond me."

Wojaczek is in line to officiate at the Grand Prix season's big finale in Germany in October, but Rossiter believes there is too much at stake to let him take charge.

"He (Wojaczek) is experienced and has been around a while, but it's time for someone else now.

"There's enough international referees who are good enough to step up to the plate. The likes of Krister Gardell, of Sweden, or Tony Steele could easily do it.

"Germany is the sort of meeting where there is big pressure, big money and lots of things going on. The world title could come down to that one meeting.

"So you can't take a chance with a guy who's made decisions like that."