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Not enough quality riders available of a comparable ability to run two leagues without doubling up. It’s just the math of the situation.

If your idea of doubling up was adopted then five or six clubs would close as there would be insufficient riders of competitive compatibility available. However, you could dumb down the sport and have 5 riders per team or even allow a mix of established & NDL level riders to feature in the same meeting. Whichever alternative you choose the competitive element would be reduced & just accelerate the decline of quality speedway in the UK.

100% Emil had an impact... In his first season.. However, like anytime a rider absent for several years comes back, eg Tai, after a while, the novelty simply wears off.... The sport crucified itself over here in two specific areas when pretty much all the big names rode in the UK.. Financially, by pretty much giving them all the TV money... And, running many, many, guestfest meetings, due to these lads missing, down to their ever growing, individual commitments... Which, ultimately went a long way to destroying the credibility of what was on offer, which then, naturally, disillusioned thousands of fans who still haven't come back, but still follow the sport....

Field is completed by Pollestad Hubert Jablonski

The Brady/Dan partnership is something that doesn’t come along very often, not unless you attract a couple of off the peg superstars by waving a cheque book. Dan has come through the ranks at the club and to see Brady go from the 7.50 bunch to one point off being world champion has been phenomenal. I can understand The Aces keeping them together whilst they can but it’s inevitable that one of them will join our No1 club and line up at the top of another of our competitors. The issue with releasing one to raise funds to promote the club is all well and good but it’s this insular thinking that holds the sport back. We need to be thinking nationally on this topic and not just club to club. Should Brady move on then it releases no money nationally as the burden falls on another club in our collective and probably at an increase cost. Think us not me. When air fences came out clubs ran individual meetings to help pay for the initial cost, maybe something along those lines could be done to fund a national advertising pot?

Hi TWK. There is a lot of nostalgia speedway stuff on Facebook. There are many forums you can join. From a personal point of view, I find them a bit depressing, as it lets you know what we have lost over the years. 😔

The season Emil came over he certainly brought that, it was noted by promoters that everyone had their biggest crowds that season on his visits, people turned up to see him for sure. I think that probably subsided a bit over year 2 & 3 though, hard to say really how to make that draw more sustainable with the quantity of teams and top riders we now have riding here. “back in the good old days” when you had a much bigger league and only rode home and away once against everyone and some ko cup matches people would want to be there for the one chance too see say Jason crump visit Foxhall with belle vue, I love watching bewley and Kurtz visit the heath but last season they visited 4 times which reduces that excitement to get to see them for less die hard fans. so in a way I agree with the one top star per team to be the target but I think ultimately the goal should be to have say 10-12 teams with that one top star and drive that draw of “this is your chance to see “top rider X” at your home track this season” but that just seems to so far away from reality with the current state of affairs in uk speedway doesn’t it

Instead of doubling up and down why not double the fixtures instead like we used to have. a meaningful league with promotion and relegation settled via play offs while the team who tops the league are crowned champions would mean every meeting meaningful.

In a word, no! 99% of the population would not know the name of or recognise any speedway rider if they stood at a bus stop. This is why I have previously said that if British speedway were brave enough organise an affordable sport structure without trying to retain certain riders as a top priority, the current so called stars will not be missed in a few years time. Being blunt, get rid of doubling up. If riders can’t afford to stay in the sport, go part time or quit. Targeted new followers of the sport (which are vital) will not give a damn, so long as racing is competitive and their own new hero’s will emerge. Common business strategy I would have thought.

Agree but the NDL got stronger so no options for riders should be for unattached riders some teams at the moment haven't got a full team

I was at Wembley in 1975, as a 19 year old, first speedway meet I ever attended, a friend of mine worked at a local rubber factory and a lady who worked with him was a Newport supporter and Phil Crump fan, she had organised a bus to Wembley and myself and 4 mates went, we got searched by the police in Trafalgar square after they hauled us down from climbing on the lions ! They spotted the leather jackets and got us to turn our pockets out, first time I ever heard the term "IC2 males" my friend Nicky had 2 screwdrivers, a penknife and a couple of spanners, the copper asked why he had these, he replied "I have a Triumph" the copper understood and let us on our way, great times , Phil Crump finished 6th

There for both as well ( Gordon Kennett should have won one if not for dirty Olsen) happy days and such events. Went on a coach with about 20 of us from the motorcycle club I was with for riding moto cross, different times unfortunately.

Good point about the police initiative. Are there any tracks that participate in these schemes? I guess it would have to be a track like Leicester or Scunthorpe where there's more or less continuous access. Running schemes like these ould be a good way of encouraging a positive view of the sport by local councils. I don't think the visits to schools would be to encourage participation, except as spectators. Again, can the sport offer something to schools? I think Zach Cook was on one of the school visits at Poole. Could he talk to them about life in Australia as part of a Geography lesson, could someone from the club talk about the track and the sport as part of local history? A stats based sport should have some relevance to Maths lessons.

If they are looking to attract new fans to Speedway to make it a success, would Woffinden make much difference to crowds?

Not arguing about all of that, he puts bikes ( and tin cans) on the telly not so sure he promotes any motorcycle sports much ?, mostly just promotes himself and his programmes/merchandise , fortunately most viewers are too dim to realise it is just another branch of "reality TV" and as I said, if I had anything to do with Oxford speedway, as his local club, I would try to get a tie-up with him promotion wise, his dedicated disciples, and there are a lot of them, might be tempted to give speedway a viewing ?

No recognised no 1 for Northampton and Tai mentioned specifically in this weeks Star

While he is a Numpty in your eyes .He certainly promotes Motorcycle Sports more than anyone.

After a disappointing finish in today's Gold Cup, maybe Harry's horse 'The Jukebox Man' could be Northampton's new number 1.

100%... The Aces are a perfect example where money could be saved and reinvested in price... My old company had a name for it... "Save to Invest"... Basically remove all non profit making sections of the business, and then use that money to lower the price points of products..... The Aces have two genuine world class riders, if neither were there, crowds "may" dip, but certainly not by much, if the standard was around tier two level... If one of the world class riders was there, crowds, would, I suggest, be the same as if both were... No rider has an "aura" like yesteryear where world class talent turning up was an "event", hence several hundred extra would rock up to watch... Therefore, one world class rider per team should be the target, (if they want to maintain the current level) (Which clearly isn't working, but I digress)... Two HL's, two SS"s, and two reserves being the set up of each team... That would free up several hundred thousand across the top league to invest in promoting the clubs and sport...

White City used rider replacement all season in 1978 I believe

Yep... 1977... What a season... I went to every home match and quite a few away... But we did have Gordon Kennett riding to a 10 point average... And the likes of Marek Cieslak, Kai Niemi, Steve Weatherley and Trevor Geer all maintaining a 6 or 7 point average... So a really solid team backed up by riders like Mike Sampson and Paul Gachet more than holding their own at no.7... Try putting a team like that together now...!!! Good luck...

I hope the weather forecast improves.

Exactly and that's a major reason why the sport in the UK is shrinking.

I can see where you ate coming from but saying they can't afford to make it less just means they ultimately get less - eg £0