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  1. A familiar tale: 1. Speedway fans demand clear rule 2. SCB produce clear rule 3. SCB correctly apply regulation 4. Speedway fans winge 🫣
    32 points
  2. Would just like to say that the 3rd person that is mentioned took themself to hospital after the meeting. All ok and released soon after. New trousers required, for the rips off the wheel, not what you’re all thinking 😂. Would also like to say a big thank you to Jo(Redcar) and a young lady from Glasgow for attending to the unfortunate gentleman who got hurt. They both gave excellent attention until the paramedics got there & helping the paramedics also. Also well done to all Redcar staff for clearing the area, cordoning off & generally doing what was required. Certainly shook me up seeing it happen, 🤞all is good for everyone.
    23 points
  3. It is a moment all Panthers and Speedway supporters should take great pride in. We’re not there yet, but a foot is in the door.
    20 points
  4. It wasn't a "televised fixture" though was it? It was streamed by a streaming service that pretty much only Speedway fans know about... Non Speedway fans watching would be as rare as hens teeth... A crap meeting, or a great meeting, neither would "destroy" or "save" Speedway, as only Speedway fans, who will have seen thousands of gate and go races at their own tracks, or on TV, will be watching... Poole won, (again), and that seems to be the main problem for many non Poole followers... However. Their fans went home happy, so their promotion did their jobs well... It is their business to run how they see fit to bring the punters in... And, given their crowd numbers appear as good as any in the country, they seem to do it pretty well..
    16 points
  5. As gutted as I am to see the Lions lose I think that a Witches victory is probably the best for British Speedway, first of all that size crowd doesn't deserve to be sent home unhappy and hopefully many will return. Ippo have been the team to beat for the last 3 seasons, they took the financial gamble in bringing Emil back 3 years ago to partner Doyley and we've all benefited from that, they've worked the rulebook to within an inch of its life this year (and fair play to them for that) and they've got a true local legend captaining the club which is rare to see these days (even though he comes in for a bit of stick from certain quarters) Well done Witches, well deserved and earned... our final was the semi final again (we've got to stop celebrating semi final victories like that!)... it's our turn next year
    15 points
  6. Just back from a week’s holiday in Rhodes and on the second day I was wearing my Dan Bewley Wroclaw shirt around the pool. Later that evening while at the bar, someone appeared behind me and asked if I was Polish or English as he had seen me wearing the shirt. I replied English and he introduced himself as Andreas Bergstrom. We chatted briefly for ten minutes before I had to go. A few evenings later I saw him again and this time we spent the evening sinking plenty of whiskey and rum and putting the speedway world to rights! A top fella with a lovely family. Couldn’t speak highly enough about Berwick, the club and its supporters (less complimentary about a certain person who was at the club when he rode though!) His stories were brilliant, funny, eye opening and his opinion on a certain Swedish ex-World Champion was surprising! 😉 His thoughts on speedway’s current crop were also very interesting, and his love for Bomber Harris oozed out of him. His fears for the future of both Swedish and British speedway echo many of our own, as do his ideas of how to promote the sport and turn it round. But as he said himself, there are too many people in positions of power who don’t want wholesale change for the better due to their own business interests. He currently runs his own industrial firm which is extremely busy but hopes to get some time off to come to watch the GP in the UK next year when hopefully we can meet up again. The only downside meeting him was that I’m still in the doghouse with the missus for chatting to him all night at the bar rather than spending it with her and our daughter! 🤣
    13 points
  7. Neil Middleditch, Matt Ford, Danny Ford, Gary Havelock, Captain Pugwash, Captain Jack Sparrow, Chris Foster, Thomas Hardy, Richard Lawson, Kristen Scott Thomas, Alan Carr, Zach Cook, Forever Blue, John le Carre', Anders Rowe, Billy Bragg, Lewis Kerr, Sir Walter Raleigh, LBW, Tobias Thomson, PJ Harvey, Pirates of Poole, Will Cairns, Kate Aide, Shovlar, Paul Starke, Lisa Collette, Harry Redknapp, Martin Clunes, The 2nd bend NIDS your boys just took one hell of a beating!
    13 points
  8. Well that was dire to watch. Scorpions may have come bottom of the league, but we have some great racing week in week out.To have a track that is wide with so many racing lines, is a massive plus for passing and entertainment. I'm not saying I like seeing us bottom of the league, on the contrary, but I go to watch to see good racing and feel I've had value for money.
    13 points
  9. I'll play devil's advocate As you and your team have no interest in being a part of it what the f@c£ has your opinion got to do with it
    12 points
  10. Even though Warner/Discovery/TNT are bigger than all the competition! Personally I'm not sure that full, live speedway meetings on any channel - mainstream or others - is the way to go in order to attract more people to actually attend meetings? A Well-produced highlights package once a week, including a regular 'where-to-watch next week' slot would surely generate more interest.
    12 points
  11. Crazy isn't it that all these repeat fixtures happen at the end of the season, BSN should have been done and dusted at the end of spring, the KO Cup mid Summer and Pay Offs now.
    12 points
  12. The notion Ipswich aren’t a family club is just flagrant trolling - fwiw belle vue are a similarly run club imo showing loyalty over countless years. Really can’t understand your constant derisive rhetoric towards the witches. Now being run by a second generation of the Louis family, both of whom were succesful riders and promoters over many decades. Captained by a rider who first rode for us as a 16 year old 21 years ago. Managed by a former captain of many years. Led from the front by world class riders in Emil and Doyle - Doyley being quoted as saying he’d happily see out his British career at the club. Ellis a returning rider who first rode at reserve as a teenager, Dan Thompson career revived when at a crossroads being dumped by Leicester, rew returning to help us win the trophy with Hawkins describing him in the meeting preview as “his first choice as soon as Adam was out, he’s our rider” Ipswich our as much a family as any club Now more than ever the speedway community needs to pull together and cohesively push towards a sustainable future for British speedway where we’re retaining clubs and even hopefully seeing past clubs re open or even new ventures come to fruition like Workington have in the last couple of years. I took my aged 9 t shirt with me Thursday as a good luck charm, signed by all 6 riders of the 98 team of 27 years ago on the track in the wild celebrations that night we won it all, it was a great talking piece with other fans around me reminiscing of that night sharing stories and remembering dad having to hoist me up over the fence so Tony rickardsson could reach to sign it for me! It’s certainly felt like a family club to me over the 36 years I’ve been going and others far longer, I’m a third generation fan with my grandfather even helping dig it out when it was originally built.
    12 points
  13. Who are these Northampton fans that would go to Leicester or even Oxford ? They don’t exist, what’s the point of having a new team that doesn’t have any fans or a track or any history of fans that would still be alive, inventing a team and expecting fans that don’t exist to attend a track miles away from the town it’s supposed to represent is stuff of the matrix
    11 points
  14. Just got back. Well done to Redcar no complaints from the Poole fans. Such very very fine margins. If poor Tobias had made it over the line Pirates would have been celebrating the treble. Just one of those nights but I feel the team were complacent. Special mention for Jody Scott who put it all out there, an inch from the fence. Certainly a rider on an upward trajectory. Redcar got a very warm reception from all the Poole fans when they went over to their fans after heat 14. Poole fans really are the best out there.
    11 points
  15. The anti-Poole rhetoric on here is as predictable as it is disappointing. The Poole management put together a team, and a track, designed to provide their loyal supporters with a winning team, but not just at home but away. I first went to Poole maybe 25 years ago and thought the racing was largely processional then but realised that, as long as it was Poole riders leading the procession, then the home support was happy. Matt Ford has a winning mentality and that shows through with both team and business success. His only year of losses was when he was forced to run on Thursdays and he found the resolution to that. He has proved he is not afraid to run in the top league. And often win it, so the decision to drop a league was sensible not cowardly. For too long, British speedway has supported the weakest teams and where has that got us? Dwindling crowds, fewer tracks and increased prices. The sport needs more teams like Poole who will improve the product not keep reducing what’s on offer. Which brings us to Glasgow, the only other team in the league who sees the sport from a business perspective. Their route has been to improve the customer experience by investing in the stadium, the team, the track. They must have the lowest average age of supporter though there’s still plenty of room for the long term fan. With the number of children attending, I’d guess the average age is closer to 40 rather than 60+ at many tracks. And that approach is paying off with the team consistently towards the top in performance. And, in my view, if you had to rank what is important to a regular supporter, then performance beats racing. I don’t support those that say they only want to see good racing - not if it means your team is regularly beaten you don’t! You only need to look at the crowd levels this year at tracks perceived as providing good racing but who’ve regularly lost at home. From a neutral’s perspective, these are the two teams that deserve to be admired, maybe even envied rather than being attacked. Both provide a product their supporters want and both see dividends through the turnstiles. If only there were more like them
    11 points
  16. There was a match presented to the paying public last week at Leicester. It was a double header Leicester vs Belle Vue in the NDL followed by Leicester vs Kent in the NDT. In the first match Leicester tracked 2 guests and R/R, Belle Vue 1 guest and R/R In the second match Leicester tracked 5 guests 1 of which didn't start and Kent R/R In the second match Leicester tracked 3 riders who were riding for Belle Vue in the first match. In the second match Kent tracked 1 rider who was riding for Belle Vue in the first match. The 2nd match was scheduled to start at 20:30 but didn't start until after 21:00 and the 2nd match was abandoned after heat 14 due to the curfew. I was toying with the idea of attending this as my last match of the season as it's a long close season. I asked Leicester Speedway a simple question on TwitterX of how much the admission price was only to get no reply... so I didn't bother. Everything that is wrong with British Speedway encapsulated in 1 night! And the powers that be are proposing business as usual as the cure... the sport is finished!
    10 points
  17. British Speedway has two options. A) make sure it is the one other league that riders choose or B ) strike out on its own. Remove the fixed race day and rebuild its own product. Short term the big names will stay in Poland but if we focus on developing our own riders in the long term we won’t be as reliant on Poland propping the sport up as it apparently (according to Poland) does right now. The bubble could always burst in Poland. It did here after all. It is in our best interests to have our own sustainable model here in the event of that happening.
    10 points
  18. Let's take one of the best ran clubs and make them completely change their operating model and business plan, and make them follow an operating model and business plan that has shown it clearly isn't fit for purpose, nor sustainable... What a great idea....
    10 points
  19. You won the double had a chance of a treble, but you Poole fans want a big shake up. I really can't work out what more do you guys want from the riders? They gave it their all. It's sport, sometimes you lose and in most cases you won.
    10 points
  20. The best deal is the one that gets the sport to the largest number of non speedway fans. But how to achieve this? My opinion is that the sport is not suitable for live TV but ideal for a hour long, prepack, magazine type programme. You focus on the best races from a couple of meetings with additional races that are talking points from the previous week. In a 52 minute programme (plus 8 minutes of ad brakes which is the maximum allowed) as the spot ruling will not be applied to speedway due to viewing figures you should be able to cover this. I would get BSN to prepare it and offer it prepacked to Channel 4 or 5. Being on a FTA channel but as highlights will not impact on people attending a live meeting as much as the present deal does. And you stand a chance of attracting new fans as its not behind a paywall. The key is to get a broadcast (TV) partner as a streaming service only engages existing speedway fans.
    10 points
  21. The only thing Neil cares about is winning. He doesn't care about passing or pleasing the neutrals. He's had this mentality for years and its the reason why his teams are always so successful. I don't think Neil or any Poole fans would swap any of those trophies for better racing. I certainly wouldn't. Poole have an elite winning mentality and quite frankly they laugh at everyone moaning about the track, they do not care one bit.
    10 points
  22. Hope there is drug testing tonight, Cairns said Poole's one of the best tracks in England on the track walk
    10 points
  23. According to one promoter... "The No 1's".... Who all then pretty much effed off to Poland and Sweden as soon as the UK gravy train ended for them.. Personally I wasnt ever convinced bringing "the top stars" back a few years ago was going to be a "Golden Ticket" given the fact that when pretty much every single top rider (maybe apart from Tomaz Gollob), rode over here week in, week out, during the "Sky years", the crowds didn't grow, in fact, they kept declining overall... Which suggested the "top names" were not deal breakers as to whether fans were attending or not... Plymouth is a perfect example of where "the cast of the production" hasn't changed, yet the number of people now watching them has increased considerably, just by changing their "opening hours", which are now obviously more aligned to people's leisure time...
    9 points
  24. Is this goodbye to Abi? There’s always a silver lining.
    9 points
  25. Have you ever been to Buxton ?, if you have you will know it is basic and in a very beutiful part of the world, no worries about development out where they are unless you want to develop a new breed of sheep, as for being viable I think it will be providing the NDL stays as it has been for the past few years, which is primarily a development league, it was only when teams such as Cradley, Birmingham, Eastbourne used the National league as a competitive league and paid much more than the old £10 per point and mileage that forced teams such as Buxton to have to pay over the odds to entice any rider that had above average ability, prior to that Buxton was a very good nursery for young riders and Buxton generally more than held there own when silverware was up for grabs. If you have never been to Buxton I suggest you take a drive out you may be pleasantly surprised, I have NO doubts Buxton will last the season.
    9 points
  26. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the announcement, I have great memories of that place and missed it dearly. As soon as I saw they were coming back I got in touch to see if I could help them in any way - to which they accepted! I know the name isn't everyone's cup of tea but I'm the guy who designed their new bull logo (see below) I can't wait til tapes up now - I'll be there!
    9 points
  27. Doesn't matter who wins Redcar, Glasgow or Re-run the whole thing. The most important thing is those who have that been injured are ok and make a full recovery
    9 points
  28. Wow you do talk crap Go and look at the 4 fixtures between the 2 sides Your reserves 45 points and Glasgow’s 14 Yoir reserves are miles better than Glasgow …. You really do spout absolute tripe
    9 points
  29. What a night and what a crowd Leicester are a good side and Fricke was exceptional Dickson is a great manager and he showed great respect to us as a crowd applauding us and chatting …. Thought he was a bit harsh saying ‘his reserves’ as Joe sadly is out of his depth didn’t score a point in the semi or the final …. The rage Dickson had for Kemp was apparent and he did well to hold it in I felt… don’t think Kemp will ride for him again He should be Team GB manager instead of that whinging Stead Good final unlucky Leicester you are a great club with a good bunch of fans and I wish you more success But for now …. Up the Witches
    9 points
  30. Quitter Kemp a disgrace to the club! Get him out!
    9 points
  31. If people think Covid is fake they really are utter numpties. These people really do walk amongst us. Luckily I am up to date in all my flu/covid jabs so the virus isn’t too bad for me and I am on the finishing straight back to health. But it’s very unpleasant and `I have had three solid days where it’s been quite bad. Not as bad as flu which can take you down for 2-3 weeks. Everyone should get fully vaccinated for themselves and their families. Anyway back on topic and Up The Pirates! Let’s beat those Bears and get our first trophy!
    9 points
  32. Where is the source of this concept coming from. Unless I am mistaken, The 2026 GP series will run pretty much in line with 2025 concept. Or put another way, your post is without foundation and is in fact utter garbage!
    8 points
  33. Thumbs up to the Comets management 😄 just been in town and the local electronic advertising board at bottom of Ramsey brow, main entrance into the town, has a message for all to see. Thank you to all supporters and sponsors for supporting us 2025 season
    8 points
  34. For me as a worky fan, very similar to Plymouth A good season is watching entertaining racing with the majority of home wins, if we get beat by a better team so be it 😄 Then if our team survives and runs the following season that is a success and hopefully the guys that run the speedway have broken even
    8 points
  35. So what? Only one team can win a title -- real success is having an entertaining team providing excitement for fans, getting enough bums on seats to pay the bills.
    8 points
  36. Why should Glasgow prop up the top league. The top league over the years have pocketed fortunes from the TV deals. Now because they haven't got a TV deal you expect 2nd division clubs to throw them a rope. I would tell them to get stuffed. The only reason the top league might only run with 5/4 teams is down to them. They stood by and watched Tolly skint himself last season and now you think other clubs should follow suit?. They made their bed. Let them lie in it.
    8 points
  37. The current business model is clearly unsustainable. Premiership club dies so a Championship club has to step up to keep the Premiership afloat. Rinse and repeat. This Groundhog Day can only repeat itself a finite number of times, before long there will be no teams left. It’s concerning the number of fans who think things should carry on this way, let alone that the people running the sport seem to agree.
    8 points
  38. With Phil Morris in charge of track prep, boats wouldn't be out of place...
    8 points
  39. 5 teams won’t work, surely they know this, at this rate by 2027 we will have the equivalent of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race
    8 points
  40. Poole fans leaving early 😂😂😂😂 An absolute rarity in speedway after watching your team just fall short of winning every trophy available. Plastic fans with an absolute embarrassment of a track.
    8 points
  41. Glasgow won the "Entertainment Championship"... Far more important in a pro sport to win that. Like winning the "fair play award" or "the most improved player" in football...
    8 points
  42. Whatever Workington race in next season I will support which choice they make even if it is the National league.
    8 points
  43. It's interesting that those who run Speedway as a "stand alone" business seem to do quite well each season... Generally much better than those who run it as an expensive hobby, or get it subsidised by stock cars... Maybe when it is your day to day income stream it focuses the mind more? A few more like Chris Louis and the sport would be in much better shape...
    8 points
  44. It could be the most average meeting you’ve ever seen, but a crowd and atmosphere like that just makes a world of difference doesn’t it. The gate receipts last night will have helped Louis no end and good on him. He could have built less expensive teams over the last few years and saved himself some cash but he’s used every bit of help from the sponsors to push the boat out and recruit the best team he could so he deserves that money spinner last night.
    8 points
  45. That’s a bit unfair, no matter what you think about Tatum he has served his time as a class speedway rider and just for that he deserves the fruits that the sport can offer him
    8 points
  46. 7 points
  47. FTG . Forever The Greatest ?😁.
    7 points
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