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I like going to the pub and I like going to the speedway. Both of these pastimes have been in serious decline over the past few years and people have stopped going to both in droves. Some of the reasons can be found in both of these pastimes. It's hard to tempt people out of their houses and pay money for beer when they think it's overpriced and the same can apply to speedway. The pubs that just do the same thing that clearly doesn't work time and time again, and just throw their doors open expecting the public to flood in are the one's that die. This is what speedway 'promoters', by and large, tend to do. They offer a product which does not represent value for money and do nothing to keep the fans they have got, never mind attract new ones. Some pubs are thriving because they offer what the customer in their community wants. Some offer live entertainment, some offer food, some offer karaoke nights. My local offers a warm welcome, a nice pint and friendly people and it's busy most nights. The landlord drives around in a Mercedes and has a holiday home in Florida. It works where I live but wouldn't work elsewhere and the promoters have to work hard at getting their product right for the audience they want to keep and attract. To do this they need a product. The product they are offering is potentially one of the most exciting sports in the world and surely, this must be a good starting point. However, what they provide is an overpriced chaotic shambles of a sport with no direction, no identity and no credibility. They need to get back to basics. Offer a full and attractive fixture list with a team of riders that ride for one club. Not the current situation where any seven riders who pull on a race jacket is called a team. It isn't. People will moan on about the 'not enough riders to go round' myth. There are enough riders, they are just riding at the wrong level. Grand Prix riders should not be riding in the second tier, half the third tier riders should be at Championship level and the poor kids stuck in the Development League should be in the National League. If they must charge £17 to get in, at least give the fans £17 worth of entertainment. Unfortunately, 15 races of 55 seconds interspersed with 50 minutes of track grading does not justify parting with £17 in cash. The continual fixture list farce demonstrates absolutely the reasons why the promoters should not be allowed to run things for themselves. I am sure they are all successful businessmen and women in their own right but they have no idea how to work collectively for the benefit of the sport. It is all about vested interests and stabbing each other in the back. I cannot think of any other sport where the owners of the clubs run things themselves. It needs someone with authority and respect to run the sport. There needs to be some way of cutting down on the rained off meetings. Is it any wonder there is hardly any travelling support when riders refuse to turn out if someone spills so much as a cup of tea on the track. I know that if it's tipping it down at start time then there will be little chance of racing but some way of covering tracks cannot beyond the capabilities of the human race. It is also about time we stopped penalising success and rewarding failure. We go on about the lack of riders yet Joe Jacobs, who made massive progress with Belle Vue a couple of seasons ago can't get a team place the following year because his average is too high, whilst another rider who under achieved and threw tantrums was rewarded with two team places the following season because his average fitted!! Finally, the riders have got to come to their senses. If you want to be a full-time rider and are either rich or riding in Poland in front of 15,000 fans, then fair enough and good luck to you. If you are second string in the 'Championship' riding in front of 500 people, surely you cannot expect to be full-time. Look back at the Peter Oakes' Who's Who book in 1974 and the vast majority of the riders had jobs. Now, for some reason, all the riders seem to feel that they are entitled to be full-time, thereby expecting the wages that would enable them to sustain that lifestyle. It cannot continue on current crowd levels. However, having wasted half an hour of my life typing this, I expect that the 2019 season will result in three small leagues, riders riding for multiple clubs, more riders being frozen out of the sport, fixture chaos, declining crowds, arguing promoters and more tractor racing. I'm off to the pub.

Own up. Who lost the notebook with the guaranteed race winning bike setups?

BT have just released a photo of the ref speaking to Dale Allitt at the time. ”No, no, I saw it clearly Allitt, Jakobsen never touched him”.

RE THE FOUR OPTIONS OFFERED ON THE WORKINGTON SPEEDWAY WEBSITE....... ....following Saturdays washout I see the Comets Management have listed 4 ways of using our Double-header tickets........ Well I'm going to take... OPTION 5.....that is to pay for each meeting I attend and hope it helps keep the Comets afloat for a while longer. (yep silly old git eh)....

Luck and injuries aside, it's speedway and things like that happen I guess. It's the Morris bit that gets me. A rule that's probably been in place and followed for I don't know 10 or 20 years maybe can be ignored once for 1 team in the most important meeting of the year is just wrong.. and should not of been allowed to happen... Lynn v Poole...The Pirates have 1 rider out and are allowed Morris 6.91 for Kurtz 6.75. Lynn v Somerset cup final....Rebels have 4 riders out . They use C. Wright for BWD at home, but can't use him in the 2nd leg because he don't fit.. BWD 5.22 and Wright 5.27.. I know 2 wrongs don't make a right, but what a shower of rubbish the powers that be are..

"Finally, the riders have got to come to their senses. If you want to be a full-time rider and are either rich or riding in Poland in front of 15,000 fans, then fair enough and good luck to you. If you are second string in the 'Championship' riding in front of 500 people, surely you cannot expect to be full-time. Look back at the Peter Oakes' Who's Who book in 1974 and the vast majority of the riders had jobs. Now, for some reason, all the riders seem to feel that they are entitled to be full-time, thereby expecting the wages that would enable them to sustain that lifestyle. It cannot continue on current crowd levels." THIS

It's totally indicative of the lunacy that pervades British Speedway that people are on here arguing that it's sensible, and helps the sport be taken 'more seriously', if Peterborough are forced to use a rider that is totally unconnected to them as a guest, rather than their own rider. At least we know that it's not just the people running the sport in the UK that are absolute nutters.

Dont know that objecting to Ostergard is a good idea ..Peterborough could end up with a guest that is better than him..?

The product is more than names. It is, or should be, four closesly fought laps of racing by riders familiar and liked by their fans. Myself, i had Steve wilcock, Martin Dixon, etc etc I didn't feel shortchanged because i wasn't watching Mauger, Ashby, etc. I saw very good racing. That's the product.

Really feel for you with injuries sustained ..maybe if our fixtures weren’t screwed up mid season we all wouldn’t have been trying to cram all the main meetings in , in the last few days . Thanks for your best wishes I really hope we get some silverware for the guys who have fought tooth and nail to get us there , but hey .. the 3 teams they tried to screw over where 3 in the top 4 now that’s karma for ya

Hallelujah this tie is finally over

A more than familiar comment when a team finishing top does not go on to win or even make the final. if Peterborough had to race the league match at Arena rather than Rye House, then they would most certainly not have got four points and if Workington had managed to get all their home meetings in on time etc - it may well have been Worky top of the table. 'If' - little word, large implications!

The averages are clearly shown on the BSPA website. No matter how you choose to wrap it up - Morris was an ineligible guest at KL. It doesn’t matter who agreed to what - it wasn’t allowed according to the rules. The same way that Somerset couldn’t sign Harris because his average was 0.01 over - the rules don’t allow it!

As we all know rules are made up, altered, ignored or adhered to, depending on what agenda BSPA/SCB have at the time.

Be even more excitement when neither of the finalists are running next season!

I think it will be down to the reserves......if one team's reserves can overhaul the other's second strings....then it's job done! I have to side with Mildenhall because imo they deserve to be champions this season. But Eastbourne have a great history and can make a case for adding the title to their name. Wish it was being screened because it 's certain to be better than some of the sh#te BT have shown this season!

Correct. You can't run a 'professional' sport and even entertain the notion of it ever being acceptable for a rider that represents another club in the same league to suddenly switch sides for the night. The fact that the sport runs successfully, and has a reasonably sized audience, in other countries without such lunatic asylum rules being in place also suggests they're totally unnecessary.

Jeez..... Can ANY of the "promoters" in speedway 2018 behave like grown ups ? They remind me of a bunch of schoolboys arguing over a game of conkers . Quite honestly given the schoolboy behaviour I would like to see P' Boro drop Ostergard and be allowed special dispensation to ride Chris Harris at number 1 forthe Panthers ... after all Bomber has already won the KO Cup and P.Offs in the premiership for Poole and Somerset

I agree. Simply state in the rules that the cut off date is the 31st August for the play off and the league positions at that date stand irrespective of the number of fixtures completed/still to complete. Start the season in April and clubs have five months to complete one home and one away league meeting. Outside those league meetings you can have regional cup (North/South preliminaries and the top of each division meet in a final October to crown regional champions). Those who do not qualify for league play off are put into a shoot out cup meeting. One meeting no home and away. Any team that has a eight point advantage is handicapped in the next race with the highest scoring participant going off 15 metres. It is simply a knockout and the winner goes to the next round and the losers lick their wounds. No second chance. I digress with the above knowing that no one listens but so many on this forum have come up with so many good ideas to make the sport more entertaining with ways to attract new punters etc. yet the collective powers that be think they know what the customer wants. How wrong they are and if by leaving things as they are with no radical changes you believe it’s OK, check your gate receipts next season and let everyone know the percentage fall year on year. With that fall what will you do? Rather than make the product more attractive, you will probably try and reduce the number of meetings further to match the drop in income. No wonder some are on the brink of closure. The BSPA do not deserve the free pool of ideas that are put forward by loyal supporters on here whose loyalty is being tested to breaking point.

Been mentioned on twitter there is a lot of talk about Ulrich riding after being sick on Sunday, Normally this would mean you can't ride for seven days but apparently this didn't count as the meeting was abandoned, however that rule did not apply to Richard Lawson earlier in the season when he missed a meeting which was also abandoned and was subsequently banned from riding for seven days. Where is the consistency?

You've obviously considered it to write the comment and to decide you could be tempted, so not quite zero interest. That's who the promoters need to target, those who could be tempted. You could quickly glean who they are by talking to people at shows and in shopping malls etc.

Of course there is and it was within your post but overlooked with the unnecessary, usual, ‘idiot talking nonsense’ repetitive insults. We all have our tolerance level and breaking point (we’ve all been there on this forum) but you attack anyone that doesn’t agree with you. Your fellow poster, Waiheke1, posts very similar opinions and facts as you (and I for that matter). Makes the point, without the need to be so aggressive and rude.

Rocket007 - prior to this season we have always finished our fixtures. We have also in the past won the Trophy, league and KOC and been in the playoffs. We might not be successful on a regular basis but it is easy to be so when you have money behind you. With regards to Coventry, they were offered any Sunday in October after their original meeting was twice rained off but have yet to respond. I have also said that we would go to Coventry when a date was provided but again have had no notifications. We have had seven meetings rained off this year which is more than we have had in the last two years combined I think and this hasn't helped matters. Yes, we have had a good summer but if the weather isn't with you on raceday it is irrelevant what the other days are like. We are more exposed than most to the weather and in fact Sunday's meeting had sun. rain and fog all in the space of about four hours. Although we might not share the track with other disciplines we have work commitments which have to be met in order to pay the deficit that speedway occurs.

There really isnt anything to say about the debacle of the end of the season. Poole can only beat whats in front of them but have to be considered the most fortunate league winners of all time. To end up with only 3 of your original seven riders shows how farcical the sport has become. Credit to Matt Ford for making the changes but just shows those with the deepest pockets will always win. Firstly Poole had a massive benefit from the out of control Kurtz wrecking any chance Somerset had in the semi final. Somerset already down to 6 riders were now down to 5 and had to go with 3 riders in one race, yet it still took one amazing Chris Harris ride to scrape into the final. Then we see Kings Lynn 8 points down going into heat 12. Now its obvious that Jacobsen didnt deliberatly knock Palm Toft off. The fact remains that the wrong decision was made, everyone knows that..............oh hang on sorry Shovlar, Lisa and Starman dont...................and thats clearly what is wrong with Poole fans on here, unfortunately you have certain Poole fans that make your club hated. If the correct decision had of been made then yes Palm Toft would still have been injured but it was a momentum changer. Now the second leg.....................Poole now up against a side that had to replace its number two heat leader with another teams second string and also replace its free scoring reserve with someone not as good.............huge advantage to Poole and they scraped home again.....the luckiest winners in league history......................riding against 2 teams decimated by injuries and in 2 case in Holder and Palm Toft, caused by reckless Poole riders putting them out of the meetings. Now the Ellis/Morris situation Kings Lynn are quite within their rights to book the BEST guest available to them to ride at Poole. Now i agree it does make the sport look a bit silly that the same guest can ride for 2 different teams...............but its in the rules Kings Lynn done nothing wrong. Kings Lynn then stupidly allow Poole to break a rule and have a rider with to higher average to ride in the second leg. Why did Kings Lynn agree to this? No way should Nick Morris have ridden, the sport is on its knees and then the ruling body amend a rule to favour one side hugely!! What a farce that made the final. Imagine a newcomer to the sport......................both teams have riders missing so firstly the same rider was going to ride for one side in the first match and then the other side in the other match.......................that made the sport look a bit silly..................so instead in the second match one team is using an illegal rider.....but its ok because the people running the sport allow rules to be changed just for one match....oh and the team that used the illegal rider actually won the match. Our sport is on its knees and this play off fiasco has topped it all off for me. Poole did make the changes and did well to get third in the league but they only won the play offs because of other factors not because they were the best team Somerset having only 5 fit riders and having 3 riders in one race Kings Lynn replacing their number 2 with a second string Kings Lynn losing their potent reserve The sports governing body being so weak to allow Poole to field a rider they shouldnt have. The only reason there is pages and pages is because of the usual Poole trio going on and on saying its sour grapes and trying to shut everybody up all the time The real Poole fans on here although rightly enjoying being champions , know they were very very fortunate, rather than listening to someone like Shovlar actually saying he believed Palm Tofts exclusion was correct, the man is utterly clueless. Even in the championship the season is dragging on and on , less fixtures, a glorious summer and still we cant get the season done. 2018........the season that speedway league racing died in the UK

No doubt alot cheaper than a fine for not riding in a meeting they were told had to be restaged, the biggest cost they suffered was that the four riders who ended the season out injured three were not riding for them when they got injured and that hurt them hard at this time of the season.

Being top of the league gives you the added bonus of selecting, the team that 'you feel' will give you the easiest route to the next stage,,, doesn't always pan out like that tho.

i reckon 500 is a generous figure too, quite surprised by the size of the crowd given it was the last meeting, and a cup final too.

i think we have all seen danny phillips have a good meeting or two . he had a decent showing in one of the fours meeting @ p/borough one year and i think he had a decent meeting a few years back when he rode for newcastle . the lad tries.

Don't matter who proposed it, it shouldn't of been allowed to happen is my gripe. Not Lynn or Poole's fault it was allowed.. I believe Morris had an average of 6.91 at the time of the meeting. His average was due to drop below 6.75 after the season had finished. The season hadn't finished

Maybe they were there to stock up on candles as Xmas presents

...who have very recently colluded with other parties to break their own rules.

Still against the rules, whether clubs agree or not

This non event is now up to 37 pages, because of a blown light bulb. How i wish we'd got to ten heats on sunday.

You can't run a professional sport and allow those involved to pick and choose which rules they follow. If the rules aren't sensible and practical the answer is to change the rules.

He never has been unfortunately. If the decision when first asked had been No then I doubt it would have surprised anyone and not received any real backlash but having been told via email by the SCB that it was ok and then mid yesterday evening no it wasn’t is ridiculous and it put Peterborough in a then difficult position of trying to get a guest with very little if any notice. No doubt in the not too distant future we will have Cook saying that Lakeside are dissapointed that supporters are seemingly not supporting the Lakeside move to Rye House and the club is losing money hand over fist. It truly beggars belief that the sport in this country continues to shoot itself in the foot at every opportunity, but it can come as no real surprise to anyone as to why it’s in the state it currently finds itself.

Yes I fully agree ..... all I ever see stated by the " promoters management committee" is the old tripe " in the best interests of the sport" They are driving spectators away from the sport and from their continuing petty squabbling don't appear to give a tuppenny damn.

Does anybody really believe this agm is going to be anything other than the normal tinkering ? A statement will be issued saying it’s been the best ever but behind the scenes it’s just disagreements and spats, the public will be spoon fed snipits and the clubs will be forced to say how wonderful it all went even though it was chaos ,there are some genuine promotors out there who have some good ideas but they will just get shot down because it doesn’t fit in with the rule makers, I think if I was a promoter I would send a guest replacement to the agm as nobody will listen anyway

After the farce of allowing Morris to guest in the PL play offs in breach of the rules I was pleased to see that the BSPA abided by them in ordering the restaging of this meeting. Unfortunately, just to show how consistently inconsistent they are, they now allow Ostergaard to ride. If the sport is to be taken seriously it has to apply the rules consistently and fairly. If a rule is shown to be stupid or unworkable you change the rule, you don't make a decision which breaks that rule. In these particular cases the rules are sensible and should have been followed in all three cases.

Wonder who UO will be travelling with? as he got rid of his rental van last week before he went on the sick? Unless he is hiring an Austin Allegro for the day and strapping his bike on the back!!! Conspiracy theorists discuss!!! Regards THJ

Yes when your see images of old Rudges and Douglas they are certainly very different to modern lightweight machines which is one reason why it's very difficult to compare different eras in my view whereby different techniques and/or styles are required and on very different track surfaces.

The 4 valve concept was not a new idea, the 1930's ? Rudge engines had 4 valves. I wonder if the pre-war riders worried about the costs changing to the two valve J.A.P's

You can't cut the product even further. Reducing it hasnt worked and a lot of fans like seeing the best. Can't make it worse.

Scott, regrettably announced his season was finished, due to the injury, some time ago. That would include October. Why are you so interested when he booked his Hollibobs?

We are not liked due to our success, says Poole boss Ford 3 Sport 22nd October We are not liked due to our success, says Poole boss Matt Ford By Ned Payne nedpayne_echo VIEW: Pirates chief Matt Ford PIRATES boss Matt Ford believes the club is "not liked" outside of Dorset due to its bulging silverware cabinet. 3 comments Earlier this month, Poole secured their eighth top-flight league title in 16 seasons thanks to victory over King's Lynn in the SGB Premiership play-off final. Team boss Neil Middleditch has made a habit of jokingly welcoming new riders to what he terms as "the most hated club in Britain". And Ford told the Daily Echo: “I know we are not liked. I know myself and Neil are not liked but I think that to a degree it’s people who haven’t met us who don’t like us. “It’s part of being at a club when it’s successful. It’s the way it is. All I can do is build the club as we have done for the past 20 years. “From bringing in Mark Loram and Gary Havelock, securing the continued service of Lars Gunnestad and then going to another level with Magnus Zetterstrom and Tony Rickardsson. “Then it just flowed. Leigh Adams and Antonio Lindback joined, Jason Crump came, Chris Holder came, Darcy Ward came and Maciej Janowski came. “That’s the great part of the club – that we’ve never stopped trying to improve it." Well he's half right there, they are disliked but not for their success . Just the underhanded, rule abusing approach used to gain it

Isnt that a song by Tight Fit?

I would have fancied a trip to Arlington ....... nice little stadium.....plenty of parking space, good resonably priced cafe at the back of the pits area and a good track souvenir shop with a wide selection of speedway books Probably far too much grip on the track for both PBoro and LSide riders

More time to work out the handicaps? That doesn't take any time at all, it's already done at the conclusion of the previous races.. takes about 30 seconds.

No i agree it shouldn't have been allowed but it was KL who instigated it but Poole shouldn't have agreed to it, it is our fault to getting sucked in by Buster Chapman who desperately wanted Ellis for both legs when Poole had already booked him for the second leg.