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Sidney, you are missing the point, not for the first time in this thread. Nobody is saying that the speedway in the UK isn’t in big trouble or that King’s Lynn have made a good job of this. People keep asking WHY they have spread out the announcement of riders through to March and what the point is, and we are trying to explain why the club are doing it. Robin Brundle is doing this as a marketing/media strategy, it’s been thought through, not just done on a whim. For the benefit of people who don’t go on speedway forums every day through the winter and whose attention the club is trying to grab during the off season. They are trying something different. As Ive said I don’t think it’s been done particularly well and could have been carried out much better with a structure and without such big gaps between news as that has annoyed regular fans too. So hopefully they will do it better next year. But whether you agree with it or not it’s pretty clear WHY they have tried it this way and what the point is, and it’s frustrating that people keep asking the question. Mr Brundle is a different animal to Mr Chapman, one would like to think that he will listen to and act upon feedback on this matter and others too.

One of the problems I have with the long drawn out naming is the effect on potential sponsors and therefore the riders. Now I realise that Riss et al can go to companies and get sponsorship but they would have to say don't tell anyone I'm riding for Lynn until the second week in March. I need some dosh/goods now to get ready for the start of the season but you can't say anything yet. I'm not sure how that benefits the company cos THEY then lose out on some weeks of publicity and media exposure. At least that's how I see it. Maybe if I'm wrong someone connected to a rider/ex-rider could tell me how it works. I appreciate the need to have weekly press releases but anyone with a modicum of intelligence could do that without the ridiculous scenario we have this year.

No you just have your head in the clouds, blinkered to the odvious that the sport in this country is in big trouble.Also the Lynn fans who moan and air there views are people who are passionate about there club but they can see the bigger picture can you.?

but there are loads of places you can read about other clubs, other matches, other riders and other countries quicker and easier than the speedway star?

You honestly believe the way King's Lynn's team is being announced is one of the reasons speedway is in such a mess in this country.

I think the fact that it’s a very similar team to last year and perceived to be weak doesn’t help, as you say fans like those on here probably wouldn’t have an issue if there were three or four new faves and the team to them looked strong and potentially league winning. I still maintain though that to those people who go to speedway at Lynn but switch off from it in the winter it wouldn’t matter if it’s Riss or not, it’s about keeping the club in their thoughts through regular press releases.

Ronnie had the break from Wimbledon in 1964 after a badly broken leg( did he do car racing???) and he did not comeback until 1969.So his WF record was still very good in very strong era's winnner ( 2) and World number 2 (3 times) a great rider rode great racing lines.I only see Ronnie ride four times but what a class act he was i still keep his prized autograph with pride and i still put him in the same bracket as Barry/Ivan.

It’s only in Speedway where your punished for giving your all for your Team all season.It cannot be taken seriously as aProfessional Sport these days,like people say 4 guys 4 laps if your entertained fair enough but we are not attracting many new fans .Will see how this season pans out .#hit or Bust for a few Clubs season IMO.

I'm reading a Biography of Bill Veeck. He's widely regarded as Baseball's greatest showman, never a player but from an early age involved in managing and then owning clubs. Clubs like Milwaukee and Cleveland, and later Chicago White Sox, which when he bought them were on sharp declines but he breathed new life into them, in tough times too, and turned them into successful businesses. The guy was phenomenal, with his energy, bravado, self-belief but most importantly mingling with the fans during games, meeting and greeting when they arrived, and being at the exit to thank them for their custom. He pulled numerous publicity stunts, created controversy, engineered spats between himself and other team owners. There was nobody who taught him all of that, he just had the spirit in him to try things. He made a priority of providing better spectator facilities - toilets, food, entertainment, improved lighting - and was a genius when it came to courting and pleasing the media. I suppose you could truly call Bill Veeck a Promoter, in every sense of the word. (his name's pronounced Vek - as in wreck, as he used to say). And he did it mostly with only one leg, legacy of a stint with the Marines in WW2. Reading it. you just couldn't help but draw comparisons with current Speedway promoters, and how so many of them could do with some of the Veeck approach. You also think that Speedway is crying out for someone like Veeck to inspire and encourage the current promoters to innovate and to develop, who the BSPA could appoint to such a role.

No certainly not the problems we have now we had years ago the difference was the crowds then were very much better.Look the sport is on its knees in the U.K yet i see no real leadership and a certain togetherness and everyone pulling in the same direction.

Smoked me like a kipper

I’m not a Promoter so can’t answer that, But it was one of YOUR promotion who told me The starting team building averages would remain all season

Things look different 30,000 feet up!

I flew over Blunsdon a couple of weeks ago in a light aircraft and was quite shocked by what I saw. The stadium is now surrounded on three sides by new housing, some of which is right up to the stadium boundary. Don’t see how re-shaping the existing track will help, nor does it look like there is enough remaining space for a new stadium. I can post a photo if someone can tell me how?

I thought Ged had announced he was on his way last season due to the horrendous travelling each week taking its toll. That was before any change of heart and/or interest from Buster.

No idea. But maybe MF didn't have any idea that Brummies wanted to buy him?! 'Every little helps' or so I was told!!

Well I can't make predictions based on team changes that may or may not occur, can I.

I mentioned using a grading system including rolling averages about 3 seasons ago & was shot down by numerous posters saying we should not be going backwards but looking forwards. Some rules actually worked years ago. To stop manipulation, I also posted about having your lowest 4 or 5 scores removed from a rolling average when we were using the last 30 meetings.

No not at all, you don't have to DO anything to be a fanatic. But if you were that interested and keen, that your whole life revolved around it , I would have thought reading about others clubs, other matches, other riders, other countries, it would be essential to purchase the S/S just to keep up to scratch..... But then again we all think differently.....

How about South African Mark Frost, he's certainly a forgotten European!

Eastbourne. Its pretty much a team that Lakeside may have put together if the were Championship this year anyway. The club has been great to support the last few years and I think it will only get better

It tells you alot about how the sport in this Country is percieved Micky Mouse comes to mind .I told my mate about King's Lynn last week and that the team had not been totally announced .And his response was, the owner is he not the guy who runs British speedway !!!! says it all.

Totally confused by your comment.So now you have to buy the SS to be a speedway fanatic.

I knew a forgotten European,. . but I can't remember his name. . . www.speedwaychampions.com www.speedway-sa.com

Not got my SS yet (Postie is a bit late today!) but the article on speedwaygp.com confirms NKI is racing in Poland, Sweden and Denmark. Also confirms he still lives in UK!!.

Good news new sponsors http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.36072

So Glasgow and Isle of Wight are on the path to improving and one of them finds they are throwing good money away. A very sad indictment of where the sport has found itself. Ronnie Green, Johnny Hoskins and Charles Ochiltree must be spinning in their graves.

You mean some fans haven't worked out its Riss yet! So its just to sell a few local papers. I realise why but it doesn't work when most know the line up.

Scary track Steve. Narrow, fast with a concrete 'safety' wall. It frightened me as a spectator!

There can be no other outcome, even with Buster Canute doing his best to defy the entire world ( well, those that spend money on UK sporting events ). Death throes are what we are witnessing.

Are you saying that people should not be worried and not be entitled to air there views.??? All i will say and predict is if Swindon speedway is aloud to go down the swanny the sport and. certainly the Premiership league is doomed for good.

Give up Baggy, some just don't/can't /won't read....

It occurs to me that if I were the boss of the stadium owners and I read all this, any good intentions I had would go straight out of the window. Can see similarities with Sandhu and Cov. People have debated for years whether Sandhu is good or evil, but if I were him and I'd spent good money putting together a winning team and tarting up a clapped-out stadium, then I read what people on here say about me, I'd think "sod 'em, let them find another mug to subsidise their crappy sport".

I personally don't see why people are calling Matty and Simon reserves... Matty certainly is NOT... He's a 5 and a half point rider for god sakes!! And Simon, well it wasn't too long ago he was a 5.5 point rider!! I think he will do ok at number 2... As long as Max is at 7, heat 8 should be pretty strong Also I think Max will do a good job at reserve and Danny will pick up decent points at home and at Redcar... Time will tell, and although we've lost Victor and Nike (Two riders I was looking forward to watching the most) I think we are much stronger now with the best top 3 in the league... I've said it

It’s for the benefit of those people who don’t know it’s Riss. It’s to keep Lynn speedway in the news over the winter period rather than naming the whole team with three months to go. To keep people interested who shut off from speedway from November to March every year. Not saying I agree with it (in fact I think they’ve made a bit of a dogs breakfast out of it) but that is the point of what they are doing. It was pointed out by several people way, way back in the thread.

Yes, but...... Two top scorers have an extra race. Each, if they are No 1 in their team, earns about £100 per point. The riders would expect to be paid for racing for the Helmet. That's an extra £500 to be paid out -- and I can't imagine the prospect of watching that race would bring in the extra thirty adults -- who wouldn't be coming otherwise -- to balance the books. So, although I'd love to see the Silver Helmet coming back, I can't see it as a feasible prospect.

That's the biggest problem with how this sport is run. Instead of listening to the moaning and negativity from once die-hard fans, it is constantly swept under the carpet allowing the sport to descend into the mess we now have. I'm not a doubter, nor a happy clapper, more of a realist who can see the obvious decline that continues with this sport. Probably if more people were to open their eyes and voice their concern, perhaps more actions could have been taken to retain the status our sport once enjoyed...

I think Newcastle Diamonds have come out of this situation quite well. I know many people had doubts of certain team members, whilst others reassured us that our riders would be OK once given the chance to get used to our technical track. What's happened has happened, but bringing in Stevie again has pleased everyone, and whilst I would have gone for MacDonald, Simon should be a useful addition especially away on the bigger tracks. Remember the chance that was given to Matty W last year, and how he overcome his lack of racing and in many meetings proved to be as good as a heatleader. If he can continue in the same vein next year, Simon adds a few points, Max produces some winning rides and Danny beats his opposite numbers, I honestly think the team can go places injuries permitting. As others have said, heat 13 and 15 could be tied up in our favour in both home and away meetings so as long as the rest chip in, we will do OK. Also Gems to win the NJL this year.

Slightly off topic, but relevant to Barry, I would like to thank him for his 'attendance' at last week's Nuneaton SSC talk in. Barry was due to appear in person but had a late change of plans with a business trip to Thailand (or Phillipines?), but still took part via a video link/facetime despite the fact that it was 3:00 am in Asia. He was on-line for quite a while and gave quite detailed responses to questions and didn't seem in a hurry to get some shuteye! Thanks Barry.

It's hard to be positive Barry when your local tracks fold. Lakeside, Rye House, Workington & Buxton are the latest casualties, with probably more to follow. I genuinely hope speedway survives these uncertain times. I've been a fan for 51 years, from boy to man, yet every year it gets harder to go. The venues get less and the options are harder. Fingers crossed for a successful season for all tracks, but it could be a bumpy ride.

I think Ashley morris and james shanes will improve barring injuries of course

It’s raining outside, the wife gone shopping, with an hour or so to kill, my thought turned to speedway and the coming year in the Premiership. I have always tried to be realistic and show an illustration of my thoughts on how the team compare. In the table above I have placed all the riders in the starting position of their respective teams and made comparisons with each of the opposite numbers. I have given the best rider 1 and placed them in order, the worse getting 7. At the end of the placements, I have then totalled all teams to get their final score, the lowest being the best and again the highest being the worse.. Results show, the Panthers are top, followed closely by Swindon and Poole with Wolves and Belle Vue contesting that last play-off place. Both Ipswich and Stars are well adrift. Studying the table illustrate the different ways the teams have been made up. Some prefer to go with being top heavy, others, like Poole, have gone for strong reserves. Belle Vue have gone for a solid 1 to 6, all they need is for Lidsey to come on good and they will be in prime position. Although both Ipswich and the Stars are some way short of the rest, all they need is another TOP rider to bring them into the frame. For example bring in Niels at 2, would in affect push everyone down a place, when the comparisons would fair better... Hope you enjoyed the illustration.......

Tbh I ve not looked it up for a while. It's that horrible time of year, all the new riders have been announced, and there is not much going on news worthy so we try to find other distractions. Mine seems to be working far to many hours and being on nights the world passes me by. Good news is I dont get paid for the extra work I get owed hours so the taxman dont get a bonus and I can get days off for away meetings once the season starts.

so,build his private business from scratch to be a successful local based business,takes a unused grass field in a run down area and turns it into a profitable business and a track that is upthere with the best in the country,and has won silver wear at various levels and you call him not intelligent a clueless? now it matters not if you like him or not or if you agree with him or not,but to dish out personnal insults is below the belt,especially when the hard facts prove other wise and id go as far as saying that it isnt the BSPA,the MC,the riders,the tracks thats wrong with British speedway,its clowns like you that continually pull the sport down ,,,,,thats wrong wiith speedway and btw,have you looked on google maps yet to see if your statement that the EWR is a circle is correct?

Here is an idea for marketing a seasonal business...... Whether you own an ice-cream shop on the Jersey shore, a ski shop in the mountains of Colorado, or a landscaping business in central Minnesota, you’ve experienced the challenges of the dreaded off-season. After your peak season ends, a stretch of slow business begins, and your website and store front become ghost towns. Plus, who's to say this season's customers will remember you when the next season rolls around? It's a bummer of a thought, to be sure. But don’t let the seasonal slumps get you down! Instead of sitting around and waiting for your season to start again, use this valuable time for marketing! Your customers don’t vaporize during the off-season. It’s important to stay in contact with leads and past customers throughout the entire year. Consider social media your virtual, year-round storefront -- because even if your audience isn't chillin' outside your store or visiting your website, they are certainly perusing their social media feeds! That means your business should consider leveraging Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, the whoooole shebang to stay top of mind year-round. Generate Off-Season Hype Just because people can't snowshoe in the summer, or you have a smaller audience looking to wear your trendy sun hats in the dead of winter, doesn't mean you can't get people excited about your business Tried and tested methods for various industries or ask Sid and his mate what you should do?

You pretending to be speedway nut but don't have the S/S really surprises me. Leads me to think your only interested in the Stars and not the bigger picture. You disappoint me ….. I always gave you more substance then that...…...

Perhaps a deluded Workington fan heartbroken that they wouldn't be able to see Kyle riding this year conned Joe into vaping knowing that the repercussions - breaking team code of conduct, apparently abusing hotel manager and fire crew, causing hassle for those staying at the hotel, embarrassing Tigers management in front of sponsors/potential sponsors - would result in his dismissal.