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Because he's a Brit and maybe he could just make the effort over here for his fans, race instead of talk ...

And IMO this is the major point Yes it is extra expense and yes you dont win because of a fancy suit and covers BUT any future upturn in the sport will be down to attracting quality higher profile sponsors They would only want to showcase themselves is this kind of professional manner

I went to a British Basketball League match today.... Plymouth Raiders v London Lions. It's not my favourite sport, but it was a good afternoon's entertainment. What's really striking about it compared to speedway is that not a single minute is wasted. Even when it is time-outs or the end of quarters, there are dancers, the mascot is up to something, kids competitions, lights, music..it is a full show. In short, it's light years ahead of speedway. And surprise, surprise, it is packed with families and the sort of demographic everyone on this forum would love to see at the speedway. I've said it before and I'll say it again...and again and again. Speedway's problem is not that it isn't what it used to be. IT'S THAT IT HASN'T CHANGED ENOUGH!

Lets hope all 3 teams see regular features on Look East through the season that help boost the crowds and add to the atmosphere - make matches places that people get a buzz from and want to return for

This years team suits did not cost the northern club any money they are sponsored same as last year

Press and Practice will herald the return of the Witches to the top table Looking forward to some outstanding action and pictures that will make all around the country take note

Although I reckon everyone was freezing cold it was a good day and a good meeting best bit of the day - cheering Ricky Ashworth on his 2 laps of the track on a tandem - well done Ricky reckon he deserves a track record mention for that ride.

Sad to see the grestest ever british rider who likes to talk isnt riding in this one as for late withdrawals hope for good reasons lol

This is what I’d assumed about these track changes, the club needed to push on with things and change the track layout to try and rejuvenate the project a bit. The old track certainly wasn’t fit for purpose any more and the entertainment value had gone through the floor. If the club can keep going with healthy enough attendances and general support, it makes it harder for the council to say that the site needs to be put out of its misery because only a couple of hundred of people are turning up a week and no one cares any more. I’m almost certain thats what would have happened with the old track and was Osbourne’s plan to bleed any support for the speedway dry. Hopefully with a better track and a competitive team, attendances and support will stay healthy....it’s then up to Osbourne and his cronies to fulfil their side of the bargain and put some sort of new stadium. If not, the elephant in the room over osbourne and this mythical stadium just keeps getting bigger. Sadly I think the club and council are still ultimately just being strung along though. I don’t know why Geoff58 is sounding off as if he’s just uncovered some inside scoop.....we’ve known all this for years mate... it doesn’t need rubbing in any more.

That’s True Baggy who wants to hear about top of the League Norwich, or indeed Tractor boys fans looking forward to welcoming the likes of Accrington Stanley to Portman next season

I think the Jacob injury is a huge blow for Wolves . In my opinion you are losing a heat leader and replacing him with a second string. As much as i like Scotty and i am not having a pop at him i just feel that Jacob is a superior rider to him these days.

Well done to the witches. Racesuits and covers look great. What ever happens this season its good to have you back in the prem.

All he does is post stupid stories on here with no substance behind him, not the first time. Just ignore him.

The only main differences between the riders own suits and club ones will be the team colours, each rider tells the manufacture where he wants his own sponsor logos on the suit so basically no real difference , the only time I can remember a club insisting on putting a non sponsor logo was last year when Glasgow put the Greg Mackie training academy logo on all the suits which all the riders were happy about , and it also saves the rider £6/700 before the season starts Glasgow have had individual fans sponsor each suits and they got to keep them when the season is over not that there's much left of it after a season and this year it's Grant Henderson Tankers who has sponsored all the team suits

Track work progressing.

And superb they look too!

Isn't that the point - Big sponsors more than likely won't sponsor at all with an amatuer look. With a more professional image they are more likely to. I still can't believe more teams (if any now actually) don't try and get sponsorship for fork covers. That is prime spot for every photograph being taken and is cheap to get manufactured. Win-Win!

The builders have NOT got planning permission for the houses on the east of the stadium, so ignore all the rubbish being posted.

I don't recall season tickets ever being advertised on the back of a new stadium being in place. Lots of fictional facts being thrown about at the moment, so perhaps I missed this originally

When team racesuits are made for each rider, all their individual sponsors go on to that individuals racesuit.

I wasn't there yesterday, geographical reasons rather than the weather. If you look at some of the previous ben fund line ups, it seems obvious that the 'top' riders have been giving this meeting a miss for years. You might get the odd one turn up, but most can't be bothered. The riders could have a lot to gain and should be supporting such a worthy cause.

Best of luck to all teams, and fans, in 2019......ENJOY...

Indeed, Mr Wagstaff started it at Lynn in 2000 when the riders all have silver bike covers to go with the black race suits.

you will have to have a look at this thread they are on there somewhere - also here https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/784378/sklady-druzyn-pge-ekstraliga-2019

Well it sounds like it's doing that okay judging by the number of broken tapes yesterday.

Good piece on Look East, kevlars and bike covers look awesome. Refreshing to see speedway as the local sports news, makes a change from boring people with yet another Norwich win

Easy to confuse the riders, otherwise yes very professional........but the big whammy 2 guest riders in your team & the whole thing look's a shambles!!!!

Is that what it is! That was why the green light was on for what seemed an eternity and why the riders were going through the tapes. Starting marshalls will have to get their trainers on and get moving as soon as the green light comes on, or they'll have to get some younger/ slimmer starting gate people!

Bank holiday as in thursday, May 30th this year. Also the only place of the ones mentioned that Ive been to, went there for swc quali. Has a unique shape for the LT and with cheap beer and 15k people might be a good place to see longtrack racing.

Bellagio, that would be a bit of a gamble lol!

At Hull in 2005 each rider was issued with 2 fork covers & 2 rear wheel spoilers both of which carried the team sponsor who also featured on the front and back of the body colours and extensivley in the match programme. Just sayin'....

Delighted to confirm that our FAN FORUM on Weds night (20th March) in the glass grandstand will feature three Promoters, three riders and the Team Manager. Starting at 7.30, we will hear from Matt Ford and his two new Co-Promoters, Anthony Tilley and Dan Ford, in the first half of the presentation. After an interval and opportunity to mingle, we will then be pleased to welcome, 2019 Pirates, Josh Grajczonek, Jack Holder and Richie Worrall along with Neil Middleditch. The event is held on behalf of, and for the benefit of, THE RIDERS EQUIPMENT FUND. Admission on the night is £5 with REF members benefiting from a £1 discount. Doors open 7.00pm

Do you mean here https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15898083.work-on-new-stadium-could-be-underway-by-may/ or here http://www.swindon-speedway.com/news.php?extend.2871 Think most of what you quote has again come from the Stadium owners rather than Rosco & Russell. They have passed on info as told in the past which has proved incorrect and have since not made mention of the stadium, just the track alterations.

but the team race suits take the eye and not the riders sponsors . riders sponsors on a race suit take time to look for on a jazzed up suit . sponsors logos can be as big as they want to be on their own suits because there are no restriction as to how big they can be , where as they are limited to size with team suits . as HGould says , they have had their day and the built in body colour is the best option . plus they can keep the race suits when the season finishes . it belongs to them and not the club .

1968 to 1977 10 seasons 1978 to 1987 10 seasons 1988 to 1997 10 seasons 1998 to 2007 10 seasons 2008 to 2017 10 seasons 2018 1 season 2019 new season will be the 52 nd season as you state. Did it this way for Dick

Remember all of the same negativity surrounding the NSS before it all finally happened, and look at it now. I appreciate the circumstances are completely different in Swindon. The Club have only been able to pass on info they're told, a lot of which has proven incorrect hence why they have stopped saying anything about the new stadium. The Club commented that an altered track would be in place for the 2019 season. Again, nothing about the stadium. The new track will be in place for the 2019 season. I very much doubt money would be being spent on all of the alterations if it was for one season. We'll see I guess.

And until more notice is taken of those that no longer attend than the happy clappers,the downward slope will continue.

...and we are back where we started. Doing anything well is not easy. The plodding on-same as last year-don't change too much-too much hard work attitude is why league speedway finds itself where it is. Scratching its head and scratching its bum.

Peter Craven isn't with us any more so who are you talking about (the greatest British rider?)

I went to the Basketball play-off final a few years back. It's a great show, but they do, of course, have the advantage of the indoor lighting/facilities and so on. Interesting, also, that it attracts their biggest crowd of the season, but the play-off winners are not also league champions.

The difference is once you signal to the ref that you are happy, drop you arms but now you don't walk away from the tapes until the ref puts the green light on. Before you walked as soon as you dropped your hands then the ref put the green light on.

But only if you stay to long, apparently you’ll be pulling out ya hair, drowning in despair.

Enjoyed the meeting. Well-organised, professionally run and would have finished a lot quicker had certain riders not ploughed through the elastic on a distressing number of occasions early on. I know it’s an early-season one, but some good racing too. Pleased to see some far-flung supporters from Redcar, Berwick, Eastbourne and doubtless other places too. Hope the organisers have raised a hefty sum.

Didn’t think for a moment I’d get a sensible answer but for what it’s worth that’s a very negative way of looking at it. How about trying to look as professional as possible to gain more sponsorship? Speculating a bit to accumulate? Even some National League teams have them. Why would a team want their collective photo in the paper on online with everyone in different gear? Looks so amateurish. Unfortunately too many people in speedway are like you and have a can’t do attitude rather than trying to drive the sport forward.

Well done Sir, Very well done. I take my hat off to you for finding that one. I bet you got a little stiffie when you came across that page and had to sneak into the kitchen for a crafty pocket shuffle. £2 a year - what was I thinking??

Exactly, there are a million and one things for people to do with their leisure time and money nowadays, and unfortunately speedway hasn’t moved with the times to make people want to come. Add to that the way the sport is run and the often dreadful customer experience and it’s little wonder crowds are so poor.

Anyone with half a brain knows Ford is behind the Poole success, who do you think was texting Middlo during the matches.

I love it when Alex Ferguson's reign is described as being easy as the richest club. The majority of the winning under Ferguson's reign was with players coming through the ranks of the club which is where the club's wealth came from. For me, Middleditch has just been Ford's puppet. Ford says who rides for him, who's sacked, which replacements are needed etc. Middleditch for Poole is exactly the same as a team leader / supervisor in business, powerless in hiring and firing and just there to fire up the staff employed by someone else. Matt Ford is the reason and only reason for Poole's success.

Just received my latest edition...and as usual a great read. Was particularly impressed with Martin Rogers' honest opinions when answering questions put to him (my own included) A great column and I only hope that others make the efffort getting in touch. Such a breath of fresh air reading a Promoter's point of view when discussing speedway's last 'Golden Era'. I used to enjoy reading the late John Berry's comments in said magazine and Martin has filled that roll admirably.

Not sure the work on the track changes the new stadium position one iota. Internal work within the existing stadium doesn't prove Gaming International's commitment to build anything.