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They are preseason challenge matches to blow away the cobwebs, just organised warm ups. No big drama is it ...

So you have a reserve that's flying on the night,,, don't put him up for a pick,, it's then chosen the under performing rider goes in 14,,,goes though tapes,, replaced by flying reserve. Can flying reserve also do heat 15 as wasn't original pick for 14

Oh the irony from the Starman of Manchester.......

But what's wrong with fans voting when it's not their team? Attendance 890 Votes 2035

The BSPA Keith Chapman Everyone's opinion of British Speedway right now (apart from the blinkered)

Wouldn’t say that’s strictly true. Made many gaffes while Rye promotor, but, give him his due he kept the club running. £15 is too much for speedway at any level in this country nowadays. Sport’s on the slide massively.

It's not just Somerset, the "we must reach the play-off" mentality of all promoters is killing Speedway........... but promoters cannot see it.

I can't believe any adult would think this cup gimmick is a good idea. Its meant to be a serious sport.

Why is it that a sport which has quite a few young riders cannot attract the younger fan base. Clearly this young rider base cannot connect with these fans and it is simply a sport that from a participation aspect is beyond the reach of the average youngster unlike it use to be when grass trackers progressed into speedway. It is costly to get into, not high profile enough and won’t make the newcomer a fortune or famous overnight. Perhaps low cost standard bikes etc and not the high performance machines that are used today might make it an option for a few more but in reality people will just have to accept that it simply does not work for a younger generation and never will given the choices that are available today. It is only a matter of time before it becomes a part time amateur status option for a few in the U.K. and those who are professional will have primarily Poland to race which continues to be a hot bed for talent and supporters something the U.K. will never replicate.

There is that word again! PROMOTION. Last season I went to all but what turned out to be the last meeting at Rye House. They have a large advert just by the road entrance which had the next meeting date and time. Trouble was on all but two meetings when I arrived it showed the details of a previous meeting. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, surely changing that hoarding should have been the first job on the day following a meeting.

The product is constantly on the decline. Ramping prices up further is going to do nothing but drive more fans away. There are other ways to draw a crowd, namely promotion. I wish Rye were still running but towards the end I was picking and choosing my meetings because the sport simply wasn’t value for money. So no, not at ANY price. The generation of fans who are/were happy to turn up and lap up whatever tripe was being served up, up and down the country are dying out, just like British Speedway.

Well least see where 2019 takes us .... certainly a more positive vibe to last year With such a points reduction difficult to really forecast how teams will do and to be fair who would have predicted Workington's success last year ! With 3 heat leaders we should be competitive. and we are always going to have a strong 1st reserve whether it be Clegg, Lambert or Wether's Also we should be in with a shout for plrc, pairs and fours ... unlike last year Lets hope the support increases (here and elsewhere) Number 1 wish for season - a good tight competitive league with little between top and bottom and a mad scramble for the playoffs (really my number wish is for us to win everything )

Remember we come away from your place with the points a few times always good meetings between both teams

The thing is, if you're not interested in it then you don't have to do anything. Just watch the racing. 13 heats using to old race formula and 2 nominated races at the end. That's it.

It's the saviour of british speedway,,,, praise the lord

It doesn't matter. Managers will chose their top four riders and the fans will choose which pair ride in heat 14 with the other pair riding in heat 15 by default. Just because some people don't have smartphones isn't a reason to try something new.

Exactly. I don't understand why some people are struggling with this concept. I actually think it is a good idea, just with slightly uninspiring implementation.

Lens only doing the sums for the 65-25 mashings each week, even the home fans will get brassed off with that eventually

What a complete dogs dinner, which numpty thought this would be a good idea. Its clearly open to abuse and i'm seriously beginning to think my time as a fan is coming to an end ...

Yep, not good. I wonder what/who was behind it. It was - and still is - an avoidable clash. But I guess Buster & co don't give a flying one as a good few K/Lynn fans will be there to compensate for some Panthers fans opting for the Posh game. Another one to file away under "Speedway shoots itself in the foot".

I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this.

Are you really a Belle Vue fan, or are you another forum member posing under another name? Why are going on about the stadium like you are? Swindon fans know there are concerns, but we don't need supporters of other tracks coming here and taking the mickey about it, just because they now have their own new track. I think there's only one person who needs to grow up.

Mention Wulfsport and Lubos Tomicek immediately springs to mind.

I don't think tha a DVD disc will be compatible with his magic lantern

That was never debated. It’s obviously a race jacket, just as obvious as they are suits all made using the same design - Even John Branney’s wulfsport attire.

To be fair the only part of the post that is correct is me, .

Been well documented here and probably elsewhere. He is welcome, but has decided to boycott the place until all ex speedwsy riders get in for nowt

How to attract a younger generation? If you own your own track and the concessions, then let them in for nothing... Most kids when they become teenagers (all of a sudden) don't want to go out with their parents or grand parents so advertise free entry for all in secondary schools, colleges and universities.. Maybe even have an 'app' or one of those QR codes or something for them to download (or whatever it is they do).. The more forward thinking promotions may also get some links with schools and colleges around engine maintenance for aspiring mechanics to learn about and do some hands on experience etc. But let's crawl before running... They all hunt in groups so let them all in surrounded by mates, and sit back and wait for the income from the burgers, pop, snacks and chocolate... Older students can drink something stronger and more expensive. Student loans do burn a very quick hole in their pockets.. Even if you don't own the track and receive no money from the concessions, let them in for nothing anyway.. There are hardly any teenagers at most tracks so there won't be much loss, so therefore hardly anything to lose, and parents who don't have to fork out £8 or so for their teenager each meeting may also attend more often themselves due to the value for money this provides... A whole generation is basically being by passed with zero knowledge of the sport... Something radical is needed to change it or who will take the places of the ageing current fan base?

show off

Clearly a race bib on various race suits. You can see the fasteners on the bibs at the sides.

This is where you can follow most meetings whether home, abroad, GP's etc ;http://speedwayupdates.proboards.com/ I saw you hadn't posted much so I was not sure you knew of this site

Honestly No they don't!!! Been in contact with Tony Jackson the Workington team manager all weekend (re: other matters) and just spoke to him on the phone again this morning to confirm my suspicions and Workington have never (ever) had official team suits (or supplied them to riders) and Jacko was the assistant team manager to Ian Thomas at this time; so sorry I think I am correct!!!! Plus looking at that photo you can see they aren't a team Kevlar some are wearing orange tee shirts ffs under the team bib. John Branney's tee shirt was even supplied by Wulf Sport... Also as advised earlier Ian Thomas was totally opposed to team suits. A team Kevlar incorporates all the detail (team name, and logo built into the front of the suit and a Velcro or stud area to the rear to apply the racing number/team position), negating the need for a bib, either new spectacles required to read the previous posts or to see a clearer view of the picture supplied or could just be another Prize Plum.... Either way pull the covers up as this is now surely put to bed? Regards THJ

How do we take this farce serious cant believe what I'm. reading

WARNING !!! If your reading the updates on demand or a few days later the vote will be closed so if you vote it will not count but you may still be charged

I am an older person, i.e. retired; I do have a smart phone; I do have PAYG, even though I can afford a contract, but am sensible enough not to be sucked into living my life with it in my hand and running my life. (In fact I'm seriously thinking of reverting to my old Nokia, - just need to check if its WiFi is compatible with my car's system.) . No, I wont be partaking in the scheme, even if every stadium does have WiFi. - 2ndbbh is right to ask: remember, most supporter are of the same generation as me, and won't have or know what 4G or 5G is or means, and will be unlikely to convert for this scheme to become meaningful.

Melchior [KING of PERSIA ] I like that

I think it's quite a fun idea. When it seemed that it was a case of just voting for heat 15 it seemed open to abuse, but this way it works well, as it's for heat 14 rather than heat 15. I do think there should be some way of supporters at the stadium to vote, if they wish, without using a phone. I certainly won't be logging on to Twitter while at a match, although I appreciate some people will do that. I can't see it ever catching on, but as a bit of fun for a season opening tournament it might be ok.

Yet again, the powers that be have managed to make things more complicated than they need to be. Just use the standard race formula with heat 15 voted for by fans.

Nermark wore orange (and bright green) before he rode for Workington .

Most teams starting in April this year and will finish by early September The world moves on - you need to get with the modern way

The same two riders can't be used in both heats. To me it sounds like your best 4 riders on the night will be in hts 14 and 15 the fans are just deciding the heats they would like to see them in.I think team managers would be foolish not to name their top 4 for ht14.

Your right,it just a money grab for greedy riders,Cook probably needs the money to finance his GP losses last season which we all heard about with the sob stories.

Lets hope the usual first meeting jinx we seem to cop most years hasnt struck again

Don't spoil it.. I am 51 and feel like a spring chicken when I attend a speedway meeting... Not many places in life that I attend where I am in the youngest half.. (Or maybe even quarter?)...

Not keen on team suits. I think back to Oxford in the 1980s, and we had Hans in sleek black leathers, Wiggy in distinctive day-glo green, Cocker in his chequered-leathers, etc. The leathers were an extension of the personality of each rider. Team suits and that's lost. Not only that, but it's a significant cost that most clubs simply cannot afford.

An excellent article which critically analyses the state of speedway today. 1) Speedway is stuck in the 1920/50's the engines are unique, expensive and have no longevity. 2) The promoters and riders are overpaid and aloof of the supporters. Who solely pays the wages, bills and running costs? 3) Looking for a Barry Hearns or any other benefactor while the tracks close and attendances dwindle, is definitely not going to happen. Unfortunately it's a slow but predictable decline.

Yep I appreciate that, and you are right it does get harder. That's probably because of your 50 friends at speedway you are now the only one attending. This is the start point. On the island I recalled what it was like for me as a kid at speedway - I had different friends there, in the main, to my friends from School and Sea Cadets. So it is this that we have focused on with the island... fun, family, friendship, entertainment, community, value for money (kids always free for anything related to speedway).. speedway on the island is a show, of which the racing is the main event sure, but there are lots of little side events from mascots, to face painting, home made specials in the cafe, pits open.... even me getting a megaphone to drive the fans nuts but its a fun experience... and this is what, in my view, every track should be looking at. To be fair, we have seen a big increase in this across speedway over the last season or so. While I do appreciate it is hard to be positive... and I have been there beleive me... I am always positive about what we do on the Island because I totally believe it in, totally believe we can make it better (why we regularly have discussions on our show - for everyone to contribute). Finally it is pride... we are very proud of our club. To me you visit my home when you come to Smallbrook, and while there will be problems from time to time I am very happy to explain them if needed, I am always happy to have feedback contructive or positive, and I would be gutted, totally, if fans had a crap time with us. See you trackside and thanks for the feedback

Lesson is don’t pay on appearance ,pay on performance. Imo

Agree, but its not. I think its good if they honour their prior arrangements, after being shafted elsewhere.