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Some very interesting points on here. I appreciate (as the guy said earlier) that age isn't relevant when it comes to speedway and an opinion, but having followed the sport for 45 years then I do believe that I can give a decent opinion of the merits of Cardiff, even though it does have it's down points. Speedway in the UK is pretty much on its knees. Many of us can remember the halcyon days of the 70's and 80's in the UK... when the British League was the global 'jewel in the crown' of speedway... the place to ride to be competitive... and a time which we probably all took for granted and never expected things to change. Back then... everyone in speedway pretty much EXPECTED that it would be a 'given' that we had a great venue here to house the 'World Final.' We took that as a given right. And there was also an expectancy that the British speedway public will fill the place easily. We had the old Empire Stadium at Wembley. We then had Odsal... then... we didn't. The 'masses' went to watch speedway weekly. My father used to go to watch Odsal in the late 1940's... he had some old programmes from meetings... in the 'pre tv' era. Weekly there was 30,000 people watching meetings back then! The sport was huge. Fast forward to the state of affairs with our beloved sport today... and it really IS on its knees. I am struggling to work out how clubs actually stay afloat. And how small amount of clubs there is. It is bare bones speedway. I have followed Halifax, Bradford.... both now closed. If you have track to support now... it's isn't a 'right' or a 'given,' then it is TRULY a gift from the Gods! Sheffield is where is go to watch now... almost 40 miles each way from my house! Bradford used to be 8 miles away... and my all time beloved club, Halifax... 16 miles! Now... 35 plus!!! THIS is how bad things are. Now if you had shown me today's state of affairs in the 80's, with a crystal ball. Or fetched me forward in a time machine... and showed me the absolute state of affairs in the domestic leagues.... THEN... this weekend... had taken me to Cardiff, and showed me that we actually have a stadium in the UK.. where FORTY thousand people will travel to, to watch not a 'one off final,' but Grand Prix meeting (not as special IMHO), at a venue with a roof on it so that you KNOW it's not gonna be rained off... then I wouldn't actually believe that the whole Cardiff experience was a "thing." I would marvel about it! I wouldn't actually be able to get my head around that this STILL existed. Cardiff still being with us... in a country where speedway is becoming almost defunct... is pretty much the biggest oasis imaginable... and in the world's largest desert. I know that it has it's faults. Processional racing (not hardly a rarity in speedway... if we are being honest)... but yeah... yesterday's meeting was pretty much a gate fest. Hotel prices aren't cheap in the city (that is Capitalism rearing it's head.... why sell a room for £50 when you can sell it for 5 x that amount). Geography also for some isn't so great.... agreed. But for sure... if you look at the actual state of speedway right now here.. it is on it's knees. So the speedway GP at Cardiff... whatever it's faults... IS a miracle and a Godsend. We need to get our nostalgic heads out of our boots and appreciate it is as a thing / concept. I agree that walk up ticket prices on the day of £50 is a disgrace. Why price late comers out when they could sell them at £20 and recoup money and get more people in the stadium? False and stupid econony! But in general... you can make the Cardiff experience reasonably inexpensive if you are up for it, with a little effort. I treated my sister to her tickets this year. 2 tickets were say £42 plus booking fees. Which were reasonable. A pound here or there. It can cost a couple of hundred quid to see some bands at an Arena these days. So £42 for tickets, I booked parking via a website at an Ibis only 15 mins walk from the stadium. That was only £8. So £50. Programme.... £10. We share it. £60. So £60 for the basics for two adults for the actual meeting / parking / programme. The rest are expenses. We drive from Leeds. My motor guzzles a little... so used £76 worth of diesel for the round trip of 500 miles. Yes... that is a long drive to do on the day... but the buzz of having a day out pretty much carries me along. We set off early and stop off on the way (using the Starbucks near Ross on Wye.. which was drive through only this year). So fuel (rather than hotel), tickets, parking, for two people: £136 or £68 each. How much would it cost to go to a gig or see a football match? All of this to watch a largely attended event of a sport we love in the middle of a struggling era in our sport. I personally think that we are LUCKY to have Cardiff. VERY lucky. Yeah... the racing may have been shocking this year. And I appreciate that people would rather see a track like the NSS at Belle Vue house such an event. I get it... I truly do. But it just isn't happening. Even with bolt on stands... once we remove the whole Cardiff experience... we could lose it forever. And tragically... life isn't about mixing and matching. We can't have a track like the NSS in a place like Cardiff. It's indoor on a pitch. And that's not criticism to those sentiments above.. I long for better racing.. desperately! I truly do. But life is all about 'what if's,' and sadly, that is all they are. Even if we could make the NSS at 20k seater stadium... how would that help? People go to Cardiff annually... families. We are trying to promote the sport. Kids go there. Imagine the disappointment for kids if we take a 40k event and slash it by two into a 20 / 15k event (my figures are just examples and not real). People would be let down and miss out hugely. And again... all of this planning for a meeting at a city which is hardly famed for it's sunshine? Speedway is pretty much fortunate to have the NSS. But it was never gonna be a big stadium. Tracks get no support. So yeah... it is a great racing track... but really... just the fact that the NSS even exists is pretty much a miracle! We are NOW a minority sport. Sadly. Rose tinted spectacles off time. It would be absolute domestic speedway suicide to dump off Cardiff and move it to absolutely ANYwhere. It really would. I would love the thought of a 'second GP' here some place... a "European GP." Or whatever, at another venue. I would be up for that concept. 100 percent. But the British GP at Cardiff really is something that we are ridiculously LUCKY to have. The sport here is critical / not stable.. and is on 'life support' right now. And yeah... bongo cams and presenters may be a bit tacky / trash (I am not having a dig at any poster here above... I totally agree :D) but for all of the little things that annoy... we rock up there once a year knowing that our money isn't wasted on a rain off, and knowing that we will probably be served up 'follow my leader processional racing' : pretty much how speedway is in general, if we are to be honest with ourselves.... and if we remove the romantic ideal that we often have of it. It has it's massive faults... but really, it's pretty much a great thing.

There's some miserable old buggers on this forum... If you don't enjoy Cardiff, you probably don't enjoy life! I ordered my ticket a couple of weeks ago, £19, same as a league meeting in far better surroundings. I sat in my allocated seat but I could have gone pretty much anywhere in the top tier. Ok it wasn't a classic, probably down to Woffy not really being in contention and you have to wonder about Cardiff's longevity once Woffy is out of the picture with no one really on the horizon to pick up the baton. It was a lovely day, weather wise, cheap, professionally run, great atmosphere in a stadium that offers great views of the track... Where else can you get that in the UK? If I did have a gripe it would be the intro/parade... I couldn't really see what was going on

I spend my money where its needed............BRITISH Speedway. I dont go to Cardiff anymore. Overpriced in every way. I remember the time that when you bought a ticket,you got a programme included. The following year they advertised 'no price rises for tickets'. Yet those tickets DIDNT include a programme. So the actual price did go up! I refused to pay and have not been since. The money I would need to spend to get there, travel, ticket,programme,food etc, I save and give out as sponsorship to a NL rider. I also go round the Country watching and have been to the majority of tracks this season. Still hoping to do more with the Play Offs etc. I want British Speedway to gain revenue, not the Corporate moguls.

Similar to the above: If I had the choice, as a one off, of attending a meeting with a 40,000 crowd but poor racing, over one with 1000 there but reasonable racing it would be the first one.. every single time. It's indisputable that is the case for tens of thousands of others too despite what a few claim on here. Cardiff is more than just one speedway meeting for many. It's a weekend jammed full of meeting up with old friends, some who they see once a year. It's the ultimate occasion for a speedway fan, a rare time a city is taken over by the sport and long may it continue to thrive as a beacon that there is still support for speedway in the UK.

OVER 4,000 up on last year ... you could tell just sitting in the stadium that it was an increase. More Poles than ever.The upper tiers were packed. Dump Cardiff? Are you mad? What other speedway event could attract that sort of crowd. It isn't just the actual racing on the day. Having the stadium slap bang in the middle of town *unlike Warsaw for example) is a huge plus. Most people there had had a fabulous time before even entering the stadium. Terrific atmosphere. The actual racing will never match Wroclaw 2019 (was there too) but what a day ...

Boring?........Did they not contribute to some of the passing in this great meeting? Can’t please anyone these days.

He didn't say replace Cardiff, he said why is the only GP at Cardiff. Why couldn't the NSS have one as well as Cardiff, just like Sweden & Poland do.

Lots of sporting events have the 'occasion' outperforming what's on show.. The Monaco GP is invariably processional crap.. The Lords' Test Match is invariably the most bland of any Test Match on the roster as fans get restricted as to dress code, musical accompanying etc.. Playing England games at Wembley never ever reach the level of enthusiasm that got delivered when they put the games around the country when Wembley was being rebuilt.. Cardiff is unique and a jewel in the crown of British Speedway.. And British Speedway should be thankful it exists to remind many ex followers in the population that the sport is a) still going in the UK and b) can be ran properly without needing Mickey Mouse rules..

What a complete and utter load of rubbish that was!...again!!. Sick to death of the shouty twins building up the British GP for weeks beforehand every year, only for more times or not, it turns out to be a waste of time! The sport builds a “National Speedway Stadium” which is a proper speedway track that produces good racing most of the time, yet doesn’t use it! It prefers the razzmatazz and all that crap, that this temporary track provides and to hell with actually being interested in providing some good racing! Still, as long as the punters continue to take their brains out and pay the stupid prices to watch such dross each year, then nothing will change.

I thought the exceptional high tides did that

If you meet the criteria there is no reason to pay more then £19 plus booking fee. You know the date for 2020 so no excuse. As for staying over before journey home - stay outside of Cardiff and prices are cheaper. 2013/14 we stayed in TonyPandy and 2015 in Bridgend. Small b&b’s, about £60 for 2, good breakfast included, and both within 1.5 mile of railway station, the digs in TonyPandy was about 100yards from railway station, and another plus point was AndyPandy lived next door. So get yourselves sorted now for 2020.

"Peckham spring " water more like

I honestly cannot believe people on this moaning about paying £50 for a ticket to to attend a gp at this incredible stadium I ask you have you ever attended a premier league match ,concert etc etc if yes then you will know £50 is par for attending an event of this magnitude Also book in advance you can get tickets for £20 which lets face it is cheap ,i pay that to attend bristol rovers and somerset rebels and although i love attending there is no comparison in stadium and atmosphere Ok this one wasnt a classic gp but your not going to get a wroclaw or malilla every time My wife and i had a wonderful day and have done for the 19 yrs we have attended for me the bomber gp will take some beating lost my voice for 2 wks after that Look forward to many more years

Watching Swindon beat Belle Vue on Thursday for their first top tier Cup win as opposed to Vue's 14 was for me better than Bomber winning 2007 GP. Fantastic atmosphere, hundreds of fans celebrating with the riders, which is rarely attained now in league speedway.

So for some people, it appears that it’s just about the crowd size and “occasion” then rather than the actual racing itself! ......Count me out then as I thought speedway was about RACING and excitement, not about dancing girls, flashing lights and stupid little flags!

HUNDRED times better when you are there. Appreciate not everyone can go or afford it.

In the best interests of preserving the integrity of the sport Richard Lawson will now be declared as being injured. This enables both Eastbourne & Ipswich to use r/r for him on the same evening.

Webbo, you been on that Jamaican Old Holborn ? Schlein the best ? Ffs. Have a word with yaself. As for Lambert, who do you think Lynn would attract to replace him ? He has ridden for Lynn this season when injured when most riders would have called off. Would you say Micheal Lee showed great commitment to the Lynn cause ? No of course he didn’t but you (and I) would turn up every week to watch him around Saddlebow. As for Buster taking a backseat at Lynn, are you series ? Can you ever see that happening while the guy has breathe in his body. ? I do wonder if you just stick these post up just for a reaction or to gain attention. #amazing

Total cost for me: Ticket: £19 Fuel: £30 Sandwich: £0.89 Maccies: £6.49 Why the hell are you spending £600?!? You can't really complain that it was poor because you decided to spend £600 on a £50 day out

That would be down to Woffinden having a poor night. Had he or indeed Lambert or Wright made the semis it would have been a different kettle of fish.

Well if THAT's what "the overwhelming majority" want to watch and call entertaining and value for money speedway these days, then you are welcome to it!!....(from someone who has been watching the sport for over 45 years)

For the second consecutive year I thought the racing was poor and boring. A typical makeshift track which offers dull, possessional racing, very little passing, no racing lines and did nothing to get me excited about. I attended the Wroclaw GP and this was speedway at its finest on a permanent track with passing in every race. Personally speaking, I would like to see the British GP moved to Belle Vue, but I can't see that happening. If 40,0000 fans are happy to pay extortionate money to watch boring racing, then I imagine Cardiff will be the preferred venue for years to come.

A lot of the touts end up with sponsors freebies, which they probably pay peanuts for.

My first visit to Cardiff for some years. Enjoyed the day, and the atmosphere. But the racing was dreadful, and that's what I went for. I also didn't enjoy the Welsh presenter and his bongo cam - for the kids, though, I suppose. I'm also not a fan of air horns at these events - the sound of 40,000-odd people roaring is far more exciting than the dismal drone of the air horns, blocking out everything else. But I seem to be in the minority on that!

Well numbers don't lie. 4,000 plus up. Has there been another Speedway meeting in the Uk this year that actually got 4 000 in the first place ?

Can't really say I saw anything last night that would entice me to spend the kind of money involved to go to next years GP

My experience too. £50 as the 'walk up' price is too much. Last minute decision to go with my son. Luckily(?) I bought cheaper tickets from a tout instead. Short sighted pricing policy in my opinion that could/should deter those thinking of attending as a 'walk up' next year.

Best team man we’ve ever had? Wow, that’s some claim. How far back are you going with that assessment? I’ve only been going since the early eighties and I could name several better than Schlein.

I thought he said he wanted a wild card. I think he would be better off calling it a day now I dont think he will be competitive enough after his long lay off. Better to finish now in one piece for his familys sake

Yes they were but with a HUGE end result, crowning of the World Champion. GPs don't come close to the excitement of Wembley for anyone, it was the anticipation of your favourite rider/riders becoming Champion. Maybe Torun, the last round is a like that. We will never have that feeling at Cardiff .....

I have been going for 12 years now and will probably give next year a miss. The racing was boring and the atmosphere was a tad lacklustre. Maybe a year off would be enough to get me ''hungry'' for the occasion again.

People keep saying 'we got a national stadium now' and 'it needs to be there'... You do realise its not going to house 40,000 people? The only way there will ever be a British GP not at Cardiff would be if sales dropped, or the principality said no.. 20 years on and I very much doubt that's going to change any time soon.

Sadly there was indeed little to get excited about. Some close racing but overtaking at a premium. The light show before the racing seemed to go on and on and the riders were invisible during the introductions. Have to agree the hype surrounding this event has overtaken reality. Warsaw is by far the best event on the calendar now for atmosphere, but speedway should be on proper tracks in the fresh air.

My only complaint was the stupid parking arrangements for the coaches. I got there early and parked right next to the roadway for a quick exit. Got out only to find a rows of coaches parked along the only road.Total madness. Luckily for me, I had a space next to me and behind that. With the help of Rory Schlein I managed to reverse out, and used the contractors/farm road to get out,followed by Rory! Well done Glasgow,thoroughly deserved win. Great Final race.

I suspect Birmingham Brummies surprised quite a few with their performance - proud of Adam & Tero. Congratulations to the Glasgow pairing on their success.

Wrong British Speedway does nothing better than Poland, they have a limit- U21 riders at 6/7 and 14/15, along with the 3 foreigners max in the top 5 rule. one thing they should bin is the ridiculous U23 no 8 rider.

Sensible decision.

And the next village along is PontyPandy where Fireman Sam lives... Oops, I mean Firefighter Sam obviously, apologies... Although the term fighter may be a bit too agressive for young children if I am honest.. Fireputterouter Sam it is then... Already booked for next year, staying at Norman Price's place, above his mams shop.. Can't wait....

MMmmm I did remember correctly. So the "89p" sandwich and the "17p" bottle of water that DSC67 purchased had to be consumed before entering ! I can understnad bags being checked but banning food and non alcoholic drinks still sounds to me nothing more than profiteering.

It does miss a Nicki Pedersen type character, with the exception of Tai, the rest haven't really got much about them in terms of projected personality. A mate of mine used to dip in and out of the GP's on Sky Sports a few years back... The only rider he mentioned was NP

Max Fricke is surely already in having finished 3rd in the GP Challenge meeting.

Yes plenty of cheap tickets available in advance but due to circumstances we decided to pay on the day. The website showed the cheapest on the day at £25 which is fair enough increase for a walk up price but we got there about 2pm and was told they were sold out and the cheapest was £50 Upper tier bend 3. I couldn't let down my grandson and my daughter hadn't budgeted for that much so 4 adults and a child cost me £225. I can't help agreeing that selling the empty upper tier spaces more cheaply on the day would increase attendance.

I'd be happy with no tv

The racing could be better if the track had more banking.It looks too flat and the outside line was almost non existent.

Well done Cookie and Rasser. Zummerzet is a great track.

Suspect the coaches parked where they were told, have been plenty of places where "total madness " car drivers have made it impossible to get out with the coach

Good meeting on a very well prepared track (take note other tracks, dirt and a bit of water and you can produce a good show).. Scunny very unlucky, maybe a race off would have been fairer but it just about sums up our luck in recent seasons. Did think there was some questionable choices made by the tef.. why wasnt the race stopped when both of Jensens wheels went well and truly on the grass bend 2 (heat 17 I believe it was) other than that well done to Glasgow, best pairing on the night. Well done and thank you to the Somerset promotion and track staff and all the riders for putting on a brilliant meeting, 25 races for 20 quid was good value!

He was at Birmingham too. All this business about his financial life is for the promoters to worry about, IMO, not fans.

Bo Jansson interview part 1/3.

Ben Barker has been nothing but a pleasure at Scunthorpe.