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In this week's Speedway Star Alun Rossiter say they FIM should step in over Poland maybe flexing it's muscles a bit too much. That said, at the risk of stating the probable obvious, I think the time has come for British Speedway to run with what it can afford, which if that means no GP-level riders, so be it. When I began watching at Hull from 1974-on I was horrfied over the idea of a possible drop into the 2nd division, then the New National League, as division 1, or Brtish League speedway, and seeing world class stars week in-week out, was all that I knew. From 1995 - 2005 in Hull it was divison 2 Premier League all the way, apart form the 1999 season, and you know what; it was still speedway. If British Speedway isn't viable for the top riders and / or the BL can't afford them, then go with what we have, it'll still be speedway....

Wont happen and cant happen . As a semi professional sport it is not even legal . The Bloke is a clown .

Since the end of the first lockdown and the start of the second, i have attended 4 speedway meetings and 24 football matches all at different grounds. A pretty decent total considering the circumstances.

Spot on... If I said to my window cleaner I will pay him 5 times his money to only do my house and one other, and not the other three houses around my cul de sac, he has a.choice.. The choice to agree to those stipulations, and match what he would earn by keeping his current deal with all five of us, but now by just doing one house.... Whilst at the same time tangibly adding to his earnings by doing one house more. And also cutting down his workload to 40% of its current level and only having 40% of his current costs to pay.. Or he could decide to not do my house and do the other four, meaning he earns 20% less than now, and still has 80% of his current workload and costs to carry out and pay.. Hardly restraint of trade is it if he agrees to my contract stipulations... And you would need to be a bit daft not to take the deal wouldnt you? If some riders dont like what the deal is in Poland, then I am sure plenty of others will..

Because David Rowe has done a damn good job for Eurosport for the last few years and doesn't deserve to be dumped just because the 'usual suspects' are at a loose end.

I see riders in Poland’s extra league in 2021 will only be allowed to ride for ONE other club. More Poland rules the Speedway world and extremely disappointing. Looks like Britain will lose some more TALENTED RIDERS with this rule. Shame on Poland

Saw this pop up on Facebook yesterday. What a cracking piece of film, well worth half an hour of anyone's time. Really takes in the surroundings of a much loved iconic venue. I was there too, but couldn't quite spot myself! Others might see themselves here.

Superb footage. Thanks for posting.

I don't think anyone here has ever mentioned keeping Sam in the job. I just made it plain that Dave Rowe had done a great job this season and for the last few years on Eurosport. Personally my choice of 'second chair' would be Chris Louis.

There was something wonderful and totally unique about the place... As much as I loved Wimbledon, Wembley, and all the rest, Hyde Road had the atmosphere of an historic and imposing place of worship.

Thats unfair on Rowe tbf, his commentaries will never seem great when he is constantly either having to correct Sams errors and overlook his pronunciations. I make little secret that Dave Goddard is my fav commentator, and paired with a genuine speedway officinado in Kelv Tatum for me would be the dream ticket. For me Pearson is just annoying to listen too, and for someone so experienced, having to laugh his way through his own errors on a weekly basis is embarrassing.

Me too, the place simply oozed atmosphere.....

Glad that I managed to visit Hyde Road on a number of occasion...never made Kirky Lane.

But at the moment you're already paying him 5 times his money while he's still cleaning the other 4 houses. What you're really saying is I will still pay you 5 times the money but now you can only clean 2 houses, therefore reducing his current income.

Another signing for Poznan Tero Aarnio

Thankyou very much for that footage,had some many happy memories of watching the Tigers there and some belting individual meetings,actually brought a tear to my eye,was a sad loss when it had to close.

As is always the case the power sits with the riders, if they choose to use it collectively. Poland seem to try something like this every year but always have to bow to the strength of the riders, they maybe able to make the rule attractive for the big polish hitters like Zmarzlik, Janowski, Dudek etc. But as we've seen this last season if your face doesn't fit for whatever reason you're very quickly thrown on the scrap heap, Batch, Bewley, KK, Kurtz etc. Can't see the riders of this class signing up to these rules unless they're guaranteed a fixed income retainer

One of the best motorcycle documentaries made, by the late, great, Bruce Brown and financed by Steve McQueen. Around twenty years ago, a three disk dvd version appeared, in which there was some brief footage of Barry Briggs, with the admission from Bruce Brown that a lot of speedway footage was shot, but ended up on the cutting room floor.

We know Nicki doesn't like what is in the contract, and I can understand why he doesn't like it, but that doesn't necessarily make it a restriction on trade. He is still free to compete in any league in the World that he wants to, other than a Polish one. The Polish league isn't forcing him to skip those other leagues or telling teams there that they need to pay them for his services. They are just saying that if he wants the money they are offering, he can't race in so many leagues and risk injury so many times. Maybe Nicki will choose not to sign an Ekstraliga contract for 2021. We shall see.

Thanks for posting that, more than anything it was great to see some old familiar faces amongst the track staff and supporters, a nice little half hour of nostalgia for any Aces fan of a certain age.

The thing in Britain’s favour for riders like Doyle is that they like to be racing lots. Doyle might be willing to take a financial hit on his league income by choosing Britain over Sweden in a bid to get back to the top of the Grand Prix standings by riding regularly throughout the week. Seen as he is based in the UK, cutting down on travel to and from Sweden might make sense for him.

You have to have some sympathy. We've been doing that for years.

Pretty much a stock reply from a net receiver from the EU, and I believe they are the largest recipients. Only to pleased to receive the millions from Germany, France and the UK( and others) over the years, and quick enough not to toe the line when it doesn't suit them. Expect a lot of parts of their stadia and roads to them have been part funded by us as well, still at least they can dictate speedway at our expense in more than one way!

There will certainly be a number of riders who have decisions to make. Interesting one for me now will be whether the BSPA are clever enough to use and maximise the one draw and advantage they have over all the other speedway leagues. I bet they won't The advantage that Sweden and Denmark offer to any rider in Poland is that the travel is less, and you can do both leagues on one set of equipment. One van, one set of full time mechanics, one workshop, one set of bikes. You can even do the GPs with this same single set up. If you want to run in the UK, you have to have a complete other set up, and you pretty much cannot use it for anything else other than racing in the UK. That adds significant costs to riding in a country that doesn't pay great compared to the others, so what is the attraction of racing in the uk apart from the "technical tracks" ? Simple. No Squad System, and lots of meetings. You are not going to be asking any top riders about choosing the UK over Poland, it's how do you attract them away from Sweden or Denmark. Now would be the perfect time for the powers that be to announce that there can be no team changes in the top league other than to replace injuries, and that you want a full calender of racing, 2 home and 2 away plus playoffs with a guarantee of say 28 meetings. Ask any rider who has been frozen out because of a couple of poor meetings on the continent whether they would rather do that or run the risk of sitting on the side lines. Most top level riders like riding the uk as it starts early, so they can get dialled in for the season on the continent and it guarantees them lots of meetings and time on the bike. opportunities to show how they're going should they struggle overseas. They won't do it though, they are too stupid to understand the only real draw they have to attract the higher level riders and maximise it. Hence they've been talking about a squad system for the last few years. Poland will do what they want to do, over here you need to understand what strengths you have and how to make the most of them. Just watch our "genius's" miss an open goal

For the best part of two decades the collective powers that be have buried their heads in the sand, thrutching around from one knee jerk plan to another, without ever accepting the glaring fact that they couldn't afford the riders that they kept insisting they needed. Riders whose own personal agendas often meant matches taking place as contrived, credibility destroying 'guestfests', or ran on nights suited to their calendars, rather than suited to when their clubs would have liked to have ran to get their largest crowds in.. Maybe Covid has finally meant that the "go it alone" policy, that should have been instigated years ago when it was clear Poland were calling the tune, will finally come to fruition and British Speedway will start to be in charge of it's own destiny..