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I always felt that with the NSS they had a blank piece of paper and that’s the best they could come up with ? When you see something like Toruń or gorzow or even Łódź which are very basic in design but very effective and creates their own atmosphere even when you walk into them when they empty they give you a sense of a special place ,the NSS doesn’t do that,

I know of a rich man who has a nice house and a poor man who has a not so nice house.

It is a bit like chalk and cheese discussing a multi billion pound backed sport like Football and what Speedway has, and as a regular in the 80's and early 90's many football grounds were dreadful.. Sadly it took tragedies such as Heysel, Hillsborough and Bradford to move forward the stadia in football, as "all seater" became the norm, and a pre requisite to gain entry into certain levels.. To do this many clubs received large grants to help make the changes. And then Pay TV companies started paying in billions which encouraged many more to invest for the future by upgrading their stadiums.. What Speedway could do though, given all their restrictions, is to improve the "look" of the stadiums similar to how the football clubs have done with empty stadiums during Covid.. Not a space in front of a camera has been missed to advertise, and Speedway, particularly when on TV, has lots of empty spaces which these "seat covers" could be used to display sponsors names and next match details etc.. Covering empty terracing, either seated or standing, with some branded advertising for the club for example, would add colour, improve the professional look of the place and improve "brand image" massively to the person watching at home.. I always think the NSS is perfect both down the back straight and the grandstand to move fans into sections (making it look fuller straight away) and giving "blocks" over to advertising covering the seats, and sections of the back straight.. There is loads of TV coverage of these areas in every single race which could also earn the track a few quid in extra revenue by allowing sponsors or even just local businesses to rent it for the night.. Like a lot of things, it doesnt always need much money throwing at something to make it look better and more appealing..

Now is the time for the uk to go it’s own way, take a step back, change the sport, appeal again to its working man’s audience again, stop trying to be something it isn’t, it’s apeal has always been its rawness it’s connection to its fans , change the engines, stop lining the pockets of the tuners, nothing is gained by the pursuit of speed in our sport, there was a quote in the polish section of the SS a couple of weeks ago where a guy said polish speedway has lost its soul and as much as I love polish speedway it’s true it has, the balance has tipped in favour of business, when we finally get through this covid crap, the world will have changed and if people think speedway will just pick up and carry on as normal then they are in for a shock, now is the time to change the sport for the better, I honestly believe poland won’t be far behind us

I Heard- Stock Cars also have crap stadiums. Nothing to be compared with F1

I believe if possible that the current numbers of stadiums will eventually become obsolete. Some may remain in private hands .. The sport should look to move to arenas on grass Circuits with shale - temporary seating - lower costs and family focused - cadets - juniors - teams - semi professional set up as community interest companies - as a proper constitution - with the broader focus on the community - families and re addressing the mistakes of the past and moving away from the old private individual owners business format . so profits can be reinvested into the sport - supporters clubs - memberships etc . Re - establish their sport under a new business model

I said year's ago, the survival of speedway in Britain, will be a 'track in a field' and maybe we aren't far away from that fact. You will still get people who want to support the sport, probably the same number of people who have been supporting it up until now. Also, league racing would need to go and have individual meetings instead. Perhaps, if it took off from that base, the sport could creep back into some decent stadiums.

Quite right. The original email said we will get another 30 days to apply for a refund following the announcement of a new date. However, reading the Belle Vue announcement for next year's dates, they are described as provisional so I assume (?) we won't be given an opportunity to get a refund until the date is confirmed. Whenever that might be.

...and I know a poor man who doesn't have (own) a house at all. If he wants to have "an event" he has to rent it for one day in a week. He has no ways, or more precisely the money for improvement or modernisation, so his "do's" are staged at places which people less and less want to attend. No sitting , no proper loos facilities, but entry to it cost more money than an average working man wishes to part with.

PROBABLY because the FIM is the international governing body for all forms of motorcycle racing

Ha, ha. Some, I grant you, are more dilapidated than others.

Stock Car fans are in uproar because they like Stock Cars so think they should be racing at Silverstone.

Yes When I go to WH Smiths, the football magazines are all right at the front, and if they have a Speedway Star at all, it is tucked away. Is that the cause or the effect of speedways decline I wonder ? You might also ask why when you are 80 years old, you can't run as fast as when you were 20 ? Or why you don't catch as many fish with a rod and line as a trawler does with a large net.....or that piece that Eric Cantona said about seagulls or something

Spot on. You get the feeling that the track and the grandstand were the absolute priorities and the rest was managed with what funds were left. The back straight is obviously a temporary structure but I enjoy watching from there as much as the seating in the opposite side. I’m sure with a bottomless pit of money the NSS could have been the greatest speedway arena in the world but in reality there were financial constraints. Having a blank canvas misses the point rather.

I think there is some kind of legal protection/tie-in for the stadium. I believe some of the locals would love to see the stadium go, but it is fairly well protected.

Football attracts/receives grants and/or loans (in response to the Taylor Report?) to the best of my knowledge but I'm happy to be put right?

This is pretty much every sport that exists. It's now all about how much money can be made rather than the interests of sport as a whole. Speedway is no longer about rider's just having fun, it's a living, that in itself means searching for the best. Frames, engines, tuners, tyres, etc etc. Speedway is in such a position it can't now turn the clock back & reset. In the UK we're finding it hard enough to find rider availability hence doubling up & guest riders. To go back & start from scratch I can see a single club surviving. With industry as it is up & down the UK there's not really a 'working mans' class as it once was anymore. There is no substantial jobs today that are down & dirty for little money. Predominantly if you have a full time job your comfortably in the 'then' middle class equivalent. Society today quite simply just don't want to spend a night out getting covered in dirt & dust, it's really just as simple as that.

Actually, Ipswich Town football stadium is owned by the council.

A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs!

IMO the sensible thing would have been to refund everyone and start with a clean sheet when everything is confirmed for next year.

Yes and has often been said that speedway more often than not takes place in stadiums that are not owned by the relevant promotion whereas as in football the scenario is very different.

Hi John, hope you are well. Yes, but to be fair, the state of speedway's stadiums has been discussed many times on here, for all the years since I joined this forum. While speedway remains in the doldrums, that isn't going to change. I imagine the watchword for British speedway at the present time, is survival!

I've been to many Polish league meetings and tracks also and completely agree with above. Sadly they are a different league to here on all levels. Lets hope things get back on the up next year here.

You obviously haven’t been to Warsaw, Torun or seen the improvements at Bydgoszcz or Gdańsk or a few others for that matter . Polish fans are very knowledgable and very keen to talk to British fans, if you make the effort. Travel broadens the mind. if you think Kings Lynn is good, you need to get around more.

To be brutally honest I have no idea... I am not even sure if the promotions know what they are going to do... there appears to be more than one spanner in the works... usually on the run up to Christmas everything is sorted teams wise with one or two slots left to fill and the team make ups are being released to the public as clubs plan for the build up to the new season... but this year for 2021 your guess is as good as mine til we find out the team build points and more importantly what riders are available... one thing I would guess at is teams in our league will have 3 or 4 riders doubling up as I just can't see where all the riders are going to come from... Interesting times... Regards THJ

I think the article confirmed the FIM doesn't do much for speedway. I think they should have left the FIM years ago and said so years ago

If you would have taken a short drive from Lynn to say Brancaster to Salthose, just stunning. For me, North Norfolk is one of the finest coast lines in England

Silver played his part by selling to a bloke who had no idea about the sport and had no attachment to the sport or club. A decision which has ultimately seen the demise of the club. Warren Scott had no real interest and then left the running of the club to Steve Jenson who again had no idea about the sport and came across as completely out of his depth. Had all the personality of a wet lettuce and employed people like Peter Schroeck who was out of his depth. Also seems he overpaid with wages to Harris, Nicholls, KK etc causing issues in the second season in the top flight. The whole situation is an absolute disgrace and sums up the sport and the prats running it. A track with unlimited restrictions, history in the sport and a profitable business for nearly 20 years. Then half a season of financial issues (due to being forced to run on a weekday by the BSPA) and the track is lost and ripped out within a couple of years. Chapman and Godfrey were an abomination in charge of the sport and played a huge part in the demise as well. Two more incompetent fools would be hard to find. Bringing fixed race nights nearly ruined many clubs and cost Rye. Rye has never been a midweek club and it was never going to work. After very good crowds in 2017(racing on Fridays/Saturdays) and only just missing out on the playoffs, you can't blame BMR for giving it ago in the top league again but the rule bought in killed the club. For the BSPA to then just chuck the club out midseason and wash their hands of the club was a disgrace. I wouldn't have thought Silver very rarely ever lost money at Rye and Jenson confirmed the finances were in good shape after the first season in the top flight. Three months of problems and the decisions of the BSPA meant the bulldozers have moved in eventually. With idiots like Godfrey still in charge of the sport, there is no hope. This is the bloke who stopped clubs running on their usual nights in case he needed guests for his club... How did the bloke in there now, Ricky Musk get hold of the venue off BMR? Why were the BSPA not in touch with BMR as soon as they knew they had problems and taking on the stadium or getting another promoter in there? They sat on their backsides and let someone like Keven Jolly try and get a deal to race at a venue where speedway was the number one priority at the venue for many years The situation at Rye should make every fan who has an interest in the sport very, very angry. A club with a long history and who had very healthy crowds in 2017 are now lost forever. A sad indictment on the sport.

Superb talent and remember him bursting onto the scene well. I think it would be fair to say with his talent at a young age , he should of ended up with a world championship medal. was arguably the most exciting rider in the world around 2004/5/6ish.

Just to keep you happy, I'd argue with it. I'd put Nicki ahead of Greg!

It's hard to know what would have happened if someone didn't exist... Don't get me wrong, TRICK WAS an absolute legend of the sport, but you seem to be forgetting another great that was there at the same time as Jason. Why didn't Jason win the World title in 2003? He finished 17 points ahead of Tony that year. Why didn't Jason win the World title in 2007? Tony had retired! Why didn't Jason win the World title in 2008? Tony was still retired! 6 times champ was there for Jason if there hadn't been someone better than him...Nicki Pedersen. Don't get me wrong...Absolute respect for Jason. Great rider. Great Champion...But he could have had that 6 world titles alongside Tony, but there was a Dane who was better in those years.

I hate Polish stadiums, just cold and concrete, the racing feels so far away, no close contact with the riders, no hanging over the pit area or chatting with those standing in the riders stand for Polish fans, nah not for me. Can't bloody wait to get back supporting King's Lynn Stars, absence has made the heart grow fonder. Yes the racing needs to be great at every stadium, no fan wants to watch follow the leader, equally I don't want to watch riders just making mistakes for the passes to happen, lots of racing lines is the way to go for our sport .........