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I would also suggest that those who rock up to the track while on holiday on the island won’t really care what competition they’re watching as long as they have a good night out.

Are you serious - speedway at Wembley! Pinch yourself and wake up! All us older ones have beautiful dreams, but they are not reality. Many years ago Speedway was kicked out of Wembley by football. I don’t think they going to disturb Wembley turf anytime soon. And actually, to be honest, not all the racing at Wembley was good, just like not all racing at Cardiff is good. Wembley, though, had an atmosphere like no other. But some posters recently have said they been to the new Wembley for a match and the atmosphere of old is not there - it’s like a railway station, one poster said. It’s been sanitised, it’s not there anymore. Cardiff has the magic of being in the centre of a major city, where sport is encouraged, it’s alive with everything to sustain it - hotels, shops, bars, parks, communication links, crowd capacity, weatherproofing. As much as many dislike the place.....it’s got a lot going for it that I don’t think any other place in place in Britain has at the moment, or I can see in the foreseeable future.

Agree. Plus the support from the Welsh Government is a huge enabler for a GP to take place in Cardiff. That wouldn't happen in London - its not a place that EVER goes short on visitors, so there wouldn't be any state support. Personally, I love Cardiff...I can accept that sometimes the racing has not been great. But you can say that for 95% of tracks can't you? In recent years 2019's racing was poor, but I thought there was some great stuff in 2017/2018. The city centre carnival atmosphere is unique in the speedway calendar, Cardiff is pretty accessible for most via air, rail or car and it's always a city well worth visiting. Another gripe seems to be hotel prices..well, if you are creative, you can still find a bargain. Though I'm not going to reveal my sources here! I find people's desire for Wembley to be misplaced romanticism. The surrounding area of Brent is a world away from Cardiff City Centre in atmosphere and amenities. It would be another temporary track...so the same issues at Cardiff. Plus if you think accommodation in Cardiff is pricey....wait til you get to London on your over priced transport! Finally, I honestly don't think Wembley has the atmosphere of the Principality. It's a very sterile place and whatever history and magic there might have once been under the Twin Towers has long, long gone. I'm very open minded to change, but I think all in all, Cardiff is a good as it could ever get for the British GP. I'd be hard pressed to name another stadium or city that could deliver a comparable all round package. Odsal? Well, I hope it comes back. There were some standout moments at the 85 and 90 finals. But it's another place that seems to get over romanticised. I found it quite cavernous and lacking in prestige. I preferred the more compact Shay for domestic speedway and for top level speedway, Odsal was a step down from the old Wembley, Cardiff or many of the overseas venues that have hosted World Championship or GP speedway.

It's been fun reading about Wembley dreams on a thread about Odsal.... I'm totally confused about why some think that Wembley would automatically mean a 55k crowd. When Wembley was used, there were a bunch of tracks with good crowds around London. There are none now. Speedway is dead in the capital. I get the dream of the "history", but the current Wembley stadium ISN'T the one that the history was at, and I'd be surprised if thousands of extra fans turned up JUST BECAUSE it was Wembley. Let's not forget that Ullevi also had a pretty good history in the sport, but didn't really capture the crowds for a GP. Let's also not forget that the racing at the old Wembley generally wasn't anything to get too excited about. Cardiff has been called boring by a good few on this thread. Feel free to call me crazy, but I've seen more good races from Cardiff than I have from Wembley. Most of the old World Final races from Wembley that I have seen have been, frankly, awful. There were a very small number of classics, but most of the racing was gate and go boredom...In my opinion, the World Finals at Odsal (sorry for bringing up the subject of this thread) provided FAR better racing than either Wembley or Cardiff, but Cardiff is STILL the best option for a GP in the UK for many reasons, if you ask me (especially if the Welsh are willing to chuck a bunch of cash at our sport )

You see I dont view any meeting as "Mickey Mouse", although I admit some maybe more attractive than others. However we put on a show, week in, week out... and this is what people want to see now. It's true to say in my view we risk having a sport where the only entertainment is whether your team gets the league points or not and not the "show" on the track. For me, it's showtime every time. All the best

HOPE this link works ... https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-did-britain-fall-out-of-love-with-speedway

Mickey Mouse events? A few seasons ago the Premier League Play Off Final (the flagship event of the whole UK Speedway season) was set to have two riders guesting who were actually going to 'swap' teams after the first leg... Meaning each would ride for BOTH teams... Whatever the IOW do in the coming season I would suggest that they would be very hard pushed to be more 'Mickey Mouse' than that. .. In fact, I would think even Disney would struggle to be so... Best of luck to the IOW this season...

Get a grip it was 40 years ago . The declining numbers at Cardiff prove what it has become - a bore fest.

I'm sure most fans would prefer to see a league fixture against a real Kent team rather than one against a made up Reading team. BUT That is trumped by my desire to see a well run entertaining meeting, with a good atmosphere, and where you sense that the promoters cherish the spectators rather than regarding them as an inconvenience. ..so I will be continuing my sponsorship of the club, and look forward to an exciting adventure into the unknown.

If truth were told, I think Warriors fans (and I think you have to take all circumstances into account before forming a view) would prefer league racing. Having said that, I am not aware of one of them that does not fully support the decision to pull out of the NL. Its a view shared by many others across the sport, including Peter Oakes, Bruce Cribb, Bert Harkins and James Easter as well as fans from other clubs. At the very, very least, it is completely understandable. That's because of the particular way Isle of Wight have been treated, which is shabby at best. Forced to accept a points limit that they believe - entirely reasonably - will damage their business without any consideration whatsoever and at the behest of and by clubs who have no involvement in the NL whatsoever, they have had enough and that's scarcely surprising. Perhaps what sticks in the craw most is if there had indeed been a vote by NL clubs alone - I doubt if anyone does not accept that that was not the correct way forward (after all why should Glasgow have more say about the Warriors future than the Warriors themselves) - the 34 point limit would almost certainly have been thrown out, which is probably why it was imposed. They now at least have far more choice over their own destiny, and its not difficult to argue that that is better than being subject to the incompetent, selfish and inept control of the BSPL - because if there is indeed anything 'Mickey Mouse' about Speedway, its that. I'd say a major part of Speedway's problems have stemmed from the fact that there has been so little attempt to make it entertaining and a reliance on taking its fans for granted because its a sport. The two, in my view, are indelibly linked.

You came on the forum to latch on to speedway as you had little support for what you were doing .. you hardly had enough people to hold up a banner outside the Abbey .Why would any speedway fans need to work together with you as stopping dogs would mean the Abbey would be less likely to reopen .You bring nothing to the table in terms of helping speedway return I would say it was more telling that someone who says they are not going to reply to someone does so in there next post ... bet you eat a bacon sandwich when no ones looking

OR London ...

Why is Wembley being mentioned? Now owned by the FA, there will be nothing allowed to interfere with the hallowed turf.

Best quote/post i have read for a long time. Whilst no team meetings are truely even the IOW promotion have a great opportunity to provide equal level oppositions for the matches and greatly enhance the chances of a close run entertaining contest. Looking at any league fixtures for any club there are often very few that provide a shock/interesting result. By stacking the deck slightly in favour of the visiting sides and providing a track brilliantly suited to racing im sure IOWSTRC will provide many entertaining evenings.

As one enlightened promoter once remarked what is the point in increasing admission fees if it results in a significant number of fans no longer attending.

I will start by saying thanks for the update on the website. However, there is a lot more information I (and presumably many others) would like. Information about admission to the other leagues. Will advance ticketing be the only way to gain admission. What are the prices. Will there be a surcharge for Paypal or something similar. Will the situation change on 21st June (assuming lockdown easing goes to plan). Do you need to print your own tickets ( I assume I may not be the only speedway currently without access to a working printer). What is the situation regarding any post ponements?

Great to see third tier speedway back in the north. Much needed chances for lads like the Millars and George Rothery and great to see George in double figures. Scottish speedway has a great tradition for producing some amazing speedway talent and it would be great to see that starting to trickle through again.

Quite enjoyable that meeting. Track seemed to slick though

I agree, weekly speedway at Odsal would be instant failure but a season of perhaps individual, showcase events, like stock cars, could be the answer, an independant neutral track for play off's or the fours meeting etc, do both leagues on the same day, mind you that would lead to some riders riding for two teams, could get complicated. Odsal needs to think outside the current, severely dated speedway box.

We’ll see lots of strung out races with this low points limit and how teams have set up. The new 3.00 riders will be nowhere near Flint & Bickley and probably Blair too. But there should be some interesting races between themselves. But at this point in time, I’m just glad that speedway is back and we’re able to watch it.

We move on to tomorrow`s match( weather permitting) Krosno v Bydgoszcz start time 3pm UK time links http://spedway.ucoz.lv/ http://www.maniak.tv/mk7 http://www.drhtv.com.pl/drhtv-4.html

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Its entirely a clubs choice how they operate but as ive said on other topics a price increase could easily force spectators away especially in a sport that is in my opinion right at the top of its price point. Use it or lose it is fair enough but if the value, entertainment or any other reason is enough to stop people attending then tracks will close the same way as a shop not offering value or a relevant product would fold. Businesses such as speedway need to look at ways of reducing costs to maintain a level of financial standing rather than continually forcing prices up. The numbers who will blindly pay any price are rapidly dwindling.

Maybe Goddens have found the perfect Central Park Engine. Quick to warm up, great on concrete for the first 3 rides, drives off an adverse camber and then great on over-watered blue tarmac and cuts out automatically after 2 hours

Nice to hear some practicing going on at Ashfield today , miss the sound of those bikes .

THEY are

Thought the numbers at Cardiff were fairly consistent at around 40,000

I sit behind you Mr Taps... but get to stadium at different times. As do most, if not all of our group. Would make sense that we book as a 6.... but will that happen? We tried to do that for doomed British Final but for whatever reason it didn't work. Are kids tickets included ?

NO you stated that there was a capacity crowd at Wembley in 1970 ... And that was complete fantasy. ... But because the 40 k made a lot of noise it misled you. And 40k at Cardiff making a he'll of a lot of noise ... That is some sort of failure. La La land.

DIDN'T realise Wembley is the capital of England. It is not exactly in the heart of London. Nothing like the local facilities (hotels, bars, restaurants) that Cardiff has to offer.

Well crafted, a nice comfortable read. The political link was one I hadn't considered before. Thank you for the link.

i will choose what people or what posts i reply to on a public forum, i don't get told by saps like you ..if you don't like people replying to you then don't post in the first place, its not hard to follow even for you . The ironic thing is that she has reply to me of course .. hard to make these things up

What a ridiculous viewpoint. If there are additional costs for ANY entertainment it has naturally got to be passed on to the public who enjoy it. All businesses are in being to earn a profit. That is what makes the World go round. Why on earth should a Speedway promoter be expected to put his hand in his pocket so that the fans can enjoy what he is paying for ? I am sure many of them actually do that...but NOT from choice, of that I am sure. If fans do not support their club, it will die and their pleasure ceases. Simple really and I am very happy to pay my share of the costs so that I can get my once a week fix of Speedway. Been like that since I was a teenager and that was a very long time ago.

Thats for the Premiership teams, not the Championship.

But not Odsal.

Been to Cardiff several times and always a real treat. Some of my mates are not real Speedway fans but they love the experience. The atmosphere outside the stadium with thousands of fans milling about, the electric atmosphere inside the stadium, the colour, the razamataz etc. Some really nice bars and restaurants at the waterfront once the live action has finished. Locals absolutely fine with us and no problems whatsoever.

Love this. Favourite part of off season for me so thanks once again Islander 1. Kinsley 8.00 2. Clouting 3.13 3. Atkins 5.86 4. D Thompson 5.50 5. J Thompson 6.48 6. Hagon 3.00 7 Ablitt 3.00 Total 34.97......feeling lucky this year

I always felt the tipping point for speedway, was when it went up to over a pound a race.

£20 is my limit, if a booking fee takes it above that I won’t be going!

If we're looking at Ekstraliga only (so from 1999 onwards) then Nicki Pedersen in 2008 - 2,853 Back in 1991 (it was called 1 liga back then) Hans Nielsen averaged 2,917 in 9 meetings (out of 14), different times though, riders like Lars Gunnestad and Mitch Shirra were smashing it in Poland And way back when, pre-foreign riders in Poland, Zenon Plech in 1978 - 2,889

Have massive respect for the Mancs, probably the most successful team in history, and like the Wolves seem to have been around from day 1. Peter Craven was my first shale hero. Surprised they havent won the League since 93. Not as bad as Spurs though! Enjoyed my visit with Swindon to Vue around 2004, good fans apart from a couple of those mouthy Madchester Mexicans.

Perhaps but in this day and age most people can literally stand outside a venue and purchase an e ticket on their phone in a couple of minutes. I believe Lynn are selling a limited number of tickets on the night for 2021 for those unable to purchase online, this seems a sensible move.

I seen some excellent races and good meetings at Cardiff, live and on tv. The atmosphere was up there with Wembley.

Very true, my work colleague in Swindon has only been to one speedway meeting, the last Cardiff GP. He thought it was excellent. Disappointed it's not on again this year.

MY only issue with Warsaw is that it is out of town whereas the Principality is slap bang in the middle of Cardiff and requires just a short walk from bar to stadium

Is that relevant when the post you are replying to is comparing Cardiff to the NSS?

As much as belle Vue is an excellent track, the facilities are poor, mobile burger vans and pop up tents for beer, and portaloo cabins, after the speedway world cup it took me over 1 hour to catch a bus with spaces back into central Manchester

Granted that Belle Vue is a great race-track, but:- How many Pubs/Clubs/Restaurants are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How many Hotels are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How many fast food outlets are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How many Shopping Malls are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How many vast pedestrian areas are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How many Castles and other tourist attractions are within walking distance of Belle Vue? How much cheap University accommodation is available within walking distance of Belle Vue? They all add up to a great weekend's experience.

Switch it to the Arlington raceway Eastbourne. Be lovely to see the Poles have a complete and utter meltdown..