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Buy a £20 lottery advance ticket online and hope that the weather is good, the teams turn up as advertised and not full of R/R , guests. Speedway will have a big problem with advance online ticketing in the fickle British climate. Understand those are the rules imposed .... but upping admission charges for cut price riders and advance ticketing only is a hard sell.

Crazy to think George has never even been offered a team place at NL before. One minor blip on the night when he slid off but other than that was tremendous. Especially when he hunted flint down passed him and pulled away. this is what the NL is all about giving guys like George their break in the sport and it’s great to see him taking it.

Such a shame because as a Sport the excitement level is immense. You know 15 times you have something special about to happen. It’s like having sex 15 times a night but it only lasting a minute. Nothing new there then Ippo fans

George has been around for a number of years having started at Northside training track. He has had a history crash, bang, wallop, but still kept coming up for more. Lately he has started to put it together and now looks an exciting rider when he stays on. Love the hassles and his enthusiasm.

This "NEW LOOK for the Star" thread has been going since 2018. How many new looks has it had in that time?

Correct, Speedway in the UK is dead. It's getting to the point of just being an amateur sport.

Any new fans ? I think over the years it’s been obvious 0% effort been made to attract new fans and 0% effort to listen to and keep existing fans happy . You only have to look at the age group of speedway fans to see new fans isn’t happening . So a marketing campaign very unlikely to happen but I agree that definitely it should happen. As for value for money and dropping quality standards year on year my take on admission prices £15 would be fair . To keep lowering standards and keep putting prices up that can’t be right .

It's dying on it's feet because of the sheer incompetence of those running it and people who stubbornly refuse to recognise the obvious that has happened and is happening in front of their eyes. It's a bit silly to attempt to defend the indefensible.

I'm not getting any younger ... and you're right...Kubera rides for Lublin and Doyle for Leszno It only proves that you guys know Polish speedway better than I do...congratulations!

Sex is like speedway, the first one to finish is the winner...

You forget that unless their 2 untried (in this league) reserves make vast improvements they will struggle. If they do not win that will be their problem to top heavy. Redcar look to have a very strong (if not the strongest) top 3 plus 2 decent second strings with great potential and a good balance at reserve. They are my tips for the top.

For me the results don’t really matter, if the League can produce young talent it will serve its purpose.Personally for me I don’t see any advantage for riders with CL spots apart from more track time.Slick tracks and wear and tear on machinery is all they will benefit from the meetings and there is always a higher risk of injury racing inexperienced youngsters.They must be earning enough to make it pay or it seems pointless IMO.

advertising within speedway has been a problem for many years, they preach to the converted, speedway star etc, the only times i've seen proper advertising was when Jonathan Chapman had the trailer/bikes taken around the area including the high street, also attended various events around town, and also had the tie up with the study centre to try to encourage kids and their family. i know Jonathan wasn't everyone's cup of tea but he tried. the other advertising i've seen is more recent with plenty of adverts for the Isle of Wight around the island, including flyers at the main beaches. the lack of advertising is certainly not a new phenomenon, but with the number of people around the country that have never heard of the sport, or answer when you talk about it that they used to go and is it still running, it's very worrying. it seems that too much is relied on the hard core support, and seeing the age of that hard core support it's got to be worrying. even when i took pictures at speedway i would get them online for people to see, it's all got to be an advert for the sport, but in later years even that was restricted as clubs wanted to only put something out when they decide. to me that was a poor decision that denied those that couldn't make it to a meeting, or stopped people seeing something that might make them want to visit.

The two things which swung this for the Devils were the magnificent performance from George Rothery and our 3&4 pairing getting done over 14-4 in their races together... I said beforehand to the hubby that we’d get a point... that we did... okay, disappointing not to get more but there you go... Another very good show from Leon. Aye, it’s expected of him in this league but if anyone had seen him in his last meeting there, I didn’t think he’d get 13 points. Decent showing from Kyle too... when these two get properly dialled in they will be very very hard to beat anywhere! But Kieran Douglas deserves major plaudits too.... paid 10 from him which, if I’m right, would be one of if not his best scores in a competitive league.. All in all, a decent point and a good start for us ☺️

So it's my fault British Speedway's failing

With people like you taking every opportunity to knock British speedway, it’s little wonder it’s dying on its feet.

think he has a full time job and never ever really had the equipment or finances to do racing great kid

Absolutely, am sure there is a perfectly good reason for it but imagine how good he could potentially be if he was a few years younger? Hopefully he can still improve rapidly and have a good career at a higher level.

Just a late starter to the sport with his birthday being 14/05 /98. He could have been on an educational programme before getting into the sport.

That was mr godfreys reaction to workington wanting to ride on friday nights .

Today’s meeting Daugavpils v Landshut now starts at 1pm UK time

Yes that`s what it says here https://www.pzm.pl/pliki/komunikat/gksz/2021-05/34204/komunikat-gksz-nr-39.pdf As you know that equates to 1pm local and i was surprised and checked to see if that Monday is a bank holiday in Latvia and it isn`t !

Nope, another one from the Cumbrian pipeline off the last few years

Pay £20 and tell them to keep the change? Put it in a charity pot? I can understand people thinking £20 is too much money, but people are made because they won’t go because it’s £19 and not £20

And Kubera too!

George Rothery looks like one to keep an eye on! A pity he’s not 15 or 16 but that’s double figures on two very different tracks, a great start.

Other changes announced today Sunday 16th May Bydgoszcz v Rybnik now starts at 12pm UK time Monday 24th May Ostrow v Gdansk start time 7.15pm UK time moved from Saturday 22nd May

Rumours have it the track watering wasn't upto approved standards... Track watering

Good for you you go and enjoy yourself. Personally, I’ve had a gutful of the whole damn thing. Yesterday, I was given a volley of abuse from one person as my mask wasn’t all the way up yards before I’d even reached the doors of the supermarket. I’ve abided by the rules and never refused to wear one, and was fully prepared to raise my mask over my nose when I actually reached the supermarket like I have every time before. What the hell has happened to people? Sick to the back teeth of it all. Be ar$ed with standing there for a couple of hours with a mask on especially if draconian measures are in place like in the post above where we’re going to be monitored by stewards like naughty school kids. I don’t miss it that much.

Boo bloody hoo , so we've got to wear a face mask for probably the 1st few months of the season until restrictions are eased . Well why don't we ask the Swindon fans if they'd be prepared to wear a mask in the stadium if it meant they could see their team on track this season ? We've been following guidelines and restrictions for the best part of 14 months now what's another few months if it allows the sport of speedway to start this season. Look at the bigger picture people , before it's too late .

I predict scunny will beat Plymouth and Newcastle at home and after that can't see much else

Fixture change announced today Lodz v Bydgoszcz was Saturday May 22nd is now Tuesday May 25th start time 7.15pm UK time N Sport

New dates announced by the Extraleague for the postponed round 4 matches Sunday May 23rd Gorzow v Czestochowa start time 3.30pm UK time N sport Sunday May 23rd Wroclaw v leszno start time 6.15pm UK time N Sport. they have also announced the round 7 TV matches Friday May 28th Czestochowa v Grudziadz start time 5pm UK time Eleven Sport 1 Friday May 28th Gorzow v Torun start time 7.30pm UK time Eleven Sport 1 Sunday May 30th Zielona Gora v Wroclaw start time 3.30pm UK time N Sport Sunday May 30th Lublin v leszno start time 6.15pm UK time N Sport

Big changes announced to the E Winner league programme. All round 5 matches this weekend are moved to the weekend of June 11-14th- the matches were at Krosno, Rybnik, Bydgoszcz and Lodz. Additionally Gniezno v lodz is now on Tuesday May 18th start time 5pm UK time Rybnik v Ostrow is also now on Tuesday May 18th start time 7.15pm UK time Ostrow v Gniezno now on Tuesday May 25th start time 5pm UK time. I can only think the reason for cancelling this weekend`s fixtures is to run them with crowds.

The track record at Exeter was 72.0 set by Goog Hoskin on 7th September 1953, equalled by Barry Briggs on 18th April 1958. The Provincial League track record throughout 1962, as recorded in meeting programmes, was 73.4 by Jack Scott on 19th June 1961. Len Silver's time in heat 4 on 2nd July 1962 was 77.4, not 72.4 as shown on the Speedway Researcher website (72.4 would have been 5 seconds faster than the next best time in that meeting!) Ross Gilbertson set a new PL record of 73.0 on 9th September 1963. In 1965 Exeter decided that a new British League record would be established and the first one shown in the programme was 75.2 by Jack Biggs on 12th April 1965. This was beaten by Goog Allan with 75.0 on 27th April 1965, with this time equalled by Jimmy Squibb on 3rd May. However, Colin Gooddy recorded 74.8 then 74.2 in the same meeting on 3rd May 1965. Reg Luckhurst reduced this to 73.2 on 10th May 1965 (he did not equal a previous record). Trevor Hedge lowered the BL record further on 14th June 1965 to 72.8, which also bettered Gilbertson's PL record time. An incredible ride by Igor Plechanov on 12th July 1965 set an all time record of 71.4.

OFFICIAL BACKING FOR WIGHTLINK WARRIORS The Isle of Wight Shale Track Racing Club has been given the green light to push ahead with their summer of sensational two wheeled sport. Warriors’ bosses Martin Widman and Barry Bishop are celebrating and relieved after the British Speedway Promoters’ Limited (BSPL) Board of Directors backed their plans for a full programme of events at Ryde’s Smallbrook Stadium. Warriors’ co-owner Barry Bishop revealed: “Martin (Widman) and I are absolutely delighted to have secured the support of the BSPL for 2021 which goes some way to easing the pain of the last months. The Island club withdrew from the National Development League (NDL) and the BSPL earlier this year after a fall-out over decisions made over the NDL’s future which, they believed, impacted severely on speedway’s future at Smallbrook, however the co-owners affiliated to the Island club to the NORA Motorsport organisation who licence clubs and riders in a variety of different forms of off-road disciplines on two and four wheels. Bishop added: “We have received an email that confirmed ‘at a recent Board meeting the Directors and the BSP Ltd discussed your advertised amateur events.....The BSP fully support you running amateur and practice events with Nora 92.’ “In my view this is a huge step forward for the Isle of Wight and the sport in general. We are of course saddened that we had to leave the Speedway Control Board (SCB) and BSPL but we feel this is a good start to improving our relationship with each other for the betterment of the sport, our riders, fans and overall product. “Martin and I, along with I am sure everyone else associated with our club, fully welcome their decision and we have informed the SCB, Auto-Cycle Union and BSPL of the amateur NL standard team we intend to have, that BSPL fixtures will be given priority over ours in the event of a fixture clash, and that we remain fully open to an SCB/ACU track inspection at any time that will enable the Isle of Wight to host the fantastic Great Britain Young Lions training camp in February annually and a round of the ACU British 1000cc Sidecar Championships should either express an interest to use Smallbrook Stadium. “Now we fully look forward to opening on Thursday, June 24 with an excellent season ahead, and we wish everyone involved in speedway and shale track racing the most wonderful of seasons and I implore all fans to get behind their clubs in 2021.” The Warriors have already announced an 11-meeting season, racing every Thursday (with one Tuesday exception) between June 24 and September 2. Events will include five National League level challenge matches; three rounds of the Island Masters Championship, two American-style handicap meetings and a Best Pairs. In additional to conventional speedway there will be additional attractions at every meeting, including sidecars, Formula 2 speedway, youth events for riders aged from 5 to 16, and challenges between riders on a variety of different engines, both lay-down and upright. Full information on the calendar of meetings is available at www.warriorsspeedway.com

It was his mum's funeral the day before the meeting, I think it's safe to say that his head was somewhere else on Friday