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I think a packed NSS will give an equally or better communal feel than a third full Principality stadium. The fanzone on City Hall Lawn was 0.7 miles from the stadium using google maps. This equates to a 15-20 walk. I would imagine the fanzone this year will be a lot nearer and with the addition of festival style marquee bars and catering it shouldn’t be too difficult to replicate the booze, food and social aspect of Cardiff. If you do fancy the 15-20 minute walk as has been the norm then there is loads of bars to choose from. One other advantage of Manchester is the nightlife following the event as this is at a different level to Cardiff. A short trip on public transport would have you in the heart of the city where, if you want you can party on until morning.

When Cardiff was dropped and Manchester was announced 90% of comments, threads, posts etc, were all about the social side which suggests most people that went went for the social side.

You comment is silly. The capacity is the capacity. The variable factor is the price. Since it sold out so quickly, the price seemingly could have been higher. That's how supply and demand economics works. "What you are saying is like saying, if Ferrari worked harder and made an extra 30 million cars every year, we could all buy a new Ferrari for £10,000. In reality, the supply of Ferraris is limited, and those that can afford to pay for them, get them at the market-clearing price. Re Cardiff, I think it has run its course. The novelty has worn off, and Manchester will be massively better. The big draw of Cardiff was the social side, and when it drew 40,000 the streets were swarming with people and the stadium had a great atmosphere. We used to go every year, but last year was the first time I'd been for 5 years. The atmosphere, both in the city centre and in the stadium was noticeably more subdued. Cardiff's racing is never that great, and its notorious problem of not having enough hotels is a problem when Cardiff is so out-of-the-way for many people. Belle Vue doesn't have the same problems as the racing is superb, and being more central in Britain makes it more accessible. I'm looking forward to these very special meetings on a superb track I can get to in under an hour.

There is absolutely no excuse for that lack of professionalism. Others manage it, so why can’t Lynn? The whole idea of press day in particular is to get the team photos done and promote the bloody sport! Can’t do that if riders don’t bother turning up 🙄 Pathetic.

Cardiff has gone unfortunately, time to move on .

Not as Farcical as running it during the season when half the field are second strings.

Pints on Sunday and thirsty Thursdays

Why? Starting the season with two high-profile matches with the best riders, who are actually going to be there rather than being injured or not being bothered. Typical speedway fans though, lose their minds when there's change or they don't like something!

You just said it yourself. That use to go. 40k people attending stopped years and years ago sadly. As an event it became stale. Show by the stay away numbers

Won’t be going not bothering trying to get a ticket wouldn’t have been that bad as i d be coming over from Sheffield . But to me the whole thing as been diluted with the point scoring system the fact that anyone finishing in the top ten on the night can win the meeting and that this is not the top riders in the world the gp in my opinion has become a joke .But that said I hope that anyone who has got tickets enjoys a great night out

Mrs got tickets this morning for her and my lad but I said don’t get me any ,if they still got some left on the day/s I might go but belle vue just doesn’t inspire me as a GP venue, I’m not knocking the place it’s great and all that for league racing but I want something different from the GP and belle vue just doesn’t offer it imo

Klindt is at 3. Iversen at 4 Kildemand at 2 for Oxford. Riss at 4

2022 with Sheffield.

Good lad Tom!

Great approach. Speedway fans are always treat with the respect that paying a fortune to watch it should deserve so I’m sure this occasion wont be any different.

Dry but rainfall radar suggests the heavy rain I drove through to get here may arrive soon. Tou h and go I'd say

Just for clarity, are you referring to temporary bars at the fan zone when you say 15-20 minute walk? If you quoting 15-20minures for 0.7 miles to the fan zone in Cardiff, then it's over an hour to walk into Manchester for the city's bars and restaurants. I think the point being missed here is that it's not just that people want to get beered up. In Cardiff, the Speedway had a presence throughout the city on GP day. All the bars & restaurants full of fans from all over, street vendors selling merchandise on street corners etc. Speedway took over the City for the day and people enjoyed that celebration of Speedway with fellow fans. With the limited capacity and distance to the stadium, I can't see that being recreated in Manchester city centre. I've only been to one other GP venue other than Cardiff. We went to Prague, and yes, there were bars and restaurants galore, in a beautiful city, which we loved, but apart from one advertising poster & seeing Kelvin Tatum in an Irish bar, I would have had no idea that that Speedway was happening. At least the metro system made it easier to get to the stadium though. It lacked the atmosphere created in Cardiff and both myself & my wife (who isn't a fan, but always wanted to come to Cardiff) felt that it fell a bit flat compared to the Cardiff experience.

Equally you would have thought they'd have said something knowing there must be huge questions amongst the fans.

Socialising and the fanzone will be just fine imo. Parking is on a par with Cardiff. Just incase anyone was put off by the bus comment these are the actual times a 10-15min walk from the stadium. (The duplicate times are when 2 buses are available). Buses 192, 201, 202, 203. 19.00 19.02 19.02 19.07 19.09 19.12 19.14 19.17 19.22 19.22 19.26 19.28 19.30 19.31 19.35 19.40 19.44 19.48 19.50 19.52 19.52 19.57 19.58 Later hours are very similar. I take on board your other points and respect your decision.

Great value for those further afield will definitely be streaming it

IF the racing is as good as it can be at bv then i think how good cardiff was as a weekend will be forgotten at the end of the day the track action is what it is and should all be about that is what will leave memories and a legacy

I prefer the new idea. Don't understand the negativity on this one.

a prime example that you just cant please everybody personally i think it makes a lot of sense to hold it early when everybody will (should) be there

But people complained about riders pulling out of the rider championship last season and were up in arms! No wonder British speedway can’t win, people just love a good twine.

The comment was not silly at all and to call comments silly and accuse people of being trolls are normally the comments that are reached for when somebody has no real cogent case to put forward. A better analogy was my holding the FA Cup Final at a non-league ground. Speedway is not in the business of economics (or selling Ferrari's), it's in the business of Sports Entertainment and it's a shame you do not understand that, if it were purely down to economics they should concentrate on the Financial Services industry or something and get out of Speedway. Did I ever say I found the racing at Cardiff a draw? No, I did not, that's something you've assumed. What attracted me to Cardiff was the sense of event, thousands of people being at the same place I was because of a shared passion and while we're on the subject of the racing, I never thought it was quite as bad as some of the naysayers on here claimed (but then I do watch my Speedway at Leicester 😉). For me it was very much like a music concert event, I've seen Dave Grohl murder his Foo Fighters songs for 2 hours live, the quality was shocking but the experience was unforgettable... and by the way that was with 80,000 others at the MK Bowl and not the local Village Church Hall. The NSS has the best Speedway race track in the world in my opinion... it's just not fit for purpose as a SGP venue.

Your comment was silly. And his analogy with Ferraris was a well-illustrated explanation of the ecomonics of supply and demand. Shame you still don't understand. Thankfully those at WBD/FIM/Belle Vue (whoever set the prices) had a better grasp of economics. Surprised you found the racing at Cardiff to be the draw rather than just the social atmosphere of the occasion. (although I expect you are trolling rather than admitting to having no social life). Racing clearly will be 10 times better at Belle Vue.

To, in your first sentence, say that my comment is silly and in the very next paragraph go on about Ferrari's is quite absurd, we are talking about a working class sport that is struggling to attract a new generation of fans. Of course the capacity is variable, that's why they've got the East Stand! If they didn't the capacity would be around 4,000! To say the draw of Cardiff was the social side, well that may have been the case for you, but it wasn't for me and who's to say it was for anybody else, that's quite an assumption. The fact of the matter is that even at Cardiff's worst attendance there'll be around 15,000 less people attending the British Speedway GP this year, result!

Great Post.

No. not even even with covers. Simply because the track was perfectly dry as the introduction of the riders was commencing , but then the heavens opened with continuous heavy rain for 90 minutes - such conditions making it simply impossible for any outdoor/permanent speedway track to be raced on. great shame for Dougy & the assembled fans as a fantastic line up went to waste - for now

Come on you need to take your Belle Vue blinkers off... holding a GP at Belle Vue after 25 years at Cardiff is like holding the FA Cup Final at a non league ground! If you think that losing Cardiff is a positive then the sport in this country really is finished. And by the way, I have got my tickets and I will be going along and enjoying myself despite the cost which I will have forgotten about by then.

Stop talking sense Phil, the locals don't like that on here. This post is far too positive for this forum lol.

Jesus Christ you've lost me now, I don't why you even bother with Speedway your so negative.

I’m blessed and honoured. 😂

They did hold tickets back in grandstand for the one day sales. they have to. They can’t tell you there will be one day tickets and then say there isn’t any when they are on sale. I worked it out that there is around 400 tickets saved for Wednesday for the one dayers. pricing I thought was a little steep in the grandstand but Bloodyhell they sold way quicker than I thought so they got the pricing right. all they got to do now is use the money they got from this to improve the south facilities before the GP hopefully

Then the club won't have any complaints when people don't bother

Or it says the capacity wasn't enough... it may be a harder sell next year when the prices will undoubtedly be higher and all those that have given Cardiff a miss because "the racing was crap" realise that watching a GP at the NSS is just like watching the PCMT or British Final, absolutely nothing "special" about it at all.

If you hadn't noticed the sport, in the UK at least, is on its absolute arse. Those type of prices do nothing to try and attempt to bring new fans into the sport. If you genuinely think the prices are reasonable then good for you. It seems the majority don't. The minority who do are all Belle Vue fans.

Just doing a quick Google search the price of hiring grandstands seems to be around £100 per seat, so assuming the East Stand seats 3,000 that's £300,000, divide that by the total capacity, let's go with 7,000, and split that over the 2 nights, that suggests that each ticket this year includes a £21 charge for the East Stand. Double that for 1 night means a £69 ticket this year could start from £90 next year, assuming there's no double header again... that'll test people!

I will definitely agree it was time to move from Cardiff. Back in the day when crowds were regular pushing 40,000 it was superb and the whole day was great. I haven't been since 2012 but to see the crowds so low on the TV was a shame. It had definitely served its time and I don't actually disagree with it going to Belle Vue. We all know it will be a good GP weather permitting and in fairness your not that far away from the City. What gets me is how they have charged such huge prices for it. If I still lived in the UK, would I have gone? Probably to be honest but it still doesn't sit right with me. Despite my previous comments, I do hope you have two days of sunshine and superb racing and it goes well.

Do you think so? I would have thought it'd be more as the cost of the East Stand will have to be recouped in one night next year. Surely that's the main cost, I would assume any staging fees for 2 GP's this year will have been reduced to help WBD out with the pulling of the plug at Cardiff... who knows 🤷‍♂️

Seems really odd they've persisted on with saying Cook will be representing the Bandits after everything that's been said over last 24 hour... Really poor from the club imo.

That was never really going to be difficult to sell-out tbh, how sustainable it is remains to be seen

Having it at the NSS may very well be good for the purist but as a showpiece event, the biggest Speedway meeting of the year in the UK it won't get any attention outside of the Speedway world at all, as it never did when it was held at Hackney, Bradford or Coventry WBD have absolutely run the whole event into the ground, no showpiece events anymore, except for Warsaw, a bunch of mediocre riders at a provincial stadium and costing a bloody fortune whether you decide to attend or watch it on TV. The sooner they are out of our sport the better!

Being charged those prices for a speedway meeting is a rip off. Of course the tickets were going to sell - you could add even more to the price and they would because there are plenty of wealthy people who will pay the prices. That prat Saltbae or whatever he is called (the Arab chef), his restaurants were full for years despite rip off prices and most who went leaving underwhelmed. He charged a fortune yet had a full house every night and I have been to one of his restaurants and it was an absolute rip off. Thats the first example of many that come to mind. Just because people pay the prices doesn't mean its not a rip off. Be interesting to see what you would say if the meeting was being held somewhere else in the UK with those prices being released.

The new Sheffield captain. No surprises for me Picko the man.

Point taken. Mean to say he wasn't in the class of TRick, Nicki P, Crumpy even Hancock when it came to the smaller tracks.

The simple answer, as someone who works in speedway, and in media in general including the BBC, the whole media landscape is incomparable to how it used to be even 5 or 6 years ago. Did the media lose interest or do they have hardly any staff left to write anything? However many people you think work in sports departments in newsrooms for either print or broadcast media, the reality will be a fraction of that, and really (as already happens) it’s down to those within the sport to lay the content on a plate in order to get coverage. Loads and loads of old long time journalists have left, been made redundant, taken retirement, died etc. So the people who used to bang the drum for speedway on the inside are no longer there. British Speedway sends news reports out on a daily basis, and even in the off season whenever something happens it is released directly to the media to hundreds of places. The way newsrooms work, you have certain sports guaranteed to take 90% of the coverage (mainly football etc), all other sports from Speedway to every sport in the Olympics and beyond are battling for that remaining 10%, and for the most part I’d include domestic rugby and county cricket in that. We also need personalities with a story. You mention Kenny Carter and Wiggy always being on the TV, they would not have been on the TV regardless of how good they were as riders if they were dullards. They were on because they were good value & entertaining. Results are at best going to get a passing mention, I would say the pre hype or some kind of human interest story would more likely get decent coverage, but to do that we need the personalities first. Chicken and egg I know, but that’s the situation. So I’d say it’s a mix of everything, but also don’t lose sight that a lot does happen, you may not see it yourself but it is there. We have regular stories in national newspapers such as The Sun & The Star & Mirror via Peter Oakes & Phil Lanning, we have many local BBC sport shows running speedway features and even live commentaries, we’ve had big coverage of the GB Youth training camp on the north east ITV News recently even in the closed season as such, coverage on ITV on the south coast of Kent I think too. We don’t quite have the resources of other sports at the moment but, people are trying to gain maximum coverage with the resources and contacts we have, and what we have now is undoubtedly better than what we’ve had in recent years. A way to go but we’ll get there.

The most despised person at Borussia Monchengladbach? The one who shouts... "Give us a B!".... The sport is tiny, with no major sponsors, an ageing white middle aged, and above demographic fanbase, hardly any competitor's, and an operating model ran with a credibility rating akin to pro Wrestling... A credibility rating which reduces any silverware success to fhe level of "Sunday League" sports who have a similar "lets bring in ringers" philosophy... Eg Thank you NKI for playing a significant role in Belle Vue becoming Champions, but Boool!!! For Bomber for helping Ipswich beat the Aces in the semi the year before... Before he then helped Sheffield beat Ipswich in the final.. . All played out in a wide ranging level of stadium standards and comfort, often miles away from what a 1995 audience, let alone a 2025 audience, would expect... Good luck with selling that product... Cannot see anyone pitching it on Dragons Den..

In their BSN group, yes.

There’s more chance of Long Eaton finishing in the top four than Plymouth.