Halifaxtiger

You might be surprised. True, it is more uncertain this season but in the last few years Belle Vue, Leicester, Glasgow, Berwick, Workington, Sheffield, Peterborough, Isle of Wight, Birmingham & Plymouth have all had new owners.

I think you are absolutely right. If the club moves to Rye House, then they should be called Rye House. Its a little bizarre, but there are those who wouldn't go to Hoddesdon if the team remained as Lakeside but would if it changed to Rye House.

It is thought - by some - that an extremely low average will force some of those in the NL who are content to stay there and score big points on reasonable pay up. My own view is that there are very few like that, any rider with ambitions will want to go up anyway and that the higher leagues have a disastrous record of dumping a young rider within a short period of time if he doesn't score well. The latter will mean at least potentially that they can't ride anywhere. From what I have heard, almost all NL promotions are against it and that suggests a very low team building average won't happen. It would be utterly ludicrous to force most of the league to do something that they don't want and I can see a number of tracks closing if they do. The NL can see that people won't be shelling out for something little more than a training session and while wages will reduce, the cost of stadiums, insurance, medical cover. shale etc will remain exactly the same. Frankly - and even allowing for the point about disparity of strengths - I believe that the NL just about hits the balance between developing riders and being a business spot on. It should therefore be left very much alone and allowed to go its own way without interference by outsiders who, lets face it, aren't exactly in a position to tell others how to run their league.

Yes, but not for the reason you have stated. Word I have had is that the stadium is seriously dilapidated, with the developers doing all they can to make sure that sooner or later it will become an eyesore and they can knock it down and build houses. Apparently, its not much better than Coventry and will require serious investment to bring it up to scratch. I am saddened but not surprised at Stuart Douglas' announcement. I don't think its much of a secret that he has poured a huge amount of money into Lakeside over the years and losing the stadium, and the manner of it, has probably persuaded him that now is the time to go.

Max Fricke Josh Pickering Dan Bewley Rohan Tungate Craig Cook Dmitri Berge Stefan Nielsen Depends on the conversion from CL to PL, but I think that is under 42.5. Pickering would be a fantastic addition - easily capable of giving the sort of entertainment provided by Bewley & Tungate.

Rider of the year - Danny Ayres most impressive team - Mildenhall team rider of the season - Alfie Bowtell one to watch - Ben Woodhull meeting of the season - Plymouth v Mildenhall surprise of the season - Ryan Kinsley underperformers team - Birmingham (due to injury) unluckiest rider - Jordan Jenkins newcomer of the year - Drew Kemp

I was going to do mine too but I agree with you on almost every one. The Scunthorpe-Glasgow match was my favourite - which is saying something considering I watched a lot of racing at the NSS. I also very much agree about Josh Pickering and have told everyone at Belle Vue that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. He'd be amazing there.

Unfashionable they maybe, but they are still a terrific little club as well. Definitely one of my favourite places to visit for more reasons than the racing alone. A quick word for Tony Jackson here. I have never met him, but I have never heard a bad word about him either (which, where speedway is concerned, is exceptional). Comets through and through, from standing on the terraces to becoming team manager and co-promoter. There's no doubt he has made a substantial contribution to Workington's season and its all the more pleasing when one of the decent guys gets his share (more than his share) of success. I echo your view regarding the future of the Comets. For me at least, speedway simply wouldn't be the same without them.

That's why I think the announcement on the Eagles website and facebook page on 15/10/18 about the meeting on 26/10/18 is important. It would be surprising if Eastbourne simply went ahead and announced a date without any consultation with Mildenhall but, if they did (and there is nothing on the Mildenhall website or facebook page), then I would say that it is Eastbourne that are most at fault here.

According to the statement, they notified Eastbourne on 21st.

Absolutely delighted for everyone at Workington, especially Laura, Jacko and some fantastic supporters.

While I agree that the rule can - and indeed has - been abused there has to be some leeway for NL riders who are at best semi-professional. The question is whether that is the case here. On the face of it, it has but I'll await the outcome of the SCB investigation first. What I would point out is that Mildenhall went into the play off final with Kelsey Dugard guesting for Jordan Jenkins and rr for Danny Ayres. That strongly points to the fact that there are indeed difficulties getting replacements, because there's no way they would have gone into that meeting so weakened had they been able to get other riders. To me, the important question is whether Mildenhall agreed to the 26th fixture on the 15th. If they did, then they are culpable.

I am a bit reluctant to be critical here but I take issue with a couple of points. I am pretty sure that none of us want to watch a 'a gate and go borefest' but in my experience Workington just isn't like that. Most of the meetings I have seen there this season have been decent at least and I certainly wouldn't make a 6 hour round trip to watch rubbish. The NSS is no more a purpose built speedway track than EWR is and I'd remind you that Leicester is the same, suggesting that such a track is not 'bound' to be good for racing. A great deal of care went into ensuring that the NSS became the world class circuit that it is. In truth, both EWR and NSS are similar where racing is concerned. I'd say that it would be harsh to say that the early heats are 'boring' more that there is usually a definite improvement later on. NSS is the best track in the country, but EWR is definitely second and only a bit behind. I am most fortunate to have both within reasonable travelling distance.

Question is, when did Eastbourne know about it ? While all speedway fans accept that NL riders have commitments,according to the Eagles website this fixture was made on 15 October. Presumably at that time Mildenhall agreed to it and its hard to believe that they did so in the knowledge (or possibility) that they would have one rider available. Less than a fortnight later, however, (and after they have lost the NL Grand Final) only Marson can ride in what is essentially (to Mildenhall at least) a nothing meeting. Its not difficult to draw the conclusion that Mildenhall just weren't bothered (especially taking into account the fact they have done this before) and that's simply not good enough.

He might have overstated it a bit but this : 'Well done Workington, I think you have a lot of neutrals on your side around the country given the way you try to go about your business and have been treated this year... ' ...............….is almost certainly bang on. There will be quite a few outside Lincolnshire who will display a degree of schadenfreude at that result.

A little harsh, but only a little. There's no question that the decision - for utterly selfish motives - to stop Workington, Lakeside and Peterborough using Friday nights has contributed to this situation.

That's what Edinburgh thought with a bigger advantage Scunny - the outclassed Philips apart - were very solid indeed while Workington relied on the brilliant Jensen and Campton. Klindt, Starke & Bach were poor, although Bach at least tried hard. Cracking meeting , with the highlight surely Campton's astonishing pass of Garrity & Manzares in heat 12. He came from nowhere to take them both on the inside with a remarkable turn of speed and its definitely one of the best moves I have seen anywhere this season.

I think the thing to remember there is there isn't a single fan from any other club who wouldn't want that sort of financial backing. Many congratulations to the Comets

Since when did a sports broadcaster report on changes to speedway's national squad ? Arnie above mentioned paid attendances, and I referred to the comparison between the two. According to the Surrey CC website, entry to Surrey Women (not the Stars) who play in Division 1 of the County Championship is free. Accepting that all of the remainder are the same, my figures stand. Taking FF's figures as accurate, Belle Vue alone drew bigger gates than the whole of the women's super league in 2017. At the play off final in 2016, Belle Vue attracted an attendance of about 3,500, and that's for one match at 5 times the cost. Speaking of cost, the super league at Surrey is £5, half the price of the cheapest speedway. Clearly that is of the utmost importance in attracting spectators. Where professionalism of the sport is concerned, it would be hard to find one less professional than speedway, with its corruption, cheating, one upmanship and rule bending. In terms of the number of professional participants, however, I would guess that all riders at Championship or Premiership level are professional, at least during the season. That's 90 compared to 19. Speedway itself has attracted no TV coverage, Tai Woffinden has. I certainly don't recall Poole's Premiership win being remarked on, nor Mildenhall's (almost) perfect season.But for Tai's third championship win, speedway would not have been mentioned at all and the fact it has is incidental to that. So, in terms of paid attendance figures, professional competitors, entry charging teams (and I'd very much accept that speedway is, compared to almost all non motor sports, very much down on actual competitors for obvious reasons) is it still 3-1 ?

I think that's just about right for league speedway, Arnie, even if we are guessing for weekly attendances. 28 teams, at say 14 meetings and 500 attendance is just under 200,000. That's 10 times bigger than women's cricket.

Speedway's reluctance to publish attendance figures makes it difficult but.... There are 28 speedway teams in Britain. Accepting that they ride once a week over the season (which in reality they should) if each attracts an average gate of 400, then that's just over 11,000 people per week. Even if those figures are warped, if half the teams ride and the average gate is 300, that's still over 4,000 a week so speedway attracts the same number of spectators in just over a month that women's cricket attracts in a season. Its entirely possible that Belle Vue alone (Aces & Colts) pull in more than 20,000 in a season. Lords cricket ground holds 30,000. Cardiff gets about 40,000 for a meeting that isn't anywhere near as big as a world final. The only reason that coverage of women's cricket (and I have no issue with that sport, its viewers or players at all) annoys me is that speedway is - based upon attendance figures, the professionalism of the sport, the number of competing teams etc - easily bigger and that is nowhere near debatable. What they have on their side - as some have pointed out - is the massive advantage of political correctness and the BBC mention the male version and ignore the female one at their peril. I would certainly accept the bias of speedway fans and that the 'tunnel visioned' do exist, but here - and taking into account the above factors - a neutral (and possibly even someone biased towards women's cricket) would agree that speedway is most definitely the poor relation. Its little wonder, then, that speedway fans have a bit of a chip where this is concerned. All credit to the BBC for some recognition and I thought both the interviewer and interviewed came across very well. The fact that it took them almost a week to do it is, however, relevant. My suspicion is the captain of the woman's cricket team would have been interviewed the same day had they won something as big. I really don't understand - even allowing for the size of the sport and my undoubted bias - that someone who finishes 5th in the Formula 1 World Championship is worthy of a bigger mention and has achieved more than someone who has won his world title 3 times (also in one of the most competitive fields the sport has had) and, as we have agreed, is the greatest Britain has ever known. I doubt very much that Woffinden will win the BBC award - and its entirely possible that steps will be taken to ensure that he does not - but he most definitely deserves a nomination and I think that most speedway fans would be very happy with that.

Once again the usual suspects stick the boot into Laurence Rogers. In doing so, they show just how subjective and prejudiced their views are. As can clearly be seen from those - including me - that were there, this meeting was dreadful for one reason and one reason only - the state of the track. That was, by any standards, bloody awful - rutted, bumpy, greasy and patchy. Its why the riders spent more time battling with the surface than each other. That, of course, was entirely the responsibility of Leicester Speedway and completely out of Rogers' control. As a further point to those who choose to blame him for everything, he also wasn't responsible for the lousy weather, rider absences or the food (which looked positively revolting). While I would admit that the programme wasn't good, aside from that the organisation - at least as far as I could see - was pretty decent (unnecessary interval apart). Every heat and rider was sponsored, as was the meeting. It began on time and ended in reasonable time. All riders received a memento of the occasion and body colours (also sponsored) were auctioned for the SRBF. I'd never pretend to be unbiased where Laurence is concerned. But to blame him for how poor this meeting was is totally wrong.

Speedway, in comparison with many other sports, isn't significant. But yet again you are missing - or, more likely, avoiding - the point. Given the title of this thread, if Steve & I are suffering from paranoia so are a lot of others. Clearly, there is a belief within speedway circles that it does not get the coverage from the BBC it deserves in comparison with other minority sports (and that's the point) and I think that belief is well founded (at least, perhaps, until very recently). Only the other morning, the headline report on 5live was the number of uncapped players called up for the England women's cricket squad. I don't think there is a speedway fan who believes that it should attract the same attention as highly publicised sports such as boxing, motor racing or tennis. Women's cricket, on the other hand, is a very different matter. Womens' cricket at the top flight is semi professional and has just 6 teams. In total last season 20,000 people watched all matches. Speedway (and discounting the NL) has 18, and is largely fully professional. It would attract 20,000 fans over two weeks. As such this isn't a matter of speedway fans as a collective being paranoid or having chips on their shoulder. Its a matter of them asking for fairness and coverage not being determined by political correctness (as Mike bv has stated). As you have so rightly said : 'Minority sports have been recognised when the achievement has been so great that it deserves recognition'. Woffinden can reasonably claim to be the greatest British speedway rider of all time - something that very few indeed (including Hamilton, Joshua, & Murray) can claim within their own sport. Wouldn't you agree that that would mean that he would fall within the above category ?

Without being unduly pessimistic, the issues around the Comets finances are well known and there was no guarantee whatsoever that they would run this season, never mind next. Why build a stadium incorporating a speedway track when there maybe no speedway team to use it ?

I think it depends where the track is. If there are a lot of people who are only temporarily in the area, then its worth it.