Halifaxtiger

If play offs are a 'gimmick' its one that both rugby codes now use as their method of deciding title winners and even access to English football's highest division is partly decided by it. Clearly, speedway isn't alone in believing that this is the method that is most beneficial to the sport as a whole.

I don't think that's true. Do you really think that Mildenhall's gates are likely to show a significant drop in the next few weeks ? As far as I can make out, their play off status is pretty much guaranteed. Of the clubs in the Premiership, only Leicester are out of it. The other 6 all have a chance of success or failure, so interest is retained. In the Championship, about 8 teams are in with a shout in the same way. On the other hand, gates at teams who are now just riding to complete meetings are likely to show decreased attendances. Under a first past the post system, the number of clubs in that situation increases significantly - when Glasgow won the PL a few years ago, there were over 40 matches that were effectively dead rubbers with nothing to play for. Belle Vue's play off final against Wolverhampton doubled the years average attendance. If they get there this season, it will treble it. That is likely to be replicated in the Championship and NL and speedway simply isn't in a position to turn that down.

You clearly haven't been to Isle of Wight speedway and consequently have no idea what is going on down there or even what their gates are. Under the previous promotion, gates had dwindled to numbers, on occasion, under three figures. Word is they were losing around £30,000 per year. Under the current management, average attendances have increased 4 fold and with one exception they went up in every comparative meeting in the second year from the first. According to Barry Bishop, they broke even last season. Moreover, and probably more importantly, they have attracted universal credit and praise from fans across the country including some of speedways longest standing, most travelled and highest respected supporters. There simply isn't any criticism to be found anywhere. Of relevance is that the above is with a team that finished at or near the bottom of the NL. Where speedway is concerned that record is not just remarkable, its unique and, as such, is very much worth 'banging on about'. Speedway probably does need more than what Isle of Wight offer. But with their level of progress, it must surely be worth looking at precisely how they have achieved it. For me, I would agree that all meetings matter. But what is more likely to pull in paying spectators, a dead end of a season rubber which is run simply to finish fixtures, or one on which the possibility of winning the league rests ?

Ask a Belle Vue fan if the play offs have 'watered down' the importance of meetings because, in fact, its quite the opposite. In the first past the post system they almost certainly wouldn't have a prayer and the meetings at Leicester, Somerset and Swindon (for the Aces) wouldn't have mattered one jot. Instead, there was massive disappointment on Monday replaced by something approaching euphoria by Thursday night. Truth is, with only a few weeks to go only Leicester are out of it.

Great post, Robert. No need for me to say anything

I don't agree about the racing at least. As I said earlier, Somerset on Wednesday was brilliant. Isle of Wight on Thursday was good, and while Plymouth last night was merely OK heat 13 was just stunning - one of the best races I have seen this season anywhere. Certain - and I'd accept many - clubs drag down the reputation of the sport by not putting sufficient effort in to make sure that the paying fan has a good night. As Bob C said to me so accurately last night, all you get is lets have your money, here's 15 heats. That's not good enough. But when did you see an adverse post about Isle of Wight ? They haven't got a magic wand, so every club could gain the same reputation if they tried hard enough and the worst bit is that the Warriors standing has not been created by spending vast amounts of money or taking huge amounts of time. In fact, its pretty simple : they care. I think you are right here and would question how many of those who criticise the play off system have actually been to one of the meetings. As I have said before, Mildenhall-Scunthorpe NL final a few years ago was easily one of the best matches I have seen. The Belle Vue - Wolverhampton meeting had everything that speedway should have - fantastic racing, a huge crowd, electric atmosphere. It doesn't get any better than that, and speedway just isn't in a position to ignore the almost sell out gates the finals attract. I don't think there is any difference today, save for the attendance levels. We have always (50 years anyway) had guests, points limits, tactical changes and everything else people complain about. The racing is just as good (or bad) as it ever was. I also think that it has always been substantially about winning, and that doesn't just apply to speedway but any sport. Watching your team get humped every week means that attending can - for some - become a chore. Ask a Sheffield supporter right now. I read an article recently (it has been reprinted in a number of speedway programmes) that said that Rugby League was facing a serious financial crisis and that only a handful of clubs are financially viable. Speedway isn't alone. I'd question whether play offs have indeed led to decreased interest. After all, every match is still important - the current position in the Premiership being an obvious example. That's surely better financially than one team winning the league in mid August and others having 5 or 10 absolutely meaning less fixtures to complete. Absolutely agree on the 'rule bending, greedy and selfish attitudes'. Until some put the interests of the sport as a whole before their own (and at the expense of others) speedway will continue to be on its knees.

The sadness is that is not totally true. I saw an excellent meeting at Somerset on Wednesday and a very decent one at Isle of Wight last night. It seems to me that it is a matter of speedway simply not making the most of the opportunity that television coverage allows and doing everything it can to ensure that when in front of the cameras huge effort is put in to put the sport in as favourable a light as possible. Too often we see rubbish meetings in dreadful tracks without any attempt to increase the attendance. That's just not good enough. The last club that really went to town when on television were Berwick. Massive advertising, cheaper entry, getting the track in as good a state as possible - which was rewarded by a big attendance and a repeat visit. That should be par for the course.

Frozen certain important parts of my anatomy at Isle of Wight on occasion so its not just in the north that it gets cold. Truth is, unnecessary delays are not welcome at any time. Never met a fan that likes intervals and have met many that do not. Apparently, the riders just want to get on with it as well. The only time they can be justified is when other attractions take place. Isle of Wight, for example, have a nippers running race that is part of the show for them. I think clubs are learning about it. Somerset didn't have an interval last night and Workington seemed to have dumped them, too.

Garry May made the point last night that if any track is like NSS, its Somerset. He's right. However poor Cook was at Leicester, he was just sublime last night. Not once did he enter the first turn in front and to pick off the likes of Doyle and Holder on their own track had him at his very best (the only criticism I would make was that he could have been a bit more ruthless (as Doyle was)). You could tell from his after meeting interview he was pleased, both with his own performance and that of the team. Whatever the case, it was a cracking meeting in front of a very decent crowd with credit going to both teams and Somerset Speedway.

Cook said last night at Somerset that he was riding for Glasgow because the Swindon match had been re-arranged.

I was going to post but you two gentleman have said everything I wanted to

And long may you continue to do so. I have found reports given out by individual fans to be of huge value. Where the reports that clubs give out are concerned, its a question of trust. I went to King's Lynn a few years ago for a Young Stars meeting and it was called off due to rain. By all accounts (apart from theirs) that simply wasn't true. How can a fan 'defer' to the club website (to be fair, this isn't just King's Lynn) when we know they are more than capable of lying ?

Its not as though they are replacing him with a 30 year old from Hungary. Connor Mountain is just 20 and, with respect to Lawlor, at this stage a far better rider.

Not Pickering's track at all. Last night was light years away from a brilliant performance he banged in at Scunthorpe - where you can pass inside or out - recently.

Met Office now say stopping late morning, with maybe a bit after. If they are right (and they often are not) should be on.

Quite possibly because they were long on promises and slow on delivery. I don't recall any questions being raised last season and you don't become a bad team manager overnight.

Word I got was that they were long on promises and short on delivery.

Its a consequence of the appalling, selfish actions of the BSPA I had not thought of - and this may not be the last occasion, either. Speedway descends yet lower - if that were possible - by forcing a club to change the dates of their fixtures and when they do, denies them a proper facility for riders absent as a result of the change of dates. Defies description

Unless you don't have a track, that is. I find that people tend to defend their track from attacks by others rather than say how good it is.

Someone who hasn't been to Belle Vue. In the 30 meetings I have seen there none has been average (never mind poor) and the overwhelming majority have been outstanding. Of the 80 meetings I saw last season, 3 of the best 5 were at the NSS.

I must admit I didn't see that. I thought it was a cracking meeting and a superb advert for NL speedway. The Colts did better than I expected but the Fen Tigers young talent showed through in the end, aided by some furious determination when the chips were down. I'd give a shout to Sam Bebee on that issue. Under huge pressure from Paul Bowen in heat 14 (a rider with far more experience, especially of the NSS) he refused to give in in the battle for a point. In these days of savage self interest within the sport, its brilliant to read the comments made by James Easter and Phil Kirk about the way Mildenhall were treated by Belle Vue.

I think there has to be a reasonable belief that riders can pass. If that's the case, then close racing is excellent. If not, then its rubbish. The problem with Lakeside is that many are prejudiced about it and that's unfair. I have said before and no doubt will again that I have seen some very good racing there. In my experience its better than Ipswich, for example.

I don't think they can do that. There simply aren't enough riders at NL level and even if they change the rules and allow more current Championship riders I still don't think there will be.

I have heard 16. 12 means that no less than 6 will be forced to close and that's hard to imagine.

I'd agree, although I suspect Riss will be slightly stronger, particularly away. Very surprised anyway.