Halifaxtiger

'My first visit yesterday and it was very impressive from start to finish well done to everyone concerned yesterday, i shall be returning in the not too distant future' 'Some excellent races' 'An enjoyable meeting despite the scoreline.' 'Some excellent racing at the NSS yesterday morning' 'it was a delight to watch and the racing was excellent too.' 'And the racing was out of this world' 'Despite the scoreline, there was (as usual )some fantastic racing' 'The two newcomers who joined me today loved it and will be back for the Poole meeting' 'Excellent racing today.' Is that enough or would you like a few more ? Interval dragged a bit, partly because Andy Meredith was picking up the track of the year award for both the Premiership and the NL. As I said, 12pm start, boiling hot day. No dust, no blue line, brilliant racing. Andy Meredith doesn't have a magic wand. If he can do it, so can everyone else.

Belle Vue's track on Monday - despite a 12pm start and it being very hot indeed - was superb. No blue line, no dust and excellent racing.

Cheap shot and not only a lame excuse but an untruthful one. They will have to think of some other reason why their team was so poor.

I think it was a dig but who cares. The constant watering meant that the meeting took longer than usual but also ensured that the track stayed in superb condition, no mean feat on a steaming hot day. All credit to the track staff and no surprise that they took track of the year for both the Premiership and NL. You will have to explain to a Buxton fan what a track without dust is like because he won't know . Despite the scoreline, there was (as usual )some fantastic racing - particularly Bewley's brilliant ride in heat 9 and heat 14 with three abreast in the first couple of laps (suspect Etheridge needed to change his race suit when Tungate missed him by a whisker). Belle Vue were brilliant but they shouldn't get carried away as I thought Leicester were rubbish. What on earth was up with King ? He never looked like beating anyone.

The last bank holiday meeting was near perfect - a huge crowd, cracking meeting and Chase the Ace strutting his stuff. I can only see this being even better

Definitely not in the minority of one. It'll be the same as usual - huge expectation and then falling flat on our faces. We simply have to make use of the best months weather-wise for racing as more people attend and there's less chance of rain off's. Little racing in June and then desperately trying to fit everything into July, August & September is daft. The thing is this isn't just Workington. Virtually all the Championship clubs are the same.

The idea is to get regular speedway, not gaps for weeks on end or three fixtures in three weeks and then nothing for a further three weeks. If you read the comments on this forum, it is repeated many, many times that the haphazard pattern of fixtures puts people off attending - and you have pointed to that. The trophy campaign is little more than a warm up, so start running that fortnightly - along with maybe an open meeting - the middle/end of March. Then bang the league fixtures/KO Cup in from the beginning of June to the end of August (a period of 13 weeks that allows for the odd rain off). Playoffs at the beginning of September. I am sure its not as simple as that, but its got to be better than weeks missing and playoffs in October.

Absolute agree on live speedway but you simply have to take account of what else is occurring on your race nights. In my view, teams that run up against England's World Cup fixtures would be crazy and the situation with Cook and his GP's is somewhat the same. I also think that Saturday's simply aren't working so the club is trying something different. Whether it works - as you rightly say - remains to be seen. I really think that regular racing is a must wherever possible. Pack your speedway in when the weather is likely to best and run fortnightly otherwise - at least people know where they stand.

Absolutely right. 'Win at all costs' in a sport that involves high speeds and no brakes is the sort of attitude that will result in serious injury or worse. It should never be the case that a rider has to come down for a referee to put on another's exclusion light. If a move is dangerous, its dangerous and it doesn't matter if someone falls. The question is had Woffinden fallen, who would have been excluded ? I think the best riders leave their opponents just enough room which means the opponents skill and bravery comes into play without them actually risking their neck. L Lindgren didn't do that and I can but wonder what he would have said if Dudek had pulled a similar move coming off the last bend in the final.

I think Isle of Wight's finances - and I don't know this for certain - will probably be comparable with most of the NL. East End Fan is more close to the truth. A midweek track with, effectively, an 11pm departure time makes it far harder to attract riders than a weekend track when you leave at 5 or 9.30pm.

I think anyone who has been to Workington in the last few seasons and seen their gate levels will know their existence is precarious. Its pretty much common knowledge that they survive because of funds pumped in by the promotion. Having said that, I suspect they are anything but alone in that.

I think that's a question of swings and roundabouts. Some can make Fridays, some Saturdays. You can see the logic in moving to Friday with Cook riding in the GP's - there's every chance people will stay at home to watch a truly local boy race at the sports highest level. The problem to me is less about the day and more about the irregularity of fixtures but that affects almost very club, not just Workington. I'd say run every fortnight until June and then pack the fixtures in every week until the end of August. At least people might be able to get into a regular habit.

Definitely snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but its not difficult to see why. Ironically, I thought the meeting turned on Proctor being beaten in heat 12 and Campton being held at the back in heat 14 but it would be most difficult to criticise either. Bach wasn't good enough and Klindt showed precisely why Workington could do a great deal better for his average. He was at his very worst last night and wasn't interested in the slightest if he didn't gate. This isn't all about Workington throwing it away, though. I'd give Sheffield a lot of credit - Howarth, Wright & Bjerre came good when it really counted and Shanes' contribution was vital. It did seem that when the chips were really down they had more stomach for it.

How many other teams can say that ? To some of us that is no surprise at all simply because you have set a standard for every other club in British speedway to follow. I have made no secret of my respect and admiration for what you and Martin have achieved and are trying to achieve on the Island and will continue to bang the drum for you and your methods. Those methods include a huge publicity campaign, free entry for children (100 there on Thursday apparently, average age of the attendance must have been about 14), the creation of a truly remarkable family atmosphere, a visible presence on race nights and a willingness to engage on here (254 likes from 76 posts says it all) and, above all, a determination not just to give the paying spectator want he wants but to treat him as a valued and important client. The remarkable gesture of giving rain off programmes away free - when most other clubs charge full price, nothing less than a total rip off - is yet another example of how to do it right. Its little wonder that you have attracted little but praise and credit from fans across the country, including some of the BSF's most respected posters. Every supporter across the country should look at the list above and see if their team does the same. Most of them don't and, in some cases, the contrast will be a stark one. One of the saddest parts of my self imposed semi exile from speedway in 2018 is that I won't get to come to your place as much as I would like (a total ban, however is unthinkable ).

Should have known you'd be there and where you'd be

Am I ? the 2016/17 FFP rules allow a Championship club to lose up to £13m per season, the assessment period being 3 years. At least potentially, then, 24 teams x £13m x 3 year = £936m. I maintain that I think that the increasing age factor is overstated. Bearing in mind that in the last 3 seasons I have been to over 200 meetings at every track in the country bar two (Swindon by accident, Stoke by design) I think I can speak from experience. I repeat : I suspect that anyone who went to Redcar last night would say that the title of this thread is absolutely correct.

Bearing in mind that they have run up debts of over £1bn in attempting to chase the dream, perhaps its not such a bad thing that speedway doesn't have it. I also am sceptical about the increasing age of speedway fans - at least to the extent that many people on here believe that to be the case. The promoter I contacted regarding this issue told me that less than 10% of his attendances are pensioners. Returning to the actual title thread, I doubt if there is anyone who went to Redcar last night who would disagree.

Perhaps Barker isn't getting the scores expected and I am not sure what the issue is but there's no doubt he was busting a gut in every race. He deserves a little better than just criticism. Very entertaining meeting with some cracking racing (shades of when STMP was one of my favourite tracks)and a close score line swinging backwards and forwards. My good friend PVM told me that Stewart was something special despite a poor start to the season and he was proved most definitely correct.

It would be interesting to see how Championship clubs are doing.

Where attendances are concerned, I don't think the night on which speedway meetings take place can be underestimated. I am advised that Belle Vue's gates have dropped significantly since they moved to Mondays and its not difficult to work out why. The difference between the huge gate on Bank Holiday Monday and a week later was stark. That final paragraph looks pretty attractive to me - although I'd be happy to include Thursdays as well. Getting 5 hours sleep at the start of the week is one thing, getting it at the end is another.

I'm not sure that's totally true, Iris. As I pointed out earlier, in 2015/16 (which I believe to be the most up to date figures) the Premier League collectively lost over £100m and the Championship over £200m. Even if their average gates are 100 times speedway's (and they are not) that means to be on equivalent financial footing speedway would be losing £1m or £2m a season respectively. I don't think the later, certainly, is anywhere near the case. There's no doubt that football - especially at top flight - has enjoyed a renaissance and gates are booming and I'd say speedway has reason to be jealous of that. But the simple truth is that football is far more hamstrung to the generosity of individuals than speedway is even when that is in taken in proportion and I could make fair argument that football clubs are far more financially irresponsible than speedway teams. Awash with money, they are still losing huge amounts. I think you are right - it certainly doesn't help the plight of speedway to point to the fact that others are no better (my understanding is that Rugby League has money issues, too). But if it were the case that others had huge - or even small - surpluses it would give far more credence to the fact that speedway is badly run.

Its certainly not going to encourage them to attend. That really is the speedway way, though. Criticism is to be ignored at best and to be responded to with abuse at worst.

According to a Guardian report on football finances, in the year up to May 2016 they lost £5m and the overall losses for the Premier League were £113m. Championship clubs losses were over £200m for the same season, with Bolton an eye watering £193m in debt. If speedway is propped up by wealthy owners as income cannot meet expenditure football is no different with Roman Abramovich reportedly having put over £1bn into Chelsea.

A very reliable source indeed. What they do isn't rocket science. They simply treat a paying customer as a paying customer.

Anyone who has been to Isle of Wight speedway knows how good it can be. I am reliably informed their gates are up again this season.