Midland Red

Sawdust on track, overalls on riders…..

Don’t bemoan an attractive meeting - live speedway at your track. On behalf of speedway fans from Coventry, Eastbourne, Birmingham, Newcastle, Arena Essex, etc etc

Part 3 of interviews re Eastbourne Speedway (parts 1 and 2 links included) https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/speedway-stay-away-low-crowd-figures-were-beginning-of-end-for-eastbourne-eagles-3401729

Here is part three of the interview https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/speedway-stay-away-low-crowd-figures-were-beginning-of-end-for-eastbourne-eagles-3401729

Here is part two of the interview https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/covid-rules-and-masks-put-punters-off-watching-eastbourne-speedway-action-3394246

Col Cottrell died in 1982

In or out?

Wish I had a caravan to paint!

One thing Poland do right over the UK is run at the weekend. Think of all the Friday and Saturday night tracks we’ve lost or which don’t run on those nights - nights when attendances are likely to be higher. Sadly, we all know the reasons why. TV is the other thing which has decimated domestic racing over here. Why attend a meeting in the UK when there’s so much of it on the TV and on streaming, etc. To see the World Champion ride back in the day, I had to go to the Brandon, when Norwich (Fundin) or Belle Vue (Craven) were riding. Other than those nights, I couldn’t see those stars ride. Nowadays, Zmarzlik, previously Woffinden, are never off the screen. Because none of the above, which I feel are major reasons for the decline in the UK, can be overcome, I do fear for the future.

Mark Cossar / Gareth Williams A double for the #37s

Congratulations to Chris Harris #37, this year’s winner Commiserations to Zach Wajtknecht who fell whilst leading in the final

Both up and walking away

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/eastbourne-eagles-covid-saved-us-but-government-help-amounted-to-diddly-squat-3377741

Such a comment never fails to mystify me. Dead rubber? It’s a speedway meeting - Monday night is speedway night. There’s a meeting on, two good teams, some class riders, a great track (so most people seem to say). So why the hell does it matter. There’s no lack of effort from the riders, they’ll give it their all, put a show on for you. I just don’t understand…. turn up and enjoy the racing - at least you’ve got a team and a track. I haven’t. Never missed a Saturday night at Brandon - or Fridays or Thursdays as it became - because it was speedway night.

Maybe…. but it was only a qualifying round, not a World Final

The World Finals were a culmination of many, many qualifying rounds around Europe, where many, many riders had the opportunity to qualify. Those that came through all the rounds deserved to be there in the final, therefore the best riders of that year. With the GPs, just how many riders have the opportunity to qualify? Places are taken by riders qualifying through what they achieved in previous seasons, by selection, and may well not be as good in the current season as others who have no opportunity to qualify. Remember the WCQRs at all British tracks? Virtually all British and Australasian riders had the opportunity to qualify, now they have virtually none. And don’t get me started on wildcards, the semi-finals and finals, this season’s revised scoring system. Sorry, but OOFC is a bit of a closed shop.

Questionable, my good friend

Stamford Bridge

“Happiness is 40-38”, they used to say - not 65-13!!!!

What does the league table matter? Surely, first of all, you go to watch the speedway racing. If there’s a meeting on, it hardly matters whether it’s for the Gold Cup, European Cup, League Title, Grand National or whatever. At the end of the day, it’s 14 riders battling it out on track with no brakes. Why cut your nose off to spite your face, just because the Mickey Mouse league title is out of reach. Support your club, pay your money, help to secure a future, enjoy the racing.

He’d probably add a few to the attendances if he still rode in the UK. Just about the only box office rider there is.

Ban is suspended pending outcome of the appeal.

Interesting read - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373

Southampton, Norwich, Harringay, Walthamstow, New Cross

But it not proper cricket.