cowboy cookie returns?

I disagree although the other items you mention play a part. You have to get some form of credibility back into the sport to try & attract new investment both though more spectators but more importantly through sponsorship & awareness though the media both digitally & print. I used Chris Harris as an example a couple of weeks ago elsewhere on here. During one week in late August he rode for Peterborough, Birmingham & Ipswich. His week was completed by riding for Peterborough against Ipswich. That sort of thing is destroying any form of credibility the sport has. To improve the issues you mentioned tracks, stadia etc you need the investment which requires credibility. Doubling up & the guest fest also makes it impossible to have the emotional attachment supporters of team sport need with their team. Lastly on the point of world-class riders the sport in at such a low point in this country that those world class riders aren't known outside of speedway over here.

Doubling up is one of the major reasons in this country along with guests that is driving people away and makes it impossible to find any national sponsor. It makes the sport non credible. The sport in the uk needs to become a mix of semi pro/amateur with standard equipment in use in our leagues. It needs a major overhaul.

Maybe in the interest of speedway they are going to allow doubling up in the same league.

Louis & Hawkins should have a word with Paul Cook on how to conduct a clear out. On a serious note Rowe & Kemp would be in my team for no other reason than the talent both these have.

Just a thought to help the sport move forward, add a touch of supporter interaction & add some much needed suspense. Each club runs a competition on their website for two supporters to experience an interactive evening. The winning supporters have to arrive at the stadium 2 hours before the meeting. They are then escorted to the new VIP caravan that each track must have. Inside there are 14 riders all dressed in black leathers with BSPL approved paper bags over their heads. The 2 winning supporters then toss a coin to decide who is the representing the 'home' team & who represents the 'away' team. After this another coin is tossed to decide who has first pick of the riders.. They then take it in turns to pick a rider until each team has 7 riders. At this point the riders are asked to remove the paper bags to reveal to the excided winners who they are. At this point all those who know the true identity of the riders have to sign the official because this is speedway document that states they can never reveal the rider identities. After the big reveal the away team can demand a rider swap under the 'in the interest of speedway' rule. Once both teams have been confirmed with the officials the supporters then get to team manage for the evening. At this point the riders then put on their helmets & the turnstiles are opened. These cannot be removed until the last supporter has left the stadium after the meeting. The teams are then introduced as the home team & riders are introduced a rider 1 etc the same happens with the away team. As the riders are all in black leathers the only identity they have is a race jacket & helmet colour. I can only imagine the excitement of those spectators on the terrace not knowing who is representing 'their' team The keys positive points to this is that it removes the doubling up issues there will be no guests or rider replacement as the BSPL will always send 14 fit riders to each track for team selection. As the teams are simply known as the home & away team it's possible to have a league with more teams taking part than available venues. At the end of the season the prize for winning the various competitions are just simply returned to the BSPL office. Another benefit of this new operating model is there are no points limit issues as each team selection is based on pure luck.

Just a thought to help the sport move forward, add a touch of supporter interaction & add some much needed suspense. Each club runs a competition on their website for two supporters to experience an interactive evening. The winning supporters have to arrive at the stadium 2 hours before the meeting. They are then escorted to the new VIP caravan that each track must have. Inside there are 14 riders all dressed in black leathers with BSPL approved paper bags over their heads. The 2 winning supporters then toss a coin to decide who is the representing the 'home' team & who represents the 'away' team. After this another coin is tossed to decide who has first pick of the riders.. They then take it in turns to pick a rider until each team has 7 riders. At this point the riders are asked to remove the paper bags to reveal to the excided winners who they are. At this point all those who know the true identity of the riders have to sign the official because this is speedway document that states they can never reveal the rider identities. After the big reveal the away team can demand a rider swap under the 'in the interest of speedway' rule. Once both teams have been confirmed with the officials the supporters then get to team manage for the evening. At this point the riders then put on their helmets & the turnstiles are opened. These cannot be removed until the last supporter has left the stadium after the meeting. The teams are then introduced as the home team & riders are introduced a rider 1 etc the same happens with the away team. As the riders are all in black leathers the only identity they have is a race jacket & helmet colour. I can only imagine the excitement of those spectators on the terrace not knowing who is representing 'their' team The keys positive points to this is that it removes the doubling up issues there will be no guests or rider replacement as the BSPL will always send 14 fit riders to each track for team selection. As the teams are simply known as the home & away team it's possible to have a league with more teams taking part than available venues. At the end of the season the prize for winning the various competitions are just simply returned to the BSPL office. Another benefit of this new operating model is there are no points limit issues as each team selection is based on pure luck.

I might try that. I'll work all weekend and then phone my employer up on Monday sick because I'm too knackered to go in. On a serious note are the promotors ever going to wake up to the shambles that is UK speedway.

For me the strongest second tier was the old National League up until it was broken up to save the top flight during the winter of 90/91. All those riders only rode in that one league & you had the benefit of a fully functioning junior League to keep the reserves on their toes. It was also a professionally ran league to ie no guests.....in fact probably Everything speedway needs today. The overall strength of UK speedway was stronger then too. The British championship had quarter finals in the qualifying process due to the number riders. Oh happy days!

To be honest I'd keep King & Kemp. King he is a dependable heat leader & will probably maintain his average again next year. Kemp the local lad who seemed pumped pre season but for whatever reason seemed to have struggled around Foxhall. However certainly has the talent. Of the rest Allen has been a huge disappointment not sure what's up with him. Is it just that he wasn't prepared to ride this year or is there more to the story. Rowe started like a train but has tailed off would possibly consider him again for next year. Cook has done ok but not for me. Starke up & down but certainly always gives 100% in any normal times I'd welcome him back but the side needs a major overhaul so sadly he's a no Crump came in as the box office signing & I honestly think he would have been ok had he not been injured at Wolves. Hopefully he'll go back into retirement, I don't really want to remember him as a struggling reserve. Of those the rest of the original 2020/21 side Covatti & Heeps both part of the old guard so no thank you. Klint I'd still like to see him line up as a witch but will he be available? It's certainly.gonna be an interesting winter not only for Ipswich speedway but speedway in general.

Well said. First & foremost the sport needs a major top to bottom overhaul with a lot more thought put into presentation & value for money.

Spot on. There used to be a group of us who attended each week & slowly we were driven away by the 'micky mouse' approach. So in the this our local track has lost 8-10 people who attended each week.

This has kind of happened already at double header meetings where a rider has appeared for both his own team & then guested for the other visiting team in match 2. Also don't forget the ko cup final a few years ago where Scott Nicholls rode for both Ipswich & Sheffield.

To be far this is a pretty pointless argument as he has stated that he has zero interest in even looking at speedway. But I'll make the point again that he doesn't own & have full control of any of the venues that he promotes the sports currently under his control. So why would he need that with speedway? If speedway was a big enough draw,profitable to the venues where it was staged & brought money into the local economy via visitors using local business then it would have far more control of the venues it uses. The biggest issue is that the cartel that currently controls UK speedway has no interest in opening up to outside help or handing the administration of the sport to an independent body. They failed to capitalise on the sky investment. They would rather continue with the broken business model they are currently using. The very model that has seen a reduction in venues a massive reduction in riders partaking & an even bigger reduction in spectators.

I don't think trees does Frigbo Take Chris Harris as an example 23rd August rides for Peterborough, 25th August rides for Birmingham & finally 26th August rides for Ipswich. And to cap it all off rides in a Peterborough team tomorrow night that includes 2 guests & rider replacement to cover injuries that their riders picked up riding in the championship against Ipswich, who he rode for last week! Anyone who can't see the issue with that or defends it are part of the reason this sport in the UK is finished it's utterly crazy & provides no credibility end of!! Sadly Trees is deluded!

Take Chris Harris as an example 23rd August rides for Peterborough, 25th August rides for Birmingham & finally 26th August rides for Ipswich. Anyone who can't see the issue with that or defends it are part of the reason this sport in the UK is finished it's utterly crazy & provides no credibility end of!!

No you couldn't in any other professional team sport a rider/player signs a contract to ride for one team for x amount of seasons. Yes they might leave for your rivals at the end of their contract or transferred loaned out part way though but they never appear for another team the day after appearing for you.

Always makes me laugh how bring more money into the sport & have better/more TV coverage is always town up as the answer. Sky TV pumped millions into the sport over what a 15 year period at one stage it even go back page space in the sun newspaper. What did the BSPA do with sky's millions & all that exposure? Answer the square route of sod all appart from propping up a failing business model. The golden ticket to better times for British speedway was so sadly wasted. As for league speedway in this country it's nothing more than a traveling circus.

I think you're missing my point. Riders being employed by multiple clubs through the out of control doubling up rule is another reason the sport isn't taken seriously & lacks any form of credibility outside of the ever shrinking speedway bubble.

What a daft statement! He doesn't own all the venues where snooker & darts are staged. He'd want total control of the club's no doubt but that would cost about 20 grand

I may have done in the 80s and the 90s when clubs had assets that were worth something the riders. Today because of the crazy rules in operation those assets are now worthless. Just out of interest I wonder what the valuation is of the BSPL

It is a very dangerous sport however those in charge are far more dangerous in the fact they have run the sport into the ground with decades of mismanagement. And even as the sport is drawing it's final breath's they won't allow anyone to administer a different treatment.

Millions & millions for 20 licences a few tractors and rakes really? That a hell of a valuation.

Sadly I think you'll be proven right. The most depressing part of all this is the righting has been on the wall for the last 25-30 years and all the BSPA have achieved in that time to move the sport forward is a name change to BSPL

Look at the Ipswich v Peterborough match this coming Thursday for another example why this sport is going down the shutter! Peterborough come to town operating rider replacement & tracking 2 guests due to injuries picked up by their riders while doubling up in the championship, how long is this madness going to go on for???

I believe Barry Hearn has said on more than one occasion he isn't interested in speedway. However the sport needs an fully independent governor & everything controlled centrally. The big question is who?