topsoil

Back then though we had riders who liked the track the way Peter Waite prepared it. Very few of the current team would like it prepared that way. You also got some horrendous meetings during that time, like the Cup final (can't remember the exact name, could have been the Premier League Trophy?) against Workington when none of the riders could turn the bikes in the corners.

That's true. What I was meaning was averages in relation to guests and rider replacement and swapping from Elite League to Premier League averages etc. Averages for team building is straight forward for beginners.

It's pretty simple to explain rules to non-speedway fans, rider replacement "team mates can take the place of an injured rider", guests "a rider is injured / missing so they can use a rider from another team", tactical ride "rider gets double the points if he beats an opponent". Don't bore potential fans with exact details, averages, if you take someone along to a match let them enjoy the noise, the speed, the power of the bikes. If they want to come back and become regulars, they will soon find out the rules (and become cynics like the rest of us).

Who are these slick starting Bandits? Are these the same Bandits who can't gate to save themselves at Shielfield? It's been a brilliant tour for the team and it sounds like a cracking meeting tonight. Here's to a lot more of them!

Cracking post

Brilliant win tonight, just what the team needed. Great to see TJ back in form, hopefully this is him back to the sort of form he was showing last season.

I'm chuffed for Adam Roynon to be in the points after some folk on here were calling for him to retire after the start of the season. Like you say it is always fantastic and very moving to see Ricky back at the speedway. I choke up every time I see him back at Berwick.

Not surprising when you consider that the only British riders at Wolves, Swindon and Poole are EDR riders. Mind you, the same applies to Leicester and both of them qualified. Good on Coventry and Belle Vue for basing their teams around British riders. Looking forward to this meeting, mainly because of the videos I've seen so far of racing at the new track. Should make for a good meeting.

Hopefully the Captain will be in the points just like Monday afternoon :-) and I would think that Scunthorpe would be the kind of track which would suit the likes of Berge, Pijper and Jorgensen. Would be a big lift to the season to take something from this meeting.

Quite chuffed for Redcar tonight, being a fan of a team who are having a similar sort of season to them I can understand results like this one tonight can really lift the spirits.

Wind the clock back to the start of last season and I was so excited to see Ben Barker riding for Berwick. He was going to be the big hitter we had been lacking for so long. But sadly it never worked out. We had seen Ben before at Berwick and we thought he was perfect for the big sweeps around the boards. He started the season off on obviously bad equipment, was injured early on and there were numerous rumours about his personal life circulating. He seemed to get things together at Peterborough at the end of last season and I thought the move to Glasgow this season was perfect for him. Whatever the reasons, unfortunately he is a shadow of the rider he was a couple of years ago. It would be great if he could get to where he was, because I thought he had a great style and was indeed as brave as they come. Whatever the reason for his slump, I only hope he can sort it out.

Then make it more efficient. Cut out the unnecessary delays (obviously injuries are unavoidable) but there are a lot of meetings which become drawn out for no reason whatsoever. If there are no injury delays it should be perfectly possible to run 21 heats in time. It would probably attract more fans as well, a slicker run operation.

Could be a number of riders who can make the semi, from there on it's wide open. The semi then final are one off races. All I know is that I am looking forward to this final a lot more than previous ones because of the track, which I think will provide far better racing than at Wolverhampton, which was a nice stadium and seemed to put on a good show, but I was always under the impression that carnage was just a first bend away on such a tight track, especially when riders were not going to give an inch. How many re-runs were there in finals past? Hopefully a much wider track will provide much better racing.

Those who don't want to watch, simple, they don't have to. I still think second half junior racing is an important part of the sport to breed new young riders. If you want to stay on and watch them do so, if not, don't. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but interesting to some.

I can only speak for Berwick, who I support, but I'm always surprised at the number of supporters who stay behind after Premier League meetings to watch the NJL meetings. I realise that there will be a fall off from the number watching the "main event" but I can only imagine that fans want value for money and will watch these extra races, although there is an obvious drop off in standard. I would reckon around about half of the crowd stay behind for these junior matches. I would like to see a countrywide effort to have second half racing. Two reasons 1) it gives the fans more value for money and 2) the development of young riders which is vital to the sport. Even if it was regionalised to cur down costs and even if teams raced as former clubs "Exeter, Weymouth" etc. to keep the names of these clubs alive.

I can understand the frustrations of Elite League promoters at signing riders, who are then told by teams in other countries that they cannot ride over here, to practice over there instead. Perhaps the answer is to concentrate on producing our own riders instead? As has been said above you cannot "ban" riders from abroad, but you can certainly avoid signing them. This wouldn't happen overnight and would almost certainly see a reduction in standards for a few years, but if there was a concerted effort to source, then develop home grown talent then costs would be driven down and Britain might once again become a power. The sport as a whole needs to start producing more riders, to avoid doubling-up and riders competing in multiple countries. It won't be easy, it won't be done overnight, but I think it's something that has to be done.

Best wishes to a young rider i've enjoyed watching in the NJL meetings. Hopefully a full recovery.

Might, could, didn't

Justin Sedgeman hates the Berwick track. He still seemed to manage to come up with points for Edinburgh at important stages against us it seemed, but he admitted he really didn't like the track.

I'd rather have Benny Johansson, or Frank Facher

Following on in the great tradition set by the annual Ben Fund collections. Sadly had to miss this one due to a great wedding today, but thankfully a much-needed win in the bag and a promising home debut for the new lad.

Well well, as somebody might say

That'll cure all speedway's ills then

Possibly the best thing to happen to speedway in this area in a long time

Just a few thoughts after reading the threads above 1) Life in Sweden and Poland is not as rosy as it seems, a lot of clubs lose heavily each season and have to be bailed out by local authorities. Chances of that ever happening in Britain? 2) I've often thought that Sky meetings should be free admission, try and get meetings sponsored to meet the costs, get as many people in the stadiums as possible, looks good for the cameras, sponsor gets maximum exposure. 3) The Elite League (and other leagues would be nice) needs a sponsor. 4) In it's current state I can't imagine any club wishing to leave the Premier League to move up to the Elite league, unless you have an owner willing to lose a lot of money, or the club have serious sponsorship backing. In any other sport, the aim is to get to the highest league possible because a) the TV revenue is greater attendances will be increased or sponsorship or corporate income will increase or c) there is some other sort of financial reward. That doesn't seem to be the case in speedway. There is no incentive to want to compete in the highest league.