topsoil

Glasgow didn't win any silverware this year, but certainly "won" if you consider other things like increased attendances, increased media awareness, they have set the standard for providing entertainment during meetings, the stadium facilities, several new streams of income, stadium ownership. Probably the biggest "winners" in speedway right now.

Unless you are looking for a montage of pulled faces into the camera. He's an expert at that.

Good luck to them if they can make a living from speedway, but unless they can get themselves a lot of sponsorship, speedway in this country just cannot support professional riders, unless they can supplement it by doubling up or riding abroad. Part of the reason that the sport is in such a bad state financially is that there are too many riders who try to make a living from the sport only. Don't like to live in the past, but when you look back to previous decades, nearly all of the riders had part time jobs to supplement riding. I know standards have risen considerably due to the "professionalism" but the sport just cannot afford it and a happy medium has to be found.

Theo Pijper scored well guesting for Berwick at the back end of the season. From memory always puts in a decent performance at Berwick. Would be a good signing IMO. Suppose it all depends where he wants to go. Longtrack commitments could be a problem, look at the number of times Richard Hall was missing this year. What would the facility be if he was missing? Guests? R/R? NL replacement?

Matty Wethers rode really well for Workington at the end of the season. Back on a decent average?

1. You are spot on that speedway needs to move into the 21st century in terms of entertaining the fans and you are right Glasgow have shown the example to follow. I only hope that more promoters heed this, but I can imagine a lot of response will be along the lines of "but Glasgow have money to spend". You reap what you sow. 2. Again, like you I think it would be a great idea for Edinburgh / Glasgow to run a junior outfit, but I would go one further and like every team, Elite and Premier, to run a "junior" team of some level, then run a sort of regional competition, to cut down on travelling. It floods the sport with young riders and second half meetings gives fans more racing. 3. On a personal note, I don't really care if the very top riders want to ride in this country. What we need to concentrate on is producing a steady supply of a decent standard of rider, so that if these top riders don't want to ride here, then there is always somebody else to fill their shoes. Look at rugby, The domestic competitions over here are continuing despite the World Cup being on and top internationals being away there, that is because they have enough replacements of a decent standard that they won't be missed.

Can't see why he would be a problem for 2016 if he puts a point and a half on his average. The average for the 2017 season is a whole different argument.

If Anders Mellgren gets up to a 7 point average Berwick will be ecstatic and will have pulled off a great signing. But speedway is a numbers game. Who knows what the circumstances for the rider / club will be in 18 months time.

You may have unearthed an unknown gem on Crag Coot. You're right it's time to get behind the lads for 2015.

Rather than just listing teams I am far more interested in how promoters go about building teams. I suppose you have signings in mind, but then you have to approach the riders' parent club, always assuming the rider doesn't want to sign with his parent club. Then you need to agree terms. But all the time you need to consider things like does the rider double up with an Elite league club, ride abroad, will there be fixtures clashes, official FIM meetings. Then there are the actual negotiations. Do you pay a rider a set rate £x per point and leave him to meet all his costs, or do you pay less per point and meet certain costs like the travelling, equipment and so on. Are there any riders who make strange demands? Do different teams have different pay scales?

That's why I've never really liked greyhound stadiums for speedway tracks. Most of them, like Monmore, Brough Park, Belle Vue are totally empty apart from the home straight. I never think it looks good for TV either and does nothing for atmosphere. Don't know if it's my memory playing tricks with me but was there a stand on the back straight at Brough? Sure I can remember watching a meeting from the back straight when I was young. Anyway, none of them compare to Powderhall. Great stadium, have a lot of good memories coming up there to watch Berwick.

I probably am, as I have no first hand experience of the relationship between promoters / riders regarding pay and expenses. But I was basing it on what I was told a few year ago by somebody close to another Premier League promoter. I was told that he (the promoter) used to save a lot of money by setting riders up with sponsorship deals to cover their costs, thus pushing down their pay rates.

Which in its own way is helping out the promotion, as in theory the more help riders are getting to help fund their equipment, travelling etc, then the less demands made to promotion in pay rates. So it should be a win win situation. The promotion needs the supporters club, the supporters club need the promotion, so the more they work together the better the situation will become.

Maybe I am being totally naive here, but I always thought a rider supplied his own machinery. I know promoters will try and get sponsorship to help riders fund machinery, but should it be up to promoters to buy the riders their machinery?

Never want to be part of colon tuesday

Amen to that, I think every team, Elite and Premier, should have some form of junior team. Every league match should be followed by a junior meeting. Gives the fans more racing in the evening and brigs on young talent.

I honestly don't think speedway needs to re-invent itself, the core product, four riders, four laps is fine. All that needs to happen in my opinion is for promoters to start promoting the sport to gain new fans and regain lost ones. Then when the fans have come, they need to be entertained. Ensure meetings are run efficiently, give the winner of heat 1 enough time to do a lap of honour, then straight on with the 2 minutes foe heat 2. Only after every 3 or 4 heats have a track grading interval, even that shouldn't take any longer than 5 minutes. Scrap the rider replacement rule. This will eradicate the need for two races in succession. Riders take their scheduled rides unless injured. Then they are replaced by track reserves. If this means going to six man teams then fine. Extend meetings and develop young riders for the future by insisting every team have a junior team. Race against other local teams to save on travelling. A junior meeting after every league match. Provide some sort of entertainment for fans during the grading intervals. Many different forms this can come in and doesn't need to be expensive. Promoters would do worse than to follow the excellent work done by Glasgow this season, promoting the team and keeping fans happy during the meetings. They are getting big crowds in now and reaping the benefits.

Darts can fill out arenas. Poker is on Sky TV. Speedway has noise, speed, danger, incredible bravery, no brakes. And yet the sport is heading south. Criminally under-promoted and the consequence of shooting itself in the foot too many times.

First things first, excellent news and my Saturday nights are sorted for 2016. I hope the promotion, fans and riders (they need to get involved too) make a big effort next year to really promote the sport and get the club back on a healthy footing and bring in new / lapsed fans. As for riders, no point in guessing until the AGM sets the points limit / make up of teams. Here's my verdict on riders for what it's worth:- Ben Barker: if the club can afford him I'd have him back. Probably on a false average and would be interesting to see what he could achieve given an injury-free run. Kevin Doolan: have him back in a heartbeat. Gave a captain's performance all through 2015. TJ: again I'd have him back. At times he was a hero this year, but not a Berwick asset, so who knows. Anders Mellgren: from the short time he was with Berwick you saw flashes of what he could do. Probably one of Berwick's best gaters (not much contest there) and again could be on a false average. Coty: If rules allow, I'd like to see him at reserve next year. Will improve with decent equipment and now he's seeing everywhere for the second time. Liam: I always like to see local riders in the team. Again, let's see what he can do now he's back from injury. Others: Theo Pijper? Either of the Worralls? all seem to go round Berwick. But we're back, that's the main thing. March 2016 just got that little bit closer!

I sent a few e-mails with suggestions to the club last season on entertainment during races. In this day and age it's vital to keep the crowd entertained as attention spans have shortened and fans get bored far easier. It doesn't have to cost much either, Glasgow have kids chasing the mascot in running races. Berwick Rangers do a scheme where every week they get a different school to "sponsor" a match, the kids from that school get free admission. I would like to see the speedway adopt that idea. Swells crowd numbers and you still get 20-30 kids needing fed and watered so still make money that way.

Question is, how many promoters will see the bigger picture and how many will look after their own interests? I always get the impression that as long as their own track is doing okay promoters don't give a great deal about helping other tracks out. As regards advertising and promotion, the sport needs to win back the fans it has lost and I also think bring in new fans. Even with the fans it has lost, most clubs were losing money. New fans, new sponsors, more support wouldn't go amiss.

If you follow any professional sports teams on twitter, you will see that they absolutely bombard their followers with posts. Something speedway clubs lag a long way behind in. I honestly don't think you would see a drop off in the number of children or accompanying adults if you charged £1 rather than free. It's still a huge reduction on normal prices.

Craig Cook is on one of those runs right now

Certainly hope it does. It's only been a couple of weeks since the last meeting of the season and already I'm missing the Saturday night craic.

Like it or not the playoffs are here to stay. The big crowds at both legs of the final and in years gone by prove that the playoffs are a financial success and capture the imagination of the supporters. Even the riders seem to lift the intensity levels. I do know that rugby league (super league) have a trophy for finishing top of the league (the something shield) would that be an option to reward the team finishing top of the league after the regular season? Name it after a prominent speedway character? The Neil Street Shield for example? Or perhaps treat it like American Football where teams who finish the season with the best records get home field advantage and do away with two legged semi-finals and final? Finally, I know it probably couldn't be done at this time of year because of other bookings, but I would lap up a Cardiff weekend for the playoff teams.